OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN FOR WEEK OF 25/06/18 - £70

Apologies for the lack of Meal Plan last week, I was totally floored by the worst migraine I've had in ages, and then the spare laptop died so my laptop was taken over by 15yo for homework and GCSE revision, and 11yo for her homework. 

I'm very glad to see the back of last week.  We had some really challenging news but I'm sure everything will work out fine in the end.  As I say to my girls it's how we rise above, and work through, challenges that counts.  I'm hoping to get another laptop sorted out this week so I can have mine back and get on with blogging whilst our girls can use the new(ish) one.

The weather forecast is for quite a warm week here so I am planning really easy dinners and packed lunches which will be OK in warmer temperatures.  Our garden is now providing delicious raspberries, strawberries, chard, kale, lettuces, rocket, and fresh herbs in abundance.  Such a good time of year for growing our own food, there's tasty crops to reward us for our gardening work.

Meal Plan

Breakfasts will be granola with yoghurt and fresh fruit, with pancakes on the weekend.

Packed lunches will be Wholemeal Savoury Swirls with crudites and fresh fruit salad, with a baked treat for afters.  Weekend lunches will be Homemade Pizzas and Traffic Light Rice and Beans.

Dinners

Orzo and Chickpea One Pot

1 Tblsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 peppers, diced
500g dried orzo pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 x tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
75g finely grated Parmesan/hard cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion and pepper then sauté until softened but not coloured. Add the orzo and garlic, cook for around a minute, stirring constantly.

Pour in the stock and tomatoes then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat so the mixture simmers. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked. If the pasta isn’t completely cooked when most of the liquid has been absorbed, add half a cup of stock or water and continue to simmer and stir until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Stir through the Parmesan/hard cheese. Season to taste then serve with steamed mixed vegetables/greens and more grated cheese. 

Summer Vegetable and Rice One Pot

2 Tblsp oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 peppers, finely diced

3 courgettes, diced

1 aubergine, diced

1 Tblsp ground cumin

1 Tblsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chilli powder (or more, to taste)

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

2 x 400g tins mixed beans, I used kidney beans and haricot beans

3 Tblsp soy sauce

1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tblsp garam masala

300g brown rice

1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a very large heavy based pan and add the vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened.  Add the spices and cook until fragrant, only a couple of minutes.  Pour in the tinned tomatoes, soy and Worcestershire sauces and garam masala.  

Add the rice and stock, stir to combine everything then bring to a strong boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 40 minutes or so until the rice is tender.  Sprinkle over chopped fresh coriander to serve. 

Quick and Easy Nachos

Roast Vegetable, Lentil, and Halloumi Bake

2 peppers, deseeded and roughly diced
1 aubergine, cut into 2.5cm/1 inch dice
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm/1 inch dice
2 courgettes, thickly sliced
2 Tblsp olive oil

1 tsp dried mixed herbs
400g tin lentils, drained
250g pack Halloumi, thickly sliced
Large handful fresh curly parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 200˚C/180˚C Fan/Gas Mark 6.   Put the vegetables into a large roasting tin, drizzle over the oil, sprinkle over the herbs, and season well. Mix everything together until coated with the herbs and oil.

Roast the vegetables for 25 minutes until they are almost tender. Sprinkle over the lentils and mix through the vegetables.  Lay the halloumi slices on top of the vegetables and lentils then roast for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the halloumi is golden.  Sprinkle over the parsley and serve with fresh flatbreads and a drizzle of natural yoghurt or lemon dressing.

Bacon and Egg Pie

Chorizo, Butterbean and Pasta Bake

500g pasta
1 onion, finely sliced
2 peppers, finely diced
200g chorizo, diced
3 cloves of garlic, mashed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
500g carton passata
400g tin butterbeans, drained
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Gently cook the onion, peppers and chorizo in a large frying pan over a moderate heat until the vegetables have softened and the chorizo is cooked through.  Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.  Pour in the tomatoes, passata and butterbeans.  Cover and leave to simmer whilst the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water according to packet instructions.   Drain the pasta then add the sauce and stir until combined.  Pour in to a large oven proof dish, level the top and sprinkle over the grated cheese.  

Bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6 until heated through and the cheese is golden and bubbling.  Serve with steamed greens or mixed vegetables.

Tuna Fritters with Sweet Potato Wedges

Shopping List

52 items: £70.03

Frozen

1x   ASDA Frozen for Freshness Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)              85p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Peas (1Kg)                                                 76p

1x   ASDA Frozen for Freshness Sweetcorn (1Kg)                         85p

Tins, Jars and Cooking

5x   ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g)                          £1.45

1x   ASDA Butter Beans in Water (400g)                                       39p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Red Kidney Beans in Water (400g)              30p

1x   Rajah Garam Masala (100g)                                                   50p

1x   Rajah Jeera Ground Cumin (100g)                                          50p

2x   ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g)                                          66p

1x   ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (200g)                   37p

1x   East End Ground Coriander (100g)                                         £1.15

1x   ASDA Smartprice Passata (500g)                                           35p

1x   Merchant Gourmet Ready to Eat Puy Lentils (250g)                £2.00

1x   Caribbean Choice Coconut Milk (400ml)                                  63p

1x   ASDA Tuna Chunks in Spring Water (4x160g)                        £2.84

1x   ASDA Borlotti Beans in Water (400g)                                      55p

1x   ASDA Chilli Beans in Chilli Sauce (390g)                                65p

1x   ASDA Haricot Beans in Water (400g)                                      55p

Dairy and Eggs

2x   ASDA Semi Skimmed Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)                              £2.96

5x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)                    £2.25

1x   ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)                            £2.00

1x   ASDA Mature Cheddar Cheese - Light (750g)                         £3.65

1x   Yamas! Halloumi (250g)                                                         £1.70

Packets and Cereals

1x   ASDA Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                                 69p

1x   ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                                    69p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg)                           45p

1x   ASDA Easy Cook Long Grain Brown Rice (1Kg)                      £1.17

1x   ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg)                                45p

1x   ASDA Orzo Pasta (500g)                                                        65p

1x   ASDA Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g)                             59p

1x   ASDA Wholewheat Penne (500g)                                            45p

2x   ASDA Scottish Porridge Oats (1Kg)                                        £1.78

1x   ASDA Ready to Roll Puff Pastry (500g)                                  £1.00

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Cooking Bacon (500g)                              57p

1x   ASDA Extra Special Chorizo Casero Sausage (225g)              £1.85

Fruit and Vegetables

25   ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas                                         £3.00

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Watermelon                                    £2.50

25   ASDA Grower's Selection Royal Gala Apples                          £4.56

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)                                 £1.50

4x   ASDA Grower's Selection Whole Cucumber                            £2.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Courgettes (3)                                £2.40

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Garlic (3)                                        55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Spring Onions                                 55p

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)                     £2.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Satsumas (600g)                            £2.00

4x   ASDA Farm Stores Pears (500g)                                            £3.20

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)                                 55p

5x   ASDA Farm Stores Cherry Tomatoes (250g)                           £2.50

2x   ASDA Aubergine                                                                    £1.40

1x   ASDA Farm Stores White Mushrooms (300g)                          68p

2x   ASDA Farm Stores Mixed Peppers (3)                                    £1.98

Snacks and Sweets

1x   ASDA Smartprice Tortilla Chips - Lightly Salted (180g)           41p

We purchased our groceries from Asda online via My Supermarket and our shopping cost £70.03, had we purchased our items elsewhere our shopping list would've cost:

£81.66 from Morrisons

£81.75 from Sainsbury's

£82.94 from Tesco

£93.69 from Ocado

£96.96 from Waitrose

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other. She also has a book, I have a copy and it is fab. You can order a copy for yourself here. 

And Katykicker, and Naomi from The Organised Life Project have a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.

3 Ingredient Banana, Oat, and Raisin Cookies

These delicious morsels are vegan, refined sugar free, and gluten free if you use gluten free rolled oats.  Very quick and easy to bake, brilliant for children to help with too.  I make these often to beat the late afternoon energy slump, or as a short notice breakfast on the go.

The key to a good flavour is using over-ripe bananas as they provide the sweetness for the cookies, and you can use other dried fruits should you prefer such as finely chopped dried apricots or dried cranberries.  I've added chopped nuts in the past too, such as walnuts or almonds for more protein and extra flavour.  However if I am planning on putting these in school lunches I leave out the nuts as our primary school is nut-free.

The recipe is easy doubled or tripled should you want to make a large batch, they keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container.   

Banana, Oat, and Raisin Cookies

80g mashed banana, I used one medium sized over-ripe banana

70g rolled oats

50g raisins

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4.  Line an oven tray with non stick baking paper.

Peel the banana and mash with a fork until you have a smooth paste.  Add the oats and dried fruit, mix until totally combined.  Divide the mixture in half then each half into four so you have 8 small portions.

Roll the portions of mixture into balls then put onto the oven tray, leaving about an inch between them to allow for spreading. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until the cookies start turning golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the trays.  Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Living on the Veg - Chocolate Mousse

I was sent a copy of Living on the Veg, co-written by my blogging friend Jac, and Clive a children's author. The book is aimed at kids aged around 9 - 11yo who are new to or thinking about becoming vegetarian. All my three older girls, aged 11, 15, and 18yo read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book introduces famous vegetarians throughout history, exploring the reasons why people would choose to be vegetarian such as religious, environmental, animal welfare, or healthy lifestyle choices. There are good definitions of what it means to be flexitarian, pescetarian, vegetarian, and vegan. 

The most common questions that vegetarians face are answered, such as sources of protein, whether vegetables feel pain as well, whether we as humans were born to eat meat, etc.  As well as tips for getting your family onboard and help with eating out as well as quick one pan meal ideas and store cupboard ingredients that make vegetarian meals quickly and easily. 

There's information on vegetarian ingredients like Quorn, tempeh and TVP, as well as natural foods that can replace meat and provide a healthy and varied diet. There are several delicious recipes to try and a lengthy list of helpful websites for further information and research.

What I liked most about this book was that it was primarily an informative guide to becoming vegetarian, with simple and scrumptious recipes included at the end, rather than a cookbook with scant information put in as an afterthought.  

We tried several of the recipes, all were very tasty indeed.  The Chocolate Mousse went down particularly well with everyone - despite my husband's scepticism, as he doesn't usually like tofu.

Easy Chocolate Mousse

250g silken tofu

3 ripe bananas

3 heaped Tblsp cocoa powder

a generous squirt of honey or maple syrup

Drain the tofu well and put into a blender with all the other ingredients.  Whizz until smooth then pour into small glasses or serving bowls and chill until needed. Top with whipped cream/coconut cream and sprinkles if you want.

OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN FOR WEEK OF 11/06/18 - £71

It's a proper back to routine week this week, our 11yo is back from her week long residential and we've all the usual after school and evening activities.  I'm battling a cold, as is 3yo so I want low fuss meals, with plenty of vegetables to see us through the week.

It's Healthy Eating week at the primary school that our youngest two attend so we've been talking about how we can eat even more vegetables and whole grains.  I try and make sure that we have reached our 5 a day by lunchtime each day.  We have one or two servings of fruit with breakfast, with a serving of whole grains, then at lunchtime there's 2 - 3 servings of vegetables in the form of crudites and a piece of fresh fruit, along with more whole grains.  Dinner also includes 2 - 3 servings of vegetables and quite often some pulses or lentils too. 

Our 11yo would like us to eat 4 meatfree meals a week so I'm going to try and aim for that in our meal plans from now on.  Some of the rest of the family aren't as keen, but if I make the meals tasty enough I'm sure they'll not be bothered by the lack of meat.

My blogging friend Jac has co-written a book called Living on the Veg: A kids' guide to life without meat which I will be reviewing this week.  It's a brilliant book which is aimed at kids who are new to, or thinking about, becoming vegetarian.  All of my girls have read the book and thought it was fab.  It's what prompted our 11yo to ask for more meatfree meals and I'm very glad she has. 

Breakfasts this week will be wheat biscuits with milk and sliced fruit, with pancakes on one weekend day and wholemeal soda bread on the other.

Packed lunches will be Quick Vegetable Tagine with pearl barley instead of couscous topped with a little herbed yoghurt, with a baked treat and piece of fruit for afters.  Cook the pearl barley by rinsing thoroughly until the water runs clear. Put into a saucepan with cold water or vegetable stock. I use a ratio of one part pearl barley to three parts water or stock. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes or so until tender. Drain if necessary, then use or freeze in batches for later use. One cup of pearl barley will yield 2 - 3 cups of cooked pearl barley.

Weekend Lunches will be Twice Baked Potatoes and Homemade Pizzas, both served with salads.

Dinners

Family Sized Vegetable and Lentil Pastry Roll

One Pot Orzo Bolognese

500g minced beef, or vegetarian mince
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 peppers, diced
330g dried orzo pasta
500ml pasta sauce, homemade or store bought
600ml vegetable stock
300g frozen peas
300g frozen corn
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Put a large frying pan on to a medium-high heat and cook the mince until it is no longer pink, breaking up clumps as you do so. 

Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and diced peppers to the pan then cook for a few minutes until the onion and peppers soften.

Add the orzo, pasta sauce and stock to the pan then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked and all of the stock has been absorbed. Stir through the frozen peas and corn, cook until these have heated through. Stir through the grated cheese then serve.

Roast Chicken with roast vegetables, steamed greens, and Yorkshire puddings

Roast Vegetable Frittata

Add 300g frozen peas and 300g frozen sweetcorn to leftover roasted vegetables in an ovenproof dish. Add enough beaten egg to coat the vegetables and sprinkle over some grated cheese. Bake at 180°C for around 45 minutes or until the egg has totally set. I'll be serving the frittata with wilted greens.

 

Chicken and Orzo Bake

2 onions, diced

2 peppers, diced (any colour will do)

1 clove garlic, minced

170g dried orzo pasta

500ml chicken stock

300g leftover cooked chicken

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Mix together all of the ingredients in a large baking dish until well combined. My Pyrex baking dish measures 9 x 12 inches (23 x 33cm). Put the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with steamed greens or mixed vegetables.

Quick Bean Chilli with sweet potato wedges

Saag Aloo served with mango chutney and homemade flatbreads

Shopping List

41 items: £71.15

Packets and Cereals

3x   ASDA Smartprice Wheat Bisks (24x18g)                                   £2.22

1x   ASDA Orzo (500g)                                                                    65p

1x   ASDA Good and Balanced Pearl Barley (500g)                           55p

1x   ASDA Ready Rolled Light Puff Pastry (375g)                             £1.00

Tins, Jars and Cooking

1x   ASDA Smartprice Bolognese Sauce (440g)                                42p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Red Kidney Beans in Water (400g)                 30p

3x   ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g)                                            99p

1x   ASDA Mango Chutney (240g)                                                    £1.00

6x   KTC Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g)                       £1.60

2x   Merchant Gourmet Ready to Eat Puy Lentils (250g)                   £4.00

1x   ASDA Vegetable Bouillon Mix (150g)                                         £1.40

1x   ASDA Haricot Beans in Water (400g)                                        55p

Frozen

1x   ASDA Frozen for Freshness Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)                 85p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Peas (1Kg)                                                    76p

1x   ASDA Frozen for Freshness Sweetcorn (1Kg)                            85p

Dairy and Eggs

3x   ASDA Semi Skimmed Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)                                 £4.44

3x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)                       £1.35

1x   ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)                               £2.00

1x   ASDA Mature Cheddar Cheese - Light (750g)                            £3.65

Fruit and Vegetables

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection British Spring Greens (500g)              £2.04

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Salad Tomatoes (750g)                      £2.30

25   ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas                                            £3.00

30   ASDA Grower's Selection Royal Gala Apples                             £6.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)                                    £1.00

1     ASDA Grower's Selection Butternut Squash by Weight (1.3Kg)  97p

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection Whole Cucumber                               £1.50

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Iceberg Lettuce                                 50p

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Courgettes (3)                                   £2.40

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Garlic (3)                                           55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)                        £1.00

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection Satsumas (600g)                               £3.00

4x   ASDA Farm Stores Pears (500g)                                               £3.20

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection British Parsnips (500g)                      65p

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)                                    55p

2x   ASDA Farm Stores White Potatoes (2.5Kg)                               £2.30

2x   ASDA Farm Stores Round Lettuce                                             80p

1x   ASDA Farm Stores White Mushrooms (300g)                            68p

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Washed Baby Spinach (300g)            £1.60

3x   ASDA Farm Stores Mixed Peppers (3)                                       £2.97

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1x   ASDA Butcher's Selection Beef Mince - 12% Fat (500g)             £2.28

1x   ASDA Butcher's Selection Whole Chicken (1.6Kg)                     £3.28

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery website My Supermarket, and are correct as of 10th June 2018. Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

We purchased our groceries online via Asda on My Supermarket, spending £71.15, had we chosen to shop elsewhere our items would've cost:

£79.17 from Morrisons

£81.40 from Sainsbury's

£84.52 Tesco

£93.20 from Waitrose

£96.42 from Ocado

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other. She also has a book, I have a copy and it is fab. You can order a copy for yourself here. 

And Katykicker, and Naomi from The Organised Life Project have a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.

OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN FOR WEEK OF 04/06/18 - £70

Half term is over and it's back to routine this week, kind of.  Our 11yo is off on a week long residential trip with her year group at school and it will be really strange and quiet without her here.  It's my birthday one day this week so my family have requested a kiwi classic for dinner, and of course there will be birthday cake to enjoy.

It's a fairly busy week so most of our weekday dinners are quick, and able to be eaten on the go if necessary.  We've got quite a few things on in the evenings this week, more so than usual.  I've made the savoury swirls, wholemeal rolls, tortillas and roti, and stashed them in the freezer ready to defrost when needed. 

Our back garden has plenty of fresh herbs, salad greens and rhubarb ready for us to harvest and enjoy this week.  The strawberries are almost ready to pick too, just another week and they should be just right.  I've included the salad greens and other items in the shopping list to make it easier to follow.

Meal Plan

Breakfasts will be overnight oats or granola with fruit compote and yoghurt as this is working well and nobody is tired of having it yet.  Weekend breakfasts will be pancakes one morning and homemade toasted teacakes the other.

Packed lunches will be Wholemeal Savoury Swirls with crudites, a piece or two of fruit, and a baked treat for afters.  We're off out for a shared BBQ lunch with friends on Saturday, I'll be taking a pavlova and fresh fruit salad for pudding, some salads, and plenty of supplies for mocktails/fruit punch.  Sunday we'll have homemade pizzas for lunch.

Dinners

10 minute Spicy Vegan Bean Burgers

Bacon and Egg Pie

500g puff pastry

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

6 rashers of bacon, rind removed and thinly sliced

8 free range eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 200C/180 Fan.

Roll out 2/3 of the pastry on a floured surface until large enough to line a 25cm pie dish. Line the pie dish with the pastry. Sprinkle the chopped spring onion and half of the bacon over the pastry, crack in the eggs then sprinkle over the rest of the bacon.

Roll out the remaining pastry and use it to make a lid for the pie. Trim off any excess pastry and crimp the edges to seal. Cut 3 or 4 small vents into the lid of the pie, brush with milk and bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the pastry is dark golden and crispy.  I'll be serving this with steamed mixed vegetables and garlic butter baked new potatoes.

Sweet Potato and Kale Flatbreads

3 large sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm dice

400g tin chickpeas, drained
1 bunch kale or spinach, chopped with stems removed

1 Tblsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 large onions, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tblsp ginger, finely grated

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

To serve:
flatbreads/roti
hummus or herbed yoghurt

Put a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 - 20 seconds before adding the diced onion. Let the onion cook for a couple of minutes stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and chilli powder with 1 tablespoon of boiling water mixing until combined. Tip the spice mixture into the onions and cook, stirring, until fragrant.

Add the sweet potato chunks and chickpeas, stir them around so they are coated with the onions and spices. Add 250ml/1 cup of boiling water. Cover the pan and cook for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add more water if the mixture looks too dry. The final mixture should be a little moist but not wet. Once the sweet potatoes are tender add the kale and cook until wilted.

Serve in flatbreads or roti with chopped fresh coriander and a drizzle of yoghurt. I usually serve some steamed mixed vegetables on the side.

Fish Tacos

1 onion, finely diced

2 courgettes, finely diced

2 peppers, any colour will do

300g frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

2 Tblsp finely chopped fresh parsley

1 or 2 Tblsp lemon or lime juice

1 Tblsp oil olive oil

500g skinless, boneless firm white fish fillets

To serve:

Homemade or store bought tortilla wraps

Homemade or store bought salsa

Homemade or store bought guacamole

Lettuce, shredded

Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F/170°C Fan/Gas Mark 5 and cook the fish fillets from frozen for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. In a bowl combine the onion, courgette, peppers, mixed vegetables, garlic, cumin, parsley and a tablespoon or two of lemon/lime juice. 

Put a frying pan over a medium heat and add the vegetables mixture. Cook, stirring continuously, until the vegetables have softened. Once cooked, take of the heat and leave to cool slightly. 

Once the fish and vegetables are cooked, flake some fish on to each tortilla, followed by a serving of the vegetable mixture. Add salsa, and whatever other condiments you like. Roll up then serve.

Hot Dogs with Coleslaw 

1 Tblsp oil

2 onions, sliced into rings«

6 good quality pork sausages

1 beetroot, grated

2 carrots, grated

1 apple, grated

½ cabbage, shredded

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ cup natural yoghurt

To serve:

6 wholemeal bread rolls

sweet potato wedges

Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6 and put the sausages into a baking dish or onto a foil lined oven tray. Cook for 25-30 minutesor until cooked through. 

Put a frying pan over a medium heat then add the oil and onions. Cook for around 15 minutes until the onions are very soft and caramelised. In a large bowl, mix the grated beetroot, carrots, apple and cabbage. Mix the yoghurt and mayonnaise together then stir through the salad until well coated.


Quesadillas

1 Tblsp oil

1 onions, finely diced

1 pepper, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 courgettes, grated

300g frozen mixed vegetables

1 can chilli beans

12 tortillas

2 cups mature cheddar cheese, grated

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions and pepper, cook until the vegetables start to soften.  Add the grated courgette and cook for another 5 minutes.  Stir through the chilli beans and mixed vegetables.  Cook for a further 5 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 

To make the quesadillas, heat another large frying pan over a medium heat.  Put a tortilla in the frying pan and spread a few spoonfuls of the bean mixture over it then sprinkle on some cheese.  Top with another tortilla.  Cook for a few minutes then turn over and cook the other side for a few minutes more.  Remove the tortilla from the pan when it's crisp and the cheese has melted.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas, bean mixture and cheese.  Cut the quesadillas into wedges before serving.  We'll be having ours with dressed salad greens and shredded cabbage.

Chicken, Roast Vegetable and Lentil Salad

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 onion, cut into wedges

2 beetroot, cut into small cubes

1 Tblsp oil, divided

600g chicken thigh or breast strips, I used cook from frozen pack

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tblsp paprika

1 Tblsp dried mixed herbs

1 can lentils, drained

500g frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted

Heat oven to 180ºC.  Toss the sweet potato, onion and beetroot with a tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper and put into a large ovenproof dish or onto a lined baking tray.  Mix together a tablespoon of oil with the crushed garlic, paprika and dried mixed herbs.  Rub this mixture all over the chicken strips until coated then put onto a lined baking tray.

Bake the vegetables and chicken for around 20–30 minutes until thoroughly cooked.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.  Put the defrosted mixed vegetables into boiling water for around 5 minutes, drain well.  Mix the cooked vegetables, drained lentils and mixed vegetables together.  Drizzle over some lemon juice or balsamic vinegar then top with the cooked chicken. 

Shopping List

46 items: £69.44

Frozen

3x   ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)                             £2.46

1x   ASDA Frozen for Freshness Berry Medley (1Kg)                     £2.75

1x   ASDA Cook from Frozen Chicken Breast Strips (600g)            £2.50

1x   ASDA White Fish Fillets (540g)                                              £2.50

Tins, Jars and Cooking

2x   ASDA Smartprice Red Kidney Beans in Water (400g)              60p

1x   ASDA Vegetable Oil (1L)                                                        £1.09

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mayonnaise (500g)                                     41p

1x   ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g)                                         33p

1x   Merchant Gourmet Ready to Eat Puy Lentils (250g)                £2.00

1x   ASDA Black Beans in Water (400g)                                        65p

1x   ASDA Chilli Beans in Chilli Sauce (390g)                                65p

Dairy and Eggs

2x   ASDA Semi Skimmed Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)                              £2.96

5x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)                    £2.25

1x   ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)                            £2.00

1x   ASDA Butter - Unsalted (250g)                                               £1.45

1x   ASDA Mature Cheddar Cheese - Light (750g)                         £3.65

Packets and Cereals

1x   Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg)                                     64p

1x   ASDA Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                                 69p

1x   ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                                    69p

1x   KTC Lemon Juice (250ml)                                                      40p

2x   ASDA Scottish Porridge Oats (1Kg)                                       £1.78

1x   ASDA Ready to Roll Puff Pastry (500g)                                  £1.00

Fruit and Vegetables

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Unwashed Sliced Curly Kale (200g) 65p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Baby Potatoes (1Kg)                       80p

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Salad Tomatoes (750g)                   £2.30

25   ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas                                         £2.70

19   ASDA Grower's Selection Royal Gala Apples                          £4.56

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)                                 50p

5x   ASDA Grower's Selection Whole Cucumber                            £2.50

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Iceberg Lettuce                              50p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Celery                                            55p

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Courgettes (3)                                £2.40

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Garlic (3)                                        55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Spring Onions                                55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Beetroot Bunched (500g)                £1.60

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)                     £2.00

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Ginger (125g)                                 50p

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Satsumas (600g)                            £2.00

4x   ASDA Farm Stores Pears (500g)                                            £3.20

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)                                 55p

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Round Lettuce                                          40p

2x   ASDA Farm Stores Mixed Peppers (3)                                    £1.98

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Ripen at Home Avacodos (4)           £1.60

1     ASDA Grower's Selection White Cabbage                               78p

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Cooking Bacon (500g)                              57p

1x   ASDA Extra Special Pork Sausages (6 per pack - 400g)         £2.25

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery website My Supermarket, and are correct as of 3rd June 2018. Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

We purchased our groceries online via Asda on My Supermarket, spending £69.44, had we chosen to shop elsewhere our items would've cost:

£79.66 from Tesco

£80.12 from Sainsbury's

£88.52 from Waitrose

£89.73 from Ocado

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other. She also has a book, I have a copy and it is fab. You can order a copy for yourself here. 

And Katykicker, and Naomi from The Organised Life Project have a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.