OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN WEEK BEGINNING 02/04/2018 - £72

It's school holidays for the next two weeks. My children are off for a total of 17 days, that's quite a long time which will be challenging for all of us and our budget.  I've spent about £10 more than normal on our shopping this week, some items will of course be useful next week such as the bread flour.

I'm trying to make sure we have filling meals to cut down on snacking and ensure our tums are fuller for longer. Hopefully it will also mean that we will have sufficient supplies to last the week, no matter who calls in for a feed visit. Most of the lunches can be easily expanded should unexpected guests arrive. 

As usual I am baking our bread, this week I will also be baking bagels, English muffins and fruit bread. This saves us loads as all of those baked goods would cost rather a lot from the supermarket. Because I'll be baking quite often and the lunches are fairly substantial I've kept the dinners fairly low faff and simple.

Breakfasts will be porridge or overnight oats with homemade apple and berry compote.  On the weekend I'll do pancakes and perhaps crumpets.

Lunches

Quesadillas (We will have these twice this week)

10 tortillas, wholemeal wraps or burritos
1 can whole kernel corn
2 tins chilli beans
1 cup grated cheese
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped

Preheat a non-stick frying pan or sandwich press.

Top five of the tortillas with the chilli beans, corn (drained), chopped tomato, spring onion and grated cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas (to make a tortilla sandwich).

Spray frying pan with a little oil. Cook tortillas one at a time in frying pan. Cook on one side for 2 or 3 minutes, then turn with a spatula and cook the other side for another 2 or 3 minutes, or until fillings are hot and cheese has melted. Repeat with other tortillas.

Allow to cool for a few minutes. Cut each tortilla into four wedges (or smaller pieces for smaller kids). Eat and enjoy!

Vegetable and Egg Bake

1 potato, cubed and cooked
1 small sweet potato, cubed and cooked
1 cup baby spinach leaves or kale
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 onion, finely chopped
3 free range eggs
180ml milk
2 Tblsp plain flour
½ cup cheese
pinch salt
couple of grinds of pepper
¼ cup cheese, extra

Put all the vegetables in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, milk, flour, cheese, pepper and salt. Beat until thoroughly combined. Gently stir into the vegetables, being careful not to bash about the cooked potato and sweet potato too much. Tip the mixture into a lightly greased 23cm pyrex dish or lined cake tin.

Bake in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes, then sprinkle with the extra cheese and put under the grill for a couple of minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

Baked Potatoes with Baked Beans and Cheese

Storecupboard Hotpot

½ Tbsp oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
1 tin (425g) beans, drained (e.g. mixed beans, butter beans, haricot beans or chickpeas)
1 large tin (400g) sweetcorn, drained
1 pepper, diced (red, orange or yellow)

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and sweat the onions until soft and transparent. Add the diced pepper and mushrooms and cook gently until softened.

Sprinkle in the flour stir for 1-2 minutes before adding the drained tins of tomatoes, beans and sweetcorn. Cook for another 5 minutes until everything is well heated through and the stew thickens slightly then serve.  I'll be serving this with wholemeal bread rolls.

Root Vegetable Soup (we'll have this twice)

1 onion, diced
1 Tblsp oil, butter or margarine
1 potato, peeled and diced
4 cups chopped vegetables (or a mixture of vegetables)
500ml vegetable stock

1 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper

Saute chopped onion in oil in a large saucepan until soft but not browned. Add around 4 cups of peeled chopped vegetables and the chopped potato. The starchiness of the potato improves the overall texture of the soup.

Gently cook the vegetables in the saucepan with the lid on for about 5 minutes over a moderate heat, then add water, stock or a combination of both to just cover the vegetables.

Simmer with the lid on until the veges are very soft, then process using a stick blender until smooth. Add extra liquid to adjust the consistency of the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Dinners

Roast Lamb with all the trimmings (Easter Monday)

Leftover Lamb Shepherds Pie

Leftover Roast Lamb Soup

Homemade Fish and Chips

Mixed Vegetable and Pearl Barley Risotto (2 nights)

Chicken Casserole

Shopping List

39 items: £72.17

Tins, Jars and Cooking

1x   ASDA Baked Beans, Reduced Sugar and Salt (4x410g)          98p

2x   ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g)                         58p

1x   ASDA Butter Beans in Water (400g)                                      45p

3x   ASDA Smartprice Sweetcorn in Water (326g)                         £1.05

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

4x   ASDA Chilli Beans in Chilli Sauce (390g)                               £2.60

Frozen

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

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

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

1x   ASDA Chicken Thighs (1.1Kg)                                              £2.50

Dairy and Eggs

3x   ASDA British Whole Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)                                £4.44

1x   ASDA Free Range Medium Eggs (12)                                    £1.65

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mature White Cheddar (830g)                    £3.69

Packets and Cereals

2x   ASDA Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                                £1.38

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

1x   Allinson Easy Bake Yeast (100g)                                           98p

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

2x   ASDA Scottish Porridge Oats (1Kg)                                       £1.98

Fruit and Vegetables

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

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection British Spring Greens (500g)          40p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Salad Tomatoes (750g)                  £1.25

25   ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas                                        £3.00

24   ASDA Grower's Selection Royal Gala Apples                         £4.56

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)                                60p

1     ASDA Grower's Selection Butternut Squash (1.3Kg)               97.3p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Celery                                           55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Garlic Loose                                  25p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Spring Onions                                55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)                    £1.20

2x   ASDA Extra Special Buttery Marabel Baking Potatoes (2Kg)  £2.00

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Oranges Extra Juicy (2Kg)             £2.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Pears (1.2Kg)                                £4.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection British Parsnips (500g)                  40p

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection Plums (750g)                                 £4.20

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Extra Trimmed Leeks (550g)          20p

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)                                59p

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Mixed Peppers (3)                                   99p

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1     ASDA Butcher's Selection Half Lamb Leg                         £10.60

Bakery

3x   ASDA Mexican Style Wholemeal Tortillas (8)                         £2.25

We purchased our groceries online from Asda, via My Supermarket for delivery on 31/03/18.  Our shopping cost £72.17, had we shopped elsewhere our items would've cost:

£83.28 from Lidl

£86.42 from Tesco

£87.35 from Morrisons

£91.98 from Sainsbury's

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 coming out in April which you can pre-order 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 comments Bread, Chicken, Dinners, Fish, Lamb, Lunches, Meal Plan

Lamb and Peas with Cheesy Topping

I was sent this delicious recipe by Sarah Bailey as an entry into the Extra Veg monthly blog challenge.  As Sarah doesn't have a blog I am publishing this recipe on her behalf.

Lamb and Peas with Cheesy Topping 

Serves 2

I would normally use 200g of meat for two people in this kind of recipe, but I decided to cut the meat back to 150g and add 100g of peas in its place. 

The peas in the photograph have been given a quick whizz in a small processor, but they could have been crushed with a fork just as successfully. I don’t think the dish would have been as good if the peas had been left whole, a slightly pasty kind of mixture blends in well - leaving them whole would be an option though.

I used defrosted frozen peas, but tender fresh raw peas would do very nicely, there is no need to pre-cook them.

We ate this dish for our main meal with some new potatoes and broccoli and agreed that we didn’t miss the 50g of meat that I had taken out and substituted with peas. I have to say though, that 50g of peas wouldn’t really have been enough so it wasn’t a weight for weight swap.

150g minced lamb
1 onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 mushrooms, quartered
2 tbsps tomato purée
1 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 tbsp flour
100g peas
3 or 4 leaves of mint
1 x 200g carton crème fraîche
30g cheese, finely grated

Brown the lamb in a pan with the onion and garlic, there will be no need to add oil, minced lamb is always a bit fatty.

Add the mushrooms, tomato purée and vegetable stock powder.  Cook for about five more minutes.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine, continue to cook for about two minutes stirring from time to time.

Gradually pour over half a mug of hot water into the meat mixture and stir carefully, the liquid will thicken to form a sauce.  Cook this mixture out for a few more minutes.  Put the peas and mint leaves into a small processor and give them a quick whizz, alternatively chop the mint finely and crush it with the peas using a fork.

Put half of the meat mixture into a casserole dish.  Spread the crushed peas over the meat in the dish.  Cover with the remaining meat mixture – it is important to make sure the meat is really hot at this stage, because the peas are cold.  Tip the crème fraîche into a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.  Spread this mixture over the meat and brown under a grill.

I will be entering this recipe into the Extra Veg blog challenge linky, hosted this month by Jen's Food.

2 comments Dinners, Lamb

Actifrydays Challenge - Actifry Kebab

Actifry Express XL RRP £249.99

I was recently sent the new ActiFry Express XL by Tefal to try out and asked to recreate one of their recipes, an Actifry Kebab.  Tefal’s have launched an ActiFryDays challenge to encourage us to cook a dish in their Actifry instead of ordering a takeaway.  

Tefal undertook a survey of 2,000 people and found that their favourite takeaway option was Chinese.  Apparently, as a nation we eat 12,000 tonnes of fat each year from takeaways alone, this is of course very worrying as obesity levels are high in the UK population.

Unsurprisingly, according to the survey, Friday is the most popular night when we crave a takeaway.  Unfortunately most of the time we tend to order too much and also ignore the fat and calories in takeaways.  I know that I am always exhausted by Friday so always Meal Plan a low faff option as we can't afford takeaways, either from a financial or dietary point of view.    

I was delighted to be asked to try out the Actifry as it air fries with a very small amount of oil which means dishes are cooked with little added fat and therefore dishes will be much lighter on the waistline and wallet than traditional takeaways.

I cooked the Actifry Kebab and it went down very well indeed with my family.  I amended the recipe slightly as it served 4 and there are 5 of us.  I used lamb instead of veal, added 2 chopped peppers, an extra carrot, added 500ml of passata, cooked the dish for 5 minutes longer, and served the kebab on cooked Basmati rice.  The only preparation is chopping the vegetables and lamb, the Actifry does everything else.  You could serve the kebab in a wrap or with couscous if you didn't want to cook rice.  

We found that the carrot, although it was fairly finely diced, was still quite firm.  I would substitute the carrot for some diced peppers, courgette or aubergine, this would be easier to soften in the cooking time.

The ActiFry Express XL comes with a recipe book filled with delicious ideas which we will try out in due course.  You can cook so much more than chips in the Actifry! That said, we do enjoy some spicy sweet potato wedges cooked in the Actifry and accompanied by a homemade (reduced fat) sour cream and chive dip.

1 comment Dinners, Lamb, Review, Rice

Lamb Meatballs and Root Vegetable Bake

This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner.  I sometimes prepare the vegetables and meatballs earlier in the day so I can just put it all in the oven to bake at dinner time.  It went down very well with my family and leftovers made a delicious lunch the next day with a side salad.

Lamb Meatballs and Root Vegetable Bake

750g root vegetables peeled and diced. I used parsnips, swede, carrot and sweet potato

2 onions, sliced

2 peppers, diced

500g lamb mince

1 handful breadcrumbs

1 free range egg

3 Tblsp fresh mint, finely chopped

300g plum tomatoes (optional)

Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan.  Cook the root vegetables in boiling water for 5 - 8 minutes until they start to soften, alternatively steam them in the microwave for a few minutes.  Combine the lamb mince, breadcrumbs, egg and mint.  Shape into meatballs, I managed to get 25 meatballs from the mixture.

Lightly oil a large ovenproof dish.  Put the vegetables into the dish and nestle the meatballs on top.  Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, add the tomatoes and bake for a further 5 minutes.  Serve with steamed greens or a side salad.

Leave a Comment Dinners, Lamb

Leftover Roast Lamb Soup

I was asked by Sainsbury's to share a recipe that uses up leftovers from a roast dinner.  Soups are a fab way to get another meal from a roast dinner, especially if you make your own stock as we did.

We enjoyed a roast leg of lamb and I made stock from the bones, used the leftover meat, and some leftover vegetables in a delicious and filling soup.

I put the following into a slow cooker set to low:

3 sliced carrots

2 sliced celery sticks

1 large onion, diced

1 leek, sliced

100g pearl barley

1.5 Litres lamb stock, add a little extra if necessary

I cooked this on low for 2 - 3 hours until the pearl barley was just tender.  Add in leftover roast lamb, we had about 350g of meat, and cook for a further hour on low.  Serve in bowls, sprinkled with some fresh herbs.  We devoured ours for a hearty lunch, accompanied by a bread roll. 

I was given vouchers by Sainsbury's for ingredients costs incurred.

2 comments Basics, Budgeting Tips, Lamb, Soup

Our Second and Final Organic Meal Plan

I was sent the second and final delivery of organic groceries this week from Organic UK to formulate a Meal Plan from.  Here's what arrived:

I will make a Beef and Vegetable Pie with the diced beef, a Moussaka with the minced lamb, a Courgette and Vegetable Crustless Quiche with the eggs, courgettes, two peppers, and two onions.

Another delicious dinner will be Creamy Courgette, Spinach and Bacon Pasta using the creme fraiche along with the obvious ingredients A Mixed Bean and Tomato Soup will be made using leftover vegetables, the various tinned pulses, tinned sweetocorn and passata and should provide a warming and weekend hearty lunch.

I made a tasty apple and rhubarb compote from apples and rhubarb grown organically in our back garden to have with the yoghurt for pudding and also made Chocolate Pots with the remainder of the yoghurt and garnished them with strawberries.

As I said in my previous post, organic produce is generally too expensive for us as a family even when stretched using a good meal plan.  We will continue to buy organic produce as we usually do, when it is on offer for the same price or cheaper than our usual produce.  Of course growing our own ensures we have a ready supply of organic greens, potatoes, onions, beetroot, carrots, beans, chard and other produce when in season.  My friend has organic free range chickens so we are also able to source eggs in exchange for some of our produce.

Do you buy organic?  Have you substituted some of your regular shopping choices for organic products or produce?  Would you buy organic if there wasn't such a large price difference?

As always my thought is: Feed yourself and your loved ones as best you can with the resources you have.  Spend time together enjoying nourishing food and good conversation, that is what will be remembered.

Leave a Comment Beef, Lamb, Meal Plan, Pasta, Puddings, Review, Soup, Vegetarian

Our Family Meal Plan for the week of 20th May - National Vegetarian Week Version £60

It is National Vegetarian Week here in the UK from Monday 20^th – Sunday 26^th May, we are taking part as a family and will be following a vegetarian meal plan this week.  The lovelies at Asda have provided me with a voucher to try out their fresh fruit and vegetables this week which certainly helped with my meal planning.  Asda have a wide range of produce available such as their Extra Special Tomkin Tomatoes, brand new Extra Special Sorrento Lemons or seasonal British produce including asparagus, rhubarb and cauliflower.  I will be posting photos of our meals and feedback on the meal plan from my family on Twitter using the #asdaveggieweek hash tag.  I'll probably post some on my Facebook and Google+ pages too.

We usually have a few vegetarian meals in our weekly meal plan but having a totally meatfree meal plan will be interesting as my husband prefers to have meat in his meals.  I am hoping to make food that is so filling and delicious that he won’t miss meat, or at least won't moan about the lack of animal protein.  He did insist on a no tofu or quorn meal plan so that has made things slightly more tricky.  I do like tofu because it is so versatile and tasty if you flavour and cook it properly.  However, there's none in this meal plan to keep my husband happy. *sigh*

As usual I will be making all our bread, wraps and baked treats.  I have included the cost of flours and yeast in the meal plan.  I haven't included the cost of our drinks or some store cupboard items.

I purchased my groceries from Asda on 19^th May and the cost of my shopping was £60.49.  I used My Supermarket to compare the price of my shopping and had I shopped elsewhere my groceries would’ve cost £71.20 from Sainsbury’s, £73.44 from Tesco and £74.66 from Waitrose.

Breakfasts

We’ll be having fruit and nut wholegrain muesli with milk or wholemeal toast spread with peanut butter or vegemite with a piece of fruit for afters.  We will probably have pancakes one morning on the weekend.

Lunches

All lunches will be accompanied by crudités, a pot of yoghurt and a piece of fruit.  I usually include a small baked treat as well.

Falafel wraps or egg mayo wraps or Quick Chickpea and Couscous Salad   Weekend lunches will be a mini vegetable frittatas and twice baked potatoes.

Dinners

Mixed Vegetable Pearl Barley Risotto 

Spinach and Root Vegetable Cannelloni

500g pumpkin, peeled then diced

250g sweet potato, peeled then diced

200g frozen spinach, defrosted and any water squeezed out

6 spring onions, trimmed then thinly sliced

250g low-fat crème fraiche

black pepper, to season

4 fresh lasagne sheets, cut in half

400g tomato pasta sauce, storebought is fine

100g grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 1.5 litre (6 cup-capacity) ovenproof baking dish.

Cook the pumpkin and sweet potato in a large pan of boiling water until tender. Drain, mash roughly with a fork then set aside to cool slightly. 

In a bowl combine the mashed pumpkin and sweet potato, spring onions, spinach, creme fraiche and a few good grinds of black pepper. Mix together well.

Put 4 tablespoons of filling along the middle of each lasagne sheet.  Fold the lasagne sheet to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining sheets and filling.  Spread 5 tablespoons of pasta sauce over the bottom of your greased ovenproof dish.  Put the cannelloni on top in a single layer. 

Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the prepared cannelloni, sprinkle with cheese, then bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese the has melted and is bubbling. Serve with a green salad or steamed vegetables.

Mixed Bean Burgers with Wedges

400g tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed

1 onion, finely diced

1 pepper, finely diced

1 tsp chilli powder

100g fresh breadcrumbs

about 500g potatoes, for the wedges

Sauté the onion and pepper in a little oil for a couple of minutes until it softens then leave to cool for a bit. Mash the mixed beans with a potato masher, leave it a little lumpy – not too smooth. Add the cooled sautéed pepper and onion along with the breadcrumbs to the mixed beans and mix everything together thoroughly. Shape into 5 burgers and fry in a little oil for a couple of minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown. Then put them in the oven at 180C for about 10 minutes until completely cooked through.

Wash the potatoes and cut them into wedges, not too thick. Put a little oil on your hands and rub the wedges so that they get lightly coated in the oil. To cook the wedges, bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 180C.

Serve the burgers in buns with tomato, lettuce and mayo. I sometimes sprinkle a little paprika and/or chilli powder over the wedges to give them a little more flavour.

Quinoa and Vegetable Curry

1 onion, finely sliced

2 peppers, deseeded and finely diced

4 Tblsp curry paste

400g can light coconut milk

400ml milk

750g frozen mixed vegetables

300g quinoa, rinsed

Put a large saucepan onto a moderate heat, add 2 Tblsp water then cook the onion, pepper and curry paste for about 5 minutes until the onion has softened.  Add the milks to the pan and warm through for 5 minutes before adding the quinoa and vegetables.  Bring everything to the boil and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the quinoa is cooked through.  Season to taste and serve with rice or flatbreads.

Leftover Quinoa Curry Pasties

Leftover Quinoa and Vegetable Curry

2 sheets puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 200C

Cut each sheet of pastry into thirds.  Put mounds of leftover curry on one half of each pastry third.  Fold over the other half of the pastry third and crimp with a fork to seal the edges.  Prick each pastry parcel with a fork so steam can escape during cooking.

Put on lined baking trays and cook for 20 - 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and crispy.  Serve with mango chutney and steamed vegetables.

Bean and vegetable wraps

1 pepper, diced

2 x 290g tins chilli beans

300ml low-fat soured cream

10 wholemeal tortillas

salads

grated tasty cheese

Warm the chilli beans.  Heat the tortillas in a microwave to soften, then place on a flat surface. Spoon some chilli beans onto the middle of each tortilla.  Add a dollop of soured cream and some salad greens.  Fold up then serve immediately.

  

Vegetable and Lentil Pastry Roll

 Shopping List

43 items: £60.49

  

Packets and Cereals

1x   Jordans Natural Muesli (1Kg)                                                   £2.50

1x   Jus Rol Puff Pastry Block (2x500g)                                        £2.00 was £2.50

1x   Great Scot Pearl Barley (500g)                                                58p

1x   ASDA Wholefoods Cous Cous (500g)                                     68p

1x   Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g)       65p

1x   Allinson Wholemeal Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg)                       £1.60

1x   ASDA Wholefoods Brown Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                       £1.28

1x   Great Scot Chick Peas (500g)                                                 95p

1x   Great Scot Quinoa (300g)                                                        £2.18

Dairy and Eggs

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Yogurts Assorted (6x125g)                 £1.00

1x   ASDA Reduced Fat Crème Fraîche (300ml)                           £1.10

4x   ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L)                  £4.00

1x   ASDA English Mature White Cheddar (500g)                          £2.74

1x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)                   45p

1x   ASDA Low Fat Peach, P/apple & Mandarin Yogurt (6x125g) £1.00

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt (6x125g) £1.00

1x   ASDA Reduced Fat Soured Cream (300ml)                           £1.10

3x   Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6)                           £3.00

Frozen

2x   ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)                             £1.50

1x   ASDA Whole Leaf Spinach (1Kg)                                            £1.00 was £1.39

Tins, Jars and Cooking                                                                            

2x   ASDA Chosen by You Chilli Beans (290g)                              96p

1x   Geeta's Premium Mango Chutney (320g)                               £1.00

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mayonnaise (500ml)                                  40p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Crunchy Peanut Butter (340g)                   62p

2x   ASDA Chosen by You Green Lentils in Water (400g)             £1.24

2x   ASDA Mexican Style Bean Mix in Water (400g)                     £1.24

1x   Kingfisher Reduced Fat Coconut Milk (400ml)                        £1.19 was £1.40

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Tomato Pasta Sauce (500g)               £1.00

Fruit and Vegetables

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Stoned Apricots (500g)                       £2.98

20   ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g)                                            £1.36

20   ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g)                                              £1.60

1x   ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg)                                                 £2.00

7     ASDA Butternut Squash by Weight (100g)                              70p

10   ASDA Sweet Potatoes by Weight (100g)                                £1.28

2x   ASDA Whole Cucumber                                                          £1.00

3x   ASDA Round Lettuce                                                               £1.71

1x   ASDA Garlic Loose                                                                  30p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g)                                           £1.57

2x   ASDA Spring Onions                                                                £1.48

1x   ASDA Smartprice Brown Onions (2Kg)                                   98p

1x   ASDA Unwaxed Lemons (5)                                                    £1.25

4x   ASDA Smartprice Apples (500g)                                             £3.52

Ready Meals

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Fresh Egg Lasagne Sheets (250g)     80p

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery websites, and are correct as of 19th May 2013.  Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

Don't forget to check out other meal plans on the Meal Planning Monday linky hosted by At Home With Mrs M.

4 comments Budgeting Tips, Dinners, Lamb, Meal Plan, Meatfree Monday, Salad, Vegetarian

Our Family Meal Plan for Week of 08/03/2013 - £58 The Bargain Hunters Edition

It's the second week of the School Holidays and we managed to get through the week with enough food to last us until our grocery delivery - but only just.  I think my 3 girls are all having Spring growth spurts because they seem to eat anything which doesn't move fast enough to escape.

I visited the local greengrocer and was able to pick up some specials on Sunday afternoon.  Quite a lot of their fruit and vegetables were discounted so they could be sold before their scheduled Monday delivery.  I bought some 400g punnets of large ripe strawberries for 50p each, 2kg of bananas for £1, 2kg of eating apples for £1, 2kg of carrots for £1, 1kg of tomatoes for £1, 3 cucumbers and 2 bunches of spring onions for 30p each, and a 5kg bag of baking potatoes for £2.  It was £9.50 well spent as most of the fruit and vegetables weren't too ripe or old so should last us the week.  I must admit carrying home the bag of potatoes for 2 miles was a good workout, although using a firemans lift approach helped.  My 3 daughters and husband carried the rest of the produce home between them, great team work.

I have decided to once again keep the dinners fairly low faff and have chosen lunches which can be portable should the need arise.  It is my husband's birthday on Thursday so I shall be baking a chocolate creation of epic proportions for him, and he of course gets to choose the dinner we have to celebrate his ageing.  He really wanted roast lamb with all the trimmings so I have been on the hunt for a cheap lamb joint so as not to blow our budget.  I traipsed over to my local supermarket around 9pm twice in three days to check out the bargains before closing and on the second visit managed to purchase a 2.4kg whole NZ lamb leg for £3, reduced from over £12.  Hubby was most pleased as he gets his birthday dinner for a bargain price, hurrah!

Breakfasts will be porridge or cereal with fruit for afters.  Snacks will be yoghurt for morning tea with a small baked treat and more fruit for afternoon tea.

Lunches

All lunches will be accompanied by crudites and homemade herby yoghurt dip.  Whatever Fritters, toasted sandwiches, baked beans on toast, wraps, twice baked potatoes and mini frittatas will all feature on our lunch menu this week.

Whatever Fritters

1 cup “whatever” filling you like (banana, diced apple, sweetcorn, grated vegetables, leftover ham - not all together!)

1 cup plain flour or wholemeal flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

about 200ml milk

Sift the dry ingredients in to a bowl then add egg and enough milk to make a smooth batter. Stir in whatever' filling you like.

Cook in a pan with a little sizzling butter until golden on both sides and cooked through. Banana or apple fritters are great for a breakfast treat. Savoury fritters can be served a salad for lunch or dinner.

Dinners

Chickpea and Vege Casserole - Meatfree Monday

1 onion, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 peppers, diced (any colour will do)
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
3 carrots, finely sliced
2 courgettes, sliced
2 potatoes, diced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
200ml vegetable stock
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

Heat a little oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat  Saute the onion, garlic until softened but not coloured.  Add the peppers, celery, carrots, courgettes and potatoes.  Cook for another 5 minutes adding a little water if the vegetables start to catch on the bottom of the pan.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil.  Cover with a lid then turn the heat down and simmer the casserole for about 45 minutes, check there is enough liquid in the casserole once or twice during cooking adding more if necessary.  Season to taste then serve.  We'll be having ours with homemade flatbreads.

Fishcakes with Wedges and Vegetables - Tuesday

1 can tuna or salmon in spring water, drained

3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

1 spring onion, white and green parts very finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tblsp oil

Mix together all the ingredients except the oil. Spread a little flour on a board, tip the mixture out, shape into a rectangle and cut into eight pieces. Shape each piece into round, flat patties. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Brown the fishcakes on both sides and serve with a salad or steamed mixed vegetables.

Red Lentil Bolognese - Wednesday

Roast Lamb with Roast Vegetables, Steamed Greens and Yorkshire Puddings - Thursday

Lamb Pasties (using leftover lamb and roast veges) - Friday

Shepherds Pie (using leftover roast lamb) - Saturday

Fish Stew - Sunday

1 onion, roughly diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 peppers, deseeded and diced
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
3 carrots, finely sliced
500g white fish fillets, frozen
400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml fish stock
250ml white wine
2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)

Heat a little oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat.  Saute the onion, garlic, peppers, celery and carrots until the onions and peppers start to soften.  Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil then cover.  Turn down the heat and simmer the stew for 30 - 35 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the fish is cooked through.  Season to taste then serve.  We'll be having ours with steamed greens and potato mash.

Shopping List

There are no lentils on the grocery list as we had some in the cupboard to use up likewise rice, sugar, oats, herbs and seasoning/sauces.  School holidays are a fab time to clear out the store cupboard and use up any lingering grocery items.

Greengrocers
4 x 400g punnets large ripe strawberries 50p
2kg bananas for £1
2kg eating apples for £1
2kg carrots £1
1kg  tomatoes for £1
3 x cucumbers 30p each
2 bunches spring onions 30p each
5kg bag baking potatoes for £2
TOTAL    £9.50 

Reduced end of night bargain from supermarket

2,4kg Whole Lamb leg £3

Online grocery delivery (Asda) 29 items costing £45.75

Packets and Cereals

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Wheat Bisks (48x18g)                 £3.08

1x   ASDA Spaghetti (500g)                                                    50p     was 85p

2x   Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)       £1.60

2x   ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                            £2.52

1x   ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg)                    45p

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

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Puff Pastry (500g)                       £1.00

1x   Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g)      65p

Dairy and Eggs

4x   ASDA Chosen by You Assorted (6x125g)  £4.00

5x   ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L)           £5.00

1x   Stork (500g)                                                                  £1.00

1x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)           45p

3x   Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6)                    £3.00

2x   Cathedral City Mature Cheddar (350g)                            £5.00 any 2 FOR £5.00

Tins, Jars and Cooking

1x   ASDA Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (4x410g)             £1.24

1x   ASDA Wild Pacific Pink Salmon (418g)                           £2.17

4x   ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g)                 £1.24

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mayonnaise (500ml)                           45p

1x   Kallo Organic Vegetable Stock Cubes (6x11g)                72p

1x   ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g)                                  70p

1x   ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (200g)         55p

Frozen

1x   ASDA Whitefish Fillets (500g)                                          £2.00

Fruit and Vegetables

2x   ASDA Lemons Loose                                                       60p

2x   ASDA Round Lettuce                                                      £1.00

2x   ASDA Celery                                                                  £1.78

2x   ASDA Garlic Loose                                                          60p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g)                                   £1.75

1x   ASDA Courgettes (3)                                                      £1.00

1x   ASDA Smartprice Brown Onions (2Kg)                           £1.16

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery website My Supermarket, and are correct as of 7th April 2013.  Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

Don't forget to check out the At Home With Mrs M linky for lots of other fab Meal Plans.

10 comments Basics, Budgeting Tips, Dinners, Fish, Lamb, Lunches, Meal Plan, Meatfree Monday, Vegetarian