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Meal planning - love or loathe?

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Oct 06, 2021 6:52 pm

I make quite a lot of sausage casseroles, but I don't follow a recipe, it's just brown the sausages, sauté some mirepoix, sometimes quite a lot of veg, sometimes just a flavouring amount, return sausages, add tomatoes and/or tomato paste, splosh of wine if there's any handy, there wasn't when I made the last, I added a bit of Shaoxing which did the job, bung in any kind of cooked pulses, more often whole lentils than beans, add herbs, add liquid to cover and stew gently

I don't top with crumbs, but it sounds nice

One can of butter beans between 4 doesn't seem much, but it depends on sides, and I suppose the breadcrumbs kind of eke them out

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Wed Oct 06, 2021 7:37 pm

Yes I usually do a bung it in but fancied trying this for a change. I agree one tin for four isn't much but my plan was to use fewer sausages but keep the rest the same aiming for two portions plus possibly some leftovers. We'll probably have cabbage with it and DS2 may want some spuds of some description. I do often think that "family" recipe are often a bit skimpy for 4 adults and more geared to 2 adults/2 kids at times. Mind you from age 11ish my boys had man-sized appetites!

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Oct 06, 2021 8:56 pm

I have just fished a portion of the last sausage casserole out of the freezer

Way too many lentils, and a touch of whole grain mustard but v good

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Wed Oct 06, 2021 9:25 pm

Sounds good Sue, I'm very fond of lentils with sausages unfortunately DS2 isn't such a fan. Not sausages as such but this pork & fennel meatballs with lentils is very good (middle recipe) https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/s ... clams-tart . I've made it a few times and spare portions freeze really well.

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:52 am

Meal Plan 15/10- 21/10
• Fri– takeaway or freezer raid
• Sat – dinner with DS2 & DIL-to-be
• Sun- roast chicken thighs, potatoes, veg, gravy
• Mon- spicy sausage patties, corn cob, wedges (Ainsley Harriott recipe)
• Tues –stuffed pasta with pesto, tomato sauce and chorizo
• Wed – BNS chilli & baked potatoes
• Thu – Lamb jalfrezi, rice, naan
• Soup of the week – tbc

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:53 am

Meal Plan 22/10- 29/10
• Fri– takeaway or freezer raid
• Sat – cheese burgers, salad, corn, sweet potato fries
• Sun- Balmoral chicken, peppercorn sauce, veg, new potatoes
• Mon- BNS chilli & baked potatoes
• Tues –chicken chasni, rice, naan
• Wed – cheesy, chilli meatballs, tomato sauce, pasta
• Thu – curried sausages, wedges, veg
• Soup of the week – chicken & rice

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby KeenCook2 » Tue Nov 09, 2021 4:34 pm

I'm not normally very organised about planning ahead, but we have DS1 + DiL staying until Saturday so have made a plan!

Yesterday was Ottolenghi's veggie lasagne (https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/s ... ta-recipes) but substituting fennel and dill with red peppers and oregano as OH and DS don't really like fennel much.

Tonight is the rest of the lasagne.

Tomorrow butternut squash and feta pizza, made with ready-rolled pizza dough, if it arrives from Asda. I have some really good figs too, so might add a few fig slices.
If the dough doesn't turn up, I'll do a quiche as I've also ordered some ready-rolled shortcrust.

Thursday will be baked spinach and ricotta tortelloni in a tomato sauce and I think Friday we may get in some Waitrose Indian. They've got one of their multi-buy offers on atm so will probably do 2 x their £10 deal ...

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Tue Nov 09, 2021 6:37 pm

That all sounds delicious KC2 lucky DS1 & DIL. :yum
I am still planning but stop posting them as I was only person doing it and didn't want to bore folk.
Tonight we're having Cajun spiced pork steaks with baked spuds, peppers, onions and corn. Tomorrow pasta with tomato sauce, pesto and chorizo and on Thursday Thai Green chicken curry with rice.

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby Pampy » Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:16 pm

Not boring at all, LTC! I get ideas from your lists!

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby Kacey » Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:34 pm

For anyone interested in veggie lasagne, the spicy mushroom one from Ottolenghi is a favourite in our house. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/n ... li-lasagne the ragu I made this afternoon is here too

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Tue Nov 09, 2021 8:48 pm

Thanks Pampy :) , I'll start again it will keep me on the straight and narrow when I'm "home alone" for a few weeks.

Thanks Kacey, I've bookmarked it. :)

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby WWordsworth » Tue Nov 09, 2021 9:07 pm

get ideas from your lists!

Me too.

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby scullion » Tue Nov 09, 2021 9:13 pm

no, not boring at all. i don't post any because i don't plan - just see what i feel like making or we feel like eating on the day.
the last time i meal planned was for the month including the total eclipse - in 1999 as we had friends camping in the garden for a few weeks.
if i wrote menu plans they would have to be done in retrospect!

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Tue Nov 09, 2021 10:00 pm

scullion wrote:no, not boring at all. i don't post any because i don't plan - just see what i feel like making or we feel like eating on the day.
the last time i meal planned was for the month including the total eclipse - in 1999 as we had friends camping in the garden for a few weeks.
if i wrote menu plans they would have to be done in retrospect!

LOL, mind you Nigel S made a fortune with his Diaries, you've maybe missed an opportunity scully. :lol:
Thanks WW :thumbsup

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby Kacey » Tue Nov 09, 2021 10:14 pm

I aspire to meal planning but its usually a case of which veg in the fridge needs using up first. Have a glut of beetroot again, so need to use a bunch of it tomorrow, plus there's a small cabbage and one leek that needs using pretty soon. Have all the usual suspects to go with it. Anyone fancy a go at Ready Steady Cook?

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby OneMoreCheekyOne » Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:03 pm

I love reading the lists on here! Lots of ideas from them.

I try to meal plan Monday to Thursday but the order of what we’re having when often changes. I try to ensure 1 or 2 veggie, 1 meat and 1 fish based evening meal mid week if poss.

The veg box comes on a Thursday so that usually drives weekend food. Sprouts, cavolo nero and fennel on their way iirc. Thoughts are:

Baked salmon with wine, lemon, fennel, vine tomatoes, potatoes
Pork belly with boston baked beans
A cheesy bake with potatoes, celeriac, mushrooms, greens…with a green salad perhaps
Something with sprouts

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby smitch » Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:44 pm

Shredded sprouts are good in a pad Thai.

We get our veg box on a Monday, although I do choose its contents rather than a surprise box. I try get different stuff each week but it does depend on how adventurous I’m feeling.

This week I got leeks, fennel, a green cauli, savoy cabbage and a turnip (swede) plus some spuds. I’m off tomorrow so will make something interesting for tea. Just not sure what yet :lol:

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby Amber » Wed Nov 10, 2021 12:48 am

OMCO I’ve seen recipes this week for fennel dauphinois (Cranks) and roasted cavalo nero (mine). Lovely!

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby RockyBVI » Wed Nov 10, 2021 7:48 am

WWordsworth wrote:
get ideas from your lists!

Me too.


Me three!

Now that we have finally moved in, I intend to do more meal planning….

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Re: Meal planning - love or loathe?

Postby liketocook » Wed Nov 10, 2021 6:38 pm

Delicious sounding plan OMCO.
I'm on my own from Friday for a few weeks so I expect my plan may get a few tweaks, although I specify meals against days this is to try and focus on what might need using first but they often get moved about.
Meal Plan 12/11-18/11
• Fri–freezer raid
• Sat – tandoori spiced chicken thighs, sweet potato and peppers traybake
• Sun- braised beef cheeks with mushrooms & shallots, baby potatoes, green veg
• Mon- Nigella’s Egg Tortilla pie (or similar) and salad https://www.nigella.com/recipes/egg-tor ... ?auth=true
• Tues – Cottage pie (using leftover beef cheeks) , veg
• Wed – Store cupboard pasta
• Thu – sausages, onions and mushrooms in a ciabatta roll
• Soup of the week – use up of various frozen portions

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