I know this is pathetic but can someone help me overcome my fear of meal planning!!

[purpleprincess]

Yes I know it is riduculous! I've been meaning to start doing it for ages and was going to start after new kitchen fitted (that was April!). I've read all the threads, downloaded various forms but when I get out my list of meals etc I just freeze. Pathetic or what! I know how much easier it would make my life and am getting frustrated thinking 'what are we going to have tonight' or 'what are we going to eat on the weekend'. It would also save poor DS from marmite or cheese sandwiches for lunch. I work 3 days so it would improve my life i'm sure.

Dahl and Rice
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup chana dahl
Wash and cook til soft (can take 1hr). Keep adding water if required.
Separately, fry 1/2 chopped onion and 1-2 cloves crushed garlic. Add 1tsp each of cumin and garam masala. Add chilli powder/fresh chillis to taste. Add 1 chopped fresh or tin tom. Add this mixture to dahl with salt to taste(1/2 tsp?)and cook for a bit longer. Add fresh coriander before serving.
Serve with boiled rice.

Tandoori trout
Mix 2 tblsp of tandoori paste with 2 tablsp yoghurt. Marinade cubes of trout fillets for an hr and then cook under hot grill.
Serve in pitta breads with raita made with 300g yoghurt, 1/2 grated cucumber and some mint. And salad.

What's chana dahl?

They are split yellow lentils

Thanks.

Just to update you I did my menu plan last night and started today with massive shop! So will have to see if I can stick to it (more or less) so this is what I've planned so far inc today:

Thurs - Jamie Oliver crispy chicken with tomatoes plus new potatoes (also had some left to freeze).
Friday - salmon wrapped in prosciuttio (my parents are coming to dinner) Kids will have burgers from local farm shop.
Saturday - Kids - pasta, us - chicken lime and coconut stir fry (Delia)
Sunday - family barbecue - sausages, burgers, lamb, veg kebabs
Monday (work day) - out at Pilates so DH has pasta
Tuesday (work) Veg and chorizo omelette and salad
Wed (work) mushroom stroganoff or Veg Moussaka (ready meal)
Thursday - chicken in sacla sauce and pasta
Friday - spag bol or similar.

So that is how it is looking so far - Thursday is our monthly farmers market so may go for something else depending on what is there.

Thanks a lot ladies - I'll let you know how it goes and whether it continues. At the moment feeling very smug and pleased with self!

Have a great weekend!!

Ooooh you've got some yummy ideas there!

Don't forget to (for example) do a double lot of bolognaise sauce and freeze half.

i find it really helpful to have 'nights' for different foods.
mon - chicken
tues - fish
wed - meat eg. boleinaise (sp!) sauce/sheperds pie etc.
thurs - pasta/lasange
fri - chicken again
sat - ???
sun - sausages/burgers (naughty!)
Each week i vary how i cook eg. roast chicken or kebabs. different fishes etc. Different side dishes of rice/potatoes, different salads.
I find half the work with supper is deciding what to cook! (the other half is washing up...)