2023 meal planning thread

[Lastqueenofscotland2]

Very much looking forward to getting back on the bandwagon and not eating another Pringle for 11 months.

Tomorrow: Tuscan gnocchi
Saturday: pizza take out
Sunday: enchilada bake
Monday: Jambalaya
Tuesday: Thai peanut noodles
Wednesday: friend is cooking
Thursday: mushroom stroganoff

Yes you wonderful thing you. I've spent so long scrolling my history tab!thankyou.

I've been absent, but largely, have been sticking to meal plan, so that's a win.

But have started thinking about to simplify my meals at the moment. I love cooking, I think I'm a good cook etc etc, but I'm just finding it exhausting and I'm starting to hate it. So have been actively drawing up lists of ideas that are easier/simpler/can be pre-prepared or use pre-prepared food etc. I think it will take a few weeks to build up freezer stash/ make the shift but I'm working on it.

To that end, this week we have:

Mon: Vaguely Asian-style fragrant pork mince with noodles

Tues: Courgettes fried in lemon, garlic and chilli served on spaghetti with feta or goats cheese (me and DS will do goat, Dh will do feta!)
Wed: spaghetti bolognaise (will make extra for another day)
Thursday: Fish cakes - planning to experiment with making my own and cooking in air fryer but will aim to do enough that I can freeze the rest for eating on another day.
Friday: tbc but probably chicken.
Saturday: Spanakopita with salad. Again, will do big one for family then individual ones to freeze for convenient air fryer cooking on busy days.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie We love itsu gyoza but I find if I serve them for dinner DH and DS complain about it being a bit stingy. I have done it with a big vegetable and noodle stir fry alongside, which was great, but then it felt like I was back to huge amounts of effort. How do you make it substantial enough? or do you just max out the number of gyoza!?

@SpaceOP There are only two of us. I stir fry spring onions, a bit of carrot or red pepper, a packet of asparagus and a packet of sugar snaps to go alongside: make a 'glaze' from a bit of honey, sesame oil, soy and sweet chilli sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Microwave rice if we're feeling especially greedy.

Thanks @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie It's not dissimilar to me but I like the cleverness of using veggies with less prep work required! I feel like I spend hours slicing veggies when I do this kind of stir fry but I need to get smarter!

@SpaceOP I love the way that you called my laziness cleverness! But yes - asparagus and sugar snaps are both so easy!

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie you say tomato, I say tomahto

I didn’t do the spinach and ricotta pasta shells because I realised that it’s pancake day next week and I’ve been wanting do this pancake bake for a while and I thought they’d be too similar. Had a Thai takeaway instead!

Roasted squash and chickpea pilaf
Hasselback halloumi traybake
Kung pao cauliflower
Tomato soup and cheese toastie
Chilli non carne
Spinach and ricotta pancake bake
Fishless finger tacos

Kefta tagine, roasted veg cous cous
Chicken fesenjan
White bean, tomato, porcini ribollitta soup
Homemade gnocchi tray bake with chorizo and mozzarella
Lemon and thyme roast chicken, roots veg and potato gratin
Jerk salmon, creamed corn, sweet potato wedges

Friday: DP cooking
Saturday: spicy sausage pasta
Sunday: pizza and loaded fries fakeaway
Monday: Thai red curry noodle soup
Tuesday: chipotle jackfruit tacos
Wednesday: veggie meatball sub
Thursday; general tsos tofu with stir fried veg and sticky rice

Missed the beginning of this week so from yesterday the plan based around veg box is - more meat heavy than last few weeks although in my defence the ham in the lasagne was slices of prosciutto rather than half a pig... but I think it all balances out in the wash to mangle a phrase!

Weds - courgette, ham and mushroom lasagne
Thursday - roasted pointed cabbage with sunflower seed dressing and spicy sausages
Friday - carrot and lentil soup with cheese toasties
Saturday - celeriac, potato, walnut, caper gratin with steak tagliata and salad
Sunday -Hake with potatoes and romesco
Monday - roast chicken portions with sumac, zaatar and blood oranges

Last week okay, one or two things lasted more than one meal.

Tonight - Spanakopita with green salad.
Friday - batch cooked a veggie chilli and a meat chilli to have with nachos and then use one more night or freeze.
Saturday - samosa tart, keema tart (will use for lunches too)
Sunday - leftovers
Monday - sweet potato, ginger and coconut stew.
Tuesday - aubergine curry with basil and tamarind
Wednesday - king prawn risotto
Thursday - porotos granados

Also have smoked mackerel pate to make and ribolitta for lunches.

@myrtleWilson please may you share your lasagne recipe when you get a min?

Hi @buonnatale

This is the recipe I used - I'd say don't bother griddling mushrooms - just stick them in a normal frying pan! Plus, for midweek I'm happy to buy one of those tubs of cheese sauce in the fresh pasta section of the supermarket and thin it down with milk but I may be more lazy than you!

www.jamieoliver.com/features/comfort-food-ham-mushroom-courgette-lasagne/

Looks delicious - thank you @myrtleWilson

Time for another 2 week meal plan! Loads of meat in the freezer so I'm trying to use stuff up.

Sa- sweet chilli chicken noodle salad
Su - slow cooker chicken casserole
M - lamb rogan josh
Tu - Santa Fe chicken salad (basically just grilled chicken breast with a spice rub)
W - out at a steak place for DH birthday
Th - quick bacon and tomato pasta bake
F - out at rugby so probably quick takeaway for DH and DD on their way home. I am ordering veggie Indian from Prashad 😊😊 it's an award winning place that was on hairy bikers series recently and I'm lucky enough to live within delivery distance

Sa - lasagne
Su - giant Yorkshire pudding filled with sausage casserole mash and veg
M - home made cod and parsley fish cakes and salad
Tu - cornflake chicken (DH recipe) with lots of salad again, air fryer tinned potatoes
W - beef massaman and rice
Th - grilled pork loin steaks with mustard cream sauce and crispy potato slices
F - homemade Nando's - spatchcocked chicken with Nando's marinade, garlic wedges, DD's amazing homemade garlic bread and some sort of avocado salad.

I love reading for inspiration so here's mine:

F-chicken tikka masala, naan and onion bhaji

S-Aldi tempura chicken with salad and fries
S-Chilli with black beans and nachos/dips
M- jackets with left over chilli
T- homemade gyoza (can make loads that way cheaper) with side of fried rice
W-chicken thighs and roasted veg tray bake with some spices or rub
T-bbq pork chow mein

100% success from last week.

This week will be:

Monday - veggie fajitas

Tues - going to a gig so will grab something while out

Wed - soup and egg roll

Thurs - soup and egg roll

Fri - baked gnocchi with roast veg

Trying to organise ourselves a bit better as Dh does the "cooking" midweek now, but he doesn't have time to think about it. So I'm trying to have things he can just turn on rather than needing prep, or preset in the oven so they just need to be served.

Sat: feta chick, Parmesan courgette, roast baby potatoes
Sun: had planned risotto but had sat leftovers instead
Mon: stuffed mushrooms and tomatoes
Tues: Shepherds pie
Wed:chicken, jar curry sauce, rice
Thurs: spag Bol
Fri: spatchcocked tarragon chick, baby potatoes, med veg roasted

Half term was a nightmare - we landed up eating out/takeaway way too often. So my meal plan largely was done... but took much longer!

This week we are having a few meals requested specifically by DS plus the spanakopita I didn't do last week so in no particular order:

Spanakopita (with extra for freezing) and salad
Leek and pancetta tart with salad
Salmon with rice and veg (DS request)
Sirloin steak with mushrooms, potatoes and creamed spinach (DS request)
Aubergine, chorizo and tomato pasta sauce.
Spaghetti and meatballs

Didn't do too bad last week!
Monday - (was going to be a chicken dish) - huevos rotos with ndjua
Tuesday - bebere chicken carrots and chickpeas (ottolenghi)
Wednesday- vegetable gratin balkan style (olio Hercules)
Thursday - cookhouse stew
Friday - fennel and anchovy pasta
Saturday - sweet potato Mac n cheese (nigella)

I did really badly last week as I was ill. Still not feeling too good this week so not feeling optimistic about sticking to the plan.

• ❌Sun: Crispy Baked Gnocchi (Roasting Tin Book) with Garlic Bread
• ✅Mon: Persian Herb Frittata (Roasting Tin Book) with Roast Aubergine with Curried Yoghurt (Ottolenghi), Brown Rice and Quinoa, Poppadoms and Naan
• ✅Tue: Chipotle Roasted Mushroom and Potato Tacos (Roasting Tin)
• ✅Wed: Quorn Lasagne (from the freezer) with Garlic Bread
• ❌Thu: Russian Meatballs (Quorn) with Sour Cream, Rice and Tomatoes (Roasting Tin) with Garlic Bread
• ❌Fri: Greens and Kimchi Rice (One Pot, Pan, Planet)
• ❌Sat: Quorn, Veg and Paneer Tikka Masala (from the freezer), Bombay Potatoes (Jamie Oliver), Brown Rice and Quinoa, Poppadoms and Naan

Here is the menu for this week:

• Sun: Russian Meatballs (Quorn) with Sour Cream, Rice and Tomatoes (Roasting Tin Book) with Garlic Bread
• Mon: Leftover Russian Meatballs (Quorn) with Sour Cream, Rice and Tomatoes (Roasting Tin Book) with Garlic Bread
• Tue: Spicy Mushroom Lasagne (Ottolenghi)
• Wed: Persian Herb Frittata (Roasting Tin Book) with Roast Aubergine with Curried Yoghurt (Ottolenghi), Brown Rice and Quinoa, Poppadoms and Naan
• Thu: Tandoori Style Salmon (using Quorn fillets instead) and Spiced Sweet Potatoes (Quick Roasting Tin Book)
• Fri: Roasted Paneer Aloo Gobi (East – Meera Sodha) with Brown Rice and Quinoa, Poppadoms and Naan
• Sat: Quorn (something from the freezer), potatoes and veg

Hoisin jackfruit wraps
Paneer biryani
Cheesy broccoli pasta
Naan pizzas
Red lentil moussaka
Butterbean and spring green pot pie
Crispy Szechuan tofu

This week
Tomorrow: homemade calzone with sundried tomato and pesto
Saturday: mac and cheese
Sunday: meal at my aunts
Monday: vegetable and black bean enchiladas
tuesday: dahl and naan
Wednesday: doing a running event with dinner provided. We shall see!
Thursday: pad Thai

Kefta tagine (rolled over from last week)
Fish pie
Chicken roast dinner
Persian frittata, curried aubergine and yoghurt
Coq au vin
Dan Dan noodles
Coconut dhal, patra (found it in a tin, delighted!) poppadums, chutneys etc