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2024 meal planning

731 replies

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 28/12/2023 09:31

Anyone else starting to think about getting their arses back in gear?!
Mine for the next week
Tomorrow: baked Camembert with nice bread (not quite over Christmas yet!)
Saturday: Thai green veggie curry
Sunday: NYE - will be sitting in with a dog terrified of fire works, might just order a pizza
Monday: Tuscan bean stew and sourdough
Tuesday: west African peanut stew
Wednesday: some sort of pie with all the leftover veg
Thursday: gochujang tofu

OP posts:
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HalloumiFries · 14/06/2024 09:19

Agree with the sentiments about Jamie. I have a lot of his books and find his recipes workable and adaptable. Luckily his books always turn up in charity shops so I can build my collection from there - I really fancy the 5 Ingedient Med book so waiting for that to make its way into house clear-outs.

Also agree with the various ways of making broccoli delicious. Broc and Cheese is a great pairing and roasting completely changes the taste and texture. Mind you, I do love it simply steamed too - my teenage self would be disgusted by my love for the green muck. Mind you, my mum and dad would boil it for about 45 minutes minimum.

Planning for the week ahead as follows:

Tomorrow: Out for a substantial lunch so just some picky bits for dinner
Sunday: Roast chicken and orzo
Monday: Out at a gig so probably burger and chips from a van
Tuesday: Gigantes plaki, griddled aubergine and halloumi
Wednesday: Pasta with chorizo and roast pepper sauce
Thursday: Breaded plaice, potato wedges, carrots and peas
Friday: Sweet potato, mushroom and chickpea curry

SpaceOP · 14/06/2024 10:20

@HalloumiFries I have the 5 ingredient med one and honestly, it's his most disappointing one to date.

So, plus side, last week's meal plan went entirely as planned. Downside is that I was completely blindsided by the realisation I had to plan and prepare for meals for the next week. Yes, I'm an idiot.

I haven't managed to fully pull things together. So I did a temp shop and will top up over the weekend for where I've not finalised things or not shopped right!

Fish in air fryer ala Jamie
Bacon, mushroom, courgette, tomato, chilli pasta
Cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts wrapped in parma ham. Probably with new potatoes and veg
If I can get a quiche base - roasted butternut and feta quiche

We are out on Saturday so this brings us to Tuesday. Need to figure out the rest of the week before I do my top up shop. I have an aubergine so might do some kind of aubergine/mince thing on wedges. I had a great Hello Fresh recipe for a vaguelly Korean version but annoyingly threw it away by mistake. Will wing it.

Maybe a curry. DS and I have been craving a good curry.

TheLadyIsAVamp · 14/06/2024 15:59

Really struggled making a plan for next week, seem to have lost my mojo so most of these are from Instagram or Tiktok. Some new, some tried and tested. A bit chicken heavy but I've loads of it in the freezer that needs using up to make space.

Saturday - Nandos chicken & chickpea salad from The Salad Labs recipe, we add halloumi and seasoned pitta croutons.
Sunday - Sausage & mash has been requested with Yorkshire puddings and veg. Bought some lovely Cumberland wheels/rings (not sure what they're actually called 😅) from the butchers and will make onion gravy.
Monday - Lemon chicken & leek risotto
Tuesday - Crispy Sesame beef noodle bowls. (Mob Kitchen)
Wednesday - Steak & chimichurri sandwich, not decided what to make with them yet if anything.
Thursday - kale caesar salad with crispy lemon & herb chicken thighs.
Friday - Some kind of soup using up leftovers, probably avgolemono.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 15/06/2024 03:05

SpaceOP · 11/06/2024 15:26

Yeah, I'm not a massive fan of broccoli either but agree it's good roasted and a bit crunchy! Or smothered in cheese sauce which is my dad's preferred method.... Grin

We roast it and then stir it into macaroni cheese, for the best of both worlds!

SpaceOP · 15/06/2024 08:47

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie 🤣🤣

DietCokeandHulaHoops · 15/06/2024 09:47

So glad I found this thread. Just doing my list for the weekly shop and getting some great ideas.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 15/06/2024 17:18

Just starting to think about next week.

Does anybody ever do sushi bowls? Definitely feel like I need something I’ve never done before.

DP has promised to make a black bean soup, which we haven’t had for months.

And I fancy some sort of lentil and egg curry.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 15/06/2024 23:40

I’m home alone from Sunday to Friday, so it’s a lazy week here.

Sunday - out for tea
Monday - mini quiche, salad, jacket potato
Tuesday - jacket potato with tuna and cheese, salad
Wednesday - pan fried gnocchi with garlic mushrooms and spinach
Thursday - oven meal risotto from the freezer, will add peas and possibly garlic bread on the side
Friday - DP home, going to make chilli to have with rice, dips and nacho chips
Saturday - out for lunch, so something like scrambled eggs on toast at night

worriedgal · 16/06/2024 20:32

Mon - Korean pork,bao buns,cabbage,spring onions and cucumber with pirinaise mayo

Tues- chicken Caesar salad with asparagus

Wed- massaman chicken curry and jasmine rice

Thurs-falafel,mixed salads,houmous and flatbreads

Fri-pork escalopes wrapped in prosciutto with pesto,roasted vegetables and asparagus

Sat -steak,salad and roasted baby potatoes

Sun-frittata and salads-coleslaw,tomato and avocado and courgette with feta and lime

CleanSheetsCupOfTea · 17/06/2024 08:52

Mon - spaghetti bolognaise

Tues - sausage pasta bake with veg

Weds - jacket potatoes with tinned beans and sausages or tuna mayo and salad

Thurs - pulled pork loaded wedges

Fri - macaroni cheese

Sat - not sure yet, maybe something from the freezer

Sun - roast beef, roast potatoes, carrot and swede mash, broccoli, sweetcorn

Elley123 · 17/06/2024 09:14

Sun. Roast chicken Dinner
Mon . Chicken Curry with Leftovers
Tues. Cold chicken , coleslaw, salad and Jacket Pots.
Wed. Butternut Squash Risotto
Thurs. Vege Chilli con Carne and two portions for the freezer
Friday. Home made fish and chips with peas
Sat. Quiche Lorraine, new pots, tomato salad and sweetcorn.
Last Sundays chicken carcass will have gone in a freezer bag , bashed down a bit so they are not taking up loads of room and will join the other couple I have in the freezer already.
When I have half a dozen I throw them in the slow cooker with about a pint of water, onion, carrots and herbs,season and leave all day on low. Strain when done Makes a big batch of jellied chicken stock which I freeze in portions.
This thread is great. Has helped me loads with meal planning. Lots of new ideas.

BiddyPop · 17/06/2024 09:35

I mostly stuck to the plan until the end of the week. I froze the leftover rice in favour of cheese and crackers on Thursday, and cooked the salmon with some onion, deskinned chunks of tomato, white wine and cream tossed onto pasta on Friday - definitely doing that again!

Saturday I cannot remember except it involved baby potatoes.

Sunday was chicken thighs seasoned with Nando's lemon and garlic seasoning, over a bed of red pepper, tomato, onion and garlic, with some plain baked courgettes and couple of potatoes.

Tonight, the leftover chicken (half a thigh) and the veg will go over pasta. (When I get in from a drinks reception).

Tomorrow I may be out for dinner but have meatballs and pasta, gorcgonzola pasta or bacon and mushroom pasta as an easy option if not.

Wednesday I am definitely out for dinner.

Thursday to Saturday, my DSis is visiting so we'll eat out at least once and I may

BiddyPop · 17/06/2024 09:37

Oops, I posted before I finished - I'll probably cook at least once as well but she's fussy.

Sunday May see me slide into a puddle of nothingness so cheese and crackers again..

Oh, and last Saturday was a chicken, peas and carrots pie.

Forgottenmyphone · 17/06/2024 13:31

Today - Tikka paneer skewers
Tue - Baked feta orzo
Wed - Miso-maple crispy tofu and sticky rice
Thur - Smoky black bean burgers
Fri - Lemony courgette risotto
Sat - Pea, feta and mint frittata
Sun - Chilli peanut noodles

SpaceOP · 17/06/2024 16:04

@Forgottenmyphone I feel I need to eat more orzo. Tried one chicken and orzo one-pot dish and it was a disater. Can you talk me through your baked feta orzo?

We landed up with Spag bol last night but I've now done the rest of the online ordering so new plan from tonight:

Pork mince and veggie stir fry with rice or noodles - whatever we have.
The cream cheese stuffed chicken wrapped in parma ham, probalby with wedges, and salad/veg
Fish in air fryer ala Jamie Oliver (although I keep saying that and never making it so....)
Halloumi with fried greens and honey/garlic/lemon sauce on pita breads
Butternut and feta quiche (although I had to buy a block of shortcrust pastry instead of a case. Am nervous).
Bacon, tomato, chilli and courgette pasta

If I get to Lidl, inspired by all thechat of broccoli in cheese sauce - pork schnitzels from Lidle with broccoli/cauliflower cheese!

Forgottenmyphone · 17/06/2024 19:31

@SpaceOP Here’s the recipe https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/baked-mediterranean-orzo.html

HalloumiFries · 18/06/2024 16:19

Really interesting re orzo recipes. I made Nigella's chicken and orzo at the weekend. I've made it before and I remember it being lovely but this time around was awful. There seemed to be far too much liquid and the chicken was really overcooked, tasteless and boiled rather than braised or pot roasted. I've checked and rechecked the recipe in case I made a mistake somewhere along the line but everything seems to have been in order - apart from the resultant taste and texture.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 20/06/2024 08:26

I’ve had some wonderful orzo dishes and some which are vile. I’m yet to work out how to be consistent with it!

This weeks
Friday: making a massive dahl tonight so going to have it again on Friday as we’ll be busy
Saturday: pie
Sunday: fajitas
Monday: veggie sausage stew
Tuesday: Mexican rice
Wednesday: courgette pasta
Thursday: Thai noodle soup

OP posts:
HalloumiFries · 20/06/2024 09:35

I really love orzo and have always had success with it. Just baffled as to what went so wrong with the chicken at the weekend.

Slightly earlier planning for next week as we're away over the weekend for a wedding and will stop for dinner with family on the drive back on Sunday so nothing planned for the weekend and planning now for Monday onwards:

Mon: Warm halloumi, carrot, spinach and walnut salad
Tues: Chicken kiev, broccoli, peas and spinach
Wed: Mushroom pasta
Thurs: Broccoli, quinoa and avocado salad with grilled chicken breast
Fri: Sweet chilli veg with egg fried rice
Sat: Sorrel and goats cheese risotto

SpaceOP · 20/06/2024 10:45

@Forgottenmyphone thanks. that looks good and I think I have all those ingredients to hand so might even give it a go this weekend.

@HalloumiFries if you're just whipping up orzo on a weekday as part of a meal, what do you do? I get the sense it's considered a great and easy option instead of pasta/rice, but I just can't quite figure it out. You sort of cook it and then flavour it or add things to make it creamy? I'm sure I'm missing something here. Probably because I've never seen a Jamie Oliver version - I feel like most of my base learning comes from him! Grin

HalloumiFries · 20/06/2024 11:11

I usually like to bake orzo - mix it in a baking dish with a variety of veg (roasted peppers, mushrooms, onions, courgettes - that kind of thing, I would usually pre-roast or saute the veg), stock and a tin of chopped tomatoes, or just stock and lemon juice. Bake for about 30 mins until all liquid is absorbed and there's just a hint of crispiness on the top. Stir in some spinach, roasted cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes, olives, canellini beans - any combination really, about 10 minutes before the end.

That's my basic way with orzo but I do kind of make it up as I go along and go with gut instinct on liquid levels.

I've also cooked it as an orzotto, which is probably easier for judging the liquid as you add stock a ladleful at a time, just like making risotto, and will know to stop when the orzo is cooked. You can probably adapt any risotto recipe but I personally like to use a tin of chopped tomatoes, a bit of red wine, sausages rolled into meatballs (veggie or meat) and loads of rosmary.

I use orzo in Youvetsi which is a Greek lamb stew with orzo but that's more of a slow cooking weekend dish, and I also often use a Waitrose recipe card from yonks ago with chicken thighs roasted with peppers and tomatoes, orzo, pesto and canellini beans.

Sometimes if I have leftover bolognese, I add an extra tin of tomatoes (maybe two, depending on liquid content, or 1 tin plus water or stock), mix in orzo and let it simmer for 20 mins or so as a twist on spag bol.

My cousin makes an incredibly indulgent orzo dish with mixed beans, peppers, bacon, tomatoes and loads of mozzarella layered throughout the dish. I don't ever seem to get the quantities right in my attempts to replicate and usually end up with a really stodgy and greasy dish.

SpaceOP · 20/06/2024 11:51

Thanks @HalloumiFries That's all helpful. I think I'm going to give this a bit more effort. I love the spag bol leftover idea. Do you have the Youvetsi recipe? I do a lovely slow cooked lamb stew with cinnamon and butternut and chickpeas and I'm wondering if there's a way to incorporate Orzo into that to make it into a one pot dish. Will consider.

HalloumiFries · 20/06/2024 12:25

I tend to use this recipe from a very old and battered Greek cookbook. It's very good but will never live up to the amazingly rich yiouvetsi I had once in Crete - it's been 20 years and I still dream about it.

Anyway, this is good!

Serves 4-6

6 thick lamb chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato puree
200ml chopped fresh tomatoes (tinned will do)
3 cloves
large piece of cinnamon
Around 1.5 pints boiling water or lamb stock (I recommend stock if you can get it)
2 glasses orzo (the recipe measures in glasses which begs the question, what size of glasses? I tend to pour until it looks right)
2 tablespoons grated kefalotiri cheese
4 tablespoons crumbled feta

Put lamb chops in a large baking dish, pour over the oil and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes
Lower the over temperature to moderate and add onion. Cook for another 10 minutes
Add tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, cloves, cinamon, salt and pepper. Baste the meat with a ladle of the liquid, cover and cook for a further 30 mins until the meat is tender. Add a little more stock during cooking if neccessary.
When the lamb is cooked and falling off the bone, add the remaining stock and stir in the orzo. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.
When the pasta is tender, sprinkle over the cheese and return to the oven for a further five minutes. Serve immediately.

Decent lamb chops are hard to come by so you might want to increase the number (expensive option though) or reduce the other ingredients, especially the liquid, accordingly. I've considered trying it with a different cut of lamb but never actually tried it. It definitely needs the bones for flavour, plus fattiness of the meat. I've also been known to add garlic with the onion and a spring of oregano to add to the flavour.

matthewstone · 20/06/2024 16:40

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