2024 meal planning

[Lastqueenofscotland2]

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

The creme fraiche is a good idea. I always feel butternut on pasta can be a bit too blocky.

Next week:
Sunday: cottage pie from the 30 veg book with lots of green veg on the side

Monday: lentil soup

Tuesday: lemon and caper salmon

Wednesday: pizza and salad

Thursday: tbc (teenagers do the cooking)

Friday: sausage bake

Saturday: kedgeree

Unusual week here as dh and I are off work this week and going for a night away tomorrow. Because of this, we may ONLY DO ONE FAST DAY THIS WEEK!!! but we'll see. The plan - such as it is - is:

Sunday:
B: Baked beans on toast with leftover hot dog sliced in
L: Tuna, bean and olive salad
D: Slow-cooked brisket with Yorkshires, roasters and veg. Profiteroles.

Monday
B: Breakfast out (dropping ds off at station at 6.45 so who knows where?)
L: skip
D: Three courses at hotel (yum)

Tuesday
B: Breakfast at hotel
L: skip
D: pub/restaurant on way home

Wednesday (fast day)
B: Bagel with cheese and tomato
L: carrot and coriander soup
D: Turkish kebabs with flatbread

Thursday;
Breakfast: Porridge, plums,cream
Tupper: fish and chips from shop

Friday (fast day)
B: Brioche and jam
L: French onion soup
D: sirloin steak with courgette and padron peppers

So, in the spirit of a bunch of people who also like to thnk about food....

last night DS had an away match with school. At 5:30 he rang me and I assumed he was going to ask for a lift becuase he's too "tired" to walk. Instead, he didn't even say hi just said, "What's for dinner?". I told him -pork schnitzel - and I heard this massive shout (not DS) then the phone went dead!

Turns out, they'd all been discussing what they were likely to have for dinner, there was a general lack of enthusiasm for the likelihood of something from the slow cooker and DS won the team competition for best supper!

So I ended up eating a decent breakfast and then a big salad out with DD for lunch on Sunday, so I don't bother cooking when I got home. And this week is nuts so it's pretty much a freezer week.

Yesterday, I made a chicken and mushrooms with white wine and crème fraiche sauce over rice. (Had to freeze or use raw chicken that dd didn't eat - so there's a 2nd dinner from that night in the freezer for another night).

Tonight was a chilli, rice and guacamole bowl.

Tomorrow, confit duck legs and oven chips, I think.

Thursday I will make chicken fajitas with the last of the guacamole I made tonight.

Friday, I go home home to DH, so I wait to see what he organises. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a takeaway (will suggest proper curry house locally that I miss).

Over the course of Saturday to Tuesday dinners at home, I plan at least 1 proper steak dinner, and hopefully at least 1 nice fish dinner. But no concrete plans u til I see what DH has planned and what's good in shops.

Next Wednesday, I am home in my apartment for 1 night so probably pasta with bacon and tomato sauce.

Thursday is a work trip and a formal dinner as part of it, Friday I get home about 9pm so I'll try and get something from the freezer before I go away so it can be already defrosted and ready to cook quickly when I get home (possibly another pack of chilli).

And the weekend in 10 days time will be a chance for proper cooking again. (And a proper supermarket shop as well - in 3 weeks, I'll have been for a dash around once after work midweek and just grabbed milk a couple of times).

haha love this!

That reminds me that when I was growing up, my dad would frequent the local working men's club at the weekends in the afternoons. Apparently a big topic of conversation was always what each of the men would be having for dinner when they got home and then they would vote on whose dinner sounded the best. Dad always came home chuffed to bits when he had won the vote.

Ok, there's some inherent sexism at play here but still quite sweet in a way. Plus my dad was actually an amazing cook and did just as much, if not more, than my mum. He often used ideas from the other men as inspiration for our family's future menus and I've just realised that's not disimilar from the point of this thread.

Lots of to-ing and fro-ing on my plan for next week and still trying to use up freezer stuff (need to make room for christmas) but I have finally settled on:

Tomorrow - Pub lunch so probably cheese and crackers later
Sunday: Chicken, bacon, mushroom and white wine traybake
Monday: Carrot and lentil soup + apple and blackberry crumble
Tuesday: Carrot and lentil soup + apple and blackberry crumble
Wednesday: Pasta with spicy tomato and chorizo sauce
Thursday: Baked potatoes with l/o veg curry from freezer
Friday: Burgers - not yet decided on sides.

Chicken thighs, bacon, blackberries, 2 x curry portions and burgers all from freezer.

Apparently my wish for red meat has been translated as "lamb" not steak - but I'm happy with that!

Sunday: coq au vin, mashed potatoes, steamed greens, plum cake
Monday: lentil soup, bread, cheese, salad
Tuesday: spicy maple salmon, sweet potato wedges, broccoli
Wednesday: pizza, green salad
Thursday: DC to cook
Friday: halloumi bake
Saturday: lamb curry (I think I might originally have planned that for today, but I decided to switch to kedgeree for this week).

Sausage and fennel creamy pasta
Pizza with garlicy greens
Steak ciabattas
Lasagna
Tacos
Jamie olivers savoy pasta again

Quite a lot of mince there but am planning to add roasted butternut and lentils to the lasagna for bulk, nutrition and flavour and the tacos bowls will have lots of salads and pickle to bulk up.

Today
B: Bacon and mushroom roll
L: leftover spicy chicken and cheese panini, crisps
D: Pizza and caprese salad

Sunday
B: Breakfast muffins (from BBC Good Food - would not recommend), marmalade
L: Ham and tomato roll, crisps (picnic possibilities)
D: Out, probably roast lamb

Monday (fast day)
B: Bagel with cheese spread and tomatoes
L: sweet potato and butternut soup
D: Chicken balti with tiny amount of rice

Tuesday
B: Porridge with cherries and cream
L: Baked potato with cottage cheese and coleslaw
D: Tuna pasta bake, peas

Wednesday
B: Baguette, ham, cheese, tomato
L: Fish finger wrap
D: spicy pork mince and poppadoms

Thursday
B: Boiled eggs
L: Mackeral on toast
D: summer in winter chicken, roasties, broccoli

Friday (fast day)
B: Banana pancakes, fruit, Yoghurt
L: Roast pepper and tomato soup
D: Chipotle cod with mixed grains

today: what’s at the bottom of the fridge stir fry
tomorrow: roast butternut squash soup
Tuesday: shepherds potatoes (shepherds pie mix put inside a baked potato)
wednesday: burgers and trimmings
thursday: fish pie
friday: out
saturday: curry night, probably do a range all from vegan Richa (Bombay potatoes and peas, tofu palak, chickpea and roast squash mankhani….get DH to make nana)
sunday: Sunday roast at the pub

Had to make a new account as I forgot my password but hello all. Not meal planning this week as I'm so busy travelling with work there's no point! Hopefully back to it next week

Still full of the cold this week so more very easy comfort food.
Tonight - Spicy chicken ramen which I will load with veg.
Tomorrow - Italian Beef stew, mash and veg
Wednesday - Keema with rice & poppadoms
Thursday - Cheesey leek pasta bake
Friday - Leek & potato soup in a bread bowl
Saturday - Pulled chicken burrito bowls
Sunday - Undecided, will probably pinch an idea from here 🤔

Yesterday - pie, homemade wedges and homemade mashy peas with gravy
Today - Itsu vegetable gyoza with a stir fry of asparagus and sugar snaps
Tuesday - falafel, pittas, salad, hummus etc
Weds - butternut squash and paneer curry with paratha
Thurs - veggie shepherds pie
Friday - I'm out
Saturday - not sure but dp will want it to be jacket potatoes!
Sunday - out for vegetarian Sunday roast

Saturday: roast lamb with red onion and red wine gravy, roasted potatoes and cauliflower cheese and steamed broccoli

Sunday: leftover lamb reheated in gravy with mash potato and stir fried onion/peppers/mushrooms/rosemary

Tonight: mushroom risotto

Tomorrow : chicken parmigiana with mash and peppers

Wednesday: probably Parma ham, cheese, olives picky plate

Thursday: formal dinner out

Friday: Airport food or another picky plate of cured meat/cheese/wine

Partial plan as we're going away for a few nights from Thursday next week. Also still trying to use up freezer bits.

Tonight's burgers will be topped with cheese and chilli sauce and served with bean salad
Tomorrow: Spaghetti carbonara
Sunday: Turkey, courgette and feta koftas with porgouri and tzatziki
Monday: Pork steaks with leftover porgouri, tzatziki and roasted tomatoes
Tuesday: Chicken kiev, roast potatoes, cabbage and peas
Wednesday: Greek salad pasta

It's more meat heavy than I'd ideally like but pancetta, turkey mince, pork steaks and kievs from freezer. I'm slowly getting through it to make room for festive bits.

Last week has been a nightmare with various unexpected moments and then I got a whole bunch of food from my sister before she went away as she needed t empty her fridge.

So now I have to figure out how to use up a combination of what she gave me and what I still have from last week that I haven't done yet!!! And also work out order based on what needs to be used up first, or what I can cook now and eat later..... On plus side, almost all the ingredients for all the below meals are already in the fridge so my weekly shop this week will just be all the basics like drinks and yoghurt and fruit etc.

Jamie's savoy cabbage and pancetta
Roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion on spaghetti with the last of the leftover chorizo for DS and some goats cheese or feta.
Lasagna - with extra cheese sauce as I now have a cauliflowers to use up.
Cauliflower cheese - with something. Not sure. Need to turn it into a full meal, preferably vegetarian. Maybe some wedges? Or could I do a pasta and cauliflower cheesey bake topped with tomatoes?
Spaghetti and meatballs (because dd is annoyed we haven't had it for a while)
Pizza - need to check what greens I have left.

Steak fajitas - using up leftovers

massaman curry,rice and poppadoms

Roast turkey breast with sides - clearing freezer

Turkey and leek pie,mash and kale

Halloumi,roasted vegetables and couscous with spicy sauce

Nachos ,chilli and cheese- again using leftovers

Jacket potatoes,Beans and cheese

Linguine with smoked salmon,lemon,dill and cream sauce

We just do cauli cheese with some bread. Or leftovers on a jacket potato

Cauliflower cheese with a jacket potato and a couple of sausages is actual food of the gods.

I’m absolutely exhausted. There’s one week left of a long term and I’m very ready for a holiday. I need comforting and easy meals and need to do an order today.

Tonight may well now be jacket potatoes and cauliflower cheese!

Out for Sunday roast tomorrow, so tea will probably be something on toast or a mug of Heinz tomato soup.

Then I’m thinking:

Mushroom and halloumi burgers

Lentil soup

Risotto because I find the gentle chopping and stirring quite soothing after a busy day at work

Pasta of some sort- any ideas for a non tomato or mushroom based sauce for vegetarians?

Thai green curry

I am also trying to tidy the freezer of bits and bobs ready to clean it out properly. This week's menu is:

Sat
B: muffin (freezer) with scrambled egg and smoked salmon (freezer)
L: Orzo and roast veg salad
D: Hotdogs with corn on the cob

Sun
B: Last of the egg and veg loaf (freezer) in a roll with Heck sausage rashers (freezer)
L: cheese and onion toastie
D: Bean chilli, brown rice, tortilla chips

Mon (fast day)
B: Brioche toast and cherry jam
L: Creamy cauliflower soup (freezer)
D: Prawn fajita

Tues
B: Porridge
L: leftover fajita veg and cheese in a toasted wrap
D: Peanut noodles

Wed
B: Boiled eggs
L: Smoked haddock chowder
D: Cheeseburger-style rice bowl

Thursday
B: Crumpets (freezer)
L: Baked potato with cottage cheese and prawns
D: Cajun chicken pasta

Fri (fast day)
B: poached egg on half a muffin
L: Lentil and veg soup
D: Hake in ginger noodle broth

In all my food to use up, no jacket potatoes but I think I might have a bag of new potatoes so perhaps crispy new potatoes and cauliflower cheese? I plan to do the lasagna/cauliflower cheese cooking today so will see.