Menu Plan – Week 7

I have been very bad about updating this site, but I will try to do better this year!

Monday – Frankfurter Supper
Tuesday – Pea Risotto
Wednesday – Meatballs, Pasta & Tomato Sauce
Thursday – Chicken Curry & Homemade Naan Bread
Friday – OUT
Saturday – Fish Cakes & Lovely Carrots
Sunday – Leftovers Pizza!

 

Menu Plan – Week 35

25th – 30th August

Monday – Tuna & Mushroom Pizza, Spanish Pizza
Tuesday – Spicy Turkey Wraps
Wednesday – Risotto (not sure what kind yet – need to go to the Farmer’s Shop!)
Thursday – Tomato Soup with Croutons, Plum Dumplings for dessert
Friday – Out for Chinese Buffet!
Saturday – Fabulous Meatballs (alt. mini-burgers for R.) with Pasta and Tomato Sauce
Sunday – BBQ mixed sausages, salads, breads

My parents and oldest niece are visiting from Thursday to Sunday, so baking will be at their request

 

 

Menu Plan – Week 34

 

Friday – Jacket Potatoes with Tuna & Sweetcorn, Cheese
Saturday – Beef, Pepper & Onion Fajitas with Guacamole, Kidney Beans & Sweetcorn, Shredded Lettuce and Sour Cream
Sunday – Out for dinner (BBQ)
Monday – Out for dinner again!
Tuesday – Warm Mixed Sausage & New Potato Salad with Course Grain Mustard Dressing
Wednesday – Lentils with Spätzle & Frankfurters
Thursday – Käsespätzle (Swabian Macaroni Cheese!)
Friday – Spinach, Gorgonzola and Pinenut Lasagne
Saturday – Chicken and Vegetable Curry with homemade Naan Bread and Lentils

 

Menu Plan – Week 33

I’m now shopping on Fridays, so the plan is Saturday – Friday.

Saturday - Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry with homemade Naan bread, various pickles
Sunday – leftover Curry
Monday – Spinach and Cheese Gnocchi
Tuesday – Mushroom Risotto (carry-over from last week as we had a BBQ at the last minute!)
Wednesday – Turkey and Aubergine Schnitzels with Colconan Mashed Potato
Thursday – Fish and Pasta Bake
Friday – Subs!

Baking – Fruit Buns, Apple Crumble

I have a load of new recipes – with photos! – to post, so I’ll try and do that as I go along this week.

 

Menu Plan – Week 32

I don’t seem to be posting anything much other than the weekly menu plans at the moment, although I keep meaning to write up the recipes too – there just isn’t enough time!
I’ve decided to change the way that I plan the menus too, and do my weekly shop on a Friday or possibly even Saturday, planning the coming weekend first and then the following week. This somehow seems much easier, rather than on Monday trying to decide what we’ll want to eat the following weekend, particularly as the weekend meals are very much a joint effort (in the deciding, NOT the cooking! lol) and that’s easier to do if you’re deciding what you want to eat over the next couple of days, rather than a whole week away.

So, this means that my menu plan goes from Saturday to Friday at the moment, although this may change to Friday to Thursday at some point. Or even go back to the standard Monday to Sunday!

Menu for Week 32
2nd – 8th August

Saturday – Tuna and Mushroom Pizza, Spanish Pizza
Sunday – Roast Salmon Fillets, New Potatoes, Lovely Carrots, Tomato & Red Onion Salad, Dessert: Fruit Trifle
Monday - Homemade Käsespäztle (Swabian Macaronni Cheese!) with Krautsalat (Cabbage Salad)
Tuesday – Vegetable Frittata
Wednesday – Mushroom Risotto
Thursday – Chinese Stir-Fry with Beef, Tofu and Vegetables, served with Noodles
Friday – Spicy Mince Wraps’

Baking This Week: Fruit Buns

 

Risotto

Ignore anything you’ve ever heard about risotto being difficult to make – it’s not, it’s dead easy. And it’s quite quick too, taking about 30 mins from start to finish; and you can put almost anything into it, so it’s handy for using up stuff, plus – most important – it tastes fabulous!

Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients (for 2 adults and 1 child)

• 250g risotto rice eg aborio
• 1/2 litre good quality vegetable stock
• 1/2 glass white wine (optional)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• large handful of mushrooms, chopped (you can use any mushrooms, or a mix of different kinds, or a combination of dried and fresh, but remember to soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for a bit beforehand)
• 1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs
• handful of grated cheese eg parmesan, pecorino, cheddar, bergkäse – anything that melts well will work
• butter

Method

1. Melt the butter in a casserole dish or similar, then fry the onions until starting to soften.
2. Add the mushrooms and herbs and fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the rice and stir to coat it in the mixture in the dish. You should be on a medium low heat.
4. Add the wine, stirring all the time.
5. When the wine has been absorbed, start adding the stock about a small cupful at a time, stirring gently (you don’t have to do it non-stop, but don’t go off and leave it either). Wait until the liquid has been more or less absorbed by the rice before adding more.
6. This whole process will take something like 20 mins. Once you’ve used up the liquid, taste the rice to see if it’s done. It needs to be soft and sticky, but not falling apart – it should still have a bit of a bite. If it’s not done yet, add some more liquid until it is.
7. Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Taste to see if you need any salt or pepper, then serve.

 

Variations

• fresh pea and bacon risotto – fry the bacon, then add the rice and proceed as from #3 above. Add the peas about 5 mins before the end so they don’t overcook
• green bean and brocolli
• pumpkin or butternut – haven’t tried this yet, but as soon as they’re in season I will be!

 

Menu Plan – Week 31

Monday – BBQ Koftas with Langoshi (Hungarian Flatbread) and Cucumber Jogurt Salad
Tuesday – Warm Chicken Cesar Salad in Wraps
Wednesday
(lunch) : – Smoked Haddock, Watercress and Leek Tart
               – Fruit Salad with Homemade Shortbread Fingers
(dinner)
               – leftover Tart, pancakes
Thursday – Homemade Oven-baked Indian Samosas with Onion & Pepper Salad
Friday – Fusilli Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, Garlic and Pecorino

Baking: Shortbread Fingers, Fruit Buns