Meal Planning 2014 - week 2

Last week I began meal planning in earnest on a pretty limited budget of £5 a day for the three of us. Working around the limitations of a very picky partner and a 5 year old whose likes and dislikes change with the wind; the fact that we have none of the 'Big 5' supermarkets within walking distance and my pledge to shop locally and utilise local butchers, bakers and grocers wherever possible.

My first week went ok - many of you warned me that no matter how well I planned it was pretty much a given that all would NOT go to plan and this proved to be the case. (Want to see what I planned? It's here )
Roo decided that he didn't like the chowder on Monday because it was too creamy (?!) and also turned his nose up at the home made veggie burgers (which he has had and enjoyed before...) Luckily vegetable soup always goes down well and I made enough for two meals (Wednesday & Friday) with crusty bread and cheese.

Saturday night takeaway for the Other Half's birthday was paid for by his parents (thank you!) and the cake went down a treat. Plus there is still half of it left for pudding today - and, as it was so rich, probably tomorrow too!
Sticking to the list proved easier than expected - although I did buy a couple of extras that had been reduced for the freezer - these have been incorprated into this weeks plan so still saving me money over all.
The best bit of all? I actually had a couple of pounds left over at the end of the week. This has been stashed away - as will any left over food budget each week - so we can treat ourselves occasionally.

I have decided not to bother listing the Other Half's meals for the week - to be honest they are pretty much the same each week. If he's happy with that (and he is) then so am I...

What me and Roo are eating this week...

Monday

Fish fingers or vegetable fingers, potato wedges, mushy peas

Tuesday

Chicken, rice and peas

Wednesday

Leek and Potato soup with cheesy rolls

Thursday

Shepherds pie and veg

Friday 

Tagliatelle with homemade veggie pasta sauce

Saturday

Creamy cheese and tomato pasta bake with garlic bread (we ALL eat this meal!)

Sunday

Roast chicken with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, peas, carrots and stuffing
(we all eat this meal too, although some of us eat more components than others ;-) )

A rough tot up of ingredients needed for these meals and the OH's is approximately £25 which leaves me £10 for bread, milk and other sundries for the week.

I will spend a fair chunk of my budget on Sunday's roast chicken as I like to get either free range or at least higher welfare (no 3 for a tenner stuff here) BUT left overs will be made into at least one more meal next week and I shall probably sneak a chicken, stuffing and coleslaw sarnie as next Monday's lunch too...


Are you meal planning your way through 2014? How's it going so far?

National Vegetarian Week - Chunky Veg and Nut Loaf recipe

Did you know it's National Vegetarian Week? No? Well you do now!

I was a vegetarian for most of my teens and twenties, partly out of protest against the treatment of animals kept for food and partly because I just wasn't that fond of the taste of meat (these days I am more relaxed about what I eat but, more often than not, I still go for the veggie option). In that time I learnt a good many great veggie recipes, many of which I still cook on a regular basis for my non-vegetarian family.

One particular favourite is this fab nut roast recipe. Originally from Rose Elliot's Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, sadly now out of print but replaced by Rose Elliot's NEW Complete Vegetarian - an updated edition taking into account current healthy eating advice.
The recipe has been tweaked and adjusted over the years to suit what I had in the cupboard. The original recipe contains onion, carrot and celery but I substitute celery (which I hate) with any other veg I have. It's a great way to use up those lone courgettes, half a pepper or handful of mushrooms that lurk at the back of the fridge! It's cheap to make, filling and nutritious with a chewy texture that even a die hard meat eater can enjoy.
Although not my Other Half. Way to much veggie presence for his tastes... *sigh*

Chunky Veg & Nut Loaf

Ingredients

1 large carrot
1 onion
A portion or two of any other veg you may have around - celery, pepper, courgette or mushrooms all work well
200g chopped mixed nuts - Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts (sometimes I use pre-packed chopped nuts found in baking isle at around £1 for 100g or you can chop and mix your own)
2 tsp yeast extract
2tsp Marigold Vegetable Bouillon (optional but tasty!)
2 eggs
1-2tsp dried mixed herbs or a handful of chopped fresh herbs
A knob of butter and a handful of breadcrumbs to line tin

Chop your veggies into chunks then throw them all in food processor and pulse until they are all chopped up. If you don't have a food processor then you can grate or finely chop all the veg by hand.

Tip the chopped veg into a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly - it will be quite a wet mix - like a very lumpy fruit cake batter!




Line the bottom of a 1lb loaf tin with a long strip of greaseproof paper so it comes up and over the 2 short sides then grease the tin with butter and sprinkle with some breadcrumbs (I blitz any slightly stale bread in the processor and freeze breadcrumbs so I always have a supply at hand. So much better than the bright orange ones you can buy in tubs!)







Pour the veg mix into the tin, making sure you tap the tin to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake in a preheated oven GAS5/190C/375F, uncovered for about 45mins - slide a sharp knife into the loaf to make sure the centre is set (just like a cake). Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before sliding a knife all the way round the edge and turning onto a serving plate.

Lovely served warm with roast potatoes, greens and onion gravy or cold with a salad and new potatoes. I have even shallow fried slices of cold loaf for a couple of minutes on each side and served them in a roll with some grated cheese and ketchup for a veggie burger alternative.

Chunky veg and nut loaf with salad... omnomnom!

If you want to find out more about National Vegetarian Week please visit their website - there are a loads of hints and tips for those thinking of taking up a meat free lifestyle and scrummy simple recipes to get you started!

#VegBoxChallenge - salad days and rhubarb fool

Well I HAVE been slacking a bit on the Veg Box Challenge. Not in that I'm not using up my veg, I hasten to add, just not really finding time to pin and blog recipes! Which is daft coz I've had 2 whole weeks to sort it out!!

But hey....

The weather improved for a bit which meant I actually felt like eating all the fab salad stuff that was in the last box - the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, chicory and carrots all got tossed up with some olive oil and balsamic dressing at some point during the week (sorry, no pics, I was too busy enjoying eating :-) )   Even the baby new potatoes got boiled up, cooled down then mixed with mayonnaise and chives from the garden.

The rhubarb was made into a fabulous fool - chopped up rhubarb was cooked with a couple of spoonfuls of soft brown sugar, the juice of an orange and a teaspoonful of ground ginger (I told you there was a twist!) for ten minutes or so then mixed into a small carton of whipped double cream and a small carton of creme fraiche, spooned into dishes and left to chill for a bit in the fridge. It was delicious!!

Here's a little selection of the other lovely meals we've had from our veg box in the past fortnight...

clockwise from top left: veg box curry; tucking in!; cheesy spud boats; roasted veg pizza; broccoli and cauliflower soup; rhubarb, orange and ginger fool

So I guess you'd like to see what delights we got this week?

What I got in my box this week...

• 2 LARGE baking potatoes
• big bunch carrots
• radishes
• green beans
• peas
• large leek
• chard
• more rhubarb :-)
• 2 bananas
• 2 oranges
• 2 apples
• 2 peaches

I mentioned in the last post that I had changed my delivery to a larger box but delivered fortnightly instead of weekly and buying some back up basics (onions and potatoes) and this seems to work well for us. I have been toying with switching from the fruit and veg box to just a veg box but there is no way I'd be enjoying a peach in my conservatory right now if it hadn't come in my delivery (wouldn't even think about buying a whole punnet from supermarket at silly prices) so I am still undecided...

perfect peach

and just look how shiny this apple is!

Now I am off to find interesting recipes for swiss chard...  

#VegBoxChallenge - a taste of summer...

Tomorrow is Roo's 5th birthday (where did THAT time go!) so it's all go here on Mount Pleasant.
We are planning a picnic with family and a few of his friends from school at a local 'tourist' spot - Beechenhurst. It's a lovely place in the heart of the Forest - a large picnic area with a fab playground and lots of room for kids to run around and play.
It's all a bit last minute as we weren't sure what the weather was going to be like (fingers crossed it stays as lovely as it has been all week!) so I'm super busy prepping food and games which doesn't leave much time for anything else!

So, just a quick post showing you the super fruit and veg box I got from Four Seasons Food this week...

What I got in my box this week...

• potatoes
• carrots
• purple sprouting
• cauliflower
• chicory
• lettuce
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• rhubarb
• apples
• pears
• a large orange
• a punnet of strawberries!

first taste of summer...

Don't they look gorgeous? I left them warm up in the sun then me and Roo gobbled the lot :-) 

There are 4 lovely bulbs of chicory which is something I have eaten in salad - the boat shaped leaves make great little receptacles for dips or cottage cheese - but never actually cooked with so this weeks pinboard additions will mostly be chicory recipes. I am looking forward to trying something new! 

We also got the first thin pink sticks of rhubarb. Not quite enough for a crumble but I am thinking of making one of my all time favourite puddings - Rhubarb fool - with a little extra twist. Don't worry I'll share next week...

I have made a slight change to my veg box delivery - upgrading to a medium box at £13.50 but only have a delivery every two weeks. Money is tight and I often end up buying extra  basics anyway (there's never enough potatoes to keep the Other Half happy!) so I thought save a few quid and minimise waste this way. 

This means my veg box posts will be fortnightly too but I may still squeeze an extra recipe in alternate weeks!

I'll leave you with a few of the dishes we enjoyed with the contents of last week's box...

stir fried purple sprouting with mange tout and red onion - went lovely with a basic omelette

chunky veg and nut loaf with salad - a recipe I have been making for years and I WILL share shortly...

carrot cake muffins - the most sensible thing to do when you have a surplus of carrots! I blogged this recipe here if you have lots of carrots to use up too...

In case you were wondering what I did with the avocado that I was so excited about last week - it ended up sliced on ryvita which is still my favourite way to eat them :-)

The Bedroom Tax...

There has been a lot of talk recently - partly due to the general state of the economy and rising food and fuel costs and partly due to the Government introduction of the so-called Bedroom Tax - about how many people are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table.

Helen Goodman, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland has even undertaken an experiment living on just £18 a week - which the amount she says some of constituents will have to manage on once the Bedroom Tax comes into force.  You can see her week of video diaries here .



Whilst I commend her for trying to raise awareness of the issue, I think it's pretty plain to see that she is NOT used to having to think so carefully about what she spends her money on! No, you can't have fresh coffee or quality steak or fish for dinner every night but then how many people can afford to that anyway?

This Bedroom Tax won't affect us - we are struggling to pay a mortgage and keep hold of our home and do not receive any kind of housing benefit. Our combined income is minimal so we do get Working and Child Tax credits to top us up but even so I have way less than £18 per head to feed my family each week (probably more like £13.50 a head). I think the same is true for many working families.Yes it's hard, but not THAT hard. With a bit of careful shopping and planning it is perfectly possible to eat a healthy and varied diet on a small budget. Cooking from fresh instead of relying on packets (and in the wake of the recent horse meat scandal that is an even better idea), using the freezer and learning to bake - it's amazing what you can do with flour, sugar, margarine and eggs - all help.

I know there are many people out there who already live frugal lives, who do their best to feed their families a healthy diet, who scrimp and save for little treats and who will be losing out once this 'tax' comes in. It IS unfair that families who have lived in their home for many years or even decades will feel that they are being forced to move out and leave behind their memories.

My grandparents, had they been alive today, would have been affected - they lived in their 3 bedroom council house for best part of 40 years, raised three kids and had grandkids to stay on a regular basis. But would they would be deemed to be under-occupying and forced to move to a one bed property - assuming one was available - or pay the difference out of their state pension? And here is the crux of the matter. It's all well and good telling people they can no longer live in their 3 bedroom terrace and have to down-size to make room for other needy families but are the smaller properties actually available? And if there aren't any properties available, how many people will struggle on until they default on their rent and lose their homes anyway?

Many people will be facing a stark choice - either learn to manage on next to nothing or find themselves on the street.

I would be interested to see how the Government will deal with the inevitable increase in those finding themselves without any bedrooms at all . . .



added - I have since found out that my grandparents would not have been asked to leave their house as those over 63 are exempted from the 'bedroom tax'. Which is something I suppose . . .

Veggie Box Meals - A Friday night curry

We are starting to get into the routine of school here now, although we still haven't quite got the hang of the morning bit yet and it usually involves a bit of shouting at each other 2 minutes before we have to leave!

One big change I have noticed is that the Little Man's appetite seems to have really perked up and plates are being cleared every night instead of just when it's cheesy pasta for tea . . .  I put it down to all the extra fresh air and having opportunities to use his brain more!  I'm not complaining. It's nice to know that my cooking efforts are not wasted, and unlike his Daddy, who would happily live on beans on toast and pizza forever more, Little Man is happy to give my veggie box recipes a try.

This scrummy curry went down a treat!

Veggie Box Curry

One large onion, chopped finely
One large potato, diced
A couple of carrots, sliced
Diced flesh of small squash
One small cauliflower chopped into bite size florets
A tin of chick peas, drained
A carton of passata (sieved tomatoes) or a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes
Some curry paste (I used Balti paste but Rogan Josh works well too)
Veg stock cube or 2 tsp Marigold Vegetable Bouillon

A big pan with a lid to cook it in!


Fry the onion in a little vegetable oil until it soft and golden, then add the potato and carrot and stir in some curry paste - add as much or as little as you like. I used a generous tbsp - enough to provide some spicy flavour but not so much to put the Little Man off!

Add the passata/tomatoes. Give it a good stir then add the cauliflower florets, squash and chick peas.

Crumble in the veg stock cube and add a little water to loosen up the mixture then put on the lid and leave to simmer for half an hour (or until all the veg is tender) stirring occasionally and adding extra water if needed.

Serve with rice (a plain version of the baked Gourmet Rice recipe here works well - just use chopped onion and some pilau rice seasoning with the rice) or naan bread.  For a milder version add some natural yoghurt to the curry just before serving, or put a pot on the table for those who want to add it themselves!

Little Man tucking in to (cold) photoshoot curry... it's THAT good ;-)

As it's just the two of us eating this it went a LOOOOOONG way - a tub in the fridge for later in the week and a two servings in the freezer for those days when I just don't want to cook. It's a great way to make the most of your veggie box as you can add just about anything - sweetcorn, beans, peas and greens could all go in quite happily. You could use fresh tomatoes (skinned and chopped) , sliced courgettes, mushrooms and peppers too - just remember some vegetables don't need to cook as long as others!

I am adding this recipe along with others as I find them to my Pinterest board 'Veggie Box Recipes'. This week I got some surprise broad beans in the box so I have been searching for some 'not-too-summery' recipes to use those in - I love them double podded with pesto and pasta and a bit of Parmesan cheese, but it's always nice to find a new way of eating a favourite food!

Why not have a look, for some Veggie recipe inspiration (although not necessarily Vegetarian, I hasten to add!)? I would love it if anyone wanted to join in pinning their own veggie box recipes - just give me a shout and I will add you as a pinner for that board! 

Veggie Box Meal Planning...

Last week I took delivery of my first organic fruit and veg box from our local box scheme Four Seasons Foods.  I have used their excellent service in the past and have decided to go back after a break of over a year.

Why? Mainly because I am feeling it is more and more important to support small local businesses in these increasingly difficult times. Supermarket fruit and veg prices are only going to go up and we have no local greengrocer, only Co-op (probably one of the most expensive supermarkets) to shop from locally. Although I get my main food shop online I am reluctant to allow a 'picker' to chose my fresh fruit and veg for me and every time I have done I am invariably disappointed with the quality.
Organic produce boxes are about as fresh as fruit and veg can get (apart from harvesting them from your own back garden) and I have the satisfaction of knowing that this food didn't travel halfway around the world to reach my plate.

And besides, who could not be inspired by this box full of loveliness?

This week we had potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, cauliflower, two cobs of sweetcorn, a Patti Pan squash, a big bag of salad leaves (including lots of my favourite peppery rocket), apples, oranges and a bunch of the sweetest black grapes I have ever tasted!  Four Seasons grow much of their produce themselves while the rest is sourced from farms and growers locally. Some of the fruit may come from a little further afield but they promise that none of the produce is air-freighted.

My challenge each week is to plan our meals around these boxes, ensuring that none of this lovely produce goes to waste! I hope to share some of these meal ideas with you on this blog and would love to hear ideas and recipes from those of you who also use a veggie box service!

So far this week we have had carrot and lentil soup, cauliflower cheese and lots of salad. I am still hunting down good stuffed squash recipes so the patti pan doesn't go to waste (although I am told it can be used as a courgette substitute). The recipe I would like to share with you this week comes from the good old BBC Good Food website - Easy Oven Frittata. It is a perfect veggie box supper! 

chopped veggies - use whatever you got!

The recipe calls for leeks, peas, pepper and sweetcorn but is easily adaptable. I added some sliced runner beans to mine and used corn sliced off a cob rather than the tinned in the recipe.
After reading the comments, I also used 100g of pasta rather than the 85g recommended, used a little more Cheddar as we have no Parmesan and mixed Italian herbs rather than lemon thyme.

Oven baked Frittata on the plate

I confess I was a bit dubious about the eggy pasta bake idea but it worked really well and tasted just as good cold for lunch the next day. Add a large salad and maybe some crusty bread and it will easily feed a family of four and get them well on their way to five a day.

This is definitely a veggie box recipe I shall be using again - you really could use any vegetables you have around. Grated carrot and courgette, broccoli, peas and spinach would all work well and the egg and cheese mix makes it a more substantial meal than just veg and pasta.

Are you a member of a veg box scheme? Most areas have their own local scheme, many of which deliver for free, but there are also a few national box schemes that deliver all over the country.
I would love to hear any recipes you may have tried. If you are on Pinterest why not check out my board 'Veggie Box Recipes' for ideas and inspiration? And if you want to add your own pins to the board give me a shout and I will add you as a pinner.



If you live in the Forest of Dean/Wye Valley area and would like to try a veggie box for yourself give Four Seasons Foods a shout. Visit their website for contact info or tweet them @4SeasonsFoods

What am I reading in July?

Well it would seem I was a bit ambitious in June and only managed to read two out of three of my planned books despite, or perhaps because, being on holiday one week!

This month we are going back to basics starting with this little gem I have borrowed from my dad that promises to be a great, and possibly educational read..

Really looking forward to sharpening up my English!

From the sublime to the, well not ridiculous. Quite sensible actually...

Picked this one up from the library today and have already had a flick through with a coffee earlier.  Lots of recipes to try and handy tips on meal planning, shopping, cooking in advance and making the most of every last bit of food... 

Don't forget to check out what everyone else is reading this month and if you love books, why not join in and share your reads this month?