Monday 29 July 2013

Menu planning 29 July - 4 August

With all of us home every day, it can be challenging sorting out food, as well as who is going to around when and which child needs to be transported to wherever! Since my husband retired, we have always eaten our evening meal together, but the time is a little more flexible now the boys are older.
 
Menu plan this week
Monday 29th Spiced up salmon
Tuesday 30th Not-stuffed mushrooms
Wednesday 31st  Honey, apricot & raisin chicken
Thursday 1st Mozzarella meatballs
Friday 2nd Cheesy fish fillets
Saturday 3rd ?Beef in slow cooker
Sunday 4th Pulled pork in slow cooker from http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/

The target over the next couple of weeks is to get the freezers emptied, so they can be defrosted - maybe that will get us to Christmas?


Thursday 25 July 2013

Pin it button

I thought that I had managed to put a 'Pin it' button onto the posts that had photos, but it seems to go to the same post which ever picture I click on. Looks like I will need to go back and try that one again!

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Coconut Curry Chicken

Well yesterday didn't go to plan!

My husband is a trustee at a local heritage railway, and they have just had a change of caterers.  It then appeared that the previous ones had booked a party - at the time the new people were on holiday.  So to prevent the treasurer from having a complete panic attack, we said we would help.

So yesterday, we spent the whole day, preparing, serving and clearing up from 75 ploughman's lunches to a party of British/Dutch vintage motorcyclists!  By the time we got home, I really didn't want to start preparing anything complicated, so stuffed peppers turned into fresh pork burgers with left over french bread.

so today's
Coconut Chicken Curry
4 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves
1 chilli pepper, chopped
1 can coconut milk
250 ml chicken stock/broth
2 tbsp curry powder
1tbsp olive oil

Chop chicken and brown in olive oil, remove from pan.
Combine onion, garlic and chilli in pan and simmer until onion is soft.
Add coconut milk, stock, curry powder and chicken.
Mix well and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
Serve over cauli rice or pilaff to soak up the liquid.




Monday 22 July 2013

Menu planning 22 - 28 July

We are about to start the school holidays, but I intend to carry on menu planning as it is less stressful!

Monday 22 July - Baked tuna
Tuesday 23 July - Stuffed peppers
Wednesday 24 July - Coconut chicken curry
Thursday 25 July - meal out for my husband's birthday
Friday 26 July - Fish pie
Satruday 27 July - Meatza
Sunday 28 July - Honey apple ginger pork

Even if the weather stays hot, we will probably carry on with this menu because the boys don't eat salad, and eating later (nearer 7pm) isn't so much of a problem.

I will find the recipes for the missing dishes and add them to the blog

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Citrus pork marinade

You can make these in advance them when you first buy the pork chops and freeze them, and they will marinade as they defrost.  Alternatively, you can put the chops in the marinade in the morning - they are best with about 6 hours soaking.

Juice of 2 oranges (4 tbsp)
Juice of 2 lemons (2 tbsp)
Juice of 2 limes (2 tbsp)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp paprika
3 garlic cloves crushed
3 tsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
6 pork chops or loin steaks

Mix up the marinade
Place the chops in a shallow dish so that they can lie flat or use a large 'ziplock' bag.
Pour the marinade over the meat.

At this point, you can freeze them -better if in a bag!  They will marinade as they defrost.

Leave to soak in the marinade for the day - it is best if you turn them over occasionally, so the marinade can get to all parts, and then cook as usual, about 16-20 minutes, turning regularly.


Monday 15 July 2013

Menu planning 8th - 21st July

Mon 8 July - Baked tuna
Tues 9 July - Basil pork burgers
Wed 10 July - Chicken pot pie (without the pie!)
Thurs 11 July - Bacon wrapped meatloaf
Fri 12 July - Scout BBQ, so burgers and salad
Sat 13 July - should have been lamb, but it was too hot so homemade beef burgers
Sun 13 July - Coconut curried pork

Mon 15 July - Spiced up salmon
Tues 16 July - Citrus pork chops
Wed 17 July - Coconut turkey stew
Thur 18 July - Pineapple chilli
Fri 19 July - Fish chowder
Sat 20 July - friend's birthday party
Sun 21 July - Crockpot beef stew

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Menu Planning for July

It seems sensible to create a weekly or monthly menu plan, as we tend to rotate the dishes from one month to the next.

Week 1 - 1st to 7th July

Monday - Cheesy Fish fillets
Tuesday - Caramel Apple Pork Chops
Wednesday - Honey Mustard Chicken
Thursday - Shepherd's pie
Friday - Salmon
Saturday - Pulled Pork
Sunday - Curried Meatloaf