Thursday 31 October 2013

Sunshine soup - easy butternut squash soup

All the recipes I 've found for butternut squash soup, start with you having to chop it up - as anyone who has tried this, it's really hard!

So, this is a simple way of making a tasty soup, the easy way.

Stab the butternut squash with a fork all over

Stabbed with a fork

Put it into a preheated oven at 180C for about 25 minutes - you can cook your dinner at the same time.

This should enable you to be able to peel and chop it with ease (although a little messy).  You will also need to remove the seeds and the fibrous bits with a spoon.  The chunks should be about an inch square, but it doesn't need to be precise.
Peeled
and chopped

Monday 28 October 2013

Menu Planning 28 October - 3 November

Well, I think that last week went to plan, but I already have doubts about this week!

We are just starting a two week break (10 days school holiday, plus 3 Teacher training days) - throw in setting up and manning a Halloween grotto, as well as a huge Firework display on Saturday and it's hard to work out what is going on!

The plan is

Monday Salmon

Tuesday Caramel Pork Chops

Wednesday Honey mustard chicken

Thursday Bacon wrapped meatloaf (probably will need to be at lunchtime due to Halloween grotto in the evening)

Friday  no idea - my husband and younger son have a volunteer day at the local heritage railway during the day, but need to be back there before 6pm to run the grotto; throw in older son coming home for the weekend - his train gets in at 9pm

Saturday all three of them will be out all day, setting up and then supervising at the fireworks display in Swindon; I will probably find something in the freezer and make a big pot of soup for when they get back, I think they often get free burgers after the public have left

Sunday still undecided, I will be at Wood Street Market all day, and older son will be driven back to university - I suspect that my husband will eat with him before returning

Monday 21 October 2013

Menu planning 21 - 27 October

Well, last week was reasonably successful on the menu planning, with just a few amendments.
On Thursday we had no children, as the older one is at university and the younger one was on a GCSE Geography field trip, so we went out to the Toby carvery - a review will follow I think!
On Saturday, we decided that it was silly to make a stew as my husband was out volunteering at the railway, dash in to change and straight out again to a swimming gala, before I came back from a craft fair.  A bit of freezer diving was done, which gave me back some food boxes!
Sunday was wet and another quick turnaround, I had a market during the day and then we went to a Rural Arts performance in the evening - I'm afraid that we did use frozen burgers, but the Aldi Aberdeen Angus ones are 98% beef.

I obviously got organised last week, as I had written up a menu plan on the calendar already!

Monday - Spice up salmon
Tuesday - Not stuffed mushrooms
Wednesday - Coconut chicken curry
Thursday - Mozzarella meatballs
Friday - Baked tuna
Saturday - Meatza
Sunday - Coconut curried pork - photo only, as link not working

Linking again to Menu planning Monday with Mrs M

Saturday 19 October 2013

Alternative to Leek & potato soup?

When you have gone low carb, it sometimes is difficult to find lunch food that is portable.

Many years ago, I bought a thermos flask with a wide neck - it's great for soups and stews when you are at work in the winter.

I have been looking for a soup that is easy, freezes well and tastes good.  I do a lot of craft markets and when I do a whole day one, I need a portable lunch, so soup is good.

I have tried Asda's pre-chopped soup mixes, but it be honest they weren't great when you balance the time against the price.  This year they have a new butternut squash soup, but if you follow the directions it is not cooked in the time they say, and if you continue to cook it, it reduces the liquid by a third.  It costs £1.

Asda have just bought out a spicy parsnip soup mix - it tastes really nice, and you roast the vegetables in the oven before boiling it, which gives it a lovely texture - but it costs £1.50 for the pre-chopped veg!

Last year, I tried a broccoli soup and I remembered it was good - it also uses the broccoli stalks, so is ideal to finish off the leftovers!  She calls it 'garbage soup', but it is better than that.  My husband was happy to have this as an alternative to leek and potato soup, as it does have bit of a kick!

So Curried cream of broccoli soup is the way to go!




Monday 14 October 2013

Menu planning 14 - 20 October

Monday again!

Monday - Baked tuna
Tuesday - Citrus pork chops
Wednesday - Turkey spinach stew
Thursday - only the two of us tonight as younger son away on field trip
Friday - Fish pie - good to use up the end of packs of fish!
Saturday - Beef stew
Sunday - Homemade burgers

Sharing on Menu planning with Mrs M

Friday 11 October 2013

Paleo French Toast

Mix together

1 egg
2 Tbsp flax meal/ground almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp raisins (optional)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp olive or coconut oil
[you can also make this with coconut flour, but use extra 2 Tbsp liquid]

We then pour it into a shallow 'lasagne' dish and microwave for 1 minute - if it isn't set, cook a little longer.

My son makes this with ground almonds without raisins, and tops it with a little maple syrup.
I prefer it with flax meal and topped with butter, which melts in.

It really does smell like French toast (eggy bread)






Thursday 10 October 2013

Honey mustard chicken - a review

I found a recipe for  Honey mustard chicken on Paleononpaleo and thought I should try it and then review it.

We have tried a couple of different recipes for honey mustard chicken as it is a simple and tasty meal.

This recipe uses oil to coat the chicken and so makes a less 'gloopy' mixture - it isn't 'Chicken Tonight'!

This recipe says to marinade it for 4 hours plus, but that wasn't going to happen!  I think I managed 30 minutes.

I always chop my chicken into cubes, about an inch square, as it makes it easier to serve them.  This does mean that the meat is well covered with the sauce.

The recipe didn't say how long to cook it for, but I would normally cook a chopped chicken casserole for about 45 minutes.

I removed the chicken from the marinade and there wasn't a lot of sauce left - maybe 3 spoonfuls.

It didn't seem worth boiling this down, as there wasn't a lot left, although it was quite runny, so we just spooned it over our vegetables.

Monday 7 October 2013

Menu planning 7 - 13 October

How come it's Monday evening again?

That might have something to do with getting a new car battery, visiting the mobile library, church coffee shop and a sixth form open evening!

I had intended to put some some recipes during the week, but somehow time just slips away

So this week's menu

Monday - Spice it up salmon
Tuesday - Caramel apple pork chops
Wednesday - Honey mustard chicken
[I intend to do a review of this, as mine doesn't tend to turn how the recipe implies!]
Thursday - Shepherd's pie
Friday - Coconut curry pollack
Saturday - Bacon wrapped meatloaf
Sunday - Honey apple ginger pork

I will be sharing again on At Home with Mrs M