At the start of the week I posted about being a bit organised and the thought process behind how I plan meals. I said it wasn't set in stone and typically there are variations.
To refresh your memory, "the menu" or rather a list of possibilities from our larder:
To refresh your memory, "the menu" or rather a list of possibilities from our larder:
- Beef Rendang
- Jamie Oliver's chicken in milk
- Lamb shanks
- Avgolemono
- Curried Pumpkin soup
- Home-made pasta
I also mentioned recently that Kathryn Elliot at Limes and Lycopene is running 31 days to a better diet so that has also played a part in the way the week unfolded. That started last Friday being the first of the month.
To bring you up to speed the first few days of the 31-day plan, they were:
To bring you up to speed the first few days of the 31-day plan, they were:
I didn't see the third post until late in the afternoon; by that stage it was too late in the day to fulfill so I made a mental note to fit it into the week ahead.
Monday (day 4 - build a stock of useful plastic containers)
In maintaining diplomatic relations at the Garden Club I refrained from purchasing any more containers. We do tend to have a lot of containers as I am obsessed with them.That night, we had a minor misunderstanding in the household- I had thought Mr Grocer was preparing the chicken and he had forgotten. So after the dog walk the lamb shanks went into the oven and we made some mash. Having options is a good thing.
Tuesday (day 5 - salad splurges)
Earlier in the day I bought some polenta - something I've struggled to enjoy in the past, hence usually avoided. I served it with the chicken in milk, fulfilling the challenge for day 3. As a concession to the day's challenge we served that with mixed leaves from the markets and I made a mental note to properly splurge on salad later in the week.Wednesday (day 6 - do you know when you're hungry)
Duh! Of course I do, I'm hungry all the time - it's a permanent state of being! Especially when there's delicious beef rendang to be eaten - served with stir fried baby bok choi and handsome broccoli.Facetiousness aside, this was an excellent exercise - being conscious of when my thoughts started to drift toward comestibles, thinking about physical triggers (if any) and becoming very aware that as I don't drink as much fluid in winter I am prone to confusing thirst with hunger.
Thursday (day 7 - practice cooking & make something new for dinner)
Too easy - this is my hobby! I had already sourced some lamb rump portions as I need a fast to prepare meal for Thursdays. I sealed them on either side after marinating with lemon, garlic and rosemary and bunged in the oven. I served this with another experiment dubbed "winter salad" (thus fulfilling the aforementioned salad splurge) - pearl barley tossed with grated white radish, fresh oregano and roasted beetroot wedges, onion and garlic roasted in foil "bag" in the oven. I made a red wine reduction in the pan used to sear the lamb. Dinner was pink!Friday (day 8 - spend some time on your meals)
Tick! After socialising at the dog park (with owners of course) it was probably a bit late, but I set about preparing a meal rather than (a) getting takeaway or (b) doing something quickly.We sat down (rather late) to a beautiful meal of toulouse sausages (delivered on the day) served with roasted kipflers and onions and braised red cabbage. It was much later than we should have eaten, but it was going to be a late night with the Olympic opening ceremony.
What happened to the other meals on the "menu"?
The pumpkin soup, as predicted, was gone by Monday lunch time.
The avgolemono base (chicken stock was whittled away somewhat - a last minute broccoli soup for my lunch one day, a bit slopped in to the stir fry, a bit on the sausages with the roasted onions for a bit of gravy. The remainder will get tipped into something - maybe even boiled up with rice sort of congee style (something a former flat mate introduced me to many moons ago).
The home-made pasta likewise didn't get eaten during the week, but with a delivery of pancetta and eggs on Friday I suspect that orecchiette will make way for a long pasta to make a delicious and easy carbonara.
And the other ingredients? We munched through the fruit for snacks and lunches, some of the bananas also went into porridge. Carrots went into stock base and got munched on generally and ditto for celery (celery is great diced finely to compliment or supplement onions in just about anything). The kransky didn't survive last weekend and they went with the sourdough baguette. Other vegies were slowly eaten away at in a bit of this or that - a roasted tomato soup, lunches, and snacking amongst other things.
So dear readers, that is how I factor fresh food and variety into a busy week - a bit of organisation, some fast meals, some slow-cooked meals, basic cooking techniques, an outline, and a lot of flexibility. Which is why I put the "menu" on the kitchen splashback - it gives me (and Mr Grocer) and idea of what the possibilities are on those occasions when we're too tired to think. As something is eaten (or the ingredients pilfered for something else) the item is wiped off the "menu".
Now it's your turn - what are your thoughts on getting dinner on the table with fresh produce? What are the challenges in you busy week? Do you have fall-back options? Are you confident in your cooking skills? What would be of use for you?
animal vegetable mineral: dinner this week
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