Menu Plan Monday - March 30th

Eeek, it's that time of the week again - I'd better get a move on! I really love Menu Plan Monday, it keeps me accountable to have a plan for the week and stick to it. It's so much easier when you know what's for dinner, and don't have to rack your brains at the last minute for something quick to feed your starving family! I've got a very busy week, so I'll be using the crockpot and Thermomix a lot again. Also, dh starts night shift, so we'll be having some main meals for lunch. I'll post the recipes as soon as I can. Check out more menu plans at orgjunkie.com.

Monday: (lunch) GF creamy vegetable spaghetti (Thermomix) with homemade spelt bread rolls; (dinner) Pizza with friends! (Homemade, some with spelt crust, some gluten free.)

Tuesday: (lunch) Salmon patties & salad; (dinner) Roast chicken with pesto, roast veges (didn't get this one made last week).

Wednesday: (lunch) Sausages baked in homemade tomato & bean sauce (crockpot) with salad; (dinner) leftovers.

Thursday: (lunch) Creamy corn & potato chowder (crockpot); (dinner) Eating out.

Friday: (lunch) Lamb shanks/chops with cannelini & parsnip mash (crockpot); (dinner) Tomato pasta (Thermomix) with spelt bread.

Saturday: (lunch) Salmon & vege quiches & salad; (dinner) leftovers.

Sunday: (lunch) Meatloaf & veges in crockpot (kids favourite!); (dinner) leftovers.

Beetroot Salad

Beetroot Salad (this photo shows one with a little more carrot, as my kids love carrot!)

This is a very quick and easy salad, especially if you have a Thermomix! You can make it in a food processor, but you may need to cut the veges in smaller pieces before processing or you'll crack the jug! (I know, I've done it in my pre-Thermomix days!) Recipe from Thermomix cookbook.

- 400g raw beetroot (peeled & quartered)
- 100g carrot, quartered
- 1/4 small red onion
- 1 green apple, quartered & deseeded
- 1 handful of fresh coriander/Italian parsley leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp Rapadura
- pinch salt

Place roughly cut vegetables in Thermomix/food processor and chop on medium speed (sp. 5) until evenly chopped (2-3 seconds in Thermomix). Scrape down sides and chop again for a couple of seconds until desired consistency.

If you accidently process too much, or you have leftovers, add some raw cashews or almonds, process until finely ground, and use as a dip!

I sometimes make this with half carrot, half beetroot - it's a bit cheaper, and the kids like carrot more than beetroot! :)

Menu Plan Monday - 23rd March

Sorry I'm so late this week - we're changing rooms around and sorting out all the 'junk'! (What fun!) Lots to do this week, so I'm trying to keep it simple, using my crockpot and Thermomix to save me time. If you'd like any of the following recipes and I haven't supplied a link, please let me know and I'll post it. Have a great week, and check out some other menu plans at Menu Plan Monday, orgjunkie.com.

P.S. Last week's lamb cutlets & lentils were delicious - the kids gobbled up all the lentils and asked for more! I recommend that one! The curry-honey-mustard chicken was good too, just make sure you cook it long enough so it's fall-off-the-bone tender :)

Monday: (lunch) Pasta e Fagioli (Thermomix); (dinner) Leftover chicken & veges added to steamed veges, served over basmati rice with a Thai-coconut-curry sauce over the top (Thermomix).

Tuesday: (lunch) Challah topped with avocado, tomato & red onion; (dinner) Tuna mornay (dairy free and made with rice pasta).

Wednesday: (lunch) Cauliflower soup (Thermomix) & leftover Challah; (dinner) Crockpot meatloaf & veges.

Thursday: (lunch) Leftovers/*salad/tortillas; (dinner) Chicken spaghetti (pasta sauce made in Thermomix, cooked with chicken in crockpot) & *salad.

Friday: (lunch) Fried rice; (dinner) Pizza (homemade, spelt crust, vegetarian) & *salad.

Saturday: (lunch) Leftovers/sandwiches/*salad; (dinner) Steak with mushroom sauce, baked potatoes, salad.

Sunday: (lunch) Roast chicken stuffed with pesto (homemade) with roast veges; (dinner) leftovers/omellettes.

* I don't usually specify what kinds of salads because it just depends what veges I have in the fridge... I love baby spinach, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, feta cheese & salmon... I try to keep these ingredients in the fridge & cupboard at all times! I also like raw beetroot salad, or a simple Greek salad. For dressings we mostly use balsamic vinegar, or a mixture of white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, or homemade mayonnaise.

Spicy Lamb Cutlets with Braised Lentils

Lamb is my favourite meat - it's so tender and tasty.  And it goes so well with lentils, especially when you add some cumin, coriander and garlic!  For this recipe, you can use lamb cutlets, lamb chops, or for a special occasion, lamb fillets.  For an everyday meal I just use lamb forequarter chops.  It tastes great with any of them.  Enjoy.


First, prepare the lamb:

1. Grind in Thermomix on speed 9 until fine:
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds

- peppercorns, to taste

- herb salt, to taste
    (or you can use pre-ground spices)

2. Add garlic to Thermomix and mince on speed 7 for 3 seconds:

- 2 garlic cloves

3. Rub spice mixture and seasonings into lamb:

- 1 kg lamb cutlets (or 750g lamb fillets, or 6 large lamb chops)

Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

The braised lentils:

1. Chop in Thermomix bowl on speed 5 for 2 seconds:

- 1 red onion, halved

2. Add oil and cook on 100 degrees for 2 minutes, speed 1:

- 30g olive oil

3.  Add and cook at 100 degrees for 40-45 minutes, reverse, speed 1:

- 1 cup dried whole green lentils (rinsed - pre-soak if you have time)

- 1 bay leaf

- 700g water 

- 50g chicken stock paste (made in Thermomix)

     Lentils should be tender and liquid mostly absorbed.

     Pour into Thermoserver (or serving dish), remove bay leaf, and cover to keep warm.

     
Now cook the lamb:

1. Heat a frying pan on medium heat, than add:
- 2 Tblspns olive oil


2. Add lamb and cook until done to your liking. If using fillets, slice thinly to serve.

3. Spoon lentils onto plates, top with lamb, and serve with a salad.

Menu Plan Monday - March 16th

Hi all - I'm running late with my menu plan today as I just couldn't think of how to work it all out. I'm supposed to be having four to five fish meals a week (for Omega 3's), my son needs more red meat (for iron), my dh is tired of tuna and doesn't really like fish too much, the kids need more salads (which they of course don't want!) . . . aarrgh! Anyway, hopefully if we eat the fish mostly at lunch times when my dh is at work, it will all work out. Have a great week, and don't forget to check out more menu planning ideas at Menu Plan Monday, hosted this week by Erin at $5 Dinners!

Monday: Lunch - Homemade spelt bread rolls with roast beef & veges & gravy (leftovers from Sunday); Dinner - Grandma's house!

Tuesday: Lunch - Black bean & sausage soup (leftovers from freezer) with gluten free bread; Dinner (having friends over for a Thermomix Demo) - Herb & garlic dip (with crackers), spelt bread, Bean Fagioli, steamed rice and veges with coconut sauce, rice custard, & sorbet! (All made in the Thermomix.)

Wednesday: Lunch (scrapbooking day with friend) - Salmon, spinach & avocado salad & leftovers; Dinner - Mushroom & bacon spaghetti (spelt noodles).

Thursday: Lunch - Tuna, egg & spinach salad; Dinner - Potatoes (baked in crockpot while out) & steak (marinated) & salad.

Friday: Lunch - Homemade spelt tortillas with scrambled eggs inside, vege sticks; Dinner - Salmon & potato fish cakes, veges, salad.

Saturday: Lunch - Mini hot dogs (gf 'frankies' in homemade mini spelt hot dog buns); Dinner - Spicy lamb cutlets with braised lentils & salad.

Sunday: Lunch - Curried honey mustard chicken (crockpot) with mashed potatoes & salad; Dinner - leftovers/omelettes.

Sausage Strata

This is my version of this yummy casserole which I first found in Sue Gregg's "Meals in Minutes" cookbook. It can be made with ground (minced) turkey, beef or lamb. It is a great dish to make double of, and freeze the extra one for another day. (This recipe makes enough for six people - serve with a salad to stretch it.) You might find, however, that your family likes it so much they won't let you freeze the extra one - my kids ate the first one for lunch and then wanted the second one for dinner! I gave in, because I was busy drawing and didn't want to stop to cook.

I use my Thermomix to make the bread crumbs, then make the white sauce, then saute the veges, then cook the meat mixture and add in the eggs - then I put it all together in a casserole dish.

1. Lightly saute zucchini and mushrooms in oil until barely cooked, and remove to bowl:
- 2 Tblspns olive oil
- 4 cups unpeeled, thinly sliced zucchini
- 1 to 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms, optional

2. In large pan, saute onion in oil, then add other indgredients and mix and brown; set aside to cool:
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 Tblspns olive oil
- 500g (1 lb) ground beef, turkey or lamb
- 1 Tblspn tamari/soy sauce
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sage
- pinch cayenne pepper

3. Make 2 cups of white sauce or cheese sauce (see recipe here for dairy free version). If not using cheese, add 2 tsp chicken or vege stock concentrate to add flavour (or a couple of tsp of savoury yeast flakes).

4. Add to cooled meat mixture:
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup wholewheat spelt bread crumbs or gf bread crumbs

5. In casserole dish, layer cheese sauce, zucchini, mushrooms and meat mixture in two layers. Start and end with cheese or white sauce.

6. Bake uncovered at 175 degrees C (350 F) for 30 minutes. Eat now, or cool and freeze.

7. To cook a frozen casserole, place frozen dish in oven and cook, covered, for 3 hours on moderate heat. Or thaw out in fridge and cook for 1 hour.

Mexican Black Bean & Chorizo Soup

I love this soup. On a rainy night like tonight, it's the perfect comfort food. I love it with a steaming hot slice of homemade cornbread dipped in, or with homemade spelt tortillas. Or even just on it's own. It's more of a stew than a soup - it's very filling. I change the amounts of the ingredients depending on what I have, or what I feel like... so the measurements are just guides. If you want to bulk it out to feed more people, add more beans. If you don't want to use chorizo sausages (ones without additives can be hard to find), try chicken thighs and add your homemade chicken stock paste and extra spices. Or try a vegetarian version using vegetable stock paste, and add in some cubed zucchini or eggplant and extra spices. Adjust chilli powder to taste - it may be a little hot for young children.

You can use either dry black beans and cook this long and slow in a slow cooker (overnight or all day on lowest temp - needs to cook for at least 9 hours), or you can use tinned black beans for a quicker version. I often make this in my slow cooker, and just chop the veges in the Thermomix.

For a quick and easy Thermomix version, use tinned beans, and just halve the recipe. Saute the onion, garlic and capsicum for 5 minutes, add tomatoes and chop speed 5 for a few seconds, then add everything else and cook on 100 degrees for about 30 minutes, reverse speed soft. (My amounts are approximate, so just make sure you don't go over the 2 litre mark.)

Serves 6.

1. Chop up the onion, garlic and capsicum in the Thermomix on speed 4 for 5 seconds:
- 1 onion, halved
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 green capsicum, quartered

2. Add ghee (or butter or coconut oil) and saute for 5 minutes at 100 degrees, sp 1:
- 30g ghee, butter or coconut oil
   Tip sauteed veges into the slow cooker.

3. Add tomatoes to Thermomix bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5:
- 500-600g tomatoes, halved

4. Add to veges in slow cooker:
- chopped tomatoes
- 2 tins of black beans, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups pre-soaked, uncooked black beans
- 1 litre water (add 2 litres if using uncooked beans - keep them covered with water during cooking time)
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
- 6 sliced chorizo sausages
- 2 tspns Mexican chili powder
- 2 tspns ground cumin
- a pinch of cinnamon
- 1 tspn dried oregano
- 2 Tblspns vege or chicken stock paste (more or less to taste)
- 50g tomato paste, optional

5. Cook on high for 4 hrs or low for 8 or 9 hours. If using uncooked beans, cook on low for at least 9 hours.

6. You can mush it a bit at the end if you like with a potato masher (leave some unmushed beans), or leave it chunky. Serve with some cornbread or spelt tortillas, or over brown rice, or just on it's own with a salad on the side.

Variation: Omit the sausages and make the vegetarian version. Then the next day, place the leftovers in the slow cooker with some sliced up chicken breasts, adding some water, chicken stock paste, tomato paste, and more cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder & salt... Cook on high for up to 4 hours, or low for 8. Serve with corn chips and a leafy green salad. Delicious!

Menu Plan Monday - March 9th

Well, we still didn't get around to having roast beef on Sunday - this time I'll try having it on a weeknight when we'll be out all afternoon, that way I won't have to rush home to cook dinner! The first couple of days we're having main meals for lunch while my dh is on night shift... For more menu planning ideas see Menu Plan Monday at "I'm an Organizing Junkie".

Monday: (Lunch) Salmon-Rice Casserole (from freezer) and baby spinach-avocado-tapenade salad. (Dinner) Chicken soup (from leftover chicken & veges from Sunday roast) with spelt toast.

Tuesday: (Lunch) Sausage Strata with zucchini & mushrooms (recipe coming) & salad; (Dinner) Tortillas & refried beans & salad.

Wednesday: (Lunch) Potato & sweet potato wedges & salad; (Dinner) Vege pasta & salad.

Thursday: (Lunch) Homemade spelt bread sandwiches; (Dinner) Crockpot roast beef & veges.

Friday: (Lunch) Tortillas with mexican beef & salad (leftover roast mixed with homemade salsa); (Dinner) Salmon patties, mashed potatoes & veges.

Saturday: (Lunch) Mini pizzas/breadrolls made by kids; (Dinner) Crockpot Mexican black bean & sausage soup.

Sunday: (Lunch) Leftovers; (Dinner) Hamburgers on spelt rolls.

Pasta é Fagioli

I just have to share this delicious recipe which is so quick and easy when made in the Thermomix! This is the kind of quick meal I do quite often, especially when it's a last minute thing and I have forgotten to thaw out meat for dinner. I know the original recipe is a lot more involved - an Italian lady I know says her mum was blown away with how quick it is to make in the Thermomix! For those of you who don't have a Thermomix, just change it to chopping by hand and cooking on the stove. (Adapted from a recipe in the Thermomix cookbook.)

1. Drop onto rotating blades, speed 4, and chop for 5 seconds:
- 1 red chilli (or less, to taste)
- 1 clove garlic
Scrape from sides with spatula.

2. Add oil and saute for 2 minutes at 100° on speed 1:
- 50g olive oil

3. Add, and pulverise for 30 seconds on speed 6:
- 1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped in two inch pieces
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 fresh tomatoes, halved
- 2 Tablespoons Thermomix vegetable stock paste (or to taste)
- 50g tomato paste

4. Add water and cook for 10 minutes on 100 degrees, speed 1:
- 850g water

5. Add and cook for 8 minutes at 100° on reverse, speed soft:
- 250g gluten free pasta (eg shells/macaroni/tortellini)
- another can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

6. Serve pasta sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tip: This turns out quite soupy, which is how I like it - you can mop up the juices with bread!  But if you want it thicker, just add more pasta, up to 350g.

Beef-Mushroom Sauce

This sauce is an easy, quick meal when served on baked potatoes, noodles, rice, quinoa, spelt toast or scones. It can be made with any minced meat - beef, turkey, chicken, lamb... or you can make it vegetarian by swapping the meat for two extra cups of mushrooms and adding some peas. You can also make double and freeze some for another meal. Adapted from a Sue Gregg recipe in "Meals in Minutes."

1. Brown together in fry pan:
- 500g (1 lb) ground beef (or other meat, or 2 cups extra mushrooms)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2. Sprinkle over browned meat/mushrooms and stir unitl combined:
- 6 Tblspns white spelt flour

3. Add to mixture and stir and cook until thickened:
- 2 cups chicken or vege broth
- 1 tspn garlic powder
- 3 Tblspns tamari, to taste

4. Serve over potatoes, rice, etc; or cool and freeze.

(Optional: can add 1 cup white sauce after thawing; reheat gently).

Salmon-Rice Casserole

For those who can't handle milk, this is a deliciously creamy dish with a dairy-free white sauce. If you can handle some cheese, you can add grated Parmesan instead of the yeast flakes.

This meal freezes well, so I make a double batch and put half in the freezer for another day. (See instructions below.) If you don't want to make a double batch, halve everything except the water you cook the rice in. You'll still need to cook the rice and broccoli for the same time as below, but the sauce will only take about 4-5 minutes.

You can use fresh or tinned salmon for this recipe - if using fresh, cube and place on top of broccoli to steam while the rice cooks below. If using tinned, add to the casserole when putting it together. See the variation below for using quinoa instead of rice - quicker, and higher protein!

1. Weigh water into Thermomix, add rice basket and weigh in rice. Set to cook for 25 minutes at Varoma temp, speed 4:
- 1200g water
- 400g brown rice

2. Place Varoma on top of bowl, add broccoli (and salmon, if using fresh) to Varoma, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes at Varoma temp, speed 4, until all cooked through:
- 2 heads of broccoli, cut into small florets
- 2 cups fresh salmon pieces (optional - can use tinned)

 3. Divide the rice and broccoli between two casserole dishes, rice on the bottom, broccoli on top. If you're going to freeze one, line the dish with baking paper first. (You'll see why later...) Top with salmon and sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside.
- cooked brown rice and broccoli (and cooked salmon if using fresh)
- 400g (14 3/4 oz) can salmon, drained (if using tinned)
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

4. Empty the bowl, rinse and dry well, and make the white sauce. Start by grinding up the rice and almonds for 1 minute on speed 9:
- 80g raw brown rice
- 80g raw almonds

5. Add water and pulverize on speed 9 for 1 minute:
- 700g water

6. Add remaining ingredients for white sauce and cook for 6 minutes, 90 degrees, speed 4:
- 30g ghee or butter or olive oil
- 1 Tblspn chicken or vege stock paste
  (chicken stock paste recipe here)
- 1 Tblspn savoury yeast flakes (or some grated parmesan)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- 30g cornflour (or other flour)
- herb salt to taste

7. Pour sauce over layers and top with:
- a couple of handfuls of chopped almonds (whole almonds chopped at speed 5 for 10 seconds in Thermomix) OR a couple of handfuls of roughly chopped pine nuts

Ready to go in the oven or freezer...

8. Either bake for 30 mins in moderate oven, or cool and freeze. Once frozen remove baking paper wrapped casserole from baking dish, and place in airtight bag and put back in freezer. When you're ready to bake it, you can remove the bag, and place the casserole back in the original baking dish, and it will fit perfectly! Bake unthawed casserole in moderate oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. (Uncover towards end of cooking time to brown.)

Variation: Try using quinoa instead of brown rice - here's a recipe for garlic quinoa which would work well, and the broccoli can steam on top. Place Varoma on top right at the start, as quinoa takes a lot less time to cook - you can check the broccoli part way through and take it off when you get it to the texture you like.

Grilled Fish with Almonds

You can grill your fish in the grill pan (or rack lined with foil) of your griller - the secret of success is to only cook it on one side, as the heat will cook it from underneath as well as from above. A 2 cm (1 inch) thick piece of fish only takes 8 minutes to cook, a thinner one cooks in 4-5 minutes - don't overcook!

1. Heat grill pan or rack. Melt:
- 1 Tblspn butter per piece of fish

2. Wipe fish with damp paper towel, and sprinkle with flour (improves colour and conserves moisture), and season:
- 1 kg (2 lbs) fresh, firm fish fillets
- spelt/gf flour
- sea salt & pepper

3. Turn the fish in the melted butter to coat and grill, basting once or twice with buttery juices in pan. Halfway through cooking, sprinkle with:
- fresh snipped chives or parsley

4. Transfer to heated dish. Add to grill pan, and let it sizzle:
- a handful of chopped raw almonds
- 1 Tblspn water
- a squeeze or two of lemon juice
- 2 Tblspns butter
- some more chopped parsley

5. Swirl sauce around in pan, then pour over fish. Yum!

Menu Plan Monday - March 2nd

Well, Autumn is here (in Australia!) and the weather seems to have cooled down a little already! We've had gorgeous weather the last couple of days. It's definately 'picnic at the lake' weather. We did that on Saturday, and had slow-cooked lamb shanks Sunday instead of Saturday (yum!!!), so roast beef is back on the menu for next Sunday! (Third time lucky!)

I've decided to add lunch ideas, as I have to plan it in my head anyway... we're not really 'toasted cheese sandwich' people, so I have to plan ahead, at least in a loose way. And when my husband's working afternoon shift, we have our main meal at lunch. Here's my plan... for more ideas for your menu this week, check out Menu Plan Monday on orgjunkie.com!

Monday: (Lunch) Leftover lamb shank soup (bones & bits of lamb and veges cooked in tomato-ey broth in crockpot) with spelt bread rolls; (Dinner) Steak salad (salad with thin strips of beef with dressing of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce, and smoke flavoring) & leftover rolls.

Tuesday: (Lunch) Spelt tortillas with refried beans (from freezer, homemade from last week) & salad; (Dinner) Grilled fish with almonds, baked potatoes & salad.

Wednesday: (Lunch - DH starts afternoon shift) Lamb chops & pasta salad; (Dinner) Tuna patties, mashed potatoes & veges.

Thursday: (Lunch) Salmon-Rice Casserole (make two, freeze one) & salad; (Dinner) Pasta é Fagioli (quick Thermomix meal).

Friday: (Lunch) Beef-Mushroom Sauce (make extra, refrigerate) on baked potatoes; (Dinner) Spelt spaghetti with vege sauce.

Saturday: (Lunch) Raw 'South Western' Soup, mexican salad & corn chips; (Dinner) Leftover Beef-Mushroom Sauce on rice.

Sunday: (Lunch) Marinated crockpot roast beef & veges; (Dinner) Homemade spelt bread & scrambled eggs/omelettes.