Our Real Food Meal Plan

It is the last day of the school term, and two weeks of holiday stretch before me. This possibly means that I have two weeks of The Princess driving me crazy, but I am willing to risk it. I am going to take a step back from blogging over the next couple of weeks. I have been struggling to find inspiration recently, and I think taking a break will be good for both me and the blog. You may have noticed I started my break early as I have posted less this week, and it is already paying off. My mind is buzzing with new ideas that I intend to road test over the holidays.

I wanted to keep the menu simple this week, which I think I managed. We ate:

Sunday

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Monday

Silverbeet & Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells with Slow Cooked Tomato Pasta Sauce.

There is no real recipe here. The silverbeet is taking over the garden, and this used a large armful of it. Not that you can tell. Boil large pasta shells until just cooked, then drain. Dunk the silverbeet in a pot of boiling water to wilt it. I used the same pot of water in which I cooked the pasta shells. Refresh the silverbeet in cold water, squeeze out as much moisture as possible, and finely chop. Stir the chopped silverbeet into ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and a handful of Parmesan cheese. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the cooked shells, lay the filled shells into a baking dish, and cover with a layer of Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce. Scatter over grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and bake at 180C for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tuesday

Easy Weeknight Roast Chicken, served with Oven-Baked Rosti, and Roasted Lemon Broccoli.

Wednesday

Zesty Fish with Crushed Potatoes and Peas.

Thursday

Panang Beef Curry with Jasmine Rice.

Freezer Cooking

I don’t include Friday night in my menu plan; sometimes I cook, more often we eat out. Last Friday though tacos were on the menu. I made a double batch of the taco mince, and despite the fact we ate many tacos, there was still more than enough meat for me to freeze for another meal.

I also made a batch of my Slow Cooked Tomato Pasta Sauce over the weekend. This recipe makes a huge amount, and is perfect for cooking when you are planning to be at home all day. The sauce can be frozen in meal sized portions, although I always bottle (can) it to save freezer space. I kept some of the sauce for dinner Monday night, and now have six bottles of pasta sauce for other meals. It will keep on the shelf for about 12 months, but will be used well before then.

Bon Appetit!