$21 Challenge - Week two

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Well, I am happy to say that we survived the first week of the $21 challenge. Usually you would only do this for one week but I have so much excess stuff to use up that I have decided on a second week...to pocket a little more cash for the boys to spend on clothes.

Week One Recap

The biggest hit of the week was the home made pizza. The bread flour from my 'bonus box' that had just expired was perfect for the base, together with the bbq sauce bottles that were almost empty. I just added a chicken fillet which I fried in the pan and sliced, some kale, ham, cheese, bacon and pineapple. I had a slice for breakfast and lunch the next day.

I could not figure out the wall socket timer so my crock pot honey and lemon chicken was cooked in the pan and served with mash. The boys ate leftover sausage casserole.

My favourite was the salmon patties which used up the open bag of panko breadcrumbs and was served with fresh salad from my garden. I was surprised that the boys liked them too so I will definitely include this on my budget-week menu in the future.

This was my total shop for the week...just over $15. Mainly drinks for the kids and milk. The cream was for potato bake last night, and the boys like cheese on everything! The pineapple was $2 from the local service station....the best pineapples ever. Confession...my husband did bring home some meat but I put most of it in the freezer to use after the challenge so I can still stick to my original menu plan.

This is just a selection of items in the bonus box which I would like to use up this week. So, here is my menu this week!

SATURDAY

Roast lamb and vegies in the slow cooker. I had never done a roast in it before and it was very tender. I do prefer roast vegies in the oven though! I used some of the cranberry sauce as a glaze to try and get rid of it and it was very tasty.

SUNDAY

Corned Beef and Potato Bake. This was gobbled up before I could take a photo.

MONDAY

Pasta bolognese using up the open packet of penne pasta

TUESDAY

Chicken tacos to use up the taco shells which although opened are still fresh

WEDNESDAY

Shepherds Pie using the packet mix which is about to expire

THURSDAY

Chicken (breast) pesto pasta using the brown spaghetti and open jar of pesto

FRIDAY

Slow-cooked chicken curry using the curry paste, and the indian vegie packet thingy I have never been game to open. I will use a pack of chicken pieces I have in the freezer.

It feels a little weird going to the fridge and being able to see what is in there, but it's a feeling I can get used to. We had too much stuff hiding and wasting...despite my resolve to live more simply and utilise everything... which I thought I was good at. So, I would thoroughly recommend a clearing out every now and then, and it's actually fun making compromises and devising recipes without buying extra ingredients. I made some home-made yoghurt yesterday which will be used in a few dishes and only cost $1.50, and I plan to make lemon cordial tonight to stretch out the drinks (and use up the lemons)...it's these habits that will help keep the dollars in my pockets, and healthy food on the table.

So, what's for dinner at your place tonight?

Sunshine Chicken

There is no rocket science involved in making this dish, but I thought I would share it with you because it is fresh, clean and full of summer colour.

Ingredients

1 Onion

1/2 capsicum

4 cups mixed chopped vegetables ( I used Zucchini, squash, carrot, bok choi, spinach, whatever you have in the fridge)

1/2 cup chilli and ginger sauce 

1 tin of chopped pineapple (reserve the juice)

1/4 cup raw cashews

1 kilo chicken breast, sliced and chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 tbs olive oil

Chop onion and vegetables to desired size

Fry in a wok or non stick pan in a little olive oil until softened and then set aside.

Place the chicken in a bowl and coat with chopped garlic, and ginger and chilli sauce.

Reheat the pan and cook the chicken until sealed on all sides, then add the vegetables, pineapple, cashews and pineapple juice. Stirfry for 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked and the vegetables are coated in sauce.

Serve on its own or with rice or quinoa. I had the chilli and ginger sauce from my visit to the Ginger factory but you could substitute with any sweet sauce or marinade. A sweet chilli sauce and fresh ginger would probably work just as well.

Hope you enjoy a nice summery dish. Do you have variations of this that you make at home?

Monday Menu Plan - Almond Pesto

This week was a little disorganised due to after work commitments and I didn't stick to my plan every night. A couple of nights we had leftovers which has kept the freezer meat supply up. I am making home baked gifts for Christmas (Simple Living Christmas) so this did push the grocery bill up to $190 this week. I am aiming to buy the ingredients over the next four weeks to ease the expense a little. This is my menu plan for the week:

Monday - Beef Lasagne and salad
Tuesday - Ginger, Chilli and Cider Chicken with Vegetables
Wednesday - Chicken Burritos with Salsa and Sour Cream
Thursday - Beef and Vegetable Curry with Quinoa
Friday - Pesto Chicken Pasta
Saturday - Roast Pork
Sunday - Chicken Schnitzel with Potato Bake

I made the lasagne today from Annette Sym's Cookbook - Symply Too Good To Be True no 1. So, I am already prepared for dinner tomorrow. Yay! I was going to feature it as my recipe this week but the photos were really ordinary so I am going to showcase something else I made today....Almond Pesto.

This is one of the basil plants I have and I let it go to seed so I can grow some more. I have had this plant for well over a year and it just keeps producing.

Each of these little pods holds four seeds. I put off harvesting the leaves as I was not sure what I wanted to do with them. I tossed up freezing or drying but then Paul brought home something he was given by a client...and I was inspired:

Excellent ingredients for a pesto but I did not have pine nuts so I wondered if I could substitute almonds. Of course I can...Google says so :)

I put 3 tablespoons of raw whole almonds and 3 cloves of garlic in the food processor and ground them for about a minute.

I then added 3 tablespoons of chopped basil, 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and  5 tablespoons of the beautiful olive oil.

Voila! About 125g of my very own almond pesto and to be honest....I prefer it to the pine nuts. The almonds add more texture and that wonderful almond flavour. Can't wait to try this with some chicken and pasta. I can see my menu plan might change this week.

Have you substituted and created something better than the original before?
What's for dinner at your place this week?

Linking up with http://beccisdomesticbliss.blogspot.com.au/.

Menu Planning Monday 6 Chicken Avocado Carbonara

Welcome to another new and wonderful week! Last week I stuck to my menu plan but I did go a little over on my grocery spend. I am trying to keep to $150/week and I spent $170 but that included re-stocking of breakfast ingredients and the meat specials were good so I bought over two weeks worth of meat. So I am aiming for a $130 spend next week. Taking that into account I am pleased to say that I have now put away $100 towards our holiday.

I honestly don't know how I used to spend $40 week on fruit and veg. This was just over $20 at my local farm fresh supplier.

When I arrived home with the groceries on Friday night I decided to make another dahl from my leftover vegetables, and then utilise it in my menu plan to make five separate dishes which I will post the recipes for next week. This will save me time in food preparation, and I found it quite a versatile base when I made it last time. Here is the dahl-based menu plan:

Menu Plan

Monday - Chicken Curry with Rice
Tuesday - Mexican Chilli with Corn Chips and Cheese
Wednesday - Beef and Cheese Burritos with Salsa and Sour Cream
Thursday - Shepherds Pie and Vegetables
Friday - Beef Casserole with Mashed Potato and Vegetables
Saturday - Lasagne with Salad
Sunday - Fishermans Basket with Chips and Salad

My Crockpot Dahl

Fill one third of your crockpot with leftover vegetables. I had broccoli, pumpkin, potato, carrot, an onion, button squash, some bok choi and spinach leaves, and a couple of over-ripe tomatoes.

To this add a large tin of chopped tomatoes, two cups of lentils or dried soup mix, and herbs  and spices - garlic, indian curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper and coriander. You can use any spices you prefer. I wanted a spicy dahl but not too hot because I don't want to overpower my dishes. I used about a desertspoon of each spice.

Then add water to the fill line and mix. Cook on low overnight or for approx 6-8 hrs. This is the end result.

It doesn't look beautiful but tastes delicious just as it is. I have a large crockpot so it filled four one litre containers:

All ready to go. I have placed two in the freezer and two in the fridge. Not sure how much I will need for each recipe but two containers may be enough.

Chicken Avocado Carbonara

This was Paul's favourite dish of the week. My kids don't like avocado so I prepared a carbonara and dished theirs up before adding the avocado. Two variations of the same dish. Theirs was served with pasta:

It's hard to see the cream sauce in the photo. If you have never made chicken carbonara before, you will find that it is a quick and easy meal to prepare after work. You will need (Serves 4-5):

500-700g chicken breast, chopped

Pasta - fettucine or penne work best

4-5 rashers of short cut bacon

Small tub of light cream

Parmesan Cheese

Cornflower and a small amount of water

Garlic - 2-3 cloves

Oil

Boil water and add pasta. Chop garlic and bacon finely and fry in a pan with a dash of olive oil.

You only want to cook the bacon gently, not until it is crispy. Remove from the pan and fry the chicken until almost cooked.

Mix cornflour and water, add to cream and stir. Add the bacon and cornflour cream to the chicken and cook until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked and tender.

Pour over pasta and combine. Top with parmesan cheese. For the avocado variation, add the avocado with the bacon and cream mixture. It will cook and soften and add a slightly green tinge to your sauce. Yummy!

There you have it, a recap of my grocery spend, a plan of attack for this week, and last week's most popular dish.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

Linking up with Becci's Domestic Bliss.

Menu Planning Monday 4

Creating a menu plan every week is certainly making life easier in terms  of creating a healthy balanced meal for dinner. I did veer slightly from the set menu this week, purely to use up leftovers. I have set myself a mission not to waste any food from my fridge or cupboards and have been monitoring daily what I have in stock and when it needs to be used. I will keep up this habit when I get back to work. Our fridge is always chock-a-block full and things get squished to the back so I forage daily. I made a beautiful pasta sauce yesterday from the Cherry Tomato Relish I made a few weeks back, and we still have plenty more so I will utlise the freezer and store some for when I am back at work.

My other challenge this week was to create a menu that would utilise the beautiful greens I have been harvesting from the garden. Every meal this week I can add chopped greens to the mix, and accompany with a fresh salad. Last night I made a Thai chicken curry using the dahl which I made from leftover vegies last week. I made a whole crockpot-ful so had tons to use. All I added was chicken breast, light coconut milk and chopped greens. So quick and easy.

Monday - Thai Chicken Curry With Rice
Tuesday - Beef Rissoles with Mashed Potato and Onion Gravy
Wednesday - Chicken Burritos with Salsa and Guacamole
Thursday - Chicken Sausage Casserole
Friday - Tuna Mornay
Saturday - Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta
Sunday - Almond Crusted Chicken with Garden Salad

Anyway, every week as promised, I am publishing the most popular meal from the week before (as judged by my family and the lack of leftovers). This week it was the  Baked Tomato Meatballs pictured above. This meal is so quick to make, perfect for those who work and low in calories for those who are dieting.

Baked Tomato Meatballs (Serves 5)

500g lean beef mince
1 egg
5 slices bread, processed into breadcrumbs
1/2 Zucchini, grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
Olive Oil
1 x 500g jar of pasta sauce or 2 cups home made tomato pasta sauce
1 cup grated low-fat cheese
Mixed vegetables or pasta

Prepare your vegetables and place on stove to steam, or boil pasta.

Combine the beef, egg, breadcrumbs, zucchini and onion in a bowl. The use your hands to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and form into meatballs. I like them to be about 1/2 desertspoon size and the mix makes about 25-30 at this size. You can make them smaller and have more if you like.

Add a little olive oil to a frypan and gently brown all over. Transfer the meatballs to a baking dish with a wire rack. This will ensure any fat drains whilst cooking. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 mins.

I made these the night before and left them in the fridge covered in plastic wrap. Now put your meatballs into a microwave proof dish and pour over the tomato sauce. Mix it around the meatballs and cover with cheese.

Microwave on high for two minutes or until cheese melted.

My boys prefer to have theirs with pasta and they usually add extra cheese. Parmesan works well too.

Grocery Budget

As part of this weekly post I will keep you up to date with my grocery budget which I am hoping to reduce by $50/week.

I decided to get my fruit and vegies from our local farm fresh supplier, as an alternative to going to the markets on Sunday. I only spent $18 which is well below my grocery spend of $35.00.

They had pumpkins for 50c each which is amazing value and the button squash was only $2 for a half kilo bag. I even bought free-range eggs and am itching to get my chook pen happening.

In total this week I spent $142.00, which together with last weeks spend puts me at $374 for the fortnight. This is $26 below my budget of $400 which is a good start. $13/week towards my goal of saving $50/week. I have plenty of meat in the freezer and the stockpile cupboards are full so I am hoping to continue the save in weeks to come. Will keep you posted.

If you menu plan join me and link up with Becci's Domestic Bliss. I would love to see what you have planned for dinner this week.

Monday Menu Planning Link Up 2

Another week has flown by already. I did reasonably well sticking to my menu for last week. I did swap two days around and had the Orange Beef Stir Fry last night, which I have featured as my recipe of the week in this post.

I also changed the Coconut and Peanut chicken to a Chicken Carbonara at the kids request. I did not need to buy any extra ingredients, and this week I bought enough meat to last for ten meals so next weeks grocery spend should be less - doesn't always seem to work that way. Last night was a roast dinner and I made the meatballs for tonight in advance so it is quick to prepare when I get home from Gym. I am on holidays from work starting on Wednesday so I have the luxury of preparing some dinners that take a little more time.


Monday            Baked Meatballs in tomato sauce with mixed vegetables
Tuesday           Chicken Enchildas with salsa and sour cream
Wednesday      Lemon Pepper Fish with homemade baked chips
Thursday          Beef Lasagne and Salad
Friday               Thai Prawn Curry and Couscous
Saturday           Tuna Patties with mashed potato and vegetables
Sunday             Chicken Parmigiana with potato bake and vegetables


Recipe of the Week - Orange Beef Stir-Fry

500g Rump Steak
2 tsp ginger (fresh or minced)
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 dsp cornflour
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp fresh or minced chilli
4 cups stir-fry vegetables
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup brown rice or quinoa
2 mandarins or 1 orange, peeled and segmented

Boil water in a saucepan and add the rice or quinoa. Allow to boil for approx. 20 minutes, then drain and rinse.

Marinate finely sliced steak in one cup of the orange juice, and all of the cornflour, chili, garlic and ginger for one hour.

Stir fry the vegetables and when cooked set aside. 

Add marinated beef to the pan and cook over high heat until done. Add cooked vegetables and combine.

I then added some of my pak choi, spring onion and spinach from the garden and mixed through, heating gently for a minute or so. Then add the mandarin or orange.

The finished result is a very clean and flavoursome stir-fry which is mild enough for children to enjoy. You could add more chilli if you prefer it to be hot. My husband adds chilli sauce afterwards. This meal will serve 4-5 people and is a great way to stretch out a $5 piece of steak which I bought on special. The whole meal cost less than $10.

Hope you enjoyed the featured recipe this week. Each week I will feature the best dinner from the week before.

Have a great week! What are you having for dinner?

Monday Menu Planning Link Up

I have been reading Beccis Domestic Bliss for some time now and have decided it is about time to start menu planning again. I can see the benefits in saving money at the supermarket and helping to organise my weekly routine. I have already been following a loose plan based around my Curves Complete recipes and have selected the recipes most suitable for the whole family ie. ones that my sometimes fussy children will eat. In order to make sure I do a menu plan every week I will join in Becci's menu planning Monday link up which I think is a fabulous idea. So here is my very first weekly menu plan post:

Monday           Chicken Enchiladas with salsa and sour cream
Tuesday          Beef tacos
Wednesday      Orange Beef Stir Fry with brown rice
Thursday         Spaghetti Bolognese
Friday              Lemon Pepper Fish and Salad
Saturday          Coconut and Peanut Chicken with quinoa
Sunday            Roast Pork

Because I go to the gym after work Monday - Thursday I usually do my preparation for each meal the night before. So tonight I will make the mince for the tacos as well as the chicken enchiladas. This means I can have dinner on the table by 6.30pm and when you have twin 14yo boys that is really important!

Frugal Family Dinner - Tuna Mornay

This is a staple meal in our house and a great way to save money at the end of the pay period. This meal feeds 4 people and costs about $6-$8 - total! I usually make this once a fortnight to stretch out the supplies before grocery shopping...and the kids love it. I have labelled it a family meal but if you are trying to lose weight I wouldn't eat a huge serving due to the high carbs. You could substitute the cheese and milk for low fat versions and use wholewheat pasta if you wanted a healthier version. Traditionally tuna mornay is usually served with rice but my boys prefer pasta and they are growing inches every day it seems, so the more calories the better.

Tuna Mornay

Ingredients:

2 x cups of pasta. We use Penne.

100g butter

1/3 cup plain flour

2 1/2 cups of milk

1 x 420 can tuna in springwater

1 desertspoon chicken stock powder or flavouring of your choice

1/2 cup grated cheese

Extra grated cheese for serving

Put your pasta into boiling salted water, then melt your butter in another large saucepan. The start of the mornay is a white sauce. This is how I have always made mine but if you make yours differently that's okay as long as it is not too runny. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat, stir in flour and add milk gradually until all lumps are removed. If you need to, use a whisk to get the lumps out.

Add the chicken stock and return the pan to medium heat. Stir until the sauce thickens. Add more milk if you need to.

Once you have a nice thick white sauce add the cheese and stir until melted through.

Your sauce should look something like this. Turn the heat down to low.

The next step is to add the tuna. I crumble it in my fingers when I add it as the kids don't like big chunks of tuna but you could leave them if you desire. Stir it through well.

Drain your pasta, rinse with water, and place in a large bowl. Cover with mornay sauce and mix. Serve with grated cheese. Voila!

This is my midweek, get home after gym version of this meal. It only takes 20 mins and dinner is on the table.
If you allow more time you can fancy it up by adding diced ham or bacon or spring onion, chopped boiled eggs, or even baking the end result in the oven with torn up pieces of bread and cheese to make a crispy topping. The variations are endless. How do you do yours? My guys just like it plain...suits me fine.

Cheers
Tanya