Menu Planing - Detailed Instructions and Suggestions

So many people seemed to like my menu planning (and soy yoghurt) that I thought I would do a better job explaining how to get a menu plan.

Firstly I wrote down all the meals I enjoy eating and cooking that aren't too hard to make.  I use Excel to list these in categories as shown below:

Red Meat	White Meat	Fish	Either
Lamb Shanks	Lemon Pepper Chicken	Salmon & Hot Veg	Pizza
Lamb Chops	Chicken Stir Fry (Lemon, Chilli,)	Fish cakes/fingers	Cold rolls
Shepherds Pie	Roast Chicken		Bolognese
Beef Stew	Lime Chicken salad
Steak Sandwiches	Honey Soy Chicken
Thai Beef Salad	Lime and Ginger Chicken
	Satay Chicken
	Honey Mustard Chicken
	Herb & Garlic Chicken

Following that I made myself a calendar of January, thinking about what weeks and days I had which activities on.  I also counted up how many slots I had, and basically added leftovers in free spots.  I also paired food.  You may notice I have pizza with mince listed, the next day a chicken dish (which is served with hot veg, then the day after, Shepherd's pie - yes, for the leftovers.  :)

I use the oven, stove, BIKM a thermo-cooker, and a slow cooker.

Lunch is usually the other leftovers.  I haven't specified whether I have hot veg or salad with some, as usually that is interchangeable, but trust me I'm not vegetable-less.

 

Month:	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
January	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	Steak Sandwiches	Honey Soy Chicken	Steak Cold Rolls	Leftovers	Herb & Garlic Chicken	Pizza (mince)	Honey Mustard Chicken
	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
	Shepherds Pie	Lemon Pepper Chicken	Thai Beef Salad	Leftovers	Leftovers	Roast Chicken	Leftovers
	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
	15	16	17	18	19	20	21
	Lime Chicken noodle salad	Beef Stew	Satay Chicken	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers	Chicken Stir Fry (Lemon, Chilli,)
	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
	22	23	24	25	26	27	28
	Leftovers	Salmon	Leftovers	Leftovers	Lime Chicken salad	Lamb Shanks	Cold Rolls
	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	29	30	31
	Pizza (Chicken)	Lamb Chops	Pollo Bolognese

Soy Yoghurt

Several people have asked about my Soy Yoghurt.

I do have a few aids for this:

1. An easy yo maker (I highly recommend you invest in one of these if you will be making yoghurt regularly, as it's not that expensive and makes it really easy.)
2. Bellini (BIKM) - but anything else that mixes and heats would do the trick.

Following is my foolproof recipe.

Ingredients:
1 litre Bonsoy or Pureharvest Soy Milk.  (Both are non GMO - Pureharvest is organic) *1

30 grams rice malt syrup (normal sugar or honey would also work, but honey will alter the flavour.) *2

Tiny flick/shake of Greenliving Australia Dairy free culture *3

Method:

Using a Bellini, Thermomix, Kogen, etc al.

Fill jug with water, cook at steaming heat/veroma on speed 2-3 for 20 minutes or until it has reached the max temperature for at least 5 minutes to ensure it kills all other bacteria.

Once that is done, empty water into the easy yo container to also kill the bugs in it. *4

I do this utensil less, but any utensils you use need to be heated to kill bacteria too.

Place the jug on kitchen scales and measure in rice malt syrup

Add soy milk.  Mix on speed 3 for 7 minutes at heat of 37 degrees C.  Do not heat hotter than this or it will kill the culture.

Pour hot water from the tap into the base of the easy yo maker as per instructions.  (I don't use boiling water because I don't want to kill my culture.)  Set this aside somewhere it won't get bumped or disturbed.  Empty out the water from the easy yo container.

When your milk and sugar mix is heated perfectly add your culture.  I do 2-3 small taps on the side of it to shake a few grains in.  If you want it thicker, definitely go for 3-4 taps.

Mix on speed 4 for 4 seconds.

Pour into easy yo container.  There will be a little more than you have space for due to the froth.  You may as well put it in a glass and drink it.  It's basically probiotic milk.  ;)  Put the lid on, the easy yo container, pop in the easy yo maker, put that lid on, and leave it to set for 8-24 hours.

It needs to be undisturbed for this time, once it has been disturbed, take it out the hot water bath in the easy yo maker and put in the fridge.

The longer you leave it the thicker it gets, and as this soy yoghurt is sans thickener, leaving it longer is better.

* Kitchen tips:

1. You may use either.  I find bonsoy tastes better and is thicker, but it costs about x2 the price, and Pureharvest is Australian and organic.  I personally use Pureharvest in yoghurt for cooking, but prefer bonsoy with my breakfast.
2. The culture needs simple sugars to feed off of, so don't use agave or skip this step.
3.By the way, I don't get anything for giving a promo to green living Australia (or anyone else), I just know they worked for me and I was pretty happy with them.
4. Ensure that you thoroughly wash and rinse out your easy yo containers prior to using as any contamination or detergent could wreak the yoghurt.

Slow Cooked Beef Stew

Ingredients:
Approximately 1 kg (plus or minus 250grams) of beef - with bones is fine.
4 teaspoons of beef style stock (ensure this meets your dietary requirements - I use massells)
1 Large brown onion
A mix of chopped vegetables (I use carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beans, baby spinach, pumpkin, zucchini, egg plant, leek, etc. You could use sweet potato and corn also but they are very high in carbs so I avoid them.)
Water to cover.
Optional- gravy mix (I use organ)
Garlic minced- dry

Method:
Put the beef and onion in the slow cooker and cover with water (ensure there is plenty of water in the cooker) and cook on high for 8+ hours. (Longer is fine providing you have plenty of water.)

Add in vegetables except for fresh spinach. You may need to add (boiling) water again. Cook on high for 90 minutes.

For gravy, on the stove create a very thick gravy, and remove from the heat as soon as it starts bubbling. Skip this step if you're not having gravy.

Add both gravy and baby spinach at the last 5 minutes and gently mix through.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

To make this a soup emit the gravy and up the water.

This serves quite a few... depending on if you're feeding teenage boys or not. ;)

Slow Cooked Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast fillets
1kg of apricot halves (canned or jar is fine)
3 teaspoons of chicken stock (ensure the stock is appropriate for any dietary requirements)
1 large brown onion, chopped
Water to cover.

Method:
Place chicken in the slow cooker.
Add onion and apricot on top.
Cover with water.
Add stock, sprinkling it around so that it is mixed through.
Cook on high for 5 hours.
Serve with steamed veggies.

Fruit Choc Mini Cakes

Fruit Choc Mini Cakes

Ingredients:
1 packet of bakers flour (I used Bob's red mill)
1/3 cup sultanas
1/3 cup raisins
150 grams chocolate chips
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Make bread according to packet instructions, but add cinnamon and nutmeg with the flour. At the last minute when mixing add in the fruit and chocolate chips.

Place on a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper. 

Drop generous sized spoonfuls. I aimed for almost a bread roll size.  Let it rise as per instructions and cook.

However with the cooking time be aware, I halved it and that was about right.

Try not to burn your mouth...

Apple Crumble

Ingredients:
7 apples

2 Teaspoons of cinnamon
1 Teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup GF flour (I use organ)
1/2 cup organic raw sugar
1/4 cup rice bread crumbs (check they are GF)
2/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup rolled quinoa
3/4 cup psyllium husk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method:

Core and chop apples into small chunks. Boil on a low heat on the stove just covered in water for 10 minutes.

An apple corer that chops it too is an amazing tool for this job.

While that is cooking add all other ingredients to a bowl and mix well.  I mix by hand - its that easy.

When the apple is cooked take it off the stove and put it in the bottom of an oven dish.  Spread topping over the apple.

Put in preheated oven for 15-30 minutes at 180 C.  Let it cool before you eat it, as it will be very hot!!!!

Upside down Feijoa

Tonight I am at a friend's home and we made some cake for our many allergies.

Ingredients
150 grams of coconut oil
3/6 cup agave nectar/ rice malt syrup/ honey (as 1/3 cup and 1/6 cup)
25 large feijoas, sliced
1 egg or 1 organ egg replacer egg
Juice of 1 lemon or half an orange (lime may also work - but we didn't try it).
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (for IQS diet may try rice malt syrup)
1 1/2 cups gluten free self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut milk

Method

Melt 100 grams of the coconut oil with 1/3 cup agave nectar on a low heat whisking constantly to make a toffee base.
Pour into a medium sized cake tin (we used a spring form)
Place sliced feijoa over the toffee covering the whole base of the cake tin.
Mix the rest of the oil and agave til fluffy
Add the egg replacer/egg, lemon juice (or other citrus) and maple syrup and mix again.
In a separate bowl mix the flour and spices.
Add 1/3 of the flour and spice mix and 1/2 of the coconut milk, mix in well.
Add the second 1/3 of flour and spice mix with the second 1/2 of milk and mix.
Finally add the last of the flour and mix.
Pour over the feijoas.
Put in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes at 170 C.

Can be served with a yoghurt of choice.

Easy Dinner, Healthy Dinner?

Recently I took too much on.  By too much, I mean, I was drowning in it.  I had about one free day normally, and I took on enough extra stuff to cover a full week!  Might be slightly crazy.

I started getting worn out and exhausted.  I just couldn't cope.  Finally I spoke to someone who is like a father to me.  His first question for me was: what happened to your boundaries Felicity?  You can't let that happen.  People will violate your boundaries if you don't enforce them.  I sobbed something about it being so hard... and I was trying, but they weren't being respected, and I wasn't being respected either.

I was so discouraged I nearly quit a subject because I couldn't manage it all, and I was as miserable as a little kid with a cold.  The spark of life was missing.  In fact, it felt plain awful in every way.

It's funny.  It was a short conversation, because he didn't have long, but I felt a thousand times lighter afterward.  I spent a bit of time in worship, and let the tears and pain that had been held back for weeks go, and the tension and the stress left.

For the first day in several weeks I wasn't exhausted half way through the day.

I even got home and wanted to cook.  (The dishes took priority though.)

When I get around to cooking I think it will either be bread, brownies, or hot cross buns.  :)

Yesterday evening my easy, yum and healthy dinner was:

Easy Roast Chicken Dinner

1 chicken breast fillet

1 onion

4 chunks of butternut punkin (Washed, unpeeled)

2 carrots chopped in wedges

1/4 section of sweet potato (Peeled)

I poured a little olive oil over them and sprinkled with mixed herbs and garlic.

Covered with alfoil and put in the oven at 180C.

I then went for a walk, etc., and when I got it out the oven about 1.5 hours later it was cooked.  (I checked and turned it in-between, and I ended up cutting some of my chunks smaller.

Then I put some water on to boil with broccoli in it, and added some frozen peas and beans for about 5 -7 minutes.

It took almost nil effort and hardly any prep, but I then had a really nice dinner and leftovers for another 2 meals. 

As they say, winner, winner, chicken dinner.