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.