Weekly food shop, with meals for lunch & dinner
I am handing over this menu to a friend who wants to improve her food budget & get in the process to start cooking for herself with easy, tasty foods.
So, we will cost it up (down below) & show a video & pics (picture left, 1st try of Thai green curry with noodles by my friend) of us cooking the first weekly food budget/menu.
Free range chicken
Cover chicken with water in a large saucepan with ingredients below, bring to boil & simmer 1 hr
Ingredients: peppercorns or ground pepper, salt, garlic, sprinkle of dried thyme
1 onion, 2 x carrots, 2 x sticks celery & bay leaves
Strain water & keep in bowl in fridge as chicken stock – fat will rise to the top, remove this fat from top when using next
Cool chicken & de-skin & de-bone
Choice of lunches of a little bit of each (mix & match)
SOUP 3 – 5 servings of each soup
Using half, the stock, add sweetcorn some chicken, add water to 3 – 5 servings
Or any other veg’ you have; Inc. garlic, chilli, ginger, soy & egg; whatever you fancy
Carrot & Coriander soup or other veg’; even tomatoes, squeezed orange juice to soup
Add a hand full of coriander
Using the balance of the stock add other veg’ boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 mins
Season & whizz soup & store in fridge
Suggested Lunch time/evening meal
Quinoa/Rice see instructions for cooking
A packet is approx. 10 servings
Fresh noodles a packet serves 2 portions, fry or boil (2 mins) add to taste soy & fish sauce
Chop & fry half an onion, half a pepper, with garlic & your herb & mix with quinoa & season
Have with half or whole avocado & chicken
Chicken sandwiches/wraps with lettuce, avocado, tomato & cucumber with mayonnaise
A salad, Avocado, thinly sliced red onion, salad leaf, cucumber, tomato, spinach mixed with tuna & mayonaise
Cook pasta & add tuna or smoked mackerel red onion or spring onion, cucumber, thinly sliced pepper, mayo’ & season for a quick & tasty meal
Within 15 minutes; Rice/noodles with Thai green curry
Cook noodles/brown rice per instructions
Chop & slightly colour buy frying a whole onion, a clove of garlic & the same amount of ginger with a covering of vegetable oil
Add balance of chicken with recommended amount of Thai green curry paste mix & cook for 2-3 mins, add half a tin coconut milk; stir well to boil; then simmer; add peppers, French beans or mange tout.
The above prices are true if you have a certain amount of stock already ie. Salt & pepper, soy sauce etc. It is important to make up a larder; buy an extra item every week. eg. stock cubes,curry powder, fish sauce, dried thyme etc. I will make suggestions as we make new menus
Re-cap
You should have; soup & lunches & evening meals for the week
Breakfast or Desserts: Porridge oats with almond milk milk & water with blueberries or dried apricot or raspberries walnuts & honey. (buy berries frozen if not in season, a lot cheaper)
Yoghurt with walnuts & honey
COST of shopping in Folkestone:
Larder additions: Salt & Pepper, Olive oil, Pasta & Rice x 5 servings each, Noodles x 2 servings, Garam masala, Thai green curry paste,
Soy sauce, Fish sauce, Chicken & veg' stock £ 14.09
Lemons x 4, Mixed peppers x 3, Lettuce, chillies, Cucumber, Celery, Spring onion, Fresh coriander, Spinach, Carrots, Avocado, 6 x tomatoes, 3 x onions, 3 x garlic, A jar of mayonnaise £ 15.74
Sardines tin, 2 x Smoked Mackerel packets, 3 x Tuna tins £ 7.13
Unsweetened almond milk, Porridge oats 1000g x 20 servings, Yoghurt x 3 servings, A punnet of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, A packet of walnuts £ 9.56
Total minus larder costs £32.43
15 meals, breakfast, lunch & dinner £ 2.16 per meal
Friends reaction: Question & Answers
More detail on the cooking preparation, although video, when out will help. Struggle with knowledge of when food going off, i.e. avocado ( eat within 2 days when cut into). Labels are guides. Guide for out of date food; a best before label means, the product is still good, just not at its best. A eat before date when opened should be noted. Have no freezer or adequate pans or containers pans & containers can be picked up cheaply at boot fairs or charity shops.