It's about time I posted a menu plan, I thought ...

Baked cod on pea puree with beurre blanc sauce - now that's living!

So here we are.

Hubby and I have been beset with this horrid flu/chest infection bug that's been going around.  First he got it - then I got it - and we've been cooking simple meals from the blog all the way through.  Of course, this has been good for the blog, as it has meant I could update a few of the recipes!

We've been eating things like the Sausage & Mustard Spirali, Sweet and Sour Pork, Cod on pea puree and Prawn & Chorizo rice.  All of which have been worth their weight in gold, at getting a good wholesome meal onto the table with the minimum of fuss.

We're getting over the most debilitating part of the 'orrid virus now - and are just into the irritating cough phase.  You know, the one where it waits until you're on the phone negotiating the fee with the AA for this year's breakdown cover, then suddenly strangles you and makes your eyes water and nose run while you do a good impression of a 40 a day smoker.  :: nods ::  Yup, you know the sort.

Sweet and Sour Pork

So, as I reckon we've got half a chance of staying on this week's menu plan - and as it deals with some interesting albeit not exactly groundbreakingly original recipes, I though I'd post it up.

Here's what's on the list :

Tues : Baked Camembert with Mediterranean bread cubes and salad

Weds : Chicken & ham top crust pie, mashed parsnip & potato, carrots and peas

Thurs : oven baked BBQ chicken, jacket potatoes with wedge salad

Fri : Chicken curry, with basmati rice and naan bread

Sat : Tave me presh (baked lamb mince with leeks), mashed potato and stringless beans

Sun : Toad in the hole, roast potatoes, broccoli, carrots, peas & gravy

Mon : Baked cheesy gnocchi with salad and garlic bread.

Note the prevalence of vegetable matter throughout this week's menu plan!  This is not to hubby's liking (nor that of son & heir, to be honest), but when you've been poorly is not the time to be shirking one's vegetable responsibilities.  :: nods ::  I've let them have one, potentially, vegetable free meal - the curry on Friday - so they'll just have to look forward to that one from here - and hope that next week brings some respite from the dreaded vegetable.  *wink*

Aaaaah, sweet memories!

This evening's baked camembert will be the first time we've had this utterly fantastic meal since our first try at it back in July 2011.  We've counted son & heir in on the deal this time - do go and read the blog post from last time, regarding son & heir's reaction to it - and blow me, if he wasn't lukewarm about it this time around when we suggested it to him!  He obviously has a very short memory.

This time, we're going to be having some of Patisserie Mark Bennett's amazing Mediterranean Bread in toasted cubes for dipping - along with some baked pitta triangles and a side salad.  I'm looking forward to this one!

Last Sunday's slow cooked gammon with carbonara gnocchi

Tomorrow's Chicken & Ham Top crust Pie could very well morph into a pot pie involving some mushrooms as well as the chicken and ham.  It all depends on what I find in the fridge when it comes to making the filling!  I have one homeless chicken breast which will be perfect for it, along with the remains of a whopping great Gammon pot roast that I made for this last weekend.  We've already had Sunday's meal from it, then Monday's Blue Cheese & Bacon Pasta from it - so to get three meals from it is a wonderful bargain!

So Wednesday is comfort food night.  Pot pie with mashed parsnip and potato with carrots and peas.  Lovely grub!  Oh, and because it's Choir night I can make the filling for the pot pie ahead of time which will speed things up when it comes to making dinner once son & heir returns from school.

Baked sweet potato with chilli & lime yoghurt

Thursday is a super-simple matter of coating some chicken breasts and legs (oooh matron!) in Mic's Chilli El Loco BBQ sauce and bunging them into the oven to bake, along with a couple of Jacket potatoes and a Sweet Potato for hubby.  Couple it with a wedge salad involving sweetcorn and we're sorted.

Friday is Chicken Curry - which hubby will be in charge of.  The last few curries he's made have been - to quote the vernacular - bangin', so I'm looking forward to another goodie!

Tave me presh - makes my mouth water just looking at it!

Saturday's dinner is one of my very favourites, so if the world could resist coming to an end until thereafter, I'd be obliged.  :: nods ::  Thanks.  I've made Tave me Presh (baked lamb mince with leeks) a couple of times previously and everyone likes it (even my parents!).  There's just something about the texture of the minced lamb with the buttery sauce (although how it gets to be buttery, with no butter in it, is another matter), soft leek and mashed potato - mmmmmmn .. match made in heaven.  Another one I can't wait for!

Oh yes!  Now then, Sunday.  Well, Sunday is the start of a new teaching regime in the household.  Ahuh.  Impressed, eh?  Well, it suddenly occurred to me that it really won't be all THAT long until son & heir will be striking out on his own into the world.  *gulp*  So the very least we need to him to be able to do, is feed himself.  Now, as the author of this 'ere food blog, if I were to send him out there knowing only how to make fried egg sandwiches, boiled egg and soldiers and omelettes (as is currently the case) he probably wouldn't starve - but he might have some digestive issues after a while.

Hence, I decided that every so often we'd cook a meal together.  Well, correction, he'd cook the meal - I'd supervise.  This Sunday's Toad in the hole was intended to be his first attempt at this new regime, but last weekend he decided he'd like a bacon sandwich and so received the first of his home cooking lessons from his Dad.  You have to love the teenager's self confidence.  "I already know how to grill bacon" he claimed.  "You already know how to make bacon warm - but not cook it", was his Dad's response.  *giggle*  He ultimately turned out a very creditable bacon sandwich and was subsequently very pleased with himself.

Now he's cooked a Toad in the hole at school, which is why I chose this.  He claims that it was a good Toad in that it rose as required and tasted great - and has been after cooking it for us ever since.  So now's his chance, except he's also going to learn to make roast potatoes (always a winner), how cook a couple of vegetables and make some gravy, too.  We may be sending out for takeaway on Sunday.   *grin*  No - I'm sure he'll do a great job and, fingers crossed, he'll take after his Dad where yorkshire pudding batter is concerned and not after myself.

Just how promising does that look, eh?  Yuh Um!

So that just leaves Monday's Baked Cheesy Gnocchi, which is another "action replay" recipe.  Just click on the link above and you'll be taken to the original blog posting about it.  Oh, hey!  I've just realised, we'll be observing "meat free Monday" for once!  There's a bit of a trade-off where the accompaniments are concerned, as we'll be having lovely healthy salad together with lovely unhealthy garlic bread.  *grin*  Well, hopefully the garlic bread will keep the menfolk happy if they're feeling a little hard done by with the lack of sausages.  *wink*

Rhubarb & Ginger Pie - oh yes!

There we are!  One menu plan.  :)  I have no idea whether we'll be making or baking any other delights along the way - after all, I had no plans to make the Rhubarb & Ginger Pie that I made last week - but I figured something had to be done with all the rhubarb that's busy trying to take over the garden!

I do have an ambition to make the Hairy Bikers' Pear & Chocolate Frangipane Tart - so I'm busily accumulating the ingredients required over the course of the next couple of shopping trips.  If you missed the "Apples and Pears" Episode of the Hairy Bikers Best of British, do go and have a look at this recipe - here.  You see what I mean?  It just has to be done.