This Week's Menu

Monday - Pesto (veg)

Tuesday - Macaroni Pasta Bake (tuna)

Wednesday - Baked soy chicken

Thursday - Pan-fried Fish

Friday - Fried Rice (veg)

Saturday - Crumbed Chicken

Sunday - Pork Ribs

These are very easy, low-fuss meals. Even I can cook them!

Minimising Food Wastage v.2

Each week I receive a box from my veg co-op. $25.

Eight families - we all take turns shopping at the markets. We go once in 8 weeks. The other seven, we get a box delivered to our door. Fresh, seasonal and cheap!

The fun thing about receiving a box each week is the variety we get with each shopper. Everybody has different preferences. We try to shop seasonally and get some basics each week, but the variety each week is great. Some weeks we get some really unusual things e.g. dragon fruit, cauliflower, tomatoes (rogue vegetable!)

So this week's box looked like this:

veg: pumpkin, onions, mushrooms, shallots, carrots, corn, zucchini, cucumber, potato, sweet potato, celery, spinach
fruit: apples, mandarin, oranges

When it's my turn, I try and balance out veg/fruit 60/40. So a bit more fruit than this week's box.

The challenge for me, as a non-creative cook, is to use what I am given to cook a variety of meals, and to try and use up as much as I can.

This week, I'm going to make:

1. lasagne (put in mushroom, celery, carrots, zucchini, spinach)
2. Zucchini fritters (zucchini, mushroom, leftover roast veg: potato, carrot, sweet potato)
3. fish cakes (potato)
4. pumpkin soup (it's a big one!)

I think I will still have a ton of carrot left...

Minimising Food Bills

One thing I learnt last year as I cooked for a few extra mouths (we had homestay students) is how to pad out a meal.

I have learnt that Your Labour/Time = what you save in $.

So for example with fish, it's easy to buy three packets to feed eight, and pan-fry or steam or bake. But to save money you can pad out just one packet by adding stuff like vegetables & flour, and making them into little fish cakes. It goes a long way.

Currently, I am spending about $45 per week per person on food.

This seems a lot especially because two of those persons are little kids under 7. And we don't eat extravagantly.

This includes the Franklins receipt, including foods like cheese, dip, and worchestershire sauce, but also things like toilet paper, dishwasher powder, and shampoo. I'm not going to sit there and split it! So it's counted all in under "food bill".

My aim this year (once head is above water for 2 minutes after Baby #3) is to bring down the weekly cost of food to under $200.

$80 fruit & veg (incl. $25 veg co-op)*
$30 meat
$20 Korean groceries e.g. seaweed, curry block, dumplings
$60 Franklins
$10 Here & there/Buffer

I am learning to cook more Frugally.

*$25 veg co-op buys me a lot of stuff. But I also spend about $55 at the local fruit & veg shop to buy lots of fruit (we eat a lot of fruit!), pasta, milk (6L), passata, nuts, bread and herbs. I think some savings can be made here...

Minimising Food Wastage

I can't believe it has taken me 33 years to find this out. And in the 33 years, 10 years of Managing my Own Kitchen.

The light bulb went on the other day when I read this tip online.

Write a list of leftovers left in the fridge.

I can never remember what is in the fridge. I have a big fridge. Unless I spend a few minutes rummaging I don't know what's in there.

My husband added a good idea: Date it.

Sweet!!

Minimalist Cooking: 3 week Menu Plan

At this stage of my life, cooking means fast, simple and nutritious meals. It's not fancy or expensive. This means I am not using ingredients like Rhubarb, vanilla bean or saffron!!

I have a three week rotating menu. I'm working on minimising waste, and saving money and time. I think to make things simpler, I would like to eventually do a one week menu e.g. Monday is fish, Tuesday is pasta, Wednesday is vegetarian etc.

Also, I would like to move towards a more veggo diet, i.e., 5 days veggo, 1 day fish and 1 day meat. However, I have a carnivore Husband who thinks vegetarian dishes are just pre-dinner snacks. Reform will happen slowly... ;)

Week 1

1. Spaghetti bolognese
2. Fish
3. Japanese Curry (Veg)
4. Cream pasta
5. Roast chicken
6. BBQ
7. Leftovers

Week 2

1. Ja Jjang Noodles (Chinese black bean noodles)
2. Stir fry noodles (Veg)
3. Chicken Noodle Soup
4. Lasagna
5. Crumbed Chicken
6. BBQ
7. Leftovers

Week 3

1. Fried Rice (Veg)
2. Pizza
3. Sausage Roll
4. Soy Garlic Chicken
5. Roast Lamb
6. BBQ
7. Leftovers

These recipes are very simple. They require minimal cooking...minimal effort, time and ingredients! You probably already have the ingredients in your pantry.