Two recipes & Menu planning for this week.

My fingers poised over the keyboard, I can't think of a witty/interesting/erudite way of starting this post: so I will just plunge in!!

Food this last week has been good: it didn't quite follow the plan, due to shopping on different days, and Mr FD and I both being too busy to pop out to the market to but fish & chorizo on Thursday. So we had a tomato/spinach/chickpea curry (very nice, it was!) instead. The fajitas on Wednesday were quite a painful experience (as previously explained!) but in general, we ate well and copiously!

Next week looks like this: (but the management reserves the right to alter any meal at short notice!)

TODAY

Healthy chicken Kiev, potato noisettes and salad

MONDAY

(fasting for me, but not Mr FD. He is planning a 105 km cycle ride, so needs a few more than 600 calories!!)

Celeriac cakes, baked beans, and chicken breast. And probably lots of bread for the cyclist!

These celeriac cakes are from my 5:2 recipe book, and in the book are served with chicken and an appley sauce.  We're having themwith a plain chicken breast (possibly quite small for me)

400g grated celeriac
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 rashers of bacon, chopped (or about 50g lardons)
2 dessrtspoons walnuts, chopped
25g cheddar, grated
1 egg white (I used a whole egg) beaten

Sweat the celeriac, garlic, onion & bacon on a lowish heat for about 5 minutes until soft.
Tip into a bowl with the egg and cheese. Season & mix thoroughly.
Form into cakes - the recipe says 4, but I prefer smaller ones...
Place them on a non-stick baking sheet & spray with a touch of oil.
Bake at 22°C/425°F/GM7 for 15 minutes or until golden.

Here is a picture of celeriac, just in case you don't know what it looks like

TUESDAY

Pork & bulghar wheat stuffed peppers, with a grated carrot and raisin salad

 (Recipe below serves 4 people)

• 4 peppers, halved and cores removed
• 200g minced pork
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 50g bulghar wheat
• 250ml vegetable stock
• ½ small bunch parsley, chopped
• 4 tbsp 0% Greek yogurt, to serve

1. Put the peppers, cut-side down, on a plate and microwave on High for 4 mins until cooked through (but not so soft they collapse). If they need longer, microwave for 1 min more and repeat until done.
2. Put the pork in a cold frying pan and turn on the heat. Fry, breaking up any lumps, until it starts to brown. Stir in the garlic and spices for 1 min, then add the bulghar and stock. Cover and simmer for 10 mins until the bulghar is soft.
3. Heat the grill. Stir half the parsley into the bulghar, then stuff into the peppers on a baking tray. Grill to crisp, sprinkle over most of the parsley, then serve with the yogurt mixed with remaining parsley.

WEDNESDAY

Easy mushroom pilaff (using quinoa mix) with broccoli and leeks

THURSDAY

(fasting)

Veggie curry from the freezer + half a naan bread each

FRIDAY
Chilli & tortillas.
(Chilli was planned for last week, but we didn't have it. So we're having it tthis week insrtead. With toppings of grated cheese, low fat creme fraiche and avocado. Lush!)

SATURDAY
Fish pie
made with salmon and seafood mix in freezer and a sweet potato topping. With veggies - carrots, I think.

*****

Mags: A mouldiwarp is a Cotswold/Warwickshire name for a mole. The expression "fat as a mouldiwarp" comes from a children's book...I think it was Joan Aiken's "Wolves of Willoughby Chase" series, but I'm not absolutely sure. Googling the expression does not take me to a Joan Aiken link, but...the internet doesn't know everything!!  

Amy Danielle - for French recipe boks I love the Joanna Harris books (The French Market & The French Kitchen) and also Mireille Johnson, who did an excellent TV series about 10 years ago. I don't know Julia Childs at all.

PomPom - I agree with your verdict on French school lunches...I think I'd be eating at school every day, if I was allowed to!! My new church that I go to is having a Thanksgiving dinner in a couple of weeks (it's an American Episcopal church) and we're having it at a school...The school chef is cooking it from old family recipes that he has been given! I look forward to participating in an American Thanksgiving meal (albeit cooked by a French chef!)!!