7 Meals for 7 Days and a Spare

Posted by NanLT in Meal Planning, Special Features | 1 comment

Do you have a favourite meal from all the recipes I’ve shared over the past many months? Let the world know.

Roast Beef

Dinner from 7 March to 13 March:

Monday: Chicken cottage pie with carrots and peas
Tuesday: Baked Battered Fish, chips, and peas
Wednesday: Jambalaya with sausage and seafood
Thursday: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a green vegetable
Friday: Spaghetti bolognaise
Saturday: Bangers and mash with [amazon-product text="baked beans" tracking_id="wwwsquidocoml-20" type="text"]B000BTAREY[/amazon-product]
Sunday: Beef roast

Spare: Cajun chicken strips with swede chips, and purple sprouting broccoli

Dessert: Sponge trifle

[amazon-product align="center" tracking_id="wwwsquidocoml-20"]B0001H22R6[/amazon-product]

Recipes:

Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a Creole dish from Louisiana which has undergone a great many changes over the years. Use whatever meat you happen to have around. It’s a great way to use up leftovers!

Whatever you decide to do with your jambalaya, always start with the Holy Trinity of Cajun and Creole foods. Onion, sweet peppers, and celery.

You will need:
2 large onions, chopped
1 large sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Cajun Spice Powder (recipe below)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato concentrated puree
1 pint vegetable or chicken stock (recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound sausages, cooked and sliced
1/2 pound mixed seafood

Method:
I like to start by cooking off the sausages in my stew pot. Add about half the olive oil and the sausages, prick the skins of each with a fork so that the fats can easily drain out.

Once cooked, remove the sausages. Add the remaining olive oil if necessary and add in the onions, pepper, and celery. Stir occasionally and cook until softened.

Add the Cajun spice. Add the tomato paste. Stir and mix in with the onions for a couple minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the cooked, sliced sausages and the mixed seafood. Bring up to a boil, reduce to a low simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning before serving.

Serve over rice.

Cajun spice
Mix together
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1.5 teaspoons barbecue seasoning (or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon chili powder)

Store in a tightly covered jar.

Vegetable Stock

When preparing vegetables, save all the pared skins and end bits and wash thoroughly. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add salt, pepper, a crushed clove of garlic, a bit of onion, and a bay leaf.

Bring up to heat and let simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Strain before use.
Use immediately, or store covered in the fridge for 24 hours.

NanLT is a home cook with over 2 decades experience cooking for her family. Over the years she has developed a wide range of recipes for family eating. At Cooking with NanLT she provides recipes, hints, and tips for other home cooks.