A Tricky Menu

This fortnight I have instead of Thursday to the following Monday or Wednesday night of the second week, I go to Wednesday of the first week. Then my first lot of Christmas hampers are coming. Australian hampers are patterned after the British Christmas savings ideas, so people can have food for Christmas. I do it as a way of saving. For example I hope to spend less on groceries this time. I know to start with I don't have to buy teabags, paper towel (not that we really need it but it needs replacing), juice (I know, we can survive without our juice, but I do buy 2 litres every fortnight usually).

No, I don't think I will get a live turkey in a basket. Hamper King has some nice recipes to use the food. Their 2010 catalogue is great. It has things in it that I usually use, like brussels sprouts and some frozen? apple crumbles and lots of things. On page 23 of the recipe booklet above they have an Australian pudding, with icecream in it. It is an alternative to a hot plum pudding. Some people make a different one with fresh berries.

Last week I did a short menu, so I'll start there.

Tuesday 2nd November (we had to go to NSW to get food!) ~ BBQ outside on the wood BBQ, sausages, burgers, onion rings, BBQ pineapple and oven wedges
Wednesday ~ Beef Chow Mein
Thursday ~ Mongolian Style Noodles with Chicken (daughter's homework)
Friday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise
Saturday ~ Tuna & Mushroom Spaghetti
Sunday ~ Lamb & Prosciutto Burgers
Monday ~ Chilli Con Carne with Vegetables (recipe I found from last year)
Tuesday ~ Zucchini, Tomato & Chilli Rigatoni (beautiful recipe)
Wednesday ~ Egg & Bacon Pies with Silverbeet homemade (bacon)
Thursday ~ Fish with Cheese Topping (Original Crumb)
Friday ~ Lemon Crumbed Fish with Butter Bean Salad (below) (Oven Baked Lemon Crumbed)
Saturday ~ Taco Salad with Sour Cream Dressing (corn cobs)
Sunday ~ Fish Souvlaki (below) (Original crumb)
Monday ~ Hot Dogs
Tuesday ~ Bacon & Leek Quiche (bacon pieces)
Wednesday ~ Pies, Potatoes & Peas

We have defrosted the freezer, and now will attempt to move it back home for the big day of hamper delivery. I am glad bloggers search function is working on my blog again, I really enjoyed the meals we made last year from the frozen fish etc. Usually I don't buy frozen things as I shop out of town. They are from the Simply Great Meals site. They have a meal planner and a recipe club so I could save my favourite recipes, maybe I should do that as a back up. Lemon Crumbed Fish with Butter Bean Salad from Createameal is no longer there, hopefully I can find the printed version and perhaps post it. Maybe there are some new favourites to find as well.

I found a bunch of recipes sitting loosely in the back of a Marbig from this time last year.

Two seem to be missing from the net.

Fish Souvlaki

425g packet frozen Birds Eye Oven Bake Original Crumbed
3 sheet mountain bread, cut in half
2 cups mixed lettuce leaves
425g can Edell Sliced Beetroot, drained
1 carrot, cut into thin strips (my husband grated)
Dressing:
1 tablespoon prepared Italian herb Dressing
3/4 cup natural yoghurt
1/2 grated continental cucumber, drained (squeeze out fluid my husband says)
my husband added 1/2 teaspoon garlic

2 x for 9 wraps (dressing?)

Cook frozen fish following packet directions. Assemble each souvlaki by placing lettuce, beetroot, carrot and cooked fish into the centre of the bread. Drizzle with a spoonful of dressing over fish. Wrap bread around filling to form the souvlaki, folding in one end to enclose filling. Hint: Secure wrapes with toothpicks or bamboo skewers.

Lemon Crumbed Fish with Butter Bean Salad

425g packet frozen Birds Eye Oven Bake Lemon Crumbed
300g can Edgell Butter Beans, drained
8-10 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, cut into thin sticks
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoons low fat salad dressing

Cook frozen fish following packet directions. Combine butter beans, tomatoes, cucumber and baby spinach leaves and drizzle with salad dressing. Place cooked fish onto serving plate and spoon over bean salad. Hint: Serve fish and salad with Birds Eye Golden Crunch Fries.