WEEKLY SHOPPING LIST: Meal Plan 5, Quick Around the World All 21 recipes, one portion each (only the Sunday chicken tray makes 2). Tick off what you already have at home. MEAT AND FISH [ ] Lean beef steak (sirloin or rump), or stir-fry strips: 300 g (2 x 150 g) (Mon 150 g (curry), Thu 150 g (gyudon)) [ ] Sirloin steak, about 2 cm thick: 1, about 175 g (Sat (steak and chips)) [ ] Skinless chicken breast fillets: 3 fillets, about 450 g (Tue 1 (orzo pot), Sun 2 (chicken tray, 2 portions)) [ ] White fish fillet (cod, haddock or pollock), skinless: 1 fillet, about 150 g (Fri (piri-piri baked fish)) FRUIT AND VEGETABLES [ ] Onions: 7 (1 bag) (Mon 1, Tue 1, Wed 1, Thu 1 large, Sat 2 large, Sun 1) [ ] Spring onions: 1 bunch (3 needed) (Thu 2 (omelette, gyudon), Fri 1 (chickpea salad)) [ ] Garlic: 1 head (9 cloves) (Mon 1, Tue 1, Wed 1, Thu 1, Fri 1, Sat 1, Sun 3) [ ] Carrot: 1 (Mon (noodle salad)) [ ] Red pepper: 1 (Sun (chicken tray)) [ ] Cucumber: 1 large, about 300 g (5 cm (50 g) each on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat and Sun) [ ] Tomatoes: 4 medium (Tue 1 (pitta), Fri 2 (breakfast, lunch), Sun 1 (salad)) [ ] Cherry tomatoes: 1 small punnet, 100 g (Tue (orzo pot)) [ ] Baby spinach: 1 bag, at least 90 g (Tue 30 g, Sat 30 g, Sun 30 g) [ ] Green beans: 100 g (Mon (curry)) [ ] Sweet potato: 1 small, about 200 g (Wed (stew)) [ ] Potatoes (waxy, such as baby or new): 1 bag, about 750 g (450 g needed) (Fri 200 g (fish), Sat 250 g (chips)) [ ] Lemons: 4 (Tue 1, Wed 1, Fri 1/2, Sun 1/2, and juice by the teaspoon on Thu, Fri and Sun) [ ] Lime: 1 (Mon (half in lunch, half in dinner)) [ ] Banana: 1 (Sat (crepes)) [ ] Frozen pineapple chunks: 1 small bag, 100 g or more (Mon (breakfast)) DAIRY AND EGGS [ ] Eggs: 1 box of 6 (5 needed: Thu 2, Fri 1, Sat 1, Sun 1) [ ] Plain Greek-style yoghurt: 1 kg tub, or two 500 g pots (540 g needed) (Mon 150 g, Tue 200 g, Sat 60 g, Sun 130 g) [ ] Semi-skimmed milk: 1 pint (568 ml) (Wed 200 ml, Sat 100 ml) [ ] Feta cheese: 1 small block, about 100 g (Tue 40 g (pitta), 20 g (orzo pot). About 40 g spare) [ ] Mature Cheddar cheese: 1 small block (Sat 20 g (onion soup toast)) BREAD AND BAKERY [ ] Wholemeal bread: 1 small loaf (10 slices: Thu 2, Fri 4, Sat 2, Sun 2) [ ] Wholemeal pitta bread: 1 pack (Tue 1, Sun 1. Freeze the rest) FROZEN [ ] Shelled edamame beans: 1 small bag, 60 g or more (Thu (noodle salad)) [ ] Peas: 1 small bag, 100 g or more (Fri (fish)) TINS, JARS AND BOTTLES [ ] Chopped tomatoes (400 g tin): 1 tin (Wed half (stew) and Fri half (fish)) [ ] Chickpeas (400 g tin): 1 tin (Wed 120 g (salad), Fri 120 g (toast)) [ ] Cannellini beans (400 g tin): 1 tin (Sun 120 g (breakfast) and 120 g (lunch)) [ ] Reduced-fat coconut milk: 1 small carton, 200 ml (Mon (curry)) [ ] Thai red curry paste: 1 small jar (Mon 1 tbsp) [ ] Piri-piri (peri-peri) sauce: 1 small bottle (Fri 1 tsp (or use chilli flakes)) [ ] Dijon mustard: 1 small jar (Sat 1 tsp and a dab) [ ] Peanut butter, 100% peanuts: 1 small jar (Mon 1 tbsp) [ ] Reduced-salt soy sauce: 1 small bottle (Mon 1 tbsp, Thu about 3 tbsp in all) [ ] Honey: 1 small jar (Mon 1 tsp, Tue 1 tsp, Thu 2 1/2 tsp) [ ] Sesame seeds: 1 small jar (Thu 1 tsp) DRY GOODS AND QUICK-COOK [ ] Long-grain white rice (basmati): 1 small bag (180 g: Mon, Thu and Sun, 60 g each) [ ] Couscous: 1 small pack (Wed 120 g (60 g salad, 60 g stew)) [ ] Dried orzo: 1 small pack (Tue 60 g) [ ] Dried egg noodles: 2 nests (a pack has several) (Mon 1, Thu 1) [ ] Porridge oats: 1 bag (About 70 g: Mon 30 g, Wed 40 g) [ ] Plain flour (wholemeal or white): 1 small bag (Sat 40 g (crepes)) [ ] Red split lentils: 1 small bag (Wed 50 g) [ ] Dates (soft, such as Medjool): 1 small pack (Wed 2) [ ] Dried apricots: 1 small pack (Wed 3) [ ] Flaked or chopped almonds: 1 small bag (Wed 10 g) [ ] Walnut pieces: 1 small bag (Tue 15 g) [ ] Reduced-salt vegetable stock cubes: 1 small box (2 cubes needed) (Tue 1/2, Wed 1/2, Sat 1) CUPBOARD CHECK (probably at home) [ ] Olive oil: about 18 tsp (6 tbsp, 90 ml) over the week [ ] Salt and black pepper: used in most recipes [ ] Smoked paprika: 3.5 tsp (Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun) [ ] Ground cumin: 3 tsp (Wed, Sun) [ ] Dried oregano: 1 tsp (Tue) [ ] Dried thyme: 1/2 tsp (Sat) [ ] Dried mint: 1 1/4 tsp (Wed, Sun). May be new [ ] Ground cinnamon: 1 tsp (Tue, Wed) EQUIPMENT [ ] Foil (Fri, Sun) and baking paper (Sat, Sun) [ ] A large baking tray (Sat, Sun) and a small ovenproof dish (Fri) [ ] A wide saucepan with a lid (Mon, Tue, Thu) and a small frying pan (Thu, Sat) [ ] A microwave-safe bowl and a plate (Wed, Fri) [ ] A coarse grater and a sharp knife [ ] Covered containers for marinating and prepping ahead (Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun) PREP-AHEAD SCHEDULE (weekday dinners) Mon: prep ahead: Slice and marinate the beef in curry paste, cut the onion, garlic and beans (10 minutes). At dinner: Rice on, brown the beef, add coconut milk and beans, simmer 8 minutes Tue: prep ahead: Marinate the chicken cubes, chop the onion and tomatoes (10 minutes). At dinner: Brown, add orzo and stock, simmer 10 to 12 minutes Wed: prep ahead: Soften the sweet potato, chop the onion and garlic, rinse the lentils (10 minutes). At dinner: Soften onion, add everything, simmer 12 to 15 minutes, soak the couscous Thu: prep ahead: Slice the beef, put the onion and sauce in the pan (10 minutes). At dinner: Rice on, simmer onion 5 minutes, add beef 2 to 3 minutes Fri: prep ahead: Microwave the potatoes, assemble the fish dish and cover it with foil (10 minutes). At dinner: Cold oven, 200 C for 25 minutes, boil the peas IF YOU SHOP ONCE: freeze raw meat and fish on the day you buy it, and defrost it in the fridge overnight. Beef steak (Monday's 150 g): needed Mon, take out of the freezer on Sun evening Chicken breast fillet: needed Tue, take out of the freezer on Mon evening Beef steak (Thursday's 150 g): needed Thu, take out of the freezer on Wed evening White fish fillet: needed Fri, take out of the freezer on Thu evening Sirloin steak: needed Sat, take out of the freezer on Fri evening Chicken breast fillets (2): needed Sun, take out of the freezer on Sat evening Never refreeze raw meat or fish that has defrosted. Cook it the same day it is defrosted. TIME-SAVERS - Buy the beef as ready-sliced stir-fry strips if you can find them. It saves the slicing, though it costs a little more per kilo. - Chop the vegetables for the next day while you are already at the board. Onions, peppers and cucumber keep well for a day in a covered container. - Set a phone timer for every bake and simmer, so you can leave the kitchen without worrying. - Keep foil, baking paper, couscous and rice in the cupboard so a busy week never leaves you short. - Check the cupboard section first. Spices such as cumin, paprika and mint are used again from week to week. - A few new sauces (curry paste, piri-piri, mustard) keep for weeks in the fridge, so they carry into other plans. LEFTOVERS TO USE UP - Cold roast chicken and vegetables (Sunday): eat within 2 days in a wrap or salad. - Spare yoghurt (about 460 g if you buy a 1 kg tub), feta (about 40 g), Cheddar and the opened jars of curry paste, piri-piri sauce and mustard: keep in the fridge and use by the dates on the packs. - One egg (if you bought a box of 6), the dates, apricots, almonds and walnuts: use them in porridge or yoghurt. - Spare pitta, noodles and couscous: keep dry goods in the cupboard, and freeze the pitta in a bag.