Menu Plan Monday - 17th August

When you plan your menu this week, don't forget to take into account all the lovely seasonal fruit and veges around at the moment. I've just found a wonderful website where you can check what's in season now, find out how to store, prepare, and use these fruits and vegetables, and even print out recipes for each one! It's called Market Fresh - Fruits & Vegetables - check it out. This is a very handy website to have bookmarked, especially for those of us who are part of a local CSA and sometimes receive veges in our boxes that we have no idea what to do with! (lol)

At the moment I'm getting a nice variety of veges in my vege box - chinese broccoli (has lots of edible leaves - very yummy), tomatoes, carrots, cabbage (various types), silverbeet, avocados, sugar snap peas, beetroot, zucchini, potatoes, and herbs. I've also got other varieties of organic veges and fruits coming from the markets down south, which will arrive tomorrow. Plus some lima beans from a friends' garden - yum! The good thing about having all these fresh veges arriving each week is we are eating more veges than ever - and the kids are learning to enjoy lots of different varieties. I still think the simplest preparation is the best - steamed (which we do in the Thermomix) or in salads - but I also use veges in lots of other ways, like in stir fries, pasta sauces, soups, pies, stews, etc.

If you need some menu planning inspiration, go to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie. And the Thermomix Forum members have started their own menu planning thread too - so if you're a Thermomix owner, check it out.

Here's our menu... Have a great week!

(TMX stands for 'cooked and/or prepared in the Thermomix)

Monday: (lunch) leftovers; (dinner) Green Cashew Chicken Curry (TMX) on rice (making lots so I have leftovers).

Tuesday: (lunch) Vege & chickpea pasta sauce (TMX) on spelt fettucine; (dinner) leftovers/salad & spelt bread (home late).

Wednesday: (lunch) Crockpot Ragout; (dinner) Vege soup (TMX) and spelt rolls (TMX).

Thursday: (lunch) Free Form Vegetable Pie (made with my own spelt & lard rough puff pastry, TMX); (dinner) Fish strips with baked potatoes and salad.

Friday: (lunch) Tuna mornay (dairy free) (TMX) on rice & corn pasta (made ahead - I'll be out); (dinner) leftovers & salad.

Saturday: (lunch) Spaghetti bolognaise(TMX) on rice pasta & beetroot salad (TMX) & spelt rolls (TMX); (dinner) Lima bean stew & salad.

Sunday: (lunch) Beef pot roast (crockpot with veges); (dinner) Spelt rolls (TMX) and beef and vege soup (TMX) (made from leftovers).