Meal Planner

Food Parcel Easy Recipes

Welcome to your food parcel!  We hope you like it, and that you have ideas of what to make from it.  We know, though, that it might not contain foods you usually buy so we’ve included a meal plan and some simple recipes to make. To cut down on the work, there are a couple of ‘Cook once, eat twice’ recipes so you have 1 meal to eat now, and 1 you can have later in the week (once cooked, store in the fridge and eat within 4 days).  Some of the ingredients don’t come with the box and they’re labelled ‘optional’ in the recipe, but don’t worry if you don’t have them – the food will still taste great. Please see the planner and recipes below or you can download

Click here for the meal planner
Click here or the recipes to go with the meal planner

Food Parcel Menu Plan

We have endeavoured to keep the contents of the boxes the same, but due to shortage of some supplies, contents of boxes may vary.  We have given alternatives in the meal plan depending on the contents.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Day 1	Cereal or toast	Beans on toast or noodles or tuna sandwich	Pasta Bolognese (250g beef or veggie mince) Cook once, eat twice
Day2	Cereal or toast	Cheese and bean wrap (if you have beans) with carrot sticks	Sausage & mash with green veg
Day 3	Cereal or toast	Sausage and tomato sandwich	Chickpea or other bean curry with rice (cook once, eat twice)
Day 4	Cereal or toast	Tuna & cucumber wrap	Pasta Bolognese or pasta pesto (please add any additional veg you may have e.g. frozen peas or sweetcorn)
Day 5	Cereal or toast	Cheese & tomato sandwich	Curry
Day 6	Cereal or toast	Tin of soup with bread	Shepherd’s pie with green veg
Day 7	Cereal or toast	Tuna & tomato sandwich	Pasta pesto

Snacks:

• Biscuits
• Fruit
• Tinned fruit and custard or rice pudding
• Yoghurt
• Bread Sticks
• Cereal or toast
• Carrot sticks

SIMPLE HUMMUS (makes enough for 2 or 3 lunches)

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice (optional)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp tahini (optional)
• ½ tsp ground cumin (optional)
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Microwave the chickpeas (in their liquid) for 20 – 30 seconds until slightly softened
2. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid
3. Mash with a fork and add garlic, lemon, tahini, spices to taste
4. Add some of the chickpea liquid until you have the desired consistency

SIMPLE BOLOGNESE SAUCE (serves 4)

• 250g minced beef
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes or readymade pasta sauce
• 2onion
• 3cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp cooking oil or spread
• 1 tsp dried herbs (oregano / thyme / rosemary / mixed) (optional)

Method

1. Gently heat the oil or spread in a medium / large pan
2. Add the onion and fry until soft
3. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so until softened
4. Add the dried herbs if using
5. Add the minced beef and break up with back of spoon, increase the heat slightly and brown off
6. Once the meat is nicely browned, add the tomatoes / sauce
7. Add a mug of water and stir
8. Simmer for half an hour, season to taste
9. Serve with pasta

EASY CURRY (serves 4)

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp cooking oil or spread
• 1 tin chickpeas or other beans
• Selection of vegetables (whatever you have in the fridge) (chopped into chunks)
• 1 jar readymade curry sauce

Method

1. Gently heat the oil or spread in a medium / large pan
2. Add the onion and fry until soft
3. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so until softened
4. Add the beans and vegetables and stir through
5. Add the curry sauce
6. Bring to the boil then reduce and simmer for 15 minutes or vegetables are soft
7. Season to taste

SIMPLE COTTAGE PIE

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or spread
• 2 onions, chopped finely
• 2-3 medium carrots, chopped
• 250g mince beef or veggie mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (optional)
• large splash Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 200ml beef or vegetable stock
• 600g potato, cut into chunks
• 25g vegetable spread
• 3 tbsp milk

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil or spread in a medium saucepan, then  add 1 chopped onion and 2-3 chopped carrots for a few mins.
   1. When soft, turn up the heat, crumble in mince and brown
   1. Add 2 tbsp tomato purée and a large splash of Worcestershire sauce if using, then fry for a few mins.
   1. Pour over stock, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 25 mins, uncovering halfway.
   1. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C/ gas 4, then make the mash.
   1. Boil the 900g potato, cut into chunks, in salted water for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain, then mash with spread and milk.
   1. Put the mince into an ovenproof dish, top with the mash
   1. Bake for 20-25 mins until the top is starting to colour and the mince is bubbling through at the edges