Spring Themed Meal Plan

Every season has foodie joys, but for me springtime means boosting the veggie ratios on weeknight dinners and making easy weekend meals that get the kids to the table (outside if possible!) and keep everyone talking for way longer than they eat.

This meals plan can start any night of the week. It includes:

• five fresh meals and an ‘easy leftovers’ dish (and a free night for takeaway or going out)
• shopping lists and tips to make your dollar go further this season
• a meat-free meal (with carnivore suggestions)
• ideas for including kids in every recipe
• optional make-ahead or freezer ideas to save you even more time and effort.

SHOPPING LIST AND BUYING TIPS

Buying Tips:

• Herbs: Buy whole bunches of fresh parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme. If you buy a good-sized bunch of rosemary with long stems it should easily do all the recipes.
• Visit a fruit shop or farmers’ market to find larger quantities on special for the zucchinis, ripe tomatoes, oranges, carrots, potatoes. etc
• Grab a dozen fresh, local eggs from happy chooks.
• Buy grated cheddar cheese and parmesan if you’re short on time for the quiche

Pantry essentials, dry ingredients, spices, sauces, tinned

Ziplock bags or fridge and freezer safe containers
Olive oil 200 ml
Honey 1 tablespoon
Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
Dry
baking powder
plain flour ( buy a 500g packet)
raw sugar (buy a small packet)
¼ cup pine kernels
¼ cup pepita seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 packet tortillas or wraps of your choice
paprika (a teaspoon)
salt
pepper
Pastes
1 tablespoon tomato paste (buy a small tube or tin)
Jars
¼ cup semi-dried tomatoes
Cans
1 x 400 gram tin of corn kernels
1 x 400 gram tin of chickpeas

Other

Small bottle of orange juice (or make freshly squeezed)
Apple cider vinegar – a small bottle

Fridge, freezer, eggs and dairy

Eggs 8 – buy a dozen pack
Dairy
Cheddar buy 1 kilo block or already grated
Fresh parmesan buy a 125 gram block of parmesan cheese or 1 bag grated
Ricotta 500 grams
Cream 500 ml bottle
Milk only a little – buy a small carton if do not normally have milk or use some of what would be in your fridge
Tzatziki a 200-250 gram tub

UNPACK, PREP AND STORE TIME-SAVERS

These tips help you prepare ingredients early – even immediately after you come home from shopping. The advance prep suggestions here are generally optional but will save you time each night if you follow them. If you don’t have time for this after shopping, check out the make-ahead ideas in each recipe.
Meat prep
Read the make-ahead notes in each recipe and decide which to follow based on when you’re making each dish. Eg, the chicken make-ahead involves freezing, which isn’t necessary if you’re cooking it early in the week of this shop.

Fresh produce prep

Store in the fridge (or freezer when indicated) in containers or Ziplock bags (ZLB), label. 

Tomato note: tomatoes are better chopped on the day of use for freshness

• 500 grams of broccoli, broken up into small florets – container, fridge
• 1 red onion sliced in half lengthwise then slice each half into strips – ZLB, Fridge
• 100 grams snow peas, topped and tailed – ZLB, fridge
• 1 lime, juice of – container, fridge, and zest of – ZLB, fridge
• 6 extra cherry tomatoes, chopped in half – ZLB, fridge
• 6 ripe tomatoes, sliced thinly – ZLB, fridge
• 2 ripe tomatoes, thinly slices – container, fridge
• 5 medium zucchinis sliced into long, thin strips – ZLB, fridge.
• 1 kilo potatoes washed and peeled, chopped into quarters, and parboiled – container in fridge (1 day ahead)
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into big pieces – ZLB, fridge
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped – ZLB, fridge
• 2 cups of fresh rocket leaves – ZLB, fridge
• 2 stalks celery, chopped bite sized – ZLB, fridge
• ‘2 stalks celery, finely chopped – ZLB, fridge
• 1 lemon, juice of container, fridge, and zest of ZLB, fridge
• 5 medium large oranges, rind removed and chopped into segments
• 1 yellow capsicum, de-seeded and sliced into thin slices – ZLB, fridge
• 1 cup of fresh soft lettuce leaves (like oak), shredded – ZLB, fridge
• 1 carrot, finely grated – ZLB, fridge
• 1 red capsicum, finely sliced – ZLB, fridge
• ½ medium cucumber, thinly sliced – ZLB, fridge

Herb prep

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, leaves removed from stalks – ZLB, fridge
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped – ZLB, fridge
½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly shredded – ZLB, fridge
1 cup parsley, finely chopped or shredded – Ziplock bag, fridge
4 stalks rosemary, leaves removed from the stem – ZLB, fridge
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stem – ZLB, fridge
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, leaves removed from stalks – ZLB, fridge
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped – ZLB, fridge
½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly shredded – ZLB, fridge
2 whole stalks of fresh rosemary, leave whole – ZLB, fridge
1 cup fresh mint leaves, very finely chopped, ZLB, fridge (OR make sauce right away)

Cheese prep

1 & ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated – ZLB, fridge
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated – ZLB, fridge
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated – ZLB, fridge
¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated – ZLB, fridge
1 cup grated cheese – ZLB, fridge

RECIPES