BONUS Meal Plan – AUTUMN Freezer Meals

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MEAL PLAN ONLINE VERSION

Weekly Meals

[1] MONDAY: Zucchini Burgers 15m* +
[2] TUESDAY: Cheesy Chicken 30m*
[3] WEDNESDAY: Mushroom Soup with Brown Butter Walnuts& Crispy Sage 30m*
[4] THURSDAY: Cabbage ‘Lasagna’ (Low Carb) 60m*
[5] FRIDAY: Simple Fish Stew 30m*
[6] SWEET TREAT: Chocolate Walnut ‘Cake’ 6h*

*Approximate time required. m = minutes. h = hours.

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VARIATIONS
Pantry-Friendly: [1] Zucchini = frozen broccoli. Yoghurt = cashew sauce. Frozen spinach. [2] Zucchini = frozen veg or sweet potato. Skip herbs. [3] mushrooms = onions. Skip sage. [4] Sour cream = almond meal or flaked almonds. Salad = frozen greens. [5] Fennel = extra onion or carrots. [6] Cream = coconut cream or nut milk.
Vegetarian: [2] Chicken = mushrooms, chickpeas or tempeh. [4] Beef = cooked lentils. [5] Fish = lentils or chickpeas.
More Substantial (Low Carb): [1] Avocado. Mayo. [2] Roast almonds or walnuts. [3] Extra walnuts + butter. [4] Larger serves! [5] Roast almonds. More mayo.
Carb Lovers / More Substantial: [1] Burger buns. [2] Cooked pasta, rice or buttered chickpeas. [3] Crusty bread. [4] Cooked pasta. [5] Steamed potatoes.
Carnivore: [1] Beef burgers. [3] Bacon. [5] Chicken or sausages.
Paleo (Grain, Legume & Dairy-Free): [1] Yoghurt = cashew sauce. [2] Cheese = almond hummus or smashed avocado. [3] Butter = olive oil. [4] Sour cream + parmesan = almond meal or flaked almonds. [6] Cream = coconut cream or nut milk.
Keto / Ultra Low Carb: [3] Spinach soup. [4] Halve the tomato. [5] Skip the onion and don’t use carrot.

Weekly Shopping List

VEGGIES
2 medium zucchini [1]
2 bags baby spinach or salad leaves [1&4]
4 medium zucchini (800g / 28oz) [2]
1 bunch coriander (cilantro) or parsley [2]
900g (2lb) mushrooms [3]
1 small bunch sage [3]
1/2 large cabbage (500g / 1lb) [4]+
2 onions [5]
1 large bulb fennel OR 2 carrots [5]

PROTEIN #
1 egg [1]
4 chicken thigh fillets (450g /1lb) [2]
450g (1lb) minced (ground) beef [4]+
450g (1lb) fish fillets [5]

DAIRY
8T greek yoghurt [1]
150g (5oz) grated cheese [2]
8T salted butter [3]
300g (1 1/4cups) sour cream [4]+
2 handfuls grated parmesan (100g / 3.5oz) [4]+
200g (7oz) whipping cream [6]*

PANTRY
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
75g (3oz) almond meal [1]
1/2 cup tomato passata or puree [2]
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) [2]
2C chicken or veg stock [3]
2 handfuls walnuts [3]
700g (3C) tomato passata (puree) [4]+
1 jar (1.5C) tomato pasta sauce or puree [5]
large pinch saffron threads (optional) [5]
mayonnaise [5]
300g (10oz) walnuts [6]*
300g (10oz) milk chocolate [6]*

COOKS NOTES + SUBSTITUTES:
[number] refers to the recipe using that ingredient. Recipes serve 2.
# Vegetarian [2] Chicken = mushrooms, chickpeas or tempeh. [4] Beef = cooked lentils. [5] Fish = lentils or chickpeas.
Carb Lovers [1] Burger buns. [2] Cooked pasta, rice or buttered chickpeas. [3] Crusty bread. [4] Cooked pasta. [5] Steamed potatoes.
‘t’ = teaspoon ‘T’ = tablespoon
Unless otherwise stated all cans are 400g / 14oz. Standard bag of salad = approx 150g (5oz).
+[4] Serves 3-4. Leftovers keep really well.
*[6] Serves 6-10. Can be halved or quartered.

‘PREP AHEAD’ POSSIBILITIES

Here are suggestions for things you can possibly prepare ahead. They’re just suggestions though so please don’t feel like you need to devote your weekend to getting these steps done! It’s totally up to you.

[1] Zucchini Burgers
BURGERS (15 minutes)
Yes! Just cook burgers as per the recipe but keep the yoghurt + baby spinach separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, warm in the oven (straight from frozen if you wish) 200C / 400F for 10 -20 minutes or until burgers are hot. Serve with yoghurt + spinach leaves.

[2] Cheesey Chicken
CHICKEN (30 minutes)
Roast chicken and veg as per recipe but keep the herbs separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a week or can be frozen. To serve, warm in the oven or in a frying pan with a little oil – will look messy but still delicious!

[3] Mushroom Soup
SOUP (30 minutes)
Cook soup as per the recipe but keep the walnuts, sage and brown butter separately so they remain crisp. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, bring soup back to a simmer and melt butter in a small frying pan and serve on the soup with the walnuts and sage.

[4] Cabbage Lasagna
LASAGNA (60 minutes)
Absolutely! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the salad / spinach separately. If you like you can prepare up until the end of step 5 and save the final baking and browning until you’re ready to serve. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, defrost first (if frozen) then warm in the oven 200C / 400F for 15-20 minutes. If reheating lasagna that has already been browned, cover with foil to avoid burning.

[5] Simple Fish Stew
STEW (30 minutes)
Yes! Just cook stew as per the recipe but keep the mayo separately. You might like to undercook the fish so it doesn’t overcook when you reheat but no need to stress. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, bring stew back to a gentle simmer and serve with mayo.

[6] Chocolate Walnut Cake
‘CAKE’ (30 minutes)
Prepare as per recipe. Will keep in the freezer for months but the walnuts will get softer over time. To serve, slice straight from the freezer and allow to stand for a few minutes (if you can wait that long!).

INGREDIENT STORAGE Best Practices

Also see the WASTE AVOIDANCE STRATEGY with each recipe for tips on preserving ingredients for longer periods if required.