[tabs slidertype=”left tabs” auto=”no”] [tabcontainer] [tabtext] The Art of Meal Planning [/tabtext][tabtext] Meal Plan [/tabtext][tabtext] Shopping List [/tabtext] [tabtext] Mise en Place [/tabtext][tabtext] Ingredient Storage [/tabtext][tabtext] Downloads [/tabtext][tabtext] Actions [/tabtext][/tabcontainer][tabcontent][tab] 
Module 4.
THE ORGANIZED COOK AND THE ART OF MEAL PLANNING
Modules 4 and 5 contain ‘done-for-you’ meal plans as examples. BUT this is not the best method for everyone. And certainly not the method I use on an everyday basis. In this audio I walk you through how I actually do my meal planning each week…
If you’d like to go deeper on this I encourage you to check out the Master Your Meal Plan program.
[audioplayer file=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/svcsclasses/TOC+Meal+Planning.mp3″]
Click the play arrow above to listen online
OR
To download the MP3 file to listen on your mobile device CLICK HERE
[best to ‘right click’ and ‘save link as’]
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Module 4. A WINTER MEAL PLAN
NOTE: A more Summery Meal Plan and recipes will be included in Module 5.
Weekly Meals
[1] MONDAY: Balsamic Onion Soup
[2] TUESDAY: Warming Onion & White Bean Bake*
[3] WEDNESDAY: Quick Sausages & Lentils
[4] THURSDAY: Bean Bowl with a Poached Egg
[5] FRIDAY: Burgers with Mashy Peas
[6] SWEET TREAT: Vanilla Pears with Ice Cream*
* Takes longer than 1/2 hour. See short on time guide for alternatives.
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VARIATIONS
Vegetarian: [3] Skip the sausages and double everything else. [5] Serve lentil burgers with mashy peas and onion.
Carb Lovers / More Substantial: [1] Serve with crusty bread & butter. [2] Toss in cooked pasta with the beans. [3] Increase the lentils. [4] Serve on hot buttered toast. [5] Serve in burger buns.
Budget: See vegetarian and carb lovers suggestions.
Carnivore: [1] Simmer chopped chicken thighs in the soup until cooked. [2] Brown bacon or chorizo and add to the onion. [4] Serve with finely sliced prosciutto draped over.
Short on time: [1] Use commercial caramelized onions. [2] Use canned beans. [3] Use canned lentils. [4] Use canned beans. [5] Use commercial caramelized onions. [6] Serve fresh berries with ice cream instead.
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Your Weekly Shopping List.
VEGGIES
750g (1.5lb) onions [1]
1.5kg (3lb) onions [2]+
4 sprigs thyme [2]+
1 bag salad leaves [2]+
1 bunch flat leaf parsley [3]
1 onion [4]
sm bunch cavalo nero, kale or greens [4]
1 lemon [5]
750g (1.5lb) onions [5]
4-6 pears [6]
PROTEIN
4 pork sausages [3]
4 eggs [4]
400g (14oz) ground (minced) beef [5]
DAIRY
large handful cheddar cheese [1]
150g (5oz) cheddar cheese [2]+
2 hunks butter [5]
3 hunks butter [6]*
vanilla ice cream [6]*
PANTRY
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
3T cheap balsamic vinegar [1]
2C chicken or veg stock [1]
6T cheap balsamic vinegar [2]+
400g (14oz) dried beans or 3 cans [2]+
1/2C chicken or veg stock [2]+
125g (5oz) dried lentils or 1 can [3]
1T sherry or wine vinegar [3]
1T soy sauce [3]
125g (5oz) dried beans or 1 can [4]
1/2C chicken or veg stock [4]
2T vinegar [4]
2 large handfuls frozen peas [5]
3T cheap balsamic vinegar [5]
1 vanilla bean or 1t vanilla extract [6]*
____ COOK’S NOTES ____
‘t’ = teaspoon ‘T’ = tablespoon
Unless otherwise stated all cans are 400g / 14oz
+ [2] serves 4
* [6] serves 4-6.
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Mise en Place Possibilities.
Caramelized Onion (70 minutes)
Cook the onion and balsamic vinegar as per the recipe over here. Can be done up to a month ahead and stored in the fridge or frozen.
Home Cooked Beans (6 hours soaking + 90 minutes cooking)
Soak beans over night and cook as per the recipe over here.
[2] Onion Bake (60 minutes)
Make bake as per the recipe. Cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. See reheating guide before serving.
Home Cooked Lentils (30 Minutes)
Cook the lentils as per the recipe HERE. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or so.
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Ingredient Storage Best Practices
VEGETABLES
onions – in a dark pantry.
thyme – in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag.
salad leaves – store sealed bag in the fridge. If buying loose leaves, wash and spin dry in a salad spinner then wrap loosely in paper towel and place inside plastic bag. Push out most of the air and seal. Store in the fridge.
flat leaf parsley – in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag.
cavalo nero, kale or greens – in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag.
lemons – in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag. Can be kept at room temp if you prefer but will last longer in the fridge.
pears – in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag.
PROTEIN
pork sausages – in the fridge in the packaging they were purchased in.
eggs – I keep mine in the pantry because we eat a lot of eggs. Will last much longer in the fridge.
minced (ground) beef – in the fridge in the packaging it was purchased in.
DAIRY
cheese – in the fridge. I prefer to wrap in baking paper or waxed paper and then store inside a sealed plastic bag or other container.
butter – in the fridge in the packaging it was purchased in.
ice cream – in the freezer in the packaging it was purchased in.
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MEAL PLAN DOWNLOADS
You’ll need to ‘Right Click’ and ‘Save Link As’ – see below for detailed instructions.
**Super Important!**
Make sure you use Adobe Reader to open you meal plan pdfs – its FREE!
For your computer: www.get.adobe.com/reader/
For your mobile device: www.adobe.com/au/products/reader-mobile.html
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Your Actions
This week I really encourage you to keep going with your regular ‘mise en place’ date.
If you’d like to you can add something new as well…
1. Review the meal plan. Download and print or open it in Adobe Reader.
2. Edit the shopping list to suit your preferences. Get your ingredients, and follow the plan!
3. Share your results in the comments below.
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I’m not sure I’m any more organized than I was when I started. Once in a while, like with cooking beans, lentils, quinoa or grains, I can make it work, but mostly it doesn’t. That’s partly because I like variety in what I eat, and it’s not likely that I’m going to want one particular ingredient multiple times during the week. I generally good four servings of a particular dish, which is good for two meals during the week. The one thing I’ve really been learning is how to be more creative in using extra ingredients. My example from last week is that I had extra sweet potato and no use for it, so I ended up making a frozen sweet potato “pie” (Greek yogurt, mashed sweet potato, maple syrup, cinnamon) which turned out quite nice. Next time I would add chocolate chips. I really appreciate the help in being more creative.
Glad you’re getting more creative Susan!
In terms of being organized… Sounds like you need to use your freezer more.
In our house these days Fergal is the only one eating quinoa / rice / beans etc because my Irishman and I are focusing on low carb. So I just freeze the extra rice etc in ziplock bags and then grab them out when I need them for Fergals dinner. The best part is they defrost really quickly so it’s not a hassle like when freezing meat or cooked food.
Jx
I am becoming more organised with my cooking by using mise en place technique and cleaning as I cook. Love the roast veg and caramelised onions so far. I have slowly changed our eating habits over the last 12 months to incorporate more fruit and veg, less meat, more fish, whole grains, legumes, yogurt, nuts and seeds.
My daughter gave me a low calorie recipe book for Christmas and so far we have loved all the recipes I have attempted. I am going to use mise en place to make these recipes quicker and easier for me.
Wonderful Margaret!
PS Now to attempt some sort of meal plan with what I have available!
Go Chris!
I am amazed how well fresh fruit and veg last when stored correctly. And now I have some rice, beans, chickpeas [both soaked and cooked] and quinoa in the fridge and freezer I am ready to go -I love bean purees and hummus but rarely had them because of the time needed to prepare them in the past! Next I will gather a big bunch of kale from the garden and prepare that ready to go as well!
I often threw out food after 2-3 days before as I didn’t know how long it could last in the fridge so thank you so much for sharing that information.
One question: how do you know if food is no longer edible? Do you do a smell test and/or trust your judgement?
Great question Chris!
With fresh produce you can tell by looking.. Wilted / browned / sad looking.
With cooked food first have a good look and if you see mould or yeast spots (little shiny spots) growing then throw it out. These generally will be the first to grow long before any bacteria that will make you sick.
But if there’s no visible signs and I’m a bit concerned I’ll have a smell. If it smells funny or just not right then again turf it.
And if it’s passed both tests above but I’m still a little concerned I make sure I hear it until it’s super hot before serving.
Jx
Thanks Jules! I’m fine with the fresh stuff, but wasn’t sure about the cooked stuff. Why I asked was that I had some leftover mashed potato in the frig which had been there for 3 weeks [i was having a cleanout before restocking] and I tossed it even though it looked and smelled absolutely fine. There was also some plums I had preserved a couple of years ago and opened and used some about a month ago. They seemed perfectly OK too but I wasn’t sure so tossed them too. So my next question is: do you have a time limit after which you would discard the food even if it does show no sign of deterioration?
Oh, and my family won’t eat anything that has passed its “best before” or “üse by” date even if the container has never been opened. It really annoys me because I was trusting my own judgement when opening store-bought food for years before these started appearing and never made myself or anyone else sick. I suspect that food producers are far too conservative with their use of these dates! What do you think?
Ha! Sorry Jules – must have had a senior moment – forgot next module was about leftovers. I guess my questions have been answered there. [have been offline for a few days so opening oldest emails first]
No Chris I don’t have a time limit because it’s really varies from case to case. So I really do focus on looking for detectable signs of spoilage. But that being said if you feel uncomfortable about something it’s not worth risking.
For ‘best before’ dates on packaged food, on of my jobs when I was working in the food industry was to determine how long to allow as the shelf life. We were always really conservative because we wanted to make sure the consumer had a great experience. And it wasn’t like one day the food tasted amazing and the next day after the best before it did’t taste good any more… The changes in an unopened would gradually happen over months… and would usually be a dulling of flavour. So keep on doing what you’re doing! Jx
Thanks Jules! I was really brave this week and pulled out some cooked chicken which had been in the fridge about 8 days but still smelled and felt fine and reheated it for my lunch with some rice (from the freezer), kale (from my garden and prepared for frig storage as suggested by you), fresh but very ripe tomatoes,lots of butter and fresh coriander. – delicious, and guess what – not a hint of food poisoning. Thanks – I will certainly trust my judgement more in future.
That’s awesome Chris! Well done.
ps. I often eat leftover chicken that’s over a week old.
Thank you so much Jules! I don’t have a regular date for mise en place, but when I’m low on components I make some more. A schedule will eventually happen in my life…
In this house we’ll cook up 12 cups of shredded onion and make a massive vat of French Onion soup to binge on for a bit. This happens a few times a year. I think your idea of storing in the fridge for a good amount of time is a far superior option! I’d rather have the onions available for a longer amount of time. Too bad my slow cooker experiment for caramelized onions was highly disappointing…
Incorporating your recipes and tips into my Always Hungry? eating plan is such a benefit. (No sugar, no processed carbs, low glycemic.) I need to figure out how to share your genius with the Facebook group without being too promotional about it. Between you and the Ludwigs, I’m finding it so easy to finally eat good food that nourishes my body. I was part way there when I found you last fall, but nutrient ratios and the glycemic issue got filled in by AH and I FINALLY understand what I need to eat and feed my family. The weight loss is a great side effect too. 😀
By the way, I think I’ll need to add to my budget a full membership to your school. Once I wring the benefits from this course I’ll have to take the others as well.
So glad you’re finding it easy to eat well Erica! Jx
I can’t believe how much more organized I am because of pre-cutting and storing, and how I now use every vegetable and salad item rather than having waste at the end of the week.
Thank you!
Wonderful Sue!
So glad to hear we’ve cut down on your waste.
Jx