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YOUR MEAL PLANS
New plans are published every Friday morning (Australian time). They are delivered via email or you can access them here.
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Want to join the 10-Day Healthy Dinner Challenge?
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* Meal Plan ARCHIVES
Hi Jules,
After some weeks with other experiments in the kitchen, I returned to a weekplan from August (30).
– Steak with Aioli was tasty, but the Spinach turned pretty bitter. 🙁
– Carotti Tofunaise: I made the version with minced meat instead of tofu, The Carrot Noodles are genius! Very good! Tastes even better the day after, I made it “mise en place” prallel to the next one and kept it in the fridge, heated it up on the stovetop and just cooked the “Noodles” fresh.
– Lemony Chicken was a good fast Eat after Work, I threw in some Wok Noodles and Broth.
– Best Review this week got the Prosciutto Baked Salmon! Easy, fast and soooo delicious! Will do it again next week! I used frozen fish and put it in the fridge in the morning to thaw.
– The Baked beans will be cooked this week and I will try the rich chocolate Ice Cream tonight!
Thanks for an easy and tasty week again!
Johanna fom Germany
Welcome back Johanna!
And thanks for your detailed review. So glad you liked the meals.
With the spinach adding salt will help to reduce any bitterness. And the other thing is to be careful not to overcook especially if you’re using garlic. But salting is really the key to balancing bitter flavours.
Jx
Hi Jules,
I just signed up… I actually don’t enjoy cooking very much and am not a very experienced cook, so I’m excited to have found your cooking school using only 5 (healthy) ingredients for its meals.
Going through your recipes I’ve found two kinds of useful (well, for me) information missing though: How long the recipe takes, and if I substitute an ingredient the quantity of the new ingredient (e.g. a substitute for meat is mushrooms: How much mushroom do I use?). Do you think these could be implemented?
Looking forward to hearing from you! 🙂
Be well, Sarah
Welcome Sarah!
Great idea on the recipe times… it’s actually something I’ve started to include in the last week or so. Great minds 🙂
And in terms of substitution, usually the quantities will be about the same. But with your mushrooms example I’d add double the weight… so if the recipe calls for 1lb (450g) meat I’d use about 2lb (900g) mushrooms.
Jx
Thank you very much for your feedback, Jules! I started preparing your meals on Monday, and they have been easy and quick to prepare, and are superyummy! My current lunch favorite is the raw broccoli salad, it’s excellent (I’ve already prepared it twice!)! 🙂
Yay for raw broccoli Sarah!
Jx
Jules, thank you so much for the effort you’ve invested in all details of Stonesoup. I’ve subscribed to the Soapstone meal plans for a few months. It took me a bit to get going on it, but when I made a leap and just went and shopped from your list — Voila! It was marvelous. I made everything like you said, even if I thought, We are not going to like this recipe. It’s pretty amazing, but my husband and I have liked every single meal. I’ve heard him talk about Soupstones Meal Plans to people and he says, You read the recipe and you doubt it’s going to taste good — but it ALWAYS does! He gets very excited now to see what’s in store for the week.
Our kids have just left for university. I wish I started this when they were here. We cook the amount in your recipes for 2. Since my husband likes to take leftovers for lunch, I add something more, often from your More Substantial list. I am experimenting cutting back on carbs, so sometimes I will go with roasted veg, a slaw/salad, or spaghetti squash, etc. This turns it into 3 servings, and he has his lunch!
Since our kids aren’t in the kitchen doing homework, I find I don’t want to be in there prepping food as much as I used to. Your meal plans really shorten my time preparing dinner without any sacrifice to our dinner time.
When the kids left, I kept buying too much food for the two of us. Following your ingredient list is helping me immensely. It’s amazing how much kids and their friends eat and how much you don’t need when they aren’t there.
I have two minor wishes: meal plans for regional growing seasons, which I know you are working on; and since I use Mealboard for our household shopping list it would be wonderful if your recipes were in a format that is compatible with that app.
However, if you didn’t change I thing, I would remain a happy camper. Thank you!
Marjorie!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience… you’ve made my day!
And thanks for the reminder re. seasonality.
I haven’t come across meal board but after reading your comment have had a quick look and am going to try it out. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure out a way to make soupstones compatible… watch this space!
Jx
Hi Jules –
I’ve been receiving the Soupstones Meal Plans since June and traveling since September with the result that my opportunity to use the Plans was, sadly, fiercely limited. I’m now back at home and am planning to work my way through every Meal Plan. I love that they are easy to shop for, simple to accomplish, loaded with alternatives [Cauliflower rice? Great.], healthy and — bonus, bonus — are delicious. Keep ’em coming.
– Sherrill
P.S. One of my traveling mainstays was a fried egg on either spinach, asparagus or avocado which kept me going through lunch at least! Yum.
Lovely to hear from you Sherrill!
Hope you had a lovely trip.
And yay for fried eggs with veg!
Jx
It was a long time since I cooked and a by product of that was total lack of confidence. From my searching for answers and help I ventured into soupspoons and haven’t looked back.
The change in confidence and interest has been rapid to not only my amazement but to also to others. The number of items per adventure generally (4-5), the time factor to prepare and cook is great, information is plain and simple with the odd video follow by presentation hints.
We’ve not eaten like this for years simple, nourishing, interesting, looks good, variety with options and economical all wonderful.
Many thanks Yvonne
Oh Yvonne!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. It means so much to me to hear that we’ve got you back into cooking!
Good for you
Jx
Hi Jules,
This week looks amazing, but will have to wait another week because I am going to Salerno, Italy!
Thank you very much for the cookbook, first time I ever won something! Even my never cooking husband wants to try some recipes. 🙂
My Question this week: what do you or did you usually take to work? I mostly take bread with a “topping”, leftovers or a quick salad. Do you have other Ideas or could include some more in the weekly plan? Maybe you even posted about that Topic on the blog and I didn’t find it?
Second Question: I am searching for some easy recipes with different fresh chillies- I got some as a present.
Greetings from Germany,
Johanna
Oh Johanna!
Lucky you off to Italy. Enjoy
In terms of lunches I work from home so I usually make a quick salad or soup somtimes using leftover and sometimes not.
There’s actually a whole class at the SVCS dedicated to lunches called ‘Beyond The Sandwich’ and I’ve written a few articles on Stonesoup:
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2011/03/3-uber-simple-lunches-you-can-make-at-work-in-less-time-than-it-takes-to-go-out-and-buy-something/
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2012/03/16-easy-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-involve-sandwiches/
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2012/06/the-2-biggest-myths-about-home-made-lunches/
I love cooking with chillies. You might like to make a chilli oil to preserve them and just drizzle it on anything that needs chilli.
https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/2011/12/chilli-oil/
Keep the questions coming!
Jx
Hi Jules,
I tried the chilli oil recipe (midnight oil from the stonesoup page), unfortunately my oliveoil turned quite yellowish when cooled (doesn’t look very yummi), but I tried it with the pasta, lemonjuice, cheese mix recommended. Problem 2: the chillies weren’t the tame red ones from the supermarket but veeeeeery hot ones and the dish was (for me) not edible even though I put some ricotta on top and drank milk with it.
🙁
Maybe I can use some of it, if I dilute it with more neutral oil, but the pure one is, as my husband calls it “hell oil”. 😉
I also made this week the butter chicken again (yum) and a easy german one pot dish of sausage, potato, savoy cabbage and onion (Wirsingeintopf).
Greetings from Germany,
Johanna
Oh no Johanna!
That’s the problem with cooking with chillies… the heat level is always a bit of an unknown.
The ones I use for the chilli oil are large and only medium heat.
The best solution for the rest of your oil would be to blend it with some more neutral oil. If you strain it to remove the chillies, the pure oil will keep in the fridge for months.
I like the sound of your Wirsingintopf
Jx
A few spanners in the works last week that were overcome with your help, Jules. First, forgot to order gas and so the cooktop was out of action. Second, winged it at the shops and didn’t have the right ingredients for this weeks’ plan… no drama – recipe database to the rescue and voila… Spanish Beef Cheeks – superb! Also used left over BBQ Beef fillet to make Thai Beef Salad. The kids loved the dressing so much they were drinking it from the bowl!
BTW, got a giggle from this weeks Mermaid Cakes 🙂
Good for you Belinda!
I’m so glad your kids liked the Thai Beef Salad dressing… that’s great!
Jx
Hi,
Thank you for including the nut-free alternatives, my husband has a severe nut allergy and this is perfect!
I started with the Killer Kale Gratin, but couldn’t find kale at the market so I used half a head of savoy cabbage (Wirsing) and threw in 2 potatoes in little cubes at the start (with the onion and bacon).
Yum!
Me and my husband loved it!
I’m looking forward to the next days.
Greetings from Germany,
Johanna
Great idea to use cabbage instead Johanna!
I’m going to have to try a cabbage gratin while it’s still cabbage season here 🙂
And glad you’re finding the nut substitutes useful
Jx
The first day I joined, I read the back issues and found five recipes I had all the ingredients for! I made the Red Lentil soup and it was a hit with me and two friends. I actually didn’t have the yogurt at my friends house when serving it so I crumbled some Feta Cheese on top – yum! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULES! Laura
thanks Laura!
and great work with the feta substitute 🙂
Jx
As a vegan I was unsure if this would really be useful for me and my family. However it has been a surprise how convenient and helpful the menu plans are. Granted it takes a little more work to go through the plans and alter them and the shopping lists, but the effort is still less than planning my own menus and well worth it in terms of enjoyment of the finished products! Thank you for simplifying my weeks, and getting me out of my food rut.
Wanted to make the Beef and Black Bean Stir Fry but did not read the recipe carefully before I started and only had a can of black beans. To make the sauce, I rinsed the beans, then mashed 1/2 the can very finely with a fork and mixed them with 3 Tablespoons soy sauce. I followed the recipe and dumped the other 1/2 the can in the pan with the bok choy. Also used jarred garlic and used more than stated because the jarred variety seems too mild for me. I do not like spicy tastes but this was just fine for me and my hubby who DOES like spicy. Next time I will also add sliced button or baby bella mushrooms and onion! This is DEFINITELY a keeper in my house!
I used a can of black beans too as I couldn’t find dried black beans at the supermarket.
I just chucked the whole can in but luckily my stir fry also turned out well. Nice to have a lovely forgiving recipe 😀
Good to know Lynn!
Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Loved the recipes this week, will be making the fishcakes and salad tomorrow for dinner. And the pineapple for dessert. When I prepare pineapple like this I add in some finely chopped fresh chilli (although not when giving it to the kids!) and a squeeze of lime and leave out the sugar., It looks great and adds a really nice zing.
Great idea with the chilli Heather!
Jx
Dear Jules,
Tonight I cooked the Thai Green Chicken Curry with white rice, along with peas & mint. My daughter, who usually says no thank you to whatever I’m cooking, had dinner with me tonight. She said This is Really Really good Mom.
And it rslly is – I used the Thai green curry paste from a jar, made sure to simmer the sauce to thicken it. Very ice.
Thank you for the plan!
Oh Dawn…
Thankyou so much for sharing this story. It really made me smile.
I’m only just venturing into the world of cooking for a child and sometimes it’s not easy!
Jx
I can’t tell you how much I love this weekly menu program. We use your recipes 3-5 days a week. It is a different way of eating for us, but super easy and so healthy. I committed to trying the program for one month, and am very happy with it. I also like the fact that you offer so many different options. Makes me realize when I head in to the kitchen, I don’t need to always have the perfect ingredients either!
Question for Jules: on the butternut squash soup recipe, about how much pulp total do you suggest? The butternuts at my market go from small to nearly 4 times the size of the small ones!
Thanks!
Chris
So glad you’re enjoying Soupstones Chris!
With the butternut soup, I used a mid sized one… which I guess gave about 3 cups of pulp… Hope that helps!
Jx
Hi Jules,
We just started the program and I already LOVE the meal plans. I’ve done several programs that have grocery lists and meal plans but your program is just brilliant. I love how you’ve (very simply) added suggestions for catering it your tastes/issues and that the grocery lists indicate which ingredient is for what recipe. I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time, easy recipes and just a few ingredients to deal with. I can come home after a long day and very quickly have dinner on the table.
We’ve tried 2 recipes so far and I and my vegetable-phobic husband love them. I have high hopes for this program.
Thanks!
Jennifer
Your persistence in emails paid off Jules and I’ve been signed up for Soupstones for a couple of weeks now – I’m loving the recipes but I haven’t had a chance to really follow a plan yet as I’ve been busy nearly every night after work with the Sydney Film Festival. I did try the sesame beef with spinach and OMG yum! I cooked enough for two meals and it took only 5 mins to reheat leftovers in the pan late the following night, I just added more fresh spinach – also I was low on Oyster Sauce so I just added some Soy Sauce and it was delish! So next week I have three nights at home, and I’ve picked three recipes from the latest meal plan to cook – the chickpeas, the lemon steaks, and the mac and cheese – mostly because I have almost all the ingredients in my pantry/freezer already (and with so much eating out lately, I need to save $!) – can’t wait to get cooking! Also my partner who works overseas will be home in July for a month, not working, so I plan to put him to work doing the shopping and the cooking – these plans will be perfect for him! Brilliant!!
Wonderful Alison!
One of the things I miss about living in Sydney is the film festival. Glad you’ve been making the most of it!
Also glad to hear you’re going to be getting your partner on the case… love it!
Jx
Just wanted to say I think this latest meal plan is my favorite so far!
I’m still not getting the meal plan by e-mail anymore, even though I used to. What could be wrong?
They might be going to your spam folder Mrs Mack…
Can you pls check that out… and if they’re not in your spam can you pls email Caroline ( caroline@thestonesoup.com ) and get her to look into it for you.
Sorry, I hate when technology lets us down!
Thanks, I’ve just sent her an e-mail.
Hi Jules, loving your meal plans. A couple of weeks ago I cooked your slow cooked lamb on a weekend , loved the beans in the recipe.
Also, what is the brand of biodynamic yoghurt you buy , as I’ve looked but can’t find it.
Congratulations on your wedding. xxx
Thanks Julie!
I’ve mostly been making my own yoghurt but when I do buy commercial I either get the jalna biodynamic or the 5am Greek style.
Jx
Thanks Jules.
I bought sliced mushrooms, about 1 lb, as a meat alternative when shopping last week. Now I can’t remember which recipe I was going to use them for! I found a recipe in the index for Roast Mushroom and Chickpea Soup that sounds delicious, so may make that. Any other suggestions?
Am I the only one who didn’t get the meal plan by e-mail this week? I had to come here to get it.
Can I make a request? I used to make this delicious peanut stew (it had a lot of butternut pumpkin if I recall), but it had a huge list of ingredients and made a ridiculously large amount, so it was only for special occasions. I would love to try a simple peanut stew recipe.
Peanut and butternut stew sounds amazing Emily… would love to try one out… Any ideas on other ingredients… Spices? creamy?
It had a lot of ginger, garlic, and middle-eastern type spices (cumin, coriander seed, chili flakes, etc.) I don’t think there was cream but that would be good. There was crushed tomato which made much of the liquid, and chopped coriander. Obviously don’t need all of this – I’d say the heart of it was the pumpkin, peanut butter, and ginger.
I am one of those who likes to do my shop in one go. I just eat the fish on the day I do my shopping 🙂 Problem solved!
The fish tacos were nice, but I felt they were missing something – some kind of salsa topping, possibly. I think if I make them again I would include an additional vegetable.
Chickpea frittata – I’m learning to love rosemary!
I have a dinner guest tomorrow, and am planning to do the pork skewers. Fingers crossed it comes out well…!
Great idea re the fish Suzie!
And a salsa would work with the tacos… another idea you’ve just given me would be to keep half the marinade to serve as the salsa… will have to try that 🙂
Keep the feedback coming!
Jx
The pork kebabs were a big hit, by the way! My dinner guest went away with the recipe!
Yay Suzie!
I love when that happens 🙂
And I love rosemary too… Actually it makes a nice skewer for the kebabs if you have access to a big rosemary bush!
xx
I usually buy for 2 recipes + 1 pantry recipe so that it’ s not wasted if I’m not home one night (I go out quite a bit). Since I started I noticed from my jeans that I lost weight without thinking about it, I am also saving money because I buy less ingredients than normal. I like your recipes because they rarely include carbs and it’s teaching me a new way to cook and eat. I naturally eat less but still feel very satisfied (probably because it’s more nutritious than what I usually cook) and I have left overs for lunch the day after. So it works perfectly for me.
In a ideal world, I would love if your meal plans were an interactive app (rather than a PDF) that would allow people to select the recipes they want to cook, then display the list of ingredients for their selected recipes only (including the variation ingredients). Then during shopping, we could tick what we have bought (like the Taste.com.au app)…
With an interactive app, people could also star their favourite recipes, write notes like (add extra tbsp of curry powder), share it on facebook/pinterest…
Thanks for sharing your experience Edith!
And I love your idea of an interactive app! It’s actually something I’m planning on doing in the future. Need to save up as app development is super expensive!
In the mean time, using the adobe reader app to edit PDFs does allow some customisation at least 🙂
Jx
Comment re app….most university students need projects for their course work. Talk to the university about a student developing this for you as their class work…as it is an easy app to write and it will be no to low cost. The student gets a reference….
I have just joined and can’t wait to try a plan this week. I am vegetarian but tend to cook vegan whenever I can. I am hopeless at meal planning and have looked at many other meal plans that are vegan but they all rely heavily on carbs with some type of bread or pasta in most meals. I love your emphasis on fresh veg and your use of lentils and beans, and of course the vegetarian options are great. As another commenter mentioned, would love a veg-specific plan, and with lots of beans and lentils not just tofu as replacements. Also love your future idea of seasonal plans (I am in Australia).
Welcome Angela!
And thanks for sharing your preferences 🙂
Jx
So I’m a little behind on this weeks meal plan, and I just made the meatballs. Absolutely amazing, definitely my favourite dish so far. So much flavour!
Yay Suzie! I love them too
Jx
I’d really love a vegetarian meal plan version, with shopping lists!
Thanks for the request Laura!
Jx
I started cooking late in life, and quickly found that I made the same few dishes over and over again. Add in becoming a vegetarian, and mealtimes were boring. Cookbooks had too many choices, so no luck there. I signed up for the Meal Plans as a present for myself, to learn some new recipes and take the angst out of trying to figure out what to cook. I’ve been very pleased with the vegetarian options, especially the dishes with lentils and chickpeas, as I didn’t cook with those too often. Tonight I made the Roast Baby Veg with Chunky Cashew Pesto, and it was delicious! Thanks so much, my expectations have been exceeded.
Ooh wonderful Elizabeth!
You’ve made my day 🙂
Ilove exceeding expectations
Jx
Your menu plan has really been a help to me over the last week – I’ve had a lot of stressful stuff happening at work, and this is exactly the sort of time I get home exhausted and order takeaway. Having pre-planned my menu, having the ingredients organised and such easy recipes has really made my week a lot better. Now I don’t have the takeaway guilt (and extra expense!) and I’m reminded how much I actually love to cook when the decision factor after work is removed. I have relied on your 5 Ingredients, 10 Minutes cookbook for awhile, but this is an extra step in convenience. Thanks Jules.
p.s. the scrambled tofu was a surprise winner – I’ll definitely make that again!
Wonderful Kate
So glad you’re finding the meal plans helpful
Jx
I got the “commenter of the week” prize of your cookbook in the mail today. It is a *beautiful* book! So lovely to look at. I think this is the first time I actually wanted to sit down and read a cookbook from cover to cover, rather than just skim the table of contents for what looks interesting.
Thank you for sending this to me!
Glad it arrived safely Mrs Mack!
Tried the Pesto Steak with Zucchini Salad for lunch today – amazing! New favourite ‘go-to meal ready in a jiffy’ recipe; so easy and yet so tasty 🙂
So far I’m loving the recipes! It’s really pushed me to incorporate a lot more veggies into my diet. Particularly in the winter, there are definitely times where I’ll go a couple of days without eating anything green, so this is a great push to have a crisper drawer full of greens. One modification I did which I loved a lot was putting your Bolognese on Spaghetti Squash. I wanted something a bit more substantial than carrots, but didn’t want to break from the veggie theme with starches. Also, your pizza recipe from last week finally broke my fear of making pizza. It was so amazing (and fast!), I don’t think I’ll ever fall back on delivery/takeout pizza again!
Thanks to you our kitchen is the happiest it has ever been, we love your meals, they are easy to prepare and are flavorful and healthy too.
Half way through second week – the broccoli curry was delicious, really lovely. The lentils and sausage also wonderful. The carrotti bolognese I’m less sure about. My beef sauce ended up quite flavourless, I ended up putting in other herbs and I’m sure it would have benefitted from them up front. I also started marinading my chicken for tomorrow, and as I hate peppers I subbed zucchini – and now my sauce is a rather strange colour! Oh well, will be interesting to see how it turns out 🙂
I have to say… even with the zucchini substitution and oddly green-brown sauce, the ‘Piri Piri’ chicken was delicious! Definitely a hit 🙂
I am on the second week now and enjoying the variety of recipes. The shopping list is very handy and because of the simplicity and easiness of the recipes it is bringing my weekly shopping bill down.
I think the dish I have been most surprised by so far is the broccoli pantry curry. It was delicious. I think it is one of the first vegetarian meals I have had without missing meat.
I think one thing that would be good to see is some nutritional information. It wouldn’t need to be anything precise but I imagine dishes with a lot of coconut milk or chorizo are relatively more fattening than some of the other dishes. Even just a three tier system would work, i.e. healthy, moderate, comfort food, or something to that effect?
I like tracking nutrition as well, and so far what I’ve been doing is tracking the calories in these recipes myself via Myfitnesspal.com. If you’re interested in that sort of stuff, I’d definitely suggest checking it out. Picking stuff out on there the broccoli pantry curry came out to around 395 calories per serving (which was 2, so a total of 790 if you eat all of it yourself) My (kroger brand) coconut milk came out to 300cal/3carbs/33fat/3protien/3fiber for half the can, I used a broccoli/cauliflower frozen bag mix which was 50cal/8carbs/0fat/2protien/4fiber for half the bag, and Patkas Curry paste (2Tbsp total, so 1Tbsp for my half which was 45cal/4carb/4fat/1protien/2fiber. I also added in calories for chicken breasts and brown rice that I added in on top.
It’s hard to make nutrition facts for stuff like that for everyone because my coconut milk can be a way different calorie count than your coconut milk if you use light and I use regular, same with using fresh broccoli vs frozen, and you’ll have to do your own calorie counting regardless if you add on extra stuff like I did. Again, if you’re interested in this stuff, I’d suggest myfitnesspal or something similar (there are lots of similar calorie tracking sites) and it’s super easy. Putting in all that stuff took me less than 5 minutes to calculate. Although if you want reassurance, tracking calories for all of this the past two weeks, I haven’t hit a single recipe (unaltered) that went above 500 calories a serving.
Tonight we had the scrambled tofu/egg recipe but I used ground chicken instead since I knew my husband wouldn’t eat tofu and eggs for supper wouldn’t go over well either. My scrambled chicken/spinach dish was delicious. There is enough left for a pita sandwich tomorrow or I could warm it up and eat it again. I’m a little behind on the recipes because I had things on hand that needed using. I’m happy to be eating better and tonight I ate enough to fill up without thinking about pounds that might be going on my hips
Wonderful Joan!
Jx
I forgot to say that what I tried was:
Scrambled tofu recipe, tofu replaced with eggs. Excellent I never thought before of adding curry to my eggs.
Chorizo and chickpeas, chorizo replaced with eggs, excellent and I made couscous with it.
Steak with pesto, steak replaced with halloumi cheese, really good. I invited my neigbour and she loved it. To the courgettes I added also some fresh spinach.
Hello,
This week I tested 3 of your recipes from the first meal plan and I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. Initially I hesitated to sign for your meal plan as I thought I have so many cookbooks, why should I subscribe…luckily I like to try things.
What are the great benefits for me?
– the meals are healthy and very tasty.
– I am vegetarian and I find my happiness very easily in the different alternatives you give.
– it takes no time to prepare. I am a busy mum, I work full time and I look after my 3.6 year old. In the evening I have a very limited time to cook. Thanks to your recipes I have quick and healthy diners. I can also offer more variety to my little boy as I want him to be open minded and adventurous with food.
– The way you present the meal plan is very pleasant, clear, helpful and educative. Your shopping list saves so much time and efforts. Thanks to you I can spend more time playing with my son.
– I learn.
Is there a constrictive criticism I can make? Not really, at least for now :))
Initially I was a bit overwhelmed by all the available information but I quickly realised that I do not to need to read everything. The sections where you talk about how to store ingredients, or make pesto etc… Are very useful, I know they are there and I can consult them if I need.
Many thanks Jules!
Teo
X
That’s so great Teo! I’m especially happy to hear how it’s giving you more time with your son.
And if you think of any improvements I’m all ears!
Jx
Jules, I was so happy with the first meal plan I nearly cried. I seem to be unable to come up with my own meal plans. From time to time I searched the internet for meal plans but never found anything. During the week I just don’t have the energy to think of “what are we going to eat tonight”. This is also exactly the question that irritates me most! Now I can casually point to the menu on the fridge “that’s what we are having tonight”. The meal plan really does take the stress out because once you have the framework, it is easy to think of something else! I knew the scrambled tofu from Heidi’s book, I made it years ago and it was appreciated but I had forgotten about it. However we had leftovers from Sunday so did not need the tofu. I made the pesto steaks, delish! Used beef because I had it in the freezer; made a completely different dish for the vegetarian family member: potato-camembert gratin which served as a side for the meat-eaters. The 12-year old was delighted with the green chili and wanted to eat that again on Thu and given I had left-overs from the veg version (kidney beans instead of meat – topped with grated cheese) and it was already 19.30 when I came home it was a deal. I also added a bit of fried chorizo on the side – I’d never really fried chorizo so that was a great discovery! The second week looks great as well. Thanks heaps.
Wonderful Diufje!
So glad the meal plan is working for your family 🙂
It’s funny how it can be difficult to come up with ideas when you have a blank canvas but having a starting place can spark ideas 🙂
Jx
The Chorizo with Chickpeas was very good but we weren’t so enamoured of the tofu scramble. We eat tofu reasonably frequently but I have other recipes that I prefer. We were supposed to have chicken with pesto tonight but when I got home from work, I found my husband had already started making something else so the chicken was put in the freezer and I didn’t pick the basil.
Hi Penny.
Lucky you coming home to your husband cooking!
I’d love to hear about your other favourite tofu recipes ..,
Jx
Hello,
like Emily I am vegan. The substitutes have worked quite well for me so far.
I made the scrambled tofu & the pesto steaks (I used mushrooms instead, yummy).
I was a bit skeptic at first because the recipes are not geared towards a vegan lifestyle per se but so far I’m good. Jules, I love how easy your recipes are. I never really liked to cook but with your recipes it can be fun.
Although I appreciate the dough recipe I didn’t have the time to make it. I would like to see a dough recipe without yeast in a future update because I’m too impatient to wait for half an hour or more. 😉
I very much like your suggestions for storing the items.
Hi Sophia!
What a surprise to have another vegan on board. Fantastic!
Pizza dough without yeast would be a tough one… Even if you have 10 minutes to let it rise it can make a difference…. And the longer you knead for the better 🙂
Jx
I did not realize we could comment on our attempts but I am so excited that we can!
Truth. I saw the recipes the first week and thought…ugh. My family is NOT going to eat this. I should have known better though. We have been cooking from your recipes for about 2 months and my pickiest eater has liked everything. As long as there aren’t any beans…boy hates beans.
After a crazy weather pattern in Texas which shut my town down on my typical grocery store day, I did finally get my shopping done on Monday. I opted for the Tofu scramble, minus the tofu. I have recently discovered I am allergic to soy, corn, wheat, dairy, etc. So, we did eggs in place of the tofu. I also added in ground sausage. I really did not know if the kids would eat it, but they did. And not only did they eat it, they devoured it. Not a spec left for the poor husband’s lunch.
I bought the ingredients for the Charizo, but my bean hating kid wasn’t up for it, so I used the sausage which had spinach and feta incorporated into a chicken sausage. I made a side of black beans with rotel tomatoes and rice for the grain legal folks in the house. Again, no left overs for dad’s lunch.
Tonight I made the Pesto Steaks. We used chicken breast and a store bought Pesto from Trader Joe’s. I tossed the zucchini with some garlic over a flame for a bit then added the lemon juice and olive oil. I have never had pesto before tonight. I was amazed at how delicious it was! Another winner.
I am 48 years old, mom to 6, and I have never felt confident in my ability to cook. Jules, your site, your recipes, your books have helped me so much in this area. I am not afraid to try something now. I am married to a man who has done most of the cooking for our 23 years of marriage because he is a better cook than I. His sisters are both excellent cooks, one is even a chef that trained in New York at the Culinary Institute. My knife cuts might not be perfect, but I can put a meal on the table in less than 30 minutes that everyone will love. This is huge!
Looking forward to week 2!
Karen!
You’ve made my day! Thankyou so much for sharing your story. I’m especially glad to hear your family have been eating everything. Feeding children is a world I’m only just dipping my toes into!
Looking forward to hearing how you get on over the coming weeks.
Jx
I’m loving the recipes so far – the chile verde was terrific and my 9 year old loved it as well plus had a little left for lunch with lettuce leaves the next day. Curried scrambles eggs (instead of tofu) are great for a night when you don’t have much time to prepare and the chorizo and chickpeas are tasty as well. I’m loving having the week sorted in advance and not wasting any food. Thanks!
I’ve made the tofu, the chili verde, and the chorizo and chickpeas so far. All very easy and quick! There was a bit too much curry for my husband’s taste, but I thought it was good. Loved the chili verde, although I wasn’t convinced it would work when I first looked at the recipe! The chickpeas are also very good. I’ll be packing the leftovers for lunch!
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback Amanda!
It’s super helpful to hear how other people find the recipes 🙂
Keep the comments coming!
I’m planning on having a prize each month for the best commenter.
Jx
In spite of your warning, I’m giving this a shot as a vegan. I really like your style of cooking, and appreciate your substitution suggestions. I went through in my pdf reader and just modified the shopping list according to your substitution suggestions in each recipe, and I think it’ll be great. I’m doing seitan instead of steak tonight.
I did notice one little error in the shopping list this week – it calls for you to have 2tsp of turmeric in the pantry for the tofu recipe, while the recipe itself calls for 4tsp of curry powder. I had plenty of curry powder anyway, but I just wanted to point that out.
I’m also doubling all the recipes and saving half for lunch the following day. So now I really only have to worry about keeping breakfast food around. I love knowing exactly what I’m going to be making instead of just throwing random veggies in the trolley and having to throw them out later because I got too much.
Thanks for sharing Emily!
And I’m thrilled to have a vegan on board… I guess I was just nervous because I’m not vegan myself and didn’t want to lead anyone astray 🙂
And thanks for pointing out the error… need to do a better job of proof reading.. although I make the scrambled tofu with either curry powder or turmeric so you would have been fine 🙂
Let me know how you find the vegan substitution ideas… or if you try something I haven’t suggested I’d really love to know what a real love vegan is eating!
JC
Never eaten tofu before, but the curried tofu was delicious! Excited to try the rest of the recipes 🙂
Wonderful Suzie!
Good on you for trying something new!
My Irishman always gets suspicious when I tell him there is tofu for dinner but he always cleans his plate!
Jx
I sent an email that I was having trouble. But now I found the menus. Thanks. Susan
Glad to hear you’ve figured out the problem Susan!
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s something else Caroline and I can help you with 🙂
Jx
Hi Jules I am really excited to get started. . I have really enjoyed your simple yet tasty recepies, makes my fulfilled life easier . Can really use the time saved . Thanks a million
So glad Stonesoup has helped you Patricia!
Jx
I’m very excited to receive this first meal plan and I really like how you’ve made such an interesting combination of meals. Being vegetarian, I’m pleased to see such a mix of suggestions, so it’s not all tofu or beans. I plan on making a little extra for most meals, so I have some delicious leftovers to take to work for lunch the next day. This meal plan is a great idea! Thank you!
Wonderful Jordan!
I’ll be interested to see how you go given the meal plans aren’t specifically designed for vegetarians.
When you get time drop me another comment and let me know what you think!
Jx
feeling overwhelmed with info, but looking forward to it. i swear we’ll all have computer screens/net access in our kitchens soon for this!
Hi Shannon!
Welcome. And sorry to hear you’re feeling overwhelmed. Really encourage you to just focus on downloading the first meal plan and taking it one step at a time.
It’s all about baby steps.. progress not perfection!
Jx