Mid October Menus for €100 per week

 Autumn is well upon us. The mornings are dark and the evenings are getting a lot shorter; time to starting thinking about bedding down for the coming  winter; keeping warm and having lots of  soothing food.

As always,  the seven day menus are on a budget of €100 per week,  for a family of four with shopping from Aldi, Lidl and our local butcher.  Cooking all meals  from scratch takes more time, but is very fruitful, good for your family's health and saves disposable income for other things. Taking packed lunches and your
own quality coffee to work saves a small fortune in itsself!
We cook between 7pm - 8pm for the following day.
We also always have a sweet treat to have on hand in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Treat for the Week

Florentine Cream Pudding
This pudding is so easy to make, and you will be proud.
Enjoy it each evening, and pretend you are sitting in a gorgeous Italian Piazza with a strong coffee!
Dreams go a long way.

75g peeled almonds
75g hazelnuts
4 tablespoons amaretto (from Aldi)
4 tablespoons brandy (from Aldi)
250g Maderia Cake (from Lidl - all  made!)
150g 70% chocoalte
450ml whipping cream
90g icing sugar - sifted.

-Put almonds and hazelnuts in oven for 5 mins at 200C.
-Take out, using a tea towel rub off the hazelnut skins.
-Chop both almonds and hazelnuts.
-Mix the brandy and amaretto together.
-line a Pudding basin (1.5 litre dome shaped) with cling film
-Then line the basin with slices of the Maderia cake .
-Moisten the cake slices with the liqueur mixture.
-Melt 60g of chocolate in a small bowl, laid over a pan of simmering water.
- cut the other 90g of chocolate into small pieces.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar until stiff. fold in the almonds, hazelnuts and chocolate pieces.
- divide cream mixture in half and spoon one portion into the mould..
- spread cream evenly  over maderia cake
Place in the fridge for 12 hours.
When ready to eat, take out of fridge and turn out on to a plate.
Great for a party  or celebration!


Saturday
Lunch - baguette, ham, cheese and chutneys

Dinner: Homemade Pizza's  - mozzarella, ricotta, salami, field mushrooms.

To do
Make pizza dough before 3pm
Dry rub Duck confit with herbs, salt and garlic (€7.99 from Aldi - fresh)
Soak ham in water overnight (Aldi - small ham  is around €4.30)

Sunday
To do
slow cook duck confit for 4 hours at 140C
slow cook red cabbage for 2 hours at 150C
Place ham in a can of cider and simmer for 2 hours

Monday
Packed lunch -home cured ham sandwiches with dijon  mustard, fruit and raisins
Soup - curried courgette
Dinner Confit of duck with roast potatoes and red cabbage

To do

make  fresh tomato sauce for tuesday


Tuesday
Packed lunch - home cured ham sandwiches with dijon mustard, mature cheddar and oatbiscuits, fruit
Soup - Curried courgette
Dinnner :Fresh tomato sauce with linguine pasta

To do
Roast chicken and make stock
make  carrot and orange soup

Wednesday
Packed lunch - roast chicken sandwiches with crab apple jelly, hazelnuts and raisins
Soup Carrot and orange

Dinner Chicken in a white wine sauce with brown rice, peas and carrots

Thursday
Packed lunch - roast chicken sandwiches with crab apple jelly, oatbiscuits, cheese and fruit

Soup Carrot and orange

Dinner :Leek Flamiche with salad ( a tradtionial dish of Picardy, Northern France - v tasty!)

Friday 
Packed lunch -Tahini sandwiches with fruit, oatbiscuits and cheese
Soup - chard and potato
Dinner: Beef and red onion pie with mashed potatoes and veg