Weekly Menu Ideas: 03-03

To Soup or Not to Soup

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Tradition in a strange thing, we seem set in our ways and then we learn a new way and that seems great too, then your traditions do not change but I feel they rather grow.

Most people break their fast with snacks and soup. I was not a soup lover in the past. This idea has grown on me. Especially the idea of chicken soup. I recently listened to a Podcast which featured Dr. Mindy Pelz, who encourages the idea of intermittent fasting to take control of your overall health.

Dr. Pelz recommends breaking any fast with foods high in glycine, which repairs the inner gut lining. Foods high in glycine include bone broth and chicken soup. Besides these benefits, it is known that soup after fasting is a great way to hydrate the body and also add essential nutrients back into the body.

Some food for thought!

Food Recycling

For a country with significant wealth, waste is not common. In the Hague, there is a organisation called the Conscious Kitchen which I read about. They basically a group of volunteers who take food that is unsellable at the markets and turn it into delicious meals for all to enjoy. While I am still not sure how I feel about this, it definitely does make me conscious about if I am throwing away too much food.

With this I have found that using the food we do not eat, there are amazing ways to recycle food that you did not eat and make it a completely new meal. I usually take the meals in the fridge from the previous night, roll down a bread and it in and make an egg dipped bread pie.

This has lead me to a pinterest frenzy on recycling food. If you are wasting a significant amount of food and you feel guilty about it, this is a great way to transform your food from the night before!

Ramadaan Snacks

We all have had our fair share of pies, springrolls and samoosas. Over the next few days, I will be posting some new ideas for Ramadaan snacks.

I thought it would be good to give you some ideas that are easy to make and fun to do in case you run out of ideas:

• Fried Chicken Cone Snacks

• Chicken Mayo Pancakes

• Sweet and Sour Mini Pitas

• Mini Kebabs

• Spianch and Feta Phyllo Cups

• Gyoza (Asian Dumplings)

• Egg Fried Filled bread (see food recycling above)

Weekly Menu - 17 February

Monday

School Lunch: Lettuce Wrap Roll-Ups

Dinner: Philly Cheese Steaks

Tips for this idea:

Philly cheese steaks are an easy Monday night meal, if you have an instant pot, it requires little to no effort on your side and can be prepared. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you could prepare thingly sliced vegetables cooked in a similar way and add it to a roll. It would taste amazing with a generous amount of spice.

Tuesday:

School Lunch: Chicken Nuggets / Chicken Strips

Dinner: Mediterranean Baked Fish Tray

Tips for this idea:

Week nights are always hectic, this recipe does not require much, adding cherry tomatoes, zucchini, olives, garlic and onions to a tray with your preferred fish, drizzle on some lemon and oil and bake at 180 degrees. Don't forget to add some seasoning but this can be tailored to your specific needs, for a vegan meal you can add tofu or chickpeas prepared in the same way.

Wednesday:

School Lunch: Waffles

Dinner: Family Pizza Night

Tips for this idea:

We all need a rest day every now and then, without breaking the bank. For me this is family pizza night, everyone can add their favorite toppings from meat lovers to a cheese only pizza. Easy to prepare and fun time together.

Thursday:

School Lunch: Hot Dogs

Dinner: Creamy Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

Tips for this idea:

This recipe is perfect for cold days, instead of chicken you can replace it with brown lentils for a vegan and vegetarian meals. It can be prepared the night before and added to the oven the next day.

Friday:

School Lunch: Cucumber Sandwiches

Dinner: Poke Bowls

Tips for this idea:

Poke Bowls are a family favorite, they require rice, protein and fresh vegetables like corn and soybeans. Usually I add the greek bowl to the menu but I thought it would be good to change things up. The difference is the addition of the chilli and soy sauce as a topping instead of tzaziki, as well as the difference in vegetable toppings. For warmer days it's nice to add mango for a fresh summer taste.

Saturday:

Lunch: Cheese and Corn Bake with Toast

Dinner: Big Mac Soft Shell Tacos

Tips for this idea:

I have seen some good recipes for the Big Mac Tacos online, I have not tried these yet but it looks amazing. I will post a recipe for the Big Mac Sauce recipe that I have tried and my kids struggle to tell the difference.

Sunday:

Supper: Sweet Rice, Roast Chicken and Pumpkin and a Greek Salad

Tips for this idea:

It has been a while since I have eaten traditional sweet rice, this was a staple for me back home. This combination makes a great meal for a family day.

I hope this makes this week easier for you. If you feel like you this is something you need for the weeks ahead, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas for next week. ♥️