weekly menu 5th - 9th May

We pretty much stuck to the menu last week except we had roast chicken instead of bean stew on Friday. I did a post about the chicken pie with scone topping as several people commented on it.

This week's featured ingredient is potato and the gluten free menu swap is being hosted at Cooking Illustrated. Potato is such a staple here I can't imaging not using it several times a week even if it's just a microwaved baked potato for a quick lunch or frozen hash browns or smiley faces at tea time when it's just me and Small. However I am very tempted to try pink mash this week, we often have cheesey mash but I've never tried this version before.

On to the menu
Sunday and Monday we have a friend staying who is vegetarian. As I'm not sure what we are doing I have several alternative dishes penciled in. Monday is a bank holiday here so everyone is home.

1) nut roast (I've never made nut roast before but have been getting very fond of cooking with nuts recently), pink mash and oven roasted veg.

2) Broccoli and cauliflower cheese.

3) butternut squash soup and scones

The rest of the week there will be just me and the kids till after bedtime so I want very quick and easy recipes. We have alternate weeks where Tom is at work late and the other week he is home just after I pick Small up from school.

Tuesday - pasta and sauce, mince based.

Wensday - sausage and either mash or chips with mustard cabbage

Thursday - we have friends over for a roleplay night so will be ordering in pizza (i have GF ones in the freezer)

Friday - possibly one of the dishes we didn't have earlier or stew of some sort.

Baking - Apart from the possible scones, we will be making biscuits (there is so dough in the freezer). I'd also like some brownies or muffins or similar for snacking this week.

If you haven't spotted it my favorite recipe site for this week is www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk I think I will be referring back to them regularly from now on.