Recipe–Menu For April

In the blocks below, please find your weekly recipe-menus in a restaurant-style layout. If you have any questions or concerns about the meals, please reach out to me! I upload the complete recipe-menu's on a Friday to help with meal prep for the week and the upcoming weekend.

Week One:

Breakfast

Good Morning Granola

(Granola dish with oats)

Serving size: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

What you'll need:

1 –large– baking sheet
Measuring cups and spoons
Airtight container (for storage)

Dry ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup granola (any type)
3 tbsp. coconut palm sugar

Wet ingredients:

½ tsp. almond extract
¼ cup melted coconut oil
⅓ cup raw honey

Spices:

½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. sea salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C/gas mark 4.
Mix oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt in a –large– mixing bowl.
Add honey, coconut oil, almond extract then spread on baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden.
Toss with ½ cup dried fruit and ½ cup nuts/seeds.
Serve warm or just cooled for a warm breakfast bar.

Helpful Hint:

For best results, store granola in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks to allow them to dry before baking them.

Lunch

A Vital Lunch

(Veggie omelet)

Serving size: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

What you'll need:

1 –medium– pan
Spatula or egg lifter
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk

Dry ingredients:

None

Wet ingredients:

¼ cup –diced– bell peppers
¼ cup steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets
2 slices cooked bacon or –diced– chicken
4 large eggs
¼ cup –sliced–mushrooms
2 tbsp. –diced– onions
½ cup –chopped– spinach leaves

Spices:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. –chopped– parsley, chives, or basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Whisk eggs in a bowl.
Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli.
Add spinach and cook until wilted.
Add bacon or chicken, then pour in eggs.
Cook, fold, and serve garnished with fresh herbs.

Helpful Hint:

To make this more filling, add a slice of avocado or a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Week Two:

Snacks

A Sneaky Leak

(A leak dish with fruit)

Serving size: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

What you'll need:

1 –large– pot
Blender or food processor
Measuring cups and spoons
Serving ladle

Dry ingredients:

None

Wet ingredients:

¼ cup –cored, diced– Granny Smith apple
2 cups –peeled, diced– celeriac
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 whole leek
2 cups water

Spices:

1 tsp. dried thyme
Fresh thyme leaves for garnish
½ tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Method:

Heat oil and sauté leeks 5 minutes.
Add celeriac and apple, then stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Add water and simmer 30 minutes or until tender.
Blend until smooth.
Season with thyme, pepper, salt.

Helpful Hint:

This soup is best served with a sprinkle of fresh thyme and a drizzle of olive oil.

Appetizer

A Ball of a Time

(Easy meatballs)

Serving size: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

What you'll need:

1 –large– baking sheet or roasting pan
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls and spoons

Dry ingredients:

¾ cup breadcrumbs

Wet ingredients:

¾ cup basil pesto
2 ½ cups chicken breasts, minced
1 medium egg
¾ cup –grated– parmesan
¼ cup –chopped, cooked– spinach

Spices:

1 tsp. crushed garlic

Method:

Preheat oven to 274°F/135°C/gas mark 1.
Mix chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, pesto, parmesan, and spinach.
Roll into small meatballs using your fingertips to measure then bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce.

Helpful Hint:

These meatballs are best when served with a side of marinara sauce and fresh basil.

WeekThree:

Main

A Pot of the Valley

(A lamb based pot meal)

Serving size: 3
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

What you'll need:

1 –large– pot
1 –large, square– roasting dish
Flat spoon to hep with layering
Measuring cups and spoons

Dry ingredients:

None

Wet ingredients:

½ cup crème fraîche
1 ¼ cup grated cheddar
4 cups –sliced– eggplant
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 ¾ cup lamb mince
1 cup –sliced– red onion
2 ¾ cup passata
4 cups –sliced– yellow potatoes

Spices:

2 tsp. –crushed, dried– mint, halved
2 tsp. –crushed, dried– thyme, halved
2 –crushed– garlic cloves, halved

Method:

Preheat oven to 428°F/220°C/gas mark 7.
Boil potatoes in a –large– pot.
In a –large, square, roasting dish– gill eggplant until char lines appear.
Reduce the heat to 356°F/180°C/gas mark 4.
Layer the dish in the following order:

Potatoes (along the bottom of the pan)
onion
lamb
half of the spices
passata

6. Repeat this order until the casserole dish has filled or your run out of ingredients.

7. After the final layer has been added, drizzle crème fraîche and sprinkle cheese right on top.

8. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Helpful Hint:

You can add a green salad to break the fattiness of the lamb.

Desert

The Fruit Bar

(A fruit and nut bar with ice cream)

Serving size: 6 bars
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

What you'll need:

1 –large– baking sheet or pan
Measuring spoons and cups
Mixing spoon
Sharp knife or mandoline

Dry ingredients:

¼ cup almonds
1 tbsp. ccashews
1 tbsp. dried cranberries
2 tbsp. chopped dark chocolate
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 tbsp. pecans
1 ½ tbsp. puffed rice
1 tbsp. sunflower seeds

Wet ingredients:

2 tsp. brown rice syrup
½ ice cream per person

Spices:

Pinch of cinnamon and salt

Method:

Toast nuts at 325°F/165°C/gas mark 3 for 8–10 minutes.
Mix nuts with seeds, cranberries, puffed rice, flax, cinnamon, salt, syrup, and chocolate.
Press into panm and bake 18–20 minutes.
Once the mixture has cooled slightly, slice them into finger slices and serve with a dollop of icecream ontop.

Helpful Hint:

You can make the bars the day before for a completely cool desert.

Week Four:

Drinks

Green and Oranger

(Cool Mint and Orange Drink)

Serving size: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: No cooking required
Total time: 5 minutes

What you'll need:

Blender or food processor with a ‘fine’ setting
Measuring cups
Strainer

Dry ingredients:

None

Wet ingredients:

1 cup cold water
2 –sliced– oranges
½ cup pear
½ cup fresh mint leaves

Spices:

None

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Strain if desired.
Serve chilled.

Helpful Hint:

For a refreshing twist, add a splash of sparkling water for extra fizz.

A Friend of the Valley

Serves: Cats/dogs: 4–2
Birds: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

What you'll need:

1 –large– pot
1 –large, square– roasting dish
Measuring cups and spoons

Dry ingredients:

Your pet’s kibble

Wet ingredients:

1 cup –cubed– butternut
1 cup pet mince or 1 cup lentil and barley mix
2 cups –sliced– red cabbage
2 cups –cubed– yellow potatoes
2 cups unsalted vegetable stock or water

Spices:

2 tsp. –fresh– mint
2 tsp. –fresh– thyme
2 tsp. –ground– paprika
1 tsp. dried rosemary

Method:

Preheat oven to 356°F/180°C/gas mark 4.
Combine all the ingredients and spices in a –large– pot.
Cook on high until potatoes and pet mince (if using) is cooked (about 30 minutes).
Transfer contents to the –large– roasting dish and mash vegetables slightly.
Add a sprinkle of rosemary and serve to your pets.
For dogs, you can add this to their kibble to help with plaque removal and a healthy meal, but if feeding this to your cat or bird, remember to have a second bowl to ensure they can eat their 'normal' food. This meal might not be as appealing to cats, but other omnivores could enjoy this meal, including rats.
If making this for a bird, you can add the pot ingredients to a food processor on pulse until the desired texture.

NB:

Nothing that I can think of other than to ensure their food is a safe temperature for them.

Recipe–Menu For April

Week One:

Good Morning Granola

(Veggie omelet)

​

Week Two:

(Easy meatballs)

​

WeekThree:

A Pot of the Valley

(A fruit and nut bar with ice cream)

​

Week Four:

(Cool Mint and Orange Drink)

​