Meal planning really makes everyday life a little easier for me. I hope my meal plan provides you with some inspiration and ideas for your Thermomix® cooking.
How I do my meal plan
- Go through Cookidoo® and look through my saved recipes to see if anything appeals for this week. I often also search for some new recipes based on what I feel like eating.
- Add recipes to My Week, which is the meal planning facility in Cookidoo®.
- I have a heap of recipes that I like that are not on Cookidoo®, but have been collected over the years. Some of these are Thermomix® recipes from cookbooks, and many others are not specific Thermomix® recipes, but in many cases I have adapted them to be made in the Thermomix®.
- If I have a week where I have recipes from different sources, then I will print out my ThermoJo Meal Planning template to use. On this I can write each day's meals and where it is recorded, make a note of the basics I need to restock, snacks to make, and note when we are either eating out of having leftovers.
- I then create my shopping list in Cookidoo®, add in items I need for other recipes and then print out or send these over to Woolworths if I am doing an online shop.
Click here to grab your copy of the ThermoJo Meal Planning template.
This week: Restock Basics, Regulars and Lunches
Each week there are normally some basics that need restocking, along with some regular favourites to make that form part of lunches or snacks.
The first two items on this week's list were actually on last week's meal plan. However, there were a couple of items out of stock in my online grocery order and I didn't get around to getting those later in the week.
My meal plan started on Sunday and it is now Tuesday, so this week, I will be making, or have already made:
- Caramelised Red Onion Chutney: I first made this just a month or so ago and it is very very good. I am going to test it out with less sugar this time.
- Simple granola: I haven't made this before, I usually do another non-Thermomix® recipe. I will give this a go and probably change the ingredients a bit, but it will work well to combine everything properly.
- Cheat's Sourdough: this is my current favourite bread recipe. I made double on Sunday and put the shaped loaves into the fridge, baking one on Monday. The other will be baked later in the week.
- Tuna dip: I have been making this one for years. It is great for lunch on bread or toast. I make with half the quantity of cream cheese and everything else the same.
- Strawberry Orange Smoothie: I made this for the first time on Sunday for lunch. So simple and really nice. I used an orange instead of orange juice.
This week: Four Dinners and Plenty of Leftovers
Each week I will normally make three main meals from Monday to Wednesday, with leftovers on Thursday. Ideally I also prep those meals and cook ahead so I am not cooking each night. This week I got started on Sunday with a meal that provides plenty of leftovers too.
Friday night is normally a couple of drinks, cheese, maybe some homemade dip or pate. Saturday we may be out, or else I will throw something together from whatever we have, maybe pizza – and sometimes we will have takeaway. Sunday is meant to be easy, so could just be eggs or grab something from the freezer stash.
My meal plan started on Sunday and it is now Tuesday, so this week, I will be making, or have already made:
- Pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans): another Thermomix® classic that was in the TM31 Everyday Cookbook and I have been cooking for years. A great meal to make from pantry basics – simple, quick and it makes a heap ready for leftovers.
- Garlic prawns: this has only been added to my regular meals in recent weeks and I can guarantee it will stay there. So simple, again with pantry basics and yummy. I made this last night – added an onion at the garlic step, doubled the garlic (!), and enough prawns for two serves only (probably around 300g defrosted). So therefore more soupy and perfectly suited to two with the addition of garlic toast using my Cheat's Sourdough. A perfect meal!
- Aussie Potato Salad: tonight I will pair this with a store bought roast chicken. I already have some mayonnaise made, so am all ready to go. I will use the Blade Cover and Peeler to peel the potatoes. I love it!
- Chicken Katsu Curry with Rice: I haven't made this before, but I have eaten it at my friend Clare's place. Very tasty and I am looking forward to giving it a go.
- Chicken liver paté: for Friday night with drinks, I will make this. So so cheap to make and just as good as a quality bought paté. I normally use a recipe from a book I have, but I might try this version. Main change I will make is to blend for longer, say one minute, at step three.
Remember, if there are recipes on Cookidoo® that you always make some amendments to, then you can save your versions.
Click here to learn exactly how to edit and save Cookidoo® recipes.
Follow my cooking on the ThermoJo Socials
So now you know what I plan to cook, you can follow along on my social media accounts as I show you the results and some of the methods used.
I post stories on Instagram and Facebook as I cook with my Thermomix®.
Feel free to tag me in your cooking too!
Cookidoo® is the Thermomix® recipe database.
You need an account to view the full recipe details.
Without an account you can see the ingredients but not the cooking method.
Click here to start your Cookidoo® free trial.
