Menu Plan Monday!

(On a Tuesday - but its still Monday somewhere!)

Click above to head over to Org Junkie for more Menu Plans!

For Christmas I received '4 Ingredients #2' by Kim McCosker & Rachael Bermingham and for birthday I received '4 Ingredients'. Great books! Highly recommended!

All these recipes are from those two books but some have been slightly modified for the slow cooker/crockpot. I will be adding some links and recipes later today but now I have to run off and get some grocery shopping done! Come back - they are all super yummy and super easy recipes! There is a lot of Lamb this week as we have a lot of it in the freezer and I want to use it up before the next lot of meat comes in (from FIL's farm).

Tues 5^th May – Sun 10^th May

Meals with recipes in BOLD - Recipes Added Below!

Mains:

Easy Casserole - with mashed potato

Chicken Casserole - with rice

Balsamic Glazed Lamb - with garlic potato and honey carrots

Chinese Style Lamb Roast - with roasted vegetables

Irish Stew - with mashed potato

Lamb & Bacon Parcels - with zucchini hash browns

Sides:

Easy Fried Rice

Garlic Potato

Honey Carrots

Zucchini Hash Browns

Kids:

Bugs in a Rug

Fish Cocktails

Vegetable Lasagne

Baby Meatballs

Sweets:

Jam Drops

Custard Tarts

RECIPES:

Easy Casserole

Serves 4 - 6

1kg round steak, cubed

500g bag mixed frozen vegetables, thawed

(or fresh vegies of your choice)

2 cups V8 juice

Place steak and vegetables in a slow cooker, pour over V8 juice, covering contents well. Cook for 3 - 4 hours or until meat is nice and tender.

NOTE: I will be using fresh veggies this time. I'm also making double and freezing half for another meal.

**********

Chicken Casserole

Serves 4

440g can condensed cream of chicken soup

8 chicken pieces

4 rashes bacon, roughly chopped

Vegetables of your choice

Fry bacon, place chicken, vegetables, bacon and soup in slow cooker and cook for at least 4 hours.

NOTE: Again I'm doubling this one for later meals

**********

Balsamic Glazed Lamb

Serves 4

12 lamb cutlets

1tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbs. Honey

2 tbs. fresh Rosemary Leaves

Heat fry pan, grill or BBQ. Mix last3 ingredients. Cook cutlets for 1 - 2 minutes each side or until just brown. Brush with baste and cook a further 3 minutes each side, basting occasionally. Drizzle some juice over cutlets once served.

**********

Chinese Style Lamb Roast

Serves 4 - 6

1.5kg lamb roast

375ml can evaporated milk

1/2 cup hoi sin sauce

Place the lamb into an oven bag. Combine milk and sauce. Pour about half over lamb (remander can be frozen for another time) and seal the bag, piercing a few holes around the end. Roast the lamb in a 180c oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until desired doneness.

NOTE: Left over meat is great on sandwiches for lunch!

**********

Lamb & Bacon Parcels

Serves 4

4 loin lamb chops

2 rashers of bacon, cut in half

4 tbs. wholegrain mustard

2 sheets puff pastry

Cut meat off the bone and trim fat. Cut puff pastry sheets in half and spread each generously with mustard. Place the lamb in the middle of the pastry and top with a half rasher of bacon. Seal edges and bake in 180c oven 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

NOTE: Haven't tried this one before, maybe cook the meat before putting it into parcels?

**********

Zucchini Hash Browns

Makes 4

1 cup zucchini, grated

2 tbs. oil to fry in

2 eggs, beaten slightly

Mixed seasoning to taste

Heat oil in a heavy pan. Mix all ingredients together in a medium size bowl and gently drop 1 tbs. of mixture in hot oil. When brown on one side, turn over and cook on the other side. Stack on a plate and keep warm until whole batched is cooked.

NOTE: Kids love these!

**********

Bugs in a rug

Makes 12

3 slices brown bread

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup butter, melted

12 cocktail frankfurters

Preheat oven to 180c. Pierce frankfurters all over with folk. Spread tomato sauce on bread, then cut into quarters. Place frankfurter diagonally on each quarter of bread. Bring up edges and secure with a toothpick. Brush with melted butter. Place on greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until bread is crisp and lightly brown.

**********

Baby Meatballs

250g lean mince

1/2 cup mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 180c. Combine ingredients. Roll into little balls and place on baking tray. Cook for around 20 minutes. Drain excess liquid before serving.

NOTE: I serve these with a side of greens.

**********

Custard Tarts

Makes 12

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

500g premium vanilla custard

3 tbs. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 200c. Cut 6 rounds from each sheet of pastry and line a non-stick muffin tray with them. Place a circle of baking paper with some uncooked rice on each and blind bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove paper and rice and cool. Spoon an equal amount of custard into each and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place tarts under a preheated grill to melt sugar before serving.

NOTE: Another yummy filling is Caramel Top 'n' fill! Just beat caramel well before spooning into tarts and top with fresh whipped cream - delicious!

**********

Also posted over at Chive talking Menu Plan Blogroll! Check them out!