No repeat February (the meals version!)

I posted on Irina’s thread https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....hion-goals that I was considering a ‘no repeat’ evening meal challenge for the month of February - and I did it!

The usual routine is 5 dinners enjoyed ‘en famille’ (4 adults) and two nights where schedules take folks in different directions. I’m a ‘scratch’ cook. Soups are made with homemade broth from left over bones, and I bake bread (baguettes, buns, loaves). Leftovers are popular lunch solutions so nothing goes to waste.

For enquiring minds, here is how it went:

1. stuffed peppers
2. Lamb pot pie (meat left over from a roast leg of lamb)
3. Chicken and sausage paella
4. Salmon (olive oil, salt, pepper) on the BBQ, salad (mixed greens, strawberries, goat cheese, candied walnuts), baguette
5. whole roast chicken (made 2), California salad (mixed greens, grated carrot, grated cheese, mixed seeds, mandarin oranges), baguette
6. Deconstructed Shepherds pie (made with ground beef)
7. Quesadillas (shredded chicken, cheese, olives)
8. Pasta with pesto, shrimp, and snap peas
9. Salmon skewers and shrimp skewers on the BBQ, rice, salad of dark greens and mixed chopped vegetables
10. Pork loins wrapped in bacon, homemade apple sauce, asparagus, boiled potatoes
11. Hamburgers, chips, veg tray, milkshakes (Super Bowl tradition!)
12. Steaks, scalloped potatoes, spinach salad
13. grilled cheese sandwiches
14. Poached eggs on salad of dark greens with rye toast
15. homemade sausage rolls and green beans
16. Oven fried chicken, green beans,, egg noodles
17. Ham, mashed potatoes, BBQ’d pineapple, green peas
18. S+S ribs (old family recipe), rice, corn
19. Spanish Chirozzo and Chickpea soup with grated hard boiled egg (photo below), home made bread buns
20. Smoked meat sandwiches on rye
21. Talapia, stir fry medley with spiral pasta
22, Soy, ginger, honey beef stir fry with mixed vegetables and water chestnuts, rice
23. Coconut shrimp, curried rice, green peas
24. Casserole of potato, ham, cheese, and onions with baked eggs.
25. BBQ’d lamb steaks, salad of dark greens, raspberries, blackberries, goat cheese, and candied pecans, egg noodles
26. Maple glazed salmon, chopped salad (cabbage-red and green, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots with mixed seeds and cranberries, baked sweet potatoes
27. Coconut, Chickpea, Tumeric, Spinach soup (see photo below) with Naan bread
28. Cilantro, mint, tarragon, lime, etc. marinated and baked chicken, egg noodles, spinach

I started the month a bit uninspired, but got more into cooking as the month progressed. Since I hadn’t resorted to pasta with a red sauce the entire month, that’s what I made tonight - March 1st. Thanks to everyone who submitted recipes and links in my earlier thread. https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....ed-recipes I referenced some, and have plans to try others.

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8 months ago

Jules

Veteran

Yum! Your family is lucky to have an in-house chef and baker.
You got me thinking and we do repeat meals in the form of leftovers (although I might make a different side or other twist on the second day), but I don’t think I typically make the same recipe more than once a month. But nothing wrong with a good routine either.

Peri

I'm in awe of all people who can cook, but this no repeats for a month is over the top! I struggle not to repeat in a week, and each week is very much like another. Cooking is a skill that I never learned very well and that still intimidates me so I'm amazed at all you can do!

Irina

Wow! Impressive! I cook every day and repeat meals maybe twice a month. It’s tough especially for a vegetarian. My husband cooks fish for himself, I rarely eat it.

Indigoprint

Well done! Not only did you have a wide variety of menu choices you went the whole month dining in!

April

The update I've been waiting for! Thank you, RC. What a great challenge - I wonder if Mr. A would be on board for something similar.

Brief hijack for a good cause
I volunteer - they refer to us as chefs but I don't want to get ideas above my station - for a nonprofit called Lasagna Love that serves the US, Canada, and Australia. Can't cook? You can sponsor a chef, or donate to their Ricotta Club. If you're a chef, it's done from your own kitchen.
Ok, off my soapbox.

RC, I liked that you said you got more into it as the month went on. Have found that too - once you surrender to being in the kitchen it gets more inspiring. A well-organized kitchen helps tremendously as well, but I know you already have that. Sometimes I get inspired just by imagining you taking everything off your shelves every spring and wiping it all down. Then I read another chapter in my book.

Janet

(website)

I’m impressed! I’m only a recently turned halfway decent cook, mostly thanks to the pandemic and Blue Apron meal kits, which have taught me a lot do great basic stuff. Also thanks to having a new kitchen, I find cooking much more enjoyable than I did in the old space. Taking notes…

Style Fan

I am inspired! I am a decent cook now that I am retired and have time to spend making meals. I also make my veggie broth (we don't eat meat). It is so much better than store-bought.

Style Fan, I agree, homemade veggie broth is so much better. I make my own and use it as a base for all my soups. I make lots and keep the excess in the freezer. Recently, I started using leeks instead of onions in my soups and we like it.

Suz

Wow, amazing! You are impressive! I'm especially wowed by the homemade bread and stock part. Mr. Suz and I used to do that at one point but have found some good bakeries and also some decent organic stock concentrates. But I agree -- homemade is better. We *do* often save shrimp shells and leave in our freezer until we have enough to make a fish stock along with some actual fish and maybe clam juice.

We also loathe waste so eat lots of leftovers for our lunches (and sometimes breakfasts). We rarely repeat an evening meal within a month except for one tofu dish that is just a great family meal and very soothing, so we tend to have it a couple of times a month. And we'll often roast a chicken a few times a month, but serve with different sides.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Amazing, Carla! Impressed, and lucky family.

The soup in the pic looks pretty and delicious

WE ALWAYS EAT LEFTOVERS. It's become my speciality. Zero food waste, FTW. I grew up with parents who had no food during WW2, and it stuck.

I love to cook! It's therapeutic. I spend hours in the kitchen each day

Sal

Delicious Carla - well done! These sound very tasty.

I am a scratch cook too mostly but do usually buy breads...(I have just started a sourdough starter and have made five things from it = but mostly pancakes and naan rather than traditional bread)

JAileen

Your list looks delicious! We did this in college, for a whole school year. We had a roommate who made the same thing every time it was her turn to cook - Tater Tot Casserole. It was fine the first time. So we made a no repeat rule. We found out our college library had cookbooks, and that helped a lot.

arshfay

Member

Wow this looks amazing. To cook is an art. You can also try some sushi recipes which are very easy to make and delicious.

4 months ago

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