September Thrifty & Organic Meal Plan:
Spiced Plums, Pulled Beef
and
Hidden Veggie Cheese Muffins
Core Ingredients for September:
Beef, Carrots, Leeks, Shallots, Oats and Plums
Meal Plan and Recipes for September:
Pulled BBQ Beef Brisket Wraps
(for a “back to school” midweek or weekend supper)
Carrot, Leek and Oat Cheese Muffins
(for breakfast on the go or the school lunch-box)
Spiced Oven Poached Plums with Orange, Star Anise and Cinnamon
(for an easy weekend or weekday dessert)
Welcome to September’s Thrifty and Organic Meal Plan! Last month, August, saw me making the most of late summer with a menu that comprised Hidden Veg Baked Meatball Subs (Sandwiches), Amish Style Macaroni Salad and Raspberry & Almond Crisp for a summer Pot-Luck supper, which is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contribute a dish of food prepared by the person or the group of people, to be shared among the larger gathered group……perfect for summer sharing and al-fresco dining. This month is a special month as it is also Organic September, the UK’s biggest celebration of all things organic……by choosing organic we can all support a kinder, greener and better food system – from more bees and hedgerows, to better animal welfare, and shorter more trustworthy food chains, something that I am very proud to support.
This month also sees the end of the summer holidays, it’s back to school for the children and I always think of September as the beginning of autumn, but with Indian summer days, so not quite casserole and stew weather just yet. So, with that in mind, my menu this month has reflected some easy but comforting dishes to make for back-to-school midweek suppers as well as healthy lunch-box snacks and breakfast bakes…….it’s hearty food but still light enough to enjoy on a warm autumn day……we have delicious and meltingly tender Pulled BBQ Beef Brisket Wraps – perfect for a midweek family meal and the beauty of this recipe is that the beef can be cooking all day in a slow cooker or on very low in the oven. All that is needed to serve the beef is to prepare some chopped salad veg and heat some wraps up for a fun “help-yourself” family supper.
As well as these luscious and easy to make beefy wraps, I have created a wonderful new recipe for some healthy breakfast buns or muffins, Carrot, Leek and Oat Cheese Muffins, perfect for breakfast on the go or for the school and office lunch box, these muffins are packed with “hidden veg” and nutritious oats. It was tempting to go with a stew or casserole when I decided on what seasonal veggies to use for September…..but, these breakfast muffins have leeks, carrots and shallots in them for a five-a-day packed bake that tastes delicious and is also perfect when served with soups and stews too.
Finally, I have taken inspiration from a spiced damson chutney I make, as well an orange and cinnamon jam recipe, and have created a fabulous dessert, Spiced Oven Poached Plums with Orange, Star Anise and Cinnamon – perfect for “pudding” during the week or the weekend, and also a wonderful recipe for a pie or crumble filling. These plums are rich with fragrant spices and are cooked in a rich orange zest and orange juice sauce, with just a splash of wine for an added treat! (Omit the wine of you wish and add apple juice instead) We enjoyed these plums with a goodly dollop of crème fraîche and I have made them several times since creating the recipe.
I hope that September’s Thrifty and Organic Menu inspires you to embrace the season – they are all easy recipes to make and I am sure the whole family will love them. The breakdown of costs are shared below, along with ALL of the recipes and some leftovers and ingredients ideas for other recipes. As always, my thrifty menu using key organic produce will not break the bank and you will be feeding the family with healthy ingredients that have no pesticides or nasties in them. See you next month for my October menu, which I am planning already! Karen
Please Note: I have only listed the main ingredients in each recipe; “pantry staples” such as flour, oil, sugar, seasoning, spices and herbs have not been added, unless they are a large part of the recipe or are a core ingredient for the month.
Shopping List for September:
Pulled BBQ Beef Brisket Wraps
Brisket: £7:20
BBQ sauce: £0:20
Yoghurt: £0:50
Wraps: £1:20
Tomatoes: £0:80
Spring Onions: £0:40
Cucumber: £0:50
Cheese: £1:20
Total: £12:00
(£2:00 to £1:50 per head based on 6 to 8 servings)
Carrot, Leek and Oat Cheese Muffins
Cheese: £1.80
Oats: £0:20
Leek: £0:50
Carrots: £0:30
Shallots: £0:60
Eggs: £0:40
Yoghurt: £0:50
Milk: £0:20
Flour: £0:45
Total: £4:95
(£0:41 per muffin)
Spiced Oven Poached Plums with Orange, Star Anise and Cinnamon
Plums: £3:30
Oranges: £0:70
Sugar: £0:35
Star anise: £0:20
Cinnamon Sticks: £0:40
Total: £4:95
(£0:82 per person based on serving 6)
Please Note: I have only listed the main ingredients in each recipe; “pantry staples” such as flour, oil, sugar, seasoning, spices and herbs have not been added, unless they are a large part of the recipe or are a core ingredient for the month.
I always like to suggest alternative recipes to use with the month’s core ingredients, as well as leftover ideas, here’s my suggestions for August:
Other Recipe Ideas with Core Ingredients:
Spiced Mirabelle Plum Galette
Almond and Plum Tray Bake
Traditional Greengage Jam
Overnight Oats with Honey & Raspberries
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats (Gluten Free)
Quick Oat Scone Bread
Curried Beef & Apricot Pie
Elizabethan Spiced Beef Stew
Cape Malay Beef Curry
Leftovers Ideas:
Beef and Potato Pie
Beef Pasties
Beef Stew with Dumplings
Beef Sandwiches
Plum Crumble
Plum Pie
Plum “Eton Mess” with cream and meringues
Muffins can be used for soups and stews
Muffins can be used in a bread pudding style bake
Disclaimer: Organic UK is paying me an agreed fee to create and develop these Thrifty and Organic Recipes. However, as I am a big supporter of organic produce, I am happy to share these sponsored organic recipes and posts on my blog, for the benefit of my readers.
RECIPES:
Pulled BBQ Beef Brisket Wraps
Print recipe
Serves
4 to 8
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
3 hours
Total time
3 hours, 15 minutes
Meal type
Lunch, Main Dish, Snack
Misc
Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion
Barbecue, Casual Party, Halloween
By author
Karen S Burns-Booth
A wonderfully easy mid-week family supper recipe - these pulled BBQ beef brisket wraps are fun to self-assemble at the table and make a change to the usual weekly menu. Use a high quality barbecue sauce, or home-made sauce for the best results.
Ingredients
Pulled BBQ Beef Brisket
900g beef brisket
4 to 6 tablespoons barbecue sauce
150mls apple juice or cider
To Serve
8 tortilla wraps (wheat or corn)
8 spring onions, finely diced
4 tomatoes, finely diced
50g to 75g cheese, grated or crumbled
lettuce, to serve
Cucumber Sauce
250mls thick Greek style yoghurt
half cucumber, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely diced
1 teaspoon dried mint (or a tablespoon fresh chopped mint leaves)
salt and pepper to taste
Note
A wonderfully easy mid-week family supper recipe - these pulled BBQ beef brisket wraps are fun to self-assemble at the table and make a change to the usual weekly menu. Use a high quality barbecue sauce, or home-made sauce for the best results.
Directions
Step 1
Place the meat into a covered roasting tray or cast iron casserole dish. Mix the barbecue sauce with the apple juice (or cider) and pour it over the meat.
Cover and cook on low 3 hours at 150C/300F/Gas mark 2. Alternatively, cook in a slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours.
When the meat is cooked, shred it with two forks and serve it in wraps.
Step 2
Make the cucumber sauce; combine all the ingredients together, except the salt which you can add JUST before serving. Place into a serving bowl to serve with the wraps.
Step 3
To serve: heat the wraps in a warm oven wrapped in tinfoil, (allow 1 wrap per child and 2 wraps per adult) then put the tomatoes, spring onions, lettuce and cheese on a serving platter or in small bowls - allow the diners to assemble the wraps themselves by putting the lettuce, tomatoes and spring onions on top of a warm wrap and then adding the pulled BBQ brisket - top with cheese and yoghurt sauce and roll up to eat.
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Carrot, Leek and Oat Cheese Muffins
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Print with main photo
Print text only
Serves
12
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
20 minutes
Total time
35 minutes
Allergy
Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary
Vegetarian
Meal type
Bread, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Misc
Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Occasion
Casual Party, Formal Party, Halloween
By author
Karen S Burns-Booth
These delicious savoury muffins hide a healthy secret; as well as the cheese and oats, they are packed with leeks and carrots for a tasty veggie style breakfast bun! Also perfect to accompany soup, casseroles and to add to the school or office lunch box, as well as picnics.
Ingredients
75g jumbo oats (set some aside to sprinkle on top of muffins)
225g self raising four
125g extra mature Cheddar cheese (grated, with some set aside to add to the top of the un-baked muffins)
1/2 teaspoon English mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste
50g butter
1 large leek, cleaned and trimmed (cut in half and then cut into small pieces)
4 shallots, peeled and finely diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
2 eggs, beaten with 125mls milk
1 x 125ml pot of natural yoghurt
Note
These delicious savoury muffins hide a healthy secret; as well as the cheese and oats, they are packed with leeks and carrots for a tasty veggie style breakfast bun! Also perfect to accompany soup, casseroles and to add to the school or office lunch box, as well as picnics.
Directions
Step 1
Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Grease and/or line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.
Melt the butter and fry the leeks and shallots until just soft. Set to one side.
Step 2
Mix the oats, flour, cheese, mustard powder, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
Step 3
Add the yoghurt the beaten and egg milk mixture and pour over the dried ingredients. Gently mix together to combine.
Step 4
Add the grated carrots and cooked leeks in the melted butter, mix until JUST combined, do not over mix.
Step 5
Spoon the muffin mixture into the paper cases and sprinkle over the cheese with with a few jumbo oats.
Step 6
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until risen and golden brown.
Step 7
Serve warm for breakfast or with casseroles and soups. Great for packed lunches too.
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Spiced Oven Poached Plums with Orange, Star Anise and Cinnamon
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Print text only
Serves
6 to 8
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
50 minutes
Dietary
Vegetarian
Meal type
Dessert, Snack
Misc
Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Occasion
Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region
British
By author
Karen S Burns-Booth
A beautifully fragrant and gently spiced plum dish where the plums are "oven poached" with star anise and cinnamon in an orange and wine jus; these plums are perfect served warm with cream or crème fraîche and the recipe also makes a great filling for pies or crumbles. (This flavour combination is based in a spiced plum jam and chutney that I make)
Ingredients
900g plums, such as Victoria, Mirabelle or Czar
Juice and zest of 2 organges
3 tablespoons white wine
3 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
50g Demerera sugar
Note
A beautifully fragrant and gently spiced plum dish where the plums are "oven poached" with star anise and cinnamon in an orange and wine jus; these plums are perfect served warm with cream or crème fraîche and the recipe also makes a great filling for pies or crumbles. (This flavour combination is based in a spiced plum jam and chutney that I make)
Directions
Step 1
Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 5.
Step 2
Cut the plums in half and take the stone out. Arrange the plums in a large baking or roasting dish in a single layer of possible.
Step 3
Pour the orange juice and wine over the top of the plums and then add the orange zest - turn the plums over and around to coat them in the juice and zest.
Step 4
Tuck the star anise and cinnamon sticks amongst the plums and then sprinkle the sugar over the top of the plums.
Step 5
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the fruit is soft but has not collapsed too much.
Step 6
Serve warm or cold with crème fraîche, double cream ice cream.
Step 7
Can be used as a filling for crumbles or pies.
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Links to my other Thrifty and Organic Recipe and Menu Posts in 2014:
August Thrifty & Organic Meal Planner: An American Style “Pot Luck” Summer Supper
Thrifty & Organic Meal Planner for July: Peas, Roast Fennel, Cheese Pie and Cherry Cake
June Thrifty & Organic Meal Planner: Salmon, Watercress & Strawberry Delights!
Thrifty & Organic Meal Planner for May: Chicken, Exotic Spices and Floral Fruit
Organic Easter Menu: French Herb & Garlic Lamb and Pots au Chocolat
2013 Thrifty and Organic Recipes and Meal Plans:
2013 Thrifty and Organic Recipes and Meal Plans