Who doesn't like dumplings?

Copyright Merelymel 2007 - Creative Commons

This week's #mealplanningmonday meal plan is looking suspiciously like last week's!

I promise you this isn't a complete cheat though, as to encourage littl'un to be at least a slightly less fussy eater I am repeating some new things week after week so her taste buds get used to the flavour and so she believes that she really can enjoy something she once hated.

But, last week's plan did need tweaking as not everything worked and plus we want to have one newish thing each week.  So subject to last minute disasters we should be eating  ....



Meal Plan
Monday:        Almond pilav with left over potatoes, spinach, tomatoes & houmous
Tuesday:        Taleggio quinoa with red peppers
Wednesday:   Strachiatella with spinach
Thursday:       Stew & dumplings with glazed carrots
Friday:           Golden goujons of chicken & white fish with garlicky yoghurt dips
Saturday:        Pumpkin and chickpea gnocchi
Sunday:          Salmon, boiled potatoes & mushy peas (hmmm ...!)

Monday is adults only so it's the usual almond pilav - from Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food - with left over veg from the weekend.  Littl'un wanted to make some preserved peppers for her Grandma's birthday like the ones we made for Christmas, so am also bunging some in the quinoa on Tuesday.  And Wednesday's Strachiatella is a way of using up some of our glut of spinach in the freezer.

Dumplings, Dumplings, Dumplings
On Thursday we're going to have an updated version of last week's stew and dumplings, when littl'un had basic stewing beef with gravy and dumplings and the grown ups had a stew adapted from the Leek and Walnut Steamed Pudding in  Leith's Vegetable Bible which was basically sauteed onions and very slowly cooked leeks combined with roughly chopped walnuts, parsley, thyme and nutmeg and a mustard gravy.

On the plus side the stew and dumplings - only 3rd time tried - was eaten with almost no fuss but the idea was that she would try some of the leeks as they would be nice and soft and quite sweet, which didn't work at all.  So this week am going to try some glazed carrots as a separate side veg again with the idea they will be soft - non lumpy - and sweet.

After an initial meltdown last week at the sight of the other dumplings on the plan - the gnocchi - she did actually admit that they were rather nice once she'd tried one!  So this week we'll combine the gnocchi with the pumpkin and chickpea sauce as it is packed full of veg.  Small steps but hopefully progress.

More Hidden Veg
Littl'un has obviously had fish fingers on more than one occasion many times but this week we're going to try making our own.  We're using the recipe from the River Cottage Toddler Cookbook and making both fish and chicken versions - it's a good chance for her to help cook - which we'll serve with a garlicky yoghurt dip and various vegetable sticks.  As I am not to confident about any vegetable sticks being eaten I am also going to try and smuggle some blended up cucumber into the dip.

I would love to hear your meal planning ideas - particularly if you've got a fussy eater - do come and tell me about them on Facebook and Twitter.

I'm linking this post up with the fabulous #mealplanningmonday parties at At Home with Mrs M, Stone Gable and I'm An Organizing Junkie - please do check them out for lots more meal planning ideas. I am also sharing at Under the Table and Dreaming, A Bowlful of Lemons, Clean and Scentsible, Delightful Order, We Are That Family, The Gunny Sack, The Chicken Chick, Wow Me Wednesday, Domesblissity and Not Just a Housewife.