Easy Dinner Recipes - 4 Weeks of Budget Meal Planning For February

Do you feel constantly hassled when it comes to thinking of putting a meal on the table at the end of a busy day? There is a solution by way of easy monthly meal planning. Not only is the free monthly meal plan provided for you, so too are the delicious recipes. And it gets better...for each of the Main Meals that you cook, there are Leftover Recipes. This means that you cut the time on preparation and more or less get two meals out of one.

WEEK 1

February's Easy Dinner Recipes are available. If you want to know how to cook Beef Tenderloin, there is a delicious recipe with a coriander, paprika and black pepper rub. Want to use the leftovers? Try the Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry.

And then there is a very light Smoked Salmon Pasta Recipe - ideal for informal entertaining or a simple family evening and very quickly prepared.

And how about starting the day with Healthy Blueberry Muffins? This recipe can be prepared the night before and then whisked into the oven in the morning. Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked muffins in the morning and they are great lunchbox fillers.

WEEK 2

There is the Rotisserie Chicken Rub Recipe which is suitable both for the rotisserie as well as for oven baked whole chicken. This month we use the leftovers for Easy Chicken Enchiladas - a really quick, delicious recipe and easily whipped up after a day on the go.

The Baked Fish Recipe with Pecans, Coriander and Parmesan Crust is both tasty and simple. You can even use the same crust for a Stuffed Mushroom Recipe.

February, of course, is Cupid's month! If you are looking for good gifts for Valentines, the Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe fits the bill. It is fudgey and truly decadent. Make it in a heart-shaped cake tin and present it to the love of your life - or your family!

WEEK 3

What would winter be without a Homemade Beef Stew Recipe and this month we make it with carrots and parsnips. This really is a warming family treat but really simple to make. And the leftovers are cunningly turned into a Meat Pie Recipe with a puff pastry top - what could be easier?

The Seafood Jambalaya Recipe is a Cajun favorite - mildly spicy and not complicated to make.

Our Fresh Pumpkin Pie features again. This has been a very popular recipe and uses the last of the butternut squashes.

WEEK 4

And of course there are some healthy fish recipes. This month there is the Best Grilled Salmon Recipe with a Teriyaki Sauce. Now, this is where the plan gets clever. You can make a double quantity of the Garlic Mash Potato Recipe. Use it with Sausages one night, then combine it with a little extra salmon to make a delicious Salmon Patties Recipe and finally, you can use it to make Potato Leek Soup. The family will never guess that they are eating the same recipe three completely different ways!

Here is another clever idea. Make double of the Caramelized Onions and Roasted Vegetables Recipe and you will easily be able to make the Vegetable Quiche Recipe.

And it gets better! Make double of the Quiche Crust Recipe and you will be able to make not only the Vegetable Quiche but the Best Apple Pie Recipe too. There is a surprise here. The shortcrust pastry has a little cheese in it. Cheese? With Apple Pie? Try it! It is one of those marriages and works really well. This Apple Pie is based on a very old American Recipe and somehow the savory of the cheese enhances the sweetness of the apples. The result is a delectable pie which is sweet without being cloying. This is definitely one of our family favorites.

SO - WHAT IS STOPPING YOU GETTING STARTED? Meal Planning saves time, money and your sanity.

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes - Budget Meal Planning For November

Cooking Thanksgiving Turkey and Turkey Leftovers

The festive season brings with it both joys and stresses. And the place where the tensions are often most evident is in the kitchen! If you want to avoid being harassed over the holidays, a modicum of thinking ahead can avert potentially fraught situations. Planning your healthy Thanksgiving recipes is the first step. You've got the recipe for cooking Thanksgiving turkey...but what to do with the turkey leftovers? Turkey a la King is a great way of producing an entirely new meal with the previous day's turkey. Turkey Burgers with Coriander, Soy and Pickled Ginger also ring the changes and give a slightly fusion twist to a traditional recipe.

Ground Beef Casserole Recipes and Simple Chicken Recipes

However, November is not ALL about Thanksgiving! We all have three weeks of meals to produce before then. This needn't be a chore if you plan wisely. The trick is to try and get another meal out of a main meal. For example: Shepherd's Pie Recipe on one night will easily make a reappearance as a glamorous Meat Pie Recipe, complete with light puff pastry. Oven Baked Whole Chicken as a main meal could become a delicious Chicken Pasta Bake with Pesto Sauce and Parmesan Crust. Your Best Grilled Salmon Recipe could then double as Fresh Salmon Croquettes. So, you can see, that with a little monthly meal planning, putting nutritious daily meals on the table needn't be too onerous.

Fresh Pumpkin Recipes

Autumn Meal Planning wouldn't be complete without an offering of Pumpkin Recipes. Of all pumpkins, Butternut Squash is my favorite for its intense, nutty flavor. Using vegetables that are bountiful at this time of year makes sense if you are trying to cook economically. So, what better than a Butternut Squash Soup Recipe with a Pumpkin Muffin? Butternut Squash Recipe with Coconut Milk and Cashew Nuts makes an ideal Thanksgiving side dish recipe and for a vegetarian optional main course, you could try Vegetarian Moussaka with Butternut Squash and Aubergines. Simply delicious.

Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

Budget Meal Planning is not all around sensible main meals! What would Thanksgiving be without the best Pecan Pie recipe? Or you could try an easy Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe which is light and nutritious.

Thanksgiving Cookie Recipes

Homemade cookie recipes come into their own over Thanksgiving. There is nothing like making a batch of cookies as a gift - they are a symbol of your time and thought. Snickers Cookies are fun to make with the family and Greek Cookies not only look beautiful, they taste fabulous.

November Meal Planning is currently available for your daily cooking ideas.

Fiona Lesley has had over 20 years of experience cooking delicious meals for family and friends alike. A teacher by profession, she brings together her years of time and money-saving tips at Monthly Meal Planning