Just Add Parsley logo

You are here: Home / Archives for Weekly Menu

Weekly Menu

By

The long road to normality

w/c Monday 26 April 2021

It’s now very quiet in the Just Add Parsley kitchen! The children have gone back to school (again) after a short stint followed by a long Easter holiday. Bliss!

Time to clear the decks, get up to date with admin, plan my menus and my day and to think further than the next meal ahead. It has been such an indulgence to sit with a coffee and browse my favourite recipe books (and some new lockdown purchases). I have been putting together menus for complex dietary requirements, planning occasion menus and researching new ice cream and sorbet recipes – rhubarb and gin sorbet, anyone?

This week’s menu:
For now, I am delighted to continue making my popular picnic grazing platters, date night dinners and filling fridges and freezers all over East Herts with soups and family meals for those occasions when cooking supper is just one too many plate to spin. These are available to order at any time with a minimum of 48 hrs notice.

This week’s soup is cream of tomato (£5.50)
This week’s salad is 2 bean, 2 lime (£4.50/£6.50)
This week’s family supper is my hugely popular chilli con carne (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more).

So much has changed over the last year. Very few businesses were doing what I do then but now, pubs, restaurants & cafes have turned to on-line sales and a takeaway & delivery service to keep their businesses alive and afloat during the various periods of restrictions and lockdowns. Now that we are slowly emerging from our bubbles and our homes and re-entering the world, there are few things more exciting than lunch or supper out – even if it really is “out” and we have to enjoy our drinks, supper and company whilst dressed for the Artic!

Soon we shall be able (I fervently hope) to meet friends and family indoors and, in the not too distant future, we shall be able to meet in larger groups. I am really excited about the potential to return to dinners, parties and all manners of social gathering be they formal, informal, indoor, outdoor, planned or spontaneous. When this happens, Just Add Parsley will be there and would love to make hosting such occasions completely stress and hassle free.

For now, please place your order from this week’s menu (above) in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 27 April. Orders will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 29 April or on Friday 30th. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 30th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

By

Picnic season is nearly here

I don’t suppose anyone needs to be reminded that from next Monday 29 March we will be allowed “outdoor gatherings” for 2 households or the Rule of 6. It might not be exactly picnic weather and we may need to layer up but I cannot wait to sit, chat and share a meal with much loved and sorely missed family and friends (even if it does has to be one household at a time).

Whether you are planning a visit to National Trust or English Heritage property, the local park or even the garden, a Just Add Parsley grazing platter is the perfect, delicious, effortless, completely fuss free, portable picnic in a box.

Packed with variety, colour and a stunning array of tasty, tempting treats including delicious cured meats, cheeses, homemade chutney and relish, home baked ham, home made tart and dotted with fresh fruit and nuts or maybe you would prefer a fish and seafood platter with homemade smoked salmon or smoked haddock and horseradish pâté, smoked salmon, prawns.

Choose crackers, oatcakes and crispbreads or a home made focaccia to accompany your platter.

You could also choose a sweet platter full of mouthwatering homemade sweets, cakes, biscuits and desserts or even a complete afternoon tea.

Platters can be tailored to your occasion, preference, dietary requirements …. or just to what takes your fancy.

Platters range from £10 to £12.50 per head. Please give 48 hours’ notice and notify me of any dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

By

Thank you …

…. to everyone who ordered my Mothers’ Day brunch platters. I greatly appreciate your support for my tiny, kitchen industry. I hope all of the Mums, Grannies, Mothers-in-law, sisters who were treated to breakfast in bed enjoyed their platter and were thoroughly spoilt on their special day.

By

Back to school menu

w/c Monday 8th March 2021

My children’s have had their bags packed, shoes polished and snacks selected all weekend and were up, showered, breakfasted, dressed and queuing at the door to leave an hour ahead of schedule today. They could not wait to get back to school to see their friends and for a bit of normality.

It’s now very quiet in the Just Add Parsley kitchen!

No one has demanded a snack, hot chocolate, help with polygons or vocab Ninja. A big part of me is missing it and I can’t wait to see them all this evening and hear the excitement of their days. I fully expect they will be shattered!

However, there is a similarly big part of me that has relished the time to clear the decks, plan my menus and my day and to think further than the next meal ahead. It has been such an indulgence to sit with a coffee and browse my recipe books.

Having luxuriated in this indulgence, my menu for this week is:

Soup: (£5.50)

(1) Chickpea, sweet potato & chorizo

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) 2 bean, 2 lime

(2) Tabbouleh

Add a sous vide cooked chicken breast or salmon steak for £5 or 2 for £9

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Brie, courgette & red pepper

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) 

Pork in cider with whole grain mustard, apple and a little crème fraîche.

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Granola (£5.50 for 350g)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 9th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 11th or on Friday 12th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 12th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

By

Lockdown #3 soup (and stay at home Valentine’s suppers)

Unsurprisingly on such a wild and bitterly cold day, this week’s soup choices definitely fall into the category of “comforting”. They are two of my favourites and I am hoping they will also appeal to you. They are:

– Pea, ham & mint (try drizzling a little truffle oil if you want to make this very chef -y); and
– Leek & potato (snip in some chives or grate over some parmesan to raise this soup up a notch).

As ever, I shall be making huge batches of both soups early int he week to sustain us throughout the week as we make the final push towards half term, so if you would like a pot, let me know early before it is all gone.

£5.50 per 700ml pot (enough for 2).

DON’T FORGET that the deadline for ordering your stay at home Valentine’s night grazing platter or desserts platter is Tuesday 9th so. I’m thrilled to say that these platters have proved very popular so there is very limited availability remaining.

By

Lockdown Valentine’s Day

Saturday 13th or Sunday 14th February 2021

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and since sadly we still won’t be able to go out for dinner by then, I thought I would offer my indulgent grazing platters for 2 for a zero effort special supper à deux.

Grazing platters are packed full of delicious cured meats, cheeses, homemade chutney and relish, home baked ham, home made tart and dotted with fresh fruit and nuts. Choose between crackers, oatcakes and crispbreads or a home made focaccia to accompany your platter.

In addition, you could finish your meal with an indulgent sharing dessert platter comprising a selection of sweet treats from:

individual white & dark chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake,

a mini black forest gâteau,

individual sticky toffee pudding with toffee pecan sauce,

brownies,

an individual home made strawberry cheesecake in a jar,

a homemade little lemon meringue tart,

home made honey comb dipped in dark chocolate; to

hand made chocolates
……..

Main course grazing platters are £25 for 2;
Dessert sharing platters are £20 for 2.

If you would like to order a grazing platter or a dessert sharing platter, please contact me in your usual way by Tuesday 9 February to place your order. Orders will be available for collection on Saturday 13th or Sunday 14th February (please specify your preference at the time of ordering). I will be making deliveries on Sunday 14 February for those who are unable to collect. Delivery is free within Much Hadham and the surrounding villages but will be subject to a small charge outside that area.

NB. Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

By

Last week of Just Add Parsley’s weekly menu for 2020

It has been my absolute pleasure to cook for you throughout this extraordinary, bizarre year with all of its ups and many, many downs. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and my little kitchen industry. Term ends on Friday 11th for my children, so this will be my last week of cooking my weekly menu until they go back to school in January. With this in mind, I have included a few favourites which will happily sit in your freezer ready to be rustled up as an emergency lunch or supper over the holiday period.

After this week, I will be focussing on Christmas orders (see previous post) for delivery in week commencing 21 December.

So here goes for this week:

Soup: (£5.50)

(1) Celeriac, pancetta & pesto

(2) Curried lentil, coconut & tomato

(3) Curried parsnip & apple

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1)  Nutty clementine

(2) Slow roasted tomatoes with chick peas, halloumi & french beans

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Mushroom & brie with thyme

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more)

(1) Roasted portobello mushrooms with halloumi & pine nuts

(2) Oven roasted coq au vin

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) Beef & ale

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 8th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 10th or on Friday 11th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 11th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

By

Winter warmer week

Oh my! How is it 1st December tomorrow!?!

This week has got off to a racing start already and I feel as though I’m going to need the sustenance, invigoration and comfort of wholesome, hearty fare packed with seasonal vegetables and all things yummy to sustain me through the end of lockdown 2, into Tier 2 and (much more importantly) a 7yr old birthday weekend (for which the countdown commenced in a August!).

With this in mind, this week’s menu is:

Soup: (£5.50)

(1) Roast chicken & winter vegetable

I shall also be making my ever popular pea, ham & mint soup and curried lentil, coconut & tomato soup if you would like to order an “old favourite”.

Don’t forget that, since all of my soups are made freshly to order, they can be frozen to be enjoyed whenever you fancy a bowl of something deliciously warming, satisfying and healthy.

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) Giant couscous with roasted mediterranean vegetables

(2) Winter vegetable salad (roasted parsnips, squash, carrots, beetroot in a chermoulah dressing with seeds, mint & coriander and labneh

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Sweet potato, with chilli & pumpkin seeds

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) 

Chilli con carne (with a dash of maple syrup and a handle of good dark chocolate to finish)

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) Pork with apple in a cider sauce.

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Granola (£5.50 for 350g)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 1st December.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 3rd or on Friday 4th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 4th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

By

Malaysia revisited

w/c Monday 23 November 2020

We haven’t visited Malaysia for a while (culinarily or, indeed, actually) so I feel that a trip is long overdue!

What an extraordinary fusion of cultures, sights, sounds, tastes and smells! Hot, humid, hedonistic, loud and colourful. The children were initially wary of the unfamiliar menu options and slightly overwhelming street food experience but quickly warmed to the flavours of peanut, coconut and spices. They were soon competing with each other to see who could eat the most satay (the record was 15!).

It is high time that I reprised some of the delicious dishes we enjoyed in the Just Add Parsley kitchen.

Soup: (£5.50)

(1) Prawn Laksa

(2) Dal (not exactly bumiputera but since Malaysia is a such a complex, fused culture and since I’m cooking Dal anyway, I thought I would offer it).

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) Malaysian noodle salad with a spicy lime, peanut & chilli dressing (delicious with satay – see below)

Again, not exactly “on theme” I will also have available:
(2) my ever popular roasted sweetcorn slaw and
(3) puy lentils will peas, broad beans & artichokes

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Crab, ginger, coconut & lime

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) 

(1) Chicken Massaman curry

(2) Satay & peanut sauce (choose from chicken, vegetable or prawn satay) – £2 each generous skewer)

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) My take on a Malaysian curry puff. Baked not fried and filled to the brim with curried chicken, potatoes & beans.

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Granola (£5.50 for 350g)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 24th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 26th or on Friday 13th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 27th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

By

Latin week

w/c monday 16 November 2020

I think that I must have been inspired by the raucous Latin, party dances on Strictly on Saturday evening to try to create a bit of the zingy, vibrance of hispanic cuisine in the Just Add Parsley kitchen – or may be I’m just searching for a little of that vivacity to snap me out of the rain, mud and monotony of November in lockdown.

Whatever the reason, you can be sure that this week’s menu will be full of colour, flavour and latin flair.

Soup: (£5.50)

(1) Corn & red pepper

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) Cauliflower, pomegranate & pistachio

(2) 2 bean, 2 lime

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Chicken fajitas

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) 

(1) Chicken Basque – a complete meal of chicken thighs with garlic, orange, red peppers, olives, paprika & brown rice

(2) Mushrooms stuffed with halloumi, garlic , coriander & pine nuts

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Granola (£5.50 for 350g)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 17th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 19th or on Friday 20th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 20th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.