Focus: Winter comfort meals featuring hearty stews, fresh fish, and an adventurous chicken hearts dish. Balanced between warming comfort food and lighter, healthy options.

This week’s plan makes good use of carrots from the fridge (used in two dishes), paneer that needs using up, and introduces chicken hearts as a delicious, affordable protein. The plan balances rich comfort foods (stew, stroganoff, saag) with lighter fish soup, ensuring variety throughout the week.

Meal Plan Summary

• Uses from freezer: Frozen spinach (saag paneer)
• Uses from fridge: Carrots (2 meals), paneer, eggs, butter, lemon
• Uses from pantry: White beans, red lentils, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, passata, onions, garlic

Ingredients used across multiple meals: Carrots (2 meals), parsley (2 meals), onions (all meals), garlic (all meals), rice (3 meals), butter (4 meals)

Meals

Sunday, February 1

• Dinner: Tuscan White Bean and Bacon Stew
  • Prep: 10 min | Cook: 35 min | 380 kcal/serving
  • A hearty, warming stew perfect for cold weather
  • Prep: None needed

Monday, February 2

• Dinner: Saag Paneer with Feta
  • Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | 450 kcal/serving
  • Classic Indian spinach curry (using paneer instead of feta)
  • Prep: Move pollock from freezer to fridge for Thursday’s soup

Tuesday, February 3

• Dinner: Brazilian-Style Chicken Hearts
  • Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | 380 kcal/serving
  • Adventurous and delicious offal dish
  • Prep: Move pollock from freezer to fridge for Thursday’s soup

Wednesday, February 4

• OUT - No cooking needed

Thursday, February 5

• Dinner: Red Lentil Soup with Fish
  • Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | 420 kcal/serving
  • Warming soup with sweet root vegetables and tender fish
  • Prep: None needed

Friday, February 6

• Dinner: Mushroom Stroganoff
  • Prep: 10 min | Cook: 25 min | 420 kcal/serving
  • Rich, creamy comfort food
  • Prep: None needed

Ingredients

Proteins

• 400g chicken hearts
• 400g white fish (cod, pollock, or haddock - for soup)
• 150g bacon strips
• 150g paneer

Produce

• 3 small onions (1 for saag, 1 for hearts, 1 for soup) plus 1 medium for stew and 1 medium for stroganoff
• 7 carrots total (2 for stew, 1 for hearts, 6 for soup - note: 2 in fridge already)
• 3 large parsnips (for soup)
• 1 head garlic (or about 15-20 cloves total)
• 100g kale (for stew only)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 400g mixed mushrooms (chestnut, cremini, or button)
• 250g frozen spinach, whole leaf (for saag paneer)
• 1 large lemon (for saag and general use)
• 1 knob fresh ginger (2cm for saag paneer)
• Fresh parsley (1 bunch)

Dairy & Eggs

• 65g butter or ghee total (25g for saag base, 20g for chhonk, rest for cooking)
• 1 tbsp butter for hearts
• 2 tbsp butter for stroganoff (plus pasta butter)
• 150ml Greek yoghurt or sour cream (for stroganoff)
• Parmesan (optional for stew)

Pantry & Spices

• 1 can (400g) cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• 150g red lentils
• 150g dry rice for saag paneer (jasmine or basmati)
• 2 dl white rice for chicken hearts
• 200g egg noodles or fettuccine
• 400ml vegetable or chicken broth (for stew)
• 400ml boiling water or stock (for soup)
• 150ml vegetable broth (for stroganoff)
• 200ml passata or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, whole (for saag)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, whole (for saag chhonk)
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (for saag)
• Pinch asafoetida (optional but traditional for saag)
• 1 tsp concentrated vegetable stock or bouillon (for saag)
• Olive oil
• Grapeseed or neutral cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• Chili flakes
• Paprika (for stroganoff and hearts)
• Cumin (ground, for hearts)
• Dried rosemary or Italian herbs
• Dijon mustard (for stroganoff)
• Flour (all-purpose)

Optional Garnishes

• Crusty bread (for stew and stroganoff)
• Hot sauce (for chicken hearts)
• Lemon wedges (for chicken hearts and fish soup)