Thursday, 25 November 2010
Thursday, 11 November 2010
keema alu tikki
I have in the past, been seduced by the various war on waste, using up leftovers books and articles around recently. But as I discussed with my wonderful Godmama, we never seem to have the 'right' kind of overlefts. I prefer to cook one pot type dishes, and they are already a meal, so the only thing to do usually is put them in a microwave-safe 'dubba' and reheat.
Well, finally yesterday I had too much mash! The plan had been to make my lamb mince comfort pulao, but I decided instead to use the mash (and 'healthy' mash it was too, with skins left on, we call it dirty mash) so I fried up the frozen lamb mince (I have a free flow bag in there at all times) with some frozen chopped onions, a teaspoon of garam masala and a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of salt. A cupful of frozen peas added some emerald veggie colour. Once that was cooked fully, I tipped it into a bowl with the mash, and mixed it all thoroughly. I then made patties by hand and fried them in the flat bottomed non-stick wok I just cooked the meat in, flipping once, and served them golden, crisp and lusciously savoury. Littl'Un liked a splodge of rich organic ketchup, Big loved them as is, I enjoyed a mouth-tingling garlic Tabasco puddle to dab at.
I couldn't find the recipe I used last time I made kheer, so I improvised a rice pudding with some indian flavours - pinch of saffron, ground cardomom seeds, ground almonds, and an hour later had a rich, creamy, deceptively light-tasting rice pudding. Big'Un loved this, Littl'Un did her shoulder-collapse and announced her hate of such things. Ah well, you can't win them all!
Well, finally yesterday I had too much mash! The plan had been to make my lamb mince comfort pulao, but I decided instead to use the mash (and 'healthy' mash it was too, with skins left on, we call it dirty mash) so I fried up the frozen lamb mince (I have a free flow bag in there at all times) with some frozen chopped onions, a teaspoon of garam masala and a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of salt. A cupful of frozen peas added some emerald veggie colour. Once that was cooked fully, I tipped it into a bowl with the mash, and mixed it all thoroughly. I then made patties by hand and fried them in the flat bottomed non-stick wok I just cooked the meat in, flipping once, and served them golden, crisp and lusciously savoury. Littl'Un liked a splodge of rich organic ketchup, Big loved them as is, I enjoyed a mouth-tingling garlic Tabasco puddle to dab at.
I couldn't find the recipe I used last time I made kheer, so I improvised a rice pudding with some indian flavours - pinch of saffron, ground cardomom seeds, ground almonds, and an hour later had a rich, creamy, deceptively light-tasting rice pudding. Big'Un loved this, Littl'Un did her shoulder-collapse and announced her hate of such things. Ah well, you can't win them all!
-- I made this! --
Thursday, 4 November 2010
2 weeks in one
I'm feeling quite pleased with myself, last week, I managed to pick up a basket of shopping, in Waitrose, in 10 minutes, for under £15, and that was all I needed for this week's food!
Admittedly, it was helped by the fact we'd not eaten much during half term in the end, partly from being too full from planned meals out, partly because some of us were coldy and not eating as much, and also partly because we were away for a coupla days. But there was no top up shopping, so it's a good week!
I'm still working on using the bits in the cupboards, and thanks to an idea from one of you lovelies, I've switched my Abel & Cole box, so I'll get veg one week and fruit the next, and then alternate. This could be fun. And will mean more crumbles. Can only be a good thing!
SeniorGodPapa rustled up a lovely salami pasta for when we got back from our Hally Happowe'en weekend, which we matched with a luscious celeriac remoulade.
Meatless Monday we had a quick and easy bean chilli with wholegrain rice and a lil soured cream.
Tuesday we had sausages and veg planned for the kids and a wan chai ferry kit for us, which was delicious, and used up the chicken I'd bought on offer and stashed in the freezer. There were enough leftovers for Littl'Un to get a lunch and Papa to take some packed-dinner - which is only fair as he cooked it - yay!
On Wednesday I took my time throughout the afternoon and slowly put together a cottage pie with tons of hidden veg, including the rest of the celeriac in the mash. Plenty of gravy for Papa to smother it in, and an apple and pear crumble for pudding. Littl'Un surprisingly loved the crumble and asked for more after lunch today.
Today (Thursday) with just me and the girls, I made quesedillas (apologies to those of you who saw my Facebook status to that effect.)
Tomorrow is Diwali, and we will be having pumpkin curry with either tilapia or chickpeas.
I've planned next week's meals, subject to change:
Saturday: bacon cauliflower cheese with chips
Sunday: wraps or quesedillas or enchilladas...
Monday: channa curry (Chickpeas) & naan
Tuesday: pinwheel sandwiches or hotdogs for the kids for before Brownies and sausages (in freezer already) veg and mash.
Wednesday: Comfort Keema Pulao
Thursday: grilled topped tortillas - lahmacun or skinny pizza styleeee
Friday: rainbow fish (trout) with squds and avacado creme fraiche dressing
Let's see how low I can keep that bill...
Admittedly, it was helped by the fact we'd not eaten much during half term in the end, partly from being too full from planned meals out, partly because some of us were coldy and not eating as much, and also partly because we were away for a coupla days. But there was no top up shopping, so it's a good week!
I'm still working on using the bits in the cupboards, and thanks to an idea from one of you lovelies, I've switched my Abel & Cole box, so I'll get veg one week and fruit the next, and then alternate. This could be fun. And will mean more crumbles. Can only be a good thing!
SeniorGodPapa rustled up a lovely salami pasta for when we got back from our Hally Happowe'en weekend, which we matched with a luscious celeriac remoulade.
Meatless Monday we had a quick and easy bean chilli with wholegrain rice and a lil soured cream.
Tuesday we had sausages and veg planned for the kids and a wan chai ferry kit for us, which was delicious, and used up the chicken I'd bought on offer and stashed in the freezer. There were enough leftovers for Littl'Un to get a lunch and Papa to take some packed-dinner - which is only fair as he cooked it - yay!
On Wednesday I took my time throughout the afternoon and slowly put together a cottage pie with tons of hidden veg, including the rest of the celeriac in the mash. Plenty of gravy for Papa to smother it in, and an apple and pear crumble for pudding. Littl'Un surprisingly loved the crumble and asked for more after lunch today.
Today (Thursday) with just me and the girls, I made quesedillas (apologies to those of you who saw my Facebook status to that effect.)
Tomorrow is Diwali, and we will be having pumpkin curry with either tilapia or chickpeas.
I've planned next week's meals, subject to change:
Saturday: bacon cauliflower cheese with chips
Sunday: wraps or quesedillas or enchilladas...
Monday: channa curry (Chickpeas) & naan
Tuesday: pinwheel sandwiches or hotdogs for the kids for before Brownies and sausages (in freezer already) veg and mash.
Wednesday: Comfort Keema Pulao
Thursday: grilled topped tortillas - lahmacun or skinny pizza styleeee
Friday: rainbow fish (trout) with squds and avacado creme fraiche dressing
Let's see how low I can keep that bill...
Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Sunday, 24 October 2010
succulent thighs (and some rice)
heh heh, got your attention...
These were chicken thighs from Ocado (Waitrose by any other name should taste as sweet...)
and I wanted to bake them with some rice and some veg, and I thought I'd seen a recipe, but of course I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, tho I found some nice alternatives for some other time, so I decided to be safe with the chicken (I have issues with chicken) but have a go anyway...
I fried the thighs til golden in an ovenproof casserole, and when they were decently brown and tasty looking, I took them out and added onions and stock powder to the pan. Then I added some random veg from the fridge - mushrooms, carrots, I seem to recall peeled courgettes, and then when all this was taking on the sheen, I added rice, coated it all, added water (double the volume of water to rice) and brought it to the boil. Bunged it in the oven, 25 mins was enough, and squeezed some lemon juice over. I had meant to add some brocolli at the last minute, but the rice was a bit overcooked, so I just microwaved it separately instead.
Littl'Un loved holding the bone of chicken and ripping meat off. Big'Un daintily picked her way through the meat I'd deboned for her. Amusingly, they BOTH coyly pointed out that they loved the mushrooms cooked that way! They both usually avoid and push around the mushrooms in other dishes...!
A success.
These were chicken thighs from Ocado (Waitrose by any other name should taste as sweet...)
and I wanted to bake them with some rice and some veg, and I thought I'd seen a recipe, but of course I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, tho I found some nice alternatives for some other time, so I decided to be safe with the chicken (I have issues with chicken) but have a go anyway...
I fried the thighs til golden in an ovenproof casserole, and when they were decently brown and tasty looking, I took them out and added onions and stock powder to the pan. Then I added some random veg from the fridge - mushrooms, carrots, I seem to recall peeled courgettes, and then when all this was taking on the sheen, I added rice, coated it all, added water (double the volume of water to rice) and brought it to the boil. Bunged it in the oven, 25 mins was enough, and squeezed some lemon juice over. I had meant to add some brocolli at the last minute, but the rice was a bit overcooked, so I just microwaved it separately instead.
Littl'Un loved holding the bone of chicken and ripping meat off. Big'Un daintily picked her way through the meat I'd deboned for her. Amusingly, they BOTH coyly pointed out that they loved the mushrooms cooked that way! They both usually avoid and push around the mushrooms in other dishes...!
A success.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
rainy with a chance of meatballs.
What a bi-polar day! One minute squintingly sunny; the next wind and driving, persisent rain.
So lunch was a sunny sunflower bread with luxury crab pate, but dinner was a hearty, warming meatballs, spaghetti and tomato sauce with hidden courgette.
The taste the difference meatballs were big and solid and tasty, and my sauce used up some tired looking tomatoes and courgettes (I peeled the latter.)
A grate of cheese made this meal just right.
Big'un of course had another bowl, plain pasta. Where does she put it???
-- I sent this from my 3 mobile --
So lunch was a sunny sunflower bread with luxury crab pate, but dinner was a hearty, warming meatballs, spaghetti and tomato sauce with hidden courgette.
The taste the difference meatballs were big and solid and tasty, and my sauce used up some tired looking tomatoes and courgettes (I peeled the latter.)
A grate of cheese made this meal just right.
Big'un of course had another bowl, plain pasta. Where does she put it???
-- I sent this from my 3 mobile --
Monday, 18 October 2010
plans are best when they can be fluid...
So, delivery not re-deliverable after all, so mad dash out shopping. Quicker to write out my list from the email confirmation on my fone than to boot up laptop & print it. Hairy moment in supermarket when I realised I'd forgotten to bring menu plan, but a quick connection later and I could read this blog to see that I wasn't mad, I didn't need to purchase meat for this week. However the 'pay-it-forward' mind was in play and the 3 meats for a tenner offer actually had things I use, so I grabbed nice chicken breasts (a real luxury these days,) double pack of unsmoked thick cut bacon, and a pack of meatballs (raw). I'll use these latter for dinner tomorrow which would otherwise be a mad dash of Parents' Evening and Brownies.
I managed to get it all, and not too much extra whim-purchasing, and kept the bill down to well under £60, including some sandwiches for lunch that were, frankly, an indulgence.
I had book club this afternoon, so asked a GodPapa to pop some squds in the oven to bake and be ready in time for my return, leaving a moment to open a tin of Basics baked beans and zap them in the microwave. However, he had the oven too low, and the oven shelf too low, and only the tops were cooked; so those got a little zap too, tho sadly this ruins the crispy skin, and doesn't give that damp wooly inner fluff that melds together with a salty rasping of good cheese. Ah well. The kids ate, it was food. I made sweet popcorn as a consolation prize, and hid a chocolate coin each in the bowl as buried treasure. They were content.
I then stupidly spent my post-kiddy-bedtime evening watching catch-up cookery progs on the puter, while GodPapa snoozed on the sofa, & sadly now I'm starving again, but headed for bed. Perhaps the rest of my week will work out this time...
I managed to get it all, and not too much extra whim-purchasing, and kept the bill down to well under £60, including some sandwiches for lunch that were, frankly, an indulgence.
I had book club this afternoon, so asked a GodPapa to pop some squds in the oven to bake and be ready in time for my return, leaving a moment to open a tin of Basics baked beans and zap them in the microwave. However, he had the oven too low, and the oven shelf too low, and only the tops were cooked; so those got a little zap too, tho sadly this ruins the crispy skin, and doesn't give that damp wooly inner fluff that melds together with a salty rasping of good cheese. Ah well. The kids ate, it was food. I made sweet popcorn as a consolation prize, and hid a chocolate coin each in the bowl as buried treasure. They were content.
I then stupidly spent my post-kiddy-bedtime evening watching catch-up cookery progs on the puter, while GodPapa snoozed on the sofa, & sadly now I'm starving again, but headed for bed. Perhaps the rest of my week will work out this time...
-- I sent this from my 3 mobile --
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