Weezl and friends Phase 2 -giving it a whirl for Shirl! Testing meal plan for a month

Dinners:

Pasta funghi
1x 400g pack smartprice mushrooms sliced thinly
the juice from a jar of garlic stuffed olives plus enough water to make 300ml stock
2 small onions (approx 110g) chopped
2 tspns garlic powder
450g pasta
25g SR flour
salt and pepper
pinch of chilli
10 ml oil to fry the mushrooms and 50ml to make a roux
Method Put pasta on to cook, as per packet instructions.
Make a roux (a paste, warmed in a saucepan) with the oil and flour. Add 300ml water in about 4 goes.
Between each addition of water stir the mixture until all the liquid incorporates into the flour and oil.
(If you lift the pan off the heat and beat hard with a wooden spoon after the liquid is incorporated your sauce will be beautifully glossy).
By the time all the liquid is added you should have a sauce which will coat the back of a spoon. If not add more water or stock.
Stir in the seasonings.
Fry finely sliced mushrooms and onion. Add to the sauce and season sauce with pepper and salt.
Stir sauce into cooked pasta.
Put saucy pasta in baking dish. Cook in the oven at 180 until there are nice brown crunchy bits on the top.
Serve with 80g peas each. (320g)

Panzanella
1500g bread cubed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cans plum tomatoes
110g onion sliced into tiny, tiny pieces (since you're going to eat it raw)
1/3rd of a pack of fresh basil (optional), torn into little pieces, and the stems snipped into tiny cubes (approx 5 large leaves and stems)
Method Cube the bread. If it is stale, soak it in a couple of tablespoons of water before adding the dressing and tomatoes.
Drain the tomatoes and chop them, reserving all the juices. Chop the onion very finely. First cut it into two halves, put the cut side down onto your chopping board, slice as thinly as your knife will allow, gather together your slice onion and cut finely again you should now have finely diced onion.
Put the bread in a salad bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients. Let the panzanella stand for ten minutes to give the bread time to absorb some flavor, and serve. This will give 4 generous portions. The balsamic adds a little extra tartness that is very tasty!

Bean curry
1 can tomatoes
1 tin of baked beans
1 can kidney beans
60ml veg oil
half tsp chilli
2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp garam masala
320g onion, sliced
2 tsp garlic
Method Put chopped onions, garlic, chilli, and spices in a pan with the oil, and cook till soft.
Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, until the tomato juice has reduced down to a thicker sauce.
Add baked beans and drained kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes till all cooked, hot throughout and well mixed.
Season to taste.
Serve with 100g rice per person.

Corn fritters
140g onion
50ml veg oil
100g self raising flour
2 teaspoons garam masala
300g sweetcorn
water to form a dropping consistency

Method: Combine all ingredients except 30 ml of the oil (reserved for frying).
Fry heaped dessertspoons of the mix, in the oil in your non-stick frying pan. Makes approximately 16.
Serve with 200g potato wedges each.


Shepherdess pie
Kit required: oven proof dish, approximately 10 inches by 6 inches with a depth of at least 2 and a half inches.
Ingredients
130g frozen parsnips, roasted as per packet instructions and cut into 2cm pieces
160g onion, diced
240g carrots diced
170g green lentils (soaked overnight)
approx 700ml water
2 teaspoons marmite made into a stock with hot water
50 ml veg oil
garlic, salt, pepper
dessertspoon of dried oregano
500g potato sliced into 3mm thick slices and par boiled for 10 mins

Serve with 240g peas
Method Put parsnip in the oven to roast. Meanwhile, fry onion, garlic, carrot for a few mins until browned, then add lentils, stir until oil and garlic is absorbed, then add the water and stock. Cook for 40ish mins until the lentils are soft to the tooth and have absorbed all the water and stock, add parsnips. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, your stock may be salty enough and therefore not needed.
Fill an oven dish with your lentil and vegetable mixture and top with slices of potato.
Bake for 15 mins at gas 6 until tops of potato are crispy and browned.





Calzone
oven: 200C/180C fan/gas 8
Ingredients This is for a single batch, which makes 4x12in/30cm inch calzone.
1 kilogram bread dough (from the carrot loaf recipe)

For the tomato sauce
3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cans chopped tomatoes
30g tomato puree
30g olives very thinly sliced with your sharpest knife
1 large leaf of basil torn into little strips, per calzone, 4 leaves in total (optional)
3 dessertspoons vegetable oil
freshly ground black pepper

For the bechamel sauce
280ml tap water
100g onions, thinly sliced into rings
3 dessertspoons flour
3 dessertspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast extract/marmite
Method Put the dough in a warm place for approx 45 minutes to 1 hr until fat and puffy.
While this is happening, prepare your sauce: fry the tomatoes, puree and seasonings in the oil, reducing them down until it is a thick glossy sauce. You will need to crush the tomato chunks with the back of your wooden spoon to achieve a relatively smooth paste. If you prefer, you can make the sauce even smoother in your food processor.
Quarter the dough and roll each one out on a floured surface. You want to get them roughly round, approximately approximately 3 mm thick, they should be around 30cm diameter. You can now either keep these in the fridge, until you’re ready to cook them, or you can put your filling in and cook them straight away.
Now make the bechamel sauce. Mix the flour, yeast extract and mustard and salt with the oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat to form a runny smooth paste, then gradually add the water, stirring quickly after each addition of water to prevent lumps. Taste, and adjust seasonings. It should have a very mildly savoury cheese saucy flavour even though it has no cheese.
Stir in the onion rings and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring until the onions are soft. You are aiming for a thick sauce here, like a creamy mashed potato. A thinner sauce might puncture the calzone and ooze out. Smear 1 quarter of the tomato sauce over half of the dough, add 1 large leaf of basil torn into little strips (optional) and then add the oniony bechamel sauce.
To make your calzone, carefully lift the far edge of the pizza dough and pull it over the top towards you, – you need to fold them in half. Moisten edges of calzone. Press the moistened edges so none of the sauce can spill out. Place the 4 calzone side by side on a floured baking tray, or two. Bake for approx. 8-10 mins in a brisk oven (gas mark 8), or until the dough just begins to brown.
Just after crimping the edges, but before the last baking is the best time to freeze these.

Tomato olive pie
Kit required: find a 5.5 to 6.5 inch pyrex pudding basin or jug.
Ingredients for the pastry:
300g self-raising flour
90ml veg oil
pinch salt

for the filling:
1 can plum tomatoes, chopped
60g olives roughly chopped
Dessertspoon of oregano
50g red lentils
Method Mix the flour, oil and salt with enough cold water to bring the mix together into a wet dough which comes away cleanly from the sides of your mixing bowl. The dough should be easily manipulated and stretchy, but not stick to your fingers.
Fry the lentils together with the olives, oregano, chopped tomatoes and all the juices from the tomato can, once you've chopped the tomatoes.

Line your pudding basin with approx 1 cm thick layer of pastry (keeping 1/3rd for a lid, then fill with the tomato and onion and olive mix, and then use the remaining third as a lid.
This will only fill your basin to approximately 3/4 full, but don’t worry, it will grow when you steam it.
Place a pleated piece of foil over the top and tie it around the rim (illustrated, right) and steam for approx 2-3 hrs in the slow cooker, or on your hob in a bain marie until the pastry is bulging above the top of your pudding basin.
serve with 80g carrots per person and 200g potato per person

Saag aloo
1 kg potatoes, cubed into 2cm pieces
500g spinach
400g chopped onions
50g fresh ginger, grated
dessertspoon garam masala
2 heaped teaspoons garlic powder
˝ teaspoon chilli
100g red lentils
salt
50ml veg oil
approx 1 pint water to stop the curry burning as it cooks
Method Fry garam masala, ginger and garlic and chilli in oil for a minute, then add the onions and lentils stirring until coated and onions are translucent, approx 5 mins.
Stir the cubes of potato in until coated, then add the spinach.
Reduce heat, and simmer until the potato has cooked through, testing with a knife after 10 mins and then every 5 mins ish.
When the curry gets too dry, keep adding some more water, you will need a fair bit, as the lentils are thirsty! Taste and as salt as desired.
Serve with 50g (dry weight) rice per person.

Moroccan rice
dessertspoon garam masala
teaspoon garlic powder
160g onion
150g frozen sweetcorn
150g peas
20g tomato puree
320g carrots
100g raisins
350g rice
teaspoon mustard
20ml veg oil
150g chick peas, soaked and cooked as per packet instructions
teaspoon chilli
Method Cook the rice. Whilst it is cooking, prepare your vegetables: chop carrots into little dice, cut onions into tiny slivers, as small as your knife will allow.
Then mix all the other ingredients together in a salad bowl and toss well. You will find that the addition of the frozen veggies will cool the rice down a lot. If you want the salad to be super cold, rinse your rice in cold water after cooking it, but before adding all the other ingredients.

Risotto
500g butternut squash
500g rice
80 ml oil
20g creamed coconut
80g frozen peas
3/4 litre stock made with yeast extract/marmite salt, pepper, garlic
Method Cut the butternut squash into small cubes and roast them for approx 25 mins at gas mark 5 with a little salt and vegetable oil.
Use 40 ml oil to start the risotto off, warm it in a pan, add peas, rice, and 3/4 litre stock, leaving the rest of the oil to drizzle over the finished product.
When the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is sloppy and cooked, stir in the coconut along with the squash. Add salt to taste, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Pea risotto
400g rice
900g frozen peas
80g sundried tomatoes cut into thin strips, approx 3 mm wide
160g onion diced
65ml oil from your jar of sun-dried tomatoes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
vegetable stock made by dissolving 1 teaspoon yeast extract in hot water (you will need approximately 1 litre of stock).
salt and pepper
half a teaspoon mustard powder
dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
Method Start off by frying onion in the oil until golden brown, then adding garlic, adding rice and stirring well to coat each grain of rice in the seasoned oil.
Gradually add vegetable stock as you stir, until the rice is cooked and swimming in a thick glossy oniony sauce, this will take approximately 20 minutes.
Then add the sun-dried tomatoes cut into thin strips, approx 3 mm wide.
Add peas, then mustard, and balsamic vinegar. Serve after just a minute, any more and the peas will overcook and lose their fresh sweetness.
Add a little salt and black pepper to taste and drizzle some of your oil over the top if you like it to look like a Jamie Oliver recipe!
The consistency needs to be quite wet, much more like a sloppy risotto than a biryani.

Red pepper pasta
25ml vegetable oil
25g flour
about a pint of hot stock made with 2 teaspoons of marmite/yeast extract and hot water
60g sundried tomatoes snipped into very thin slithers with your kitchen scissors
90g roasted red peppers snipped into very thin slithers with your kitchen scissors
1 heaped tsp mustard powder
1 heaped tsp garlic powder
2 heaped tsp tomato puree
2 heaped tsp dried oregano
400g pasta
Method First, put your pasta on to boil.
Make a roux with the oil and flour. Add the hot stock in about 4 goes.
Between each addition of stock stir the mixture until all the liquid incorporates into the flour and oil. (If you lift the pan off the heat and beat hard with a wooden spoon after the liquid is incorporated your sauce will be beautifully glossy).
By the time all the liquid is added you should have a sauce which will coat the back of a spoon. If not add more stock. Stir in the mustard, oregano, garlic, tomato puree, red peppers and sundried tomatoes in slithers.
Drain pasta. Stir sauce into cooked pasta.

poohbear I can't picture it in my mind to be able to tell you for sure, but the cake mixture is quite firm so even if you found the roasting tin too large you could just make it fit half the tin...if that makes sense?

poohbear59 wrote: »

I was wondering about baking the carrot cake in a roasting tin. It is one I use for tray bakes. is about 14 inches by 12 inches. Do you think that is too large for the amount of ingredients in the recipe?

I used a deep oven tray (~10.5 x 7.5 inches) for a half batch of the origional carrot cake so your tray is double the size of mine so it should be fine as long as the amount of the full batch hasn't changed too much since then!

Okay I have a batch of paul merritt proving in the kitchen. I will now go and attempt Weezl's quaker crunch bars - other hot oaty cereals are available.