50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

cw18 wrote: »

have to say I've been using cheap mince for that many years, that the last time I got some lean mince (on half price offer and then in Whoopsie!) everyone complained it was 'lumpy'. So I guess it's another of those 'what you're used to' items,and my kids have been 'dragged up' on the cheap stuff (and my grand-daughters have never known anything else either).

is that cheap frozen or cheap fresh?????

BASHFUL wrote: »

is that cheap frozen or cheap fresh?????

We started on the fresh cheap, but as the family started moving out I had to split packs and find containers to freeze part packs in. So at that point I changed to the frozen, as I can just tip out how much I want (depending on how many people are here). Think my daughter stills gets the fresh cheap stuff, but can't be 100% sure about that.

I think it's Mrs M or Munchki mashes then freezes them -- so you could do that in readiness for the next batch of banana bread

ETA: Just checked back, and it was Munchki who was off to check the freezer in case she still had some

Evening all

On the frozen mince.. I have only ever tried it once...and i found it kind of mushy -more like sausage meat than mince.... I did try and go back to basic mince -but the amount of fat was amazing..by the time I had drained it off it worked out better to buy minced steak - So we stick to that now.. I don't use it that much -although i will be using more through winter -huge batches of chilli etc for hubby (bulked out with loads of veg n oats) -thankfully hubby always comments on it being nicer the more bulking i do :j

Aisha.. That is great thankyou -I read on amazon a few folks saying it didn't get hot enough, but then a couple of folks on another thread love theirs..now you do -so I may have to take some money out of my savings account on Monday and get one.. can't believe how difficult I find it to spend money now :rolleyes:

In search of me.. thought I had better have a practice run before I do fergus'..can't have fergus sleeping under something that looks like a dishcloth can we :rotfl:

Shala_moo.. glad you have come out of lurksville :T Right savoury meat roll has not a set recipe as such (my mum learnt it as a child at school -to use up leftovers in the war) so I will give you the basic idea...I made one the other day and did measure in case anyone wanted the recipe It did us 4 piggy servings :rotfl: although you can increase the potato etc to suit
SAVOURY MEAT ROLL
pastry:-
12oz plain flour
good pinch of salt
3oz lard
3oz butter -(this time i use I can't believe its not and it was lovely)
about 8tbs ice cold water -you may need to adjust a little
Filling:-
1lb cold mashed potato
4oz raw minced beef -or leftover joint -blitzed
1-2 raw sausages -skinned -basic ones are fine
1 large onion -chopped and softened in the microwave
plenty of seasoning

1. make the pastry and chill in the fridge
2. throw all the filing ingredients into a bowl and mix -the easiest way is to get your hands in and squidge it through your finger so its even
3. roll out the pastry into a large rectangle
4. spread the cold filing all over -again using your hands is easiest
5. leave abou a 1/2" gap around the edges
6. as you look at it fold the left and right borders onto the filing (when you roll it will be neat and keep the filling in)
7. then roll away from you like a swiss roll
8. roll or lift onto a baking tray and bake at about 190 for 30-45 mins -just stick a knife in the middle and leave for a few seconds then pull it out and feel if its hot

Its great because the meat juices sink into the pastry on the middle so you don't realise its extra pastry -well i never did as a kid :rotfl:
You can alter it to suit -so leftover mash n swede, add leftover carrots chopped or peas etc...
It is really tasty n filling -especially with home mushypeas n gravy mmmmm
Once its cold you can slice and freeze it or i like it cold... and of course you could use the filling in pasties etc -but it won't be quite the same (no squidgy pastry in the middle:p )
If you aren't happy with making pastry you can always buy it -especially as you have to roll it.. just don't try it with puff/flaky..it doesn't work very well

Tomorrow I will post the recipe for mincemeat -I think mama67 asked for... couldn't find my recipe -you should have seen the panic :eek: oooh and i have the recipe i use for xmas puds and the most stunning xmas cake recipe ever(in my humble opinion).. my mum always made cracking fruit cake -but everyone has agreed this one is better...you do all the soaking before making it and blitz some of the fruit down -it is sooo squidgy mmmm im making 1 this year and i bet its me that eats about 90% of it ..hubby n brother don't have much of a sweet tooth :T
Right back off to my knitting I go ..have a great night everyone:D

On the banana front -i only tried it once and they went black ...not sure why

Thanks for that Will have to think what I put through the (combi) oven and see if any need more than 30 mins -- though I suspect that's enough (just) for us. Normally do burgers for 20, and think the salmon parcels are the same.

As the thermostat in my combi isn't as good as it should be (bought an oven thermometer 18 months or so ago when things didn't seem to be cooking as well as they used to) I'm also adding to my list of 'pros' that a new mini oven could (1) cook things a bit quicker, and (2) extend the life of my combi.

I'm not in Lancs though -- I'm in Greater Manchester, and very annoyed when companies insist on addressing letters to Manchester, Lancs !! But I'm a born and bred Lancashire Lass, only moving out of the county in Sept 2001

My paternal grand-parents were in Gloucestershire (Tuffley) for many, many years. I have fond memories of visiting that part of the country as a child/young teen.