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

BASHFUL_2

BigMummaF wrote: »

Found this recipe on the back of a pack of peppers the other day & posted it here Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta

Not tried it mesen yet, but sounds tasty enough.....

Thanks for that BigMumma. :j Think even OH might eat that with no meat for his dinner...long shot but worth a try...have most of the ingredients in garden and cupboard as well. Just have to get peppers and parmesan although could make do with chedder I'm sure!!! :j I will definately give that a go!!!! Thankyou x:D

Money_saving_Diva_2

Hi all - am as usual enjoying all the various subjects on this board!

On the savoury rice discussion - I have always thrown a handful of basmati rice in with a packet - not really to make it go further though that is a bonus, but because I actually find the flavours a bit too artificial for me and very strong, so the extra rice calms them down to a much nicer taste!

Ok, so, last night it was another store cupboard and freezer meal and I discovered some sausagemeat frozen at christmas and a pkt of stuffing in the cupboard so invented this...


Sausage Meat Patties with Mashed potato and garlic Cabbage

1lb sausage meat
1 large onion chopped finely
half a fresh chilli (you can leave this out if you prefer)
cracked black pepper
half tsp mixed herbs or some snipped chives
quantity of flour for coating
some milk for dipping
Sage and onion stuffing mix for coating (I used one whole small pkt)

• Put the sausagemeat into a large bowl and add finely chopped onion, chilli and herbs and mix with your hands until all thoroughly blended in.
• You will need 4 plates for this - one with flour on, one with milk on, one with the stuffing mix on and one to put the finished patties on!
• Wet your hands (I had a jug of water on the table for this) and shape some of the sausagemeat into a roundish pattie.
• Dip pattie into the flour and cover both sides, patting off excess.
• then dip the pattie into the milk, both sides quickly (I know it seems like some of the flour comes off, but enough stays to work!)
• then place the patties into the Stuffing and cover with it, pressing it firmly down. If I saw a bald patch I just dipped it back into the milk and then into the stuffing again.
• Place on plate and continue til all meat is done. This made about 12 for me.
• Let sit for about 10 mins

Heat up two pans (there are too many for the one frying pan!) with some oil. Make sure the oil is hot, and then drop the patties in.

Turn the heat down as low as you can and place lid on frying pans, turning frequently so they don't burn.

I cooked them for about 20 mins but it will depend on how thick you made your patties and how big. I just kept turning them.

I served this with mashed potato and cabbage cooked with garlic. (shred the cabbage, heat some olive oil or butter and drop the chopped garlic in (do not burn the garlic!) Then add the cabbage and just stir around for about 10 mins.

it was delicious and they were really filling. It fed three adults last night and we had 3 left which the OH and I had cold for lunch today with some pickle. It was delicious!

I have no doubt I will discover a better way of doing this with practice, but this is how I did it last night. It was a bit of a faff but I really enjoyed it and it was a NSD so even better!

Diva. x

Plum_Pie

Money_saving_Diva wrote: »

Sausage Meat Patties with Mashed potato and garlic Cabbage

Sounds gorgeous! I'm adding these to next week's meal plan!

munchki

Whew!!!! After being horribly busy with lots of other things, I have just played catch up here. WOW! what wonderful and friendly debates and ideas and thoughts etc. I always feel like I have come home when I log on and "see" everyone.

CW...I am very sorry to hear about everything you currently have on your plate, just remember you cant take care of anyone else if you dont first take care of yourself. Ok so that is something I have to remember myself as well. Either way, huge warm huggles to you and yours!

Well DH has had a job interview last week and has a second interview this friday, so keeping fingers crossed for some good news. Cant come soon enough as I swear he is getting crankier by the moment but sshhh, dont tell him I said that

I have been working what seems like non stop in all things and just cant seem to sleep properly at night. I honestly cant remember the last time I slept all night without waking tons of times. I feel tired all the time. Oh well that is just how life is at times.

Been looking for areas to forage around the derbyshire dales etc area, but have not found out much info so far but will keep looking.

And one final note before I stop waffeling along aimlessly.....been studying for my theory test....and took it this morning and passed with 98%, so life is not totally bad!! Probably helped that I used to drive where I used to live and never bothered to renew when I moved here nearly 9 years ago so have to do the whole thing all over again!! Will be nice to one day be mobile again... DH just states that he hopes I remember to drive on the "right" side of the road now.....and I just being the cheeky one try to remind him that left is never right! Ok so may be this time it is!! LOL

Anyway, back to lurking as work from home and up to my eyeballs this week with major deadlines for Friday morning!! Will continue to pop in....

Love and hugs to you all my cyber family!!

Kath xxx

hmkn

Fingers crossed for your DH, Munchki. And hugs to CW18.

I've been away for a week and only had 20 pages to catch up on :eek: I was expecting to have to read far more than that! Must be the heat...

Re: peppers- I buy these on mark down too, or when the value bags are at least mostly red/yellow and either freeze them or grill them. Peel and deseed, slice into (rather soggy) sticks and add any or all of the following- splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a splash of lemon or orange juice, chopped garlic, salt and pepper, splash of Worcester sauce. This keeps for ages in the fridge.

Re: veal. I am not trying to start open warfare, and I am not trying to persuade people one way or the other (even if the cost allowed it to feature on a budget menu), but I'd like to add a few facts-

British veal and Continental (eg French, Dutch, Italian) veal are very different, with very different welfare rules.

Continental veal is almost white in colour, and is from young calves who are only fed milk and are crated as movement would lead to muscle development which would darken (and slightly toughen) the meat.
British veal is older when slaughtered, and has had a bit of a life, been allowed to move around (usually outside, I think) and eaten some solid food etc. Consequently, the meat is darker (a rosy pink) and not as tender as crated veal.

All veal is a byproduct of the milk industry. If you drink milk, this is how that milk is produced. Male dairy calves are by and large useless- only a few are needed for breeding. Before the move to create a responsible/ethical veal supply, most male calves were (are?) shot the morning after being born. This is the same whether you drink organic or non-organic milk.

I'm not going to extol the pros and cons of either, and anyway, for most of us it's pretty academic, but if there is no market for Rosy (British) veal, calves will be killed at birth or exported to the continent.

Sorry. not trying to make anyone feel guilty about yet another thing, I just think people ought to make informed decisions, even if they can't use the information in the way they'd like. (Does that make sense?!)

HMK

naturally_2

hmk what a balanced post that was - thank you! I had heard the pro argument as it was on the F word a few weeks ago (I wonder if that's why its a popular subject at the moment?) but hadn't heard about the continental veal, so thank you.

In_Search_Of_Me

evening all. Plum pie I wasnt really sure how to take this "I just thought about this - I don’t know why people are so bl***y ****ing rude on the internet either!" TBH as wasnt sure who was being rude where IYKWIM?! Did I miss sommat...?
munchki have you thought of trying nitol as a temp measure to get sleep? I'm useless without sleep and get very grumpy...sure that oh is feeling anxious but you maybe also arent able to shrug it off if tired...hugs for you and hope the interviews go well...keep us posted
hmkn thanks for the veal post...my view remains the same and havent eaten it for so long (as a stroppy 7yr old from recollection - when my mum worked on a farm that "grew" veal!) that I wouldnt miss it and couldnt in good conscience. I do eat lamb but think it at east has chance for a frollick and fun before it ends up on me plate? or am I wrong in this? Say if I am and will stop eating it!! Lamb always reminds me of my mum who gets very excited when she sees happy lambs leaping, skipping about!
keep us posted re the berry forraging mumtoomany. How many children have you got?!! lovely re your dd and new house! Good to see traditions pass down.
hugs all...off to babysit in a mo but need to iron sommat for tomorrow first! weetabix for tea!

hello weezl...hope youre ok..see you've been on at some point...

oh yes forgot - got a reply re birkenstocks who said "I'm afraid this not true once your sandals wear out you'll need to buy a new pair." well at least I tried..did wonder if it was too good to be true and it was - here at least!!

hotcookie101

ceridwen wrote: »

Well - I'd read so much stuff on this website extolling the virtues of Tescos/Sainsburys value curry sauce - I thought organic or non-organic - 'twould be useful to have a bit in (my preparedness thinking again:rolleyes: ) - tried a can yesterday. Well - it might be cheap (as in literally pennies - 6p? 8p?) - but it certainly aint cheerful. Yuk - wash mouth out - horribile! About the only ingredients it seems to have in it are water, tomato puree, sugar and more water and more sugar - very watery, very sugary and nowt much to it. _pale_

A cheap, basic curry sauce adaptable to whatever one wishes to "curry up" would be useful. Anyone got one please?

a little birdy told me you were looking for a basic sauce. it is very 70s pub curry not an authentic indian one, but every so often it hts the spot.
from dairy book of home cooking
2 onions-finely chopped
clove garlic(optional)
2tbsps curry powder (I use tescos medium curry powder)
1 tbps flour
2 cloves (i dont use)
1 tbsp tom puree
1/4 tsp each of ground ginger&cinammon
2 tbsp sweet pickle/chutney (mango chutney works the best)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsps sugar
1/2 pint water or stock
1/2-1 tsp salt (i dont add)

very simple recipe-
Use some oil, fry onion/garlic until soft and pale gold. Stir in curry powder and flour, add cloves puree ginger cinammon chutney lemon juice and sugar. (cook for a minute or two)
slowly add stock/water. bring to the boil, turn temp right down and cook for 3/4 hour to 1 hour.
Yum yum with leftover lamb some boiled rice and chips for that proper retro feel :-)
Hope you like it
PS all spoons are level

cw18

munchki wrote: »

Well DH has had a job interview last week and has a second interview this friday, so keeping fingers crossed for some good news.

Fantastic news

munchki wrote: »

And one final note before I stop waffeling along aimlessly.....been studying for my theory test....and took it this morning and passed with 98%

Congratulations :T

hmkn

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

hmkn thanks for the veal post...my view remains the same and havent eaten it for so long (as a stroppy 7yr old from recollection - when my mum worked on a farm that "grew" veal!) that I wouldnt miss it and couldnt in good conscience. I do eat lamb but think it at east has chance for a frollick and fun before it ends up on me plate? or am I wrong in this? Say if I am and will stop eating it!! Lamb always reminds me of my mum who gets very excited when she sees happy lambs leaping, skipping about!

If you're getting your meat from a butcher that sells 'happy' meat, I'd say that AFAIK, there's little difference. And at least that butcher will be able to tell you whether the calf has been outside or raised in a barn (which I guess is still better than a cage- I suppose this is the equivilent of battery/barn/free range chickens).

I'd talk to your butcher about it- mine was very helpful. I still haven't bought any, but I have to say that it wasn't astronomically expensive, especially if you don't go for obvious cuts like escalope of veal, which everyone will ask for because they can't think of anything else.

I think this is a bit like the nose-to-tail eating discussion. If these animals have to be produced it makes sense to eat rather than discard them, but it's either not for everyone, or it will take a while for long held beliefs to be reconsidered. I would never have dreamt of buying veal because of the terrible stories, but if it has had as much life as a spring lamb...

Anyway,

Thanks Shaz, 2 courgette cakes out of the oven and smelling lovely! I've made courgette cake before, but it's nice to try another recipe. I added cinnamon to one, so will report back :cool:

Someone mentioned beetroot cake. IME carrot, beetroot and courgette are pretty much interchangeable, so try a new vegetable in your favourite recipe!
I've even made banana, apple and courgette cake before, but that was mostly because I had fewer bananas in the freezer than I thought, and not enough apple or courgette It tasted fine, and it all got eaten

Incidentally DH still loathes beetroot and isn't very bothered about courgette(He used to eat only peas, carrots and cabbage, but over the last 15 years I've [STRIKE]persuaded[/STRIKE] encouraged him to expand his repertoire, and he'll now eat most veg apart from courgette and cucumber- both pointless, apparently- and beetroot) but he still enjoys the cakes. Could be his love of cake just counters the veg though!

He also likes courgette soup- grated courgette and butter (or oil/marg, but try to include a little butter for flavour), sweated until soft then blitzed with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Yum!

HMK