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

weezl74

CoD wrote: »

weezl sorry if it's already been stated but does the head include the brain? (poss dim question i know!)

looks around furtively to see if Mr Weezl's listening....

yes it includes the brain! I'm even to wrap the ears in foil to stop then singeing and keep them edible!

Hey, BOB, glad you're back in the land of the living. Good on ya for keeping to your challenge

cw18

stupid question from me promted by the mention of homemade fish fingers.....

how do people make breadcrumbs (assuming you make your own)? And what sort of bread do you make them from?

when I've tried in the past I've just ended up with huge clumps, or if I leave slices out to dry enough to try attacking with a grater either ( a ) it goes mouldy before it dries enough to not still clump, or ( b ) I end up grating my knuckles as well !!!

I have some frozen fish fillets that I need to use soon, but last time I tried making my own 'in butter/parsley' sauce versions neither hubby nor younger son would eat it -- the sauce and fish are both apparently too different to the boil-in-the-bag version (they eat the butter, I eat both). Was thinking I could bread them up as we all eat breaded fish -- but a month down the line I'm still trying to pluck up the courage to try making the breadcrumbs without any feeling of confidence !!!!

phizzimum

thanks weezl - didn't realise it was plain flour not strong you were using! I wondered how on earth you got strong wholemeal flour that cheap. I'm amazed that ordinary flour will work, but then I couldn't beleive it would rise without kneading either so I'll give it a go on my next batch.

do other supermarket bakeries give away yeast or is it just Adsa?

Frugaldom

Hi Weezl, just popping out of lurkdom on your thread to say that I do try to keep up here whenever I can, but don't always manage to read everything. I thought I'd include the results of my VC (Veggie Cutlets) experiment here, if that's OK, because these went down a treat last week when friend was staying. They cost very little to make, especially since the potatoes and salad leaves are free from the garden. I have 'guesstimated' the oil and salt/seasoning prices, as I use so little.

Boil the potatoes, steam the vegetables above the potatoes to save on electricity/gas. Mash the potatoes, season as required (2p), mix in the vegetables. I used supermarket own brand frozen mixed veg (95p for 1.2kg), so the amount I used probably cost less than 20p. Shape the mix into round, flatish 'cakes', dip in egg (10p) dip in breadcrumbs (5p) and then fry for a couple of minutes in a little oil (2p). I managed to make 20 cutlets from mine, so they cost less than 2p each. I served 2 per person with homegown salad leaves (free), sliced tomato (12p each) and savoury vegetable rice. (36p for pack)

Total cost = 25p per meal approximately

The remaining 12 veg cutlets are in the freezer.

I have a funny feeling that the freezer will be filled with these soon, as I'm planning on making batches of potato croquettes, assorted vegetable cutlets and fish cakes using supermarket own brand frozen white fish fillets. Cheap, cheerful and solves the problem of how else to preserve the potatoes to last throughout the year.

(Weezl is my food challenge hero but I'm only a lurker here, I'm not a stalker, honest. :rotfl: )

weezl74

phizzimum wrote: »

thanks weezl - didn't realise it was plain flour not strong you were using! I wondered how on earth you got strong wholemeal flour that cheap. I'm amazed that ordinary flour will work, but then I couldn't beleive it would rise without kneading either so I'll give it a go on my next batch.

do other supermarket bakeries give away yeast or is it just Adsa?

Tesco where my mum and dad live do it too!

Nykmedia, fab:T:T another frugalite meal for the index methinks;)

I never thought you were a stalker, I lurk on the 4,000 a year thread you started.:o:D

System

piggy ideas from my farmhouse fare book -

pigs brain and kidney-
wash brain & kidneys and chop into slices, mix with a handful of parsley and a boiled egg, sprinkle with salt, pour over a little hot water and cook for an hour or more

pig's feet and ears
soak for hours, boil in salted water until tender, dry them and chop the feet in 2 & slice the ears, dip in batter and fry in hot fat. Serve with melted butter mixed with mustard and vinegar.

pig's-head pudding
soak half a head, nose n ears in salt for a fortnight or more, then soak them in plain water overnight. boil for 2 1/2 hours. When cold, put through a mincer with 'any available cooked beef'. add grated nutmeg, breadcrumbs and pepper to taste. Mix in 3 eggs, and make it into a firm roll. Tie in a pudding-cloth like a roly poly, place in boiling water and boil for 2 hours. serve cold with lashings of custard.

(ok, I made up the bit about the custard :rotfl:)

there you go weezl, if mr weezl can't face it at first, you can leave it in a bucket of saltwater for weeks until you talk him round, then make him a lovely 'roly-poly head'.

weezl74

Jumble-Bee wrote: »

there you go weezl, if mr weezl can't face it at first, you can leave it in a bucket of saltwater for weeks until you talk him round, then make him a lovely 'roly-poly head'.

:T:T:T:T:T

or maybe I'll just soak Mr Weezl in the salt water and run off with the butcher!:rotfl:

System

.....as long as you don't make his head into a roly-poly :eek:

boredofbeingathome

cw18 wrote: »

stupid question from me promted by the mention of homemade fish fingers.....

how do people make breadcrumbs (assuming you make your own)? And what sort of bread do you make them from?

when I've tried in the past I've just ended up with huge clumps, or if I leave slices out to dry enough to try attacking with a grater either ( a ) it goes mouldy before it dries enough to not still clump, or ( b ) I end up grating my knuckles as well !!!

I have some frozen fish fillets that I need to use soon, but last time I tried making my own 'in butter/parsley' sauce versions neither hubby nor younger son would eat it -- the sauce and fish are both apparently too different to the boil-in-the-bag version (they eat the butter, I eat both). Was thinking I could bread them up as we all eat breaded fish -- but a month down the line I'm still trying to pluck up the courage to try making the breadcrumbs without any feeling of confidence !!!!

I know what you mean with frozen fish..it has a certain tang to it! I use a squeeze of lemon juice or even dice lemon..drat forgot to put it in, and fresh parsely herbs.
I have an attachment on my mixer which is for whizzing up fruit and stuff, but the blender blades are so sharp it is brilliant for breadcrumbs..just left over bread, and i whizz it up with spices and bag it! as there are always loads. I also have another metal blade, whaich i can use on main body of mixer ( kenwood chef) but have found this to be the best. I used a bit of the egg for the sponge pud to dip and bind. I have also had good results shallow frying in a bit of oil, actually it tastes better than putting on a tray in the oven..just have a play around with the bread crumbs. You did used to be able to buy them dried in a shakey tub, so itmaybe an option to partially dry on a tray in oven if you wanted.

phizzimum

Jumble-Bee wrote: »

there you go weezl, if mr weezl can't face it at first, you can leave it in a bucket of saltwater for weeks until you talk him round, then make him a lovely 'roly-poly head'.

ok...that's just scary!

weezl - do you just find someone at the bakery section and ask for some yeast? is it that easy? I;ve never used fresh yeast, how long will it last?

I'm definitely hooked on the no knead bread, and I'd love to get the PPS (price per slice) down!