Cook Something Different Challenge

Nelski

Heres something I have wanted to do for a while so I thought I would get some inspiration from the lovely OSers again:D

I have a slight addiction to cookery books (particularly the gorgeous chef ones think James and Jamie ) which i adoring peruse then put back on the shelf and head for my usual meal of chilli :rolleyes: I also have 2 lever arch files of recipes carefully clipped from magazines.

Not very money saving really - all that wasted paper and wasted efforts by those cute chefs. So............heres my challenge for 2010

Each week I am going to cook at least one thing I have never cooked before and challenge my skills as a cook (from a fairly low base i have to say) and also to challenge my tastebuds to try some different things.

So today I am starting as i mean to go on by cooking Jamies Roast Pork with balsamic baked roast potatoes and red onions. Not a massive stretch really but its a start for me:D

Anyone wanna join in and we can share our experiences?

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Quasar

Well I don't have the patience to follow recipes but today I decided to use up the half packets of odds and sods that had been languishing at the back of my cupboard. I didn't even bother with dosages and measures but just shoved in a pan the following:

Red lentils, split peas (which I had soaked), wholegrain rice, wholemeal pasta, celery, carrots, potatoes, parsley, onion, a garlic clove, xtra virgin olive oil, half a chicken stock cube, and a dash of parmesan, a bit of lo-salt. It came up a real treat! :drool:

Sorry Nelski for dumbing down your thread with the first reply. Your chef recipes sound quite posh in comparison... :o

Happy New Year all :beer:

Souk08

I'll join you! I usually just do one new recipe a month and I've got most of my food in for now so might be a wee while before I get to do anything but deffo go for it from Feb. I went to my lovley friends for dinner the other night and she had cooked an amazing meal from scratch with pud and I'm just not at that level but I want to be! I also have a cookery book or 3 on the go!!! Let's do it.

Money_saving_Diva_2

Hi Nelski,

Aha! At last a challenge I might actually be able to do!

This month, we are for the first time trying to do a storecupboard challenge so we will be having to be more imaginative than normal to use what is here rather than just buying 'extras' to finish off a specific recipe. I anticipate that we will be eating a lot of meals that we just haven't bothered to try before. I too have saved recipes from here and online and own more cook books than I care to count, so I think I really should give it a go.:rotfl:

I will be a little restricted as we have a very small weekly budget for staples and extras we might need but I think that will just mean my experiments may be rather basic, but if that still counts then I would love to try and follow your challenge hon. It might help to focus me with meal planning etc. too.

I have a very finickity OH which doesn't help of course!

I think I will find a recipe I like and then post when I know we are cooking it each week.

Let us know how those odd roast potatoes of Jamies go!

Diva.x

Quasar - your 'recipe' sounds so healthy and nourishing! I think my OH would leave me if I served that up.. he is a fussy thing! :rotfl:

nearlyrich

I will join this one too, we are always saying we eat the same dishes week in week out, if it's Monday it must be steak in our house LOL.. can I count my Jamie Oliver Turkey and Leek Pie that I made yesterday for this week? I am not cooking today as we are going out soon....happy New Year everyone.:beer:

I have a couple of recipe books that I just look at too...:o

Quasar

Well, you lot are putting me to shame. I have some obscure recipe books from Italy and the old classic "The Constance Spry Cookery Book", so I might start the new year with the resolution to USE THEM and not just let them adorn a shelf.

I'm on it. Will try one this week. :A

thriftlady_2

Goodness I really must try and use my collection more An idea I had was to cook from one book a week at a time (or longer). Thing is, I'm like Quasar, I don't follow the recipes and I don't want to be buying food especially for a recipe, I like cooking with what I have too, I think it is more economical. I do love reading recipes though. I think all the reading has helped me be better cook, the more recipes you read the more you realise that really they are all the same.

A great idea for a challenge though Nelski, and I've been loving the Baileys btw :beer:

Nelski

Hey Quasar (Happy New Year to you too :beer:) thats great Id love to hear your obsure recipes they sound like fun:D
Souk08 3 would be good I have about 33 so this challenge will last me a while i think
MSD course it counts hun:j not all of my books are posh ones I also have a range of Delia, Mrs Beeton and various budget recipes I have saved and never used
nearlyrich :wave: hiya I have never been into meal planning i must say i tend to default to chilli cos im hungry and need it NOW I doubt thats ever gonna really change for me but I am really keen to try some new ingredients maybe on a weekend. Chicken and leek pie sounds delish:T

Hey glad im not alone in my desire to add some new spice to my diet:D The jamie pork and balsamic potatoes and red onion were gorgeous and I can highly recommend. Next one for me has to have some stuff in I have never used before or didnt think i liked........runs off to grab a book.

Edited to say.....thriftlady cant wait to see the ones you are trying.....your everyday menu is more creative than my dinner party ones

Quasar

thriftlady wrote: »

Goodness I really must try and use my collection more An idea I had was to cook from one book a week at a time (or longer). Thing is, I'm like Quasar, I don't follow the recipes and I don't want to be buying food especially for a recipe, I like cooking with what I have too, I think it is more economical. I do love reading recipes though. I think all the reading has helped me be better cook, the more recipes you read the more you realise that really they are all the same.

A great idea for a challenge though Nelsk,i and I've been loving the Baileys btw :beer:

Ah but there's no law to say that we can't use a recipe as a basis and work around it according to our taste and means... Call it cheating maybe, but this is how fantastic new recipes are born. Here's hoping, anyway.

Nelski

Quasar wrote: »

Ah but there's no law to say that we can't use a recipe as a basis and work around it according to our taste and means... Call it cheating maybe, but this is how fantastic new recipes are born. Here's hoping, anyway.

I feel a new cookbook on the shelves soon.......The Sexy Italian Ladys Kitchen maybe........can i be your agent!!

Thriftlady - Respect for that collection - I thought I was bad

thriftlady_2

Quasar wrote: »

Ah but there's no law to say that we can't use a recipe as a basis and work around it according to our taste and means... Call it cheating maybe, but this is how fantastic new recipes are born. Here's hoping, anyway.

Absolutely:T