Weezl's phase 1- recipe testing and frugalisation- come one, come all!

twinkle_star_2

I tend to batch cook chickpeas (and other dried pulses) and then bag them in 200g portions (approx weight of a drained tin). Then I can just use them when needed in recipes. They also taste way nicer than tinned.

Maybe this should go in Shirley's day 0 to do list.

ceridwen

Kaz2904 wrote: »

I think the response from most people was that it was ok to lose 10g cheese. They all seemed to leave it out of the pastry. I've not tried it yet and have too much stuff to use up at present to be able to fit it in until next Tuesday. I will try it then.

I used the exact amount of cheese specified - in both filling and pastry:)

But - it would be possible to lose the cheese in the pastry methinks if we have to.

In the mythical family situation - I'd a darn sight sooner lose my bit of cheese in the pastry than not have enough other food to go with my quiche:eek:
(though - having said that - I cut the quiche into 4 portions - but was wondering whether I shoulda cut it into 5 portions actually...)

ceridwen

oldMcDonald wrote: »

Did anyone try to make this cake with some apple sauce instead of some of the fat? I can remember apple sauce being mentioned but can't remember what recipe this was in relation to. (Would this family have apple sauce on hand, though?). I do have some apple sauce in the freezer and would be happy to experiment with this in the carrot cake, should it be of any help.

Dont know about anyone else - but I'd be interested to know how that would be. I'm thinking I'll probably do the carrot cake again - without any of my choice of sweetening (ie honey) and with a bit more dried fruit and was thinking of replacing say half the oil with apple puree (of the unsweetened variety).

ceridwen

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

Yummy falafel...thought initially it was fennel but surmised it was onion taste.
Didnt think you needed the lemon mayo but chutney essential, although thats personal choice! Only downside is the wind...Ferg and I had a merry old burp tog!!
Wasnt 100% sure but tasted nice that I thought it would and would make it myself but withthout lemon mayo...

lemon mayonnaise sounds good to me with falafel - 'twould be one way I would have it personally.

Personally - I'd have a bitta salad - as well as my homemade bread - with it. But maybes our "family" wouldnae have the money to add that..

phizzimum

falafels for dinner tonight!

hadn't seen your recipe above Weezl, so did them according to the recipe in the link

400g chick peas (soaked and cooked weight)
squeeze garlic paste
tsp garam masala
2 tbsp flour

considering I didn't use oil they held together very well. served them with homemade chapattis, yoghurt, cooked carrots, sweetcorn fritters and red cabbage chutney.

I made the sweetcorn fritters as I didn't think the girls would like the falafels, but the reverse was true. will definitely make these again! no idea of costing as not sure what the dry weight of the chick peas would be, but will cost properly when I make them again.

Lesley_Gaye

mixed results for dinner tonight.

Made the onion bhajis using the homeground chickpea flour. Not very nice at all. Once moistened in the mix, the flour clumped together like chopped chick peas and wouldn't stick the mixture together at all, tried one with it anyway but it didn't taste very nice and was just bits of onion fried, not a bhaji. Added some ordinary chick pea flour, but when cooked they were very puddingy.

Started again and just used chick pea flour, but they were still puddingy, but not as much, not sure what I am doing differently because they aren't usually.

Did a new recipe to go with them of Savoury Carrot Layer from Cranks Recipe book. So had a qtr of the Carrot Layer each, a bhaji (1 onion mixture made 4 big ones), a little chutney (from the store cupboard) and about 100g peas each.

Filling and lots of different textures and flavours, a good combination. I costed it all out and it comes to 46p for everything except the chutney.

Savoury Carrot Layer
base
450g carrots 32p
25g butter/spread (I used Vitalight) 4p
1tsp soy sauce - can't say I could taste this, so could omit

Topping
25g butter/spread 4p
25g flour 1p
142ml milk 8p
3 eggs 30p
75g cheese, grated 50p

grate the carrots (I didn't peel them) and simmer with 150ml water and the butter until very soft. Blitz smooth, season and spread in the base of a greased oven proof dish

melt butter for topping, add flour and cook off for a minute. Add milk to create a thick sauce. Off the heat add the eggs and cheese, add balck pepper. Pour over the carrots and bake at 180C/350F/Mark 4 for 45 minutes

quite flavoursome, but def needs something else with it

For the bhajis, I used 1 onion sliced into fine half rings, 100g gram flour, 2 good tsps garam masala, a chilli, 1 tsp garlic

Lesley_Gaye

phizzimum wrote: »

falafels for dinner tonight!

hadn't seen your recipe above Weezl, so did them according to the recipe in the link

400g chick peas (soaked and cooked weight)
squeeze garlic paste
tsp garam masala
2 tbsp flour

considering I didn't use oil they held together very well. served them with homemade chapattis, yoghurt, cooked carrots, sweetcorn fritters and red cabbage chutney.

I made the sweetcorn fritters as I didn't think the girls would like the falafels, but the reverse was true. will definitely make these again! no idea of costing as not sure what the dry weight of the chick peas would be, but will cost properly when I make them again.

sounds a yummy dinner, have to try them next. Although I might do the chou farci (cabbage and sausage) I found the other day

babysitting DGD tom after a job interview time was changed at short notice, so not sure what I will be doing for dinner tomorrow. Have made some Spicy Parsnip Soup for lunch tom that I will take down with me

Off to clear up the kitchen now, frying makes for a smelly kitchen even tho I had the extractor on. See you tom, keep up the experimenting, I love it!

nopot2pin

:wave:
Hello all...
Sorry I haven't been around for a couple of days... been a bit mad busy
It has had the makings of "one of those weeks" so far... mobile phone stolen, car knackered, chasing my tail at work, helping "the olds".. well just cause I can ... I could go on... but I wont

Glad the DVT thing worked out not to be, Weezl

Anyway, I really need to get getting the surveys out :eek:
So, we can all keep up with the nitty gritty :cool:...
Please watch this space for the next ones though

ceridwen wrote: »

I'm thinking I'll do all my survey results a batch at a time - when I can spare a "patch of time" to compile/work through survey if thats okay?

One thing I'm not quite clear on re the survey - having done a coupla tweaks of my own on the recipe done to date (ie carrot cake) - is it okay to fill in my results on my own personal "tweaked" version. Is that valid?
).

Well, I dont think there is any hardened or fast rule to them...
I think all Weezl is after is frank and truthful answers.
I have tried to make the ones so far, so that they dont take up too much of the individuals time....
And there is an opportunity to add your own thoughts... which I will incorporate, to the final results, if you know what I mean
I do hope to continue in this way, unless there are many objections or suggestions not to.
I hope this helps you Ceridwen...

Kaz2904 wrote: »

Have to answer this as I read it (only got this far lol!). I work night shifts. I am still able to eat a healthy diet and cook for my family. A resource like this would make it far far easier for me because I wouldn't even have to think, it would just be a case of checking the menu plan and getting on with it.
Plus, not all night workers are on low wages- most of us get paid a premium for working unsocial hours.

This is me, too...
I work a rotating shift pattern, of a fashion, which include 3 shifts, which I have to take part in, at various point in the month.
I do eat healthy most of the time... but like most people, sometimes I dont
I have been shift working for over 20 years.....
I always found eating the right thing at the right time a real issue , until about 6 or 7 years ago, when I started only eating when I was hungry, instead of at specific meal times. Its working for me now.. so I will continue on with that for now.

I need to go off and catch up with the rest of the thread

nopot2pin

ceridwen wrote: »

I'm single - so I've only got my wayward self to "get on board" - and that can be difficult enough sometimes;):).


In my own life - I've noticed that theres more "sharing" going on between me & my "friendship group" on the one hand. Also more "sharing" going on between me and my parents. We are looking out more in both respects to see what we can share around of our "surplus". So - obviously - its going to be even more vital to learn to "share" within a family. One could coin a phrase about "the family that shares together stays together" and the way things are going - families will have to take this to heart or we will have a lot more marriages heading for the divorce courts than we already do.

Ditto...
I am finding more of this sharing, or bartering going on more and more in my life...
Not just with family, but friends also.
And although I always did really believe that what goes around, comes around.... I am finding that the going and coming around happens alot more often these days.

weezl74 wrote: »

Thanks

I think we need to lose 10g of cheese from the Delia tart (currently 100g) so that the wedges and veg can be accomodated. Could anyone who used less than 100g of cheese in total in the tart, maybe pop back and say if that was ok?

I can't trawl through it all to get a sense of how much cheese you all tried!!!

xxx

No, you're right Weezl.....
You cant trawl back to find out who used less cheese....
But I can check the survey results, to see what the popular concensus is so far
Info to follow soon

oldMcDonald wrote: »

I'm a little late to the carrot cake party, so I hope it is ok to join in and add my thoughts?

The kids loved the carrot cake, DH and I liked it a lot, but found the texture far too oily. I didn't have any oranges so substituted some Smart Price OJ, and this worked fine. I also used mixed spice as we didn't have any of the spices on the list (need to go shopping!) and again, this tasted fine.

Did anyone try to make this cake with some apple sauce instead of some of the fat? I can remember apple sauce being mentioned but can't remember what recipe this was in relation to. (Would this family have apple sauce on hand, though?). I do have some apple sauce in the freezer and would be happy to experiment with this in the carrot cake, should it be of any help.

Its never too late to join
But if you do join, please fill in the survey... link found in post number 4
And the apple sauce, instead of fat does sound interesting...
Could this reduce sugar too ?

Off to find some stats

ceridwen

sabs10 wrote: »

Afternoon All,

weezl74 - can i volunteer to help you test the recipes?

Think this resource is a fantastic idea & would love to be a part of it - if you'll have me.

Am still going to make the carrot cake this avo - would like something sweet to eat other than pancakes today :rotfl:

It doesnae matter if someone comes late to the party - 'tis still come one come all:D

We've come to a consensus by now that we've given up on having an official list of testers (as it was getting so l..o...n....g and getting difficult to keep track of). INstead anyone and everyone is coming on board and testing out whatever particular recipe or recipes they fancy when they fancy - and coming back with their verdicts.

We have an official survey form for each recipe - which I must click into myself soon and give my official verdict - as well as my comments on thread.