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

SusanC_2

ceridwen wrote: »

I'd got that idea playing on my mind a bit - of the need to boil kidney beans - hence thinking "Oh well - I'll boil 'em all before sticking in a slowcooker".

Do you think I need to specifically boil the kidney beans for a bit (say 15 minutes?) before transferring them and the water they are boiled in to the slowcooker to finish cooking maybe? - but could put other dried beans/lentils straight in the slowcooker in the water after it had just come to the boil?

That's more or less what I do with kidney beans except I'm usually putting them into a dish (e.g. curry or chilli) so would tend to drain them before adding to slow cooker. Other stuff I usually soak and then just put straight in the slow cooker. Apparently all beans have the chemical in which causes kidney bean poisoning but not in such high levels.

weezl74

*bleary eyed weezl coming in from staring at the spreadsheets*

Chaps a couple of questions:

Since all the pates and spreads and nut and seed butters are created to not need butter underneath, ie they contain their own oils/fats and are 'wet' enough to not do that sticking to the roof of your mouth thingie.... I'm wondering about ditching the butterly spread stuff, since it's quite tempting for Jenny and Jason to just pop it on toast if it's there...

Which would free up enough for real butter for a few cakey things plus suet for other things.

These would both be more appropriate fats to use in that type of dish anyway....

If shirley's butter baking were to happen on baking day 2 (second saturday of the month:o:)) she could freeze the butter til then to preserve it from accidental snackage....

Any thoughts?

This would then (along with the bacon and chicken fats and cheese) give us enough saturates to have a healthy balance.

I know this sounds very daft given the usual advice to cut down saturates and up poly and mono-unsaturates, but Bob and shirl's planner is rather low in those without extra butter/suet. And therefore will have a harmful effect.

Stands back and waits for fireworks

Also, as we've now got an appley cereal bar, can I axe the honey? It's not fulfilling any other function....

Also, no-one mentioned the pate as a lunch idea? was everyone ok with that for more meatyness for Bob (the neanderthal :rotfl:)

Sorry about the finicky detail

domesticgoddess789

Lesley, I have just put your chickpea crumble on my meal planner for the coming week

Very much looking forward to that and will report back once made. I remember trying another one of your crumble recipes not so long ago. I think it was called vegetable crumble and it was delicious and I hope this one is just good.

aless02

weezl, I already replaced your icky buttery spread with real butter in my shop this month . I freeze my cheese to prevent snacking, so freezing butter is good idea.

I did the survey, but just to say that the apple "curd" gets a 10/10 from both of us. Sooooo yummy on toast in the morning - and as a snack! No need for spread underneath.

Sweetcorn fritters were made (brave me, I have similar scarring of corn to artybear, though developed through different circumstances ). DH has yet to eat, but I give them a solid 8/10, though likely sheerly b/c corn is NOT my favorite. Absolutely perfect with salsa on top, I might add (I'm Texan, forgive the addiction! ).

cerid - I just did chickpeas: 3-4 hours in the slow cooker (3:1 water:pea ratio) and they came out solid enough for dinner but also soft enough to blend well for hummus.

weezl74

aless02 wrote: »

I did the survey, but just to say that the apple "curd" gets a 10/10 from both of us. Sooooo yummy on toast in the morning - and as a snack! No need for spread underneath.

Sweetcorn fritters were made (brave me, I have similar scarring of corn to artybear, though developed through different circumstances ). DH has yet to eat, but I give them a solid 8/10, though likely sheerly b/c corn is NOT my favorite. Absolutely perfect with salsa on top, I might add (I'm Texan, forgive the addiction! ).

Good oh! These recipes are all shaping up nicely :T:T:T:T:T

Aless do you have digital scales?

Would you mind weighing your toast before and after you put your apple curd on, just so I can get an idea of portion sizes? Salsa eh? would a chopped tinned tomato base with little cubes of onion and carrot and chilli work I wonder?

If only green peppers were a thrifty ingredient in the UK!

But by 2030 they will be eh? So I'll enjoy them on my pension :rotfl:

FrankieM

My final report on my veggie burgers...

The mix was too wet, I think, so probably better draining most if not all of the baked bean sauce off before adding.
250g of potatoes probably too much.
Also a burger in a bun just didn't feel like a 'dinner' to me...but as the burgers have both potatoes and baked beans in them, I'm not sure what side dishes to put with them to make them more 'dinner' like.

I have yet to try any of the 'spread' recipes. I'm hoping to get the family to agree to giving the monthly menu a go when its been put together so they can try them then.
I would go for butter every time and also a bit of lard for pastry

weezl74

FrankieM wrote: »

Also a burger in a bun just didn't feel like a 'dinner' to me...but as the burgers have both potatoes and baked beans in them, I'm not sure what side dishes to put with them to make them more 'dinner' like.

oh frankie I'm sorry to hear that:(

I'm thinking the extra bean to potato ratio and the red cabbagey bits must've made a bit of a difference with ours, or Mr Weezl has very weird tastes!:rotfl:

I hope it hasn't put you off the quest! xxx

FrankieM

No, not at all. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I guess we are just used to have some kind of rice/pasta/potato side dish. The burgers felt a bit like a lunch meal being in a bun.
They were very tasty and filling though and everyone here ate them without complaint...just trying to think how to make them work as a meal for us...hope that makes sense?

weezl74

FrankieM wrote: »

No, not at all. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I guess we are just used to have some kind of rice/pasta/potato side dish. The burgers felt a bit like a lunch meal being in a bun.
They were very tasty and filling though and everyone here ate them without complaint...just trying to think how to make them work as a meal for us...hope that makes sense?

ah! I'm with you now.... So what if it was burgers served with rice salad with a veg portion too?

Or if we go for a quite low potato (ie enough to bind but not really to flavour) but quite beany burger that could then have wedges, veg and a homemade spicy tomato relish/chutney?

slowlyfading

weezl74 wrote: »

Or if we go for a quite low potato (ie enough to bind but not really to flavour) but quite beany burger that could then have wedges, veg and a homemade spicy tomato relish/chutney?

I'm more of a lurker in this thread, but this sounds yum!