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

weezl74

FrankieM wrote: »

That's a great idea. Sorry I didn't think of it. I'm happy to test any that you find so feel free to post and if I don't get to them today I'll have time tomorrow.

Have you had a tester for you bacon pasta bake yet?

I think Lesley's up for it, but if you are too that would be fab

I'll have a look at the stock checker and see how much of the ingredients we have available

Have bumped an old thread on old style about cooking with ready brek too, so we'll see what luck we have with that

ariarnia

one thing that seems to come out on that thread is that ready break is more like a coarse oat flour than oats so maybe try a recipe for oatmeal rather than oats?

http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_oatbiscuits.htm for example.

weezl74

ariarnia wrote: »

one thing that seems to come out on that thread is that ready break is more like a coarse oat flour than oats so maybe try a recipe for oatmeal rather than oats?

http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_oatbiscuits.htm for example.

fab idea, thanks

So lets try:

frugalised oat biscuit #1

Ingredients:
Teacup of medium oatmeal
Teacup of plain flour
Half teacup of milk
Tablespoon of white sugar
2.5 oz oil
Level teaspoon salt
Level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Method:
Sieve the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, add the oatmeal and mix. Cut the butter or margarine into small portions and rub into the mixture with your fingers. Add the sugar and mix well. Pour in the milk and mix until you have a stiff but workable dough.
Shake some flour on a worktop, turn the dough onto it and shake a little flour on the top. Roll out thinly (about half an inch thick) and !!!!! over with a fork. Cut into rounds with a scone cutter and place on an oiled baking tray. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15/20 minutes at 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4. Use a palette knife to lift the biscuits onto a wire coming rack. Store in an airtight tin.

HowlinWolf

weezl74 wrote: »

this is the recipe I'd like to roll out for bob and shirl, as it best uses the ingredients we have. So a couple of questions to help me in my tweakery:

We have not bought shirley any stock cubes

so our stock of stock (IYSWIM?) is meagre! for this one, can shirl get away with water and more seasonings, or do you feel I need to grab back some stock from elsewhere?

when you guys have it without the bacon, (planner 2a) does it need anything else for va va voom, or is it good to go?

And finally I'm guessing it doesn't need a side dish?

Many thanks

Weezl xxxx

If we have it without bacon then the flavour of the mustard, stock and cheese is plenty. I am always quite happy to eat it on it's own as there are different textures, soft and saucy in the bottom and a bit crispy on the top where the cheese and the pasta has gone brown. It's also nice with salad or garlic bread but those are just added extras and definitely aren't necessary for a tasty filling meal.

Could it be done without stock. Hmm good question. My initial reason for using stock when I invented this recipe last year was that it was cheaper and lower fat/calories than milk. It also proved to be much tastier. I think that Shirley could potentially make it with water and herbs but I think it might not taste as good and she'd probably need to add an onion. I pondered marmite but I just don't think it would cut it with the mustard, I think the flavours would compete too much and that the colour might not be that appetising. We could think about a version using the dried milk, mustard and a sprinkle of herbs if that is still on the list but we might need to alter quantities a little as I would guess that the made-up milk is more dense than the made up stock.

I would be happy to try out some versions of sauce next week for taste but I need to go shopping first as the cupboard is bare(ish).

weezl74

HowlinWolf wrote: »

If we have it without bacon then the flavour of the mustard, stock and cheese is plenty. I am always quite happy to eat it on it's own as there are different textures, soft and saucy in the bottom and a bit crispy on the top where the cheese and the pasta has gone brown. It's also nice with salad or garlic bread but those are just added extras and definitely aren't necessary for a tasty filling meal.

Could it be done without stock. Hmm good question. My initial reason for using stock when I invented this recipe last year was that it was cheaper and lower fat/calories than milk. It also proved to be much tastier. I think that Shirley could potentially make it with water and herbs but I think it might not taste as good and she'd probably need to add an onion. I pondered marmite but I just don't think it would cut it with the mustard, I think the flavours would compete too much and that the colour might not be that appetising. We could think about a version

HowlinWolf wrote: »

using the dried milk, mustard and a sprinkle of herbs if that is still on the list but we might need to alter quantities a little as I would guess that the made-up milk is more dense than the made up stock.

I would be happy to try out some versions of sauce next week for taste but I need to go shopping first as the cupboard is bare(ish).

eeek I'm so sorry if I haven't said this before, but we've had to completely axe the pluspints dried milk as asda have discontinued it the hot oaty cereal is the new inclusion to keep the family having sufficient calcium.

there is a litle fresh milk for tea, perhaps shirley will spare some of that for the pasta?

The vegan planner uses cornmeal (amongst other things) to achieve this.

Sorry I sometimes forget you can't all see me here, beavering away, checking lists sheets and supermarkets...

weezl74

murrell/Lesley, any thoughts on a veganisation of the chickpea crumble?

xxx

weezl74

... you get quite a lot of fruit with the vegan one (and some balsamic for the onion tarte tatin )


1 Tesco Ingredients Balsvinegar 250ml £1.00

2 Fragata Olives Stuffed With Garlic 200g 1.78

3 Tesco Pumpkin Seeds 300g £5.82

3 Natco Fine Corn Meal 1.5kg £2.49

2 Dunns River Fine Cornmeal 500g £0.90

1 Tesco Value Peas 900g £0.87

7 Market Value Brown Onions 2kg £5.46

3 Tesco Tomato Puree Tube 200g 0.99

12 Tesco Value Chopped Tomatoes 400g £4.20

8 Tesco Value Baked Beans In Tomt/Sauce 420g £2.32

6 Tesco Instant Hot Oat Cereal 750g £6.96

2 Tesco Pure Vegetable Oil 3 Litre £5.04

2 Miscellaneous Granulated Sugar2kg Parcels £3.80

18 Market Value Apple Pack £12.24

2 Tesco Very Fine Whole Green Beans 1kg £2.00

8 Tesco Value Sultanas 500g £5.20

4 Market Value Bananas 1.5kg £5.36

1 Tesco Walnut Pieces 200g £1.50

2 Tesco Value 80 Teabags 250g £0.56

2 Tesco Red Split Lentils 500g £1.76

2 Market Value Orange Pack 2.00

4 Market Value Baking Potatoes 2.5kg 5.60

31 Loose Carrots Class 1 2.17

15 Bramley Cooking Apples Loose Class 1 £5.85

5 Tesco Value Self Raising Flour 1.5kg £2.15

10 Tesco Strong White Bread Flour 1.5kg £6.10

5 Leo Dried Peas 250g £1.40

4 Tesco Value Pasta Quills 500g £1.28

1 Tesco Value Salted Peanuts 200g £0.27

2 Gia Garlic Puree 90g £1.18

2 Tesco Chick Peas 500g

ceridwen

Looking at the vegan shopping list - I was wondering whether I could use that as a basis for a personal mealplan for me and instantly mentally throwing out the sugar and "ready oat" cereal (sorrees....Weezl...'tis only speculating on summat for myself personally - so I know you would wonder whether I would be getting enough calories for throwing out the sugar). Bethought myself - "I betcha ricemilk has some calcium in - I wonder how much?" and went googling and found:

http://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/docs%5Cleaflets%5C197.pdf

which might be of interest...:)

You've got all the figures to hand - so would know how this compares for instance:

Readybrek cereal = 400mg calcium per 30gr serving
Enriched rice or oat milk = 335mg per 280ml

Wondering if there is scope for swopping Readybrek cereal to "proper" oats and adding in some enriched rice or oat milk to bring up the calcium levels. By the time Readybrek is so much dearer than "proper" oats - would there be much difference in price?

ceridwen

Quick detour round t'internet - to get the price of Tesco dried chickpeas (£0.79) - and I added that list up to £99.09.

So - little bit of "buried treasure" (ie money going spare) - of £0.91 - to reach that exact £100 figure.:)

I think I might do a little personal exercise for myself and see what my own "version" of that would cost later...:think: - and could keep it as a "plan for ceridwen if in extremis"...:cool:

EDIT: got my maths wrong - make that £1.58 - to cover two packets dried chickpeas and only a few pennies left..DUH!

weezl74

ceridwen wrote: »

Looking at the vegan shopping list - I was wondering whether I could use that as a basis for a personal mealplan for me and instantly mentally throwing out the sugar and "ready oat" cereal (sorrees....Weezl...'tis only speculating on summat for myself personally - so I know you would wonder whether I would be getting enough calories for throwing out the sugar). Bethought myself - "I betcha ricemilk has some calcium in - I wonder how much?" and went googling and found:

http://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/docs%5Cleaflets%5C197.pdf

which might be of interest...:)

You've got all the figures to hand - so would know how this compares for instance:

Readybrek cereal = 400mg calcium per 30gr serving
Enriched rice or oat milk = 335mg per 280ml

Wondering if there is scope for swopping Readybrek cereal to "proper" oats and adding in some enriched rice or oat milk to bring up the calcium levels. By the time Readybrek is so much dearer than "proper" oats - would there be much difference in price?

C I think I've misunderstood you completely:o, you seem to have doubled the price of your meal planner and made it so you have to eat 3 times as much porridge, but still chosen an enriched product? No hang on that can't be right. reads it again...

I'm scratching my head here m'lovely! Sorry say again what you're thinking of doing?