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

Murrell

Couldn't find any cornmeal today in morrisons. So no testing the rissoles or shortbread again until I find some! Asda and Sainsburys are 3 miles away and tescos further! I wonder if they sell it in indian, polish or chinese stores, they are not as far.
Will love to try the new rissole with instant oats when I find some.

Sandra
x

nopot2pin

Spanish Omelette…………………....Spanish Omelette survey results

Just for anyone, that wishes to fill in the survey, above are the links...
The link for post 4 has also been updated

Ok.. work now
TTFN

Sian_the_Green

Good evening all!
Have to say I am delighted to get to be on this little thread, always thought people were crazy when they said about having friends they met over the internet. Now I still think so but I am one of the crazy ones...

Onion tart tatin, versions 1 and 2...
The major problem I had was that you need either an oven proof pan or a stove proof tin... I have neither so I used the pan on the stove and 2 loaf tins for the scone base and 2 9 inch cake tins for the pastry base. Does mean that you can't get the beautiful patterns on the top of the tart without a little difficulty. I would probably slice one onion into neat, thin slices and lay this on the bottom of my tin and whack it in the oven as it was heating if I minded this part!

Version 1- Vegetarian but not vegan

500g onions
2tbsp oil (as I used my le creuset I think it needs a little more, maybe less for non stick)
2 tbsp sugar

225g self raising flour
50g ready brek (that stuff gets everywhere, pour with care!)
70g buttery spread
Salt and Pepper
175ml liquid (I went for half milk, half water...)

Whack the pan on the heat, add the oil and sugar and stir about until mixed and the sugar starts to dissolve
Meanwhile, chop onion into slices and chuck into the pan
(if you want the beautiful layer at the top of your tart, save a few slices and lay them into the tin now and put in the oven whilst you are warming it up)
Leave the onions to simmer for 20 mins on a low-medium heat, they should soften and go clear
Heat the oven to 220C GM 7
Put the flour, seasoning and ready brek into a bowl, add the buttery spread
Using your fingers, rub together until it forms breadcrumbs (I use a knife to chop it through beforehand)
Pour in the liquid a little at a time, kneading lightly until it comes together into a soft dough.
Give it a bit more of a knead, divide into 2 and shape it to the size of your container. (You can roll it out to make it neat but who can be bothered!)

Put the onions into the tin and top with the layer of scone (if you have liquid left over, brush over for a shiny top!)
Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until golden brown
Turn out onto a plate!

It looks a little lighter in colour than the one with the balsamic but the squidgy base works really well with the slightly sweet onions which are generously proportioned and delicious. I am not sure you would need any other carbs with it if you used this amount of scone mix.

You could use the same recipe for the dough and make scones too, pretty tasty, I added ground chilli flakes and lots of pepper!

poohbear59

ISOM DS1 asked me to make today's meal 'wind free' as he is going out with friends tomorrow. But we had risi e bisi

The reults of the risi e bisi from my family... They love it. Thought it was very tasty and very filling. I think the garlic helped to give it more flavour.

I am going out tomorrow so will get DH to make chilli non carne, or spicy bean curry.

Sian_the_Green

Onion Tart Tatin- Vegan but using balsamic!

1 batch of vegan pastry- 250g plain flour, 85g oil, pinch of salt, enough water to bring the dough away from the sides of the dish (this is from the other place!)
Don't chill this, it makes it very hard to handle!

500g onions, sliced
2 tbsp balsamic
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sugar

Heat the oil and sugar in a pan
Meanwhile, slice the onions and arrange beautiful slices on the base of a flan dish/ 2 9inch cake tins/ovenproof lasagne dish etc
Add the onions and cook for around 10 minutes then add the balsamic and give a good stir
Put the oven on at GM 4 or 180C
Keep an eye on the pan and cook for another 10 mins, they should go a lovely brown colour but burn easily.
When they are reduced down, layer in the bottom of the tin/baking dish and gently press down to form an even layer
Place your pastry crust on top (doesn't matter if it doesn't cover the whole thing or has holes in as the upside-down nature of it means it will still cook!)
Bake for 35-40 mins, until golden brown
Turn out onto a plate.

This will be a generous portion (half a 9inch cake tin sized pie!) which would be luuurrrrvely with some bread on the side and a bit of veg

The balsamic adds a little extra tartness that is very tasty!

artybear

P.s hope mr weezl is ok and think u for being my friends-I think it's weird to have friends on the Internet but I'm really liking being part of this weird crowd!!!! Lolxxxxxx

ceridwen

artybear wrote: »

Weezl and everybody

I have told quite a few people about this project now and some have been interested, some dismissive. However a topic keeps coming up (probably because I am at Uni) and that is

-Is any debt good debt?

A few people have felt this may be a slightly judgemental plan claiming that uni fees and mortgage are debts too so would you frugal people not take on such things?

I know this is off topic so please feel free to ignore me, I was just a bit stumped when they asked this and wasn't sure how to explain the project then.

Sorry edit-actually I did know how to explain the food project it was more the reasoning behind why some of my internet friends (hope I can call you that) are so anti debt to the point of making a plan and testing etc....

artybearxxxx

My personal take on debt is that there are three separate things:
-debt
-mortgage
- student loan/fees

Out of those 3 - the only one I call/count as "debt" is the first one. "Mortgage" is what one is paying instead of "rent" - and I count it as a "roof over head" expense and investment. "Student loan" is what is handed over instead of the "student grant" my generation had - because all sorts of extra people are going to University as well these days and it would cost a fortune to fund them all. Well - thats how I see it personally anyways:)

At a personal level - I regarded "debt" as something I had to make an effort to pay off asap/mortgage as something I would pay off if opportunity arose. If I had been forced into a student loan then I would have regarded that as something that wasnt actually anything to do with me personally IYSWIM and that had been "foisted on me" and not been bothered about if/when it EVER got paid back.

I have been thinking further on the topic of debt and the reason for this thread. I am not quite clear on the thinking in some respects - is this plan an "emergency" one to follow for just a month or two to give a kickstart to getting out of debt and then allow a higher amount of money per month for food thereafter (ie somewhere part way between £100 per month and a "standard" level food spend)?

The other question I have been pondering is that if its not possible to "tweak" the Plan after inception - in case of missing out on nutrients that have been programmed in - as to how Bob and Shirley would gauge exactly which foods to use instead of anything on the Plan that they werent going to have because they didnt like it? I am just very aware that if I were Shirley and had decided to follow the Plan exactly (and not introduce ceridwen's own personal considerations) that there would be things I wasnt putting in because I didnt like them for instance (eg that sweetcorn in my case and the soups with peas in).

Murrell

Hiah Weezl,

Seen your question on the vegan board regarding calcium. Been googleing away and also can't find any reference to 350mg. It seems that cornmeal has 5-6mg as grown or min 110mg, max 165mg per 100g when fortified with calcium in usa or canada. Don't know if it will be the same for the cornmeal grown in Europe. Perhaps we should concentrate on fortifield instant oats, as all the supermarkets seem to sell this and cornmeal is not so easy to find.

Sandra
x

princess_loki

hello to everyone who is still awake! just making bean pate - got bread OR ready brek to put in has anyone tried with some ready brek? what is the verdict please and any idea on quantity?

taka

2 teaspoons of coleman's mustard (measured using a measuring spoon) was 4.56g. I then noticed the mustard powder tin says a teaspoon = 2.5g so I must have been a bit frugal with my scoop! :rotfl:

artybear wrote: »

Weezl and everybody

I have told quite a few people about this project now and some have been interested, some dismissive. However a topic keeps coming up (probably because I am at Uni) and that is

-Is any debt good debt?

A few people have felt this may be a slightly judgemental plan claiming that uni fees and mortgage are debts too so would you frugal people not take on such things?

I know this is off topic so please feel free to ignore me, I was just a bit stumped when they asked this and wasn't sure how to explain the project then.

Sorry edit-actually I did know how to explain the food project it was more the reasoning behind why some of my internet friends (hope I can call you that) are so anti debt to the point of making a plan and testing etc....

artybearxxxx

Some people will have borrowed for a particular reason, run up debt on cards by overspending, had a drop in income but commitments still to pay for or perhaps through no fault of their own - the reasons are as many and as varied as people! I think what is important is how it effects them. If it stresses them as they are struggling to pay for it, it may be costing them not just in money terms but in terms of having a physical and mental cost too.

I have no debt other than a mortgage (which I am trying to pay off early) For me having a mortgage means I have my own home... The interest is a price I am willing to pay for this opportunity to (eventually!) own my own home - but to me it is still a debt. I'm not sure everyone who has a mortgage sees the mortgage as a debt though - friends of mine see it as a normal part of life - something everyone pays. I want rid of it ASAP as having lower outgoings mean I have more options available to me in the future - I can choose to work full time, part time, in a low paid but fulfilling role or doing what I currently do! I'd have more choice available to me if my outgoings are lower without a mortgage to pay for.

If you have debt then your choices are in many ways more restricted -usually you need to have enough money coming in to pay everyone and to live on yourself. It may mean you do a job you hate (or work long hours that you don't want to) in order to pay for everything. This can also be very stressful.

I think some debt may well be worth the cost if taken on for "positive" reasons such as to further a career (eg while at uni), to move somewhere else that will give you better quality of life... just not in order to spend £10k on shoes! :rotfl:

Murrell - thanks for the sprouting bean info. :T Yummy!