make do and mend for tougher times

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

How long would it take a chicken to cook in a halogen oven? Any quicker than the slow cooker?

Think I heard 45 minutes...

jpscloud

I bought my Andrew James via Amazon, very good delivery speed. The 12 litre one has a bigger bowl, I think, and comes with an extender ring (which actually really works).

I might have been doing something wrong when I tried cooking crumble in it, but it overcooked the crumble and didn't cook the apples. I nuked it and it was fine

For me, it's the effectiveness as large high-powered grill at a fraction of the cost that made it worthwhile. I cook a lot of fish fingers, fish cakes, home made patties of various kinds, and it also heats and reheats anything with pastry much better than the microwave as it makes things crispy.

I would definitely still do casseroles and bakes in the slow cooker, for cost and taste, but maybe that's just me. I think it would do yorkshires really well.

Edit: There are a couple of videos on you tube showing a chicken cooking in a halogen oven - I did a turkey drumstick in mine and found that I prefer the slow cooker for that job, but I do like the meat falling off the bone.

Another Edit: I love new potatoes rolled in olive oil and roasted, and the halogen does those like a dream!

Yet another edit... yes about £30 - £40 sounds about right. I think mine was £40 last year. It sits on top of the tile-top butcher's trolley I got from Argos last year, it's perfect for it, fits the lid stand perfectly as well, not a single lid mishap in a year's everyday use either!

Popperwell

Tesco's are doing a Russell Hobs Halogen for £30 but I haven't noticed the accessories being included.

The Andrew James halogen comes with a cook book too. And I think a three year guarantee. Certainly a two year guarantee...

Good to see JPS agreeing with me:)They are available in red, black or white...

Mrs_Chip

Snap jpscloud! Mine sits on my little tile top trolley too! And I agree, its best function is grilling/crisping things, I didn't like what it did to pork chops though, a bit too fierce I think as they dried out too much.

Anything with top heat will cook from top down (even with the fan thing which I don't think does a lot), so that's prob why the crumble was a problem.

Yorkies were great, apart from one which was obviously in the spot where there was much less heat as it did not rise much at all. It would be great if it had a turntable like the microwave, cooking would be much more even I think.

fuddle

Popperwell wrote: »

I get about 90 mins out of my laptop battery...:(:mad:

Something tells me pops that because of your knowledge and love of computers that you would gladly put up with a 90 min battery life compared to the slowness of my little whirring netbook. :rotfl:

Righto, we need DH in our thoughts from about 9am - 3/4pm. We need him to win some money fishing so I can get my halogen oven :j Go MrFuds! Go MrFuds! No, not been on the wine... just the chocolate

Shush, meant to be dieting (she says after having dumplings and yoirkshires with savoury mince. )

jpscloud

Sounds like your diet is going like my exercise program... I'm currently sat on my ample behind eating sweeties and crunching savouries!

I think of Mardatha every time I eat my favourite sweeties, the pink and white "chocolate" (really just sugar) mice from the pick n mix!!

Edit: Go MrFuds!!

Another Edit: MrsChip, is your trolley the argos one as well? I love mine, one of the best purchases I ever made.

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

Something tells me pops that because of your knowledge and love of computers that you would gladly put up with a 90 min battery life compared to the slowness of my little whirring netbook. :rotfl:

Righto, we need DH in our thoughts from about 9am - 3/4pm. We need him to win some money fishing so I can get my halogen oven :j Go MrFuds! Go MrFuds! No, not been on the wine... just the chocolate

Shush, meant to be dieting (she says after having dumplings and yoirkshires with savoury mince. )

Ages since I had a dumpling, not had a go at making my own perhaps I should...will have to look up a recipe somewhere...

So that's three of us with an Andrew James halogen oven... willFuddle be number four? Fingers crossed...

Must have a meal soon...I'll use the chicken thighs cooked in SC earlier and decide what to do with it...

I could cook the quich! if I don't I'll have to throw it out(no room in the freezer)I can always eat it cold with a salad and the chicken...

Going to try the trousers on and see if they fit. Medication made me larger but a reduction in steroids and eating less made the last pair soon become to large and I had difficulty keeping them up even after they were shortened. I have never owned so many trousers(I think they are all black)but I may invest in some other colours like navy, grey etc...

My shoes are black but I may get some brown shoes whilst I am on.

Perhaps, I should have a selection at different sizes so suit my change in waist size...

fuddle

I 've just read the article kittie posted about halogen ovens - a chicken in 30 minutes! That's great but :eek: I will have to re-learn what I know about cooking.

Dieting is going terribly as you can have guessed. It's being out of routine in the holidays, no school runs and snails pace dogs walks because the kids are with me.

Popperwell

jpscloud wrote: »

Sounds like your diet is going like my exercise program... I'm currently sat on my ample behind eating sweeties and crunching savouries!

I think of Mardatha every time I eat my favourite sweeties, the pink and white "chocolate" (really just sugar) mice from the pick n mix!!

Edit: Go MrFuds!!

Another Edit: MrsChip, is your trolley the argos one as well? I love mine, one of the best purchases I ever made.

May have to look into one of those then perhaps I will have room for all my gadgets to be out at the same time...I have no work top space remaining when I have two microwaves, halogen oven and slow cooker, mini chopper and smoothie maker.

If I can stay here perhaps I'll move the cheaper older microwave into the spare bedroom then I can do quick meals, heat up drinks upstairs...

The Nursing home used to do meals like scrambled eggs for those residents on the second floor and I do have a kettle upstairs too...

No room for my processor/deep fat fryer or small George Forman Grill, some things have never ben used, may never be used but at least I have them...just in case.

Mrs_Chip

Yes jps, I have two, a small square one and the larger rectangular one with two drawers. They are invaluable as our galley kitchen is very narrow, and we only have a worktop along one wall. These are narrow enough to sit against the back wall and not narrow the walkway too much. I brought the little one with us from London, but left the bigger one behind, which I then regretted, so got another one! They help no end, as I can fit the halogen, dff and bamix on them and all my pots and pans can go on the shelves underneath.