The most useful kitchen gadget?

wifeforlife

RedCola wrote: »

Also, I meant to ask - I have leftover soup as I doubled it. Can it be frozen? ( added milk to it once cooked )

Yes it'll be perfectly fine, I know alot of people here store soup in freezer bags as they lay flat and save space in a freezer too.

I've lots of cook books but I tend to use the recipe thread sticky at the top of the o/s board, most people who have kindly contributed them make them so easy to follow, you should have a look for inspiration

Batch cooking is awesome, I've spent today using up mince I had. The same mince, onion & carrot base made a shepherds pie, bolognese, lasagne and a chilli all for dinners in the next week or so when I'm back at work.

bagby

Big_Graeme wrote: »

The most used thing in our kitchen gadget wise is the Borner V Slicer, I'm on my third in 20 years, best £30 I spend. Note to the wise do not buy cheaper makes, the blunt quickly and break.

Me too. Use it all the time.

Heffi1

I have just read through and I think I would agree with others, if my house burned down and I was only allowed to replace one gadget, then it would have to be a slow cooker.

Today I have made lasagne, and a chicken with potatoes, carrots and onions, and used a Lemon, thyme packet mix, it was the easiest thing in the world, chop everything up, put into a large roasting tin, I used my massive lasagne dish, I have more than one sprinkle a little oil and the packet mix over the lot and mix together, bung it in the oven for about an hour, mix half way through, one ready meal all made in the same dish. I make a larger amount than is needed so that I can portion it up when it is cold for the freezer. same with the lasagne.

I then had a pack of stewing steak that was reduced, so chopped up some onions, carrots and put in the slow cooker, the meat was browned quickly and put in slow cooker and then covered with a chicken in red wine sauce mix, switched it on about 12 today and we have just had it for dinner, it was very nice and took no time to prepare, I served it with some jacket spuds.

While that was cooking I made a chilli with some mince and my son had that with rice for his dinner, I made enough that there are three portions for the freezer.

So one day cooking and I have made enough meals for a while, I do this mainly for my son so that he takes a meal to work with him as a sandwich would not fill him up. I usually do this with various different meals once every 6-8 weeks, so one busy day cooking and then I can forget about it for a while.

My mum calls them his ready meals :rotfl: at least this way I know what he is eating and I bulk things out with pulses, so chick peas, lentils, kidney beans, borlotti beans etc. they get covered with what ever sauce I am making and it gets a lot of goodness into him without too much hassle.

I would suggest starting out with one meal that you will all like and see how it goes, once you are used to the timings and the preparation, you can then being introducing more recipes.

Chilli
Bolognaise
Curry
Stew
Hotpot

If you get stuck, pop on here and list the ingredients and I am sure someone will come up with an idea to suit and give easy to follow instructions if you need them

Good luck and happy experimenting.

PS. We have had some disasters over the last couple of years and tried and discarded lots of different things, so it is definitely trial and error. But that is half the fun.

katkin

Here's my list in order of used / usefulness:

• Decent knives
• V. sharp veg peeler
• Digital scales
• Garlic press
• Stick blender
• Slow cooker
• Rolling pin
• Balloon whisk

Most important thing is my "teflon" hands!

Seanymph

Well done you! I know how far up you have to swim before you can start caring for those around you once you are driven down by depression - you have come a long way providing that meal.

If you have a look in the supermarket they do packet mixes for casseroles, sausage or chicken or beef, or slow cooker mixes - you can see the ingredients on the back, pop it all in the slow cooker in the morning, leave it all day and its ready for tea.

I'd pop jacket potatoes in the oven an hour or so before it's tea time, meal done.

Nice and easy - and very tasty!

beedeedee

Don't think it's been mentioned yet - but my microwave steamer has been my most used gadget. Use it for steaming veg and it makes rice to perfection.....costs about £10.

SailorSam

Top of my list would be my slowcooker. Next would be the Panny.
After that some sort of blender, ....... (i do lots of soups in the SC). Something i've had for ages but only recently started usung my Combi microwave. The oven part is handy when only cooking for one.

RedCola

Thank you - what a lovely lot you all are :beer:

I will definitely get a stick blender now, and learn how to make more soups. I have stilton in the fridge that needs to be used, can that go into soups ?(or any recipe really)

I have had my delivery from the butcher today and am wanting to start my slow cooking today - am I too late for dinner?
I have sausages, beef joint, chicken joint, pork loin steaks, sirloin steaks, lamb cutlets, 2 packs of mince. I'm guessing the joints would be best roasted, and the steak grilled. Though not sure on the rest of it.

suki1964

Stilton goes great in broccoli soup or cauliflower or even potato. Makes for a really rich and creamy soup

I'm using up some today using Paul Hollywoods recipe for Stilton and bacon rolls. Belly is rumbling at the thought of them

Seanymph

Mince cooks quite quickly - you could fry an onion, brown the mince, add some carrots and then bung it all in the slow cooker (keep it moist, don't let it dry).

Add boiling water, couple of stock cubes and then that would be ready for dinner.

I'd add gravy granules with an hour to go - and pop in some dumplings (vegetable suet and self raising flour, cold water) - give them an hour - minced beef stew and dumplings....

Ideal on a day like today.

I did chickpea and tomato spicy soup in mine this morning, went shopping and we've just had it - it was awful the baguette from Lidl's was lovely, the soup not so much....

So, disasters happen - but we keep going!