Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

Floss

meritaten wrote: »

I just made up enough of the batter to make a couple of flatbreads tomorrow for my lunch. Added the garlic powder and mixed herbs. it took me about two minutes! its now resting in the fridge.
I bought the gram flour to make onion bhajis and searched tinternet to find a recipe - they ranged from very simple to complicated so I sort of made up my own recipe using what I fancied from the different stated ingredients. I made them for my grandsons 18th birthday buffet lunch and all disappeared within minutes with everyone commenting on how much nicer they were than 'shop-bought'.
if anyone is interested, just say, and I will post MY recipe.

Yes please

meritaten

okay then
ONION BHAJIS - easy version!
you need
gram flour - about 5 heaped tablespoons
one onion
one or two cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
turmeric - one teaspoon (but if you haven't got any don't worry its only for the colour not taste)
mild curry powder - two teaspoons
cumin - you can add a half teaspoon of cumin if you want but its not essential
water to mix

Peel and quarter the onion then slice as finely as you can, I chop finely any bits I couldn't slice.
separate the slices into a large mixing bowl and add the salt, pepper, curry powder and turmeric and cumin if you are using it. ad crushed or finely chopped garlic cloves.
Add the gram flour and mix well.
now carefully add the water a little at a time until the mix is a bit 'doughy' but not wet like pancake batter. it should still be quite a 'dry' mix, like pastry.
put a frying pan on to heat and add oil to about a third of an inch. on a low to medium heat fry spoonfuls of the onion mix gently until well browned on both sides. the oil shouldn't be too hot as the onion needs to cook through.
drain on kitchen paper.

Some recipes used garam masala and cumin in place of curry powder. some recipes included fresh or dried coriander - so, if you prefer to use these then its entirely up to you. I prefer the curry powder and NO coriander!

Treasurequeen

Thanks for the onion Bhajis Meritaten they sound delicious. I have been under a lot of stress at the moment and haven't been feeling very well due to a health flare up. But I have made a necklace for my aunts birthday present using up old necklaces and creating a unique piece. I have also learnt via youtub3 how to embroid handkerchiefs with initials. In Home bargain5 I got some cotton hankies a pack of 6 for 50p and have embroided them using blue thread with my dads initial's for fathers day. For my first attempt they came out very well, its great what you can learn from videos. I have mended my leggings as I noticed a hole in them, they were cheap ones from prim@rk but I wear them underneath jeans to keep warm so no one will see them.

I have sold 6 things on ebay so I have a bit of money coming back from things I would have put in a charity bag. I also took some paperback books to my local charity shop and I even walked out empty handed, usually I pick up more books.

This morning I met a friend in town and we went for coffee at c0sta and I had enough points on my card for a free drink. I also tried the new coffee that they have in , they want some customers to try it, so I volunteered. To be honest it doesn't taste any different except for a slightly stronger after taste.

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

JoJo, I don't think that bit of mince was a fail. It sounds like you got your little one eating. To put it into perspective, some might have tried tempting him with fast food, so using on offer mince sounds pretty make do to me! Fingers crossed that the energy company sorts themselves out.

Dad seems to be doing well and OH is finally on the mend. OH got home early last night and had already started making the tea so I got to sit and knit for 20 minutes or so yesterday which was nice. I'm just about through the button band on my cardigan and then it is just the buttonholes on the other side and sewing up the last seams.

Washing has mostly dried on the line this week. It always smells so fresh, and we've needed the heating on far less.

Tea tonight is either a feta and chili salad with wraps or a bizarre fish stir fry concoction using up some broad beans in the freezer, super six broccoli and temping OH to eat salmon by masking the flavour with lots of chili, garlic and ginger.

ScotinLondon

meritaten wrote: »

okay then
ONION BHAJIS - easy version!
you need
gram flour - about 5 heaped tablespoons
one onion
one or two cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
turmeric - one teaspoon (but if you haven't got any don't worry its only for the colour not taste)
mild curry powder - two teaspoons
cumin - you can add a half teaspoon of cumin if you want but its not essential
water to mix

Peel and quarter the onion then slice as finely as you can, I chop finely any bits I couldn't slice.
separate the slices into a large mixing bowl and add the salt, pepper, curry powder and turmeric and cumin if you are using it. ad crushed or finely chopped garlic cloves.
Add the gram flour and mix well.
now carefully add the water a little at a time until the mix is a bit 'doughy' but not wet like pancake batter. it should still be quite a 'dry' mix, like pastry.
put a frying pan on to heat and add oil to about a third of an inch. on a low to medium heat fry spoonfuls of the onion mix gently until well browned on both sides. the oil shouldn't be too hot as the onion needs to cook through.
drain on kitchen paper.

Some recipes used garam masala and cumin in place of curry powder. some recipes included fresh or dried coriander - so, if you prefer to use these then its entirely up to you. I prefer the curry powder and NO coriander!

Re the above recipe - my mum also uses a similar recipe to make potato bhajis (just slice the potatos thinly), courgettes (sliced thinly), cauliflower (small florets), mushrooms and chilli bhajis. The only difference is that the batter is not so thick. But all V yummy...

Have a good day all

SIL

meritaten

ScotinLondon wrote: »

Re the above recipe - my mum also uses a similar recipe to make potato bhajis (just slice the potatos thinly), courgettes (sliced thinly), cauliflower (small florets), mushrooms and chilli bhajis. The only difference is that the batter is not so thick. But all V yummy...

Have a good day all

SIL

Thank you SIL! Funnily enough when I was making some bhajis today, I noticed a couple of courgettes in the fridge and wondered............. Now I now that the batter would work I will definitely try that! a bit wetter you say?

BTW the garlic and herb flatbread was gorgeous - and totally satisfied my bread craving! I figure if I make it pancake sized then it would substitute for flour tortillas too! so I can enjoy a nice 'wrap'.

HOWMUCH

Good evening everyone, been busy today so late posting.
Mend finished the baby bunting sleeping bag, DD is highly delighted with it, I've also started a baby cardi and more than half way through it.
Make do evening meal was mash potato and cabbage I cooked on Monday.
Minimising all the food from the fridge ready for our Easter break next week. Also minimised my spend I collected some wool from eBay 50g x 5 paid £4.20 cost from shop would have been £14.95.
Hugs to all who need one x

dND

HOWMUCH wrote: »

Make do evening meal was mash potato and cabbage I cooked on Monday.

That brought back memories!!! Bubble and squeak with eggs baked in depressions on the top - one of the standards of my childhood

big5

4 sales on eBay yesterday, minimising the clutter a bit at a time! I'll start sorting out some more items to list while my son's at preschool this afternoon.

ScotinLondon

meritaten wrote: »

Thank you SIL! Funnily enough when I was making some bhajis today, I noticed a couple of courgettes in the fridge and wondered............. Now I now that the batter would work I will definitely try that! a bit wetter you say?

BTW the garlic and herb flatbread was gorgeous - and totally satisfied my bread craving! I figure if I make it pancake sized then it would substitute for flour tortillas too! so I can enjoy a nice 'wrap'.

Meritaten - apologies for the late reply. The batter should be just a little bit wetter. It all depends on the vegetable that you use. My mum likes a watery batter - so it is not so thick on the veggies. But as with all indian cooking - each to their own tastes and liking.

Have fun making them!

SIL