Cooking for one (Mark Two)

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

I've not tried frozen mince I was actually eyeing up some Quorn mince last week out of 'I wonder what that is like' moment. I do have a very very good local butcher however.

I was having some random idea/thought earlier about trying the 'mince mix with veg' onto a waffle or something like that or onto say a few potato slices or such. I might try that at the weekend.

I did a spud topping the other week (it's on the blog) - which was a simple keema mince that included potato cubes and peas. I made it as keema mince, served with spaghetti - and the next day I used some on a spud. I've bought/used about 500g of frozen lamb mince and 400g of frozen beef mince in the last 1-2 months .... still a bit left in the freezer. I also used the frozen beef mince to top a cheap margherita base with some additional chilli beef topping.

To keep it simple: mince and a spoon of any curry powder/paste you have to hand .... as the base. Beyond that, if you want to "get technical", you can use any curry recipe you like....

There are 10,000,000 ways to mix things up a bit etc .... I do try to serve things differently a bit from day to day (hence spaghetti one day and a spud a bit later in the week).

I made up some kebab mince the other day, but I was in a rush to "get it over and done with", so rather than cooking that as a "loaf shape to be shaved", I just rolled it into balls and I nuke a few balls to shove with a chilli sauce inside a toasted bread roll, or I'll serve the balls in a chilli sauce on rice. I cook a lot of rice; not so much lately as it's been the summer, then I started cooking giant yorkshires.... and you can only eat so much food/day.

The kebab shops round my way are shockingly bad - I've not found one that can get the taste right yet, so it's cheaper/easier for me to make my own these days.

AndyCF

I'll go in search of said topping later.

That does remind me I meant to mention I tend to overlook the obvious sometimes with things, it occurred to me earlier instead of a plate to put something sensible on I could just use the lid of the Systema pot upside down as it seems to make a mini convenient 'dish' as long as the vent is shut and whatever is on it is not likely to leak out.

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

I could just use the lid of the Systema pot upside down as it seems to make a mini convenient 'dish' as long as the vent is shut and whatever is on it is not likely to leak out.

Yes. I do that if I'm just doing something tiny.

I also use the lids on other random dishes where they'll "kind of fit".

I see items for their size/shape and will use all manner of things for all sorts of purposes if the size/shape works.

caronc

I don't "nuke" a great deal but thanks to PN I've definitely expanded what I do :A.

My favourite tinned mince recipe is a memory of staying at my Gran's. The main meal was always at lunch time so the evening meal was lighter. I used to stay there quite a lot and love when she made tinned mince on buttered toast with a poached egg:D.

After a lot of indecision dinner ended up being cumberland sausage, root veg mash with roasted mushrooms and broccoli. No nuking here as I finally sort out the chicken lurking in the fridge, froze the remaining leg & wings and roasted the breasts/carcass so had the oven on for that. I'll strip the meat tomorrow and then make some stock in the slow cooker tomorrow.:)

Andy - have you thought about getting a slow cooker?

moneyistooshorttomention

PasturesNew wrote: »

The kebab shops round my way are shockingly bad - I've not found one that can get the taste right yet, so it's cheaper/easier for me to make my own these days.

Another reason I've got no option but to learn more about cooking these days:cool:

That being I thought that - with the state the house was in when I first moved here - I thought I could buy the odd takeaway (not something I do that often personally) in the event of being "desperate". Duly bought one from the best-recommended place here - and a few bites later it was in the bin. It was revolting:eek:

Hence I've been majoring in what I can do myself that doesnt take much time/trouble - for any time I "would get a takeaway - but cant".

Seconded re getting a slowcooker - a small one is sufficient for us singles and doesnt cost that much. I'm starting to find mine useful - even though I'm vegetarian and so always thought of slowcookers basically as "things to cook meat in".

[Deleted User]

money, did you get that socket sorted?

I made carrot and ginger soup for two small bowls, had one and will have another today. I need to make some hemp milk, this time will make just 1 pint in the vitamix as it does not need straining, that will last 2-3 days. Not in tea, I had some gorgeous special assam today, I got fed up with the dust coming out of yorkshire tea, so I am back on premium loose teas now, anyway I have a stash

Breakfast was my new yummy, soaked oats, berries, pecans and hm yogurt. Lunch will be all veg with baby soya pasta. A slice of cake sometime today, hopefully I`ll keep my mitts off until this afternoon

Sigh, I am still searching online for my forever home, even looking outwards to bigger areas but it is scarey and I am inclined to stay where I know. Even moving closer to dd is scarey because they could move, so I want to remain independent. There are nice places but so busy with traffic, I don`t want traffic because I want to carry on cycling in safety but I want that bus too

moneyistooshorttomention

Kittie - the electrician came in and had a look at the socket and found no problem with it, but recommended I bin the fire (so I did). He's coming back this week for thorough check of everything.

Fingers crossed Kittie you find your forever home soon. I think location is probably the most difficult factor - as in I couldnt afford my location at all. That's the trouble - ie that there is always compromises to be made (unless one can afford exactly what one wants - and maybe even then). I've had to make one heck of a lot of compromises personally/

WHAT I WANTED
- nicer part of my home area
- 3 or 4 bedroom
- large conservatory already there
- decent size garden
- good views (guaranteed to remain - yeh...right in the South of England....)
- safe in all respects (flooding, etc)
- large kitchen
- maintenance work at least up to scratch and having house done in my taste (which is VERY standard for South of England) a bonus
- detached

WHAT I GOT;
- different area of the country
- passable size garden
- in an unadopted road
- I've got to add the conservatory - and it's gonna be awkward
- passable size kitchen
- 2 bedrooms
- never mind done in South of England style - house was barely habitable
- A Neighbour! (or two)
- detached

A hell of a lot of compromising in other words...

PasturesNew

My house is a "modern 2-up, 2-down, end of terrace with one marked parking bay".

For a slow cooker, I don't see it as a "magic pot that does everything", but a handy way to cook without bothering.

I used it for my Xmas day turkey breast joint and, more recently, to toss a brisket in and two further chicken breasts. Just lid off, plonk it in, walk away for 5-6 hours and you have "cooked meat" without having to keep an eye on anything. SC cooked meat also produces no spit/smoke and mess like you can get when using an oven to roast meats.

I also use it to chuck a whole pack of mince + a jar of sauce into to make chilli. Ditto whole pack of meat + jar of curry sauce to make curry. I am not really a buyer/user of jars of sauce, but sibling had a sort out and I was gifted a few, so they needed to be used up.

I did decide that I'd rather just put meat/sauce into the SC, producing what you'd get in a ready meal - rather than then trying to "fill it up, make it go further" by adding further ingredients. If I want to make it go further I can always add sides once it's cooked.

There are many things which could be done in the SC, but, actually, you might as well do in a nuker. And, sometimes, the quantity produced isn't worth it compared to, say, a tin - e.g. why make a whole batch of rice pudding when I can have a 20p can sitting in the cupboard for the two cans/year I get through.

I like to know that I have, say, a jar of sauce in the cupboard so I can, on a whim, pick up a pack of meat and take it home and know I've immediately got "everything" I need to convert that into a chilli or curry. No recipes to look up, no ingredients to source. All I need do is spot a pack of meat and think "Ah, I fancy that" - job done.... home, jar, sorted.

One of the problems with single person home food management is that you can't have everything all of the time. You have to cut right back on the variety of items, else they'd sit there unused for a long time (years maybe). With a smaller range of things at home, you stand a good chance you're always short of something .... so I keep the SC simple. If I DO get home with a pack of meat and I've GOT the makings of a different sauce, a DIY version, then I can still do that .... but I ALWAYS know I've got a jar for it as the backup plan.

poppystar

Glad wrote: »

I've just started cooking everything from scratch, no meat and as little processed food as possible, I've lost 7lb in 7 weeks


back to CFO the smoked salmon pate/hummus was so good, definitely be making again, I had that for lunch with carrots, butternut squash, tomatoes, cottage cheese and an egg

Still looking at meal ideas and can I ask how all of these fitted together? Was it cold/raw like a mini buffet or cooked in some way? I can see the carrot and tomato might just be cut up but have never eaten butternut squash uncooked - is it possible?

Need2bthrifty

Morning All

Very chilly here today glad I started off with some cinnamon and raisin porridge it gives me a bit of central heating.

I'm going to spend the morning in the kitchen, top of my "to do" list is update the freezer inventory - I've been a bit lazy with that of late, cant remember what I've got, what I've used and what I've added.

All this talk of hummus has got me craving it, I remembered to get lemons when I went shopping yesterday so will make some for lunch - just half a tins worth and make some Falafels with the other half.

Fancy a bit of baking too and going to make a Smiddy Loaf, basically a boil-n-bake teabread but oh so tasty