Cooking for one (Mark Two)

PasturesNew

I think I'll have a cooked breakfast of:

Hash browns, beans, sausages .... and I can't decide on scrambled eggs or poached egg. Until I decide I can't eat! Scrambled is easier, poached is nicer...or is it. Can't decide.

Another dilemma is: bit of toast with that, or not?

Glad

poppystar wrote: »

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?

This is packed lunch for work, needs to be easy to eat as I don't always have a full lunch break
When I have any veg that looks as if it might be going a little soft, or has been in the basket a few days, i cook it. Usually just chopped up on a baking tray in the oven, no added oil, then I let it cool and store it in the fridge. Lunch is just a collection of whatever I have in, usually eaten cold, just a salad but with veg

Wednesday2000

I've had a sandwich, a banana and a strawberry yoghurt so far today. Cup of herbal tea.

AndyCF

PasturesNew wrote: »

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.

I do have a couple of microwave meals in that have been in the freezer for a couple of months, point being one is a divided tray and the other is a single tray.

I'd put these normally in the recycling bin but I may be able to re-purpose them for re-use I guess given they have been through the micro once. Only issue here is I'd have to eat the meal first. , joking they are not too bad sometimes. They were more a 'topup' purchase a while back.

caronc wrote: »

Andy - have you thought about getting a slow cooker?

The thought had crossed my mind at one point, either that or one of those 'foreman' type grill things but I've never been near a slow cooker so would probably need to figure out the best way to do things with it.

AndyCF

The 'new oven' may have to wait till early December now due to a couple of (kind of) unexpected bills, well "earlier than they should of been" ones not that it matters. Gives me time to search properly for something.

Talking of slow cookers and things (previous post above) I did look at the 'halogen' cooker thing they had on offer in B+M but did not really want one. I did consider an air fryer at one point too as I noted you can buy the accessory 'grid' and take the paddle out to cook other bits in it but as my experience is quite low plus the extra purchase cost I'm going to stick to my micro and a 'counter top' oven when I get one for now.

On a different note I'd realised (ages ago) I brought some 'Cabbage and Onion' instant mash packs from Morr's. I'd forgotten all about them as they were hiding at the back of the cupboard until I noticed them last night. I think I got them as they were 50p or so and wanted to try them out. I'll probably be able to 'do something' with them by adding something like pea's or sweetcorn into the 'mix' I guess. I don't even like regular bubble/squeak either ( ! ) so that might be interesting.

caronc

Need2bthrifty wrote: »

Morning All


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

Oh I love a smiddy loaf - it used to be one of my "go to" bakes. Used one pepped up with extra spice and soaked in some brandy as a Christmas cake one year. It worked really well.:D

AndyCF wrote: »

The thought had crossed my mind at one point, either that or one of those 'foreman' type grill things but I've never been near a slow cooker so would probably need to figure out the best way to do things with it.

I gave my foreman-type grill away as I hardly used it. I do use my slow cookers fairly regularly though, just cheap "Cookworks" ones from Argos. I have a round & an oval one both 3.5L, I find the oval one more useful than the round one, so I would recommend an oval one if you get one.:D

It's back to being decidedly chilly here again and for reasons best known to Meniere's I was a real "wonky donkey" when I got up so I made some toast & banana and a cuppa and headed back to my toasty bed until the meds kicked in. Consequently I'm not long up, showered and organised!

I've an assortment of fish scraps and seafood shells currently in the pressure cooker to make stock. I've not got any specific dish in mind but figured the stock would take up less room in the freezer which is filling up with food for the festive period:).

Lunch will be a salad sarnie, it's not really the weather for salad but that's what I fancy. I'm not sure about dinner tonight, I might use up some of the chicken I roasted last night but might not as I seem to have had quite a lot of chicken dishes in the past week.

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

I do have a couple of microwave meals in that have been in the freezer for a couple of months, point being one is a divided tray and the other is a single tray.

I'd put these normally in the recycling bin but I may be able to re-purpose them for re-use I guess given they have been through the micro once.

I always keep a few of these... of all sorts of shapes/sizes. It's important to not save them all - and to have a cull if you think you've got too many of the wrong sort/size.

I use deep/long ones to cook spaghetti and pasta; I have tiny (pudding) pots I use to mix up gravy in; I use the the regular meal dishes to cook hash browns or fish fingers.

But I also use them for other purposes: a temporary microwave safe lid ... or if I'm peeling spuds I'll peel them into one of those. I'll also line one with foil and keep it beside the sink to decant oil into when I've cooked a joint in the slow cooker, or nuked meat.

They're also usable as a template for portion sizes.

I've got two nifty round dish ones too - which is what I use to nuke my chips in. Being round they hold a good sized portion and the shape makes it easy for me to "flip the chips" during the cooking process.

I will typically use 2-3 such dishes each day. I've probably got about five sizes/shapes I find handy.

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

.... I did look at .... I did consider ....I'm going to stick to ...

It's good to look and think - but it is also good to walk away. Unless you can actually identify a real need for something, then it'd be a mistake to buy anything.

I bought my mini oven primarily to reheat sausage rolls, to heat up pies and cook pizzas. I used it to cook roast spuds, roast parsnips and to get the stuffing crispy on Xmas Day - and I make yorkshire puddings in it from scratch. I rarely use it for oven chips, I nuke them for speed. I tend to cook cakes in the nuker, but I could use the oven if I wished.

I also reheat my chinese leftover chicken balls in the mini oven. I have actually ended up using it for more than its original intention.

AndyCF wrote: »

.... instant mash packs .... I'll probably be able to 'do something' with them ....

I always have instant mash in the house - not the flavoured sort - but it means I can always have mash on the plate even when I've not got potatoes I use L1dl's Harvest Basket, which is four foil packets of about 4 servings in each, at about £1.20.

It is flexible in what you can do with it. Best bet would be to simply make a bit of it up with your next meal and see how it tastes. I've never had the Morries one as I'm too ... tight I guess the word is

PasturesNew

caronc wrote: »

I have a round & an oval one both 3.5L, I find the oval one more useful than the round one, so I would recommend an oval one if you get one.

Mine's 3.5l. I chose an oval one because I figured it would be more useful for cooking things like joints of meat - where the extended length is what you need. Also, for cooking long loaf tins in - to make meatloaf or cake and similar... I've found a loaf tin I think will fit and I'll get it later this week. It's £1 and I think it'll fit ... so at that price I'm prepared to take that chance.

For what I thought I'd use mine for, I just felt the round one would limit the options more. I never intended to cook a whole chicken in mine, but I figured "well you never know" ... but I have fears about bones and skin and stuff, so I really know I'll never do it. I can't bear the thought of "all that funny stuff" being in the pot and having to sort through it at some point

Hollyharvey

I've had porridge for breakfast this morning for a change. I still have too many eggs but just had a real fancy for porridge.

There is a portion of chicken stew defrosting for dinner and I'm just going to steam some veg to go with it.

Lunch is some toast that I'm sitting here eating. I think I will do another slice with some jam on. I noticed half a jar of raspberry jam in the fridge this morning that had got pushed to the back.