Cooking for one (Mark Two)

moneyistooshorttomention

Yep...dinner for the day just finished - and it was Groundhog Day time - ie same as yesterday. Right that's that eaten up.

Now I'm reading my way through a healthy new-to-me cookbook that focuses around her comment of food being 70% fresh fruit or vegetables. Was actually surprised to find that I'm ticking my way through the vast majority of recipes as being ones I fancy trying. Maybe the tastebuds are changing.

Studying this morning's weekly supermarket run and counting the food element of it only and there is some cows milk, some rice milk, a coconut yogurt and the rest is fresh fruit and vegetables and more fresh fruit and vegetables. I'm figuring that if that's pretty much all I have in - then I gotta eat lots of it - and I've got loads of various grains to go with them. So - I've got a basis for meals.

Got lined-up at some point soon having a go at making a sort of tofu - which sounds very simple and involves using dried soya beans. Can I find soya beans? Can I heck as like? I can't even find the non-organic ones I wouldnt buy anyway (g*netically m*dified and all that). As for the organic ones I'm looking for.....it could be something else I have to buy from Amazon. Surprising for something so basic...but I've got in mind trips to other health food shops a bus trip away soon....so holding my horses re yet another Amazon purchase until I see if they have them.

PasturesNew

Pfft fresh veggies ....I'll stick to my pies

I've not got long left - I'd like to enjoy it thanks very much!



I defrosted a muffin about 30 minutes ago - and spread chocolate spread on the two toasted halves. Nice and thick too.

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've not got long left - I'd like to enjoy it thanks very much!



I defrosted a muffin about 30 minutes ago - and spread chocolate spread on the two toasted halves. Nice and thick too.

That's exactly why I like my cakes and puddings, and why I have just done the same as you have with a muffin, but I had two crumpets. One with jam and one with chocolate spread, very nice they were as well

[Deleted User]

I felt like a cooked breakfast today, saw my small tin of tomatoes and that fixed my mind, so today I have had all the non veg protein that I need, bacon from the freezer, the last of it, one egg, 2 lovely yummy tinned tomatoes and a pice of toast. Later will be a veg medley but I am not going out to pull any carrots, its pouring down, I`ll just add a few tinned beans to that, then I`ll keep some in the fridge and will also have to freeze 2 portions. Now I am enjoying a small cafetiere of freshly ground coffee, feel as though I am on holiday. I feel sorry for all the sodden folks who have trecked to my holiday county, not much to do in the wet

Money I noticed a post of yours about soya beans. Amazon is best value, they sell the organic (none gm) beans from wholefoodsdirect. I bought an amazon kilo the other week and am making soya milk this morning, soaked all night. It costs me < 18p in beans, 30g of beans. For any whole beans in food, I use tins or jars, not worth the energy cost in cooking them from dried
http://www.realfoods.co.uk/shop?search=beans

I have been keeping myself busy so am avoiding the dreaded mouth hunger of boredom, nice bit of weight has been coming off, helped by some cycling when the weather is fine

monnagran

Rummaging in the freezer yesterday, averting my eyes from ice creamy treats, I spotted some pork belly slices. They have thawed out overnight and will be my lunch with whatever veg I can rustle up

I've not settled on breakfast yet but it will probably be egg in some form. Mmm, kittie, yours sounds delicious. Come to think of it I have some bacon in the fridge............

poppystar

Hi all you freezer savvy CFO people.

I don't have a freezer except for the compartment in the fridge so the usual occupants are bag of peas, bag of chips, fish fingers (of course!) and ice cubes.

In an attempt to up the daly veg count I am wondering about trying other frozen veg. Any suggestions as to what is good, still tastes and looks edible etc. when bought frozen?

I only remember frozen veg from childhood and that isn't a good memory!

moneyistooshorttomention

I don't like frozen vegetables myself either.

The only ones I buy are spinach and peas. But I've tried my way through others - carrots for instance, cauliflower for instance. It's just as well I've had those fresh - or I'd think I didnt like carrots and cauliflower and I do actually. But not frozen - yuk! I hated them so much I couldnt bring myself to finish the packet.

PasturesNew

poppystar wrote: »

Hi all you freezer savvy CFO people.

I don't have a freezer except for the compartment in the fridge so the usual occupants are bag of peas, bag of chips, fish fingers (of course!) and ice cubes.

In an attempt to up the daly veg count I am wondering about trying other frozen veg. Any suggestions as to what is good, still tastes and looks edible etc. when bought frozen?

I only remember frozen veg from childhood and that isn't a good memory!

As I have a small freezer I decided that the bags of mixed frozen were the best bet as it gave a variety. Typically these are peas, carrots, sweetcorn and green beans.

I buy at L1dl/4ldi mostly and found that the L1dl mixed with the wavy-cut carrot slices were minging. The mixed bags with whole carrots were better... carrots are the hardest item to cook through though.

A mix of veggies is difficult if you've a small freezer though - you're really limited to one bag....and that gets tedious.

With the benefit of having 2½ drawers in mine I bought a lot of frozen veg last Xmas....never again, took me about 6 months to get through it all and it cluttered up the space. At the end of that time I'd pretty much decided to give broccoli and cauliflower a miss for a year as I was fed up with them

In short: veggies and CFO, buying small portions, trying to find a variety of frozen veg ends up as "too much effort".

Buying individual items, if/where one has access to them, tends to be prohibitively expensive though as you pay a "luxury premium" to be able to buy, say, 6 green beans

I tend to get my veggies from tins, which keep forever... and rely a lot on baked beans as they're cheap and cheery.

Right now in my freezer I've got red peppers I cut myself, red onions I sliced myself and 2/3rds of a tin of sweetcorn I drained/froze (which will become quiche one day soon....)

I've not bought a frozen bag of any veggies since Xmas .... it was soul destroying. Especially as seasons change and you want something different to eat in different weathers. Brussels in May aren't as exciting as the 4-6 on your plate on Xmas Day.

moneyistooshorttomention

I admit to relying a lot on tomatoes - they are a frequent one.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are handy as well. I've usually got carrots in - as they can be done in a variety of ways.

Peppers are pretty multi-purpose. Which reminds me - I have a pack of them in and must use them up (am thinking maybe stuffed peppers?). Peppers are also handy raw in salads or as part of roast vegetables or can be chucked in "bolognese" type sauces.

Mushrooms are pretty handy in a variety of contexts also I think.

PasturesNew

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

.... stuffed peppers?

... I always think that's a nice idea but then CBA.

My CFO "tip" would be to slice them in half from top to bottom so you've got two halves to stuff.... because they cook much quicker ... and speed is king.


Faster = costs less. Or "saving the planet" as you're using less energy... which phrase you use depends on if you're poor/tight, or an eco-friendly middle classer who will be making them on the newly acquired Aga.