What are you making for dinner?

C_J

It's still chilly, so I'm making some chilli (d'you see what I did there?) 

MrsStepford

As a college-trained former chef, I would say that chefs in normal local places aren't on great wages and the price of dishes reflects the overheads e.g. rent or mortgage, energy, laundry, glassware and crockery. 

Food from specialist suppliers isn't that expensive unless it's things like turbot monkfish, wagyu beef etc. Many pubs and local restaurants buy in frozen catering ready meals. 

If a restaurant or pub says home-cooked but not home-made (which has to be made on the premises) and if the menu is pretty large, that can denote frozen food. Another sign, is that your food comes out quickly. 

We are having Kippers with butter and low carb broccauli mash tonight. 

Brie

OH did lamb roast cooked over beans, tomatoes and onions.  There's one portion left which I'm having for dinner.  I bought some spuds to do in the oven but looking at Frith's wrap I wish I'd got tortillas or flatbreads or pitas instead.  Still not sure....I've got some baby potatoes which I could do with courgette and onion... hmmmm..... But I do like a nice jackety.....

OH is having a shepherd's pie that's been in the freezer since he went into hospital with kidney failure in January.  The last proper meal he'd had before that was cottage pie so he hasn't fancied this but now thinks it will be ok.  If not I'll be sharing mine I guess!

goldfinches

I've been really lazy and ordered a Nepalese takeaway which I think will last for several days, I hadn't realised the portions would be so large. 
Your restaurant description did make me laugh @Islandmaid, sorry it was so disappointing.
One thing I have noticed when I ordered the occasional treat meal from Dishpatch is that the basic ingredients are much higher quality than I can buy from any local supermarket or shop. That's why I took on an allotment this year, although the weather has rather spoiled my plans, and increased my grocery budget too. 

MrsStepford

Probably a Mary Berry recipe for a Mediterranean style one pan chicken dish, as OH is on a course. 

Islandmaid

I must be on an unlucky streak! I opened the chicken yesterday and it was a little ‘high’, so went straight out to the bin - freezer stash fish and sweet potato chips was the replacement.

the chicken was from Aldi and was chucked in the freezer on purchase.

going to try the chicken and remoulade again tonight with a fresh batch of thighs, though the weather is calling for casserole 🫣

Brie

Big surprise at the food bank today was that we were given a party size quiche.  Too difficult to hand out to many of the clients who are on foot, bike or on the bus as we didn't have any paper plates or take away containers.  So off it went with the volunteers.  I was finishing up some paperwork and the woman in charge is on a weigh-in day at SW so didn't want any so I've got 3 slices which I'm hoping will be nice.  Got some ham and asparagus so probably have that with it.  There were also some sour dough baguettes that had no one to go home with so that should round things off nicely. 

Think OH has finally realised that we're not being greedy having some of these things and as they are from some top notch bakeries etc we might as well enjoy them.  The alternative would be to bring them home and immediately put them in the bin.  

Islandmaid

Chicken wraps tonight, linseed wraps for me, this uses up the salad in the fridge, it’s actually sunny here today - miracles 🤗

Brie

Had bought some pencil thin asparagus from Lidl yesterday that we didn't have last night.  So decided today to get some fish to have with them - knowing that I would have to cook as the football is on (still......).  

Now normally I'd get salmon but that's a bit cliche so I got sea bass filets instead.  I've got some potatoes I can do as well - jacket or boil....likely the boil as I can then use the same pot for the asparagus. 

Got given another 6 bakewell slices at work today - OH inhales them (which is why I should have said no) but they are rather tasty so will just go with the flow.....

MrsStepford

Sainsbury's had sold out of gluten free pizza so we had nothing to go with the Mediterranean salad but er, more salad. We opened a couple of cans of La Belle Chaurienne duck cassoulet. Duck, lingot beans, Toulouse sausages in a thick creamy sauce. Good winter food !