Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Brambling

Evening all 

very wet and windy overnight and morning although it cleared by 11.30am. I know family in Dorset had similar weather so I'm assuming you did as well Farway? As you are stuck in the middle 

It's my sister's birthday today so we had a lazy morning and she dealt with family phone calls.  I drove her to the garden centre to pick up a pot she saw on Friday and I brought a half price hebe from sad corner. Lunch was a bacon, Brie, cranberry panini at the garden centre. My other sister came up for dinner so I cooked the large joint of pork which was a Asda sub which looked larger than Kirsten thought and said feed 8 😁 with potato and celeriac Boulangere, roast parsnip, carrots and beans.  I cheated on dessert and made a raspberry sauce to go with a M&S lemon tart. I sent my sister home with some of the pork and the lemon tart LOs for my nephew

justkeepswimmimg

Wet and windy here all morning too but torrential rain stopped late morning and it was sunny on and off, managed a quick walk round the block in between showers. It does sound windy out again now…

Lunch was scrambled eggs and mushrooms on toasted bagel and tonight I made Nigella’s chicken with lemon and orzo, loads of LOs 😉

Farway

Yes I had the storms, torrential rain and wind here, all gone now and the suns out with a slight ruffle in the trees with still some leaves left on. Bit cooler this morning because my heating came on

I've portioned up the roasted chickens and frozen them and hoarding the two chicken carcasses for a soup session later in the week when I have more time & fridge space available

Still enough chicken left to feature in today's meals

Chicken sarnie for lunch

Dinner is chicken something or other

caronc

Good morning everyone, it's extremely windy here this morning though dryish at the moment.
Quite a lot of clattering during the night and I can hear neighbours a few doors down sweeping etc. so something has blown over. I've had a quick inspection and everything seems as it should be in my garden.
I've not much planned for today the stormy weather has, as usual, knocked my balance off so I'm a tad unsteady on my feet. I've plenty of voluntary admin to keep me out of mischief and DS2 is going to cook a curry tonight.
Cooked a pan of chicken, veg and rice soup yesterday using a tub of peri peri spiced chicken stock. It's added a lovely flavour to the broth. That's lunch covered for a few days. 

kah22

kah22 said:

I’ve just resurrected my old slow cooker, I’ve tried a small cooked ham and a few chicken thighs and they tasted lovely, especially the chicken.

Tell me though if I slow cook 8, 10, 12 thighs  at once can I freeze them and use them later as required? Any special advice or precautions I should take eg  if I wanted to do a sweet and sour or a lemon chicken?

As always thanks for any advice.

Kevin

Perhaps I can add a follow up  I was down at M&S this afternoon and bagged a full chicken, greatly reduced. With my slow cooker (I’m going all gadgetry here 🤓 ) what’s the best way to cook and save a small chicken. It will be for one person, two at the most

caronc

kah22 said:

kah22 said:

I’ve just resurrected my old slow cooker, I’ve tried a small cooked ham and a few chicken thighs and they tasted lovely, especially the chicken.

Tell me though if I slow cook 8, 10, 12 thighs  at once can I freeze them and use them later as required? Any special advice or precautions I should take eg  if I wanted to do a sweet and sour or a lemon chicken?

As always thanks for any advice.

Kevin

Perhaps I can add a follow up  I was down at M&S this afternoon and bagged a full chicken, greatly reduced. With my slow cooker (I’m going all gadgetry here 🤓 ) what’s the best way to cook and save a small chicken. It will be for one person, two at the most

Oh I do like a slow cooked whole chicken but often just cook the crown after removing the legs/wings and freezing them to roast. I half an onion, add a couple of cloves of garlic, a bay leaf then pop the chook breast side down on top of them, 1/2 a lemon stuffed in the cavity (optional) and a bit of salt and pepper, lid on then 2 hours on high and 2-3 on low. It will fall to bits but you'll have lots of tasty and moist meat though no crispy skin. No extra liquid is needed.  The cooked meat can be portioned and frozen as you planned for the thighs. 

justkeepswimmimg

Chicken LOs here today too - some of the breast with sweet corn and mayo in a pitta for lunch, and a portion of the chicken and orzo warmed up tonight. Nice and easy, just cooked some green beans to go with it.

On account of limited freezer space, some more LOs will feature tomorrow 😉

Enjoyed the lighter morning, even though I didn’t actually have to leave the house to go to work I found it easier to be motivated and get started…it was dark early though…

Farway

Very sunny morning, but cold, looked like a touch of frost on some cars when I peeked out earlier

kah22 said:

kah22 said:

I’ve just resurrected my old slow cooker, I’ve tried a small cooked ham and a few chicken thighs and they tasted lovely, especially the chicken.

Tell me though if I slow cook 8, 10, 12 thighs  at once can I freeze them and use them later as required? Any special advice or precautions I should take eg  if I wanted to do a sweet and sour or a lemon chicken?

As always thanks for any advice.

Kevin

Perhaps I can add a follow up  I was down at M&S this afternoon and bagged a full chicken, greatly reduced. With my slow cooker (I’m going all gadgetry here 🤓 ) what’s the best way to cook and save a small chicken. It will be for one person, two at the most

Depends on "best" I expect Caron's method is superb and we should invite ourselves round sometime ,  but I'm mainly a bung it in type of CFO cook.

If you look just above your posting you will spot me dealing with two whole chickens.

I simply roast them whole by wrapping in tin foil, into oven gas 3 ish for a couple of hours, remove, let cool and then portion up, eat as required & freeze the rest

I don't normally eat the skin so crispy skin is not a requirement, I don't add liquid either and I chuck away the gelatine once cooled

I don't normally keep the carcasses for soup but this time I have, results to follow later this week

Using my method I appreciate there is waste and it may not fit everyone's MSE regime, but if fits my hybrid MSE / CBA cross

Today's food, lunch LO toasted stale crust with nuked scrambled eggs

Dinner, now comes the chicken carcass use up bit. I'm going to try for cream of chick & mush soup, borrowing ideas from Jamie O, like bunging stick of celery & a bay leaf in

I have fresh mushrooms but will make up the difference if needed by using my recently aquired pack of frozen sliced mushrooms

Fingers crossed and if it fails then it's zap a frozen MFO

caronc

Good morning everyone,
Chick & mushroom soup sounds good Farway. 
Chilly here this morning and thankfully the storm has passed so the weather pressure has settled. I'm much steadier on my feet this morning after a pretty ropey day yesterday so hope to catch up on all the bits I had planned for yesterday. I'm pooch sitting today, my nephew will drop him off on his way to work and my sister will pick him up later. I could really do with hoovering but that can wait until tomorrow after hairy one has gone - he doesn't half shed a lot of hair!
There were some Cumberland ring sausages in my recent butcher's order so it's bangers and mash for us tonight. I thought I had mash in the freezer but can't find it so will make a fresh batch. I need to sort out another batch of tomato sauce to use up tomatoes that have ripened in the conservatory. They've done really well but getting to the end of them now though I might get another batch or so yet. HM soup for lunch.

Farway

Update, the HM chicken & musroom soup is a success, now cooling & maturing for tonight's dinner.

I have a fresh loaf in the Panny which I may dunk ij, or maybe use the stale end I have as croutons in the AF?

Decision time

caronc said:

Good morning everyone,
Chick & mushroom soup sounds good Farway. 
I need to sort out another batch of tomato sauce to use up tomatoes that have ripened in the conservatory. They've done I have about four toms nearly ripe in the conservareally well but getting to the end of them now though I might get another batch or so yet. HM soup for lunch.

Snap, I also have about four toms nearly ripe in the conservatory, but that is about it for this year

HM soup time in CFO land