Cooking for one (Mark Three)

caronc

PasturesNew wrote: »

....you forget what you've got

Story of my life :rotfl::rotfl:
Brambling - ducky dinner sounds lovely:)

moneyistooshorttomention

Sorta DOD (Day Off Diet) today - to the extent that I had two "drinks" whilst out socialising. But I didnt have any of the food - hadnt expected to be tempted by it/wasnt tempted by any of it.

So quorn "chicken" slices sandwich and fruit at lunchtime and baked potato with leftover vegetable & bean stew with it and some fruit at dinnertime.

Was wearing a size 14 dress of mine okay today - but counting up how many trousers/jeans I have in size 12. Think that it will probably be a good idea to put all the clothing I still intend to keep/wear in one section to remind myself just how much I can't wear at the moment to give myself an incentive.

Thankfully all beans/lentils/grains/polenta are all "Free Food" on the old-style Slimming World Green plan. So maybe I ought to experiment with different breakfast "cereals" then - as porridge oats arent "Free Food" - to release a bit of slack elsewhere in the system.

Been studying YouTube videos again and there was another "who'd a thunk it" little hint up there re clothes. This time it was that those large-style round neck type teeshirts with short sleeves can just be pulled lower down the body to start at waist level and the short sleeves "tucked inside" and look like pockets. That had me duly trying that out with one of them and thinking "Not at the moment - as the fabric clings that much that it shows my stomach - but once I have a flat stomach again - then I'll be able to do that by the look of it and will be able to re-purpose those teeshirts as jersey-ish type skirts":)

Amazing how many little bits you never think of for yourself - but someone else has...

EDIT; Thinking of Brambling's comment t'other day on using buckwheat in salad - how did you do it Brambling? I'm guessing that you boiled it up in water for a certain length of time? If so, how long? and that you then mixed in whatever took your fancy?

caronc

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Been studying YouTube videos again and there was another "who'd a thunk it" little hint up there re clothes. This time it was that those large-style round neck type teeshirts with short sleeves can just be pulled lower down the body to start at waist level and the short sleeves "tucked inside" and look like pockets. That had me duly trying that out with one of them and thinking "Not at the moment - as the fabric clings that much that it shows my stomach - but once I have a flat stomach again - then I'll be able to do that by the look of it and will be able to re-purpose those teeshirts as jersey-ish type skirts":)

Amazing how many little bits you never think of for yourself - but someone else has...

EDIT; Thinking of Brambling's comment t'other day on using buckwheat in salad - how did you do it Brambling? I'm guessing that you boiled it up in water for a certain length of time? If so, how long/ and that you then mixed in whatever took your fancy?

Goodness I remember doing that in the '80s, black t-shirt as skirt, thick tights, clunky shoes, baggy top, long coat .mega eyeliner and hairspray - Saturday night outfit sorted :cool::cool:

Brambling

Money I use 1 cup buckwheat to 2 cups vegetable stock (or an estimate of a cup ) bring back to boil and simmer for ten minutes and check it may take a couple of minutes longer. Drain and run under cold tap to cool. Then the choice is yours what goes in I usually add chilli, chopped cucumber with the seeds removed, tomatoes, and things like radish and raw sugar snap peas, courgette, spring onions and what ever veg which can be eaten raw and is in the fridge then either feta and olives or chick peas. Then lots of fresh chopped herbs to taste, I don't like coriander but I add lots of chopped parsley and a lesser amount of mint and season to taste

Pomegranate works well if using chickpeas and I have toyed with the idea of adding preserved lemon

Because I use stock to cook it I don't add a salad dressing it's different every time I make it

I have seen online where they toast the buckwheat first but I haven't tried that

Edit - 40g of porridge oats are free with SW but not sure how it would work if you start mixing green plan with their EE one

moneyistooshorttomention

Thanks Brambling.

I'd just find it too confusing to try "mixing and matching" between plans and so shan't be bothering with the Extra Easy plan at all.

Busy thinking up ideas from current way of eating that could be adapted in to their (not very modern) plans. So ideas to date that would "fit":
- marinated portobello mushrooms with SW chips/grilled tomatoes
- marinated grilled tofu/rice cooked in stock then (as per your idea) and stirfried veggies
- stir fry/quorn sausages/noodles
- quinoa salad/caramelised onions/chilli beans on side
- must be able to make up some sort of lentil/grain patties to serve with salad/rice
- scrambled tofu on toast for a lunch

Any other thoughts welcome - based on the fact that all fruits/fresh vegetables/grains/beans are "Free Food" under this plan:)

caronc

Good morning everyone
Chick pea burgers MTSTM?
I've been a busy bee this morning as had a Drs appt first thing. As I suspect things have deterioated a bit so I've to increase one of my meds - hope it doesn't take 3 months for the side effects to settle this time!
I haven't quite decided on food for today yet a salady something for lunch and something easy for dinner is about the extent of it so far....

Farway

caronc wrote: »

I've been a busy bee this morning as had a Drs appt first thing. As I suspect things have deterioated a bit so I've to increase one of my meds - hope it doesn't take 3 months for the side effects to settle this time!
I haven't quite decided on food for today yet a salady something for lunch and something easy for dinner is about the extent of it so far....

I think we are now in sync Caron, Dr's first thing for me, change of pills on the way, my dodgy tum could be side effects he says, and I've no idea about rest of today's meals

I popped into Costcutters waiting for prescription, fancied real chips from real spuds, bought a 2kg bag of mediocre spuds but any port in a storm

Made & cooked some chips in the Actifry for lunch, eaten with salt, vinegar & red sauce splodge:o

The rest of today's food ?????

littlegreenparrot

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Any other thoughts welcome - based on the fact that all fruits/fresh vegetables/grains/beans are "Free Food" under this plan:)

Every week I make a batch of grains to use for salad for lunches.

Quinoa is expensive, but good for the protein (I run/gym classes etc) so I mix it in a jar with Bulghar wheat, cook it the same as described. I alternate what I buy to keep the jar topped up, so the mix is always slightly different, A*di do a pack of tricolour quinoa that makes it look pretty

Then do a tray of roast veg, whatever is lurking, and that forms the basis of the salad. Other fresh stuff gets added, tomatoes/cucumber/herbs/ lemon juice/ spinach etc. Kiwi is good in there although other people think I'm weird! When I have a box full I squeeze a couple of falafel on top. Always slightly different.

Ratatouille with lentils, baked sweet potato with anything. Havn't tried it but saw a video of someone slicing it and overlaying so it ended up like a pie casing.

Just some thoughts, hope you find a way to make it work for you.

flubberyzing

I've just got home from spending the bulk of the day round at a friends house. She fed me on coffee and a cheese and salad sandwich, so that was lunch taken care of, just about.

I'd planned to visit the Poundworld near her on my way home, only for her to tell me it went out of business and closed down a few weeks ago! Annoying, as that shop was very convenient for me. The next nearest is a Poundland, which is about the same distance, but in a direction that's not "on the way to" anything, so it would mean a special trip - which a bit cancels out the savings! Anyway, I shall go tomorrow at some point, as I do need a new phone charging cable for my car, as the one I have is dying.

Today's tea will be a repeat of yesterdays lunch of chicken strips in a wrap, with broccoli on the side. I find I have to do quite a lot of repeating meals to avoid wastage. I have a freezer, but it's not big and does need a sort out!

Brambling

flubberyzing wrote: »

Today's tea will be a repeat of yesterdays lunch of chicken strips in a wrap, with broccoli on the side. I find I have to do quite a lot of repeating meals to avoid wastage. I have a freezer, but it's not big and does need a sort out!

The joy of CFO :cool: either repeated meals or a well stocked freezer, I've a drawer full of homemade RMs which are mainly LOs. Although handy when I haven't had an opportunity to plan lunch or I work late

Money just a couple of thoughts

Stuffed Peppers - I soften the peppers first in the MW then stuff with a cooked grain ie rice, quinoa, couscous full of chopped veg, I usually make the filling on the stove when softening the peppers if I want to be quick I use cheat rice pouches

Vegetable lasagna (I'm sure you have a vegan version of the white sauce) using griddle courgette and aubergine instead of pasta sheets - I griddle using spray oil to limit the fat content. Or I saw the hairy bikers use leek sheets instead of pasta

Roast cauliflower, spiced with ground coriander, cumin etc or with balsamic and Parmesan. I don't eat a lot of cauliflower unless it's roasted then I can eat it by the bowlful

Root veg / potatoes sliced thin and layered with onion and herbs topped up with stock to cover and cooked in oven for 45 mins it's called potatoes Boulangere if you look online but I add a selection of any root veg I have in, I particularly like celeriac. And I omit the butter dotted on top if I'm feeling good

And of course soups either vegetable soups, or something like tomato and lentil soup

Oops that's more than a couple :rotfl: what do you marinade your portobello mushrooms in?