Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

Wraps.... I've never got on with them, I find them chewy and tough to eat,...

I quite like them for a change. I slightly warm them in the microwave for 20 to 25 seconds and then find them nice and soft.

[Deleted User]

no idea for today, I can see me doing that freezer gazing act, when I stand in front of the open freezer. Good job I have a big pan of veg soup in the fridge and upteen tins of sardines

moneyistooshorttomention

PasturesNew wrote: »

But felafels are OK .... although I wish they were "better than they actually are" - they're one of those things you fancy, until you eat it and then you come away disappointed

I think they're probably best when encountered as part of a big buffet table, when you can take one and move on ..... not when you've got a whole bunch to scoff through.

.

I tend to regard them as subject to all 3 "Golden Rules" of modern day vegan food:
- add moisture
- add colour
- add extra flavouring

Moisture - as, say, one of my standbys, ie tahini sauce. Though a decent home-made tomato sauce would do

Colour - gotta be served with something colourful (say a salad with a lot of colours in it)

Flavour - gotta be served with something that has more "flavour" (say that salad having some tomatoes in that have actually got a bit of flavour)

Must be all those Instagram and Pinterest photos - but I do find a lot of plates of food ITRW rather lacking in colour these days. I'm trying to "up the colour" - because I can see what difference it makes and will look at food and think "too beige" sometimes

PasturesNew

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

...will look at food and think "too beige" sometimes

I like beige food

Dumplings are beige.
Chips are beige.
Pie crust is beige.

What's not to like about beige food?

moneyistooshorttomention

Oh ****:( - peered out the window to check out the weather (something I'm still in process of "training myself" to do since moving here....) - in order to know just how many layers of clothes to wear when I go out in a minute...

.....and it's raining - again....:(...and it's grey - again....:(

Since moving I've gotten into the idea of leaving major "indoor tasks" to do in the winter - rather than doing them "as and when" (as I've been used to). Daren't miss any "(my) normal" weather there is if I can help it....so try to keep maintenance indoor tasks to an absolute minimum at a time of year when there's a chance of reasonable weather (good weather if I'm lucky).

Well - I'm nearly on top of all that (including a lot of "getting tradesperson 2 to re-do what tradesperson 1 did:cool:") and I do hope the weather improves soon....

Think I'd better do a new variant on seasonal cooking here too. Winter being when I try out more complicated/lengthier type recipes and summer being when I do "quickest possible - main meals restricted to taking half an hour or less cooking" in order to "stock up on better weather" so to say.

Have now discovered why there is such a competitive cake-baking culture in this area - when it's only the W.I. that do so basically in my home area from what I could see.

caronc

Good morning everyone
Both the weather and myself seem a bit more settled this morning so fingers crossed on both counts:)
I don't mind beige food but do like to add a bit of colour as well - like Money I think it makes it more appealing to eat.
Today is potentially a beige day as I'm planning to have some of the parsnip & chestnut soup for lunch (definitely beige coloured) and beef & mushroom stew for dinner (sort of beige) though I'll cook some carrots separately to go wit that. I had planned to make dumplings with the stew but have LO mash so will probably use that up.
I do like wraps but struggle to get through a pack before they go mouldy and I don't find they freeze well (I'd probably get on better with this if my freezers weren't laden:o) so don't often get them unless I'm not CFO.

wort

PN -how about using the wraps to make a lasagne, type dish. I used to make chicken enchiladas with them.

Money - it's the same here absolutely bucketing down. I had to take my neighbours twins to school today so we walked with dgson, who usually goes by himself. They don't open the doors till its time and there's no cover! So we got drowned, and it's only round the corner.

Had toast for breakfast. I'm thinking of lo pasta for lunch or tea?? ! Decisions!
1 good thing is I've already hoovered through and mopped!!
:j

PasturesNew

wort wrote: »

PN -how about using the wraps to make a lasagne, type dish. I used to make chicken enchiladas with them.

In the main I keep food "simple". I'd rather have a pile of mince on the plate, with a wrap cut into strips beside it.

I once made a "proper cottage pie" for my mum. Mince/stuff, mash. I then got a bowl and put the mince in, then the spuds on top. Then I cut tomatoes and grated cheese on top and put it in the oven for a further 20 minutes and served it up.

No "appreciation" for the extra time/effort.... she'd have been just as gloriously happy with a pile of mince and a pile of mash on the plate.

There are never "points for presentation" I find.... so just get those ingredients onto the plate ASAP without faffing.

Additionally - every time you add a layer of "extra" to something you're introducing more time into the cooking, more washing up - and, often, more ingredients that you need to have to hand.

Keep it simple..... "it's just for me" after all.

Even a "regular lasagne" I'd not bother with - I'd cook pasta and then spoon mince mix over the top

[Deleted User]

I used to make a lasagne type dish with wraps, was nice

Some sun behind the clouds here and dry for once, might try and get a small wash out

I have taken a string of food out of the freezer for today
berries, stewed apple, parkin and apple cake, ratatouille and sausages and black pudding in a solo pack and a slice of ciabatta to go with the soup. I have just eaten 2 slices of jarlsberg, protein for my hair

Now what for today? no idea, allotment is too sticky, cycled yesterday, have already tidied the shed and garage, mopped the floor on friday and have to limit myself with knitting or spinning at the moment as index finger joint is playing up. No cooking to do, no baking. Maybe I will kill some time by going to the tip

PasturesNew

Not sure how this happened ... but I went into the kitchen intending to make a breakfast wrap, with eggs/sausages/hash browns ... and after that I couldn't decide which way to go with it (beans, fried onions) .... and ended up just spreading chocolate spread on a wrap and nuking it