Cooking for one (Mark Three)

oldtractor

i find it beneficial to cook for 3 ,4 or more and just freeze the extra portions thatway I have frozen ready meals available and dont have to cook every day.

PasturesNew

melweeks73 wrote: »

.... I have a pack of semolina that’s been lurking for quite a while ....

Just the other week I was looking for those packets of "instant semolina" you used to get; like instant custard, but semolina, just add boiling water. It seems semolina's not stocked at common supermarkets these days.

I really fancied having a couple of packs of that in as fast snack food.

PasturesNew

melweeks73 wrote: »

I heated up leftovers..... a Lancashire Hotpot. I just heated it up slowly on the slow cooker setting of my oven.

wort wrote: »

.... if reheating make sure it's nice and hot all through. Might be worth buying a meat thermometer if you are wary!

For hot pot, while it'd be nice if it were all hot and steaming .... it'd not "hurt" if it weren't "properly reheated" so to speak. So long as it was cooled/stored fine (not left out for a week) ... meat's a doddle to reheat and it wouldn't have mattered with the hot pot if you'd been eating it and hit a cold spot ... it'd just make you pull a face, not head to the loo in an hour.

PasturesNew

oldtractor wrote: »

i find it beneficial to cook for 3 ,4 or more and just freeze the extra portions thatway I have frozen ready meals available and dont have to cook every day.

I don't fancy things again - and I have a small CFO single person freezer, so there's not much room once I've got a bit of frozen bread in there and a bag of chips.

caronc

Good evening everyone,

Welcome to the thread mel, another "empty-nester" like me, it is hard to adjust from cooking for hungry kids to just for yourself. I'm still finding my way and I've been CFO for over 2 years now:eek:. My cooking these days is very much a mix of batch meals of things I find work better in bigger amounts like soups and stews and carb + protein + veg of varying combinations in smaller amounts. When it comes to things like stews, chilli, curry etc, I definitely prefer to make the day before as I do think they taste much better. I'd certainly recommend a food temperature probe if you are at all anxious about reheating. Mine was £5 from ebay:). I have a few things in my freezer that are well over a year old and I'm no hurry to use them up.....
Stoke poor you I hope your tummy settles and it has just been a dodgy prawn (unpleasant though that is) and not the start of a shellfish intolerance. My friend no can't tolerate oysters after eating them nearly every day while on holiday for a fortnight. She was fine at the time but pretty ill the next time she had them. She thought she had eaten a dodgy one but it kept happening so now avoids them. I'm similiar with mussels these day fine with few but could no longer work my way through a bowlful without being ill.

Farway - shame the pea/veg fritter wasn't great still at least it used up the LOs:cool:
I could just eat your meal PN (without the ketchup):), I have mash in the freezer but no breaded fish:(
Glad you got your potato cakes wort , did you make thick ones that were cooked in fat or baked which we used call hash cakes when my Mum made them or "tattie scones" which are rolled thin and griddled. (Then quite often shallow fried or had cold with butter and jam or cheese) I wouldn't say no to either:D.
flubberyzing - sounds as though you are having a challenging week. Just think how good it will feel when the bell rings on Friday:D- just try not to strangle any of the "little darlings" before then :rotfl:




I have been thoroughly shorn:), the rain very obligingly stopped before I left to go to the hairdressers so I got back with an intact "do". I'm very pleased to be back to it looking cared for but my word was my neck chilly on the way home. :eek: Clear skies now and it feels as though it could be a cold one tonight if the rain stays away. Dinner tonight is spaghetti with a sauce made from various veg and a bit of grated parmesan. Simple but tasty:). My Dad is coming for lunch tomorrow and I've promised him a steak and onion baguette, I must remember to get the meat out of the freezer tonight!

wort

It made enough for a thick one in my small frying pan Caronc, which I then cut into 4.
I'm due a haircut on Friday and can't wait even though it's only 6 weeks since my last one! I've been having a no 1 shave on back and sides much to my hairdressers disgust, he says he's not a barber and not to tell anyone he's cut it!! I love it short easy to wash ,and always looks smart. Hoping I look as good as Judy Dench ! , it makes me want a haircut when I see a woman with a short sassy crop.

wort

Farway, where are you buying salmon from? This week in aldi the ones I get have gone up nearly a £1.
So I didn't get them. I might look at work as they may be better value with staff discount.

wort

“

Burnt steamer pan still lurking
Originally posted by Farway

Have you tried vinegar and baking soda. Or bio washing powder with hot water to soak then use a metal scourer, assuming it's a non stick pan.

caronc

wort wrote: »

It made enough for a thick one in my small frying pan Caronc, which I then cut into 4.
I'm due a haircut on Friday and can't wait even though it's only 6 weeks since my last one! I've been having a no 1 shave on back and sides much to my hairdressers disgust, he says he's not a barber and not to tell anyone he's cut it!! I love it short easy to wash ,and always looks smart. Hoping I look as good as Judy Dench ! , it makes me want a haircut when I see a woman with a short sassy crop.

Sounds lovely wort - sounds like what I would call a "potato farl":D.
My hair is shaved at the back and it is fab saves the frizz - I get mine cut in a graduated asymetrical bob. It suits me and works well to tame with my thick and rather unruly hair:D

Brambling

Hi Mel :wave:

Stoke wrote: »

PasturesNew, you're right to be careful with prawns. Swear I've given myself bloody food poisoning today. Too many prawns lately

Three guesses what I took out the freezer for dinner :rotfl:

Salmon has certainly gone up Wort it's something I enjoy hot or cold but begrudge paying full price these days. I picked up a big piece YS in W*itrose lunchtime less than half price I would usually have cut it into 5 portions, it would have worked out approx £1 each, but one of my sisters is coming to stay at the end of the month and I'll be cooking a family meal so will cook it whole, maybe going down a Thai marinade route :think:

I batch cook more in winter as it suits the weather, although I currently have a freezer drawer full of HM ready meals which I fancy none of I will try and work my way through them taking them to work for lunches when I haven't made soup, I would really like the freezer room back :rotfl:

Farway I second Worts suggestion re your pan, definitely worked last time I had a oh s*it moment with a new pan

Lunch was HM soup, definitely needs a slight tweak, I think it's the sharpness of the tomatoes which surprises me as the other veg was sweet, (sweet potato, carrot and red pepper) and you finish off with coconut milk. I would usually add a pinch of sugar to take the edge off of tomatoes, but I'm not sure if it will work. It's a nice soup but the solution to make it better is just on the tip of my tongue :cool:

Dinner was before mentioned prawns stir fried with loads of veg and noodles