Reverse Meal Planning

Wraithlady

Yesterday we had a whole load of mushrooms to use up and neither of us fancied mushroom risotto - it was the half-jar of pasta sauce that sold us on Jack Monroe's Mushroom Chasseur. Although I didn't cook it for an hour as instructed, it came out rather well. Might have to give it a go in the slow cooker next time

joedenise

I've made Jack Monroe's mushroom chasseur before, it's really tasty isn't it?  Another meal I like with mushrooms is mushroom stroganoff.

Pyxis

joedenise said:

I've made Jack Monroe's mushroom chasseur before, it's really tasty isn't it?  Another meal I like with mushrooms is mushroom stroganoff.

Ooh me too! Love mushroom stroganoff.

Until very recently, Waitrose did a very, very nice mushroom stroganoff, but I haven't been able to get it in any deliveries. I do hope they haven't stopped doing it, as it was a very useful ready meal for when you're tired.

rtandon27

We LOVE mushrooms & have them a couple of times a week! 💗 Usually add them into something such as a pasta or frittatta but have never had them as the 'star' of the show - must think about giving it a try.

Today's lunch was a use it up stir-fry - one egg omlette into ribbons along with peppers, shallots, mushrooms, leftover rice & leftover pork from the weekend's roast - with the usual homemade stir-fry sauce - very tasty!
Dinner was a take on our standby of creamy grilled cod with watercress sauce - a few tweaks though - pollock not cod, bagged baby leaf instead of watercress & a large onion instead of large leek.  True to the recipe in spirit but using up what we have in the stores.

Pyxis

rtandon27 said:

We LOVE mushrooms & have them a couple of times a week! 💗 Usually add them into something such as a pasta or frittatta but have never had them as the 'star' of the show - must think about giving it a try.

I got a nice surprise yesterday.......had a grocery delivery from W, and had ordered woodland mushrooms. The receipt email said that they had only had some that were very close to their date, but that they were including them so as not to disappoint,  and they would be free! 

I was expecting them to be dated yesterday, but they were actually dated today! I cooked them in butter this evening to top the third and last portion of my barley and plantain  hotpot thing.

I wouldn't have minded the date as I usually eat mushrooms very quickly anyway! Thank you, W! 😀

rtandon27

Free posh mushrooms - what a treat! 🤩

Suffolk_lass

ailz95 said:

rtandon27 said:

Oh SL - two things I've never heard of in one post - I'm intrigued.
Do you have a recipe for cheese & potato pie?  Sounds like something OH would love & inhale in one sitting
...and Pakchoi flower tempura - any relation to courgette flower tempura?  I must confess I've no clue what the flowers look like!

Bluegreen - thanks for the beetroot falafel recipe - will keep that in mind for the next time we find some in the veg box - must admit it is the one veg we struggle to finish up!

Last night's dinner was shredded duck with hoisin sauce in pancakes - used up the last of the mini-cucumbers & spring onions from one of our previous veg boxes.  Followed by heathyish blueberry muffins which I labeled as cakes when pushing them on the OH - got some fruit into him which was the goal - he had two - lol

I have a nice recipe for cheese, potato and onion pie.  Quantities are dependant on how many you're cooking for.
Chop potatoes into small cubes and boil/steam until firm but cooked.
Slice onions, fry, in butter, until translucent,  Add flour (my ratio is 2 tbsp flour to 1 tbsp butter) and stir to coat onion, add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want it hotter - or omit).
Cook the flour a little, add double cream a little at a time, cooking the flour/cream until smooth each time before adding more cream - the secret to a smooth sauce is to heat the cream/milk with the flour before mixing too much.  You can use milk instead of cream, of course - add boiled potatoes 1 tsp mustard - I use grainny mustard - and at least 200 grams grated cheddar cheese.  If the sauce is too thick add a little potato water - this is starchy so it won't thin it a great deal.  Taste for seasoning and cheesiness.
I use frozen puff pastry for a top, but any pastry will do.

Mine is a shortcrust pastry case, (100g plain flour, pinch of salt, 25g lard, 25g stork or butter, enough cold water to bind). I always blind bake mine (170c) when I know I am adding liquid - I !!!!!! the bottom all over with a fork then put a disk of greaseproof in with many-times-baked chickpeas on top for 15 minutes, remove the paper and peas and paint the inside with beaten egg and bake for another 5 minutes. I slice a small onion and spread it out on a baking sheet in half moons (so sliced through its waist) sprinkled with oil, salt, pepper and ground chilli flakes and pop it in at the same time as the pastry case is baking for the first 15 minutes. When the pastry case is done turn the oven up to 175c
The contents is a large potato chopped into cubes a bit smaller than 1 cm and fried (sometimes I fry some chopped up streaky bacon first and use the same pan with a bit of oil added), then when they start to colour on the edges I add a thinly sliced onion and fry that until it is translucent. Season with salt, pepper, ground chilli falakes or chilli powder ( I have used tabasco) or another spice you like - the potato will take it).  I put the potato and onion I have fried in the bottom of the case (with or without the streaky bacon) then add a mixture of three eggs (includes the one I used to seal the case) mixed with a small pot of double cream and then spread the half-moon onions on top and sprinkle with some grated strong cheese (extra mature cheddar here) and bake for about 35 or 40 minutes until the pie just wobbles in the middle. Let it cool for about 15 minutes before cutting so it sets properly.

Suffolk_lass

I meant to say, the pac choi tempura is when our garden plants are just trying to go to seed - we snip the flower heads off when they are still in bud. I dip them in a slurry of cornflour and water, shake a bit off (so not dripping water) and fried them in oil until they went brown then onto paper with my go-to seasoning (salt, pepper, chilli flakes) and they were yum. No more now as the rest were in full blown flower and at that point the stalks get too tough for this recipe.

DH cooked the other pork chops he bought last Thursday and we had this with cabbage, carrots and homegrown spinach (also gone to seed so lots of snipping of little leaves! It was a lose the will to live moment so I shall make courgette and spinach soup this morning and plant some more spinach for a few weeks time).

gwynlas

Another very simple recipe for  potato, cheese and onion pie is to boil potato and sliced onion together and mash in the usual way before adding in grated cheese. Pile in ovenproof dish and bake until browned or if serving straight away simply brown under grill. Using chopped onion raw will add tecture. Comfort food with baked beans.

joedenise

gwynlas said:

Another very simple recipe for  potato, cheese and onion pie is to boil potato and sliced onion together and mash in the usual way before adding in grated cheese. Pile in ovenproof dish and bake until browned or if serving straight away simply brown under grill. Using chopped onion raw will add tecture. Comfort food with baked beans.

That's similar to how I make it too!  I sometimes add leeks as well as onions but I do soften them in a frying pan rather than using boiled onions!  I also stir through some frozen peas and then bake in the oven.  It's a Slimming World recipe as Homity Pie.  Definitely comfort food!

It's something I've not had for a long time, think I might do that for dinner tonight now!  It's a bit hot for the planned beef casserole & mash!