Delia says cheating is ok.

Clowance

I know I am late getting in to this discussion, but wouldn't it be great if we could list OS cheats? I bought Delias book today (well I had a tesco points voucher burning a hole) and I liked the look of the chocolate cake decorated with pink choc buttons. They are apparently from Jane Asher. The cost for 300g is £4.50, plus p & p £2.20. Well I thought I would have a go making my own, so got some Green and Blacks white choc and being tight some artificial food colouring. Melted the choc in the microwave, added two drops of red colouring and put on a silicon lined tray in fridge. They turned out fine.
Cost for 300g = £1.28 x 3 plus 17p colour = £4.01. AND the Asher ones aren't real choc, so you could probably get away with using cheaper white choc.

Re the discs of mash Delia uses a lot? Someone on an earlier post was going to make some of these. Does it turn out OK? This would be a great cheat for when we are tired after work, but I'm NOT going to buy them ready made.

Does anyone make a batch of mince and freeze portions? This would solve the using a tin of god knows what mince for lasagne.

I suppose what I am really after is to cheat healthily on a budget. Over to you ......

Debt_Free_Chick

Clowance wrote: »

Re the discs of mash Delia uses a lot? Someone on an earlier post was going to make some of these. Does it turn out OK? This would be a great cheat for when we are tired after work, but I'm NOT going to buy them ready made.

I certainly think it might be worth giving this a try. But, having said that, I prefer to make a batch of e.g. Shepherd's Pie. I put the flavoured mince into the bottom of a takeaway dish (or freezer proof dish), top with mash and then shove them in the freezer. It's actually less work ... especially when you take one out of the freezer as the whole meal is ready to go in the oven.

Does anyone make a batch of mince and freeze portions? This would solve the using a tin of god knows what mince for lasagne.

I certainly make batches of "pasta mince" i.e. in a thick tomato sauce. Again, I just freeze these in meal size portions so I can make lasagne, spag bol or any other similar dish.

I prefer to batch make things which I can either warm/cook through and then put on the table/plate or simply add pasta & veg to.

I think this is why many of us here are not impressed with Delia's latest idea. But then ... she is not aiming the Cheat idea at us, but at those who would never batch cook from scratch and then freeze, in the first place.

sleepy-lady

I think we are all getting the right idea - take Delia's ideas and adapt them - we can all mash potato and shred cabbage and so on - her book is just a starting point to make life easier.

Sarahsaver

We probably did not need Delia to tell us that though did we;)

competitionscafe

Entertaining article here on the 'new Delia' -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/caitlin_moran/article3640927.ece
"Delia has abandoned her former world of neat ham and egg pies, and respectable chocolate fudge cakes, to suddenly - and bewilderingly - start cooking like Frank Gallagher in Shameless." :rotfl:

zippychick

A recipes specific question.

Squidgy choc log - does it have to be fancy chocolate or could i use milk choc? Or am i better buying something with the recommended cocoa content? Never cooked many chocolate deserts...

organic_wanabe

I would use the recommended chocolate - stock up when it is on offer!

OrkneyStar

Of course its ok to 'cheat' (don't like that word), by sometimes taking short-cuts.
I mostly cook from scratch, firstly because I enjoy it and also because it is cheaper. This said we do have the odd night where I might use something ready made (eg I bought 4 garlic baguettes in Tesco for £2, which worked out 50p a baguette- only slightly more than home-made when you factor in ingredients, cooking electricity costs, time etc). I think money saving is great, as is home cooking, but sometimes it makes life easier to 'cheat' a little, without the world crumbling down around me!
As other have said, balance is they key!