Appeal from a jaded cook

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T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Needy one want to know if you've picked any of hers! :oops: :lol:
Chelmsford mum
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Post by Chelmsford mum »

My difficulty is meeting everyone's preferences/dislikes.

For example, only little dd and I like fish.Eldest DD hates red meat and would be a vegetarian if she could.I love salad, girls can tolerate it but hubby doesn't like it.He only feels it's a real meal if there has been some manly red meat(not good for health I know)Middle Dd likes the veg that older one doesn't etc etc. :evil:
When I get in from work I just want to get it on the table, before someone goes out to clubs or work, so has to be quick and meet all needs.I just about tolerate cooking quorn mince for the non mince eaters but draw the line at cooking separate meals.So my boring menu works but we all get fed up with it.
Also before someone tells me to just serve them the food , even if they don't like it.(The "they will eat if they are hungry approach"), I have tried that.They don't eat a proper meal then and with teenage girls I don't want conflict over food.It may be boring but it is nutritious for growing girls.(not so good for adults who wish to shrink :oops: )
So anyone else has any ideas for quick nurtitious food - that would be great. :D Great idea for a thread.
Freya
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Post by Freya »

1. Chicken, pepper and onion (pan fried in olive oil) wraps with feta cheese & Greek yoghurt. Side salad and tortilla chips.

2. Pan fried duck breast (often on offer) rubbed with Chinese 5 spice and served with chilli noodles and mange tout.

3. Big herby salad of smoked chicken and crumbled black pudding with lardons and croutons served with crusty French bread.

4. King prawns (also often on offer) with Thai green or red curry sauce and pilau rice. Just shove the prawns in the sauce and heat through.

5. Penne pasta with spicy Italian sausage cut up into a tomato based sauce with plenty of chopped fresh flat parsley or coriander.

If in a rush - smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast with plenty of chopped fresh flat parsley and black pepper.

Was getting bored too but we've moved onto a more summer menu now. DH does all the cooking but I'm pretty sure all the above are pretty quick.
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rachag
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Post by rachag »

Three from you Tipsy and another 3 from Freya.
My OH is also a carnivore. OH only away for dinner about once a fortnight and its super - I have jacket potatoes with cheese and beans or pasta with red pesto with DD's. Or fish finger sandwiches :lol:
Sure it would pall though if he were away much more
Y
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Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Post by Y »

Slow cookers can be helpful if you are in earlier in the day. I do find that most things don't stand to be in from 7 am till 7pm - a lunchtime start is the best.

If you are roasting potatoes, you can peel, cut and parboil them in advance, so they just have to go into a hot oven.

Pasta with a mix of veg and bacon works well and is quick. Fry off some chopped bacon and add a selection of leafy green veg/broccoli/mushrooms/sundried tomatoes/fresh tomatoes, and a splash of water. If adding fresh tomatoes, it's quite nice to have these added right at the end, so they are only heated through and not cooked.
Chelmsford mum
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Post by Chelmsford mum »

Y wrote:Slow cookers can be helpful if you are in earlier in the day. I do find that most things don't stand to be in from 7 am till 7pm - a lunchtime start is the best.
I have a slow cooker . Have never used it. :oops: (wedding present)

Have you got any idiot proof recipes....thanks :D
doodles
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Post by doodles »

Risotto is a firm favourite here - and no they are not hard or temperamental promise. Do the veg version for DS2 with mushrooms and peppers add some crispy bacon for the rest of us. Less than 20 minutes.

Also baked eggs - these are brilliant and my mum used to give them to me - aaahhhh. Mash potatoes place in oven proof dish and make a well in the middle, crack an egg into it and grate some cheese over and put in oven until egg softly "poached" - delicious.

Spanish omlette (better known as bottom of the fridge omlette) with bit of salad.

Very large joint on a Sunday - always cold with jacket potatoes and salad/baked beans on Monday. Very old fashioned I know.

Plus the good old slow cooker - never be without it.

I refuse to buy ready made anything (don't like them and far too expensive) so I have had to perfect the quick meal!!!!! Also DS2 virtually veg and DS1 committed carnivore.

Hope something here helps.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
Milla
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:25 pm

Post by Milla »

smoked mackerel - give it 10 mins in the oven (doors and windows open because of the smell) and salad

tuna fish, stirred into rice with a dollop of butter, lemon, sprinkling of nuts and seeds and salad

any fish in foil with a few herbs / dregs of wine / lemon - no washing up either. Boil a few new pots and add some green beans or .... a salad.

omelettes - bit of a bore as have to be done one by one so a fritatta type thing is nice with 6 or 7 eggs, cooked slowly and anything you have hanging about chucked in.

pork medallions (currently 3 packs of 6 for a tenner at the blue supermarket). thwack 'em with a rolling pin and flash fry, bit of cider or masala or anything really, or just slice them through the middle to make two thinner medallions, cook a few shallots/mushrooms and set aside; cook pork a couple of minutes each side and then stir in some creme fraiche, sherry/wine/cider etc and return the shallots/mushrooms (or leave out for fusspot kiddies)
pasta bake - with bacon and tomato sauce.

I make big batches of my own tomato sauce by roasting millions of tomatoes when on offer with a couple of bulbs of garlic. then squeeze out the garlic, blitz, add basil, s&p. Freeze it and use as base of pizza, and for all times you might want a tomato sauce. Because it's blitzed you don't have to pfaff around removing the skins so although it might sound a bit poncey, "I always make my own tomato sauce," it really couldn't be easier or nicer.

chicken risotto is easy in the oven (google Delia - she does a mushroom one which is dead simple and reliable, I just go easier on teh mushroom because one child not so keen and add shreds of pre-cooked chicken breast.)

Lamb tagine is easy if you have a night when you have a bit of time - make it for the next day, always best re-heated and since it's more or less a chuck in the pot job it's not a hassle. Buy lean lamb steaks and you don't even have to trim the fat since there's not much and what there is disappears in the cooking.

cut a chicken breast in chunks, put in an ovenproof dish with some fish sauce, a small dollop of red thai paste (keeps for ages in fridge), spoon of sugar, a tin of toms and a tin of coconut milk, stir up and cook for about 25-30 mins - if too hot, slop on a bit of yoghurt. My kids love curries so I do do a lot of them.

That last is adapted from Bill Granger who is great for quickies as is Jamie O really. I'm not a bad cook (says modestly) but like his basics books, the ministry one for instance.


Yesterday, though, get this! went foraging with my rich chum and then we made ... pasta and stuffed it with wild garlic brie and mozzerella; ciabatta; wild garlic soup and wild garlic pesto. Can anyone clever out there guess what we foraged??
Milla
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:25 pm

Post by Milla »

you beat me to it with the omelette (similar train of thought methinks!) and the risotto, Doodles!
suncrest
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Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:21 pm

Post by suncrest »

Chelmsford mum wrote:
Y wrote:Slow cookers can be helpful if you are in earlier in the day. I do find that most things don't stand to be in from 7 am till 7pm - a lunchtime start is the best.
I have a slow cooker . Have never used it. :oops: (wedding present)

Have you got any idiot proof recipes....thanks :D
Best thigs I have done in slow cooker are rice pudding and Quick veg korma

Rice pud - 3oz pudding rice, 2oz sugar 1pt milk and a can of evaporated milk mix and put it in for a few hours ....yummy!

Veg korma - chop up whatever veg you have, mix in jar of korma sauce and leave for a couple of hours.....do not be tempted to stirr v often. So so easy and lovely!

Also all very keen on a good proper risotto NOT IN SLOW COOKER THOUGH - Carluccio's have a good recipe.....secret is only ever use 2 ingredients plus rice and stock and parmesan and NEVER use garlic and onions together! spicy sausage risotto now rakes me 17mins start to finish.

Pitta pizzas - toast for a few mins then split and stuff with grated cheeso or spread with Boursin....put tomato paste/sauce (pref home made , keep small pots in freezer) on top then add any topping you like and serve with salad.

Milla am loving your pork medallion thing....will be doing that

i am glad this subject has been brought up - I am in a rut too with doing the same thing over and over!
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