Over the years this forum has gained a reputation for answering the oddest off topic questions, so here's another.
Does anyone know of, or their partner know of, a cookery forum that deals with basic "English" food ?
Nothing fancy, just simple stuff, recipes that lend themselves to batch cooking then freezing so that I don't eat the same meal Mon, Tues, Wed,
etc.
It's Sunday evening so here we go again with onions, carrots, swede, minced beef & pots, so once again another week of spag bol and cottage
pie.
I was thinking stewing steak and doing a batch of stew and dumplings, but not sure if suet dumplings freeze ? Hence a forum where questions can be
asked.
Haggis, neeps and tatties. (buy McSweens meat or veggie haggis).
If you make bol sauce, you can make a lasagne too.
When you make your bol sauce use chopped celery, as well as carrot, onion and garlic, plus one glass of white wine to go with 500g of mince beef, a
can of chopped tomatoes and a can of whole plum tomatoes (bash em up a bit). May need another can of chopped tomatoes and a little tomato purée - cook
on low heat in a big pot for 2-3 hours, plenty of black pepper plus some salt to taste. If you can use 4 rashers of bacon chopped as well as the beef;
if you can buy minced pork use 250g of this with 250g mined beef instead.
Chilli. Chopped onion and garlic, minced beef (500g), tin of red kidney beans, a can of chopped tomatoes and can of plum tomatoes, black pepper and
salt and some decent Amercican Lousisiana hot sauce (chilli) to taste (e.g. Crystal). You can eat chilli with pasta (one to upset the
traditionalists), as well as rice or in a tortilla wrap with salad. You can add some Mole sauce to your chilli for a deeper flavour.
Could make a mild curry with minced beef or lamb and peas (a very rough approximation of a Balti keema).
Cheers
Mike
[Edited on 29/9/19 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 29/9/19 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 29/9/19 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 29/9/19 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 29/9/19 by Mike Wood]
bi22le - 29/9/19 at 10:13 PM
Do you only like basic English food?
It sounds like your house hold does not go through the standard sized meat portions, nor did mine untill I had kids.
I used to separate out the meat portions ( split 500g in to two for example) and freeze.
Learn your 'mother sauces' or things you like and make fresh.
Have pastas and rices ready.
Mix and match, must be 30 different dishes right there. Identify the ones you like and perfect them.
Also, slow cookers are great for batch cooking and the difference in taste is out of this world.
I'm not a chef but would consider myself a fan of food!!
907 - 30/9/19 at 08:38 AM
Hi All
From the first pic we got these; 3 cottage pies with mixed mash topping, and 2 bolognese ready to microwave while the spag has 7mins in the pan.
( added salt, black pepper, garlic, and a jar of Lidl Bolognese Sauce and chopped toms. )
Work from home and live alone. I like basic food, not a spice or curry fan. 'Ideal' is to finish in the workshop, stick something in MW to
de-frost,
go for a shower and come down and stick it in the oven while I catch up on emails etc. Watch news on TV and sit and eat food.
Was thinking, Fish Pie? Stew and Dumplings? (would swimmers need to be added freshly made at the re-heat stage ? )
Haven't tried cooking rice yet. Maybe "Drumsticks 'on a bed' of Basmati" is one to try when there's nothing on telly.
The aim is ten different batch meals in the freezer, so something for each day of the week.
Thanks for the help so far,
Paul G
mcerd1 - 30/9/19 at 09:38 AM
Anything you can do in a casserole / slow cooker is probably a good option
(I don't have a stand alone slow cooker, but a heavy casserole dish for 3 - 6 hours in a low oven is just as good if not better)
how are you with garlic ?
I often make a version of a chicken chasseur - using chicken thighs with bone and skin on (red wine, chicken stock, onion, celery, garlic, mushroom,
tomato puree and whatever veg I have) - but you could make it without the garlic if thats a deal breaker
Salt and black pepper on the ckicken and fry in butter it till the skin is crispy, put it in the dish and fry the celery, onion etc then add the wine
and let it reduce in the pan a bit, add the stock reduce a little more then all in the casserole for an hour or 3. when it comes out pour the liquid
back in the pan and reduce it on a high heat until its nice and thick (maybe 15min) then mix it all back up and its ready to eat/freeze.
(you don't need to do all the reductions, but it makes is a nice thick/rich sauce)
If garlic is ok, how are you with a little paprika too?
Chorizo has become my go to ingredient for loads of things - I chunk up part of a ring and put it in a dry pan on a low heat for a few min so the oil
melts out and then use that oil to cook the rest of the dish (anything from stew to risotto to tomato sauce)
other ones that come to mind:
*Beef casserole in beer - swap half the stock out for beer of your choice
*Braised sausages
*Beef olives (if you get them in your part of the world)
*Lasagna / cannelloni - make a big batch of Bolognese sauce (freeze half of it as is) make loads of white sauce and layer them up in some oven
dishes and add cheese on top (ok, its almost the same dish as any pasta with Bolognese, but its easy to make when your doing the sauce anyway)
*lamb stew - lamb isn't the cheapest option but it make a nice change, try lamb neck fillets (often cheaper than other cuts and better for
stew) with onion, carrots and tatties (a mix of floury ones and salad ones if you like) - all it needs is a little lamb stock (which you can make with
the neck bones if you want to) and some thyme - only takes about 1.5 hours on the stove
iant88 - 30/9/19 at 10:19 AM
I concur with the post that recommends a slow cooker. We have 2 cheapo's (1 large and 1 small) both from ALDI. I would recommend looking for
slow cooker recipes on t'internet or getting hold of one of the many slow cooker books.
907 - 30/9/19 at 11:21 AM
I like the sound of the chicken chasseur ( posh word for stew ? )
Don't have a slow cooker but do have a cast iron pot with a lid that has the word "chasseur" cast into it. It will simmer for hours on
the tiny gas ring turned down low.
Don't mind garlic. there's 3 cloves split between those 5 meals in the pic. I'm past the age of worrying about my breath.
Like the Beef in Beer idea. Guinness ? I have 3 beef frying steaks in the fridge dated 3rd Oct. Dice and flash seal then in the pot ?
Not keen on lamb. Too fatty. Don't get me wrong, love eating it, its just the ten hours after.
I do have a supply of Bambi. I have a shoulder, a haunch, couple of steaks and a liver in the freezer now.
Thanks for the ideas. It will keep me busy for a week or two.
Cheers
Paul G
p.s.
At the weekends I'm a race marshal so free meals. 12th/13th I'm at Snetterton for the 750 Club. I believe Locosts race that weekend.
JC - 30/9/19 at 12:15 PM
Get the Hairy Dieters book - not just bland diet food, but a good mix or things, including quick stuff. I often freeze stuff from there and put it in
the ‘Bing Box’ to reheat!
David Jenkins - 30/9/19 at 04:56 PM
Paul,
You can find lots of good well-written recipes at BBC recipes. At this moment they're featuring "cook and
freeze" recipes on the front page.
Btw - we often freeze and dumplings. The dumplings are not exactly the same when reheated, but they're perfectly edible.
[Edited on 30/9/19 by David Jenkins]
907 - 30/9/19 at 05:45 PM
Its not so much recipes I need. More like advice on basic skills.
Things like .... because you use self raising flour dumplings quadruple in size as they cook.
Beef stew and; one for me, one for the cat, and one for catapult ammunition.
I often do lamb shanks or beef brisket in the slow cooker. It just falls off the bone. Some of the best meat I have ever had, and zero effort.
Actually I lie. It's a lot of effort to not keep lifting the lid and give it a sniff! Just add a bed of veg to keep the meat off the bottom
(carrots, celery and onion), a bay Leaf and add stock. Make mash the way you like it ( for me it's skins on and loads of butter). Drain the
chunks from the leftover liquid, add gravey granuals and then you have pukka gravey.
Or, have you tried jacket potatoes?
I think you should think differently. Plan your meals to be cooked longer, not faster. Same amount of effort but nicer and fresh.
gremlin1234 - 30/9/19 at 07:18 PM
3 tips:
don't reheat rice. (factory produced meals are ok, but home ones are not)
spices tend to get stronger if frozen & reheated
don't try to freeze a big batch all at once, - it warms everything in the freezer, and means it freezes slowly which gives icing/ice crystals
gremlin1234 - 30/9/19 at 07:38 PM
quote:Originally posted by bi22le
Or, have you tried jacket potatoes?
pre-baking potatoes, then freezing, and microwaving, makes them nice a fluffy. pubs have been doing that for years ;-)
907 - 30/9/19 at 09:30 PM
quote:Originally posted by gremlin1234
quote:Originally posted by bi22le
Or, have you tried jacket potatoes?
pre-baking potatoes, then freezing, and microwaving, makes them nice a fluffy. pubs have been doing that for years ;-)
Now that is the sort of good cooks tip I'm on about. I will try that. For the first bake, half cook, three quarters ?
I studied freezing at college, dendritic formation. Trouble is it was in metals. rusty nuts - 1/10/19 at 04:27 PM
Place bread in toaster or under grill , heat until desired amount of browning then butter , spreading with knife Open can of beans using a can opener
(available from supermarkets, hardware stores etc) heat until hot then place on prepared toast, eat while hot. watch out for next weeks thrilling
instalment !
Warning excessive consumption of beans may cause loss of friends!
Seriously, I tend to look up recipes for food that I fancy as and when
SJ - 1/10/19 at 09:03 PM
One of my favourites that is super quick is spaghetti prawns. Put spaghetti on for 11 mins. While it's cooking put a chopped onion and a bit of
garlic in a saucepan with a bit of olive oil and cook for 5 mins. Add half a bag of cheap prawns and a tin of chopped tomatoes and put the pan lid on.
By the time the spaghetti is done the sauce will be. Mix together, add parmesan and eat.
Not really suitable for freezing but super quick if you have nothing in the freezer.
907 - 2/10/19 at 07:46 AM
quote:Originally posted by rusty nuts
Place bread in toaster or under grill , heat until desired amount of browning then butter , spreading with knife Open can of beans using a can opener
(available from supermarkets, hardware stores etc) heat until hot then place on prepared toast, eat while hot. watch out for next weeks thrilling
instalment !
Warning excessive consumption of beans may cause loss of friends!
Seriously, I tend to look up recipes for food that I fancy as and when
This shows a distinct lack of imagination as well as a distinct lack of cooking skills.
If you toast the bread and then butter, while you open the tin of beans and heat them through the butter will have soaked into the toast
and solidified into a greasy mess as the toast goes stone cold.
Please don't invite me round for lunch as refusal may offend.
Paul G
rusty nuts - 2/10/19 at 09:32 AM
But if you stick it in the microwave to heat the beans you keep the toast hot. Especially nice with cheese on top, but that’s the next lesson!:
907 - 2/10/19 at 10:53 AM
quote:Originally posted by rusty nuts
But if you stick it in the microwave to heat the beans you keep the toast hot. Especially nice with cheese on top, but that’s the next lesson!:
I look forward to the next lesson Mel. I await the call, "service".
Paul G
rusty nuts - 2/10/19 at 12:29 PM
The next lesson is boiling an egg, bet that’s got your taste buds going.
907 - 2/10/19 at 03:55 PM
I have now perfected and further improved on the bean on toast recipe. Its all in the timing.
Beans in an 800w microwave take 3 minutes. Toast in the toaster take 1.45
If the toast goes in 15 seconds after the beans this allows just enough time to butter the toast. Phew !
OK. Now for the eggs.
I only have ducks eggs I'm afraid. Had them left over from a paint job I did on a model Spitfire.
And the soldiers. To be politicly correct do they have to be mixed race?
edit: if this were nsfw I would flag it as such, this should fine
[Edited on 12/10/19 by gremlin1234]
JC - 13/10/19 at 06:56 AM
I’m kicking myself for not thinking of this before....and me a Norwich City Supporter!
Try and get copies of Delias ‘How to Cook’ books - there were at least 2. They cover all the basic cooking techniques from scratch, including the
infamous ‘how to boil an egg’ piece!
Let’s be having you!
907 - 14/10/19 at 09:07 PM
quote:Originally posted by JC
I’m kicking myself for not thinking of this before....and me a Norwich City Supporter!
Try and get copies of Delias ‘How to Cook’ books - there were at least 2. They cover all the basic cooking techniques from scratch, including the
infamous ‘how to boil an egg’ piece!
Let’s be having you!
I have just ordered books 1, 2, & 3.
Not sure if I agree with her egg method. I believe she starts off with them in cold water.
I'm sure there's loads of useful stuff in the books though.
Let’s be having thanking you!
Paul G
David Jenkins - 15/10/19 at 09:04 AM
Paul,
We have a very useful recipe book that we often use (we double up for the 2 of us)
It's not so much recipes that I need, its more the science of cooking. What happens if ....... sort of thing.
An example:-
I'm diabetic, so sugar is out. A typical cake recipe is 8-8-8. S/F flour, butter, caster sugar. (+ eggs & baking powder)
I can replace butter with Stork. Not good, but better.
Flour is carbs. Carbs are sugar. I've no answer for that one.
Caster sugar. Mmmm. Powdered sweetener ??? Most don't withstand heat, so I've read on Google.
I know everyone will say, don't eat cake, but then its don't eat potatoes, pasta, bread, even orange juice.
I couldn't do my job if I didn't know the Science of Welding (AC Davies) I need the Science of Cooking.
Paul G
David Jenkins - 15/10/19 at 11:25 AM
There must be someone who does "cookery for diabetics" - might be worth looking on a UK diabetics website to see if they run a forum?
907 - 15/10/19 at 11:47 AM
quote:Originally posted by David Jenkins
There must be someone who does "cookery for diabetics" - might be worth looking on a UK diabetics website to see if they run a forum?
Haven't joined, but been looking at their forum this morning. Spotted a thread on Shepherds / Cottage pie. This could be good I thought.
It read; "I bought the one from Tesco". "The one from Iceland bla bla bla". "Really disappointed with the Aldi one. not big
enough so had to buy two".
etc, etc.
I have an appointment at the West Suffolk at 3pm about a posable kidney removal. I may pop up to the diabetic clinic and ask their advice.
( no jokes please re steak & kidney pie )
Paul G
David Jenkins - 15/10/19 at 12:52 PM
quote:Originally posted by 907
I have an appointment at the West Suffolk at 3pm about a posable kidney removal.
Eeek... gremlin1234 - 15/10/19 at 02:43 PM
quote:Originally posted by 907
Haven't joined, but been looking at their forum this morning. Spotted a thread on Shepherds / Cottage pie. This could be good I thought...
) 
