Sunday Roast doesn't need to be a ball ache. It's actually really simple. This recipe is a fast one for chicken thighs. I'll do another post for other meats and for veggie versions as well as traditional whole chicken.
For 4 people:
8 chicken thighs (use any leftovers for Monday lunch)
4 cloves garlic, whole
1 lemon cut into wedges (optional)
Thyme or rosemary sprigs (optional)
Salt and pepper
Oil
Gravy granules
8 potatoes, cut into quarters
peas/carrots, whatever veg you like.
Preheat the oven to around 200c and put a baking tray in there to heat up.
Boil the potatoes on the hob until they are very slightly soft around the edges (about 5 mins from boiling).
Drain the potatoes and flap them about a bit in the pan to rough the edges a bit.
Put the chicken thighs, garlic and other bits if using into a baking tray and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the potatoes to this tray if big enough but preferably in a different baking tray, hot from the oven.
Put them in the oven for about 20 mins (check the chicken thigh packet for exact timings). The potatoes will take about 20 mins.
Turn everything at least once during cooking. Get the other veg on just before the rest is done.
When the chicken is cooked, take it out and set aside on a plate. Make up a small mug of gravy and add it to the pan that the meat was on and put in on the hob. Thing the gravy with water fromt eh veg pan and mix it all together until it looks like gravy.
Serve it, eat it, have a nap whilst someone else does the washing up.
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Friday, June 21, 2019
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Super cheap batch cooking with TVP
TVP (or textured vegetable protein) is about £2 for a big bag from Holland & Barratt. It replaces minced beef (or other meat) in cooking. £2 of minced beef will make about 2 portions. £2 of TVP makes 28!!!!
Basic recipe (for 4 portions):
TVP
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
Tinned tomatoes
extras:
carrots
celery
courgettes
kidney beans
lentils
spices
herbs
Soak 50g TVP in 150ml water for about 10 mins.
Chop and gently cook 1 onion & 2 cloves of garlic. with a bit of salt and pepper. If you want to squeeze some veg in, now is the time to add a finely chopped carrot and 2 celery sticks. Then add the mince and a tin of chopped tomatoes. It's that simple.
Now you can turn it into all sorts of things. To make it a bit 'meatier', add an OXO cube, a teaspoon of marmite or some dark sauce such as Worcestershire, Soy or Tamarind.
If you add a tin of red kidney beans, some chilli powder and serve it with rice, you have Chilli.
Add peas and carrots (or any other veg), cover in mashed potato and cook in the oven until golden, it's cottage pie.
Herb it up with some oregano and serve it with spaghetti and you have bolognese.
Layer your bolognese with white sauce, cheese and pasta sheets and it's suddenly a lasagna.
Cook it with diced potatoes, swedes or turnips and wrap it in pastry and it's a pasty.
You can add pretty much any spices or herbs to change the seasoning and then bulk it out with different veg or pulses and completely change the meal.
Basic recipe (for 4 portions):
TVP
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
Tinned tomatoes
extras:
carrots
celery
courgettes
kidney beans
lentils
spices
herbs
Soak 50g TVP in 150ml water for about 10 mins.
Chop and gently cook 1 onion & 2 cloves of garlic. with a bit of salt and pepper. If you want to squeeze some veg in, now is the time to add a finely chopped carrot and 2 celery sticks. Then add the mince and a tin of chopped tomatoes. It's that simple.
Now you can turn it into all sorts of things. To make it a bit 'meatier', add an OXO cube, a teaspoon of marmite or some dark sauce such as Worcestershire, Soy or Tamarind.
If you add a tin of red kidney beans, some chilli powder and serve it with rice, you have Chilli.
Add peas and carrots (or any other veg), cover in mashed potato and cook in the oven until golden, it's cottage pie.
Herb it up with some oregano and serve it with spaghetti and you have bolognese.
Layer your bolognese with white sauce, cheese and pasta sheets and it's suddenly a lasagna.
Cook it with diced potatoes, swedes or turnips and wrap it in pastry and it's a pasty.
You can add pretty much any spices or herbs to change the seasoning and then bulk it out with different veg or pulses and completely change the meal.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Toad in the Hole
Toad in the hole is a winner as long as you get the batter right. This recipe rarely fails.
Serves 2:
1 egg
some plain flour
some milk
vegetable/sunflower oil
4 sausages (meat, veggie or vegan)
fresh rosemary (optional)
First heat the oven to 220 C.
Then make the batter. In a bowl, beat the egg, then beat in enough flour to make it into a thick batter, the consistency of thick porridge or wallpaper paste - it shouldn't be a dough but there shouldn't be liquid falling out of it. About 2-3 tablespoons should do it. Then add milk, bit by bit, until it's the consistency of double cream, or yoghurt. Add a splash of the oil and sit it in the fridge for half an hour.
While it's sitting, put a roasting dish (big enough to fit 4 sausages in but not too big) with 1-2 tablespoons of oil in, into the hot oven.
Brown the sausages in a frying pan with a tint bit of oil - they will leak their own fat you so hardly need any. Take off the heat when browned a bit.
Get you batter out of the fridge and add a bit of salt and pepper. The oil in the dish int he oven should be all shimmery due to the heat by now. Very carefully add your sausages in there and then pour the batter over the top. This is when to poke the rosemary sprig in there if you have one. Whack it back in the oven and keep the door shut. Decrease the heat to about 200 C and leave it for about 30-40 minutes. You can tell it's done when it's risen up quite high and is golden brown. As long as the oil in the roasting tray was hot enough it should be fine. The oil in the batter will quickly heat up too and cook it from the inside, stopping it from going soggy.
Good with green veg. And, of course, gravy.
Serves 2:
1 egg
some plain flour
some milk
vegetable/sunflower oil
4 sausages (meat, veggie or vegan)
fresh rosemary (optional)
First heat the oven to 220 C.
Then make the batter. In a bowl, beat the egg, then beat in enough flour to make it into a thick batter, the consistency of thick porridge or wallpaper paste - it shouldn't be a dough but there shouldn't be liquid falling out of it. About 2-3 tablespoons should do it. Then add milk, bit by bit, until it's the consistency of double cream, or yoghurt. Add a splash of the oil and sit it in the fridge for half an hour.
While it's sitting, put a roasting dish (big enough to fit 4 sausages in but not too big) with 1-2 tablespoons of oil in, into the hot oven.
Brown the sausages in a frying pan with a tint bit of oil - they will leak their own fat you so hardly need any. Take off the heat when browned a bit.
Get you batter out of the fridge and add a bit of salt and pepper. The oil in the dish int he oven should be all shimmery due to the heat by now. Very carefully add your sausages in there and then pour the batter over the top. This is when to poke the rosemary sprig in there if you have one. Whack it back in the oven and keep the door shut. Decrease the heat to about 200 C and leave it for about 30-40 minutes. You can tell it's done when it's risen up quite high and is golden brown. As long as the oil in the roasting tray was hot enough it should be fine. The oil in the batter will quickly heat up too and cook it from the inside, stopping it from going soggy.
Good with green veg. And, of course, gravy.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Vitamin Wheat
This is fast, adaptable and good for using bits of veg up. Quantities here are for 2-3 meals.
2 mugs of bulgar wheat or couscous (or cooked rice)
1 small onion
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced
A handful of chopped dried fruit (optional but things like cranberries, apricots, sultanas...)
About 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 apple, chopped
A slosh of cider (or water)
Other things you can add:
1 courgette, diced
1 pepper, diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
3 handfuls Quorn chunks
a bit of cubed feta
Chickpeas
Dressing:
a glug of olive oil
juice of a lemon
handful of chopped parsley
half tsp cinnamon
half tsp cumin
half tsp sumac (optional)
half tsp advieh (optional)
chopped mint (optional)
Put the bulgar or couscous in a bowl and pour over boiling water until it is about a cm over the grains and cover with a plate for about 5-10 mins. If you are using dried fruit, add this too. Or cook the rice.
Meanwhile, cook the onions in a little oil until translucent. Add the quern here if using.
Add the garlic and other veg, a slosh of cider, and cook for about 10 mins or until they have softened and the veg (and quorn) has gone goldenish.
Tip it all into a big bowl with the grains and (add the feta now if using) and add the dressing stuff. Stir it all up and cover for 5 mins then serve.
You can leave leftovers to go cold and have it for lunch the next day.
2 mugs of bulgar wheat or couscous (or cooked rice)
1 small onion
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced
A handful of chopped dried fruit (optional but things like cranberries, apricots, sultanas...)
About 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 apple, chopped
A slosh of cider (or water)
Other things you can add:
1 courgette, diced
1 pepper, diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
3 handfuls Quorn chunks
a bit of cubed feta
Chickpeas
Dressing:
a glug of olive oil
juice of a lemon
handful of chopped parsley
half tsp cinnamon
half tsp cumin
half tsp sumac (optional)
half tsp advieh (optional)
chopped mint (optional)
Put the bulgar or couscous in a bowl and pour over boiling water until it is about a cm over the grains and cover with a plate for about 5-10 mins. If you are using dried fruit, add this too. Or cook the rice.
Meanwhile, cook the onions in a little oil until translucent. Add the quern here if using.
Add the garlic and other veg, a slosh of cider, and cook for about 10 mins or until they have softened and the veg (and quorn) has gone goldenish.
Tip it all into a big bowl with the grains and (add the feta now if using) and add the dressing stuff. Stir it all up and cover for 5 mins then serve.
You can leave leftovers to go cold and have it for lunch the next day.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Magic Gug - basic veg
I was brought up on this stuff. It's totally adaptable so do experiment and lob anything in that you fancy.
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 courgette (or carrot, or red pepper etc or a mixture of some, whatever you have)
1 tin tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin (this can be with other spices, herbs or exchanged for something else, it depends what you fancy)
Heat some oil in a big pan and add the onion. Cook until a bit see through then add the garlic, spice and chopped veg. Stir them about for about 5 mins and then add the tomatoes, topping up with water until the liquid just covers the veg.
Leave this to quietly bubble away for about half an hour, or until the veg is softish.
Meanwhile, cook a jacket potato, some rice, pasta or cous cous.
Have what you want at the time and keep the rest as a base for other magic gugs. You can freeze portions or it will keep in the fridge, covered for a couple of days.
It costs about £2 to cook the whole thing and will easily feed 4 people. or you, 4 times!
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 courgette (or carrot, or red pepper etc or a mixture of some, whatever you have)
1 tin tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin (this can be with other spices, herbs or exchanged for something else, it depends what you fancy)
Heat some oil in a big pan and add the onion. Cook until a bit see through then add the garlic, spice and chopped veg. Stir them about for about 5 mins and then add the tomatoes, topping up with water until the liquid just covers the veg.
Leave this to quietly bubble away for about half an hour, or until the veg is softish.
Meanwhile, cook a jacket potato, some rice, pasta or cous cous.
Have what you want at the time and keep the rest as a base for other magic gugs. You can freeze portions or it will keep in the fridge, covered for a couple of days.
It costs about £2 to cook the whole thing and will easily feed 4 people. or you, 4 times!
Dhal and Rice
This is super easy. And takes very little time. My recipe may not be wildly accurate or authentic but it does the job.
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a thumb sized bit of fresh ginger, minced
2 mugfuls of red lentils
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 chilly, finely chopped (optional)
Rice
Cook the onions slowly in a bit of oil on a medium to low heat until really soft but not burnt.
Add the garlic and spices and stir well. Add the tomatoes.
Rinse and add the lentils and cover with water so that the lentils are about an inch under the water.
Cook some rice (however you do it and depending on the type of rice)
Cook the dhal until the lentils have broken down and absorbed the water, stirring from time to time and adding more water if needed. It takes about 20 minutes. Add the chilli in near the end if you are using it.
Serve over the rice. It's really good with some yoghurt and chopped coriander if you have some.
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a thumb sized bit of fresh ginger, minced
2 mugfuls of red lentils
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 chilly, finely chopped (optional)
Rice
Cook the onions slowly in a bit of oil on a medium to low heat until really soft but not burnt.
Add the garlic and spices and stir well. Add the tomatoes.
Rinse and add the lentils and cover with water so that the lentils are about an inch under the water.
Cook some rice (however you do it and depending on the type of rice)
Cook the dhal until the lentils have broken down and absorbed the water, stirring from time to time and adding more water if needed. It takes about 20 minutes. Add the chilli in near the end if you are using it.
Serve over the rice. It's really good with some yoghurt and chopped coriander if you have some.
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