The General Chat Thread

The Hill Billy

I was lazy tonight myself & just reheated some spicy chicken broth from Monday night.

Neyite

Those nights I cba I dig into my freezer for one of the ones that I bulk-cook and freeze.

homemadecider

We always have some emergency junk in the freezer for those "I'M NOT COOKING" days, which tend to happen once every fortnight. Frozen pizza, hash browns, fish fingers. Bazinga.

The Black Oil

Making wine again soon, hopefully.

Here's the previous production.

MissFlitworth

Did the wine turn out tasty the last time? It looks tasty

The Black Oil

Yep. :cool:
Orange wine.

BaZmO*

Neyite wrote: »

Those nights I cba I dig into my freezer for one of the ones that I bulk-cook and freeze.

Yeah that's what I did tonight. There's nothing better than having a really nice meal with the minimun of effort on a night when you can't be bothered to cook.

Hermione*

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Loire - I'm having frozen Lidl Bami Goreng right now laced with jalapenos, feta and, em, jalapeno brine (I'm gross). Everything was just too much hassle tonight.

I love jalapenos I always have them on pizzas or in cheese toasties. Yum!

In an effort to be healthier, I've abandoned all junk foods in favour of dark chocolate. One to two squares is supposed to be enough at one time. I've just had six squares of Lindt caramel chocolate with sea salt. I blame the chocolate for being too yum :pac:

Toto Wolfcastle

Hermione* wrote: »

I love jalapenos I always have them on pizzas or in cheese toasties. Yum!

In an effort to be healthier, I've abandoned all junk foods in favour of dark chocolate. One to two squares is supposed to be enough at one time. I've just had six squares of Lindt caramel chocolate with sea salt. I blame the chocolate for being too yum :pac:

Last year I was on a healthy eating buzz, cutting out carbs and keeping a food diary. I'm not really a chocolate fan but I wanted to give myself a treat at night so I had 2 chocolate covered brazil nuts. The real benefit was that I had a reaction (a rash, nothing major) to them before when I ate a lot of them but I didn't react to 2. I was so afraid that something would happen if I ate any more that I never ate more than 2 a day.

Loire

Maybe we should have a "Here's what we ate for dinner last night as I couldn't be arsed" thread :pac:

Animord

Loire wrote: »

Maybe we should have a "Here's what we ate for dinner last night as I couldn't be arsed" thread :pac:

Funny how everyone did it on Wednesday - I wonder if there is a pattern forming there!

Mrs Fox

Animord wrote: »

Funny how everyone did it on Wednesday - I wonder if there is a pattern forming there!

Midweek blues + full moon = lazyarsed.

the beer revolu

Funnily enough, I had one of those days yesterday too (but really, it's because Mrs. Beer is away and I can't be arsed cooking just for me. I might not be featuring too heavily in the HWIHFDLN II thread for the next week and a bit:o).

I had a pan fried double fillet of whiting - on its own.
Some while later I reheated some leftover rice and cabbage.

hardCopy

Loire wrote: »

Anyone get those days where you just couldn't be bothered cooking?

Today is the day. Don't know what it is and I know I'll be rearing to go tomorrow. Perhaps it's that I haven't drank much since Xmas (easy fix .

Anyway, I was inches away from buying a microwave meal in Tesco this evening (they have a hoisin duck that's amazing to be honest, and the healthiest list of ingredients I've even seen). Anyway I persevered. I'm making chicken & muchroom pie from the bbcgoodfood website. Hope it turns out ok.

EDIT: just looked out the window....full moon, that'll do me for an excuse!

Tesco's new range of healthy microwave meals look really good. I had the paprika chicken and chickpea meal during the week, which was really nice and will be having the Primavera Risotto tonight

RasTa

There is one thing I will never eat at home and that is a microwave meal, not judging but down to personal preference.

I'd rather starve or just make an omelette. I sometimes prefer cooking with what's in the cupboard

Loire

This is the Tesco hoisin duck I mentioned
http://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=271752236

It's yummy and the ingredients look pretty good for a readymeal.

Animord

Those CityKitchen things aren't bad. I get them occasionally for lunch at work. We only have a microwave and I rarely eat bread so sandwiches are out and I get bored of salads, especially in January. Mostly I reheat stuff from the night before but sometimes (probably Wednesdays(!)) I buy something in Tesco on my way past in the morning.

Loire

Let's make Wednesdays "Junk Night" :pac:

iwantmydinner

Loire wrote: »

This is the Tesco hoisin duck I mentioned
http://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=271752236

It's yummy and the ingredients look pretty good for a readymeal.

I've often thought those City Kitchen meals looked good. Might pick up one or two to have in the freezer for CBA days.

MissFlitworth

Loire wrote: »

This is the Tesco hoisin duck I mentioned
http://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=271752236

It's yummy and the ingredients look pretty good for a readymeal.

I've had this! Bonus points for new lunchbox from it.

the beer revolu

Think I'll make fish cakes/croquettes from the ray and potato/artichoke mash from the other night. I might do the right thing and freeze them until Mrs. beer comes home. I hate the mess of flour, egg and breadcrumbs - not to mind having to deal with the oil after deep frying!

Might have something stupid for dinner again like plain chicken thighs and a raw carrot and an avacodo or something:o

Loire

MissFlitworth wrote: »

I've had this! Bonus points for new lunchbox from it.

Exactly we have a stack of them

Johnny_Fontane

Had a major success with lamb shoulder in the slow cooker this week. Marinated a bone in scored shoulder with garlic, rosemary and olive oil. made a simple lamb stock with some bones from the butcher and basic veg.

chopped up a load of veg which I placed under the lamb shoulder in the slow cooker. poured in about 600ml of the stock (well all the stock). cooked on low for 8 hours (ladling juices over every couple of hours). sieved juices out, made into an astonishing gravy (with reduced red wine).

It really was whopper! The lamb was divine, succulent big juicy pieces interspersed with hits of rosemary and roasted garlic.

Loire

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

sieved juices out, made into an astonishing gravy (with reduced red wine).

Did you add a roux to thicken it? Also unsure about this part? Made an excellent gravy before Xmas like this but the one I made on Xas day was only OK..

Johnny_Fontane

Loire wrote: »

Did you add a roux to thicken it? Also unsure about this part? Made an excellent gravy before Xmas like this but the one I made on Xas day was only OK..

yes, I used my usual flour and butter magic otherwise known as a beurre manie. basically rub some butter with a fork into some flour. keep rubbing and rubbing until you get it nice and firm.

Animord

I know this is slightly off the point but you can make roux in large quantities and freeze it. Equal amounts of butter and flour, cook it and then turn the lot out onto greaseproof paper and squige it into a sausage shape. Then wrap it in greaseproof and freeze it.

You can then just take it out of the freezer when required and grate a bit into sauces and hey presto - job done. Much easier than making it each time.

homemadecider

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

keep rubbing and rubbing until you get it nice and firm.

:eek::eek::eek:

Mrs Fox

the beer revolu wrote: »

it's because Mrs. Beer is away and I can't be arsed cooking just for me..

Nights like these I'd either have just Koka, or go full scale and cook something with belacan or sator beans. Mr Fox has in the past identified these two ingredients as food of evil, and has barred me from cooking them while he's around.

Loire

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

keep rubbing and rubbing until you get it nice and firm.

That's where I'm going wrong, not rubbing it long enough :pac:

MissFlitworth

Mrs Fox wrote: »

sator beans

The first result I saw when I googled these was 'stink beans'