Cooking for the OH on Saturday...
Discussion
I don't do this often and when I do it is a stir fry or spag bol, nothing interesting.
Anyway, this Saturday I have a nice night planned and the only bit missing is a nice, different dish I can cook. Needs to be easy to understand, prepare and purchase the ingredients for.
Something like chili beef and with those crispy noodles things, I don't know, completely stuck for inspiration - what are the best recipe sites to use?
Thanks
Anyway, this Saturday I have a nice night planned and the only bit missing is a nice, different dish I can cook. Needs to be easy to understand, prepare and purchase the ingredients for.
Something like chili beef and with those crispy noodles things, I don't know, completely stuck for inspiration - what are the best recipe sites to use?
Thanks
This place: AllRecipes UK
I go to the .com american one too - as I have a set of US measures. I quite like American food occasionally and you can get all the ingredients (sweet potato) here these days.
A good dinner idea for when you want to do something special is to do a Lasagne.
All the work is done up-front, you can clean and tidy up whilst it is baking and when it comes time to serve it's simply scoop out a serving, plonk a little green salad by the side and you're done.
I go to the .com american one too - as I have a set of US measures. I quite like American food occasionally and you can get all the ingredients (sweet potato) here these days.
A good dinner idea for when you want to do something special is to do a Lasagne.
All the work is done up-front, you can clean and tidy up whilst it is baking and when it comes time to serve it's simply scoop out a serving, plonk a little green salad by the side and you're done.
even if you can't cook, its impossible to f
k up lasagne. one made with fresh quality ingredients will go down a treat as noone expects greatness from the basics.
bechamel:
gently melt about 40g of butter in a pan - don't burn it. add 20g of plain flour whilst stirring vigorously so you end up with a smooth paste. add a pint of milk in small amounts whilst whisking like a mad man.
ETA the rest of the recipe! DUH!
season the mixture and simmer/stir until thickened. you can infuse the milk beforehand if you like by simmering it with a bay leaf and parsley.
for the meat, sweat an ultra finely sliced red onion with oil and a couple of crushed garlic cloves.
add mince and brown it. fat adds to the flavour but i personally don't like the grease and use lean steak mince from t'butcher.
its freestyle from here but i like to add some fresh chopped basil, fresh sliced roasted red pepper, chopped sundried tomato's, a glass of red wine and passata. simmer until the desired consistency is achieved.
then take some fresh lasagne sheets [you can make this if you can be bothered] and layer up your dish. use a little of the meat in the bottom to stop it sticking and finish with a layer of bechamel and cover in grated mature cheese.
bung in the oven for 45mins and warm up the OH
serve with wedges, salad and wine.
if she's veggie, leave out the meat and for those layers just spoon the red sauce over sliced aubergine.
k up lasagne. one made with fresh quality ingredients will go down a treat as noone expects greatness from the basics.bechamel:
gently melt about 40g of butter in a pan - don't burn it. add 20g of plain flour whilst stirring vigorously so you end up with a smooth paste. add a pint of milk in small amounts whilst whisking like a mad man.
ETA the rest of the recipe! DUH!
season the mixture and simmer/stir until thickened. you can infuse the milk beforehand if you like by simmering it with a bay leaf and parsley.
for the meat, sweat an ultra finely sliced red onion with oil and a couple of crushed garlic cloves.
add mince and brown it. fat adds to the flavour but i personally don't like the grease and use lean steak mince from t'butcher.
its freestyle from here but i like to add some fresh chopped basil, fresh sliced roasted red pepper, chopped sundried tomato's, a glass of red wine and passata. simmer until the desired consistency is achieved.
then take some fresh lasagne sheets [you can make this if you can be bothered] and layer up your dish. use a little of the meat in the bottom to stop it sticking and finish with a layer of bechamel and cover in grated mature cheese.
bung in the oven for 45mins and warm up the OH
serve with wedges, salad and wine. if she's veggie, leave out the meat and for those layers just spoon the red sauce over sliced aubergine.
Edited by shirt on Wednesday 11th November 12:19
Good quality chicken breasts, sliced halfway through, small amount of chopped onion in the slit.
Put on a large piece of foil, cover in leeks, a couple of small red onions cut in 2 or 3 bits,add some shropshire blue cheese over the top, wrap the whole thing in good quality bacon.
Pull the sides of the foil up, add a quarter of a cup of water, a glass of red wine. Pull the foil up and close at the top, leaving a small hole for steam to escape.
Slam it in the oven for an hour and a half at 160.
Drink the rest of the wine. Open another bottle if needed.
Boil some spuds and some sweet potato together, mash the bejesus out of them with some butter.
Drink more wine
Serve, pour the remaining fluid over the chicken breasts and mash, grind some pepper over each.
Yum Yum
Put on a large piece of foil, cover in leeks, a couple of small red onions cut in 2 or 3 bits,add some shropshire blue cheese over the top, wrap the whole thing in good quality bacon.
Pull the sides of the foil up, add a quarter of a cup of water, a glass of red wine. Pull the foil up and close at the top, leaving a small hole for steam to escape.
Slam it in the oven for an hour and a half at 160.
Drink the rest of the wine. Open another bottle if needed.
Boil some spuds and some sweet potato together, mash the bejesus out of them with some butter.
Drink more wine
Serve, pour the remaining fluid over the chicken breasts and mash, grind some pepper over each.
Yum Yum
If I've a few ingredients in mind I normally type them and the word 'recipe' into Google. Click the 'pages from the UK' option, or you'll get a bunch of US sites asking you to measure in chains, quarts, and cups, or to 'make a BBQ sauce from strawberry jam and molasses' and slather that on something unlikely.
Otherwise, the BBC site contains most of their televised recipes.
If you fancy easy, nice, and different, try this cassoulet.
Otherwise, the BBC site contains most of their televised recipes.
If you fancy easy, nice, and different, try this cassoulet.
Edited by grumbledoak on Wednesday 11th November 12:16
I had this recipe for lobster spaghetti cooked for me recently, by far the nicest thing I have eaten in a long time. Not difficult to do either.
Nothing simpler than a nice steak? Rub lightly with espresso coffee. chop up a load of garlic finely, and some chives, and mix into your own butter. Add a dash of lemon juice.
Sear steak both sides, add a good nub of butter to each one, and serve.
Boil some potatoes, add butter, chives, salt and pepper and garlic at the end. Toss the potatoes about. Cut them in half, and throw them into a hot pan to give a bit of colour to them.
Asparagus in the oven: Grab 2 servings worth of asparagus, lay flat in a baking tray. Toss them through a small amount of olive oil, so they all have a very fine film of OO on them. The, generously sprinkly S & P. Grab a bunch, wrap it in streaky bacon, secure with coctail stick. Repeat with the remainder.
Hot oven, 15 minutes.
Really easy..
Sear steak both sides, add a good nub of butter to each one, and serve.
Boil some potatoes, add butter, chives, salt and pepper and garlic at the end. Toss the potatoes about. Cut them in half, and throw them into a hot pan to give a bit of colour to them.
Asparagus in the oven: Grab 2 servings worth of asparagus, lay flat in a baking tray. Toss them through a small amount of olive oil, so they all have a very fine film of OO on them. The, generously sprinkly S & P. Grab a bunch, wrap it in streaky bacon, secure with coctail stick. Repeat with the remainder.
Hot oven, 15 minutes.
Really easy..
Marf said:
Papoo said:
Nothing simpler than a nice steak? Rub lightly with espresso coffee.
Run that by me again?I also have a recipe for a tea-rubbed steak. I will try it for sure (I currently have an offensive amount of cow in the freezer).
ETA: I notice that both recipes, unsurprisingly call for fillet, due to fillet's inherent blandness.
Edited by Papoo on Wednesday 11th November 15:41
dougc said:
fk me. That site is brilliant. Years of inspiration there!Cactussed said:
dougc said:
fk me. That site is brilliant. Years of inspiration there!
Someone posted it months ago, most bloggers are yanks though...
Cactussed said:
dougc said:
fk me. pumpkin recipes! now i know what to make for this weeks competition!jimothy said:
Chicken in coke - dead easy.
Take a roasting tin.
Add a chicken.
Add spuds, sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots, any other veg you like.
Pour over a can of full sugar coke.
Cover in foil.
Roast for 2 hours, basting with the coke every half an hour or so.
Serve.
Reminds me of a celebratory 'dish' the Chinese cook when they have a new child born into the house.Take a roasting tin.
Add a chicken.
Add spuds, sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots, any other veg you like.
Pour over a can of full sugar coke.
Cover in foil.
Roast for 2 hours, basting with the coke every half an hour or so.
Serve.
A big pot of 100-year eggs, beef bones, and coca-cola. I was served a bowl when I visited, how I never threw up I don't know!
Does she like lamb? If so, buy half a shoulder (blade end) and in a pestle grind some cumin, coriander seed, chili, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger to a paste. Add lemon juice and a little oil, then rub all over and into the lamb. Leave for up to 36 hours.
Foil wrap and put in a low oven (130) and cook for four hours. Open foil, pour off stock (retain) and turn up the heat to 180 for 30 mins. Rest for 20 mins.
The blade bone will pull out and the meat will be ridiculously tender with a crip skin. Most of the fat will have rendered out.
Seperate the stock from the fat and discard the latter. Reduce the stock with some red wine for a delicious sauce.
Serve with steamed vegetables and dauph' potatoes.
I made it for friends last weekend and they have been raving about it this week.
Foil wrap and put in a low oven (130) and cook for four hours. Open foil, pour off stock (retain) and turn up the heat to 180 for 30 mins. Rest for 20 mins.
The blade bone will pull out and the meat will be ridiculously tender with a crip skin. Most of the fat will have rendered out.
Seperate the stock from the fat and discard the latter. Reduce the stock with some red wine for a delicious sauce.
Serve with steamed vegetables and dauph' potatoes.
I made it for friends last weekend and they have been raving about it this week.
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff