Meal 55 - June 27th - Beef Chimichurri, New Potatoes and Crunch Salad
With Lolz off on what she insists will not be a drunken weekend tomorrow, this will be my last 15 minute meal of the month, and therefore my last one before we hit the second half of the year. With 55 down and still 64 to go I'm a little behind schedule but nothing a few indulgent, 15 minute meal heavy weekends won't solve. In the six months I've been going so far, I've cooked 7 chicken dishes, 8 beef, 4 pork, 3 lamb, 9 fish, 6 pasta, 3 soups and sarnies, 5 veggie and 9 breakfasts. There have been hits (Asian Sea Bass) and misses (Prawn Linguine). I've experienced cooking with new ingredients, learned new cooking techniques and discovered whole new places to shop. Who knows what surprises the second half of the year will have in store?
23 Jun 2013
Tapas Bruschetta, Golden Grilled Sardines
Meal 54 - June 23rd - Tapas Bruschetta, Golden Grilled Sardines
Here in England, we play a game called cricket. Basically, the bowler hurls the ball toward the batter who tries to play away a fine leg. He endeavours to score by dashing between the creases, provided the wicket keeper hasn’t whipped his bails off. Games can last for up to 5 days, so the players break for tea in the mid afternoon, during which they traditionally eat cucumber sandwiches. Today England are competing in a rare final (well they will be if the bloody rain stops!) and so what better occasion to break out this very summery looking DIY type open sandwich thingy? There may not be any cucumber involved but the picnicy element is very cricket friendly.
Here in England, we play a game called cricket. Basically, the bowler hurls the ball toward the batter who tries to play away a fine leg. He endeavours to score by dashing between the creases, provided the wicket keeper hasn’t whipped his bails off. Games can last for up to 5 days, so the players break for tea in the mid afternoon, during which they traditionally eat cucumber sandwiches. Today England are competing in a rare final (well they will be if the bloody rain stops!) and so what better occasion to break out this very summery looking DIY type open sandwich thingy? There may not be any cucumber involved but the picnicy element is very cricket friendly.
22 Jun 2013
Smoked Salmon & Egg - Hot Sandwich Heaven
Meal 53 - June 22nd - Smoked Salmon & Egg - Hot Sandwich Heaven
My love of toasties and the utter mess I made of Sweet Naughty Beginning meant that I was really up for this smoked salmon and egg sandwich - a perfect Saturday morning breakfast. This time I would be showing my Breville who is boss.
My love of toasties and the utter mess I made of Sweet Naughty Beginning meant that I was really up for this smoked salmon and egg sandwich - a perfect Saturday morning breakfast. This time I would be showing my Breville who is boss.
21 Jun 2013
Black Bean Beef Burgers, Noodles and Pickle Salad
Meal 52 - June 21st - Black Bean Beef Burgers, Noodles and Pickle Salad
Well I'm pleased to report that we did successfully make it to Brighton last weekend. Fuelled by the Incredibly Delicious Chicken Salad and Lolz's pear tart, not to mention an army of Jelly Babies, we negotiated rain, shine, hills, bike jams and even some brake issues before we caught sight of Brighton beach at around 6:30. It wasn't quite 15 minute meals standard but I think I'd thoroughly earned the greasy chicken and chips from the beachfront caff which I ate before heading home (in the car, obviously, although Lolz did make me drive). A busy week meant this was my first post bike ride opportunity to return to my 15 minute meal challenge and with various other trips away over the next few weeks I knew I'd have to make this weekend count - I will be aiming to add three meals to my tally before returning to work on Monday.
Well I'm pleased to report that we did successfully make it to Brighton last weekend. Fuelled by the Incredibly Delicious Chicken Salad and Lolz's pear tart, not to mention an army of Jelly Babies, we negotiated rain, shine, hills, bike jams and even some brake issues before we caught sight of Brighton beach at around 6:30. It wasn't quite 15 minute meals standard but I think I'd thoroughly earned the greasy chicken and chips from the beachfront caff which I ate before heading home (in the car, obviously, although Lolz did make me drive). A busy week meant this was my first post bike ride opportunity to return to my 15 minute meal challenge and with various other trips away over the next few weeks I knew I'd have to make this weekend count - I will be aiming to add three meals to my tally before returning to work on Monday.
15 Jun 2013
Incredibly Delicious Chicken Salad
Meal 51 - June 15th - Incredibly Delicious Chicken Salad
Regular readers of my blog may be wondering why it's been almost two weeks since my last post. Have I become lazy? Have I succumbed to the temptations of the chippie down the road? Have I fallen victim to some gruesome food processor related accident? Well no (well, strictly, I have succumbed to the chippie a couple of times), I have been away on a business/pleasure trip to Northern Ireland. Without digressing from the main point of my blog for too long, I will quickly say that it is a beautiful part of the world and Belfast, amongst all the other many things it has going for it, is home to the Ginger Bistro - one of the best and least pretentious restaurants I have been to in a long time. Somehow, over the course of the 6 days I was away, I managed to consume seven cooked breakfasts. Not only that, but on Sunday I am due to be taking part in the 55 mile London to Brighton cycle ride . To successfully complete the ride I would have to conquer the gruelling Ditchling Beacon - a 4 km slog up a winding country road to the third highest point in the South Downs. It's not quite the Tour de France but something healthy would definitely be required.
Regular readers of my blog may be wondering why it's been almost two weeks since my last post. Have I become lazy? Have I succumbed to the temptations of the chippie down the road? Have I fallen victim to some gruesome food processor related accident? Well no (well, strictly, I have succumbed to the chippie a couple of times), I have been away on a business/pleasure trip to Northern Ireland. Without digressing from the main point of my blog for too long, I will quickly say that it is a beautiful part of the world and Belfast, amongst all the other many things it has going for it, is home to the Ginger Bistro - one of the best and least pretentious restaurants I have been to in a long time. Somehow, over the course of the 6 days I was away, I managed to consume seven cooked breakfasts. Not only that, but on Sunday I am due to be taking part in the 55 mile London to Brighton cycle ride . To successfully complete the ride I would have to conquer the gruelling Ditchling Beacon - a 4 km slog up a winding country road to the third highest point in the South Downs. It's not quite the Tour de France but something healthy would definitely be required.
4 Jun 2013
Pasta Pesto, Garlic and Rosemary Chicken
Meal 50 - June 4th - Pasta Pesto, Garlic and Rosemary Chicken
It was with some trepidation that I reboarded the pasta train as my last trip took me to Prawn-Linguine-Ville - a destination that lay somewhere between the uninspired and the downright scary. I was planning to cook seared asian beef and best noodle salad but was foiled by my inability to find alfalfa sprouts (or, for that matter, establish exactly what they were) and this was a hastily chosen back up option. I was encouraged however by the fact that the dish required just two pans and one platter - no faffing about with side salads or breadcrumb sprinkles - and also had fond memories of the only other pesto pasta dish I cooked, the "inventive and brilliant" (© One Man and His Food Processor) Broccoli Pasta.
It was with some trepidation that I reboarded the pasta train as my last trip took me to Prawn-Linguine-Ville - a destination that lay somewhere between the uninspired and the downright scary. I was planning to cook seared asian beef and best noodle salad but was foiled by my inability to find alfalfa sprouts (or, for that matter, establish exactly what they were) and this was a hastily chosen back up option. I was encouraged however by the fact that the dish required just two pans and one platter - no faffing about with side salads or breadcrumb sprinkles - and also had fond memories of the only other pesto pasta dish I cooked, the "inventive and brilliant" (© One Man and His Food Processor) Broccoli Pasta.
2 Jun 2013
Purple Super Smoothie
Meal 49 - June 2nd - Purple Super Smoothie
I said I was kick-starting my challenge and with this, my third "meal" of the weekend, I was doing so with a vengeance. I had some fairly ripe pairs left over from our last veg box, so although this would be the end of the smoothie repertoire, I thought it would be a good recipe to do, especially as I was taking Lolz on a bike ride in the afternoon and she would need some invigorating.
I said I was kick-starting my challenge and with this, my third "meal" of the weekend, I was doing so with a vengeance. I had some fairly ripe pairs left over from our last veg box, so although this would be the end of the smoothie repertoire, I thought it would be a good recipe to do, especially as I was taking Lolz on a bike ride in the afternoon and she would need some invigorating.
Sweet Naughty Beginning - Hot Sandwich Heaven
Meal 48 - June 2nd - Sweet Naughty Beginning
There's a shop in the UK called Lakeland, which some people (specifically their marketing/branding people and Lolz, who bought a fancy citrus zester from them the other day) say is the home of creative kitchenware. Others would say it's home of pointless crap which clutters your kitchen. I stand somewhere in the middle, but some five years or so ago I came across, via Lakeland, a toastie bag which at the time I thought was the most genius invention ever. It meant you could basically make a regular sandwich, put it into the bag, and then toast it in a regular toaster to create an authentic toastie! Genius. My awe of the product was however mitigated by the fact that I had not had a toastie prior to this for a good ten years. Back then we used to have cheddar and pineapple toasties, which I seem to remember being a formative part of my upbringing. The reality is these toastie bags merely toast the bread and heat it's contents - a lazy man's replica of the genuine article.
There's a shop in the UK called Lakeland, which some people (specifically their marketing/branding people and Lolz, who bought a fancy citrus zester from them the other day) say is the home of creative kitchenware. Others would say it's home of pointless crap which clutters your kitchen. I stand somewhere in the middle, but some five years or so ago I came across, via Lakeland, a toastie bag which at the time I thought was the most genius invention ever. It meant you could basically make a regular sandwich, put it into the bag, and then toast it in a regular toaster to create an authentic toastie! Genius. My awe of the product was however mitigated by the fact that I had not had a toastie prior to this for a good ten years. Back then we used to have cheddar and pineapple toasties, which I seem to remember being a formative part of my upbringing. The reality is these toastie bags merely toast the bread and heat it's contents - a lazy man's replica of the genuine article.
1 Jun 2013
Sticky Kicking Chicken, Watermelon Radish Salad and Crunchy Noodles
Meal 47 - June 1st - Sticky Kicking Chicken, Watermelon Radish Salad and Crunchy Noodles
Although I would never claim to be any kind of technological pioneer, I must say that I was surprised with the number of "cook your way through a cook book" type blogs that exist on the internet. Probably the most famous, which I have only discovered since starting this challenge, is that belonging to Julie Powell. She apparently cooked her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 2002. The blog does not appear to exist any more, but has been made famous by the movie "Julie and Julia". I haven't seen the movie but since learning of it I have been pondering various things. How, for instance, did she manage to eat all 524 dishes that she cooked? Was she eating Beef Bourguignon for breakfast? Did she have someone to do her washing up after her? Who will play me in a movie when Hollywood come calling?
Although I would never claim to be any kind of technological pioneer, I must say that I was surprised with the number of "cook your way through a cook book" type blogs that exist on the internet. Probably the most famous, which I have only discovered since starting this challenge, is that belonging to Julie Powell. She apparently cooked her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 2002. The blog does not appear to exist any more, but has been made famous by the movie "Julie and Julia". I haven't seen the movie but since learning of it I have been pondering various things. How, for instance, did she manage to eat all 524 dishes that she cooked? Was she eating Beef Bourguignon for breakfast? Did she have someone to do her washing up after her? Who will play me in a movie when Hollywood come calling?
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