Meal 118 - December 31st - Warm Chicken Liver Salad, Little Welsh 'Rarebites'
I kind of feel like the last few days have been a bit of a microcosm of my 15 minute meal experience as a whole. There have been ups and downs, hits and misses and ultimately I feel a bit like I've been organising my life around my 15 minute meal schedule. I'm not going to miss this blogging malarkey when I'm done... I will continue to make 15 minute meals next year, and I may even continue blogging on some trivial subject or other (there is a bit of satisfaction in it) but no way will I set myself a target of doing something by the end of the year. The number of evenings, weekends and days at work* that have been consumed by blog writing, who knows what I might have achieved had I not had this obligation?
30 Dec 2013
Fettucine, Smoked Trout, Asparagus and Peas
Meal 117 - December 30th - Fettucine, Smoked Trout, Asparagus and Peas
Ah pasta. We've had our ups and downs and there have been a few disasters in there, but on the whole I've enjoyed cooking the 15 minute pasta meals. Most of Lolz's low ratings have come not because they've tasted particularly awful (well, maybe that prawn linguine...) but because of the amount the ingredients cost (compared to an average chuck it together pasta dinner) and the amount of washing she is subjected to. From a purely taste perspective (arguably the most important of all perspectives) they've often been above average. Some of my particular favourites have been the broccoli pasta, pasta pesto, chorizo carbonara and the fantastic salsa verde tuna - it's really only been the tomato sauce based ones which have been disappointing.
Ah pasta. We've had our ups and downs and there have been a few disasters in there, but on the whole I've enjoyed cooking the 15 minute pasta meals. Most of Lolz's low ratings have come not because they've tasted particularly awful (well, maybe that prawn linguine...) but because of the amount the ingredients cost (compared to an average chuck it together pasta dinner) and the amount of washing she is subjected to. From a purely taste perspective (arguably the most important of all perspectives) they've often been above average. Some of my particular favourites have been the broccoli pasta, pasta pesto, chorizo carbonara and the fantastic salsa verde tuna - it's really only been the tomato sauce based ones which have been disappointing.
29 Dec 2013
Avo and Crispy Pancetta
Meal 116 - December 29th - Avo and Crispy Pancetta
Yesterday's shopping trip (well more of a pub trip actually with a quick diversion to Waitrose) may have yielded all the required ingredients for the pork taco meal, but sadly my luck ran out for this, my final breakfast. Normally it's avocado which proves to be my downfall but today it was pancetta that was nowhere to be found. Shame because it seems to be a fairly crucial component here.
Yesterday's shopping trip (well more of a pub trip actually with a quick diversion to Waitrose) may have yielded all the required ingredients for the pork taco meal, but sadly my luck ran out for this, my final breakfast. Normally it's avocado which proves to be my downfall but today it was pancetta that was nowhere to be found. Shame because it seems to be a fairly crucial component here.
28 Dec 2013
Ultimate Pork Tacos, Spicy Black Beans & Avocado Green Salad
Meal 115 - December 28th - Ultimate Pork Tacos, Spicy Black Beans & Avocado Green Salad
Well I tried to convince my family to forego the traditional Christmas dinner in favour of a 15 minute meal but sadly no one seemed too keen and so turkey it was. Credit must to go to the chef (who for once was not me) for a fantastic ensemble and even mother outdid herself with four or five palatable desserts. After a few days of eating and drinking to excess with the family though it was back to normality and we resisted the temptation of the pizza delivery man to crack on with a challenge which now requires me to cook 5 meals in just 4 days if I'm going to see it through.
Well I tried to convince my family to forego the traditional Christmas dinner in favour of a 15 minute meal but sadly no one seemed too keen and so turkey it was. Credit must to go to the chef (who for once was not me) for a fantastic ensemble and even mother outdid herself with four or five palatable desserts. After a few days of eating and drinking to excess with the family though it was back to normality and we resisted the temptation of the pizza delivery man to crack on with a challenge which now requires me to cook 5 meals in just 4 days if I'm going to see it through.
22 Dec 2013
Spicy Cajun Chicken, Smashed Sweet Potato and Fresh Corn Salsa
Meal 113 - December 22nd - Spicy Cajun Chicken, Smashed Sweet Potato and Fresh Corn Salsa
There are some meals in 15 minute meals which you just know are going to be good - tasty, straightforward to make and something you would do again. They're normally meals where, just by looking at the picture, you have a good idea of how you are going to go about cooking them. It helps if the ingredients are all things you like too. This meal, my penultimate chicken meal which I'd been saving for a day where I needed something that would be easy and good comfort food, certainly ticked the first box - it's a bit of fried chicken cooked in the standard 15 minute fashion (bash in some flavourings, fry) with some mashed potato and veg. Mango chutney is a secret ingredient which Jamie added to mashed sweet potato in a 30 minute meal which worked really well, while the salsa looks like a nice combination of sweet and tangy flavours.
There are some meals in 15 minute meals which you just know are going to be good - tasty, straightforward to make and something you would do again. They're normally meals where, just by looking at the picture, you have a good idea of how you are going to go about cooking them. It helps if the ingredients are all things you like too. This meal, my penultimate chicken meal which I'd been saving for a day where I needed something that would be easy and good comfort food, certainly ticked the first box - it's a bit of fried chicken cooked in the standard 15 minute fashion (bash in some flavourings, fry) with some mashed potato and veg. Mango chutney is a secret ingredient which Jamie added to mashed sweet potato in a 30 minute meal which worked really well, while the salsa looks like a nice combination of sweet and tangy flavours.
Arnold Bennett Fritata, Foccacia and Emmental Waldorf Salad
Meal 112 - December 22nd - Arnold Bennett Frittata, Foccacia and Emmental Waldorf Salad
With the granola proving to be such a shambles, and having plans for the afternoon, I had no option but to return almost immediately to the kitchen to cook what is effectively the second course of our brunch. With neither of us having eaten much granola though, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I have no idea who Arnold Bennett is or what he has to do with frittatas but this looked like a much more straightforward meal to cook. It didn't go quite according to plan though...
With the granola proving to be such a shambles, and having plans for the afternoon, I had no option but to return almost immediately to the kitchen to cook what is effectively the second course of our brunch. With neither of us having eaten much granola though, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I have no idea who Arnold Bennett is or what he has to do with frittatas but this looked like a much more straightforward meal to cook. It didn't go quite according to plan though...
Fantastic Granola, Get Up, Get Fed, Get Gone
Meal 112 - December 22nd - Fantastic Granola, Get Up, Get Fed, Get Gone
According to some cricket folklore, it's extremely bad luck to be on 111 not out. The score is known as The Nelson (after Lord Nelson, for some reason) and supposedly bad things happen on this score - mostly people tend to get out. I'm not too sure of the background to this (Wikipedia, my primary source of knowledge, is rather vague on the subject) and I am of course cooking 15 minute meals rather than playing cricket, but after my successful Asian Fish last night, I am on 111 not out. You just know how this is going to go...
According to some cricket folklore, it's extremely bad luck to be on 111 not out. The score is known as The Nelson (after Lord Nelson, for some reason) and supposedly bad things happen on this score - mostly people tend to get out. I'm not too sure of the background to this (Wikipedia, my primary source of knowledge, is rather vague on the subject) and I am of course cooking 15 minute meals rather than playing cricket, but after my successful Asian Fish last night, I am on 111 not out. You just know how this is going to go...
21 Dec 2013
Asian Fish, Miso Noodles and Crunchy Veg
Meal 111 - December 21st - Asian Fish, Miso Noodles and Crunchy Veg
So after pigging out for lunch on our camembert parcels, Lolz decided that it would make sense to go for something a bit healthier for dinner and, having downgraded her seafood fussiness from all seafood to just shellfish, decided that this Asian fish number might fit the bill. It was a brave choice as, aside from being quite calorific when you actually look at the small print, it looked kind of weird in the picture. The fish looked greasy and wet and slimy and generally unappetizing.
So after pigging out for lunch on our camembert parcels, Lolz decided that it would make sense to go for something a bit healthier for dinner and, having downgraded her seafood fussiness from all seafood to just shellfish, decided that this Asian fish number might fit the bill. It was a brave choice as, aside from being quite calorific when you actually look at the small print, it looked kind of weird in the picture. The fish looked greasy and wet and slimy and generally unappetizing.
Camembert Parcels, Autumn Salad and Cranberry Dip
Meal 110 - December 21st - Camembert Parcels, Autumn Salad and Cranberry Dip
I'm beginning to get into the Christmas spirit - the tree is up, the shopping is done (just hoping Amazon and co don't let me down with their delivery times), family sleeping arrangements have been decided for next week, we're even going to see It's a Wonderful Life at the cinema tomorrow. A crucial part of Christmas for me though is eating humungous amounts of food, and with that in mind we set off for Sainsbury's (Waitrose was not big enough for today's task) to do the shopping. Half an hour or so later, we'd spent £150 (300 nectar points for me - kerching!) and bought the ingredients for 5 (five) fifteen minute meals. It's going to be a busy weekend...
I'm beginning to get into the Christmas spirit - the tree is up, the shopping is done (just hoping Amazon and co don't let me down with their delivery times), family sleeping arrangements have been decided for next week, we're even going to see It's a Wonderful Life at the cinema tomorrow. A crucial part of Christmas for me though is eating humungous amounts of food, and with that in mind we set off for Sainsbury's (Waitrose was not big enough for today's task) to do the shopping. Half an hour or so later, we'd spent £150 (300 nectar points for me - kerching!) and bought the ingredients for 5 (five) fifteen minute meals. It's going to be a busy weekend...
15 Dec 2013
Steak Medallions, Mushroom Sauce and Spring Greens
Meal 109 - December 15th - Steak Medallions, Mushroom Sauce and Spring Greens
In the last few weeks I've finished off the lamb and sandwich/soup sections of 15 minute meals and today I closed another chapter as I decided to cook the only beef meal left. Sadly it was rather heavy in the mushroom department - a sprinkling of oysters, along with a mushroom sauce - I wouldn't be able to pick the mushrooms out of that one. The good news however was that the recipe did include some rather delicious looking, unadulterated fillet steaks. Oh, and some actual cream! Not natural yoghurt, cottage cheese or any other imposter, no beautiful calorie laden single cream! Jamie must have had a few calories to play around with.
In the last few weeks I've finished off the lamb and sandwich/soup sections of 15 minute meals and today I closed another chapter as I decided to cook the only beef meal left. Sadly it was rather heavy in the mushroom department - a sprinkling of oysters, along with a mushroom sauce - I wouldn't be able to pick the mushrooms out of that one. The good news however was that the recipe did include some rather delicious looking, unadulterated fillet steaks. Oh, and some actual cream! Not natural yoghurt, cottage cheese or any other imposter, no beautiful calorie laden single cream! Jamie must have had a few calories to play around with.
Fruit 'N' Nut Combos, Sweetened Cottage Cheese
Meal 108 - December 15th - Fruit 'N' Nut Combos, Sweetened Cottage Cheese
Sunday morning - a good time to squeeze in a cheeky 15 minute breakfast and strike another one of my list. I actually made this a couple of weeks ago but Lolz was unable to eat it due to her first bout of illness so I thought I'd do it again - an unwritten rule of my challenge is that I have to cook it (well, in this case not really "cook" it exactly) for at least one other person to be able to cross it off!
Sunday morning - a good time to squeeze in a cheeky 15 minute breakfast and strike another one of my list. I actually made this a couple of weeks ago but Lolz was unable to eat it due to her first bout of illness so I thought I'd do it again - an unwritten rule of my challenge is that I have to cook it (well, in this case not really "cook" it exactly) for at least one other person to be able to cross it off!
14 Dec 2013
Lamb Lollipops, Curry Sauce, Rice and Peas
Meal 107 - December 14th - Lamb Lollipops, Curry Sauce, Rice and Peas
Lolz got up very early this morning (well, early for a Saturday) to go and do her Christmas shopping and she assures me that everything she bought was for me, and she let me watch a truly abysmal game of football whilst she did the wrapping up, so I thought it only fair that I treat her to a nice 15 minute meal tonight. I decided to make lamb lollipops (slim pickings now with Lolz and her new found fussiness), which, continuing our recent gastronomic world tour, sounded like it might be taking us to some kind of Willy Wonka spin off business. I was excited and scared.
Lolz got up very early this morning (well, early for a Saturday) to go and do her Christmas shopping and she assures me that everything she bought was for me, and she let me watch a truly abysmal game of football whilst she did the wrapping up, so I thought it only fair that I treat her to a nice 15 minute meal tonight. I decided to make lamb lollipops (slim pickings now with Lolz and her new found fussiness), which, continuing our recent gastronomic world tour, sounded like it might be taking us to some kind of Willy Wonka spin off business. I was excited and scared.
13 Dec 2013
Chilli Con Carne Meatballs
Meal 106 - December 13th - Chilli Con Carne Meatballs
I'm having a bit of a disastrous December, and not just because I have not yet started my Christmas shopping. Two bouts of sickness has meant, nearly two weeks into the month I have only cooked two 15 minute meals. My grand plan of cooking the remaining sixteen 15 minute meals is in serious jeopardy. It doesn't help that Lolz is now threatening to refuse to eat any more fish meals. Still, at least her stomach is now functioning as normal and she chose this chilli con carne/meatball combo as meal number 106, as we continued our gastronomic world tour, which has already taken us to Mexico, Greece and Morocco in the last couple of weeks...
I'm having a bit of a disastrous December, and not just because I have not yet started my Christmas shopping. Two bouts of sickness has meant, nearly two weeks into the month I have only cooked two 15 minute meals. My grand plan of cooking the remaining sixteen 15 minute meals is in serious jeopardy. It doesn't help that Lolz is now threatening to refuse to eat any more fish meals. Still, at least her stomach is now functioning as normal and she chose this chilli con carne/meatball combo as meal number 106, as we continued our gastronomic world tour, which has already taken us to Mexico, Greece and Morocco in the last couple of weeks...
8 Dec 2013
Moroccan Mussels, Tapenade Toasties and Cucumber Salad
Meal 105 - December 8th - Moroccan Mussels, Tapenade Toasties and Cucumber Salad
Well the good news is, Lolz overcame her sickness in time for a festive trip to York. Foodie highlights included Fat Rascals and afternoon tea at Betty's (those who are not of a northern persuasion or have never been to York will obviously have no idea what I'm talking about). The bad news is, I am now drastically behind in my attempt to get this challenge done before big ben strikes midnight on January 1st. I've got 15 meals to do in just 24 days. Since we still had many of the ingredients left over from last weekend, Lolz bravely agreed to give the Moroccan mussels a go (with a fresh batch of mussels of course) - how unlucky would you have to be to get food poisoning twice in 8 days?!
Well the good news is, Lolz overcame her sickness in time for a festive trip to York. Foodie highlights included Fat Rascals and afternoon tea at Betty's (those who are not of a northern persuasion or have never been to York will obviously have no idea what I'm talking about). The bad news is, I am now drastically behind in my attempt to get this challenge done before big ben strikes midnight on January 1st. I've got 15 meals to do in just 24 days. Since we still had many of the ingredients left over from last weekend, Lolz bravely agreed to give the Moroccan mussels a go (with a fresh batch of mussels of course) - how unlucky would you have to be to get food poisoning twice in 8 days?!
3 Dec 2013
Modern Greek Salad, Spinach, Chickpea and Feta Parcels
Meal 104 - December 3rd - Modern Greek Salad, Spinach, Chickpea and Feta Parcels
So as a result of Lolz's mussel induced bout of sickness what was supposed to be a weekend of three 15 minute meals turned into a weekend with just one 15 minute meal. Unfortunately, one of the two cancelled meals (for which I had already bought ingredients) was the Moroccan mussels which unsurprisingly Lolz wasn't too keen on. So I set about finding another meal in the book for which the ingredients were similar, which is quite a challenge when you only have 16 left to do.
So as a result of Lolz's mussel induced bout of sickness what was supposed to be a weekend of three 15 minute meals turned into a weekend with just one 15 minute meal. Unfortunately, one of the two cancelled meals (for which I had already bought ingredients) was the Moroccan mussels which unsurprisingly Lolz wasn't too keen on. So I set about finding another meal in the book for which the ingredients were similar, which is quite a challenge when you only have 16 left to do.
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