Meal 119 - January 4th - Mixed Fish Grill, Mediterranean Fennel & Couscous
So this is it - the end. I don't really know what to say - my writing talents were never exactly Shakespearean in the first place but I'm a bit lost for words. I feel I should thank my family, and possibly Jesus for their love and support over the last 12 months. To the readers of my blog, thank you - without you, what really would have been the point? Jamie Oliver - he will almost certainly never read this blog, but he has been the inspiration to it all. And of course Lolz - without her washing up skills, and her, ahem, honest comments and criticisms I would never have seen it through January, let alone December.
Showing posts with label 7/10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 7/10. Show all posts
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.
17 Nov 2013
Beef Stroganoff, Fluffy Rice, Red Onion and Parsley Pickle
Meal 98 - November 17th - Beef Stroganoff, Fluffy Rice, Red Onion and Parsley Pickle
After all my Saturday exertions, Sunday was a predictably quiet day. I was hoping (and felt that I fully deserved) to spend the entire day in my pyjamas, but sadly Lolz foiled this plan by insisting that I go out and do the shopping. On my list was a couple of lovely sirloin steaks - normally a surefire way to ensure a good mark from Lolz (the crazy Korean fried rice and steak meal was the first 15 minute meal with sirloin steak that scored less than a 9).
After all my Saturday exertions, Sunday was a predictably quiet day. I was hoping (and felt that I fully deserved) to spend the entire day in my pyjamas, but sadly Lolz foiled this plan by insisting that I go out and do the shopping. On my list was a couple of lovely sirloin steaks - normally a surefire way to ensure a good mark from Lolz (the crazy Korean fried rice and steak meal was the first 15 minute meal with sirloin steak that scored less than a 9).
5 Nov 2013
Pesto Spaghetti, Lemon Steamed Fish
Meal 94 - November 5th - Pesto Spaghetti, Lemon Steamed Fish
I have a dream. It's not quite as profound as Martin Luther King's. To be honest it's not even as profound as Abba's. I dream simply that one day Lolz will give a pasta dish a 9/10. I'm not that greedy - I don't need a 10 - just a score which elevates one of these dishes above the level of mediocrity. I'd even take an 8 to be honest. But I'm running out of time and recipes - just four pasta dishes separate me from now and the end of the year.
I have a dream. It's not quite as profound as Martin Luther King's. To be honest it's not even as profound as Abba's. I dream simply that one day Lolz will give a pasta dish a 9/10. I'm not that greedy - I don't need a 10 - just a score which elevates one of these dishes above the level of mediocrity. I'd even take an 8 to be honest. But I'm running out of time and recipes - just four pasta dishes separate me from now and the end of the year.
26 Oct 2013
Rosemary Chicken, Grilled Polenta & Porcini Tomato Sauce
Meal 89 - October 26th - Rosemary Chicken, Grilled Polenta & Porcini Tomato Sauce
I feel like I've mentioned my spreadsheet quite a lot recently in this blog. It's basically a list of all the meals I've cooked so far, cross referenced with the chapter in which the meal is found and the score Lolz gave it. It means I can work out the average score per chapter and other wildly exciting statistics. I have also written some formulas which mean that every time I add a meal to the list, it works out what percentage of that chapter I have made. Prior to today, my spreadsheet was telling me that the chicken chapter was lagging behind with only 69% completed.
I feel like I've mentioned my spreadsheet quite a lot recently in this blog. It's basically a list of all the meals I've cooked so far, cross referenced with the chapter in which the meal is found and the score Lolz gave it. It means I can work out the average score per chapter and other wildly exciting statistics. I have also written some formulas which mean that every time I add a meal to the list, it works out what percentage of that chapter I have made. Prior to today, my spreadsheet was telling me that the chicken chapter was lagging behind with only 69% completed.
24 Oct 2013
Chorizo Carbonara, Catalan Market Salad
Meal 88 - October 24th - Chorizo Carbonara, Catalan Market Salad
I've not had much luck when it's come to cooking these 15 minute meals in, well, 15 minutes. My unofficial record is probably somewhere just over 15 minutes, but my average is probably hovering around the 25 minute mark (with a couple of anomalies clocking in at an embarrassing 45-ish minutes - curse those sage dumplings). Today I would be stepping things up by attempting to cook this chorizo carbonara during the half time break of a football match I was watching. The stakes were high - I don't like missing the start of the second half. And it would be an important test of the much maligned pasta dishes - could I prove to Lolz finally that they can be cooked as quickly and easily as any other midweek pasta meal?
I've not had much luck when it's come to cooking these 15 minute meals in, well, 15 minutes. My unofficial record is probably somewhere just over 15 minutes, but my average is probably hovering around the 25 minute mark (with a couple of anomalies clocking in at an embarrassing 45-ish minutes - curse those sage dumplings). Today I would be stepping things up by attempting to cook this chorizo carbonara during the half time break of a football match I was watching. The stakes were high - I don't like missing the start of the second half. And it would be an important test of the much maligned pasta dishes - could I prove to Lolz finally that they can be cooked as quickly and easily as any other midweek pasta meal?
20 Oct 2013
Prawn Cocktail, King Prawns & Sun-Dried Pan Bread
Meal 87 - October 20th - Prawn Cocktail, King Prawns & Sun-Dried Pan Bread
Ah prawn cocktail. Conjures up images of Fanny Cradock and 80s dinner parties, where it would be followed by duck a l'orange and blackforest gateau. Back in those days, it would probably be served in a stemmed cocktail glass, with a few prawns on a bed of iceberg lettuce, smothered in a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise (masquerading of course as the much posher sounding Marie Rose sauce), with a wedge of lemon.
Ah prawn cocktail. Conjures up images of Fanny Cradock and 80s dinner parties, where it would be followed by duck a l'orange and blackforest gateau. Back in those days, it would probably be served in a stemmed cocktail glass, with a few prawns on a bed of iceberg lettuce, smothered in a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise (masquerading of course as the much posher sounding Marie Rose sauce), with a wedge of lemon.
8 Oct 2013
White Fish Tagine, Carrot, Mint and Clementine Salad
Meal 83 - October 8th - White Fish Tagine, Carrot, Mint and Clementine Salad
I've recently started a new job which brings with it many perks. One is that I earn more money. Another is that I get home in time to watch Pointless. I can also now make it to the fishmongers before they close on a weekday. So why not kick off a new era of 15 minute meals with a good old fish dish?
I've recently started a new job which brings with it many perks. One is that I earn more money. Another is that I get home in time to watch Pointless. I can also now make it to the fishmongers before they close on a weekday. So why not kick off a new era of 15 minute meals with a good old fish dish?
17 Sept 2013
Green Tea Salmon, Coconut Rice and Miso Greens
Meal 78 - September 17th - Green Tea Salmon, Coconut Rice and Miso Greens
I don't often venture east on my holidays but a few years ago I went to Japan where I got to experience all the culinary weird-and-wonderful-ness that they have to offer. My staple diet on that trip, like that of most Japanese people, was rice, noodles and soup. There were however two paticular things that stick out in my mind. One is staying at a ryokan in Kyoto where the proprietor (who was also the chef) insisted on cooking us a "Western" style breakfast every morning. His interpretation of a Western style breakfast would be, for example, a boiled egg with some chopped tomato and a side of sliced apple. Individually, all the elements would be quite typical "western" foods, but they would be things that you would never typically put together. Despite all the amazing, fresh, cheap sushi I ate, those breakfasts were probably the culinary highlight of the trip. The other is that everything seemed to be available in green tea flavour.
I don't often venture east on my holidays but a few years ago I went to Japan where I got to experience all the culinary weird-and-wonderful-ness that they have to offer. My staple diet on that trip, like that of most Japanese people, was rice, noodles and soup. There were however two paticular things that stick out in my mind. One is staying at a ryokan in Kyoto where the proprietor (who was also the chef) insisted on cooking us a "Western" style breakfast every morning. His interpretation of a Western style breakfast would be, for example, a boiled egg with some chopped tomato and a side of sliced apple. Individually, all the elements would be quite typical "western" foods, but they would be things that you would never typically put together. Despite all the amazing, fresh, cheap sushi I ate, those breakfasts were probably the culinary highlight of the trip. The other is that everything seemed to be available in green tea flavour.
10 Sept 2013
Winter Squash Penne, Mint & Avocado Chopped Salad
Meal 76 - September 10th - Winter Squash Penne, Mint & Avocado Chopped Salad
It's not quite winter admittedly but I've taken to donning a jacket when I go to work and I make the rules so decided to have a bash at this wintery pasta recipe. We'd also received what was apparently a "pattipan squash" in our veg box and I thought I could substitute that in for the butternut squash. Upon further investigation, the pattipan variety is actually quite different to the butternut equivalent and is in fact more like a courgette, but I'm beyond worrying about such details so decided to press on regardless. To be fair this was another of the notorious "book exclusives" so god only knows how it might turn out.
It's not quite winter admittedly but I've taken to donning a jacket when I go to work and I make the rules so decided to have a bash at this wintery pasta recipe. We'd also received what was apparently a "pattipan squash" in our veg box and I thought I could substitute that in for the butternut squash. Upon further investigation, the pattipan variety is actually quite different to the butternut equivalent and is in fact more like a courgette, but I'm beyond worrying about such details so decided to press on regardless. To be fair this was another of the notorious "book exclusives" so god only knows how it might turn out.
5 Sept 2013
Jerk Pork, Grilled Corn and Crunch Tortilla Salad
Meal 75 - September 5th - Jerk Pork, Grilled Corn and Crunch Tortilla Salad
Other than dousing my chips in reggae reggae sauce, I couldn't really say that my cooking up to now has ventured much into the realm of the Caribbean. It's not that I don't like it - Jamie's Jerk Chicken recipe was one of my favourites in the 30 minute meals book - it just doesn't really get a lot of coverage over here. So I was quite excited to try out this 15 minute meal version and see whether it would really cut the mustard - or cut the scotch bonnet if you like.
Other than dousing my chips in reggae reggae sauce, I couldn't really say that my cooking up to now has ventured much into the realm of the Caribbean. It's not that I don't like it - Jamie's Jerk Chicken recipe was one of my favourites in the 30 minute meals book - it just doesn't really get a lot of coverage over here. So I was quite excited to try out this 15 minute meal version and see whether it would really cut the mustard - or cut the scotch bonnet if you like.
1 Sept 2013
Sticky Squid Balls, Grilled Prawns and Noodle Broth
Meal 73 - September 1st - Sticky Squid Balls, Grilled Prawns and Noodle Broth
September for me has always been a bit of a watershed month. It signifies the end of the summer holidays. The weather gets cooler, the days shorter. The countdown to Christmas begins. It's normally around this time I start to think (cue the miniature violins) of all my unfulfilled new years resolutions and what I still want to do before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st. Today, I am particularly thinking of the 47 15 minute meals I still need to cook, at the rate of almost 12 per month. Given that I have never cooked more than 10 in a month, things are not looking promising. I was actually hoping to squeeze one more 15 minute meal into August in order to beat this record but unfortunately, my plan was scuppered by a night of semi-impromptu drinking, which ended with a trip to the chippie and a chicken shish kebab.
September for me has always been a bit of a watershed month. It signifies the end of the summer holidays. The weather gets cooler, the days shorter. The countdown to Christmas begins. It's normally around this time I start to think (cue the miniature violins) of all my unfulfilled new years resolutions and what I still want to do before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st. Today, I am particularly thinking of the 47 15 minute meals I still need to cook, at the rate of almost 12 per month. Given that I have never cooked more than 10 in a month, things are not looking promising. I was actually hoping to squeeze one more 15 minute meal into August in order to beat this record but unfortunately, my plan was scuppered by a night of semi-impromptu drinking, which ended with a trip to the chippie and a chicken shish kebab.
28 Aug 2013
Golden Scallops, Sun-Blush Mash and Greens
Meal 72 - August 28th - Golden Scallops, Sun-Blush Mash and Greens
There are some recipes in the 15 minute meals book which, for whatever reason, have been deemed unfit for the TV show. This includes all the breakfast recipes, eight fish recipes and an assortment of others. Some of them are a bit weird. There's that Mexican Salad for instance which stretches the definition of "meal" a bit. The Mustard Lamb which was wrong on various levels. Most of them have a hint of afterthought about them and I wonder whether they really are the creative fruits of JO himself or whether some office bod just dreamed them up after deciding the book needed padding out a bit more. This particular recipe looked like it had been thrown together by a work experience kid.
There are some recipes in the 15 minute meals book which, for whatever reason, have been deemed unfit for the TV show. This includes all the breakfast recipes, eight fish recipes and an assortment of others. Some of them are a bit weird. There's that Mexican Salad for instance which stretches the definition of "meal" a bit. The Mustard Lamb which was wrong on various levels. Most of them have a hint of afterthought about them and I wonder whether they really are the creative fruits of JO himself or whether some office bod just dreamed them up after deciding the book needed padding out a bit more. This particular recipe looked like it had been thrown together by a work experience kid.
25 Aug 2013
Falafel Wraps, Grilled Veg and Salsa
Meal 71 - August 25th - Falafel Wraps, Grilled Veg and Salsa
Is it me or do some 15 minute meals bear a rather striking resemblance to each other? We decided to cook this one because we had a few of the ingredients already in our cupboards, but it turns out that the reason for this is that they are almost identical to the fajitas we cooked the other day: grilled veg? Check. Salsa? Check. Wholewheat tortillas? Check. The only real difference was the falafels, which were not drastically different to the veggie burgers I made recently. This was not a good sign - those veggie burgers were mediocre at best.
Is it me or do some 15 minute meals bear a rather striking resemblance to each other? We decided to cook this one because we had a few of the ingredients already in our cupboards, but it turns out that the reason for this is that they are almost identical to the fajitas we cooked the other day: grilled veg? Check. Salsa? Check. Wholewheat tortillas? Check. The only real difference was the falafels, which were not drastically different to the veggie burgers I made recently. This was not a good sign - those veggie burgers were mediocre at best.
11 Aug 2013
Greek Style Toastie - Hot Sandwich Heaven
Meal 66 - August 11th - Greek Style Toastie - Hot Sandwich Heaven
With a trip to the phenomenal Burger and Lobster planned for this afternoon, breakfast would be very much taking a back seat on the eating front today - an amuse bouche to the main event if you will. Still, we would need something to see us through the afternoon and thought that this toastie might do the job. If it was anywhere near as good as the smoked salmon and egg toastie we would be in for a treat.
With a trip to the phenomenal Burger and Lobster planned for this afternoon, breakfast would be very much taking a back seat on the eating front today - an amuse bouche to the main event if you will. Still, we would need something to see us through the afternoon and thought that this toastie might do the job. If it was anywhere near as good as the smoked salmon and egg toastie we would be in for a treat.
10 Aug 2013
Mexican Salad, Charred Avo and Popcorn Beans
Meal 65 - August 10th - Mexican Salad, Charred Avo and Popcorn Beans
There is obviously quite a variety of meals in the 15 minute meals book. Some have been real 15 minute wonders. Some however have not taken 15 minutes. And some are just not meals. Case in point: this Mexican salad.
There is obviously quite a variety of meals in the 15 minute meals book. Some have been real 15 minute wonders. Some however have not taken 15 minutes. And some are just not meals. Case in point: this Mexican salad.
27 Jul 2013
Crackin' Crab Briks, Couscous Salad and Salsa
Meal 61 - July 27th - Crackin' Crab Briks, Couscous Salad and Salsa
I'm not going to beat around the bush here - this was a f*cking disaster. Allow me to set the scene...
17 Jul 2013
Quick Lamb Tagine, Pan-Fried Aubergine and Cumin Crunch
Meal 58 - July 17th - Quick Lamb Tagine, Pan-Fried Aubergine and Cumin Crunch
Being the busy city dwellers that we are, it's been hard to find time lately to cook many 15 minute meals, let alone write about them. The summer has finally arrived in London and with it has come a variety of social events and al fresco temptations. I guess it's lucky I'm not doing 30 minute meals!
Being the busy city dwellers that we are, it's been hard to find time lately to cook many 15 minute meals, let alone write about them. The summer has finally arrived in London and with it has come a variety of social events and al fresco temptations. I guess it's lucky I'm not doing 30 minute meals!
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.
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