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.
Showing posts with label greens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greens. Show all posts
3 Nov 2013
Seared Asian Tuna, Coconut Rice & Jiggy Jiggy Greens
Meal 93 - November 3rd - Seared Asian Tuna, Coconut Rice & Jiggy Jiggy Greens
I've been feeling a bit like the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest lately - seriously lacking in the points department. It's not quite been "nul points", and I don't know if it's because Lolz has been getting annoyed with all the washing up or if the meals just genuinely haven't been that good as earlier in the year or if I'm just off my game, but the scores really have been weak. I've not had a 9 since September. I've not had a 10 since the summer (which to be fair sounds like longer ago than it actually was). Anyway I'm due a good score and these Asian themed meals have mostly been good so perhaps today is the day I'll get my mojo back.
I've been feeling a bit like the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest lately - seriously lacking in the points department. It's not quite been "nul points", and I don't know if it's because Lolz has been getting annoyed with all the washing up or if the meals just genuinely haven't been that good as earlier in the year or if I'm just off my game, but the scores really have been weak. I've not had a 9 since September. I've not had a 10 since the summer (which to be fair sounds like longer ago than it actually was). Anyway I'm due a good score and these Asian themed meals have mostly been good so perhaps today is the day I'll get my mojo back.
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.
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.
12 Apr 2013
Killer Kedgeree, Beans, Greens and Chilli Yoghurt
Meal 33 - April 11th - Killer Kedgeree, Beans, Greens and Chilli Yoghurt
With THFC due to kick off their crucial Europa League second leg quarter final fixture against Basel at 20:05 I decided to set myself a one-off 15 minute meal bonus challenge today. I would attempt to run home from work and have dinner on the table in time for kick off. Basically I had two hours and five minutes to get changed, run 7.5 miles, shop, shower, prep and cook. I knew it would be tough - I remembered meal 22 when I only plated up in time to watch the second half of a game that night. Ever confident of my talents, Lolz literally laughed in my face when I told her of my plan.
With THFC due to kick off their crucial Europa League second leg quarter final fixture against Basel at 20:05 I decided to set myself a one-off 15 minute meal bonus challenge today. I would attempt to run home from work and have dinner on the table in time for kick off. Basically I had two hours and five minutes to get changed, run 7.5 miles, shop, shower, prep and cook. I knew it would be tough - I remembered meal 22 when I only plated up in time to watch the second half of a game that night. Ever confident of my talents, Lolz literally laughed in my face when I told her of my plan.
27 Mar 2013
Pork Masala, Porcini Rice and Spring Greens
Meal 29 - March 26th - Pork Marsala, Porcini Rice and Spring Greens
Almost a quarter of the way through my challenge I must say I'm surprised how well it's going. Lolz, despite being only too happy to complain when something is not to her taste, has given me an average score of well over 8/10, and her lowest mark, a 3/10, was awarded only because of her aversion to bananas. It's inevitable that something was going to give, and at one point I thought this rather innocent looking pork dish would be that something.
Almost a quarter of the way through my challenge I must say I'm surprised how well it's going. Lolz, despite being only too happy to complain when something is not to her taste, has given me an average score of well over 8/10, and her lowest mark, a 3/10, was awarded only because of her aversion to bananas. It's inevitable that something was going to give, and at one point I thought this rather innocent looking pork dish would be that something.
2 Mar 2013
Asian Sea Bass, Sticky Rice and Dressed Greens
Meal 21 - March 1st - Asian Sea Bass, Sticky Rice and Dressed Greens
Towards the end of last year, Lolz and I agreed that we would move in together. Some 6 months later, having run out of delaying tactics, that day is finally upon us. Which means I have spent today cleaning, tidying, packing, sorting and throwing out. By the time I'd run the 7.7 miles to Lolz's in the evening, I was pretty knackered. And so my initial reaction upon being presented three whole sea bass was something along the lines of "Oh bugger"... It's not unusual for us to have fish on a Friday evening. It's just that normally it is of the battered, deep fried variety and this looked like something that could easily go wrong...
To be honest, that trepidation that I experienced last time I made a "proper" fish dish was still there. There's something about the smell and sliminess of a whole fish that causes a different reaction to when you are cooking, say, a whole chicken. Maybe it's the fact that the fish, even when scaled and gutted, still largely resembles a living, swimming fish in the way that a prepared chicken does not look like a live chicken. Maybe it's just the eyes. Anyway, with three huge sea bass, there was no way that, unlike last time, we would be lacking in fish.
Once again, the cooking of the dish is a doddle - everything just needs to be put in it's respective pan and left to do it's thing. I did however forget to include the sugar snap peas. The end result is pretty remarkable. It's not that it's necessarily the most delicious of all 15 minute meals that I've done so far (although it may well be). It's just that it's the first one that really seems like it should be more than a 15 minute meal. Dishing it up, it looks amazing.
Lolz gave the dish a thoroughly well deserved 10/10. Difficulty rating 4/10 - it's probably harder to eat than to make - thanks to Nikki for providing advice on how to eat whole sea bass without ending up with a mouth full of bone. Incidentally I accompanied this with a glass of Fuller's Bengal Lancer - highly recommended for any IPA fans!
Towards the end of last year, Lolz and I agreed that we would move in together. Some 6 months later, having run out of delaying tactics, that day is finally upon us. Which means I have spent today cleaning, tidying, packing, sorting and throwing out. By the time I'd run the 7.7 miles to Lolz's in the evening, I was pretty knackered. And so my initial reaction upon being presented three whole sea bass was something along the lines of "Oh bugger"... It's not unusual for us to have fish on a Friday evening. It's just that normally it is of the battered, deep fried variety and this looked like something that could easily go wrong...
To be honest, that trepidation that I experienced last time I made a "proper" fish dish was still there. There's something about the smell and sliminess of a whole fish that causes a different reaction to when you are cooking, say, a whole chicken. Maybe it's the fact that the fish, even when scaled and gutted, still largely resembles a living, swimming fish in the way that a prepared chicken does not look like a live chicken. Maybe it's just the eyes. Anyway, with three huge sea bass, there was no way that, unlike last time, we would be lacking in fish.
Once again, the cooking of the dish is a doddle - everything just needs to be put in it's respective pan and left to do it's thing. I did however forget to include the sugar snap peas. The end result is pretty remarkable. It's not that it's necessarily the most delicious of all 15 minute meals that I've done so far (although it may well be). It's just that it's the first one that really seems like it should be more than a 15 minute meal. Dishing it up, it looks amazing.
Lolz gave the dish a thoroughly well deserved 10/10. Difficulty rating 4/10 - it's probably harder to eat than to make - thanks to Nikki for providing advice on how to eat whole sea bass without ending up with a mouth full of bone. Incidentally I accompanied this with a glass of Fuller's Bengal Lancer - highly recommended for any IPA fans!
16 Feb 2013
Cajun Steak, Smoky Baked Beans and Collard Greens
Meal 16 - Feb 16th - Cajun Steak, Smoky Baked Beans and Collard Greens
I may be hungover today but that doesn't mean I can ease the pace in my 15 minute meal challenge. My readership now extends to nine countries (hello Ukraine!) and I don't want to let my fans down.
My delicate state of wellbeing today partly dictated my meal choice - anything salad based, vegetarian or containing mushrooms was immediately ruled out - today I needed good, solid meat and stodge to suck up all the excess booze in my system - it would have to be comfort food at it's finest. Steak was therefore an obvious choice, especially when accompanied by some beans which looked like they would blow your head off!
Steak is always a good option for the weekend as it means we can buy better quality stuff for less from the butchers (Dickenson's closes at 5pm weekdays - not ideal for a post-work shop). So I set off up North End Road and bought 2 steaks for a bargain £5.98 (compare that to Waitrose where one "essential" sirloin steak is around £5), whilst a stop off at a charity shop en-route also yielded a delightfully retro platter to add to our collection of tableware.
Once again, the cooking of the dish is very straightforward. Dare I say I might have actually been close to 15 minutes on this one? The real success of the dish however is in the eating - it is an absolute triumph! The steak and greens were always going to be good, but the beans were a surprise. Looking at the picture in the book I was a little dubious (I won't attempt to describe what they look like... ahem, vomit, ahem...), but the end product was great. Turbocharged baked beans if you will. And what's more, the ingredients are things you would typically have in your cupboard.
Lolz gave the dish 10/10 - her second maximum of the task so far! Clearly in a generous mood, she also made some cupcakes! Difficulty rating 2/10.
I may be hungover today but that doesn't mean I can ease the pace in my 15 minute meal challenge. My readership now extends to nine countries (hello Ukraine!) and I don't want to let my fans down.
My delicate state of wellbeing today partly dictated my meal choice - anything salad based, vegetarian or containing mushrooms was immediately ruled out - today I needed good, solid meat and stodge to suck up all the excess booze in my system - it would have to be comfort food at it's finest. Steak was therefore an obvious choice, especially when accompanied by some beans which looked like they would blow your head off!
Steak is always a good option for the weekend as it means we can buy better quality stuff for less from the butchers (Dickenson's closes at 5pm weekdays - not ideal for a post-work shop). So I set off up North End Road and bought 2 steaks for a bargain £5.98 (compare that to Waitrose where one "essential" sirloin steak is around £5), whilst a stop off at a charity shop en-route also yielded a delightfully retro platter to add to our collection of tableware.
Once again, the cooking of the dish is very straightforward. Dare I say I might have actually been close to 15 minutes on this one? The real success of the dish however is in the eating - it is an absolute triumph! The steak and greens were always going to be good, but the beans were a surprise. Looking at the picture in the book I was a little dubious (I won't attempt to describe what they look like... ahem, vomit, ahem...), but the end product was great. Turbocharged baked beans if you will. And what's more, the ingredients are things you would typically have in your cupboard.
Lolz gave the dish 10/10 - her second maximum of the task so far! Clearly in a generous mood, she also made some cupcakes! Difficulty rating 2/10.
10 Jan 2013
Golden Chicken, Braised Greens and Potato Gratin
Meal 1- Jan 6th - Golden Chicken, Braised Greens and Potato Gratin
Is it unlucky that my first meal supposedly contains 666 calories? Probably not so I press on (incidentally, in this book Jamie gives detailed nutritional breakdowns on each meal - probably because previous books have received a backlash due to overuse of cream, olive oil and other delicious things).
I turn the dial on the stove and the heat, literally and figuratively, is on. The onions go into the roasting tray. Unfortunately it is a rather battered, non-non-stick (?) tray so requires regular attention to avoid burnage. Chicken and potatoes get prepped. All goes well until by the time I get to the point in the recipe to add the bacon to the chicken, the chicken is already cooked. I remove the chicken from the pan and fry the bacon alone, adding the chicken for the final 30 seconds or so.
To be honest this was all a good few days ago so details are a little hazy, but got it all out on to a plate and it went pretty well. Onions were slightly overcooked (mainly due to lack of non stick tray, but not to any significant detriment to the dish). Chicken was very tender although slightly plain with only rosemary leaves for flavour. Replaced the spinach with savoy cabbage (sorry Jamie) which worked a treat.
Lolz gave it 8/10. My Difficulty factor 7/10. I have used the greens dish as a side for other non-Jamie meals I have made since.
Is it unlucky that my first meal supposedly contains 666 calories? Probably not so I press on (incidentally, in this book Jamie gives detailed nutritional breakdowns on each meal - probably because previous books have received a backlash due to overuse of cream, olive oil and other delicious things).
I turn the dial on the stove and the heat, literally and figuratively, is on. The onions go into the roasting tray. Unfortunately it is a rather battered, non-non-stick (?) tray so requires regular attention to avoid burnage. Chicken and potatoes get prepped. All goes well until by the time I get to the point in the recipe to add the bacon to the chicken, the chicken is already cooked. I remove the chicken from the pan and fry the bacon alone, adding the chicken for the final 30 seconds or so.
To be honest this was all a good few days ago so details are a little hazy, but got it all out on to a plate and it went pretty well. Onions were slightly overcooked (mainly due to lack of non stick tray, but not to any significant detriment to the dish). Chicken was very tender although slightly plain with only rosemary leaves for flavour. Replaced the spinach with savoy cabbage (sorry Jamie) which worked a treat.
Lolz gave it 8/10. My Difficulty factor 7/10. I have used the greens dish as a side for other non-Jamie meals I have made since.
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