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.
31 Dec 2013
Warm Chicken Liver Salad, Little Welsh 'Rarebites'
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?
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...
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