Meal 30 - March 30th - British Burgers, Shred Salad, Pickles and Things
Forgive me for stating the obvious but a big part of the 15 minute meals book is that you are (supposedly) able to cook the meals in 15 minutes. And so it shouldn't really be a surprise therefore, that when I tell people about my challenge they ask me if I'm timing myself and how long they are taking me. It never really occurred to me to time myself - to be honest I'd rather take 20 minutes or 25 minutes if it meant the meal was nicer. This viewpoint was reenforced (subconsciously maybe) when, during one of the early meals, Lolz did, without my knowledge, time me and claimed I took 45 minutes. Now in my defence that did include the time it took to clear away all the washing up and get all of the ingredients out of the fridge, but I think it was pretty clear I wouldn't exactly be smashing the 15 minute barrier any time soon.
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.
25 Mar 2013
Keralan Veggie Curry, Poppadoms, Rice & Minty Yoghurt
Meal 28 - March 23rd - Keralan Veggie Curry, Poppadoms, Rice & Minty Yoghurt
I've been getting pretty good lately at maintaining some degree of order in the kitchen as I cook my 15 minute meals. Occasionally this is at the expense of going very slightly over 15 minutes but I've definitely developed a bit of a technique for minimizing mess. And so I was surprised when, taking a step back to survey the damage and assess the amount and difficulty of washing up that lay in store for Lolz, that the kitchen resembled some kind of bomb site. The picture below I feel does not really do it justice, but the rather large glass of wine is telling.
I've been getting pretty good lately at maintaining some degree of order in the kitchen as I cook my 15 minute meals. Occasionally this is at the expense of going very slightly over 15 minutes but I've definitely developed a bit of a technique for minimizing mess. And so I was surprised when, taking a step back to survey the damage and assess the amount and difficulty of washing up that lay in store for Lolz, that the kitchen resembled some kind of bomb site. The picture below I feel does not really do it justice, but the rather large glass of wine is telling.
21 Mar 2013
Lamb Meatballs, Chop Salad & Harissa Yoghurt
Meal 27 - March 20th - Lamb Meatballs, Chop Salad & Harissa Yoghurt
Increasingly lately, my 15 minute meals seem to be coinciding with running - at some point I may have to do some kind of analysis to see if there is any correlation between distance run and the score that Lolz gives me. Today's run was particularly arduous as I nearly got run over by an Audi pulling out of a driveway. I also encountered more fast runners than normal and so, desperate as always not to be overtaken, my pace was a little quicker than normal. So any effect that running has on my cooking skills was likely to be exacerbated today.
Increasingly lately, my 15 minute meals seem to be coinciding with running - at some point I may have to do some kind of analysis to see if there is any correlation between distance run and the score that Lolz gives me. Today's run was particularly arduous as I nearly got run over by an Audi pulling out of a driveway. I also encountered more fast runners than normal and so, desperate as always not to be overtaken, my pace was a little quicker than normal. So any effect that running has on my cooking skills was likely to be exacerbated today.
17 Mar 2013
Koh Samui Salad, Chilli Tofu and Thai Noodles
Meal 26 - March 17th - Koh Samui Salad, Chilli Tofu and Thai Noodles
When I cooked my broccoli pasta meal last week I was quite excited at the prospect of embracing occasional vegeterianism. I even cooked (sorry, we, it was a joint effort...) some Chinese leaf parcels for dinner on Friday night. Today's dish however, despite including a range of vegetables and that gastronomical enigma tofu (seriously, I have no idea what it is or where I might find it in a supermarket), is not actually vegetarian. And, ironically, despite my cluelessness surrounding tofu it was actually the prawns which proved the most elusive ingredient on the list. For some reason Waitrose were all out of prawns. Refusing to accept defeat though, I cunningly purchased a pre-made prawn cocktail pot, rinsed off the Mary Rose sauce, and hey presto - 100g of prawns!
When I cooked my broccoli pasta meal last week I was quite excited at the prospect of embracing occasional vegeterianism. I even cooked (sorry, we, it was a joint effort...) some Chinese leaf parcels for dinner on Friday night. Today's dish however, despite including a range of vegetables and that gastronomical enigma tofu (seriously, I have no idea what it is or where I might find it in a supermarket), is not actually vegetarian. And, ironically, despite my cluelessness surrounding tofu it was actually the prawns which proved the most elusive ingredient on the list. For some reason Waitrose were all out of prawns. Refusing to accept defeat though, I cunningly purchased a pre-made prawn cocktail pot, rinsed off the Mary Rose sauce, and hey presto - 100g of prawns!
15 Mar 2013
Broccoli Pasta and Chopped Garden Salad
Meal 24 - March 14th - Broccoli Pasta and Chopped Garden Salad
It's been a bit of a momentous week for Lolz and I, gastronomically speaking. Not just because Lolz cooked for once (chilli - delish - 9/10 I'd say), but because the one thing I'd been looking forward to most about co-habiting finally happened.
It's been a bit of a momentous week for Lolz and I, gastronomically speaking. Not just because Lolz cooked for once (chilli - delish - 9/10 I'd say), but because the one thing I'd been looking forward to most about co-habiting finally happened.
11 Mar 2013
Avo and Smoked Salmon on Toast
Meal 24 - March 10th - Avo and Smoked Salmon on Toast
Being as it was that I was "representing" three siblings this Mother's Day, I thought it only fair that I accompanied my hilarious Mother's day card with a slap up breakfast and so I chose the second of four avocado on toast recipes. I have had mixed fortunes thus far in my attempts to find good quality, ripe avocados and this time decided to play it safe and stick with Waitrose. They were all out of their "perfectly ripe" but thankfully the two I chose were a nice, fresh, vibrant green colour inside.
Being as it was that I was "representing" three siblings this Mother's Day, I thought it only fair that I accompanied my hilarious Mother's day card with a slap up breakfast and so I chose the second of four avocado on toast recipes. I have had mixed fortunes thus far in my attempts to find good quality, ripe avocados and this time decided to play it safe and stick with Waitrose. They were all out of their "perfectly ripe" but thankfully the two I chose were a nice, fresh, vibrant green colour inside.
Grilled Steak, Ratatouille and Saffron Rice
Meal 23 - March 9th - Grilled Steak, Ratatouille and Saffron Rice
Being Mother's Day tomorrow I spotted an excellent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and so, after packing up almost the entire kitchen bar the kitchen sink (and the food processor, which was not required for this dish) we set off towards the West Sussex countryside, with my parents being the latest benefactors of my 15 minute meal challenge.
Being Mother's Day tomorrow I spotted an excellent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and so, after packing up almost the entire kitchen bar the kitchen sink (and the food processor, which was not required for this dish) we set off towards the West Sussex countryside, with my parents being the latest benefactors of my 15 minute meal challenge.
6 Mar 2013
Glazed Pork Fillets, Cajun-style Pepper Rice and BBQ Sauce
Meal 22 - March 5th - Glazed Pork Fillets, Cajun-style Pepper Rice and BBQ Sauce
Going through my worldly possessions at the weekend, Lolz decided a fairly large pile was expendable and hence we took a car load of stuff to one of our favourite weekend hangouts, Smugglers Way tip in Wandsworth (it really is quite an experience).
Going through my worldly possessions at the weekend, Lolz decided a fairly large pile was expendable and hence we took a car load of stuff to one of our favourite weekend hangouts, Smugglers Way tip in Wandsworth (it really is quite an experience).
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!
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