Happy Cow Burgers, Old-School Coleslaw and Corn on the Cob

Meal 67 - August 14th - Happy Cow Burgers, Old-School Coleslaw and Corn on the Cob

I have no problem with vegetarians or vegetarianism (what with our weekly veg box I have actually come to embrace it this year) but have never really felt any desire to become a full-time veggie. This is partly due to a lack of imagination. I would probably eat a lot of lettuce, beans on toast and Linda McCartney sausages. Perhaps an omelette if I was feeling adventurous. I'd probably miss out on a plethora of crucial vitamins and minerals. Secondly, I have always been mildly disturbed by the way that some food manufacturers make vegetarian foods look like their meat based equivalent. I've been to Thai buffet restaurants that make tofu look like bits of chicken in a stir fry. They even pump it with some dodgy vegetarian flavourings to make it taste like the real thing.

Black Bean Beef Burgers, Noodles and Pickle Salad

Meal 52 - June 21st - Black Bean Beef Burgers, Noodles and Pickle Salad

Well I'm pleased to report that we did successfully make it to Brighton last weekend. Fuelled by the Incredibly Delicious Chicken Salad and Lolz's pear tart, not to mention an army of Jelly Babies, we negotiated rain, shine, hills, bike jams and even some brake issues before we caught sight of Brighton beach at around 6:30. It wasn't quite 15 minute meals standard but I think I'd thoroughly earned the greasy chicken and chips from the beachfront caff which I ate before heading home (in the car, obviously, although Lolz did make me drive). A busy week meant this was my first post bike ride opportunity to return to my 15 minute meal challenge and with various other trips away over the next few weeks I knew I'd have to make this weekend count - I will be aiming to add three meals to my tally before returning to work on Monday.

British Burgers, Shred Salad, Pickles and Things

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.