Meal 97 - November 15th - Butterflied Sardines, Tuscan Bread Salad
It's Friday today. Most people will be looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend, but not me. I have a cold, I have to get up at 5:45 tomorrow morning to go to work, and I need to fit in a decent run. This doesn't really have any bearing on tonight's 15 minute meal, I just felt the need to vent a little bit. But anyway, in spite of everything I have to look forward to tomorrow (or perhaps because of - I sure as hell won't want to do any cooking then) I decided to make it a 15 minute meal Friday, and we had butterflied sardines and Tuscan bread salad on the menu.
Showing posts with label jamie oliver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jamie oliver. Show all posts
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.
14 Sept 2013
Chicken Tikka, Lentil, Spinach and Naan Salad
Meal 77 - September 14th - Chicken Tikka, Lentil, Spinach and Naan Salad
To be honest I'm not sure whether my cooking has really improved over the course of this year but I have certainly learned a few things. One is to cook the "Jamie Oliver way": multitasking, battling the clock, showing a little flamboyance but complete disregard for whoever will be doing the washing up. I have also become very well acquainted with my local supermarket - things like tikka paste, lentils, cashew nuts - I can find them with my eyes closed. If only Supermarket Sweep hadn't ended back in 2007 - I'd have been nailed on for the jackpot. Although that would have meant interacting with Dale Winton.
To be honest I'm not sure whether my cooking has really improved over the course of this year but I have certainly learned a few things. One is to cook the "Jamie Oliver way": multitasking, battling the clock, showing a little flamboyance but complete disregard for whoever will be doing the washing up. I have also become very well acquainted with my local supermarket - things like tikka paste, lentils, cashew nuts - I can find them with my eyes closed. If only Supermarket Sweep hadn't ended back in 2007 - I'd have been nailed on for the jackpot. Although that would have meant interacting with Dale Winton.
14 Aug 2013
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.
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.
3 Aug 2013
The Best Fish Baps, Mushy Peas and Tartare Sauce
Meal 63 - August 3rd - The Best Fish Baps, Mushy Peas and Tartare Sauce
It's a sunny Saturday afternoon and, rather than our regular Saturday evening 15 minute meal, I decided to make an impromptu lunch before we head to the park to catch some rays and drink some ale. You may remember that my last attempt at a fish dish was a bit of a disaster so, rather than let that memory linger and cloud my views on the 15 minute meals fish section which has, on the whole, been excellent, I decided to dive right back in and tackle the issue head on. (How many fishing puns can you spot there!)
It's a sunny Saturday afternoon and, rather than our regular Saturday evening 15 minute meal, I decided to make an impromptu lunch before we head to the park to catch some rays and drink some ale. You may remember that my last attempt at a fish dish was a bit of a disaster so, rather than let that memory linger and cloud my views on the 15 minute meals fish section which has, on the whole, been excellent, I decided to dive right back in and tackle the issue head on. (How many fishing puns can you spot there!)
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!
7 Apr 2013
Crispy Polenta Chicken Caesar Salad
Meal 32 - April 5th - Crispy Polenta Chicken Caesar Salad
I blame Lolz for the fact that this post is 48 hours late. Having told me I would be getting the run of the house on Saturday as she was having a girlie day out with her friends which included going to see the "hit" Spice Girls musical Viva Forever, she went and introduced me to a new iPad game. I won't tell you what this game actually is as work place productivity around the world will be in serious peril once word gets out. Suffice to say it was (and is) extremely addictive and aside for a brief break watching Match of the Day, and a very brief break for dinner, I did very little else. Today we have been out for a birthday brunch with friends which included "freeflowing" prosecco (or, "drink as much as you can" as we decided to interpret it). So apologies if this is in any way incomprehensible.
I blame Lolz for the fact that this post is 48 hours late. Having told me I would be getting the run of the house on Saturday as she was having a girlie day out with her friends which included going to see the "hit" Spice Girls musical Viva Forever, she went and introduced me to a new iPad game. I won't tell you what this game actually is as work place productivity around the world will be in serious peril once word gets out. Suffice to say it was (and is) extremely addictive and aside for a brief break watching Match of the Day, and a very brief break for dinner, I did very little else. Today we have been out for a birthday brunch with friends which included "freeflowing" prosecco (or, "drink as much as you can" as we decided to interpret it). So apologies if this is in any way incomprehensible.
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.
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).
10 Jan 2013
The Challenge
I've always had a soft spot for Jamie Oliver and his zany cooking skills and pseudo-Essex-wideboy stylings. The Day before New Years Eve, we happened to be in Debenhams and found a rather bargainous multi functional food processor and a challenge was born. This year I will be attempting to cook every recipe in the Jamie's 15 minute meals book. I will blog about the results of my challenge here.
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