Connections #324 Tuesday 30 April
Quizzes & Puzzles0 min ago
Cooking for one
32 Answers
I'm sure some of you out there are in a similar situation - getting on a bit - lack of energy and enthusiasm and desperate for a proper home-cooked meal even though the appetite maybe small.
Plenty of ready meals are available in the supermarkets and even frozen delivery to the home - but they really are not like home cooking and I end up binning 75%.
Any comments, help or advice most welcome
Plenty of ready meals are available in the supermarkets and even frozen delivery to the home - but they really are not like home cooking and I end up binning 75%.
Any comments, help or advice most welcome
Answers
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There are some nice recipes here:
http://www.bbcgoodfoo...urites/meals-for-one/
http://allrecipes.co..../cooking-for-one.aspx
http://www.bbcgoodfoo...urites/meals-for-one/
http://allrecipes.co..../cooking-for-one.aspx
Well I live on my own (with a VERY tight budget) so I'll try to give you a few hints.
I buy supermarket 'value' mince, which typically costs £1.50 for 500g. I divide it into 100g portions which I put in the freezer (wrapped in cling film). 100g of meat per meal is actually quite generous, as many supermarket 'ready meals' only contain around 40 or 50g of meat.
I'll defrost a portion of mince and heat a small amount of butter (or vegetable oil, or olive oil) in a frying pan. Then I'll fry the mince until its browned. Then I start adding whatever takes my fancy. Typically I'll throw in a splash of boiling water and add one or two beef stock cubes (19p for 10 in Tesco's value range). Then I'll add a reasonably generous squirt of tomato purée from one of the 'toothpaste tubes' of the stuff, that all supermarkets sell.
Up until then I might not even know what the end product will be! I could add some chilli powder (and serve the resultant product with boiled rice) or I could just throw in a few dried mixed herbs and serve with a buttered jacket potato. Alternatively I could throw in some curry powder and (just before serving) a quarter of a can of garden peas - and perhaps a few sultanas - to make a nice curry to serve with rice.
Still starting with the fried mince portions as above, adding half a jar of supermarket 'value' pasta sauce (and perhaps some dried mixed herbs or freshly ground black pepper) will give you an Italian style meal to be served with pasta.
The same mince portions can also be casseroled with sliced carrots, onions and any other veg you deem appropriate. For the liquid you can use
(a) half a jar of Asda's 'Smart Price' casserole sauce ;
(b) beef stock + tomato purée (and perhaps a few herbs) ;
(c) half a jar of supermarket 'value' pasta sauce (plus some beef stock) ; or
(d) beef stock + tomato purée.
Serve with mash or a buttered jacket potato.
(Casserole for around an hour at Gas Mark 4 / 180C)
Asda and Tesco (and possibly other supermarkets) sell 'bacon pieces' at even less than their beef mince. (It typically works out at around 20p to 25p for a 100g portion, frozen & defrosted as above). A portion can be casseroled in (for example) leek and potato soup ('cup soups' are cheap and ideal for the purposes). Add some sliced leeks and perhaps some mixed herbs and black pepper. Serve with a buttered jacket potato.
Sausages are good for casseroling. (I buy 3 packs of 8 and then freeze them as 8 lots of 3). Most recipe books suggest browning them (under a grill or in a frying pan) first but it's not really necessary. They can be casseroled like the mince above or you can use half a can of baked beans (perhaps with some red kidney beans as well) as the basis of your casserole sauce. (Just add some beef stock and perhaps some tomato purée as well).
Fresh fish can be expensive but it's worth looking out for the special offers. (Asda often have whole sea bass on half price offer, at £2). All of the supermarket fishmonger's counters can provide you with leaflets that tell you how to cook their fish. (Or just ask the fishmonger).
You don't need recipes to cook. Experimenting is much more fun! but it help to know how to make a simple Roux:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...hebasicwhitesau_13035
Once you've got that you can add (for example) some crumbled blue cheese to make a really tasty sauce. Pour it over some pasta (cooked as per the instructions on the packet) and serve with several rashers of fried (or grilled) smoked bacon.
Lastly, my really easy Pilchard Bake is well worth a try!
http://www.theanswerb...k/Question655723.html
Chris
I buy supermarket 'value' mince, which typically costs £1.50 for 500g. I divide it into 100g portions which I put in the freezer (wrapped in cling film). 100g of meat per meal is actually quite generous, as many supermarket 'ready meals' only contain around 40 or 50g of meat.
I'll defrost a portion of mince and heat a small amount of butter (or vegetable oil, or olive oil) in a frying pan. Then I'll fry the mince until its browned. Then I start adding whatever takes my fancy. Typically I'll throw in a splash of boiling water and add one or two beef stock cubes (19p for 10 in Tesco's value range). Then I'll add a reasonably generous squirt of tomato purée from one of the 'toothpaste tubes' of the stuff, that all supermarkets sell.
Up until then I might not even know what the end product will be! I could add some chilli powder (and serve the resultant product with boiled rice) or I could just throw in a few dried mixed herbs and serve with a buttered jacket potato. Alternatively I could throw in some curry powder and (just before serving) a quarter of a can of garden peas - and perhaps a few sultanas - to make a nice curry to serve with rice.
Still starting with the fried mince portions as above, adding half a jar of supermarket 'value' pasta sauce (and perhaps some dried mixed herbs or freshly ground black pepper) will give you an Italian style meal to be served with pasta.
The same mince portions can also be casseroled with sliced carrots, onions and any other veg you deem appropriate. For the liquid you can use
(a) half a jar of Asda's 'Smart Price' casserole sauce ;
(b) beef stock + tomato purée (and perhaps a few herbs) ;
(c) half a jar of supermarket 'value' pasta sauce (plus some beef stock) ; or
(d) beef stock + tomato purée.
Serve with mash or a buttered jacket potato.
(Casserole for around an hour at Gas Mark 4 / 180C)
Asda and Tesco (and possibly other supermarkets) sell 'bacon pieces' at even less than their beef mince. (It typically works out at around 20p to 25p for a 100g portion, frozen & defrosted as above). A portion can be casseroled in (for example) leek and potato soup ('cup soups' are cheap and ideal for the purposes). Add some sliced leeks and perhaps some mixed herbs and black pepper. Serve with a buttered jacket potato.
Sausages are good for casseroling. (I buy 3 packs of 8 and then freeze them as 8 lots of 3). Most recipe books suggest browning them (under a grill or in a frying pan) first but it's not really necessary. They can be casseroled like the mince above or you can use half a can of baked beans (perhaps with some red kidney beans as well) as the basis of your casserole sauce. (Just add some beef stock and perhaps some tomato purée as well).
Fresh fish can be expensive but it's worth looking out for the special offers. (Asda often have whole sea bass on half price offer, at £2). All of the supermarket fishmonger's counters can provide you with leaflets that tell you how to cook their fish. (Or just ask the fishmonger).
You don't need recipes to cook. Experimenting is much more fun! but it help to know how to make a simple Roux:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...hebasicwhitesau_13035
Once you've got that you can add (for example) some crumbled blue cheese to make a really tasty sauce. Pour it over some pasta (cooked as per the instructions on the packet) and serve with several rashers of fried (or grilled) smoked bacon.
Lastly, my really easy Pilchard Bake is well worth a try!
http://www.theanswerb...k/Question655723.html
Chris
I know how you feel mojay - I am 84 and have been alone now for two and a half years - but you must ask yourself what would your partner have wanted you to do - life must go on - you cannot sit there staring into space and moping. Slow cookers are marvellous. They will tenderise any tough meat and if they do not then you haven't left it on long enough. All day is best. There are lots of easy recipes on the internet. I recently looked for something to do with tinned tuna to make it more interesting. Just put what you want into the search engine and it will soon help you. Best of luck for the future, and believe me there is one.
Mo
Get braising or chuck steak .Get them to dice it in biggish chunks .Then it won't go mushy.
Fry it off a bit to brown it .Chuck it your slow cooker.Add roughly chunked carrots,onions,celery , ,whatever veg you like .Make up stock . Those Knorr ones are good .Just cover the meat and veg .Mix it round .Switch the cooker on LOW .Walk away and just leave it alone for about six hours ,even seven About an hour before you want to eat put some little spuds in or dumplings about 40 minutes before serving .
I've never had chewy meat from a slow cooker :)
Get braising or chuck steak .Get them to dice it in biggish chunks .Then it won't go mushy.
Fry it off a bit to brown it .Chuck it your slow cooker.Add roughly chunked carrots,onions,celery , ,whatever veg you like .Make up stock . Those Knorr ones are good .Just cover the meat and veg .Mix it round .Switch the cooker on LOW .Walk away and just leave it alone for about six hours ,even seven About an hour before you want to eat put some little spuds in or dumplings about 40 minutes before serving .
I've never had chewy meat from a slow cooker :)
Mojay:
My casserole suggestions above will work just as well (or even better) in a slow cooker.
Alternatively, try a chicken breast casseroled in mushroom soup (perhaps with some sliced mushrooms, some fresh ground black pepper and a bit of mustard).
Or casserole a chicken breast in dry cider (again with mushrooms and perhaps some mixed herbs or whatever takes your fancy).
My casserole suggestions above will work just as well (or even better) in a slow cooker.
Alternatively, try a chicken breast casseroled in mushroom soup (perhaps with some sliced mushrooms, some fresh ground black pepper and a bit of mustard).
Or casserole a chicken breast in dry cider (again with mushrooms and perhaps some mixed herbs or whatever takes your fancy).
I live alone too, but sexist as this may sound I am female so have always cooked. Buenchico came up with some great suggestions.
I do it a different way. I make up a bolognese sauce, or a chilli for instance and then freeze enough for one meal in containers. Then all I need to complete the meal is some pasta/rice/soft tortillas/jacket spud and some microwaveable veg. Also when I buy sausages I grill the whole packet/s at once and freeze them in 2's or 3's. They only take less than 2 mins to defrost & heat thoroughly in m/wave. Then you can have them anytime with chips/mash/noodles or anything that takes your fancy. The reason I cook allmy food at once is to reduce the electricity.
I do it a different way. I make up a bolognese sauce, or a chilli for instance and then freeze enough for one meal in containers. Then all I need to complete the meal is some pasta/rice/soft tortillas/jacket spud and some microwaveable veg. Also when I buy sausages I grill the whole packet/s at once and freeze them in 2's or 3's. They only take less than 2 mins to defrost & heat thoroughly in m/wave. Then you can have them anytime with chips/mash/noodles or anything that takes your fancy. The reason I cook allmy food at once is to reduce the electricity.
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