whats on the menu

Paella became a morning mission, cooked in trusty cast iron skilled and was absolutely awesome. I need to make that more often, I think. Will be eating it through most the day, but also will be making homemade pizza for sprog today as he was a huge fan of the last one I made and asked for it again.

Feeling too cr*p to do much, so cottage pie today. One of my favourites.

The big cockerel was really terrorising the youngest hens again today. Pinning them down and tearing at their neck feathers.
So we are having coq au vin this evening.

homemade pizza again for el sproggo, this is a real winner and I get do more handmade bases and perfect technique. He's so happy with it he's eating the crust (gasp of shock). I may make one for myself with some garlic butter, feta, chicken and chard if I find the energy at the end of the day.

Pork chops with apple, leek and celery done in the slow cooker, with mashed spuds.

and a nice bottle of wine to go with it.

Lunch was homemade faggots with a tomatoey sauce.
Tea was lentil soup & a sandwich which was yummy.

Duck soup - made from a carcass I bought at the supermarket for 1 euro 50 (no chooks or other beasts in my garden, alas).
There was enough meat left on the carcass for a lunch for 2 people.
Then I made a lot of stock with the rest of the carcass, and with the stock I made Duck soup with lentils, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and I don't remember what else, but I got another 2 tubs of it in the freezer.

I made 'Botham burgers' last night (it's a Jamie Oliver recipe - burgers with spices and red onions in made into cricket ball sized pieces and baked in the oven). Made the mistake of watching Countryfile while we were eating - it takes some of the enjoyment out of your food when it's eaten to the accompaniment of goats having their annual foot check; 'There's some infection here I'm just going to cut out - it's made the foot really smelly.'

Duck soup is lovely, Snoopka. You can often get duck heads in the markets for a few cents for half a dozen. They make a delicious soup with loads of little meaty bits to reward the determined nibbler.

I had to go to an early evening school play so whacked a quick (or slow, in fact) vanilla and lemon rice pudding in the oven which was oozing and creamy just as we got back through the door. Delicioso! as my daughter would, and indeed did, say.

Now, is that a Dora the Explorer quip?

Today, my almost instant Hot Pot

Recipe please Pol? (I like the 'almost instant' bit!!)

Mexican food for me tonight, need something a bit spicier, breaking out the chillies I grew this year

Now you have to remember it is just me & the OH living on a pension!!

Instant Hotpot (almost)

Tin of stewing steak
a dash of red wine
oxo cube
small amount of water.
leftover veggies
seasoning.
cooked potato sliced & drizzled with oil.

Bung all but the pots in a casserole dish,give a good stir top with the pots & stick in the oven at whatever temp you want for as long as you want.

Pol that sounds good...we made similar last night with

last of Xmas Beef roast rib , about 8 oz meat in total....between 3 of us -

(have had 2 main meals for 3 of us as well, another 3 portions in the freezer, 3 lots of stock for soup plus sandwiches for 3 of us for 2 days from it so was good value as well as delish)

1 pack button mushrooms, reduced Xmas Eve and needing to be used up
2 rashers of bacon, ditto need eating up
Half an onion from the fridge needing using
Some shallots, brought into the house for Xmas,...which had gone a bit soft as a result
Heel of a bottle of red wine ( was disapointing as wine with nibbles on Boxing Day, but was OK in this....)

various left over veg (carrots, celery, sprouts) reheated as side veg

Plus

Fresh mashed spuds, with extra done for today lunch as B n' S
Fresh cabbage, ditto for B n' S


So made Beef Bourginon with mash and cabbage and other veg

Was really yum. We all really enjoyed it.

Will do again with any other left over meat we might have as it was so nice.

I am using up the last of the frozen bird roast from Xmess and the last of local lamb chops in a tagine, which I'm cooking in my slow cooker at the moment; smells fab but will be hours before it's done.

Leftovers day again today here too:

Potato and ham cakes with fried eggs for brunch. Fettucine turkey Alfredo for supper (even though we didn't have turkey for Xmas). Sticky date and orange pudding with toffee sauce for afters.

Had a roast chicken which I divvied up; dark meat into burritos with chili sauce, beans and rice, white meat into freezer for future meals, carcass boiled down for stock, clean bones kept to put into pots for growing veg. Waste not!

Roast Chicken here as well, with roast spuds and pumpkin, sprouts, celery and broccoli.

Have just stripped the carcass of meat for next week and put carcass on to make stock. Will sit in Bottom Oven in Aga avernight and be delish tomorrow morning...mmmm

will probvably make soup with stock tomorrow as I have a couple of Pumpkins which got a bit too cold in store...and need eating up

Dandelion wrote:Made the mistake of watching Countryfile while we were eating - it takes some of the enjoyment out of your food when it's eaten to the accompaniment of goats having their annual foot check; 'There's some infection here I'm just going to cut out - it's made the foot really smelly.'

We had a little joint of beef pot roasted in red wine tonight - and Adam Henson was there trimming goats feet again on Countryfile!!

Last night I made an onion jam, then smothered a pork scotch roast with it, and slow roasted it with potatoes and carrots, served with a crunchy cabbage and carrot salad and dressed with sugar free mayonnaise (my favourite) YUM! (if I do say so myself hehe)

It's normally shopping day today but the cars been at the doctors so a late pick up. I'll be shopping in the cool (been 32C) here today and without the kidlets after dinner and kids showers.
So tonights gourmet menu will be toasted sandwiches!!!!!

Marmite oatcakes just come out of oven,

White chocolate brownies just gone in....

My that sounds good Spar.

Soup from the last of the butternut squashes for us.