Our Christmas Present...
Bit by bit over a number of months our cooker has been slowly dying a death and the main oven door would no longer close.
Eventually, we've managed to get the money together to purchase a new cooker. You have no idea what a trouble it has been just using a microwave. I have lost track of how often I have seen something I'd fancy and then read that the food cannot be cooked in a microwave.
It will probably take some getting used to as it has a fan assisted main oven but I understand this means it cooks much quicker. It will be fun to get back to cooking simple but tasty recipes again(Casseroles and the like)chicken and veg pies, home made bread(I might've considered baking cakes)but when there are only two of you, it's cheaper to buy items in a supermarket, though doing your own may offer a greater variety, it saves time and energy even though I love homemade fare.
And now I have a slow cooker, a steamer and microwave it will be great being able to use any of these or a combination of them.
Also, it's been ages since I have been able to grill anything and after many years this cooker has a smaller second oven so you can avoid using the larger one or use both.
There was a worry as we were cutting it fine but just as I was about to order the cooker from one the nation's biggest electrical retailers there was some concern about how it would connect to the mains and though we were promised a delivery before Christmas with the bad weather we've had it was possible we would not have it delivered and be eating beans on toast for Christmas.
The other problem was that they promised to deliver before Christmas but could only install it on January 2nd so that was a waste of time.
However, I found a willing electrical contractor and he disconnected the old one yesterday and came back today and installed the new cooker, it took minutes.
So though I will do a very simple meal tonight, it will be christened tomorrow with our Christmas meal.
Fingers crossed it will go ok but it isn't a difficult meal as much of it comprises of just putting items in the oven, the roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings just need to placed on a baking tray. The vegetables(frozen)into a saucepan of boiling water and the gravy you just add hot water.
But we can also work with the microwave too and make the meal even easier and quicker. We have a small Turkey roast but I have some sliced cooked roast turkey with stuffing(8 slices)so we'll probably have that for Christmas so that saves cooking again.
I'm so happy to see the back of the previous cooker, it was so bad I don't think I would have like to have posted a picture.
Looking over the cooker's details, the company is British and the cooker was manufactured in Turkey. So it's travelled quite a distance to reach my home.
And since writing the above we have had our first meal and it came out ok(Breaded Haddock, New Potatoes and Tinned Tomatoes)and so far it still looks new. I wonder for how long...
Merry Christmas to you all.
Update:How does a chef or cook copyright a recipe? After all we all adapt our own meals and add an ingredient here and take another out there. We serve up various combinations and often it could be something our parents made us when we were children.
So when I sometimes offer a recipe I worry someone will say you've nicked my recipe but many are so similar.
Just in case I'll give credit to Nigel Slater who offered this on his tv programme the other night and we tried yesterday(a few days after this post was originally posted)
He was mentioning things to do with leftovers after Christmas...and we wanted a simple meal so...
He mashed parsnips and Brussel sprouts and moulded them into patties(putting some soft cheese inside)and frying them in a pan for a few minutes.
I changed that and avoided the cheese this time and I added mashed new potatoes. I moulded them into a pastry cutter so they had some form and did not crumble(I am careful with adding salt)but did as he had and for the first time that I remember I added some pepper for seasoning.
I say I fried them, often I fry items like this without any oil of any kind. And they can get a kind of light crispiness.
Nigel coated his patties in flour for the same effect.
Anyhow, we served them with Baked Beans and they were lovely. I suppose it's a variation on Bubble and Squeak.
Give them a try!
Simple, tasty and...as far as I can see healthy.
Eventually, we've managed to get the money together to purchase a new cooker. You have no idea what a trouble it has been just using a microwave. I have lost track of how often I have seen something I'd fancy and then read that the food cannot be cooked in a microwave.
It will probably take some getting used to as it has a fan assisted main oven but I understand this means it cooks much quicker. It will be fun to get back to cooking simple but tasty recipes again(Casseroles and the like)chicken and veg pies, home made bread(I might've considered baking cakes)but when there are only two of you, it's cheaper to buy items in a supermarket, though doing your own may offer a greater variety, it saves time and energy even though I love homemade fare.
And now I have a slow cooker, a steamer and microwave it will be great being able to use any of these or a combination of them.
Also, it's been ages since I have been able to grill anything and after many years this cooker has a smaller second oven so you can avoid using the larger one or use both.
There was a worry as we were cutting it fine but just as I was about to order the cooker from one the nation's biggest electrical retailers there was some concern about how it would connect to the mains and though we were promised a delivery before Christmas with the bad weather we've had it was possible we would not have it delivered and be eating beans on toast for Christmas.
The other problem was that they promised to deliver before Christmas but could only install it on January 2nd so that was a waste of time.
However, I found a willing electrical contractor and he disconnected the old one yesterday and came back today and installed the new cooker, it took minutes.
So though I will do a very simple meal tonight, it will be christened tomorrow with our Christmas meal.
Fingers crossed it will go ok but it isn't a difficult meal as much of it comprises of just putting items in the oven, the roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings just need to placed on a baking tray. The vegetables(frozen)into a saucepan of boiling water and the gravy you just add hot water.
But we can also work with the microwave too and make the meal even easier and quicker. We have a small Turkey roast but I have some sliced cooked roast turkey with stuffing(8 slices)so we'll probably have that for Christmas so that saves cooking again.
I'm so happy to see the back of the previous cooker, it was so bad I don't think I would have like to have posted a picture.
Looking over the cooker's details, the company is British and the cooker was manufactured in Turkey. So it's travelled quite a distance to reach my home.
And since writing the above we have had our first meal and it came out ok(Breaded Haddock, New Potatoes and Tinned Tomatoes)and so far it still looks new. I wonder for how long...
Merry Christmas to you all.
Update:How does a chef or cook copyright a recipe? After all we all adapt our own meals and add an ingredient here and take another out there. We serve up various combinations and often it could be something our parents made us when we were children.
So when I sometimes offer a recipe I worry someone will say you've nicked my recipe but many are so similar.
Just in case I'll give credit to Nigel Slater who offered this on his tv programme the other night and we tried yesterday(a few days after this post was originally posted)
He was mentioning things to do with leftovers after Christmas...and we wanted a simple meal so...
He mashed parsnips and Brussel sprouts and moulded them into patties(putting some soft cheese inside)and frying them in a pan for a few minutes.
I changed that and avoided the cheese this time and I added mashed new potatoes. I moulded them into a pastry cutter so they had some form and did not crumble(I am careful with adding salt)but did as he had and for the first time that I remember I added some pepper for seasoning.
I say I fried them, often I fry items like this without any oil of any kind. And they can get a kind of light crispiness.
Nigel coated his patties in flour for the same effect.
Anyhow, we served them with Baked Beans and they were lovely. I suppose it's a variation on Bubble and Squeak.
Give them a try!
Simple, tasty and...as far as I can see healthy.
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 10:42 am
2 Comments:
looks good, I'll give it a try when I can. Not sure about copyrights etc, I would have thought it can't be done but I see words and music being copyrighted which to me isn't right, there are only a finite number of things so to patent?enclose/forbid them to others is a bit sily...like paying for air (well, we pay for water so I guess air will be next)
Ahh yes Span...copyright, a minefield. Perhaps in its original form it was agood thing but now it is in many cases out of hand especially when a common word in every day useage is copyrighted.
As I write this we had something else that is simple and perhaps seems nothing special but having a cooker which bakes(as opposed to just a microwave where certain foods will not cook)we had a quiché lorraine(sp?)and even Mum had forgotten about these its been so long since we had one but she thoroughly enjoyed it.
We are rediscovering old favourites and also having the chance to try something new again.
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