Jamies 15 minute meals

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Anyone watching? I haven't bothered with the book as I assumed it would be all salads and pasta but I've liked the look of a few dishes on the programme so far. Has anyone bought the book?

[tak1ngchances]

Well the 30 minute meals always took me 90, applying the same ratio I should be able to achieve a soi-disant 15 minute meals in 3/4 of an hour. Which is ok. So yes, i'll watch the show

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Not watching but had a flick through the book in Waterstones and thought it looked nice - not enough veggie stuff for me to justify buying it though. |And I think he relies a lot of buying LOTS of things for one meal, so it looks as if it could work out v expensive.

[multipoodles]

I looked at the book, what's with serving everything in a bloody trough! If I served meals like that as soon as my back was turned the teenagers would have it all scoffed!

[teenyweenytadpole]

Recipes on TV nice so far but I wouldn't say they are necessarily for those on a tight budget - lots of fresh herbs by the bunch, and expensive cupboard ingredients like preserved lemons. I know what you mean about the trough - just about everything seems to be served piled up on one big platter.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

at trough. He always leaves stuff on chopping boards too. Agree about the cost, I find it expensive to cook from his 30 minute meals too.

[YouOldSlag]

I flicked through the books and thought nice idea, nice presentation but my very young children probably wouldn't eat it, and you'd need lots of fresh ingredients at every single meal that you might only use once that week.

Not really practical for me so I took it back off my Wish List.

[MamaMary]

15 mins - really? Not in my case.

First of all, I would need to do a special shop for all the ingredients that I don't normally have round the house/ get in a regular grocery shop. Things like - from the episode I watched - pomegranates, artichokes, dried cranberries, port, stilton, filo pastry, and tons of different kinds of fresh herbs.

Then, you need to prepare the ingreds and equipment which is never accounted for in the 15 mins.

Lastly, the washing up of things like food processors and choppers, which he relies on extensively (puree-ing etc) and are a real pain to wash!

And yes, the ingredients are so expensive and outside my budget anyway.

However, having said all that the final products do look very lovely.

[seabuckthorn]

I agree with everyone really. Looks lovely and I would like to eat most of the dishes but 15 minutes is never going to happen for me. I need more money and a bigger dishwasher to be honest.
I also agree my 2 under 3 wouldn't really eat a lot of it either.

[NettoSpookerstar]

I haven't liked the look of anything, it's all just a bit of an expensive mess, but tbf I wasn't impressed with his 30 minute meals either, except for Jools pg pasta and the sweet potato feta mash.
I do like his MOF and America books though, I'll stick with those.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Jools pasta is lovely. The only other thing I do often from 30 minute meals is the cheats ice cream. I like America but again find it expensive, although the bourbon pecan pie is so good I couldn't care less how much it costs.

[multitaskmama]

I agree, a LOT of expensive ingredients needed with Jamie, but thats aside, cooking is quick. Anyone enjoying Indian food may enjoy this, its like an Indian version of 30 minute meals:

www.healthyindianrecipes.co.uk/

Lots of Indian and non-Indian recipes here. I love the one pot veggie rice for the family as well as the mild chicken curry which both take only 30 mins to cook and can feed a family!

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Great link thanks. I do a fair bit of Indian cookery but it's good to get ideas for quicker meals.

[NettoSpookerstar]

The stroganoff with pickle juice in it gave me the boak, and then he called in din din.
WTF?
I don't mind spending money on food, but not to chuck together a slapdash mess. I do have time to cook, as I'm a SAHM but if I want quick, I want quick, not rushing about to fit an hour long meal into 15 minutes, which I reckon these are once you allow for prep and also you must need a large kitchen to have all the gadgets out.
I'll stick with carbonara for quick nights.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Carbonara is my fail safe too if I need something quick, or if I'm being really lazy its leftovers Quesadillas :)

[NettoSpookerstar]

Yep, or green pasta (pasta/pestp/peas)
I do like quick meals, I just don't think these are proper quick decent meals.
And what adult calls their evening meal din din, or says amazeballs?

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

I think that's what it is. I do like the look of some things but they seem more like snacks, like the cheesy filo things. I'm not sure they would go done well as a 'proper dinner' but I might make them for lunch or snacks with drinks.

I normally like his books too.

[ValerieDavis]

You'll have to let us know how you get on with the 15 minute meals! would love to try them out

[Oblomov]

I agree with everything said. I enjoyed the 30 minute meals, but we all know you can't do it in 30 mins. And the cost. And the specialist shop you would have to do to get the ingredients. And the preping. And the huge kitched with all utensils. check, check, check, oh bugger none of those.
Enjoying watching the programmes. Have looked at the book. And thought about asking dh to get it for me for christmas. But now, not so sure.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

I'm going to try the Kofta one night soon so I'll let you know how long it takes!

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

I've got the book and done 4 meals from it that I can remember. (Winter squash pasta, cajun chicken with sweet potato mash, thai chicken laksa and chicken, couscous with tzatziki). They all took just under 30min to cook. And both DH and I loved the meals.

It's not much washing up either if you have a dishwasher. I just bang everything in the machine and wash the pots.

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

Agree with buying quite a lot of one meal. Two of the meals I've cooked us only something like 50g of feta, when a block is around 200g. I used the left over feta for lunches (in a frittata and a couscous salad).

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

NettoSpookerstar not sure what you mean by needing a large kitchen. Mine is about 2.4m x 2.4m. I reckon it's fairly small.

[pregnantpause]

I like 30 min meals, the chicken pie is lovely and the satay delicious too. I never make the full thing though with sides etc, apart from cost, its not necessary to most fof the meals- just extra to show off IMO. Also there's no consideration to seasonality at all. Saying that I'm still thinking of asking for 15 min for Christmas.

[Trills]

I made the 15-minute chilli con carne (with meatballs) the other day.

I had laptop on kitchen table and shouted "pause!" to DP occasionally.

It didn't take 15 minutes but it did take under 30. And it was tasty.

Lots of washing up though.

[Trills]

Those pickled lemons come up a few times, they're not just in one recipe