Food that’s not worth the effort

[BarrelOfOtters]

Crab…picked yourself
Unfilleted fish
globe artichoke all that finiking for some little bites

I love the Aldi Specially Selected one - bet the Lidl is good too. The whole range does seriously compete with home made versions.

M&S fish pie is lovely, lots of fish and prawns

I grow globe artichokes, but can never be bothered to actually eat them. If left to flower they are a lovely purply blue and the bees love them.

@Mirabai they aren't much work but it's a lot of nibbling for not much - till you get to the heart. Maybe I'm doing it wrong?

@Bubbylana my mum used to make the most delicious steam puddings on a Sunday - really lovely - she made them so often it was no trouble for her.

I'm leaving most of my globe artichokes to go to flower. Along with the cardoons - apparently they aren't really worth the effort either.

@Hiphopopotamus

Delia Smith has a recipe for oven baked risotto that's easy and actually really good. Excellent for when you have dinner guests and don't want to be standing at the stove.

What’s wrong with nibbling? 😁

Risotto only takes half an hour at most, definitely not hours, you would have some very overcooked rice pudding. Arborio or Carnaroli only take twenty odd minutes to cook. It's not an episode of The Archers as someone suggested but not that much more. Maybe two episodes😁

I've tried cheating versions but it isn't as good so I do the ladling and stirring. Maybe I like the misery.

I can never for the life of me figure out how you cook aubergine. No matter what I rub on it or how long I leave it in the oven its still always raw somehow.

Now granted I'm a shit cook but is their a magic step I'm missing because I can't figure out how cooking something doesn't cook it.

Aubergine - slice it up, coat it with oil, salt and pepper and roast it in the oven.

I used to salt aubergines before cooking - put loads of salt on slices of them and leave them for half an hour, then wash it off before doing anything else, but aubergines don't seem to need that now. If you are still finding them a bit chewy after cooking you could try that step first though.

Imam bayildi is lovely - and the aubergine will definitely be well-cooked.

https://vidarbergum.com/recipe/imam-bayildi-turkish-stuffed-aubergines/

It is but it’s so worth it!

Pasta. DH has had a go a few times and is talking about trying again. But it just makes so much mess and the pasta isn't even any better than store bought. Maybe it would be if he got better at making/cooking it but omg the effort.

Anything using the kitchen aid mixer. I hate that thing with all its attachments. An old fashioned bowl and whisk does the job just fine...

Those are more cooking though. Eating I agree with crab/loster legs and prawns that need peeling. Fish with bones are a toss up depending on how nice the fish is. Tbh I am not a big eater so if something is not nicely cooked then I can't be bothered to eat it. DH was somewhat offended when I didn't eat a meal he made but took comfort in the fact that I wouldn't have eaten it if I'd made it either.

@WhyOhWine how do you make your hummus? I am the same-shop bought is so much better, I mentioned upthread!

I have got it a LOT better though, than my original attempts, using a few 'hacks'.

I'll share my recipe if anyone would like.

I make mine in the slow cooker.

Fry off the onions ( if you want to - optional) and remove from heat. Add the rest of the ingredients (no need to cook) and layer in the slow cooker as usual. Just make sure that the top layer of pasta is covered with the bechamel and use a bit of extra liquid in the ragu sauce.

Cook on high for 5 hours or so or longer on low

Anything using the kitchen aid mixer. I hate that thing with all its attachments. An old fashioned bowl and whisk does the job just fine...

Yes, I had a Kenwood version of the Kitchen Aid and it didn't even mix the batter very well. Hand held electric mixer is so much better.

But I do use my Kenwood food processor nearly every day.

Jackfruit - spent 45 minutes making it to essentially end up with a sandwich filling. Waste of time.

Battenburg Cake

I bake a bit and had always wanted to make one but though it would be a messy faff.

Finally got round to it in lockdown - took ages and got jam everywhere - first opinion was definitely right and I won't be doing it again.

So layer with raw meat?

Yes. You can brown it off with the onions if you want to. It improves the look and flavour a bit but isn't essential.

Unless you're vegetarian like me and use lentils! The original directions I found for a slow cooker lasagne used meat.

I bung all the stock in at once, plenty of stirring. Delicious and virtually indiscernable from the 'proper' version.

Two years ago I would never have believed what I would make from scratch - pastry, seitan, naan, kimchi... just about to try vegan yoghurt...

I read something about how it's likely that our gut bacteria is like an extra organ or physiological system, and how it has a profound impact on everything from obesity to (most shockingly) mental health. And that the emulsifiers, preservatives and stabiliser gums in Ultra Processed Foods - basically anything ready-made, even <gasp> the posh stuff, and even, in fact especially the vegan stuff, the cynical bastards - destroy those bacteria. And I couldn't un-see it 😞.

All the above things are much easier than you'd think especially when you've done it a few times. Stuff that isn't I don't eat any more.

Homemade gnocchi, made it once, shop bought much less faff and tasted better. Although now I'm gluten free, so I may have to try it again.

Ant roast dinner but especially Christmas dinner.

But I'm shocked at everyone saying risotto - it's so easy! You don't actually have to faff around ladling it millilitre by millilitre - just chuck a couple of cupfuls in, stir vigorously for 20 seconds, carry on doing your other prep, and repeat in a couple of mins. Add more liquid wen it's looking dry again. The worst that can happen is that the grains break but I've never had that happen, or never noticed if I have.