beans mash and sausages is a healthy meal

[madhurjazz]

Mother in law thinks its junk food. But the beans contain 1 of your 5 a day, mashed potatoes are just veg and a good source of carbs and the sausages are full of essential protein.

We often have ketchup, this has been shown to reduce many cancers like prostate, and a glass of juice.

Seems healthy to me and not junky.

Half the posters on here have had sausage and mash this week thanks Mrsk i was really baffled how frozen mash could be cooked.

Ooh you know whats nice frozen caulicheese its only me and he that likes it so a bag means no waste and it really is tasty takes a while to cook in the oven though

It's only on Mumsnet that I read about such pretentious meal habits - I live in a 'naice' middle class area but seriously no one I know is so ultra fussy about feeding their children totally healthy, unprocessed food 100% of the time.

I seem to remember Hugh FW doing a delia 'quick' shepherds pie with it and comparing it to his family recipe and slagging it off, but I might give it a go.

I was just about to mention the roasting Delia got for her book about using prepared junk as shortcuts when I read your comment about the dreary HFW MrsK.

I don't have a problem making mash from raw potatoes, but I can see lots of reasons why someone would prefer to use ready-made and other things. I imagine it tastes nice. If not, you just stop eating it.

As I said, I love dumplings in stews, and learned at the hem of my mother's pinny how to make my own from Atora or sometimes fresh suet from the butchers - free . Atora suet is very cheap but I like free stuff.

But about 10 years ago she asked if I'd tried Aunt Bessie's Dumpling Mix, in the way that an addict would tell a close friend about a new stream of amazing crystal meth - guilty yet proud to share a secret with a loved one.

I'd never go back. It works every time, and I know things about dumplings.

I've never had a dumpling

Greg wallace was doing a programme the other night about tinned food the research and cooking they did (well jack munroe cooked it) showed there is nothing wrong with tinned food it isnt full of poison and fine to eat

Mrsk! A stew on a winters evening with dumplings is the best!

I love dumplings- but you don't need much fat. I make them with wholemeal four and sunflower oil, with fresh herbs chopped through the.
Healthy and delicious.

Limited, that sounds like how my mum sounded when she told me about frozen chappatis.

what do they taste like - are they stodgy? is that the point of them! do they replace dunking bread in?

My sister does a multiculti mashup of kheema with dumplings. It's the sort of thing that would bring Farage out in a pleasing froth.

The Delia recipe used tinned mince, but it was from M&S.

I like dumplings too, but can't understand the point of dumpling mix unless you never have flour or suet in and only want dumplings once in a blue moon? Dumplings are easy because you just mix flour and suet at a ratio of 2:1, add a pinch of salt and water to bind - you would have to do the mixing with a mix or from scratch.

My dumplings aren't stodgy at all MrsK they're light and pillow like balls of fluffy deliciousness - I might steal that keema dumplings idea - that is mince curry, right? I do one with potatoes in, but like the dumplings idea better.

MrsK I make a courgette dhal that was widely derided on here, but I think is delicious. I don't bother with the eggs and sprinkles and if you use frozen chopped onions, I suppose the only hard work is grating the courgettes, but I don't find it takes that long. It was this one:

www.instyle.co.uk/fitness-wellbeing/52-curry-recipe

motherinferior

MrsK stodgy is not a bad word when applied to the perfect suet dumpling, but neither should they be floating in the gravy like those mines with prongs sticking off them you get in old war films.

They should have solid and satisfying chewiness but with a touch of fluffiness on the outside. Yes, you can mash them down to soak up the gravy.

Once you can handle dumplings in their basic form - flour, suet and salt - you can experiment with dried mixed herbs, mustard, horseradish...All in jars, of course. But I prefer the pure stuff.

Put them in for 20 minutes and cover. It is acceptable to take the lid off after 10 minutes and baste them in gravy.

Never underestimate a dumpling's capacity to expand. For that reason I roll them to no larger than the size of a gull's egg

There is no words strong enough to explain my dislike for HFW his smug face urgh. Sorry thats not what the thread is about but saw him mentioned and got a bit ragey

I like dumplings too, but can't understand the point of dumpling mix

I was once like you Barbara

Yes they replace bread for me. I'll either have ever the dumplings or make (well the bread that's in a pack ready to be made) for the stew. They are stodge heaven. I love summer but I do love stodgy winter food!

Yeah i thought it was a bit off doing one of her recipes and slagging it off in comparison to a old family recipe. From what i understand hers was meant to be a cheats version for people pressed for time. Of course if you have time to mince a shoulder of lamb and pick carrots and spuds from your garden etc, then it isn't really the point.

I use tinned stewed steak and ready rolled pastry in the most delicious steak and onion pie recipe ever - everyone i make it for raves about it.

Heat the tins of steak (i use 2) in a saucepan (it will come out solid and a bit disconcertingly like pet food). Meanwhile fry 2 onions cut in half and sliced till soft not brown. When steak is all melted and hot put it in a sieve over another saucepan to drain the gravy of (give it a shake not to break it up to much tho) and mix with the onions. put ready rolled pastry on a buttered baking sheet and pile the steak mix on slightly less than half and leave a border for crimping. Fold over the pastry to make an enormous greggs steak slice, then stick it down with beaten egg and a push with fork, Bast all over with the rest of the egg. Make a x cut in the centre and bake till golden/about 30-45 mins.

It really is delicious and it's a little bit insulting, as someone who usually makes such an effort with fancy food, that when i ask what everyone wants for a special meal they ask for this. Bastards!

Another huge dumpling fan here - I put Rosemary in mine. Even the word is kind of squidgy and comforting. I'm also a big fan of beef cobbler once I got past my issues about the weird concept of it. Isn't HFW the one who allegedly enjoys pleasuring himself in the hair of unsuspecting sleeping women?

Oh i forgot, heat the left over gravy in the saucepan and maybe thin with wine/water & gravy granules. The gravy is the best bit.

While I'm a fan of HFW, he really needs to check his privilege (apols for using a truly awful modern expression).

Very easy to eat perfectly when you've got a working farm at your disposal, years of cheffy training, tonnes of money to throw at it, all the time in the world for preparation, gorgeous equipment and a kitchen to die for.

He needs to think about what it's like to be a time poor, cash poor, limited by equipment and just trying to keep the show on the road. Which is why Jack Monroe is such a godsend, as she actually gets it.

i am both tempted and scared by dumplings. Can you do them in the slow cooker? I tend to do all my stews in there.

Thanks Barbara - will try the courgette recipe. I gave 20 away last week and still have 30 to use. They are sneaking in all our meals. DH keeps saying 'is this a courgette?' when i do a fried breakfast with fried courgettes hidden under the bacon.

I use tinned stewed steak and ready rolled pastry in the most delicious steak and onion pie recipe ever - everyone i make it for raves about it.

Sounds similar to my mum's in the '70s with Tyne Brand tinned steak. It was one of my favourites. She made her own shortcrust pastry because you couldn't get ready rolled then. In the '80s she embraced it and pre-made sponge flan cases that she'd fill with tinned strawberries or cherries and spread with whipped cream. She used to whip it herself. She tried the aerosol stuff but none of us liked it.