Jamie's 30 minute dinners..

[anonymousbrainsnatcher]

Sorry if we've already done this, but is it worth a watch? Have all last week on sky plus to watch at a "convenient moment" (whenever that is!) and just wondered what people thought?

Thanks.

That's I'm not pretending to be Italian.

Off to his Dad's pub for dinner tomorrow, so can pick you up a signed copy if you wish ?????

Ooh, what's the food like there, anon? Is it called The Cricketers? There must be a lot of pressure on the current chef

I like the programme and I really liked the book, but I do wonder how long it would take him to cook it and wash it all up. It's what puts me off using the food processor all the time!

I've made the Pregnant Jools Pasta (delicious, esp with the salad and easily gluten free-able) and did the Steak sandwich (which was really tasty) yesterday when we had family round for lunch. The mushrooms he does with the sandwiches are gorgeous. Ooh and the Fangipane tarts that he makes with the pasta are my new favourite pudding :)

All the recipes are available for a limited time after the shows and I've been printing them off to make following them in the kitchen easier. I'm guessing there'll be recipes in the book not included in the TV series though so the book is going on my Xmas wish list. Really enjoying the recipes so far although doing them in 30 mins would only include the cooking after you've prepped all the ingredients and set up your kitchen with all the bits you need - and you'd have to be doing it without kids under your feet needing things. In real life, you need to leave a little longer.

What I need now is a food processor. I've got a little Braun Multiquick thing which is OK for blitzing small amounts but I really could have done with a grating attachment when I did the Beetroot salad yesterday. Does anyone know which one he uses on the show?

I've been really liking the shows, they make good tv and are inspiring, but DP is cross with the book! We've made two of the meals - I say we, it's mostly been DP as I've ended up nursing DD as we've been making the meal. The results have been very tasty but DP hates cooking to the strict timetable and feeling under pressure to get thing A done before thing B burns.

oxocube yes, it is pretty nice, we like it - it's a bit of a "treat" though, quite pricey for a "pub" (It's really a restaurant with a bar at the front!)

Off tonight for a Free Sausage Supper with DC for half term treat. Because we had dinner there recently, they gave us a voucher for free sausage and mash any Monday in October. Just pay for drinks and puddings. It will be rammed full, people come from miles around even on a Monday (especially with free food on offer!).

I'll get there early tonight....

I think it's fab. I have become quite addicted to this programme!

Me too BeacuseImWorthIt - bought the book at the weekend and am about to order a replacement bowl for my magimix, then I'll be off and running.

I haven't seen any of the programmes but am a big fan of the book - got it for 8 quid in sainsbos. The jerk chicken and the satay are both fabulous, and I've also made the chicken pie (OK) and the beany sauce that goes with baked potatoes in one of the menus. Tonight I did the whole of the tomato soup/guacamole/prune puds menu and it was lovely too. The only one I haven't enjoyed much was the Jools pasta, but I think I am such a devotee of the River Cafe sausage pasta that it would be impossible to dethrone it in my affections.

It doesn't take 30 minutes of course, none of it, but once I'd realised that I don't have to do it in 30 mins I was off and running, because you can do it all relatively quickly.

BTW, one of my friends works for him and the original plan was to call it 20 minute meals, so think yourselves lucky.

After all the recommendations, I am going to add this to my Christmas list!

We had the cauliflower macaroni cheese from last night for dinner tonight - it was yummy. I'm now putting the book on my Christmas list :)

I bought the book & have to say I'm a bit disappointed in it. The recipes are good, but I was expecting more general tips (at beginning of book) on how to achieve these meals in just 30 minutes.

Yesterday I gave it a go & made one whole meal following his exact suggestions- it was the spinach & feta pie, plus cucumber & tomato salads, plus ice cream rolled in hazelnut, coffee & chocolate.

As tasty as the food was (and yes it was good enough), the timings were WAY off. The whole thing, just doing all the steps as he suggested, took me 50 minutes- and I'm an experienced cook, and have the equipment he says. It just took way longer than he says. But then on top of that, when I took the pie out of the oven, it was completely undone (given that it contains 5 eggs). So we put it back in oven & it took 25 more minutes to be ready.

So all in all: 1 hour and 15 minutes for the whole thing. Nothing like 30 minutes.

Either my oven is problematic (which it's certainly not, as I use it every day) or I didn't understand something in the recipe, or timings are just, very simply, too optimistic.

It takes 30 minutes if you are Jamie and you know exactly where everything is and your oven preheats pretty damn quickly and... and... and...

But you don't have to do the full menu, and they are quick and tasty recipes.

I am a huge Jamie fan, and every recipe I have used of his has been delicious and easy to do. I love his use of herbs.

I did the piri piri chicken last week and it was excellent - also the potato and sweet potato thing was something new to me, and it was brilliant. Dh did it again this week as an accompaniment to something else.

I took 40 mins to do the piri piri chicken - I def would not have been able to do the pudding things as well without taking even more time. I think I lost time in chopping - Jamie does it chef-style and super-quick whereas I am hacking away with a (probably) way blunter knife, and there is quite a lot of chopping in that recipe.

Hoping to get the book for Xmas :)

Has anyone done the duck breast salad and giant croutons yet?

Prolesworth, no I haven't watched the programme yet as 5.30 is not such a good time for me. But (at least in the case of the pie menu) I have no idea how the timing could be any quicker, I was trying my best (just as an experiment) to stick exactly to the timings but even just going back to the book & reading the next steps took bloody long.

I hope to catch the program on DVD if it comes out soon.

I do think though that generally Jamie's recipes work, regardless of timings, and I really love how he adds so many veggies & herbs in all his recipes / meals.

OK well I'll try to watch it tonight (I'll be home I think at that time) just to get an idea...

I made the fish tray bake last night (not the banoffee pie though) only took 15 mins. Was delicious

Maria - you must have something wrong with your oven if it took that long!

Did you cook it on the hob first?

I can't believe he would say '18 minutes' and for it to then take an extra 25 minutes.

I can get that it may take us mere mortals longer to prep than it does him, with our blunt knives and less-than-adequate knife skills, but cooking times should be givens - and must have been tested by him/his team/Channel 4 (especially anything involving raw egg)