Does anyone want to join me in regaining their cooking mojo?

[toomuchlikemyusername]

Hello all

I'm feeling pretty jaded as far as cooking is concerned at the moment, partly due to a real dislike for going food shopping.

I've got a heap of mostly unused cookery books, which I look at from time to time, feel a little inspired which is then quickly dampened when I realise I have very few necessary ingredients, which would therefore need a trip to the supermarket...

I have just returned from a holiday where the food has been so fresh and flavourful and I'm determined to try to not slip back into winging our meal times based on the random stuff I pick up when I do go to the shops.

Does anyone want to join me in getting out a few recipe books and injecting a bit of oomph into their mealtimes?

I'm currently sat in bed with my Jamie Oliver 15 minute meal book and think that the Koh Samui Salad might be tonight's dinner although maybe with prawns instead of tofu (must try to overcome fear of tofu!).

I also need to get my head around online shopping to remove the need for so many supermarket visits, which also means getting my head around meal planning which also means choosing meals that reflect increasing evening commitments of the DCs as well as preparing food that is largely non meat based. This is the point where I feel like my head might explode! Pot noodle anyone?

Would love to have some company along the way and to hear what recipes you are going to try.

[bwydda]

I've been cooking from nigellas feast this week, having not used it in years, I forgot how good it is

I made her "Georgian" feast on Sunday with a cheese stuffed bread and rice and herb stuffed chicken. Anyone with the book should try the recipes as they really are worth it.

Making a Rachel Allen chicken casserole this evening with the leftover chicken. I'm using eatyourbooks.com to find recipes I have, it's brilliant for making use of the books that are otherwise ignored

[Ivysaurus]

I love this! I am a. Collector of cook books but dont cook from scratch hardly ever 😩 this is inspiring though! Just looking through my pinch of nom book

[abitoflight]

Really enjoyed the white fish with garlic butter. Thank you
Cooking this tomorrow. I'm not usually keen on fish curries but this looks good so will try it

[abitoflight]

I made the chickpea salad today ready for tomorrow. Doubled the feta though as it seems to go off pretty quickly once out of its water in the packet and can't use it up otherwise
I've just done home made baked beans to have with sausages - that always seems like a Saturday meal to me
I'm going to do the white fish recipe above later in the week
I will start going through my cookbooks later in week when less busy and term time properly up and running

[CheshireChat]

I'll post properly tomorrow when I'm not half asleep, but beetroot is lovely if sliced thin, cooked in a pan with a bit of oil until it's warm and a bit softer, but still al dente and toppdd with a honey and mustard dressing. Particularly yum with feta.

[AnnieKenney]

Have you tried freezing tofu first? It helps with the draining and changes the texture into something more palatable. It's still not my favourite but it's vastly improved by being a bit firmer.

[RickOShay]

Thank you toomuch. I faced the tofu tonight ds liked it, I wasn’t so sure!
Made a lovely green curry though using the bbc good food recipe.

[AnnieKenney]

I really like this chickpea salad:
cookieandkate.com/marinated-chickpeas-recipe/

Pair it with a grilled pork chop or a roasted chicken thigh and you've got yourself a quick and easy meal - especially since the chickpea salad is best made in advance.

[toomuchlikemyusername]

RickOShay I haven't been able to find the fish recipe on the internet so I've taken a couple of photos. I hope they are readable!

clearsommespace I've heard of brining but only in the context of pickled onions! Will need to look at what this means in relation to chicken.

MrsWilkinsonAthome Thanks for the Moroccan chicken recipe. I've added this to my recipe folder on my phone. I'm loving being able to find all of my links in one place. I'm not very good with tech so this was quite a revelation!

Welcome to all other news posters. I will catch up with other comments a bit later once dinner is out of the oven (and post a link with some feedback) as there's a new recipe bubbling away at the moment

[justgivemewine]

I'll join. I have no enthusiasm for food/cooking right now although i wish i had which is a start i suppose. We have all had far too many pizzas, burgers, and general easy to cook crap out of the freezer the last few weeks.

We have 30+ recipe books that never get used. (dh has to buy a new book every time he starts a new diet, you name a diet, we have a book for it )

Anyway, we have decided to declutter and the cookbook collection is one of the casualties, but I'm working my way through them looking for recipes that i might want to try before we get rid (just in case we miss out on some amazing taste experience, yeah right).

I get what you are saying about not having all the ingredients and having to buy stuff you might only use once. This is where I need to get organised and start meal planning.

I also fall into the trap of thinking i should cook something wonderful for every meal, when actually good old fashioned beans and cheese on toast is a really nice chance when you've not had it for ages!

[abitoflight]

I not U

[abitoflight]

Off on holiday for few days but great idea for when u get back! Thank you op

[Cathpot]

Also found lamb steaks much cheaper than chops - cut the meat off into strips , marinate for a bit in oil lemon and oregano , fry until a bit crispy , serve with baby potatoes roasted , oven roasted spring greens and garlic yoghurt dip. Revelation was even my broccoli hating DD will eat it if it’s been tossed in oil and roasted in the oven- ditto spring greens.

[Cathpot]

Was feeling very negative about family cooking as it all comes down to me - DH is away a lot and has a repertoire of 2 dishes when he is home . I then got the green roasting tin book and loved it. Since got the meat one as well and I’m making the kids pick a meal and write out a list of ingredients once a week to push us to keep trying new stuff . It’s got easier since I now routinely buy the things that crop up in lots of recipes like jasmine rice and spring greens. Idea of the recipes is everything goes in one tin in the oven, lots of things ready in about 30mins. Tonight we are having a pork and rice casserole which takes a bit longer so it needs to be the weekend. Meat is braised in the pot with some herbs, add stock, cook for a couple of hours then near the end add rice to it. Comes out as pull apart pork with rice that’s absorbed all the stock. Kids loved it last time.

[MrsWilkinsonAthome]

Would love to join you all.

I have been trying to teach my son how to cook some dishes before he heads off to Uni.

I also need to shake up a bit my cooking and get us out of a rut of old favorites.
I have been meal planning for several years and have noticed food shopping is less stressful and boring and I save a lot of money.

I made this recipe week and ds is going to make it today (as his latest lesson) for people who are coming to supper tonight!

We are leaving out the olives and using chicken breast instead but it is really easy and tastes great.

www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/moroccan-chicken-tagine.html

[clearsommespace]

My discovery of last weekend was 'brining' chicken breasts before oven baking. I don't eat meat but the omnivores said it is definitely worth doing again.

[clearsommespace]

Hello. Can I join in?
I did a new recipe this week 'pasta e ceci' after seeing it on the chickpea thread. The recipe I used had too high a proportion of chickpeas in relation to pasta for DD but otherwise was accepted. (She is not very adventurous).

I peel beetroot and grate it raw in the food processor. I mix it with grated carrots and a honey vinaigrette.

Borscht (beetroot soup) is nice too!

[RickOShay]

Thanks for beetroot top tips. Any ideas on tofu? Probably out of date by now anyway
Fish sounds good. Would you mind sharing the recipe?

[BrassicaBabe]

Oh god this is me!

I've been low carbing for 2 years but that has contributed to my loss of love for cooking. Dull dull dull. I need a kick up the backside!

[toomuchlikemyusername]

Notthebradybunch Welcome, good to have you here.

smileannie Indeed. That's just how I feel. I've started off with some little steps. Choosing recipes that don't require a mass of new things, maybe just one or two to avoid massively increasing the shopping bill.
The timings I'd agree with. I'd love to live in TV land where all of the ingredients are already measured into matching glass bowls on the work surface and you don't have to battle through a gazillion non matching plastic containers to get the food processor out of the cupboard, whilst trying to work out what you can substitute for the ingredient that you could have sworn you had tons of last time you looked in the cupboard!

I'm trying to do one,maybe two new things a week. For the rest of the time, they can have old faithful stuff which is quick and easy (and potentially less stress for me). However, as part of this is about me regaining my interest in cooking, I am trying to look at the research, shopping, preparation and actual cooking as something I am doing for me. The family get to eat the product but the rest of gone process is about me.
I don't really enjoy supermarket shopping at all, but this past week, because I've been going in with a better focus, I've found I've been enjoying looking at specific different products rather than wandering the aisles aimlessly. As a result I've come out feeling like my visit was successful as I've achieved what I went in for. I still wouldn't say I'm loving it, but it's a slightly improved experience! (Sorry,I think I've gone off on a tangent there!)

I hope you give something a go and enjoy the process. And if you cook something delicious and you get the 'oh I won't be back for dinner' call, you can eat it all and let them sort themselves out when they get in

[toomuchlikemyusername]

bwydda Sorry to hear it wasn't too great. At least you can now happily skip that page in the recipe book without beating yourself up about not having got round to making it yet.

RickOShay to roast, I cut into chunks, add some olive oil and cook in the oven until softer. Not very scientific I'm afraid. More reliable methods may be available elsewhere . Often as not I'll just chuck it in with a tray of other mixed veg. I like it cold and will add it into salads for taking to work as it helps to bulk them out. Good with quinoa type salads too.

Last night I made a recipe for white fish with a lemon and garlic crumb. Chosen on the basis that I had some fish in the freezer, plenty of garlic and a lemon lurking in the fridge which was on its last legs.
Very quick and easy, made a few hours ahead and then just pulled out of the fridge for 40 mins in the oven.
Really good flavours and even the teens said it was delicious. Will add it to the list for a repeat go. I used frozen fish from the supermarket so it was pretty cheap to make too.

[Notthebradybunch]

Me too!! Definitely some inspiration needed, I enjoy cooking but absolutely hate food shopping, I have loads of cook books, Nigella, Mary Berry etc so I just need to go through them and find something exciting to make for a change!And my freezer needs a good clearing too.

[RickOShay]

Well it was ok. I boiled them and then grated them and a couple of carrots and added roasted pumpkin seeds as a kind of salad.
I have loads, think they have a glut , will try roasting some, do you
chop them up?
Going to try and make Thai green curry at some point. Ds1 and I are trying to cut down on meat so I have some dreaded tofu, which is scaring me more than the beetroot
Best foot forward and all that!

[smileannie]

I feel the same as you, really enthused and then the reality sets in, eg having to go and get specialised ingredients that you may not use for ages again if the meal isn’t successful and also I never find that 15 minute/30 minutes actually take that time. It’s usually double that at least for me.
And then of course there is the lack of appreciation and thoughtlessness ie forgetting to mention they won’t be in for dinner or working late etc,

I then give up and revert to my usual packet casserole mixes, pasta and shop bought sauces etc.