MN Cookbook

[SheepishPeachesMcLean]

Right then NigellaMoondog, my criteria for this publication:

Quick to cook (busy mums and all that)

DS will eat it (nothing spicy)

DH will find it satisfying and not bland

I'll find it healthy (lots of veg)

Anyone else care to make some contributions?

Moony, care to start your preface by repeating the basics skills required?

ooo i'll be watching this thread

Ahem

Moony's first contribution was sent by fax:

1.) Steamed salmon
Buy a big piece (750 g).Cut into portions. Place in bamboo steamer over simmering water.Done in 15 mins. Have with salads.

2.) Smoked salmon,creme fraiche and pasta with capers.
Cook pasta.In the meantime cut smoked salmon into strips and fold into pot of creme fraiche with a slug of olive oil and some capers. Fold into drained pasta. Chopped fresh dill good too instead of capers

3.) Sardines
Buy fresh. I gut my own but accept it's not everyone's idea of fun. Put them in the oven (no accompaniment needed0They're done in 15 mins. Serve with tomato and basil salad and hot bread.

4.)Baked white fish
750 g of something like cod or haddock. Slice tomatoes and courgettes very finely, Place in bottom of an oven proof dish with a glug of olive oil and maybe some time. Slices/chunks of fish on top and then cover with more veg. Cook for 20 mins or so

5.) Frozen prawns (uncooked pref.)
Fry onions,garlic and ginger. Add few tablespoons of good Thai curry paste. Add the prawns (500g) Add 500g of topped and tailed green beans and/or a tin of babu sweetcorn. Add a tin of coconut milk.
Ready in 20 mins.

That do y'all???

Whoops, sorry Carmenere. I've already offered position of editor to Moony. Would you kindly be publisher?

Kebabs

Cube meat. For pork and beef mix a little bit of oil,ginger and garlic and cumin and brown sugar, plus a splash of soy. Leave for an hour. Thread onto skeweres and grill.

Piss easy to do a satay sauce. Brown onions very slowly. Add half a jar of panut butter nad a tin of coconut milk. Dash of soy to give it colour and left over marinade juices

For chicken or fish (or even red meats) you can do a more European style one with olive oil,lemon,mustard, garlic and thyme.

Good with a salsa of finely diced cucumber,tomatoes,peppers and onions with lemon and coriander.

pancetta in frying pan to render, boil pasta, add whole cherry toms to frying pan and cook for a bit.
blob a bit of pesto in there and a slug of olive oil, or maybe a bit of cream or philly if you're in the mood for a creamy thing, mix with pasta and it's done.
also nice with dried chilli flakes, anchovies and lemon juice if you've got rid of the non spice person for the night.

is this a cookbook for real? 'caus I was thinking just yesterday that we should do an MN cookbook and raise money for Baby Milk Action or some other worthy cause.

In serious I do think it should be. One for MNHQ perhaps? There's enough material on this site, it's just co-ordinating it that would be a huge job.
Can you imagine the debate though on which charity should benefit?

Well it would be nice if it could benefit a charity but mn need revenue to keep going and when a book is published the authors foot the bill even if they do get an advance so it may be pragmatic for mn just to use the revenue to keep going iyswim.

One of my favourites from my (italian) Grandma - Pasta & Fagioli Soup (very thick).

Fry chopped onion and pancetta until onion soft, add a bottle of passata, some water, dried italian herbs - rosemary, oregano, basil, mixed italian herbs, salt & pepper, a good slug of red wine, some tomato paste, a spoonful of sugar and possibly a spoonful of good quality veg stock powder (Swiss Marigold for ex).

Cook for about 20 mins, add a tin of borlotti beans and when it smells right (very italian, but it is true), add half a pack of good quality fusilli pasta and cook to al dente. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, and some crusty bread. Delicious and nice and warming in winter.

It is so easy and tastes great. My DH and DS love it. It is good as leftovers as well, although the soup element disappears, as the liquid is absorbed into the pasta. I even freeze it and send it to our CM for ds suppers.

Sorry - fry onion and pancetta "in good olive oil". Forgot that bit.

Carmenere, I see what you mean and they'd need to re-coup their costs properly. Would advertising in the book help? Maybe Avent could do an introduction?

I think that there may be a few sponsorship opportunities. You know like Nestle chocolate, Greggs, MC D's ect