COOKING FROM SCRATCH. mon 8pm ch4

[Blondeshavemorefun]

This started last week. Just found e1 on demand

It's a bit like eat well for less as in the family live off connivence food and worries about health and finance

So learn to cook from fresh /scratch

Has the annoying or loveable 😂 (depending what camp you are in) Joe Swash as the host

But I do like food programmes like this

E2 is on Monday

I think you cook front frozen ?

Or maybe take bag out in evening so can use next day

Yes it saves the time to weigh/prep all the ingredients : you defrost the bag overnight, bung it in the slow cooker in the morning, dinner ready at night! It might only be a few minutes but having those batched meals already in the freezer means there’s no thought required and you know you can do a quick nutritious meal.

I think the problem with bunging things in the slow cooker is that they taste as if they’ve been bunged in the slow cooker. I think it always help them taste a lot nicer if you for eg, sauté the ingredients as you would if cooking conventionally before adding them to the slow cooker.

And a week after seeing the last episode with the big strapping still growing lad saying he wised there was more of the child sized portions being served up I’m still thinking of him from 1000’s of miles away.

He was a hungry bunny wasn’t he

Tonight’s e5

single dad Darren has a lot on his plate Balancing working and looking after his 2 kids.

I found the steak pie filling one counterintuitive too, @PinkPansy . Why wouldn’t you stew the whole lot, then freeze the ready-cooked portion of filling to use later?

She seems a lovely woman, but her bit about lightly cooking the meat “to seal the flavour in” was absolute nonsense. If you’re going to do it, brown it properly, get a bit of Maillard reaction going. That’s what gives it flavour, the chemical reaction that results in the colour. Moving meat in a pan until it’s sort of light grey is bugger all use.

Oh bless the dad 💖

This was quite a good one. He was more adventurous and kids seemed sweet and helped

I felt so sorry for the dad in the latest episode. He looked exhausted and so sad. The kids were lovely and I hope they all go on to very happy days.

I did laugh at the names though - Henry and Meghan. 😆

And I have to say Joe comes across as a lovely man. He’s been the butt of so many jokes during his career but I’m glad times are good for him now.

Yes Jo doesn’t seem as annoying as usual

I think it’s all the fake huge smiles he and Stacey do for all pics

E6. Last one tonight

evans family are stuck in a rut with cases Kellie and Dom struggling to provide nutritious meals

I do love mac cheese

I missed how she lost 8.5s

I’ve always been funny about slow cookers but recently I’ve found if I brown the meat and onions (hard, not just lightly!) then it tastes loads better and I don’t have to cook any of the other ingredients
Did a sausage casserole like that the other day and it was really nice

She had stomach surgery. She obviously has issues with food.

Just seen beginning in advert break. Gastric b as was 24s so does t like doing food

I find that’s lazy tbh as poor dad is cooking 5 diff meals some days

I get they are carers for their 2 boys but seems a lot falls on dad

I think there's more going on with the mum than they are saying.

Possibly. Tho by the end she looks happier bless her and can cook the odd meal

pkis if they all eat the same that’s easier for dad

I wouldn’t cook 5 diff
meals

that episode made me sad. the mum seemed completely clueless .

I had no idea you weren't supposed to put fresh meat in its original packaging in the freezer!

Nor me! Today I learned.

Asda and Sainsbury's have good prices in their New Year kitchenware sales.

I think these Pyrex ones were £3. They stack well in the freezer, but maybe not the best for microwaving due to the lids.
https://groceries.asda.com/product/casserole-oven-dishes/pyrex-glass-dish-with-lid/634412

Asda have a home brand version of the clip lock.
https://groceries.asda.com/product/roasting-tins-dishes/george-home-glass-roaster-with-clip-lid-1-l/1000383110287

Sainsbury's had these on sale. They're great for microwaving.

These were £6.66 in the sale.
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/pyrex-cook-heat-large-square-1l-dish-with-lid

I preferred the rectangular version, but they'd sold out and I only got one. They're a similar volume but deeper. I think I paid the same price as the square version.

https://pyrex.co.uk/products/cook-heat-rectangular-glass-food-container-with-patented-microwave-safe-lid?variant=14730281386019

you can , it’s just that all frozen food lasts better in a vacuum so it doesn’t get freezer burn

Why not? I sometimes buy meat from the butcher's counter in Waitrose when it's going out of date and put it straight in the freezer.

(£5.71 for 1kg of beef cheeks. Yum.)