Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of "the only blog post of
the week" aka Meal Planning Monday.
This week posted on a Tuesday!
Is anyone else wilting in the current weather? I feel like I am physically melting most of
the time. I completely take on board
that I have more insulation that some other people but combine that with
general warm-bloodedness and a genetic propensity (thanks, paternal
grandmother) for a sweaty brow and nose and you do not end up with a pretty
picture. The current combination of heat
and humidity is a particular killer and whatever I try, the cat refuses to fan
me with palm leaves as I drift off to sleep, so I end up tossing and turning
and harrumphing and generally being most annoying and annoyed.
I don’t, however, seem to be one of these people who lose their appetite in
the heat, which is a shame. I’m
permanently thinking about ice cream, which is also a shame. If you’re a fan of Lotus Biscoff and haven’t
yet tried the Lotus Biscoff ice cream stick then hie thee hence to your nearest
supermarket frozen-food aisle and buy some.
You can thank me later.
Anyhoo, meal planning. D picked a few
of the meals this week, direct from the archives of The WW Foodie, which is
exciting. We were originally going to be
having a third WWF recipe on Saturday night but this has now been bumped to
next week in order to use up some chicken we have going spare. Someone may or may not have accidentally cut
right through a chicken breast on Sunday when he was preparing homemade Kievs
and that same someone may or may not have stormed off to the supermarket in an
expletive studded squall of self recrimination to buy a second pack rather than
try and patch the hole with trimmings.
The remaining chicken, and, indeed the remaining breadcrumbs from the
Kiev, will be put to good use.
Monday: sigh. Still soup but now we
are going homemade, having come to the conclusion that most shop bought soup is
shit. The aim is to try and make it at
the weekend so that Monday can still be a night “off” cooking. Last night, we made a Nigel Slater recipe:
carrot and tomato with feta. And, to be
fair, it was miles ahead of anything that we might have recently had from a
supermarket.
Tuesday: there is half a cauliflower lurking in the fridge and I fancied
making mustardy cauliflower cheese, a recipe from Ottolenghi’s “Simple”. D suggested throwing in some pasta and making
it a mac-and-cauli-cheese. Excellent
suggestion.
Wednesday: roasted veg with feta and couscous. A bump from last week.
Thursday: corned beef hash. Woohoo –
a house favourite! In an exciting twist,
we don’t have any homemade corned beef to hand so we are going to try it using
a tin. Given that tinned corned beef is
one of the definitive tastes of childhood for both me and D, I am genuinely
looking forward to this.
Friday: lemon sole with brown shrimp butter.
Classic, easy, delicious Friday fish.
Saturday: homemade chicken goujons (or nuggets if that feels right) with
oven fries and possibly (this is still under discussion) a wedge salad. Just because I am intrigued by the idea and
want to make one.
Sunday: another Nigel Slater recipe –
I am loving his work at the moment. This
time, sausages with herbed chickpea mash.
Sounds like a lovely, summery twist on a classic.
Have a good week everyone!
Showing posts with label it's hot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label it's hot. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 August 2019
Wednesday, 11 July 2018
Sunshine, lollipops and a new blog post
Long-time no blog! It
is probably a little self-indulgent to say that I hope that I haven’t been
missed – but I feel it is slightly justified
given that lovely Hazel left a comment on my last post saying she missed my
Meal Planning Mondays! I promise to
reintroduce them forthwith. With regards
the radio silence:
Reason the first – my digestive discomfort issues have been
continuing. I have always prided myself
on the robustness of my digestive system and this has been unpleasant and
disconcerting. I finally plucked up the
courage to go the GP and it is probably something very simple related to
stomach bile (sorry if TMI) post gallbladder surgery. It is not uncommon and can be controlled with
medication. So once anything more
sinister is ruled out (and giving that all of this has only kicked off post
surgery it seems highly unlikely) I will be rendered as right as rain by the
wonder of our NHS. Happy days.
Reason the second – which is related to reason the
first. Long term readers will know that,
from time to time, I have a bit of an issue with anxiety. Or rather, Anxiety, because anxiety is when
you’re a little bit worried about a presentation that you have to do at work
the following day and Anxiety is when you are frightened to leave your bedroom
for reasons that are obscure even to you.
It’s frightfully common nowadays – the go-to mental health issue de nos
jours, so I feel like something of a cliché but there you have it. Fretting about my health and always trying to
ensure the nearest toilet was within easy access in case of emergencies combined
with my existing predisposition and made me…well, a bit shaky. I don’t want to dwell on this too much – if it’s
boring and tedious to me then it is undoubtedly boring and tedious to you. Needless to say, fasting went by the wayside
(low blood sugar is the last thing you need when you’re wobbling anyway) as did
much cooking or, indeed, taking much pleasure in food. (Sorry for the melodrama – can you understand
why I didn’t post now?)
I haven’t weighed myself in a while but from the feel of
clothes and suchlike I think it is all relatively stable but I’ve not been
eating particularly well and that is stupid, because one of the best things to
do for your mental health is to ensure that your diet and fitness are on
point. So that leads me to reason the
third why I’ve been a bit reluctant to blog.
I’ve decided to go back to WW for a bit.
I know that I swore off it and I truly believe that, in the
longer term, intermittent fasting will enable me to maintain my weight without
being a slave to the pointing and weighing and measuring. But I also believe that just for now, a bit
of structure, something to focus on, would be a Good Thing. And if I can ditch a few pounds in the
process it will be an Even Better Thing.
I don’t intend to be evangelical about it. I will eat out and have nights off – life is
too short to never eat another takeaway.
And I will continue to monitor the situation. If the return doesn’t justify the effort
well, then, I’ll stop.
I’ve already signed up for the app and will be going to my
first meeting tonight. I’m intrigued
about the new plan – it seems to be edging ever closer to Slimming World with
more zero point foods – including lean poultry, fish, eggs and pulses. I struggled initially when WW switched from
Pro Points to Smart Points so it remains to be seen if the further changes make
it more or less doable. Regardless, a
healthy project is just what I need at the moment to take my mind off my own
navel.
Monday, 7 May 2018
MPM: 8th May 2018
I know life is busy, but at the very least I should be making times for meal planning posts. I mean, it is a basic right of all my beloved readers to hear about what I am eating, is it not?
I jest, and although I always feel that the first post after something of a pause should contain an apology for the blogger’s absence, it is something of a liberty to assume that people notice or care. Apart from my Mum, who texts me asking where the blog is. But she’s my Mum, and is therefore contractually bound to consider everything I do important and special.
The truth is that the last few weeks have been busy and stressful. We’ve not been sticking to 5:2 particularly and any weight loss has most definitely stalled - boo. Things should be improving now though, so we approach the new week with renewed vigour. I am also seriously considering signing up for a 5k run to incentivise me to actually complete the Couch to 5k programme. Every time I have started it, I have actually quite enjoyed the session but it is finding the motivation to trek out to, er, the garage in the first place which is proving tough (and yes, reading that back I know EXACTLY how pathetic it sounds). There’s one in a local park in mid July but I’m fretting that might be too soon as I need 8 weeks to do all the training runs and would then like to have at least a month of consolidation, including some Park Runs, to feel confident going in to the actual, organised event. So I might see if anything is going on in late August or early September. A lot of my colleagues are quite into running and from chatting to them I have gleaned that there are quite a lot of events going on from which to choose.
And so to meal planning. D has spent the last couple of days doing some serious batch cooking, so the garage freezer is now stocked with umpteen Merguez sausages and several pots of chilli. Our goal for the rest of the month is to try and eat down the indoor freezer. I’ve been desperate to own a Smeg fridge for quite some time now, and we’ve agreed that since we can’t afford to do the kitchen renovations we crave at the moment, we can at least splash out on a pretty fridge to make the space slightly more attractive. I mean, how beautiful is this?
Anyway, this is a convoluted way of trying to explain why sausages pop up not once but twice this week, albeit in different guises.
Monday: a bank holiday fast day - soup.
Tuesday: to celebrate the lovely weather, I suggested a salad. So tonight there is going to be some element of shredded veg and then some sort of satay dressing, probably with noodles and definitely prawns. This dinner is still rather at the concept stage.
Wednesday: already looking set to be a shocker of a day for me work wise. So I suggested something simple but oh so comforting with a half pack of sausages lurking in the freezer - the good old sausage sandwich. D is to contrive some sort of red onion marmaladey accompaniment.
Thursday: more soup.
Friday: a summery fish dish. Again, this evening is still rather at the concept stage.
Saturday: I am cooking the books, the book in question being Diana Henry’s latest (“How to Eat a Peach”) and the dish in question being crab, saffron and tomato tart.
Sunday: Merguez sausage stew with couscous.
Happy cooking and eating all!
I jest, and although I always feel that the first post after something of a pause should contain an apology for the blogger’s absence, it is something of a liberty to assume that people notice or care. Apart from my Mum, who texts me asking where the blog is. But she’s my Mum, and is therefore contractually bound to consider everything I do important and special.
The truth is that the last few weeks have been busy and stressful. We’ve not been sticking to 5:2 particularly and any weight loss has most definitely stalled - boo. Things should be improving now though, so we approach the new week with renewed vigour. I am also seriously considering signing up for a 5k run to incentivise me to actually complete the Couch to 5k programme. Every time I have started it, I have actually quite enjoyed the session but it is finding the motivation to trek out to, er, the garage in the first place which is proving tough (and yes, reading that back I know EXACTLY how pathetic it sounds). There’s one in a local park in mid July but I’m fretting that might be too soon as I need 8 weeks to do all the training runs and would then like to have at least a month of consolidation, including some Park Runs, to feel confident going in to the actual, organised event. So I might see if anything is going on in late August or early September. A lot of my colleagues are quite into running and from chatting to them I have gleaned that there are quite a lot of events going on from which to choose.
And so to meal planning. D has spent the last couple of days doing some serious batch cooking, so the garage freezer is now stocked with umpteen Merguez sausages and several pots of chilli. Our goal for the rest of the month is to try and eat down the indoor freezer. I’ve been desperate to own a Smeg fridge for quite some time now, and we’ve agreed that since we can’t afford to do the kitchen renovations we crave at the moment, we can at least splash out on a pretty fridge to make the space slightly more attractive. I mean, how beautiful is this?
Anyway, this is a convoluted way of trying to explain why sausages pop up not once but twice this week, albeit in different guises.
Monday: a bank holiday fast day - soup.
Tuesday: to celebrate the lovely weather, I suggested a salad. So tonight there is going to be some element of shredded veg and then some sort of satay dressing, probably with noodles and definitely prawns. This dinner is still rather at the concept stage.
Wednesday: already looking set to be a shocker of a day for me work wise. So I suggested something simple but oh so comforting with a half pack of sausages lurking in the freezer - the good old sausage sandwich. D is to contrive some sort of red onion marmaladey accompaniment.
Thursday: more soup.
Friday: a summery fish dish. Again, this evening is still rather at the concept stage.
Saturday: I am cooking the books, the book in question being Diana Henry’s latest (“How to Eat a Peach”) and the dish in question being crab, saffron and tomato tart.
Sunday: Merguez sausage stew with couscous.
Happy cooking and eating all!
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Recipe corner: a couple of broad bean ideas
A friend of mine at work has an allotment. Lucky chap. I love the idea of an allotment, although suspect that the reality would be altogether dirtier and more tiresome. Anyway, recently he brought in a load of broad beans that he had grown and now needed to use, all of which were gratefully received by his colleagues.
But the truth is, I was unsure as to what to do with them. I have cooked broad beans before but wouldn't call myself a fan particularly. However, it turns out that I love broad beans when they're shmushed up with other stuff. Who knew?
First a word on cooking and preparing. The first job is to remove them from the pods - this was D's responsibility and was easy enough to do in front of the TV. Once the beans have been podded, you need to bring a pan of water to the boil, pop them in and simmer for two minutes, then drain and run them under the cold tap until they are cool to the touch. Now they need to be squeezed out of their little grey jackets. This, again, is an easy enough job to do albeit slightly tedious - again, I would recommend accompanying with a podcast or an episode of "Gilmore Girls" (current Netflix obsession). We stored the beans submerged in cold water in the fridge until the time came to use them - I'm not sure whether this is necessary or not. It did not do them any harm.
Broad bean dip
This recipe is loosely based on the ingredients list for Waitrose's pecorino and basil dip which is a household favourite. I was really pleased with the balance of flavours that I got here - the broad beans were enhanced but not overwhelmed. This was an utterly delicious taste of summer. Although we just had it on tortilla chips, I would also eat it as an accompaniment to a main course - I can imagine it being delicious with a nice piece of trout.
Ingredients
70g broad beans, weighed after shelling
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise
20g Parmesan, finely grated
8-10 mint leaves
Tsp chopped dill
Squeeze of lemon juice
Half a clove of garlic fine grated
Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the beans and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until nice and soft. Remove from the heat and drain.
Meanwhile, put all the other ingredients into a mini blitzer (I swear by my Kenwood one. We use it all the time and the day it breaks we will be straight out to replace it). Whizz them together so that they are all well blended. Season lightly.
Add the broad beans and whizz again until smooth. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste - perhaps add a touch more lemon juice which should really help the flavours to sing.
Serve as a dip or a sauce or just eat with a spoon. It really is that good.
Broad bean and pea crostini
A Jamie Oliver recipe, very slightly tweaked, this makes a perfect summery snack or starter. Quantities are rather vague - this is easily adapted depending on the amount of people you have to feed.
So preheat your oven to around 180. Slice a baguette, brush slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until crisp - probably 10-15 minutes depending on how much of a beast your oven is. Set aside to cool.
Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and then add a decent size handful of podded, shelled broad beans and another of peas and simmer for around 5 minutes until nice and soft. Drain and return to the pan.
Using a masher, lightly crush together the vegetables: you want them to retain some texture. Then, throw in a good splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a flurry of grated Parmesan. Stir through and check the seasoning. I personally enjoy a good hit of black pepper here.
Spread the cooled crostini with cream cheese and then top with the broad bean and pea mix. For us, this made six very generously topped crostini but I reckon it would have gone further were we not such greedy minxes.
But the truth is, I was unsure as to what to do with them. I have cooked broad beans before but wouldn't call myself a fan particularly. However, it turns out that I love broad beans when they're shmushed up with other stuff. Who knew?
First a word on cooking and preparing. The first job is to remove them from the pods - this was D's responsibility and was easy enough to do in front of the TV. Once the beans have been podded, you need to bring a pan of water to the boil, pop them in and simmer for two minutes, then drain and run them under the cold tap until they are cool to the touch. Now they need to be squeezed out of their little grey jackets. This, again, is an easy enough job to do albeit slightly tedious - again, I would recommend accompanying with a podcast or an episode of "Gilmore Girls" (current Netflix obsession). We stored the beans submerged in cold water in the fridge until the time came to use them - I'm not sure whether this is necessary or not. It did not do them any harm.
Broad bean dip
This recipe is loosely based on the ingredients list for Waitrose's pecorino and basil dip which is a household favourite. I was really pleased with the balance of flavours that I got here - the broad beans were enhanced but not overwhelmed. This was an utterly delicious taste of summer. Although we just had it on tortilla chips, I would also eat it as an accompaniment to a main course - I can imagine it being delicious with a nice piece of trout.
Ingredients
70g broad beans, weighed after shelling
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise
20g Parmesan, finely grated
8-10 mint leaves
Tsp chopped dill
Squeeze of lemon juice
Half a clove of garlic fine grated
Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the beans and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until nice and soft. Remove from the heat and drain.
Meanwhile, put all the other ingredients into a mini blitzer (I swear by my Kenwood one. We use it all the time and the day it breaks we will be straight out to replace it). Whizz them together so that they are all well blended. Season lightly.
Add the broad beans and whizz again until smooth. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste - perhaps add a touch more lemon juice which should really help the flavours to sing.
Serve as a dip or a sauce or just eat with a spoon. It really is that good.
Broad bean and pea crostini
A Jamie Oliver recipe, very slightly tweaked, this makes a perfect summery snack or starter. Quantities are rather vague - this is easily adapted depending on the amount of people you have to feed.
So preheat your oven to around 180. Slice a baguette, brush slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until crisp - probably 10-15 minutes depending on how much of a beast your oven is. Set aside to cool.
Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and then add a decent size handful of podded, shelled broad beans and another of peas and simmer for around 5 minutes until nice and soft. Drain and return to the pan.
Using a masher, lightly crush together the vegetables: you want them to retain some texture. Then, throw in a good splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a flurry of grated Parmesan. Stir through and check the seasoning. I personally enjoy a good hit of black pepper here.
Spread the cooled crostini with cream cheese and then top with the broad bean and pea mix. For us, this made six very generously topped crostini but I reckon it would have gone further were we not such greedy minxes.
Monday, 19 June 2017
MPM: 19th June 2017
So it got hot. I, in common with much of the rest of the UK, have spent the last few days of the heatwave complaining about it bitterly. When the rain returns halfway through the week, we shall complain bitterly about that too. Such is the British way.
I really like the meal plan this week and am looking forward to all the dishes on rotation - with the possible exception of the inevitable Fast Day soup on Tuesday and Thursday. If it cools down enough to restore my appetite, I shall look forward to them even more.
Monday: roast sea bream with fennel, potatoes, olives and capers. A lovely sounding one pot dish that won't require too much effort and has an appropriately Mediterranean feel.
Wednesday: pasta in a sweet tomato sauce with roasted red peppers and sausage
Friday: a friend of ours brought us back some black pudding from a recent holiday and D suggested using it as part of a proper fry up. A weekend fry up supper was a real treat when I was a child so this should be great. Bacon, eggs, mushrooms and toast will all be in attendance.
Saturday: garlic prawn linguine. The original recipe looks pretty simple - just prawns, garlic, butter, lemon and parsley. I'm wondering about adding some spiralised courgettes and roasted cherry tomatoes for a bit of additional interest (and nutritional value!)
Sunday: Parmesan roasted chicken thighs with cauliflower and thyme - aka variations on a theme of Sunday roast.
Have a good week all!
I really like the meal plan this week and am looking forward to all the dishes on rotation - with the possible exception of the inevitable Fast Day soup on Tuesday and Thursday. If it cools down enough to restore my appetite, I shall look forward to them even more.
Monday: roast sea bream with fennel, potatoes, olives and capers. A lovely sounding one pot dish that won't require too much effort and has an appropriately Mediterranean feel.
Wednesday: pasta in a sweet tomato sauce with roasted red peppers and sausage
Friday: a friend of ours brought us back some black pudding from a recent holiday and D suggested using it as part of a proper fry up. A weekend fry up supper was a real treat when I was a child so this should be great. Bacon, eggs, mushrooms and toast will all be in attendance.
Saturday: garlic prawn linguine. The original recipe looks pretty simple - just prawns, garlic, butter, lemon and parsley. I'm wondering about adding some spiralised courgettes and roasted cherry tomatoes for a bit of additional interest (and nutritional value!)
Sunday: Parmesan roasted chicken thighs with cauliflower and thyme - aka variations on a theme of Sunday roast.
Have a good week all!
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Weather whinge
I made a little promise to myself that I would blog every day this week. And then yesterday happened and I spent most of it in a puddle moaning, "It's tooooooo hooooooot."
I do not like heat. I can cope with the cold quite easily - I am essentially warm blooded, not to mention the fact that I have a decent layer of sub cutaneous insulation (rolls eyes). But heat? No, no, no, I do not like it.
I do not like the sun - my fair, Irish skin will burn within minutes. I do not like humidity - my naturally curly hair will turn into a halo of frizz, my nose and forehead will become bedewed (deliberately twee word to make the whole process sound vaguely cute) with sweat and I will resemble nothing so much as the witch in The Wizard of Oz - after she started melting.
The cat is not impressed either. She keeps looking up at me piteously, expecting me to fan her with palm fronds. I guess she is walking round in a fur coat, poor love.
So listen up weather gods - let's dial it down a notch, shall we? Sunshine is good but not too intense and a nice, brisk breeze to keep the temperature at a manageable level. Thank you.
I do not like heat. I can cope with the cold quite easily - I am essentially warm blooded, not to mention the fact that I have a decent layer of sub cutaneous insulation (rolls eyes). But heat? No, no, no, I do not like it.
I do not like the sun - my fair, Irish skin will burn within minutes. I do not like humidity - my naturally curly hair will turn into a halo of frizz, my nose and forehead will become bedewed (deliberately twee word to make the whole process sound vaguely cute) with sweat and I will resemble nothing so much as the witch in The Wizard of Oz - after she started melting.
The cat is not impressed either. She keeps looking up at me piteously, expecting me to fan her with palm fronds. I guess she is walking round in a fur coat, poor love.
So listen up weather gods - let's dial it down a notch, shall we? Sunshine is good but not too intense and a nice, brisk breeze to keep the temperature at a manageable level. Thank you.
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