A Food Post. One Pot Wonders.

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A few weeks ago I was feeling not very well due to some minor stomach problems... not eating very much because I felt sick afterwards and generally out of sorts. Might have been a virus as it's more or less cleared up now but it did get me changing my eating habits slightly. Although I've always liked grapes, oranges, grapefruit, nuts, honey, most veg, porridge, cornflakes etc... I decided I need a change. So here's a selection of recent meals, snacks and treats. When I mentioned I was a hedonist recently it's not the sex, drugs, and rock and roll lifestyle type I was talking about. Can't afford the first pair and rock and roll seemed to fade out sometime around the early 1990s. Food is my main hedonistic pleasure these days so for me there's no choice between heating and eating... it's eating every time.

 

With no heating on in the kitchen, (or any of the other rooms for that matter,) I always like to get cooking over with fairly quickly, especially in winter when it's dark and cold in there. This is chicken, some salad, red peppers, tomatoes, grated cheese and a kiwi fruit. (a bag of six for £1 so one for each meal.) Under 30 mins prep to plate.... same with all the others.

 

Broad beans, lamb chops, baby potatoes. Although it's basic ingredients I usually enjoy anything I make and the only time that's not the case is when I try new products or make something new I haven't had before.

 

A case in point. Three products from Lidl. The pineapple tarts I already know and love but not particularly healthy for you. But delicious nonetheless. Very moreish. The low fat rice I was not all that keen on but finished it anyway, thinking I might acquire a taste for it at some point... in the distant future.. if I tried hard enough. Would not rush to buy it again though. The Petits Filous I spooned out slowly and munched with interest/ curiosity but no great enthusiasm, Two at a time per day. Slightly astringent and almost bitter it's not a flavour I would think would be loved by kids, despite the packaging claim. More a sensible healthy eating choice for discerning parents packing off-springs lunch boxes... hoping their little bread snappers might acquire a taste for it.... if they persisted and tried hard enough to like it. And that's the problem I've found with healthy eating so far. It's not all that tasty. You've got to make a real effort to like it. Often you need to drench it in other things to make it palatable. A hard choice for a taste bud hedonist. That old red devil Satan has all the finest flavour sensations it seems. A massive tinkling jukebox filled with the stuff that's bad for you.

 

I did like these though and with a generous multipack for a pound I'd get them again. No idea if they are healthy or other wise. However, having worked my way, (on a limited budget) through the spectacular universe of world fruits last year in 2022 ( the ones available in a variety of local supermarkets anyway) I'm now onto puddings and tarts as I think I've built up enough brownie points from the one a week all year bash on exotic fruits of the world to indulge a little.

 I've also been doing one pot wonders for the past few weeks... quick and easy to prepare main meals. Baked bean curry stew here.

 Pea and turnip one pot meal. Legumes and more legumes.

 

Cumberland sausage stew. Not as good as the Lake District chip shop version but tasty nonetheless. 

Chicken Balti and rice.... with pineapple chunks for an extra tangy zing.

 Cheese and tomato quick cracker lunch. Card shuffling skills put to good use.

 Chicken, egg and cheese lunch on another day.

Sausage, broad bean, egg, cherry tomatoes and spuds.

Brussel sprouts curry one pot meal.

Pasta meal with asparagus.

Beans and beetroot stew lunch. This one pot batch lasted two full days and four meals. I spotted a big family jar of beetroot going cheap so stuck that in as well. Five a day in one main meal.

Chicken curry with kale home made stew.

 

Rice, beans, beetroot and kale.

Ham, egg, scones, peas, carrots, potatoes. A body fully recovered again. Yep... it's a hard life!

White Cart Water Walk and River Clyde.

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One from a couple of months ago that I forgot to post. With a new bridge being constructed across the River Clyde and ground works already visible on both banks I decided to use the Renfrew ferry to do a walk there I'd not done for four or five years. River Clyde at Yoker, Above.

 A west coast local waits for the ferry. I suspect he's just been informed the Conservatives might be in power for another two years.

 

The new warship HMS Glasgow has her maiden voyage down the river. Just pure luck I was there to see it as it was not planned in advance to meet it here.

 

HMS Glasgow passing Clydebank.

 

  Also managed to spot this rowing crew on a different occasion. The first time I've seen rowers like this on this section of the river as the only rowing club in the city I know about are based at Glasgow Green where you normally see them rowing above the Saltmarket barrage which stops boats at that point from going further downriver. Depending on the weight of the boat and numbers of people you could carry it past that or more likely move it to a different river entry further down by boat trailer and car/van. Passing Yoker here.

 

Rowing crew passing the Renfrew Ferry.

 

I had a nice lunch before I left consisting of two boiled eggs, tomatoes, cheese and salad cream. Very tasty.

Once across the ferry on the Renfrew side you walk up Ferry Road a short distance then turn right into Meadowside Street and follow that to its end. Walking left in the other direction takes you to Braehead Shopping Centre. At the end of Meadowside Street the path continues round  with woods on one side to reach here where it runs along the River Clyde again. Renfrew Golf Course is on the left in this photo and the path contours round the edge of that until it meets the White Cart Water where it has to turn left. This part is still scenic and quiet although they have already started bulldozing the new road to reach the projected bridge through the adjacent woods.

 

Further along the footpath beside the River Clyde with the White Cart Water just ahead in this photo.

 

The River Clyde is fairly wide at this point with Clydebank in the distance, making it ideal for building and launching large ships and ocean going liners from John Brown's yard where the Titan Crane sits today. The last heavy duty crane remaining here but 70 years ago there would be an entire forest of metal cranes dotted around this famous yard, constructing a variety of ships to travel the world's sea routes.

 The path bends round the golf course and follows the White Cart Water, seen here, with a couple of local sculptures at this point.

 A bird of prey on a pole....

 And a face holding a mobile phone or a mirror. Both reflections of self awareness. One ancient... one modern.

 

Glasgow Airport ( in reality in Paisley) is close by so planes coming down to land on the runway....... a frequent sight here.

 

Overhead plane.

Good views across to Clydebank from this point.

 

And pleasant scenery... which is why I was here. The joining of the White Cart and the Black Cart in this photo.

Sunlight effects on path with a dazzling low winter sun. Just up from here you come to a main road and the iconic swing bridge, a local landmark. You can either continue up the White Cart Water on the other side of this road (recommended) on a good path until you are forced away from it by several large industrial works, cutting inland to Robertson Park then back to the Renfrew Ferry again... or follow the road on pavements into Renfrew itself. You can also take in Braehead and Renfrew Ferry Park beside Intu/Ex-scape  which also boasts a pleasant riverside walkway leading back to the ferry along the River Clyde. A good varied walk of a few hours duration at an easy pace. Also suitable as a cycle route and mostly traffic free or on quiet back streets. Bikes travel free on this pedestrian ferry. Adults £2:50 for each crossing. Concessions/OAP's £1:25 in 2022. Under 5s free as well.

And a tasty meal to end the day with. I always enjoy most of the meals I make and this was no exception.