Monday 30 January 2023

A Food Post. One Pot Wonders.

                                               ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN. 

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!






10 comments:

Rosemary said...

You appear to be giving yourself an interesting variety of different foods which is good. Not so good perhaps are too many instant sweet treats! Try not to overcook your brussel sprouts as it drains all of the goodness away. Could you stand to drink the sprout water with a little added marmite to give it more taste - you would then recover some of the lost vitamins. There are excellent for fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. I give you 7/10.

Carol said...

Much as I love food I'm not fussed for variety (which is good as we only have a Coop). I can't get things like grapefruit and melon (both of which I love) or beetroot. At least I'm managing to chop veg again left handed (now my right hand will actually hold stuff still) so I'm back on my 3 day slow cooker veggie stews which I love. Carrying raw veg back from the shops is a bit of a nightmare though...

Puds wise, I have a pud every single day. Might be a choccie bar (often is) or a hot spotted dick or jam roly poly. But it has to be every day. I don't agree with people saying you should never eat a pud.

What I'm really, really missing is Ambrosia rice pud - but I can't open the tins :-(

blueskyscotland said...

Hi Rosemary,
No sprout water as everything cooked in the same pot. I never overcook or undercook my veg as I always test it with a knife prior to serving to make sure its perfect every time, just the way I like it...Al dente as they say on pasta packets. Never tried marmite.

blueskyscotland said...

You will be pleased to know Carol that the reason I can splash out on puddings and tarts this year, (like a true hedonist), is because the government is paying for it. Thanks to a mostly mild winter and a well used sleeping bag, (plus UK government national subsidies) I have had zero heating bills to pay this winter and I'm already £90 in credit. So much so that I've had to put the heating on at times just to use up the extra dosh rolling in... so I get paid money for sitting on my bum watching TV.... Who'd a thunk it! It is indeed a wonderful world we live in.

Kay G. said...

You can come and cook for me anytime! May I just say, your potatoes there are just so wonderful. I hope you know I am serious!

Carol said...

I know you save a lot of money living in a freezing home but I have to say I just couldn't do it - I just wouldn't want to. If it was that cold, despite loving my food, nothing would persuade me out of bed in the morning - not even to eat! If I'm somewhere cold, I just literally stop functioning at all...

Anabel Marsh said...

I’m a big fan of One Pot Woders, though mine are all veggie. Bucket cookery I call it.

blueskyscotland said...

Cheers Kay, yes I like my food. When I was backpacking over mountains it was usually bland pasta mixed with small tins like sardines as light weight food was essential rather than taste so I've paid my dues.

blueskyscotland said...

Hi Carol.
It's been pretty mild so far so it's not much of a hardship for me. I've got a sleeping bag, big padded jacket and full face balaclava so I'm toasty indoors. Now I know how much its going to cost me I can put the heating on more to use up some of the credit I've built up. First time I've had zero bills to pay... and a pension.

blueskyscotland said...

Cheers Anabel,
Good in the winter months and I change it over sometimes for home made soup as I like my lentils, butter beans and minestrone.