Forum Discussion
What are your easiest, tastiest meals - quick to prepare when you can't think of anything!!
Hi guys
I have a few 'standard' easy meals that I always have the ingredients handy, in case I seriously can't be bothered cooking a 'fancy' meal ....... feel free to add your own 'Favs'! ;)
Last night, we had our winter favourite 'comfort food' - Lamb Shanks!! I cheat, and buy the Aldi FROZEN Lamb Shanks (2 for $12 already cooked - they usually cost that 'RAW'!!) - that way you can always have a couple in the freezer. I often take them with me when I am camping too - SO easy to just cook in the microwave with some sweet potato 'on the trot'!
Take them out of the box and they are even easier to store in the Freezer. If you decide to cook them up later in the day - just pop them in the sink (or big container) with cold/lukewarm water & they'll thaw out pretty quickly. Change the water if you want them to defrost quicker. They come in 'individual Vac Pacs' - and because they are already Pre Cooked - when you open them, the 'cooked fat' is already 'in solid form' and you just pull it out - so they are healthier for you too!!
There are 2 flavours - one with Mint in the gravy & the other one based on a red wine gravy. Both are LOVELY! This is how I prepare them for 2 people .......
In a BIG casserole pot, add 1 tin of diced tomato & 1 drained tin of Chickpeas. Add 1 x Cubed Potato, 1 x cubed small Sweet Potato, 1 x chopped/cubed Carrot. Mix them into the tomato/chickpeas sauce. Remove any 'solid fat' from both of the Shanks and add them to the casserole pot along with all the gravy in each pack. Mix the gravy well with the tomato mix. Cover the pot & cook at 180 degrees Celsius oven for 2-3hrs ..... stir every hour. The meat will just fall off the bone and I bet you enjoy them!
BONUS: After serving up with the gravy and veggies (and cabbage or your choice of greens...) whilst the remaining gravy & veg are still hot - use a Bamix (or similar) to pulverise it all ..... this will make a wonderful soup for the next day or so! I usually water it down a bit as it can be quite thick. Lovely with some toast for lunch.
One of my other favs is the 'Vac Pac'd' 'FLAT CHICKEN' .... once again, Aldi do a lovely one - with yoghurt & garlic with NO BONES - so you just cut up the chicken in slices when cooked. Just do a BIG ROAST - I do it in 2 dishes - the chicken in one (with alfoil under the chicken on a cake rack to reduce the cleaning!) and all the potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot & onion in another tray, all into the oven at the same time as the chicken - and it takes a bit less than 1hr to cook at 170 degrees Celsius. Turn the chicken & veg around after 1/2 hr. Cook greens in the microwave 5 mins before serving time. This gives us 2 full sized meals for 2 for 2 nights. Once again - keep one of the chickens in the freezer - as they are 'flat' they store really easily & don't take long to defrost in the sink in cold/lukewarm water - great for when unexpected guests turn up, too.
When my Grandmother first went into secure living (with her own kitchen) I suggested that she cut up a whole chicken (for numerous meals) and put it into a casserole dish with a packet of Chicken Noodle Soup & the required amount of liquid, as well as a chopped onion & sliced red capsicum ..... cook it for about an hour - and it was YUMMY - and gives lots of meals too - served with salad. (Whole frozen chickens are VERY reasonably priced ......)
Here's the 'after pic' of my lamb shanks last night ....... just as well we don't have a dog .... nothing much left! ;)
I have a few 'standard' easy meals that I always have the ingredients handy, in case I seriously can't be bothered cooking a 'fancy' meal ....... feel free to add your own 'Favs'! ;)
Last night, we had our winter favourite 'comfort food' - Lamb Shanks!! I cheat, and buy the Aldi FROZEN Lamb Shanks (2 for $12 already cooked - they usually cost that 'RAW'!!) - that way you can always have a couple in the freezer. I often take them with me when I am camping too - SO easy to just cook in the microwave with some sweet potato 'on the trot'!
Take them out of the box and they are even easier to store in the Freezer. If you decide to cook them up later in the day - just pop them in the sink (or big container) with cold/lukewarm water & they'll thaw out pretty quickly. Change the water if you want them to defrost quicker. They come in 'individual Vac Pacs' - and because they are already Pre Cooked - when you open them, the 'cooked fat' is already 'in solid form' and you just pull it out - so they are healthier for you too!!
There are 2 flavours - one with Mint in the gravy & the other one based on a red wine gravy. Both are LOVELY! This is how I prepare them for 2 people .......
In a BIG casserole pot, add 1 tin of diced tomato & 1 drained tin of Chickpeas. Add 1 x Cubed Potato, 1 x cubed small Sweet Potato, 1 x chopped/cubed Carrot. Mix them into the tomato/chickpeas sauce. Remove any 'solid fat' from both of the Shanks and add them to the casserole pot along with all the gravy in each pack. Mix the gravy well with the tomato mix. Cover the pot & cook at 180 degrees Celsius oven for 2-3hrs ..... stir every hour. The meat will just fall off the bone and I bet you enjoy them!
BONUS: After serving up with the gravy and veggies (and cabbage or your choice of greens...) whilst the remaining gravy & veg are still hot - use a Bamix (or similar) to pulverise it all ..... this will make a wonderful soup for the next day or so! I usually water it down a bit as it can be quite thick. Lovely with some toast for lunch.
One of my other favs is the 'Vac Pac'd' 'FLAT CHICKEN' .... once again, Aldi do a lovely one - with yoghurt & garlic with NO BONES - so you just cut up the chicken in slices when cooked. Just do a BIG ROAST - I do it in 2 dishes - the chicken in one (with alfoil under the chicken on a cake rack to reduce the cleaning!) and all the potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot & onion in another tray, all into the oven at the same time as the chicken - and it takes a bit less than 1hr to cook at 170 degrees Celsius. Turn the chicken & veg around after 1/2 hr. Cook greens in the microwave 5 mins before serving time. This gives us 2 full sized meals for 2 for 2 nights. Once again - keep one of the chickens in the freezer - as they are 'flat' they store really easily & don't take long to defrost in the sink in cold/lukewarm water - great for when unexpected guests turn up, too.
When my Grandmother first went into secure living (with her own kitchen) I suggested that she cut up a whole chicken (for numerous meals) and put it into a casserole dish with a packet of Chicken Noodle Soup & the required amount of liquid, as well as a chopped onion & sliced red capsicum ..... cook it for about an hour - and it was YUMMY - and gives lots of meals too - served with salad. (Whole frozen chickens are VERY reasonably priced ......)
Here's the 'after pic' of my lamb shanks last night ....... just as well we don't have a dog .... nothing much left! ;)
338 Replies
- Anzac Day is approaching - who remembers Anzac Biscuits? It must be decades since I've made them! I used to make them all the time as a kid!
- Not a meal ... but sounds nice!
- Sounds YUM!!
Turning cold here too @SoldierCrab - I've had the electric blanket on twice already!!
We've had one of our cold night favourites last night - Lamb Shanks .... I chuck in a tin of tomatoes & chick peas, as well as the potato, carrot, onion, sweet potato & any other veg I can think of ..... YUM!! - I made this as it has turned cold here now
Bacon and Vegetable Soup.
Course: Soup Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Ingredients
· 500 g chopped vegetables
- ( 1x zucchini, 2x carrot, 2 sticks x celery, 6x mushroom)
- ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes instead of celery
· 1 brown onion quartered
· 2 cloves of garlic peeled
· 60 g diced shortcut bacon (about 3 pieces)
· 20 g olive oil 2 tablespoons
· 1 litre liquid stock
· 140 g tomato paste
· black pepper to taste
· 80 g small shell pasta optional (1 cup)
· lemon zest and chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
Into big pot Add Olive oil, onion, garlic, chilli and bacon cook until onion is soft (5mins)
Dice your vegetables of choice
Add stock and diced vegetables to pot, Bring pot to boil then simmer for 30mins
Return to boil and Add Pasta cook for 7 minutes.
Serve with grated lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Nice with some toasted sourdough bread ….
- I haven’t tried these, but they both sound nice! Something to do in these long hours of seclusion!
The hot hot cross buns sound GREAT
YUM! Chorizo would be good?
! - WOW! Sounds great, thank you so much, @Romla
I'll be trying this one! I've always loved Butter Chicken but usually cheat & buy a bottle sauce!! Some of the comments down the bottom are fun too - one person changed so many ingredients it was a different dish! LOL - Here’s an easy recipe for you all.I modify it a little by using chicken breast and add frozen peas and chopped Kent https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/5833-quick-and-easy-butter-chicken
It’s as hot as the curry powder you choose and according to my troops better than Pataks.Be careful with your brand of tomato soup I use Coles home brand.. - @arpie seeing your fruitcake brings a tear. Mum used to bake up a storm of them. Always decorated with almonds. They were her gifts to everyone for Christmas. I can smell the house now the fruit would soak overnight in rum the next day the mixing and baking would begin.Thank you for your recipe Not mums but ill give it a go soon
- Sounds wonderful @jennyss Haha I have my fair share of Hawaiian shirts as we wear them for our uke gigs! Funny how a specific CD can bring back Xmas memories .... my brother always gets out The Muppets Xmas CD .. and his daughters now bring it out for their own kids too!
i finally made my Xmas Cake yesterday .... better late than never! LOL
If you want a really easy Xmas/Birthday/everyday fruit cake ... this is it! I’ve been making it for over 50 years now! It is always good. I also add sunflower seeds, pepitas and almonds as well.
just whack all the first ingredients into a saucepan, slowly bring it to the boil for a couple of mins, and put aside to cool (a good few hrs.) Then Just add the eggs and sherry and mix well - I use a fork and beat it well. Then finally add the flours and bicarbonate. Put the mix in a lined cake tin. I always turn the cake in the oven sabout half way thru the cooking. Moderate oven is about 170 degrees (tho I cooked this one closer to 180!)
Be generous with the sherry too .... as the mix SHOULD be quite moist. (Don’t be concerned when you first start mixing the flour in .... it ‘looks dry’ but comes good.
And here it is! Enjoy! - My partner, mother in law, aunt and I will arrive at my sister in laws house with food and grog as delegated. There will be about twenty people. My contribution is a couple of fruit and cheese platters. My mother in law will bring potato salad. Lots of the men will wear hawaiian shirts. There will be a Jimmy Buffet concert DVD playing. I am smiling just thinking about it. Best wishes for happy Christmas feasting everyone, whether quiet or over the top!
