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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! ;)
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- Scrummy, thanks @Kmakm! I have the fish in the fridge!! That'll be a surprise to the other half to have a curry with it! ;)
By mentioning 'onions' plural - do you add extras? One onion to me = 1lb, even 1kg! ;) - No, really @arpie?! ;)
Excuse my scribblings, but feel free to follow. I reduced the chilli because we have some chilli wimps in our house. I usually add a cup or two of frozen beans to boost the vegetable content.
The key to this dish is cooking the onions low and slow, for ages. Stir regularly to shift the onions round and scrape the caramelisation off the bottom of the pan.
The recipe is from an English cookbook so the tablespoon measure is 15mls.
Enjoy! - oooh, yes please @kmakm !! I LOVE onions too!! And I often have fresh fish! ;)
- @arpie Would you like the tomato based fish curry recipe? It's easy to do but requires patience as it takes a while to cook the onions. K xox
- Oh, how good is that @kitkatb - so he always puts you onto fish?? Yes, now is the time to target barra before the big wet starts, I think. I may have to organise my trip up there when he is up there!! ;) My brother has a place in Darwin!
You could always just make a couple of small SFPs ..... just 1 or 2 small fish would do it ... and downsize the cheese sauce ;) We just had the last one for dinner last night. I gave one each to our friends last week & they loved them. Keith had sneakily eaten a whole one over a couple of days, for lunch, too!! LOL
Yes, pics of anything is good! ;) - Will send you some pics @arpie when I eventually get out hopefully end of this year. I'm lucky as my hubby has been a fishing guide for over 30 years now. He's up in the Territory at the moment. Lucky bugger :/ Talk about drooling with the smoked fish pie. I LOVE smoked fish but am the only one who does so never get to have it. Love the pics, keep em coming at least if I can't get out you can give me the inspiration that i'll get there.
Sounds good @Blossum1961 especially the salami and bacon added. I didn't eat much pasta maybe once every 3 weeks or so but now with chemo I've become like this pasta monster who can't get enough carbs. Goes down really well when you feel like rubbish. Have an awesome day ladies. xox - Sounds YUM, @Blossom1961 - nothing like a QUICK & easy meal as well!! ;) thanks for that!
- Gnocchi or ravioli/agnolotti. I cook up some bacon or salami or any of those meats we aren't suppose to have, add some red capsicum, spinach, throw in some wine and leggos stir through sauce (this is the only sort I like). All up it takes less than ten minutes to prepare and cook. Sprinkle smelly cheese on top. Mmmmmm
- That Sounds really YUMMY, @kitkatb - I LOVE pumpkin & all the other veg in that one .... so will try it, with the chicken on top too! ;) Thank you!
Ooooh .... You catch BARRA?? Drool!! I've only had 2 goes - once at a Barra farm up at Rockhampton (which was fun!) and on a charter out of Darwin at Corroboree Creek & hooked the biggest one on the boat! :) I have yet to catch one on my own - and would love to hook a wild one!!
Don't forget to whack up some pics when you catch some, to make me totally JEALOUS!! ;)
Currently, I've been having fun with BIG Tailor tho ......
It went 60cm & towed me round in my kayak!!
It was turned into a smoked fish pie - quite a few of them, in fact! ;) For something easy I just throw cubed pumpkin, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and Spanish onion wedges, mushrooms and garlic cloves whack it in the oven and just slow roast and forget about it, and if I feel like some chicken will just put a leg quarter on top, or if I feel like pasta just throw some pasta in with the slow roasted veg at the end. YUM especially as the veg have broken down and make their own juice.
Same as you @arpie love the fishing and eating fish. Biggest thing I miss at the moment going through this chemo S**T, Hopefully won't be too long before I get back out chasing some Barra. xox
