(An example of an expensive 'pre-cooked' & 'pre-frozen' ready-meal from a supermarket chain)
Apologies for the slight gap in posting.
I've spent most of the last year rallying against global capitalism (fail!), the DWP (fail!), Wetherspoons (fail!) and Julian Assange (partial success), so the Ten Minute Suppers took slightly more than a back-seat;
in fact I wrapped them up in an old carpet and stuck them in a trailer that I very rarely used (metaphor).
I thought for this February's Ten Minute Suppers we could have a go at making both lasagne and spaghetti bolognese, and freezing a batch so that we had a tasty, nutritious and fundamentally cheap ready meal, as & when required.
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
1) Brown some mince & onion.
I use beef mince, but any animal will do. The original Italian recipe uses 'osso bucco' which is literally chopped veal, or a little baby cow. I like my flesh from a grown-up beast, unless it's offal and then I want the youngest lambs available.
2) Add a tin of tomatoes.
Some people use fresh tomatoes, passata or puree', but they're mostly posh people, and this isn't aimed at them.
3) Boil some spaghetti.
Be careful with this!
Quick Cook spaghetti takes 10minutes and costs a lot. Normal spaghetti takes 10minutes and costs a lot less.
4) Season to taste.
This is not essential, but it adds what chefs call 'flavour'.
Sugar takes the tart out of tomatoes.
Salt takes the earthiness out of the meat.
Garlic takes the saltiness out of the combined ingredients
and black pepper & mixed herbs just take the piss.
(I often sprinkle a little cheese on mine, but we will cover this next year)
Et buongiorno!
Spaghetti a la bolognese dans dix minuetos!
For LASAGNE
Do exactly the same but use the big, square-shaped pasta, not the long thin one.
Ingredients:
pasta
meat
tomatoes
boiling water
*******************
(February 2012)
Having been inundated with requests for some more recipes, I've decided to publish monthly from now on.
I hope you can all wait a few weeks for each one?
In answer to the letter from Jayne of Ashby-de-la-Zouch; YES! Of course you can use duck eggs in
Fried Egg Sarnie (Dec 31), only make sure the bread is wide enough to cope with the egg's size. Duck eggs in the UK are traditionally larger than a basic hen's egg, regardless of whether it's 'free range'.
And to Simon of Gomshall in Surrey; I've yet to come across a cockerel's egg, and would advise caution in this purchase.
Continuing with the sandwich-theme, this month we are going to make Hot Pot-Noodle(tm.)sarnies.
Please be aware that this recipe contains very hot water.
HOT POT NOODLE SARNIE
You will need thick-sliced bread for this rare delicacy.
Any sliced bread will do, but try and buy fresh if possible.
Butter the bread.
It doesn't have to be real butter, but something that trys to emulate the taste of butter (Country Life spread, Utterly Butterly, I Can't Believe.....)is preferable to say, mayonnaisse or jam.
Boil a kettle with water, and follow the instructions on the side of the Pot Noodle(tm.)cup.
It's not too important what flavour you use.
I tend to use spicy curry, but have found chicken & mushroom just as versatile in the past.
NEVER use sweet & sour!
It's really not worth it.
When the noodles are ready (and not before!) carefully spoon them onto one side of the buttered bread.
Now fold it over, being even more careful not to lose any noodles.
I find using a plate helps with any rogue drips.
Et voila!
A nourishing & warming meal for all the family, ready in less than ten minutes!
Ingredients:
Pot Noodle(tm.)
Sliced bread
Butter (or similar)
Boiling water
(Serves approx. 4)
I am more than happy that provenance of food, and 'growing-your-own' has become another consumer-friendly pursuit of the middle classes as of late, but I am beginning to realise that other, less scrupulous horticulturalists are embracing these new technologies for illegal purposes; namely, the production of illegal Class A & B drugs.
