Hello Dear Reader,
Hand up who's fed up of being cold? Oh, that'll be me! Roll on spring!
I'll be watching the next episode of Eat well for less later, I'd like to invite the families round, feed them and let them guess what I spent! I certainly spend more than I used to but I also spend a lot less than someone who doesn't meal plan.
I make meal plans and stick to something like it. I might veer off now and then but I will generally stick to my plans. I tend to stretch them out. I know I want a night off cooking and as I'm too stingy to buy a takeaway or ready meal, I've cooked for tonight and tomorrow night.
I love the basics of this recipe, it's really simple. I suppose it's really a stew as I cooked this in one pan but I'll stick with casserole. My recipe is from the BBC website and it told me to pan fry, brown each ingredient and add it to the casserole. No fannying around for me, I just dry fry everything first and then add the fluids and allow to simmer.
I cook and freeze rice portions too, then heat them in the plastic tub I stored them in and them place in buttered moulds so a little bit looks a lot more. I cook it first and freeze it as we eat brown rice and it takes ages to cook. This way means a two minute heat up and it's ready to eat.
Here's my variation of the recipe
4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs - cut the breasts into quarters,
1 large onion - chopped
10 mushrooms - quartered
6 large carrots - peeled and sliced
150g of cooking bacon or a pack of lardons
500ml of chicken stock from a cube
small pot of creme fraiche or cream - 150ml
3 tbsp tomato puree
chopped parsley - I used a teaspoon of dried parsley
sprinkle of black pepper - I don't add salt as there's salt in the stock cube.
Add the chicken, bacon, onions, mushrooms and carrots to a large saucepan and dry fry until the bacon and chicken is cooked.
Add the stock and tomato puree and simmer for 30 minutes.
In the last five minutes, add the creme fraiche (or supermarket basics yogurt will do).
Sprinkle with parsley and stir in for three minutes, season with black pepper to taste.
I served ours with brown rice and greens. Well, something needed to offset the creamy creme fraiche, you could use any thick cream, or a cream cheese.
I'll reheat some rice tomorrow and add that to our supper. I like to give myself a night off cooking just so I can come home, light the fire, put my pjs on and put my feet up. I mean, what else are Friday nights for?
Over to you Dear Reader, how do you give yourself a night off?
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxxxx