What are you cooking now?

[teamsaint]

Hugh F-W Veg Biryani, slightly adapted.
Bit early for a proper drink, so nice cop of coffee and Essential Classics ( I know, I know) to go with.

Yum !!

[Joseph K]

Just made this:

https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/tofu-artichoke-scampi/#wprm-recipe-container-13423

Tofu & Artichoke Scampi
You don't need seafood to make this scrumptious classic pasta dinner! Pan-seared artichoke hearts, crispy tofu and tender linguine pasta are dressed in a lemon, garlic and white wine sauce to create this zingy and satisfying vegan scampi.

... whilst listening to David Bowie's Greatest Hits. It was very nice. Pressing the excess liquid out of the tofu beforehand helps it get nice and crispy when fried.

[Pulcinella]

Just made this:

https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/tofu-artichoke-scampi/#wprm-recipe-container-13423

... whilst listening to David Bowie's Greatest Hits. It was very nice. Pressing the excess liquid out of the tofu beforehand helps it get nice and crispy when fried.

Makes a change from being like pencil erasers, then.


Sadly, tofu is not for me, but it looks a good recipe for those who like it, and maybe, just maybe, being crisp.....
I wonder if something like halloumi would be a suitable substitute.

[Joseph K]

I really like halloumi - however, it does tend to be rather squeaky against one's teeth.

[muzzer]

Dry fried halloumi in wraps with yogurt, mint, cucumber, chopped chilli if you wish, topped with Greek yogurt. Made for something of a summer.

Today ham in ginger beer with roast potatoes, both recipes courtesy of Nigella, mother of the nation’s belly.

[teamsaint]

I really like halloumi - however, it does tend to be rather squeaky against one's teeth.

Can’t see a downside in that.
However, if it is somebody elses teeth.........
Recipe sounds good, and like Pulcers, tofu isn’t really for me, at least not this far.

[Joseph K]

I just made something I call my concoction. It's based on a meal I made myself in my last year at uni, which itself was based on a chilli recipe I found. Today, it was thus:

I fry two onions, one red one white (or whatever colour a normal onion is) in lots of olive oil and vegetable oil. Add a whole bulb of garlic, most of which is finely chopped. Then one big red chilli, chopped. Then chopped coriander stalks. Then half a tea spoon of salt (in fact I'd say this was too little amount of salt, but since I'd made a meal the other week that had too much salt, I was being cautious - can always add more after...) a tea spoon of cumin powder, ground coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, dried oregano and cayenne pepper, then however much black pepper you like. Then eyeball an amount of red lentils, I'd say I used around 150g, then the same amount of green lentils. Pour over around 1 litre of veg stock, bring to boil, then turn down and simmer. After around 8 minutes add chopped green fine beans, two minutes later add a tin of red kidney beans, a tin of black beans, a tin of chopped tomatoes (which in this case contained basil and oregano) and a head of chopped broccoli. Simmer for ten or twelve minutes more, and at the end add chopped fresh coriander and the juice of half a lime.

Once again, last night I made this except this time I omitted the cayenne pepper, used pickled slices of jalapeno chillies instead of a red chillie and 'only' used around half the cloves of a head of garlic. I also added a couple of bay leaves to the pan - and like last time, fried tofu instead of broccoli. I was very pleased with how it came out - though I know it will taste better in a day or two's time when the various flavours will have had chance to mingle... or something like that anyway - infuse? It should taste (even) better at any rate. I am pleased because the last few times, after being too spicy it went in the opposite extreme, so now I have discovered a Goldilocks-level of spiciness.

[Joseph K]

I just made a mushroom bourguignon cobbler and my mum said it was one of the tastiest veggie meals that either she'd had or that I'd made. It was very tasty indeed. I got it from the Hairy Bikers' book of veggie recipes, which I received for my birthday (November the 6th) this year. It was time-consuming but well worth it.

It was accompanied by the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Joy Division's Closer.

[teamsaint]

I just made a mushroom bourguignon cobbler and my mum said it was one of the tastiest veggie meals that either she'd had or that I'd made. It was very tasty indeed. I got it from the Hairy Bikers' book of veggie recipes, which I received for my birthday (November the 6th) this year. It was time-consuming but well worth it.

It was accompanied by the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Joy Division's Closer.

Sounds good.
Just did a vast vat of cabbage and Lentil stew ( made with a big red cabbage instead of the usual Sweetheart) and a saucisson sec thrown in.

A glass of Stella and some Human League to go with.
Yum.

[Joseph K]

Just made the Hairy Bikers' Caribbean Vegetable Soup - though in fact it was eaten more like a stew or curry: with basmati rice. Absolutely delicious. Highly recommended. Loads of vegetables to cut up - I almost ran out of chopping-board space - and for a moment I wondered if there was too much veg to fit in the casserole dish, but once they'd been frying (in coconut oil) for ten or so minutes, of course they reduce. Time-consuming cutting up all those veg but otherwise straight-forward to make and a great discovery - the Caribbean spice mix and Allspice being new to me.

Chocolate Refrigerator Cake for dessert.

[teamsaint]

Just made the Hairy Bikers' Caribbean Vegetable Soup - though in fact it was eaten more like a stew or curry: with basmati rice. Absolutely delicious. Highly recommended. Loads of vegetables to cut up - I almost ran out of chopping-board space - and for a moment I wondered if there was too much veg to fit in the casserole dish, but once they'd been frying (in coconut oil) for ten or so minutes, of course they reduce. Time-consuming cutting up all those veg but otherwise straight-forward to make and a great discovery - the Caribbean spice mix and Allspice being new to me.

Chocolate Refrigerator Cake for dessert.

Sounds good. Might try that. I have a 10 bottle pack of Dunelm pepper and Jalapeno sauces burning a hole in my cupboards.......

[french frank]

A rather weak-tasting soup made of sprouts, onions, garlic and red pepper, with a stock of boiled up leek tops and cauliflower leaves. I am now going to cut into a Godminster black truffle cheese - with a glass of manzanilla sherry [to accompany]. That should cheer me up a bit.

[richardfinegold]

My wife and I made ourselves a superb New Years Eve Dinner. I baked a carrot cake, the first one since before the new millennium. I also made Seared Pan Fried Halibut in Lemon Butter sauce. My wife made a salad featuring Prosciuto that she baked until it had the texture and consistency of bacon, then lettuce, pears, avocado, green onions, that was heavenly. She also made au gratin potatoes, a first for us as well.
This was clearly a better meal than we would have had at the restaurants that we frequent, and more economical, and not an overwhelming amount of work. There have been some silver linings to the pandemic

[Barbirollians]

Made Jerusalem artichoke soup from an old Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall recipe in the Guardian that can be found online - the leeks and garlic in this recipe rather seem to have downplayed the fartichoke nature of the vegetable as well as making it rather more delicious than the usual onion ,JA and potato version.

[jayne lee wilson]

IBS somewhat troublesome again..... I take culinary pleasure where I can find it, and cope with it.....

Remarkably, those instant noodle packs like Nissin Demae Ramen have become a favourite gratification. I cook half the packet in a 1-3 dilution of consommé or cock-a-leekie tinned soups to water (ca.400ml of broth), adding the sesame or spicy flavourings, then chopped cucumber and tomatoes, garlic cloves, and some potted salad mixed beans. Plenty of Lee Kum Kee pure sesame oil and other herbs.

A wonderful teatime treat.... but that still leaves the agonies over... supper. I relish the salad, but after that......
The garden birds often do very well out of my attempts.