Quick And Easy Supper Plan

When my children and their friends were young and played in each others houses quite randomly, I never knew very far in advance how many to expect at mealtimes.  It was quite normal for another two or three or four to join us at the table without much prior warning or even to have none at all and as a busy working woman, albeit from home, I had as little free time as everyone else.  Being firmly of the opinion that home cooked food is best whenever possible, and certainly for growing bodies, and wanting to be able to be spontaneously hospitable without spending too much money, a plan was clearly needed. 

I therefore got into the habit of making very large quantities of certain basics which I would freeze in portions, say enough for two or four in a tub, and stack my freezer with a week's supply – enough to feed a couple of dozen children.  This gave me a great advantage when faced with the unplanned arrivals and allowed me to agree to the request with peace of mind and the knowledge that I would not have to take everyone out for pizza.

Very young children are notorious for not liking some vegetables, or even any vegetables at all, at least mine were, while they will happily wolf down pasta and potato (which for some reason doesn't count as a vegetable) with meat sauce - as long as there are no lumps.  Once I had taken this on board the rest was easy and one of my basics was born - mince.  Now I know this does not sound very appetizing but wait…

The first thing to do is to make sure that the meat does not have too much fat in it and that it is minced finely.  Then for every two pounds of meat allow an onion, red or Spanish are kinder to the eyes, a carrot or two depending on the size, some finely chopped spinach (you can buy this frozen – use about four spheres) and a medium tin of whole plum tomatoes or a jar of plain passata.  If you want to you can add other vegetables as well.

Proceed in the normal way – chop and sweat the onion, add and fry the meat, grate the carrot and put in the spinach and tomatoes together with two tomato tins of water.  Season lightly and cook gently for at least four hours.  This sounds like a long time but it is crucial.  Stir the pot from time to time, quite vigorously to break up the vegetables, and don't let it boil dry or the mixture will stick to the bottom and burn.

It is ready when you have a thick homogenous mass.  Allow it to cool, check the seasoning and then distribute amongst your portion-size tubs and freeze.  You can make as much of this as you have room to store or will fit into your biggest pan.

With this as a starting point you have at least four fairly instant meal possibilities - spaghetti Bolognese, shepherds pie, lasagne and chilli con carne - which can be put together really quickly.  With the addition of a little garlic and red wine for the pasta and spices, vinegar, sugar and beans for the chilli, you can have a totally different taste in minutes, and it's not just children who like it!

Is There A Problem With Fish?

Some people really have a problem with fish.  Of course an allergy problem is one thing and can't be helped; this kind of problem is usually caused by shellfish and the effects can range from a mild rash or sensation of nausea right up to a life threatening condition.  Indeed it can often be extremely dangerous for the sufferer especially if they are not aware that they are allergic.

The other sort of problem is possibly more common and is to do with fish itself, the taste, the smell and most of all the bones.  This is a shame really as fish is a good source of protein and in addition oily fish are rich in vitamins A and D and Omega 3. 

Fish as food roughly divides into categories, sea and freshwater, white and oily, with some crossover between the groups.  Shellfish don't fit into any of these and are classified separately.  With the exception of salmon and trout most of the fish usually found in the shops, especially pre-packed, are saltwater varieties and the popularity of some species, cod for example, has led to overfishing and worries about sustainability.

Another problem people have with fish is how to cook it.  Although it is just as easy to cook as meat it requires a lighter touch and if you are starting from the beginning with a whole fish or a piece with skin and bones still attached there is quite a lot of preparation to be done first.

Fortunately supermarkets and food manufacturers have come to our rescue and most varieties of popular fish are now available either packaged with sauce or a coating and ready to cook or pre-prepared for our own recipes.

One of the easiest of fish dishes to prepare and eat is fish pie and it has the advantage of being suitable for all ages.  The other advantage of this is that it can be made in advance and frozen and just heated up when it is needed.  Just be sure it is really hot right the way through before serving.

 It is best made with firm white fish, poached gently in water (take off the skin and remove the bones if any), combined with a veloute sauce and topped with potato, sliced or mashed, or sliced tomatoes.  You can add chopped hardboiled egg, spinach, mushrooms or prawns if you like. 

The sauce is made by adding the cooking water to a roux of butter and flour and stirring until it has thickened.  You then adjust the seasoning and add a little cream if you wish.  Alternatively use a cornflour paste instead of the roux.

Ways Of Cooking Meat

There are many ways of cooking meat depending on the cut and generally speaking the more expensive the joint the quicker you can cook it.  The parts of the animal which have had the lease exercise are usually the tenderest and these can be roasted, fried and grilled, while the tougher pieces need longer and slower cooking.

Fortunately the nutritional value of a piece of meat has nothing to do with either its tenderness or its flavour and all cuts contain good protein, some B vitamins and iron.  This is useful to keep in mind when shopping on a budget and some of the toughest cuts can end up as the most delicious meal if they have been cooked correctly.

In the oven meat can be cooked either quickly or slowly.  Roasting at a traditional high temperature will give a joint nicely browned on the outside and pink or otherwise inside depending on personal choice.  Slow roasting breaks down the fibres so there is less shrinkage and the meat is very tender but this sometimes results in a slight loss of flavour.

Grilling and frying are best kept for the small better quality cuts of meat, chops, steak etc. as both are very fast and do not allow much time for breaking down the fibres before the meat becomes overcooked.  Marinating the meat first for an hour or two in oil and lemon with seasonings, herbs and onion is often a good idea for this type of cooking and works well when roasting too.

Long, slow cooking – stewing or braising – in a gently simmering liquid of seasoned stock and wine with root vegetables is particularly suitable for cheaper pieces of meat.  The end result is very tender meat with rich gravy and is particularly appealing during the winter months.

Meat roasted outdoor on a spit or a barbeque, provided it is done properly, cooked through and not allowed to burn, is the most delicious tasting meat of all.  Sausages, chops and steaks are equally good and best of all is suckling pig.

Uses For White Sauce

Does anyone make béchamel sauce any more I wonder?  Well you probably don’t very often but if you cook at home you might be more likely to make a basic white sauce. 

It is an essential component of macaroni or cauliflower cheese for example, and lasagne, moussaka or cannelloni, and it is not difficult to make as long as you follow a few simple rules which I will touch on later. 

They are the most obvious dishes but you might also combine a basic white sauce with onion as an accompaniment to roast lamb, or with parsley, chopped hard boiled egg or mushrooms for serving with fish.  It is the main component of a soufflé (mix three egg yolks into ¼ pint of stiff sauce and fold in the stiffly beaten whites), and it is delicious with baby beetroots.

Poured over eggs, poached or boiled, and sprinkled with cheese before being flashed under the grill, with or without ham, spinach or asparagus and served with a green salad makes an easy supper, and it has many other culinary uses.

Unless you are a very experienced cook it is always better to measure your ingredients and even then for some things it is vital.  For white sauce of a pouring consistency you will need about 1 oz of butter and flour to ½ pint of milk and for a thick sauce, which you would need for a soufflé for example you need to double the butter and flour or to halve the amount of milk.

Mix the flour into the melted butter and let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding the milk.  At this point you must stir or whisk constantly until the mixture has heated and thickened.  Alternatively you can heat the milk first and pour it on to the roux.  If you do it this way take the pan off the heat and whisk furiously as it will thicken up instantly.  Let it cook for a while, season and then beat in a knob of butter. This will give a velvety finish.

If you don’t need it immediately press a piece of film over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

How To Make Soup

Very little is more comforting on a cold winter day than a mug or bowl of hot soup with some crusty bread to go with it. Equally, cold soup in the summer is a refreshing start to a meal.

There are many different types of soup, thick or thin, hot and cold, meat, fish or vegetable based. These days most sorts can be bought in the shops either tinned, dried and in a packet or fresh in a carton. The first two are relatively cheap, vary in quality and taste and are often full of additives, and the last one is usually better but more expensive.

However, nothing really beats homemade soup and it is very quick to do and cheap to make and if you make a lot at one go it will do for more than one meal.

The basic structure of most simple soups is the same: sweat some vegetables or meat in butter, add some stock or water, cook and season, then puree all or part of it and finish with a little cream if desired. At this point it can be reheated to serve immediately or cooled down completely and either refrigerated or frozen for another day.

While it is perfectly possible to make a nice tasting and nutritious soup with water or a stock cube (just taste first before adding extra salt) the best results will usually be obtained by using fresh stock – meat based or vegetable. This is not that difficult to do either.

Chicken stock is the most versatile and can be make any time you have a roast chicken and then frozen until needed. Other kinds of stock are made the same way.

Merely put the remains of the roast, together with any left over vegetables, into a pot, cover with water and simmer for about three hours. Skim the surface after the pot comes to the boil to remove any scum. When it is ready drain the liquid into a suitable container and either freeze or keep refrigerated and use within a day or two.

This article is published in Ezine Articles.