I love cooking me!

[Mr Mystery]

Brace yourself! It's a happy thread!

As the title says, I effing love cooking me! Most days I'll be cooking my dinner from scratch, and I do enjoy experimenting.

For instance, this past week I've mostly been making pizza. Base dough is dead easy, and one batch provided enough for ten bases. And will cost you about a quid in ingredients. Divvy it up, bung in freezer wrapped in cling film. Topping? Whatever you have or whatever you fancy!

Tonight? Sauce is tomato purée. Rest is grated cheddar, bit of chopped red onion, half a chorizo, and some pepperoni. Took the dough out this morning, knocked it back and rolled it out when I got in, and pizza was ready to go before the oven. All for around a quids worth of ingredients. Fancy something different? I like to use Reggae Reggae sauce. Spicy and barbecue, it works really well as a base sauce. Again bung on what you fancy.

I also do a mean stew (love my slow cooker) and once I have the readies, I'll be plundering the spice store up the road for fresh curry ingredients. Including turmeric as the root!

So any other kitchen potterers on here!

[Deadlift]

I am soooooo with you on this.
I could (and sometimes do) graze all day long
I love meat in all its lovely ways, I do eat a huge amount of chicken and can easily do 4 breasts a day. I did Atkins 5 years ago for awhile to try nd trim own a bit and lost about 35 pounds. Never felt weaker in my life.
For me cooking is not only about the fuel, it's about putting a meal on the table and having my ever increasing tribe sit down, eat, talk and enjoy each others company. Having them enjoy my cooking too always gives me the feel good factor.
So while most of my meals consist of chicken, pineapple and whey for myself. Every evening I can make the time we all sit and chow down on a proper meal.
I could do with some input on slow cooker recipes though, just bought one and any tips would be great.

[Godless Zealot]

After years of loathing cooking and preparing meals it was at the tail end of last year something changed. I guess I finally matured, as I'm getting old now you see, and suddenly found myself instead of rushing to throw some quick simple meals together I found myself taking my time. I actually thought about what I should be eating, getting better ingredients and just spending that bit extra time in the kitchen. What's really strange for me is that I'm actually starting to enjoy it. There is a certain satisfaction preparing a meal from scratch and it tastes so much better (At least when you get it right).

[Mr Mystery]

Stew is dead easy. Packet of beef (cheaper the better, as the long cooking time ensures it's tender!) usual veg suspects (I use a swede, carrots, onion and parsnips, chopped good and chunky). Few oxo cubes, herbs to taste, bottle of cheap red plonk, and leave it to cool until it's done! I love my slow cooker. Because I can leave it on 'keep warm' it brings economy of scale to one man dining.

If it's a bit thin, add cornflour, smidge at a time to thicken.

Tomorrow, I attempt a new chicken dish. Chicken breast, covered in colman's English mustard powder and a bit of oil, chucked on the George Formby grill, with mash and roast carrots and parsnips. Can do the veg prep tonight, so it's quicker tomorrow night. Should be tasty. I also have goose fat to use up, so Veg will be cooked in that. Couple of garlic cloves, some thyme, and Bob's your auntie's Russian male order toyboy.

[Mr Mystery]

Stew is dead easy. Packet of beef (cheaper the better, as the long cooking time ensures it's tender!) usual veg suspects (I use a swede, carrots, onion and parsnips, chopped good and chunky). Few oxo cubes, herbs to taste, bottle of cheap red plonk, and leave it to cool until it's done! I love my slow cooker. Because I can leave it on 'keep warm' it brings economy of scale to one man dining.

If it's a bit thin, add cornflour, smidge at a time to thicken.

Tomorrow, I attempt a new chicken dish. Chicken breast, covered in colman's English mustard powder and a bit of oil, chucked on the George Formby grill, with mash and roast carrots and parsnips. Can do the veg prep tonight, so it's quicker tomorrow night. Should be tasty. I also have goose fat to use up, so Veg will be cooked in that. Couple of garlic cloves, some thyme, and Bob's your auntie's Russian male order toyboy.

It can also save you money. Post Christmas, Turkey was stripped of meat, and used in a curry. Carcass is currently in the freezer for when I fancy making soup or stock.

Next toy I want to buy is a sausage machine (Fnarr Fnarr) so I can make my own chorizo, salami and good old fashioned bangers! Again let's me buy cheap cuts of fatty meat and put them to good, tasty use. And dammit, mucking about in the kitchen and making food is an awesome pastime!

[Deadlift]

Cheers Mystery
Talking of left overs, I diced up the remainder of a beef roast and used it to make a chilli in my slow cooker, was great with nachos, sour cream and grated cheese. Bottle of Shiraz and I was a happy lad.

[Mr Mystery]

You can do all sorts with a slow cooker. They're particularly good for chilli, as it really lets the flavour develop. To kick it off, I brown the mince with two or three Oxo cubes crumbled in.

Again just bung it all in. Chopped onion (fine or chunky, your call) tin of tomatoes, tin of kidney beans, tin of pinto beans, and for laziness couple of jars of chilli sauce. Again leave it overnight, and all day. Biggedy bong, ready for the rice when I get in from work. Usually lasts three or four days! And on account I'm a heat psycho, a couple of scotch bonnets bunged in for good measure! The long cooking mellows them just enough!

I also make my own bread. 500g strong white flour, 7g dried yeast, teaspoon of salt, 300ml warm water, pinch of sugar, tablespoon of olive oil. Sieve the flour into a bowl, add the salt. Meanwhile add yeast and sugar to the warm water, and leave for a few minutes to wake up the yeast and get it hungry. Add to the flour and salt, along with the olive oil and mix well. Once combined (shouldn't be too sticky) the knead well for 10 minutes until nice and elastic. To check if it's kneaded well enough, let it rest for a few seconds, and lightly prod it. The indent should bounce back out.

Leave in an lightly oiled and covered bowl for an hour or so until risen to twice it's size. Knock it back, and leave to rise again. This bit is very pleasing, and it can be knocked back several times if you wish.

I prefer to leave it to prove/rise again on it's baking tray. Heat oven to 230. Before bunging it in, make a few slashes in the top (this lets the steam out). The bake at 230 for 15 minutes, the turn oven down to 200 and leave a further 10 minutes. When it's ready, it should souned hollow.

Leave to cool on a wire rack, and marvel at how quickly it's consumed!

[Wildeybeast]

Brace yourself! It's a happy thread!

As the title says, I effing love cooking me!

I'm curious as to which bits of you make the best cut of meat (and how you avoid attend problems with blood loss and infection and such like)? Also, do you have any interesting recipes for long pig?

[Mr Mystery]

Well thankfully the Mystery line has a high percentage of reptilian genes, and as such I can lop bits off for the pot. Usually my left leg. It's always back by morning!!

[Wildeybeast]

Neat. I'm pretty sure my mum has reptilian DNA, though sadly it's just a complete inability to regulate her own body temperature.