Convenient Confessions!

This is the place to discuss not just allotments but all general gardening problems and queries which don't fit into the specific categories below.
(formerly allotments and tips, hints and problems)
Peggy Sue
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:27 pm
Location: Godmanchester, Cambs, UK

Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120111Post Peggy Sue »

I had an idea (rare but sometimes good).
I have been slowly becoming more self sufficient and more 'sustainable', my last addition being making Mayo- which is mirraculously easy, quick and yummy.

BUT I still ahve some sticking points in convenience food I can't seem to get over, so perhaps if I confess someone else can tell me a simple easy recipe or solution to motivate me on....here goes..

Gravy granules (yes really stupid I bake bread for goodness sake why can't I make gravy??!!)

Fishcakes- wel they are from the fishmonger, but even so....


Custard - really embarassed about this one, I ahve custard powder but after dinner and all that cooking I can't face making custard so I use a can :( How hard is it to make 'real' custard- perhaps I can get into it that way?

Go on I love a challenge, make me do it!!
Just Do It!

User avatar
Odsox
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5466
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 2:21 pm
Location: West Cork, Ireland

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120148Post Odsox »

Home made fish cakes are so easy to make and very yummy. Just mix flaked white fish with mashed potato and maybe a pinch of nutmeg, shape with floured hands and fry till browned.
A variation that I love is to substitute a tin of sardines (in tomato) for the white fish ... very cheap meal.

"Real" custard is a pain and although I have made it I don't think I would ever make it again ... I think I would have baked egg custard instead.

Gravy ... what sort of gravy would you consider self suffientish ? One step back from granules is Bisto powder stirred into the roast meat juices, or make your own "Bisto" with home-made caramel powdered up ?
I should start with fish cakes !!
Tony

Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.

Peggy Sue
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:27 pm
Location: Godmanchester, Cambs, UK

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120150Post Peggy Sue »

I guess I like gravy on lots of stuff not just a roast so I need something to go on my veg

Definitely have a go at the fishcakes, that sound very easy indeed.
Just Do It!

User avatar
QuizMaster
Tom Good
Tom Good
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:26 pm
Location: Donegal, Ireland

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120154Post QuizMaster »

powdered mushroom sauce mix.

Delicious mushrooms:

(1) Buy the offending item and some mushrooms
(2) Ignore the instructions on the packet
(3) Empty the entire contents of the packet into a saucepan
(4) Add just enough milk to make a paste
(5) Start heating it slowly, stirring constantly
(6) Meanwhile chop and add the mushrooms, slowly, one by one.
As the mushrooms are stirred in, they will begin to make their own liquid.
If you do it slowly enough, it will never dry out.
(7) When all chopped in, simmer for a few minutes. Mushroomy mushrooms. Yum yum yum delicioso.

Unfortunately you need 3 hands for this exercise (2 to chop, one to stir), but for the experienced chef that should be no problem.

Source: my mother.

ina
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 8241
Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 9:16 pm
Location: Kincardineshire, Scotland

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120174Post ina »

Odsox wrote:"Real" custard is a pain and although I have made it I don't think I would ever make it again ... I think I would have baked egg custard instead.
I make a kind of semi-real custard - easy and quick: whizz an egg with some milk, a tablespoon of cornflour, a tablespoon of sugar and few drops of vanilla extract; stir into half a pint of boiling milk, and it's more or less ready...
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)

User avatar
Millymollymandy
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 17637
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
Location: Brittany, France

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120264Post Millymollymandy »

Trouble is for custard you need full cream milk and I never have any of that - the one time I bought some specially to see if I could finally succeed at custard I forgot and the milk went off. :roll: :lol:

I have absolutely no qualms about using packet sauce mix if it is going to make my life easier and less time spent cooking (which quite frankly I find boring as hell). I spend all summer watering veggies, weeding round veggies, picking veggies and fruit and prepping them for the freezer so I am often absolutely NOT in the mood or am way too tired to cook them as well! :mrgreen:
boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, :hugish: (thanks)
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/

User avatar
Cheezy
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 675
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:00 pm
Location: Darlington UK

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120276Post Cheezy »

I make custard, not always with full fat milk, since like 3M we don't use it normally. You can even dilute it with water if your running low on milk!. The trick as some one has said is to add a little corn flour, this helps stop the custard from splitting, and starts the thickening process before it gets near to splitting.

Basically I slowly bring the milk to a boil with a split vanilla pod in it (you can use essence, but if your going to make custard theres no subsitute for the little black seeds!.)
Mean while I've whisked the sugar and egg yolks/eggs together.(add cornflour at this point as well) You can dry out the old used vanilla pods and then put them in a seal jar with caster sugar, this make vanilla sugar, which is great .
Some people then pour the hot milk (or cream!) on to the eggs whisk and return to the pan whisking.
Some people put the glass bowl over a boiling pan of water. If you've added the cornflour I find it OK to bang it back into the pan you heated the milk in, and slowly bring to a simmer until it thickens.

I've not included exact amounts cos I'm at work an can't remember them!.

If you want a "gravy" even when you haven't roasted a joint, here's what I do.
get two onions thinly sliced, sweat in butter until very soft and going slightly tan in colour.
add a small amount of salt and pepper, a dash of either white wine or dry sherry reduce, then add a couple of teas spoons of plain flour stir in then start to add either more white wine, chicken stock (from cubes or home made) or even just water. bring to the boil and simmer to cook out the flour. If it is still runny get two teaspoon more white flour and a teaspoon of butter, rub this together to make a paste, add small lumps of this to the gravy stirring to "melt it" repeat until thick.
Extra seasoning, for a meaty rickness try adding Worcester sauce and a tiny amount of ketchup. Or for real richness add an anchovy fillet in place of the Worcester sauce (this is what Worcester sauce is any way) It doesn't taste fishy, but is full of Umami the 5th flavour which intensifys flavours.

If you have say grilled or fried some meat while it is resting all you have to do is add a splash of white wine or dry sherry into the pan or grill and scrap off any meaty residue. To thicken either use the flour butter trick our use cornflour mixed in with cold water, heat until thickend and don't forget to add the resting juices back in to the pan/roasting tray etc.
It's not easy being Cheezy
So you know how great Salsify is as a veg, what about Cavero Nero,great leaves all through the winter , then in Spring sprouting broccolli like flowers! Takes up half as much room as broccolli

Peggy Sue
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:27 pm
Location: Godmanchester, Cambs, UK

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120280Post Peggy Sue »

Yes I guess I could get into the gravy thing, we always have shed loads of onions and plenty of worcester sauce too.

Starting to think custard from powder is probably not so hard!! :lol:

Thanks guys
Just Do It!

User avatar
Annpan
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5464
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:43 pm
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120284Post Annpan »

I do custard from powder in the microwave - the instructions will be on the back of the tin. It is really easy, and when I do milk on the hob it always seems to bubble over - usually I am trying to do something else at the same time.
Ann Pan

"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"

My blog
My Tea Cosy Shop
Some photos
My eBay

Peggy Sue
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:27 pm
Location: Godmanchester, Cambs, UK

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120286Post Peggy Sue »

Its that burnt pan that needs cleaning :? I have this wish I could make a batch and freeze lumps of custard and microwave them up but I get that really doesn't work :lol:
Just Do It!

prison break fan
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 907
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:44 am
Location: West Sussex

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120288Post prison break fan »

Oh how I agree with millymollymandy!! All summer growing the veg, and then too tired to be creative with them. just freeze em! What a waste! I am the only woman on our allotment site. All the men take their produce home for their wives to cook. Do i sound as if I am complaining? Maybe just a bit!!! pbf

User avatar
Thomzo
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 4311
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:42 pm
Facebook Name: Zoe Thomas
Location: Swindon, South West England

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120310Post Thomzo »

I'm a microwave custard convert using custard powder. In a bowl or jug at least twice the size you need for the volume of cold milk, mix the powder and sugar with a little milk. Then add the rest of the milk a little at a time stirring as you do so.

Bung in the microwave on full power for a minute (2 if you are doing a full pint). Stir. Put back for a minute, stir, put back and watch until it starts to boil up, stir, continue heating and stirring until you get the thickness you like. It usually doesn't take more than three or four minutes. Just time for the first course to go down.

Zoe

User avatar
Millymollymandy
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 17637
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
Location: Brittany, France

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120325Post Millymollymandy »

I tried a supposedly idiot proof custard recipe with cornflour. It didn't work either! :( :( :( :lol: I've had the same thing happen when I tried to make hollandaise sauce and I've realised that whilst I had always made bread and butter pudding successfully since I was about 12 I haven't managed to make it properly for years (always separates) so the problem must be when I switched to semi skimmed milk!

I suppose if I was to use ss milk with some long life cream added (always in the store cupboard) that might do the trick of raising the fat content. Hmmm. :scratch:
boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, :hugish: (thanks)
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/

Peggy Sue
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:27 pm
Location: Godmanchester, Cambs, UK

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120333Post Peggy Sue »

Can't be the milk, I use ss milk for B&B pud all teh time and it has never separated....strange, wonder what causes that?

Decided last nigth to make the custard before eating the main course then just heat it up after for pud- :cheers:

Sometimes there jsut isn't time for all that though with coming home from work, feeding horse, walking dog, weeding allotment, picking veg, cooking it then just when my legs are dropping off - he wants custard! Yes I do know whats stopping me :lol:
Just Do It!

User avatar
Millymollymandy
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 17637
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
Location: Brittany, France

Re: Convenient Confessions!

Post: # 120529Post Millymollymandy »

Aha I've just realised...... it must be FRENCH milk!!! :lol:
boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, :hugish: (thanks)
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/

Post Reply