Shortcuts in cooking.

My favourite cheat is via the chip shop!

Just starting in proper on using some SouperCubes I bought (ie flexible food storage containers). The whole idea of them is that one can make up one or more extra portions of food when cooking, put that into them, freeze and then decant into plastic bags when frozen.

They talk about people heating them back up from frozen in a microwave - and it's decades since I read about them and got rid of the one I'd bought. But apparently the portions can also be cooked in an oven or steamed over a hot saucepan.

Cue for easiest by far = I took out of the freezer at lunchtime today - leftover canned tomatoes, cooked rice and leftover canned black beans. I'll make those tomatoes and beans up with onions and anything else I fancy (mushrooms maybe? peppers if I've got any?) into a sauce with the reheated rice and job's a good 'un = dinner in 5 minutes so to say.

I've got plans on deliberately making some soup, some healthy cookies, etc and freezing them. Cooking for one is a right nuisance - by the time you've probably got to divide a recipe in two and have it two days running and just how do you divide an egg anyway etc?

I can envisage them helping a lot in "cooking for one" and those days when I absolutely can't be bothered - just hoick out a couple of bags at lunchtime = basis for evening meal.

kittylester

I wish sliced onions were easier to find.

I have bought them from Sainsburys and Aldi.

as I like mashed potato and my OH only likes chips which i hate the dried mash and frozen chips are always in our cupboard/ freezer.
we usually have frozen cauliflower cheese its good as you can have as much or as little as you want to have so none wasted.
similar with stir fries again I do not like but OH does so a good thing to have in freezer for odd occasions

My GS is doing food technology at GCSE level and they use Rapeseed oil as the chosen oil for cooking.
I must check it out.
We have a bottle in the cupboard which he took when cooking.
It is only a small part of the course but I hope the school is only recommending decent oil.

Grated cheese is covered in a dust like product to keep it separate. We need to know what in our food.

Just checked the ingredients for the grated cheese I buy from Tesco.
The anti-caking agent is potato starch.

Yes. I double-check ingredients because member of our family is coeliac and needed to make sure it is not wheat flour.

...a lot of prepared stuff you can buy is full of rubbish like Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, sweeteners and GMO.

Rapeseed oil is better than many other oils. It has a high smoking point and contains Omega-3, low in saturated fat so is heart-healthy. We use the organic one.

Some Palm oil is good too, not all.

Grated cheese is covered in a dust like product to keep it separate. We need to know what in our food.

Just checked the ingredients for the grated cheese I buy from Tesco.
The anti-caking agent is potato starch.

...a lot of prepared stuff you can buy is full of rubbish like Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, sweeteners and GMO.

Rapeseed oil is what my Mum was told to use for cooking after my Dad had a heart attack and bypass.

Granmarderby10

I’ve not found ready made mashed potato that I like. Far too “gluey” even the premium ones I even tried the dried reconstituted mash that you mix up with boiling water and it was far worse than I remember.

I wonder if it’s possible to successfully freeze homemade mash.
It works on shepherds and cottage pies etc so….

I’ve not found ready made mashed potato that I like. Far too “gluey” even the premium ones

Yes, they're all 'gloopy' - over-processed.

Thank you Basgetti I will give that a go😺

Usedtobeblonde I bought some of that Idahoan but I’d rather go without to be honest.🙁

The nicest frozen mash I have had was from Iceland, better than Sainsbury’s I decided.
I have used the packet Idahoan but it isn’t very easy to just cook for one portion so I stopped buying it.

Frozen mash is fine as it bought fresh supermarket mash.

As recommended by a friend years ago I make white sauce in the microwave.
Just measure milk, flour, salt and a knob of butter to a large Pyrex jug, it does need to be a large one.
Whisk well together and heat for a minute, whisk well together again , cook for another minute, repeat whisking well between each cook time.
About 4 minutes should do it then while hot add cheese if that is what you are making.
Absolutely foolproof if not authentic.

Granmarderby10

I’ve not found ready made mashed potato that I like. Far too “gluey” even the premium ones I even tried the dried reconstituted mash that you mix up with boiling water and it was far worse than I remember.

I wonder if it’s possible to successfully freeze homemade mash.
It works on shepherds and cottage pies etc so….

Yes, we freeze mash. It’s much better if you freeze just potato, no butter or milk, and add those after heating.

I’ve not found ready made mashed potato that I like. Far too “gluey” even the premium ones I even tried the dried reconstituted mash that you mix up with boiling water and it was far worse than I remember.

I wonder if it’s possible to successfully freeze homemade mash.
It works on shepherds and cottage pies etc so….

Soffrito is what we called pot herbs when I was a child. My father ran a greengrocers and they used to make up bags of them for sale. A job we used to help with as children.

I use the frozen onions too! In Sainsbury’s I also buy frozen leeks, peppers and mushrooms. Apart from the convenience I find that I end up with vegetables that get thrown away. This must be very useful for those cooking for one.

While I’m all for any cheat possible we must not forget that a lot of prepared stuff you can buy is full of rubbish like Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, sweeteners and GMO.

I get mine in M&S

crazyH

Grated cheese, chopped onions, Fresh diced chicken, beef , ready-to-use casserole vegs , sliced mangos, prepared salad ( bit wary since I had food poisoning )- any thing for an easy life, …..

Grated cheese is covered in a dust like product to keep it separate. We need to know what in our food.

ViceVersa

I like the frozen soffrito base mix - mainly because I can't abide celery in any other form, but I do like it for things like bolognese etc. Saves waste in buying celery which I wouldn't otherwise use and also saves a lot of faff with chopping.

Read this just after getting mine out of the freezer.

I am an expert in cheats cooking had to be . Can't cook fresh everyday . Even do cheats baking ,making jams ,chutney and marmalade.
Don't need any books or shows to show me been doing it over 20 years now. No one has ever turned down my cooking .

Bought ready-made Naan breads, mini or large, make great pizzas. Spread with jarred red pesto or pizza sauce, then add mozzarella, ham, mushrooms or any other topping. Air fry for 6 minutes or use grill or oven.

Tinned new potatoes, dried off and sprinkled with flour and salt, plus garlic powder and paprika if you wish. Cook in air fryer until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Alternatively cook in the oven.

bridie54

Nanny27. I never make a roux for sauces. I think it was Delia Smith I saw years ago on the telly. She just started the sauce in a pan with cold milk plus flour, butter etc and whisk as it heats up to prevent lumps.

Works with custard powder too.

Earlier this evening I watched Rick Stein make a sauce for fish pie, or rather a velouté.

It seemed fairly simple to do, but of course, an assistant had probably weighed and measured all the ingredients ready for him, and prepared the fresh fish stock!
Oh, and sourced the truffle oil too.

Nanny27. I never make a roux for sauces. I think it was Delia Smith I saw years ago on the telly. She just started the sauce in a pan with cold milk plus flour, butter etc and whisk as it heats up to prevent lumps.

Works with custard powder too.

TBH I don’t think using shortcuts such as pre-prepared onions, counts as cheating
The internet is full of recipes, mostly from the US where ingredient after ingredient comes out of a tin or packet, , or is processed sliced cheese, or something else UPF - they mostly look disgusting too.