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Just basmati that needs cooking, Tilda was the first one that popped up
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When my partner is away working for a week, I just do a monster chilli and keep the pan in the fridge for the week. Next to the beer. Then just warm up a portion and some rice each day. Man may not be able to live by bread alone, but beer and chilli hits the spot.
When I used to batch-cook my own curries, I used to go to the ethnic cash n' carry, and buy 10kg of onions, and a couple of kilos each of ginger and garlic.
Blend and bung the lot in a ginormous stock pot, and you'd have enough base sauce for dozens of curries
Freeze the lot in tubs, and you'd have healthy and easy meals within 30 minutes.
Spices as well; a kilo for a quid or two, compared to a couple of quid for 50g.
When I used to batch-cook my own curries, I used to go to the ethnic cash n' carry, and buy 10kg of onions, and a couple of kilos each of ginger and garlic.
Blend and bung the lot in a ginormous stock pot, and you'd have enough base sauce for dozens of curries
Freeze the lot in tubs, and you'd have healthy and easy meals within 30 minutes.
Spices as well; a kilo for a quid or two, compared to a couple of quid for 50g.
I've done something similar in the past when I had more time. Made some quite good curries. Not quite restaurant quality, but on the plus side a lot healthier.
Often buy spices in Asda. Forget the Schwartz spices, they have larger quantities in pouches in the 'world foods' aisle. Not as cheap as the etnic places, but still reasonable.
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Talking of soup, I like to make a spiced butternut squash soup with red split lentils and tomato.
My own recipe, but I just peel hack up a butternut squash (scoop out the seeds). Toss the chunks in a little oil then season with salt & pepper and whack them in the oven.
Meanwhile chop some onions and sweat in a large pan with some garlic and a mixture of whatever spices, fresh or dried, tickle your fancy. Add a little water if the mixture looks dry. When the onions are translucent, add a tin of chopped tomatoes (or fresh if you have a glut), a couple of handfuls of lentils and some stock - I use veggie stock, but I guess you could use chicken.
When the squash is cooked, bung it in the pan with the rest and simmer for a good half hour. After cooking, I blitz with a hand blender, but if you want a chunky soup, you could just serve it as is. Or even blend half, leave half chunky and mix it together.
It's a great filling soup with some crusty granary bread and proppa butter.
Another soup fave is celery, apple and tomato. Whole head of celery, tin of toms and 1 apple.
Yet another is Pistou, a veg soup with beans and baby pasta. I use the Rose Eliot recipe, but the great thing is you can chop and change the ingredients if you don't have one or other of them. It still tastes good. And it's a meal in itself with a lump of bread.
You could make it meaty if you wish, with chunks of chicken breast or flecks of ham hock.
I'm quite into spicy food these days, far more so than I was even 10 years ago.
One of my fave brunches is Shakshuka, which varies greatly depending on the country or even region of origin.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/mar/03/how-to-make-the-perfect-shakshuka
I think soups are great, as you can often make a tasty soup from bits and pieces knocking around in the fridge that you might otherwise sling.
Our slow cooker too, I find really handy. I can cook a slow-cooked stew for Mrs Secure and the boys using some cheap cuts of beef which I brown off in a pan having tossed in seasoned flour. sweat off some onions and garlic in a pan, throw into the slow cooker with the meat, add some beef stock then chop in some carrot, celery, sweet (or ordinary) potato and some tinned tomato.
I usually slow cook if for at least 24 hours or until the meat is falling apart.
I cook pulled pork and slow cooked lamb shoulder in a similar fashion, although the pork is cooked on it own with stock, but no veg.
The pork is great (I am told) shredded on crusty white rolls, with a simple slaw of shredded red and white cabbage and grated carrot mixed with a little mayo.
My own recipe, but I just peel hack up a butternut squash (scoop out the seeds). Toss the chunks in a little oil then season with salt & pepper and whack them in the oven.
Meanwhile chop some onions and sweat in a large pan with some garlic and a mixture of whatever spices, fresh or dried, tickle your fancy. Add a little water if the mixture looks dry. When the onions are translucent, add a tin of chopped tomatoes (or fresh if you have a glut), a couple of handfuls of lentils and some stock - I use veggie stock, but I guess you could use chicken.
When the squash is cooked, bung it in the pan with the rest and simmer for a good half hour. After cooking, I blitz with a hand blender, but if you want a chunky soup, you could just serve it as is. Or even blend half, leave half chunky and mix it together.
It's a great filling soup with some crusty granary bread and proppa butter.
Another soup fave is celery, apple and tomato. Whole head of celery, tin of toms and 1 apple.
Yet another is Pistou, a veg soup with beans and baby pasta. I use the Rose Eliot recipe, but the great thing is you can chop and change the ingredients if you don't have one or other of them. It still tastes good. And it's a meal in itself with a lump of bread.
You could make it meaty if you wish, with chunks of chicken breast or flecks of ham hock.
I'm quite into spicy food these days, far more so than I was even 10 years ago.
One of my fave brunches is Shakshuka, which varies greatly depending on the country or even region of origin.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/mar/03/how-to-make-the-perfect-shakshuka
I think soups are great, as you can often make a tasty soup from bits and pieces knocking around in the fridge that you might otherwise sling.
Our slow cooker too, I find really handy. I can cook a slow-cooked stew for Mrs Secure and the boys using some cheap cuts of beef which I brown off in a pan having tossed in seasoned flour. sweat off some onions and garlic in a pan, throw into the slow cooker with the meat, add some beef stock then chop in some carrot, celery, sweet (or ordinary) potato and some tinned tomato.
I usually slow cook if for at least 24 hours or until the meat is falling apart.
I cook pulled pork and slow cooked lamb shoulder in a similar fashion, although the pork is cooked on it own with stock, but no veg.
The pork is great (I am told) shredded on crusty white rolls, with a simple slaw of shredded red and white cabbage and grated carrot mixed with a little mayo.
