The 'Here's what I had for dinner last night' thread - Part I

Billy86

Potato on pizza can work out really nice. There's a recipe that uses just the dough, VERY thinly cut potatoes and a tiny bit of garlic sauce (I think?), with a splash of oil and spices that is gorgeous.

GALWAYGUY
The dough I have always found is really easy to make:
- 0.5tsp of salt, 0.5tsp pepper, 1.5tsp sugar, 1 tsp of yeast (or 1 7g pack)
- 2tbsp olive oil, 330ml water
- 500g plain flour (and another handful set aside and accessible)

1. Get bowl. Put flour in bowl. Add salt, pepper, and make a 'well' in the middle
2. Make sure the water is lukewarm (from the tap is fine), put in bowl. Add sugar and yeast. Stir and leave for ~5 mins, until it makes a kind of rotten looking foam on the top.
3. Mix 1/2 of the water into the flour all and stir until combined, then add the second 1/2 and repeat. Make sure you 'catch' all the flour (some tends to go hiding in the grooves of the bowl)
4. Put some of the flour on a flat surface, put flour on your hands, and beat the sh!t out of the flour for about 10 mins, folding over whenever it flattens. Make sure the surface and your hands keep 'floured up' of the dough will stick to EVERYTHING!!
5. Tear into decent sized fistfuls, put on plates/trays/whatever and set aside for an hour or so. Let them expand, they should about double in size, then wrap each in cling film or freezer bags.

When you get used to making decent pizzas bases, life gets A LOT cheaper.

dipdip

Billy86 wrote: »

2. Make sure the water is lukewarm (from the tap is fine), put in bowl. Add sugar and yeast. Stir and leave for ~5 mins, until it makes a kind of rotten looking foam on the top.

I wouldn't be using hot water from the tap. It's stagnant in most places and unsuitable for drinking.

Billy86

dipdip wrote: »

I wouldn't be using hot water from the tap. It's stagnant in most places and unsuitable for drinking.

Sorry yeah, we get very clean water where I am. Even cold water put in the kettle or microwave or something for only a very short time then, depending on where you are; only has to be lukewarm.

tmc86

It's definitely getting colder out there! Yesterday we had sausage and mash for the game.

Chili sausages, chive mash, peas and onion gravy

tmc86

Lemon, garlic & soy Roast Chicken, with chive mash, cayenne pepper roasted carrots, peas & gravy.

Mrs Fox

^^^ Mmmmmmm gravy ^^^

Night before made fish pie.
Last night had chilli con carne with rice.
Tonight will just be spaghetti carbonara.

dipdip

Jamie Oliver's fish pie, with spinach in the mix and lemony pea puree through the mash. I added some smoked fish and omitted the cheese. Absolutely scrumptious.

Dr.MickKiller

Black bean chili

Mr Simpson

Tonight I had Piri Piri Roast Whole Chicken, with Garlic Ciabatta and Fries. Washed down with a can of Dead Pony Club. Absolute Heaven!

tmc86

An absence of gravy and mash last night! Instead, I made turkey mince chili served with cous cous.

RasTa

Everything baked in the oven tonight. No roast is complete without a Yorkshire pud after living in Canada strangely enough.

GalwayGuy2

Make sure the water is lukewarm (from the tap is fine), put in bowl. Add sugar and yeast. Stir and leave for ~5 mins, until it makes a kind of rotten looking foam on the top.
3. Mix 1/2 of the water into the flour all and stir until combined, then add the second 1/2 and repeat. Make sure you 'catch' all the flour (some tends to go hiding in the grooves of the bowl)

As a matter of interest, do you add any water at part 2, or just at part 3? I'm just kind of wondering what you put into bowl

Billy86

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

As a matter of interest, do you add any water at part 2, or just at part 3? I'm just kind of wondering what you put into bowl

Sorry, you do (the water) but in a separate bowl . A cereal bowl should do find to put the water/yeast/etc into, and later add it to the flour/salt/etc which should be in a larger mixing bowl to stop flour going everywhere (because short of dropping a dozen eggs on the ground, it's probably the most annoying thing in the world to clean).

GalwayGuy2

Thanks I shall be making it at the weekend.

Sausages, mozzarella, grated cheddar, red pepper, chilli and basal pizza.

*Drools*

Although, is it cheaper in the long term?

Pigwidgeon

Last night was carnitas from the cooking club.



Followed by some white chocolate mousse with a raspberry jelly and fresh raspberries. The mousse wasn't great, taste was lovely but the chocolate wasn't hot enough when I added it to the mix so it came out a bit grainy.

decisions

Bonus points for the Aspall

Last night was roasted chicken thighs marinated in ginger, chilli, lime and JD, topped with spring onion. Served with sweet potato mash and a light salad.

the beer revolu

Huge free range pork chop with thyme, wholegrain mustard and honey jus; beetroot, carrot, apple and ginger slaw; dressed mixed leaf salad; steamed spuds.
Good pork is so good:D

dipdip

Pigwidgeon wrote: »

Followed by some white chocolate mousse with a raspberry jelly and fresh raspberries. The mousse wasn't great, taste was lovely but the chocolate wasn't hot enough when I added it to the mix so it came out a bit grainy.

Could I have your recipe for this please - and troubleshooting tips for a better result? It looks wonderful.

dipdip

We've just polished off baked chicken breasts topped with a stuffing made from pesto, goat's cheese, breadcrumbs and olive oil, and penne tossed in a homemade tomato sauce with onions and garlic, nice and tangy from a raspberry balsamic vinegar that I picked up in the farmer's market.

I also used my oven thermometer for the first time, to test when the chicken was done. It was definitely a success, as bare chicken breasts can be quite dry and chewy. Tonight as soon as that alarm hit 74 degrees, I removed the chicken from the oven and right enough it was juicy and tender. Recommend.

Chancer3001

dipdip wrote: »

Could I have your recipe for this please - and troubleshooting tips for a better result? It looks wonderful.

Me too!

Look unreal

Low fat chicken korma:
Serves 4
Dice 4 chicken fillets and marinade in half jar pataks korma paste overnight.
Add in one onion and one red pepper, chopped or slices to your own preference.
One pineapple ring, cut into chunks and a handful of raisins.
One sachet coconut milk.
Cook in a saucepan or in a casserole dish in oven.
If it is too dry for your liking, you could add a small tub of low fat natural yoghurt. (Cream for non dieters)
Serve with brown rice, (and naan bread for the non dieters)

Billy86

Poached salmon and some pasta covered in hollandaise sauce, surrounded by spinach, rocket, cherry tomatoes, flash-fried mushrooms and some feta cheese (with little drips of the remaining hollandaise). Kind of a 'put loads of stuff together and see what happens' job but I will be doing this again!!

dipdip

Sausage, fried egg, toast and tea, which was very tasty. Followed it up with a shop-bought muffin which tasted fake and disgusting.

fussyonion

I made cheddar mash to accompany sausages and peas for dinner, but it turned out horrible
I boiled the potatoes, drained them, added grated cheddar and a small bit of butter and then mashed them.
They went all claggy and sticky and didn't taste of anything- they were just gloopy

dipdip

fussyonion wrote: »

I made cheddar mash to accompany sausages and peas for dinner, but it turned out horrible
I boiled the potatoes, drained them, added grated cheddar and a small bit of butter and then mashed them.
They went all claggy and sticky and didn't taste of anything- they were just gloopy

I hate when that happens - you've gone to loads of effort and it doesn't work out.

For cheesy mash, in the past I've mashed my spuds with butter, milk, salt and pepper until smooth, and then stirred in some cheese. You could try that maybe?

fussyonion

dipdip wrote: »

I hate when that happens - you've gone to loads of effort and it doesn't work out.

For cheesy mash, in the past I've mashed my spuds with butter, milk, salt and pepper until smooth, and then stirred in some cheese. You could try that maybe?

I think that's a better idea (stirring the cheese in). Mashing the potatoes with the cheddar just makes it all sticky.
OH suggested using Parmesan but it's only really Cheddar I buy on a weekly basis and I'm not into spending too much money on a cheese that will otherwise not be used.

The Hill Billy

Autumn is well & truly here in Switz, so the boring salads are gone for another year. Back to good hearty meals...

Friday, I had minted lamb steaks, crushed baby spuds & fried onions with gravy.
Last night, was a Thai green curry soup with beef & basil. I made a big pot, so had it for dinner again today.
Tomorrow, I'll be having a Beef Vindaloo that I maðe this afternoon. I checked it there a while ago & it rocks!

I'm also looking forwards to 'Wild Saison' over here which will be kicking off soon. Loads of boar, venison, mushrooms & berries. Geschmäck sehr güt!

fussyonion

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Autumn is well & truly here in Switz, so the boring salads are gone for another year. Back to good hearty meals...

Friday, I had minted lamb steaks, crushed baby spuds & fried onions with gravy.
Last night, was a Thai green curry soup with beef & basil. I made a big pot, so had it for dinner again today.
Tomorrow, I'll be having a Beef Vindaloo that I maðe this afternoon. I checked it there a while ago & it rocks!

I'm also looking forwards to 'Wild Saison' over here which will be kicking off soon. Loads of boar, venison, mushrooms & berries. Geschmäck sehr güt!

I've never had vindaloo; I know it's meant to be really hot, but would you share your recipe if that's ok?
I think I want to try it!

April O Neill

fussyonion wrote: »

They went all claggy and sticky and didn't taste of anything- they were just gloopy

Was it a waxy variety of potato you used? I always find that soapy spuds don't mash well, going all lumpy and gloopy.

Or, did you add the cheddar before you mashed the spuds? The first time I made cheesy mash, I made this mistake, and the melting cheese got in the way of the business of mashing the lumps out of the spuds.

So now I mash the spuds first, then add the cheese, let it soften then mash or stir it in.

Do try it again, I made cheesy mash for cottage pie last week and it was soooo worth it, the best part of the meal.

GalwayGuy2

Thank you Billy

I had sausage pizza with red peppers...and single sliced cheese. It was the only type I had in the house. :P

The dough was really easy to make. It didn't rise in the oven, I don't think, but it's say the water was too hot or I rolled it to much or something.