Cooking Tips

[calumhibee1]

I’d never heard of them and I’ve been trying to get my head round the idea since you posted this yesterday.

What do you have them with? I saw them with crackers and cheese which sounded nice enough but nothing really to write home about.

I’m fascinated tbh.

I’ve made them to go on pizzas later in the week. Apparently they work very well with pizza. I’ve never made them before so just ate a couple out the jar yesterday and they’re really nice. Nice and sweet to begin with and then you get the heat.

[Northernhibee]

Much as I feel like a hypocrite for this because I'm cutting down my meat consumption, I was given a chorizo making kit over Christmas and just got the results of it today. 2.2kg of pork mince, 375g of bacon lardons, red wine, chorizo spices, curing salt and time hanging in the airing cupboard and it's absolutely delicious. Shrinks a fair bit over time but still got a load of chorizo in the fridge and the freezer. Really, really tasty and not far off what you get over in Spain, much richer than supermarket bought stuff.

The kit was by the Snaffling Pig Co - highly recommended.

[Jones28]

Much as I feel like a hypocrite for this because I'm cutting down my meat consumption, I was given a chorizo making kit over Christmas and just got the results of it today. 2.2kg of pork mince, 375g of bacon lardons, red wine, chorizo spices, curing salt and time hanging in the airing cupboard and it's absolutely delicious. Shrinks a fair bit over time but still got a load of chorizo in the fridge and the freezer. Really, really tasty and not far off what you get over in Spain, much richer than supermarket bought stuff.

The kit was by the Snaffling Pig Co - highly recommended.

There’s nothing wrong with eating a balanced diet with sustainably sourced meat.

Sounds absolutely delicious.

[Northernhibee]

There’s nothing wrong with eating a balanced diet with sustainably sourced meat.

Sounds absolutely delicious.

It's lovely. Also making orange habanero infused dill pickled cucumbers just now and gotten some rennet and citric acid to make mozzarella from scratch.

[tamig]

It's lovely. Also making orange habanero infused dill pickled cucumbers just now and gotten some rennet and citric acid to make mozzarella from scratch.

Do you get a buffalo with that as well?

[Northernhibee]

Do you get a buffalo with that as well?

:greengrin

Last night I made home made pizza - planning to next weekend have a home made pizza topped with home made mozzarella and home made chorizo. Just a trial run for a new method I seen online that works a treat. Pre-heat a large non stick frying pan to a medium heat and pre-heat your grill to as hot as it will go. Hand stretch your dough out over a light sprinkling of semolina or flour if you don't have, rest it for a minute and then put it into your hot pan. Top it whilst its in the pan and once the bottom is browned, crispy and you can feel the heat penetrate to the top to the touch (just enough for it to be through the dough) add your cheese and put it under the grill for two to two and a half minutes. Check that you've got the dough cooked through to the touch then take it out and rest it on a chopping board or plate for a couple of minutes.

Really crispy base, fluffy on the crusts on the inside and nicely melted toppings.

My next challenge - probably in a fortnights time - is to recreate a Berlin style doner. Making the meat, sauces and bread from scratch.

[calumhibee1]

:greengrin

Last night I made home made pizza - planning to next weekend have a home made pizza topped with home made mozzarella and home made chorizo. Just a trial run for a new method I seen online that works a treat. Pre-heat a large non stick frying pan to a medium heat and pre-heat your grill to as hot as it will go. Hand stretch your dough out over a light sprinkling of semolina or flour if you don't have, rest it for a minute and then put it into your hot pan. Top it whilst its in the pan and once the bottom is browned, crispy and you can feel the heat penetrate to the top to the touch (just enough for it to be through the dough) add your cheese and put it under the grill for two to two and a half minutes. Check that you've got the dough cooked through to the touch then take it out and rest it on a chopping board or plate for a couple of minutes.

Really crispy base, fluffy on the crusts on the inside and nicely melted toppings.

My next challenge - probably in a fortnights time - is to recreate a Berlin style doner. Making the meat, sauces and bread from scratch.

Frying pan pizza is by a mile the best method for inside the house imo.

If you have the funds/space/desire to make great pizza then a pizza oven like the Ooni is an absolute game changer. They’re exceptional.

[Jack]

As one wonders through Facebook one occasionally comes across a recipe that looks fun.

Tonight I'm making chicken gyros, or kebabs as I would call them.

Its all prepared now and marinating in the fridge, I like to marinate. Honestly if I'd known what I know now I'd have just phoned the kebab shop on Easter Road! ;-)

https://tasty.co/recipe/chicken-gyros

[Northernhibee]

Frying pan pizza is by a mile the best method for inside the house imo.

If you have the funds/space/desire to make great pizza then a pizza oven like the Ooni is an absolute game changer. They’re exceptional.

I'd love to get an Ooni - may be something that I invest in this summer. I've got a pizza stone at home but found that the frying pan method still turned out better than the stone.

First try of the habanero dill pickled cucumbers today and they're superb. Sour, slightly sweet and plenty of heat but not too much. A really top drawer pickle and beer snack.

[Smartie]

FAO Northernhibee.

Tell me more about the homemade doner.

The recently closed Killie game thread piqued my interest and I see you mentioned it higher up this page.

[Northernhibee]

FAO Northernhibee.

Tell me more about the homemade doner.

The recently closed Killie game thread piqued my interest and I see you mentioned it higher up this page.

Check out the “My Name Is Andong” YouTube channel - he has three or four videos on Berlin doner and I went for the meatloaf method.

Found a recipe online for the fladenbrot that I’ll try and find for you and made the sauce and salad as per his channel too.

It’s a home run of a meal. A lot of work but well worth it. When your bread is cooling make sure that you wrap it in a towel whilst it does so as you don't want it to form a proper crust, this makes it pillowy soft which is what you want. When you cut it for your filling then toast it in a George Foreman or sandwich press to crisp the outside and keep the inside soft.

https://sortedfood.com/recipe/10289 - bread recipe
https://youtu.be/TNChsYNpV0U
https://youtu.be/6mQBqh10Bhk

[Lendo]

Much as I feel like a hypocrite for this because I'm cutting down my meat consumption, I was given a chorizo making kit over Christmas and just got the results of it today. 2.2kg of pork mince, 375g of bacon lardons, red wine, chorizo spices, curing salt and time hanging in the airing cupboard and it's absolutely delicious. Shrinks a fair bit over time but still got a load of chorizo in the fridge and the freezer. Really, really tasty and not far off what you get over in Spain, much richer than supermarket bought stuff.

The kit was by the Snaffling Pig Co - highly recommended.

That sounds unbelievably amazing and I will defo be checking it out.

[Lendo]

Out of sheer laziness and not having much to go and spend our money on (ie pub/alcohol) the girlfriend and I have ordered a Gousto, Hello Fresh and Mindful Chef boxes every week until the end of February.

It’s an expensive way to shop and get our food, but I’m really enjoying having a bit more variety. Also managed to remain vegan for the first two weeks of the year but that’ll stop soon.

[Northernhibee]

I'm planning on making hot chocolate bombes soon - does anyone know if I'd be able to put some liqueur into the centre of them so you essentially get a boozy hot chocolate when you pour the hot milk over the top? Would that work?

[Northernhibee]

Out of sheer laziness and not having much to go and spend our money on (ie pub/alcohol) the girlfriend and I have ordered a Gousto, Hello Fresh and Mindful Chef boxes every week until the end of February.

It’s an expensive way to shop and get our food, but I’m really enjoying having a bit more variety. Also managed to remain vegan for the first two weeks of the year but that’ll stop soon.

The YouTube channel Sorted Food have a "packs" app (I think called Sorted Packs, funnily enough) where you add one "pack" of recipes a week. They give you a shopping list (some ingredients will be used in two or more recipes which helps save money) and narrate you through the meal each night. I used to use Gousto and Hello Fresh which was good, but this has a similar benefit but is a much cheaper way to do it.

Membership for the app is a fiver a month.

[Northernhibee]

Aldi have waffle pans for something like seven quid just now. A wee spray of oil, the recipe I’ve put below and cooked nice and slow on each side and you’ll never buy shop bought again. Well worth buying.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/eggs-recipes/brilliant-breakfast-waffles/

[Northernhibee]

Made a veggie bibimbap tonight and it was an absolute belter.

Red rice seasoned with mirin
Spinach and pak choi wilted with garlic and almonds
Beansprouts
Carrot ribbons
Charred corn
Pickled radish
Crispy tofu
Gochuchang
Fried egg
Sesame seeds

The tofu was the star of the show - my partner thought she hated the stuff but cut it into cubes, tossed in seasoned cornflour and put it in a medium hot oven for twenty minutes. Turned it all, gave another twenty. A really healthy splash of soy sauce, sesame oil all over and a tablespoon of honey. Mix all the now slightly crisp or browned tofu in it, give it another five in the oven and it goes seriously savoury, crispy, slightly sweet but a better option than anything meaty to have on top.

[bigwheel]

Made a veggie bibimbap tonight and it was an absolute belter.

Red rice seasoned with mirin
Spinach and pak choi wilted with garlic and almonds
Beansprouts
Carrot ribbons
Charred corn
Pickled radish
Crispy tofu
Gochuchang
Fried egg
Sesame seeds

The tofu was the star of the show - my partner thought she hated the stuff but cut it into cubes, tossed in seasoned cornflour and put it in a medium hot oven for twenty minutes. Turned it all, gave another twenty. A really healthy splash of soy sauce, sesame oil all over and a tablespoon of honey. Mix all the now slightly crisp or browned tofu in it, give it another five in the oven and it goes seriously savoury, crispy, slightly sweet but a better option than anything meaty to have on top.

Sounds magic that [emoji106]

[Peevemor]

I did this easy Thai curry at lunchtime. I followed the recipe more or less to the letter and it was really excellent (cilantro is coriander apparently - I had to look that up).

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210228/6952d1a31db15f834434006dc3c9c929.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210228/8bb73f9c1134ffe0f99ff5c00312a059.jpg

[Northernhibee]

Tonight is one of our three meaty nights this week so I'm going all out - red wine caramel glazed pork belly. Cajun food, basically and going to make a cajun inspired 'dirty' rice to go along with it. Taken from a Babish video on YouTube.

2lbs of pork belly, diced into similar size. Put in a bowl and put salt through it and leave for an hour or so.

In a pan, take 500ml of cheap red wine (the fuller bodied the better) and add 400g of sugar. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce for a bit. Put your pork belly into a dish suitable for baking and strip several sprigs of thyme through it. Pour your red wine caramel over it, give it a stir and put uncovered into an oven at 180C for 30-40 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure that the ones on top don't burn. Leave it to cool for ten minutes or so before serving but you get red wine caramel glazed pork belly. Genuinely excited to try it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nORg_aXMsmA&t=966s - EDIT - took a bit longer in the oven than they said and a lot of stacking it up so it got crisp but it was well worth it. Sweet, sticky pork belly, and also made the dirty rice. Highly recommend.

[Northernhibee]

If my partner is working at the weekends up at the hospital, I’ll often do a bit of baking - a slice of something for my morning coffee and a few slices for her team up there.

Inspired by Celeb GBBO I made a Millionaires shortbread with a twist - orange shortbread base, caramel layer with an addition of miso and a sea salted chocolate top layer, tempered for a nice shine.

It’s fantastic. The miso and orange give it so much extra flavour and character - really recommend giving it a try.

[BS44]

How long will uncooked lasagna keep in the fridge?

[pollution]

Two days if there is onion in the tomato sauce, three/four if not.

[Jim44]

Does anyone use an air fryer?

[BS44]

Two days if there is onion in the tomato sauce, three/four if not.

Excellent, thank you. 👍

[Itsnoteasy]

Does anyone use an air fryer?

Yes just got one, only done chips so far. So much quicker & chips are great.

[Scouse Hibee]

Does anyone use an air fryer?

Tried one a few years back, got rid as wasn’t impressed.

[scottish_sleepy]

If my partner is working at the weekends up at the hospital, I’ll often do a bit of baking - a slice of something for my morning coffee and a few slices for her team up there.

Inspired by Celeb GBBO I made a Millionaires shortbread with a twist - orange shortbread base, caramel layer with an addition of miso and a sea salted chocolate top layer, tempered for a nice shine.

It’s fantastic. The miso and orange give it so much extra flavour and character - really recommend giving it a try.

You've got to share that recipe 😁😁

[Itsnoteasy]

Tried one a few years back, got rid as wasn’t impressed.

Didn't realise they were that old.

[Scouse Hibee]

Didn't realise they were that old.

Yeah got my Dad one too about five years ago or even longer, had to get him away from using a chip pan!

[calumhibee1]

Yes just got one, only done chips so far. So much quicker & chips are great.

I’ve got one. Also only used it for chips and they’re much better than in the oven :agree:

[Northernhibee]

A Kiwi that I work with has a super simple method of making wings in the oven that are really excellent and thought I'd share it here as you get really good results from it. My dry rub has salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and smoked paprika and I've made a gochuchang glaze from melted butter and gochuchang mixed well.
No mess, little fuss and makes them a really easy beer snack to prepare as opposed to frying and the like.

Pat your wings dry thoroughly with kitchen paper then coat in your dry rub.Put flats down onto a baking tray lined with kitchen foil, give them a spray with cooking spray and cook for 20 minutes at 180C.Flip them over and cook for 15 minutes at 180C, then if you want a glaze, brush them in that and put back for three to five minutes each side at 210C.

If you got them in a beer hall you’d go back again and again for them.

24519

[matty_f]

Does anyone use an air fryer?

Got one last week and I wish I’d bought one years ago.

So far cooked chips (fantastic) chicken thighs and wings (incredibly nice), a rotisserie chicken which was honestly as good as any I’ve ever had, apple crisps (decent) and tonight I’m trying steaks in it.

Potentially my favourite kitchen gadget at the moment.

[Andy74]

Got one last week and I wish I’d bought one years ago.

So far cooked chips (fantastic) chicken thighs and wings (incredibly nice), a rotisserie chicken which was honestly as good as any I’ve ever had, apple crisps (decent) and tonight I’m trying steaks in it.

Potentially my favourite kitchen gadget at the moment.

Been thinking about one for a while. Think it needs done.

[Peevemor]

Got one last week and I wish I’d bought one years ago.

So far cooked chips (fantastic) chicken thighs and wings (incredibly nice), a rotisserie chicken which was honestly as good as any I’ve ever had, apple crisps (decent) and tonight I’m trying steaks in it.

Potentially my favourite kitchen gadget at the moment.I looked at a couple of reviews on YouTube and it looks like they're prone to uneven cooking when using 2 levels. They also look like they'll be a pain to clean. Is that your experience?

[Jim44]

Got one last week and I wish I’d bought one years ago.

So far cooked chips (fantastic) chicken thighs and wings (incredibly nice), a rotisserie chicken which was honestly as good as any I’ve ever had, apple crisps (decent) and tonight I’m trying steaks in it.

Potentially my favourite kitchen gadget at the moment.

I live on my own now, am type 2 diabetic, really enjoy cooking, and think this gadget could be really handy at times. I’m tempted to get one.

[matty_f]

I looked at a couple of reviews on YouTube and it looks like they're prone to uneven cooking when using 2 levels. They also look like they'll be a pain to clean. Is that your experience?

Not so far. This is the one i got:

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WZVCRLM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3RZE997V52C1BQTJ21TG?_ encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Cleaning has been dead easy, just give it a good wipe down after each use with some damp kitchen roll, there’s a drip tray which you remove and clean after each use, takes seconds.

Not noticed any uneven cooking yet.

The steaks i had tonight were outstanding. I was really worried that I’d get the timing wrong on them (I like a steak very rare/rare usually) so i think with experience using it. I’ll be more confident but as it was, the steak was delicious - proper melt in your mouth and full of flavour. I did them at the same time as cooking chips - I kept the chips cooking while resting the steaks.

The messiest thing so far has been the rotisserie chicken, due to the chicken rotating there’s more splash on the inside (i didn’t help that though, didn’t tie up the chicken properly first) but even then, all it took was a minute to wipe it down afterwards.

I genuinely can’t recommend this enough - it’s a game changer.

[Peevemor]

Not so far. This is the one i got:

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WZVCRLM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3RZE997V52C1BQTJ21TG?_ encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Cleaning has been dead easy, just give it a good wipe down after each use with some damp kitchen roll, there’s a drip tray which you remove and clean after each use, takes seconds.

Not noticed any uneven cooking yet.

The steaks i had tonight were outstanding. I was really worried that I’d get the timing wrong on them (I like a steak very rare/rare usually) so i think with experience using it. I’ll be more confident but as it was, the steak was delicious - proper melt in your mouth and full of flavour. I did them at the same time as cooking chips - I kept the chips cooking while resting the steaks.

The messiest thing so far has been the rotisserie chicken, due to the chicken rotating there’s more splash on the inside (i didn’t help that though, didn’t tie up the chicken properly first) but even then, all it took was a minute to wipe it down afterwards.

I genuinely can’t recommend this enough - it’s a game changer.OK cheers. Like others I've been swithering about getting one. I might just go for it.

[calumhibee1]

I’ve got one. Only ever used it for chips/fries.

Chunkier chips weren’t so great but fries were streets ahead of ones from the oven.

[Scouse Hibee]

Not so far. This is the one i got:

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WZVCRLM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3RZE997V52C1BQTJ21TG?_ encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Cleaning has been dead easy, just give it a good wipe down after each use with some damp kitchen roll, there’s a drip tray which you remove and clean after each use, takes seconds.

Not noticed any uneven cooking yet.

The steaks i had tonight were outstanding. I was really worried that I’d get the timing wrong on them (I like a steak very rare/rare usually) so i think with experience using it. I’ll be more confident but as it was, the steak was delicious - proper melt in your mouth and full of flavour. I did them at the same time as cooking chips - I kept the chips cooking while resting the steaks.

The messiest thing so far has been the rotisserie chicken, due to the chicken rotating there’s more splash on the inside (i didn’t help that though, didn’t tie up the chicken properly first) but even then, all it took was a minute to wipe it down afterwards.

I genuinely can’t recommend this enough - it’s a game changer.

That looks decent, better than the Tefal one I tried years ago and wasn’t impressed at all. Got me thinking about giving it another go and buying the same one.

[matty_f]

That looks decent, better than the Tefal one I tried years ago and wasn’t impressed at all. Got me thinking about giving it another go and buying the same one.

I have no regrets! Jane is worried that we’re going on a chicken only diet though :faf:

[Peevemor]

I recently discovered how easy it is to make my own naan bread but it's a pest in that it's a lot of faffing about and mess when your in the middle of doing/cooking something else.

So what I plan to do is spend an hour or so making loads and freezing them, uncooked, in meal size batches.

Will that work, ie. freezing naan shaped dough (separated by paper) or should I half-cook them?

Any advice appreciated.

[Lendo]

I recently discovered how easy it is to make my own naan bread but it's a pest in that it's a lot of faffing about and mess when your in the middle of doing/cooking something else.

So what I plan to do is spend an hour or so making loads and freezing them, uncooked, in meal size batches.

Will that work, ie. freezing naan shaped dough (separated by paper) or should I half-cook them?

Any advice appreciated.

I’ve made pizza dough before and frozen it uncooked. Don't see any reason why naan would be different.

I was freezing the dough in balls rather than laid out flat. Surely Google has an answer.

[AugustaHibs]

Anyone got an ooni oven and if it’s worth it? Was looking at the pellet only one not the gas one.

[Hibrandenburg]

Does anyone use an air fryer?

Got one for the Caravan. Got the Philips XXL so we can roast whole chickens. Great piece of kit and easy to maintain. Joined a Facebook group who share Airfryer recipes.

[calumhibee1]

Anyone got an ooni oven and if it’s worth it? Was looking at the pellet only one not the gas one.

I’ve got the Koda (gas) and it’s amazing.

I’ve used the Ooni 3 which is one of the older ones with pellets and found it a bit of a faf tbh. There’s so much else to consider when making the pizza that I found topping up the hopper with pellets as often as you do an unnecessary hassle.

The pizzas aren’t in long enough to really get any sort of flavouring from the pellets. I do like the idea of cooking pizza with wood but I just don’t have the skill/enough hands to do it well!

[calumhibee1]

Following on from my last post, I made a Detroit Style Pizza last night.

Genuinely the best pizza I’ve ever made and one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. It was incredible.

[AugustaHibs]

I’ve got the Koda (gas) and it’s amazing.

I’ve used the Ooni 3 which is one of the older ones with pellets and found it a bit of a faf tbh. There’s so much else to consider when making the pizza that I found topping up the hopper with pellets as often as you do an unnecessary hassle.

The pizzas aren’t in long enough to really get any sort of flavouring from the pellets. I do like the idea of cooking pizza with wood but I just don’t have the skill/enough hands to do it well!

Cheers for the insight.

Do you make your own dough? I’d love to do it and watched enough on it to the point I know what I’m doing, but it seems like a lot of hassle?

[calumhibee1]

Cheers for the insight.

Do you make your own dough? I’d love to do it and watched enough on it to the point I know what I’m doing, but it seems like a lot of hassle?

I do. It’s a hassle until you get used to it but once you’ve done it a few times it does get easier. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook then it’s a breeze. By hand is still alright though.

If you were getting an Ooni I’d probably say you have to make your own dough. Pre made pizza bases or supermarket bought dough balls like the northern dough company ones a lot of supermarkets stock aren’t really made for the really high temperatures the ooni gets to. I’ve tried the northern dough company ones in it once and whilst edible they weren’t the best.

The only thing I would say on that front is if you really didn’t want to make your own dough then Ooni sell frozen ones. They’re not cheap compared to making it yourself and I think you need to buy in packs of 24 (think it’s £40 or so) but apparently they’re pretty good. Ingredients wise I’m sure they use the best of the best when it comes to flour etc.

Since I make my own dough though I would point out that I’d estimate that the same amount of pizza dough would cost you around £6 or so to make yourself with the exact same best of the best ingredients :greengrin

[Dalianwanda]

I recently discovered how easy it is to make my own naan bread but it's a pest in that it's a lot of faffing about and mess when your in the middle of doing/cooking something else.

So what I plan to do is spend an hour or so making loads and freezing them, uncooked, in meal size batches.

Will that work, ie. freezing naan shaped dough (separated by paper) or should I half-cook them?

Any advice appreciated.

I cant advise re naans but I pre make pizza bases to freeze...I get past the first proof then cut them up and individually wrap, defrost when needed

[Dalianwanda]

Cheers for the insight.

Do you make your own dough? I’d love to do it and watched enough on it to the point I know what I’m doing, but it seems like a lot of hassle?

This is the dough method I use https://www.paulhollywood.com/post/autumn-pizza (as mentioned earlier I double up so Ive a couple to put in the freezer).

[Colr]

I recently discovered how easy it is to make my own naan bread but it's a pest in that it's a lot of faffing about and mess when your in the middle of doing/cooking something else.

So what I plan to do is spend an hour or so making loads and freezing them, uncooked, in meal size batches.

Will that work, ie. freezing naan shaped dough (separated by paper) or should I half-cook them?

Any advice appreciated.

Naan’s are easy.

Never frozen them but the dough keeps a few days in the fridge OK. Actually/, it’s easier to roll out when its cold.

I use the BBC recipe.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/naan-bread



Excellent for a Dishoom Bacon Naan on a weekend morning with cream cheese, tomato chilli jam and corriander washed down with chai! Much, much cheaper than Dishoom and better.

Dishoom use bicarb instead of yeast.

[Colr]

This is the dough method I use https://www.paulhollywood.com/post/autumn-pizza (as mentioned earlier I double up so Ive a couple to put in the freezer).

Including some semolina flour in the mix makes a big difference.

[Dalianwanda]

Including some semolina flour in the mix makes a big difference.
yup..bit more crunch..i scatter that on after rolling out the dough 👍

[Peevemor]

Naan’s are easy.

Never frozen them but the dough keeps a few days in the fridge OK. Actually/, it’s easier to roll out when its cold.

I use the BBC recipe.

Excellent for a Dishoom Bacon Naan on a weekend morning with cream cheese, tomato chilli jam and corriander washed down with chai! Much, much cheaper than Dishoom and better.I know now how easy it is and I can see myself making them fairly often. I plan to make maybe 6 batches of 4 naans in a oner which will last a good few weeks hence the freezing.

[nonshinyfinish]

We have vegan friends coming round tonight and made a vegan chili that I'll serve with coriander flecked cous cous and dairy free cheese flavoured tortilla chips.

2x sweet potato (cubed into approx 1cm cubes)
1x white onion (diced)
1/2 a leek (shredded)
1 carrot (finely grated)
2x tins chopped tomatoes
50g tomato paste
3 tins of beans (whatever ones you prefer, I went for berlotti, haricot and kidney)
1tsp cumin
1tsp fennel seeds
1tsp dried chili flakes
3tsp smoked paprika
2 big fat cloves of garlic
1x vegan friendly veggie stock cube
1x fresh red chilli
Handful of chopped coriander
1tbsp brown sugar
Optional: 1x dried ancho mulato chili (any dried, smoked chili would be good)

Sweated off and softened the sweet potato, grated carrot, onion and leek. Added the tomato paste, garlic and spices, then drained, rinsed and added the beans. Keep the tins to one side. Added the rest of the ingredients (dried chili aside) and put on a low heat. Filled the tins with water and added.

Boil a kettle and soak the dried chili for five minutes. Drop it into the chili (like a teabag) and simmer, reducing down for as long as necessary to make a nice thick chili. Add salt, pepper and spices to taste.

Remove the dried chili before serving and discard.

I've cooked things for them before -home made spicy beanburgers with home made salsa in vegan brioche and made Korean BBQ cauliflower wings for watching the football, but this is the one I'd pick over the meaty version (unless you use brisket, in which case I'm in). Rich, spicy, flavoursome and comforting.

I've read this thread cover to cover over the last week or so – some brilliant tips and recipes to try.

Northernhibee: a question on your vegan chilli recipe – if you were making this in a slow cooker, would you do anything differently? Add the beans or sweet potato later? Or just do everything the same other than cooking for longer?

I've also seen gochujang mentioned a fair few times so I'll throw in the recipe that I use for chogochujang – this is the gochujang-based sauce you'd get with bibimbap etc in Korean restaurants:

1/3 cup (slightly over 5 tbsp) gochujang paste
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Just mix it all together. Some recipes include garlic and/or replace some of the sugar with honey.

Scale that to whatever container you want to put it in – I use a cleaned-out squeezy sauce bottle so it's easy to dispense.

Gochujang paste is easy to find in Korean/Asian supermarkets, if there isn't one locally you can order it online. I use the 'normal' level of spiciness, labelled 3 out 5 on the brand that I buy. As someone who likes spicy but not insanely hot food (in curry terms, I don't like vindaloo/phaal but do like the next level down in a typical Indian restaurant), this is the right level for me but you might want to go up or down based on your taste.

Rice wine vinegar you might get in the Asian section of a large supermarket, if not then again you'll find it in Asian supermarkets or online. Can also use white wine vinegar in a pinch.

As well as the traditional use on bibimbap and other Korean food, I use this a lot as a general condiment along similar lines to sriracha etc.

[JeMeSouviens]

Cheers for the insight.

Do you make your own dough? I’d love to do it and watched enough on it to the point I know what I’m doing, but it seems like a lot of hassle?

Tesco's in Colinton are selling "00" (doppio zero) flour cheap just now, if you want authentic Neapolitan standards. I haven't tried it yet to see if it makes any odds.

Making your own dough is easy enough once you get the hang of how much water to get a good consistency. You just want it wet enough to all clump together in one lump to start kneading, but not so wet it's a sticky mess.

[calumhibee1]

Tesco's in Colinton are selling "00" (doppio zero) flour cheap just now, if you want authentic Neapolitan standards. I haven't tried it yet to see if it makes any odds.

Making your own dough is easy enough once you get the hang of how much water to get a good consistency. You just want it wet enough to all clump together in one lump to start kneading, but not so wet it's a sticky mess.

Be aware that all 00 flour isn’t the same - Waitrose sell a 00 flour but it’s really for use with pasta and isn’t the best for a more NY/thin pizza as it’s got quite a low protein content. However, something with a lower protein content is better for a more Neopolitan style pizza. The 00 aspect of it is to do with how fine the flour is rather than anything else.

You’ll be able to make pizza with it, probably even pretty good pizza, but it won’t necessarily be outstanding if it’s not the right stuff

[JeMeSouviens]

Be aware that all 00 flour isn’t the same - Waitrose sell a 00 flour but it’s really for use with pasta and isn’t the best for a more NY/thin pizza as it’s got quite a low protein content. However, something with a lower protein content is better for a more Neopolitan style pizza. The 00 aspect of it is to do with how fine the flour is rather than anything else.

You’ll be able to make pizza with it, probably even pretty good pizza, but it won’t necessarily be outstanding if it’s not the right stuff

Oh, could be the wrong stuff then. Good tip.

[calumhibee1]

Got the Ooni out again today. Making a mix of Neapolitan pizza and NY style pizza.

Had it out last weekend and it is an incredible piece of kit. :agree:

[hibsbollah]

Going back to the air fryer thing, I think I’ve now totally mastered the potato wedges. (I have a thing called a Ninja, air frying is just one of the functions). Maris pipers cut into wedges, then a mix with olive oil, oregano, paprika, loads of garlic and lemon juice. The instructions told me to add this mix AFTER the 30 mins air frying but I added it before by mistake and it takes the crunchyness up a few notches. Ive sampled a few different combinations and this is my favourite. Just fantastic.

[Mon Dieu4]

Going back to the air fryer thing, I think I’ve now totally mastered the potato wedges. (I have a thing called a Ninja, air frying is just one of the functions). Maris pipers cut into wedges, then a mix with olive oil, oregano, paprika, loads of garlic and lemon juice. The instructions told me to add this mix AFTER the 30 mins air frying but I added it before by mistake and it takes the crunchyness up a few notches. Ive sampled a few different combinations and this is my favourite. Just fantastic.

Thanks for making me hungry, I'm trying that, sounds amazing

[Moulin Yarns]

Sunday past was close to the wedding anniversary so I did a special meal.

Globe artichoke (home grown) with a dip

Haunch of venison with baby new potatoes (home grown) baked beetroot (home grown) and baby courgettes (home grown)

Followed by raspberry pavlova.

Salivating writing it. 😉

[nonshinyfinish]

Going back to the air fryer thing, I think I’ve now totally mastered the potato wedges. (I have a thing called a Ninja, air frying is just one of the functions). Maris pipers cut into wedges, then a mix with olive oil, oregano, paprika, loads of garlic and lemon juice. The instructions told me to add this mix AFTER the 30 mins air frying but I added it before by mistake and it takes the crunchyness up a few notches. Ive sampled a few different combinations and this is my favourite. Just fantastic.

I have a Ninja as well, I use the slow cooker and pressure cooker functions all the time but haven't tried the air fryer properly. I've tried sweet potato fries a couple of times and while they were nice, they weren't really crispy. I think it's maybe just harder to get sweet potato crispy?

What temperature was your potato wedges recipe? Will give that a try.

[hibsbollah]

I have a Ninja as well, I use the slow cooker and pressure cooker functions all the time but haven't tried the air fryer properly. I've tried sweet potato fries a couple of times and while they were nice, they weren't really crispy. I think it's maybe just harder to get sweet potato crispy?

What temperature was your potato wedges recipe? Will give that a try.

3minute steam with a wine glass full of water, then 200c air fry for 30 minutes. It’s basically just the one in the recipe book with extra lemon and garlic and I also added paprika because I like em spicy.

[nonshinyfinish]

3minute steam with a wine glass full of water, then 200c air fry for 30 minutes. It’s basically just the one in the recipe book with extra lemon and garlic and I also added paprika because I like em spicy.

Tried this, really good.

One of my go-to recipes is the first one in this article: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jan/18/yotam-ottolenghi-slow-cooking-recipes-mushrooms-parsnips-and-brussels-sprouts, which as it says produces more of the chilli/onion/garlic oil mixture than you need for that recipe. Therefore I used some of the leftover mixture on the air-fryer potato wedges in the same way. Very tasty. Obviously you could just buy chilli oil instead.

[Northernhibee]

Treated myself to a Panasonic breadmaker that makes breads, has a nut, seed and fruit dispenser but also makes jams, compotes, pasta and dough for things that you don't want in a pan shape (pizza dough, chelsea buns etc).

Absolutely love it - a loaf of bread is dirt cheap to make but for making home made pizza as a mid week meal it's great to set it on a timer and know there's no mess to clean up.

[Northernhibee]

Made one of my favourite one-pot dishes tonight.

Get a decent heavy bottomed saucepan on the stove on a medium heat and add a good knob of butter and get foaming. Brown off some chicken breasts (don’t cook all the way through, just five minutes or so) and baste throughout with the butter. Put them to one side.

Same pan, add sliced baby new potatoes and a big handful of smoked bacon lardons. Add a sliced onion and three cloves of garlic. Add some thyme, throw in a tablespoon of flour and coat. Put the chicken back in, a table spoon of Dijon mustard and the same of wholegrain mustard, a Tesco white wine stockpot, a chicken stockpot, a bloody massive dollop or two of honey and 500ml of boiling water.

Cover with foil and cook on the hob covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 15. Season to taste, add some cream and mix it in.

It’s really simple, gives enough time to do the washing up whilst it’s cooking on the hob. Can’t mind where I got the initial recipe but it’s super simple.

[Mon Dieu4]

For the life of me I can't work out why I've never had it before but just made myself some Stromboli, what's not to like about a pizza/calzone Swiss roll

Really easy, make a rectangular pizza base and put on all your toppings, I had pizza sauce, buffalo mozzarella and Prosciutto, roll it up like a Swiss roll then an egg or olive oil wash and score steam vents in the top

Then bake until golden brown, it was immense, like a multi layered calzone

[calumhibee1]

For the life of me I can't work out why I've never had it before but just made myself some Stromboli, what's not to like about a pizza/calzone Swiss roll

Really easy, make a rectangular pizza base and put on all your toppings, I had pizza sauce, buffalo mozzarella and Prosciutto, roll it up like a Swiss roll then an egg or olive oil wash and score steam vents in the top

Then bake until golden brown, it was immense, like a multi layered calzone

Stromboli is superb. :agree:

[nonshinyfinish]

For the life of me I can't work out why I've never had it before but just made myself some Stromboli, what's not to like about a pizza/calzone Swiss roll

Really easy, make a rectangular pizza base and put on all your toppings, I had pizza sauce, buffalo mozzarella and Prosciutto, roll it up like a Swiss roll then an egg or olive oil wash and score steam vents in the top

Then bake until golden brown, it was immense, like a multi layered calzone

That sounds great. Is it tricky to avoid the tomato sauce squirting out when you roll it up?

[Mon Dieu4]

That sounds great. Is it tricky to avoid the tomato sauce squirting out when you roll it up?

just leave a border round the outside with no sauce and worked perfectly

[One Day Soon]

I've just rediscovered this thread and it looks life changing.

We have a 17 and 15 year old and all four of us seem to have different food preferences - the teen preferences change almost monthly. I'm the cook so coping with this drives me ******g nuts. Recipes that were once loved are now condemned. We are down to about six or seven dishes that are still universally accepted so I really need to up the range of choices.

Anyway a huge thanks to all who have posted, I'll be trying some of your suggestions very soon. And I think perhaps investigating a Ninja air fryer too.

[WhileTheChief..]

For the life of me I can't work out why I've never had it before but just made myself some Stromboli, what's not to like about a pizza/calzone Swiss roll

Really easy, make a rectangular pizza base and put on all your toppings, I had pizza sauce, buffalo mozzarella and Prosciutto, roll it up like a Swiss roll then an egg or olive oil wash and score steam vents in the top

Then bake until golden brown, it was immense, like a multi layered calzone

Lost me at this bit!

[calumhibee1]

Lost me at this bit!

Without being big headed, I make really good pizza. I’ve made hundreds of pizzas from scratch including dough etc and cooked them either on a baking steel or in my Ooni.

Making pizzas anything but round is an absolute pain. I know it would seem like it would probably be easier making them square or rectangle but that couldn’t be further from the truth!

[Northernhibee]

Without being big headed, I make really good pizza. I’ve made hundreds of pizzas from scratch including dough etc and cooked them either on a baking steel or in my Ooni.

Making pizzas anything but round is an absolute pain. I know it would seem like it would probably be easier making them square or rectangle but that couldn’t be further from the truth!


Yep, I make pizzas a fair bit as I begrudge what a pizza takeaway charges and I’ve got it down to a fine art now. If you’re hand stretching your dough then it just seems to be naturally round.

Making tapsilog for tea tonight - been curing ribeye in orange juice, soy, brown sugar and lots of garlic. It’s served with garlic fried rice, lots of golden fried sliced garlic, a fried egg and fiery chilli vinegar. Had it in a restaurant, never made it before but looking forward to the result.

[One Day Soon]

Running a 5k next month so been trying to find ways to make takeaway food healthier for a Saturday night.

Found a way to make a chicken kebab that’s just as good, if not better than my local.

First of all, take two chicken breasts and slice them in half like you would cut a burger bun to make it thinner. Cut those in half lengthways.

In a bowl, mix 1tsp smoked paprika, 1tsp hot paprika, 1tsp cayenne pepper, 1tsp garlic powder, 1tsp onion powder and 1tsp dried oregano with 1tsp salt. Add about four tablespoons of low fat yoghurt and mix well. Put your chicken in, mix well until coated and put in the fridge overnight.

When ready the next day, put your chicken in an oven proof dish, top with any spare marinade and cover with foil. Bake at 180c for 30-35 minutes so cooked but juicy. Set to one side.

Whack on your grill to very high, and in a ramekin mix 2tbsp low fat yoghurt, a small drizzle olive oil, two grated garlic cloves, 1tsp cold water and a pinch of salt. Leave to let the garlic flavour seep into the yoghurt.

Slice a white onion and a red pepper into nice bite sized pieces and place in the bottom of your oven proof dish with the juices, give a wee mix. Slice your chicken into bite sized pieces and put that on top. Whack under the grill until you get some colour on it, then give a mix about ensuring that the ungrilled side of the chicken is exposed and do the same again. You should have chicken that’s juicy on the inside and spiced, coloured and tasty on the outside, the veg still with bite but with a little heat and slightly cooked.

Remove, turn off the grill, warm some wraps or garlic naans in the residual heat and top with some crispy salad or even coleslaw mix without the mayo, then your grilled pepper and onion, then the chicken. Drizzle some garlic yoghurt over the top and a good drizzle of your favourite chilli sauce - I use sriracha.

No word of a lie, as good if not better than the takeaway.


This went down a storm over the weekend with the whole family, teenagers included. That is frankly a triumph so sincere thanks for this one.

Next up - tonight - the Stromboli. :worried:

[Northernhibee]

Really loving my Panasonic breadmaker. Oddly, I find myself using it for making doughs that it doesn't bake itself - chelsea buns, focaccia, pizza dough, croissants. The loafs of bread are really good, but being able to make dough (which I largely end up using my own recipe for) but for it to knead it, rest it and sometimes prove it for me before shaping and baking is a massive time saver and leaves no mess. Really easy to clean too.

An absolute gem of a machine. Got an olive, garlic and black pepper focaccia in the oven just now.

[Northernhibee]

Super simple but brilliant midweek meal - butterfly one chicken breast per person and smack with a rolling pin between greaseproof. Coat in Cajun spice and season. Cook in a ripping hot pan until cooked through and charred on both sides.

Add enough honey to coat plus a tiny bit more (1-2tbsp) and cook til brown but not burned. Add a shot of silver tequila, mix in and take off heat, rolling the chicken in the sauce.

I served it with mash, swetcorn and spring onion. Very simple but absolutely delicious.