Multitasking – raw slaw

How many different brands of coleslaw have you tried and hated – personally I loathe the thick slices of woody cabbage that inevitably form part of the mix because it's mass produced and “shredded” on an industrial scale.

This is not the first time I've mentioned my solution but worthy I think of a reprise – try the “raw slaw” concept.

Finely slice whatever you fancy and bag it – red cabbage (or sweetheart, or white), carrots and onions. Bag each ingredient separately – red cabbage and carrots can bleed and onions will taint your other ingredients.

If you like fruit in your slaw throw a couple of handfuls of sultanas into a box (with a lid) and cover them with apple juice – leave for 2/3 hours and then drain off the apple juice – lovely plump bursts!

You can then make up your slaw as and when you need it – fresh to go with whatever you've chosen that day.

The method is easy – grab 2 handfuls of cabbage to 1 of carrots and 1 of onions as a rough guide.

Now for the dressing – you can if you wish do the low fat mayo and ditto crème fraiche – a dessertspoon of each, mixed and a slug of lemon juice. You could even add a tsp of Dijon mustard. Season with salt and black pepper a good pinch of sweet smoked paprika or chilli powder if you prefer.

The final addition is the drained sultanas and add an eating apple of your choice – the sharper flavour the better – ¼ed, cored and chopped. For another variation in texture add a handful of chopped walnuts.

If you'd like another low fat dressing choice, try this :

Pomegranate Dressing

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

juice of two limes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Generous pinch of nigella seeds

1-2 tsps sumac

Mix all the ingredients together and keep in a screw top jar

and fridge

The raw slaw ingredients are relatively inexpensive and have a longer fridge life in addition to which because you are bagging and “fridging” individually in their raw state they don't deteriorate as quickly.

I can only repeat what a student said “completely different - the onion gives a subtle “bite” and the dressing is very light – not at all creamy mayonnaise type sickly shop bought stuff – loved it!”

I'd like to bet you'll never buy ready-made coleslaw again!

Sunday multitasking continued

Pre-heat your oven 200c/180fan/Gas 6.

Tip your veggies into an appropriately sized foil tray ensuring that you've placed the tray onto a baking sheet. The veggies will take an hour to roast. If you've cooked your shanks today or yesterday they'll still need browning. As mentioned previously they'll take 30 minutes, so 30 minutes into the roasting time for your veggies, add the shanks to brown. If they won't stand up of their own accord then turn them after 15 minutes. Bag and fridge your leftover veggies.

Mashed potatoes

Peel a large pan of potatoes, cut to a similar size and boil until cooked through. Make sure you cook extra – you'll need them. This task can be done as you go – the potatoes can be re-heated in a microwave minutes before serving. Place leftovers in a sealed container and fridge.

If you're a mashed potato purist then you can put your potatoes through a ricer so that they will be lump free – others prefer the ordinary masher method – it's a matter of personal taste.

Whilst you're at it :

Make use of your oven and bake 350g (to serve two for a main course – double the quantity to serve 4) of new potatoes in their skins in a foil tray. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and a glug of rapeseed oil – shake to cover in the tray. Bake for 20 minutes. They should be firm – leave them in their foil tray, cool, cover and fridge.

“Smoke” 4 chicken fillets in a frying pan on the hob. Remember how – poach them in chicken stock for 10 minutes and allow them to cool in the stock. Make sure your fillets are of a similar size so that they cook at the same time. You can slice the fillet if you prefer – it's entirely a matter of choice.

Skin and flake 2 smoked mackerel fillets or one per person. Box and fridge.

Grate a bag/box of mature cheddar cheese.

Make a “raw slaw” base, bag, clip and fridge – check out the following post.

Weigh 260g of orzo and bag it, in readiness for Thursday's supper – it might sound ridiculous but I promise you when you arrive home on Thursday evening you'll be glad you did – it's quite simply one job less.

Your Sunday MTM

“Roast lamb”

You'll need a family size slow cooker.

The “roast” lamb is in fact slow cooked lamb shanks. How many shanks depends on how many you're feeding and the size of the shanks themselves, which vary. You need to consider too how you are going to serve the “roast” a shank for each person or are you going to strip the shanks and serve the delicious “nuts” of sweet meat on a serving plate. The choice is yours it's a matter of how you like to eat.

Cook an extra shank – all will be revealed later.

Using a large frying pan (or cook in batches) brown the shanks in a drop of rapeseed oil and transfer to the slow cooker. Use 2/3 lamb stock cubes and make up 500ml of stock in the frying pan and add to the shanks. Add another litre of boiling water from the kettle so that the shanks are ¾ covered. Slow cook for 4 hours in an automatic cooker – six hours on low setting if it's not automatic.

If you want your Sunday “lunch” at a specific time then you may want to consider slow cooking them on Saturday. It's not a huge task! They can be finished and browned by placing them in a foil tray for 30 minutes – turn after 15. Every household is different and likes “lunch” at a time to suit – whether 1 o'clock or 5 o'clock! Set aside your extra shank, it will not need browning – when cool, bag it and “fridge”.

Onion sauce

Remember I mentioned in the veggie prep on Saturday to peel and chop 3 medium white onions. Here's why.

Quick Onion Sauce

3 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped

Good glug of rapeseed oil and generous knob of butter

30g plain flour

500ml milk

salt and white pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

Soften the onion in the oil and butter, sprinkle over the flour and mix.

Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Use and spatula to stir, you'll cover the base of the saucepan and stop the sauce from going lumpy.

Let the sauce boil when you've added all the milk, then remove from heat and season with the salt and pepper and nutmeg if you wish.

This sauce is the perfect accompaniment to roast lamb and it can be made immediately, ready to warm through to serve later. It also means you don't need a traditional gravy. If you have any leftover sauce, box it and fridge it.

Welcome Multitaskers!

Here is your menu for the week :

Sunday

“Roast lamb”, roasted vegetables,

mashed potatoes, onion sauce

Monday

Warm smoked mackerel salad

Tuesday

Stromboli with leftover lamb shank

Wednesday

Smoked chicken with potato cakes

Thursday

Veggie night - Orzotto with leftover roasted

vegetables topped with balsamic mushrooms

Friday

Nasi – but not as we know it

Saturday

Retro night for the sofa

watching Strictly.

Saturday does require some work, but

most of it can be completed whilst you're

waiting for your Soda bread to bake!

Whilst your multitasking morning (MTM) begins on Sunday, there's one task that needs to be completed on Saturday and it's not huge – to prepare your veggies for roasting for Sunday lunch.

Roasted vegetables

Peel, top and tail carrots and parsnips and dice to a similar size – and any other root vegetables - just make sure it's the same size as the carrots and parsnips. Add whatever else you fancy, a couple of red onions, peeled and cut into quarters. Prep more veggies than you need to serve with your roast.

Add 6 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole. Tip all the veggies into a strong food bag, add a large glug of rapeseed oil and tie it securely. Make sure all the veggies are coated in the oil. Fridge it and leave until an hour before you want to serve your roast.

Whilst you're prepping the veggies peel and chop an additional 3 medium onions – white would be best - set aside.

All will become clear …

The humble spud - with the curry?

If you're fond of a mid week speedy curry have a look at the Hurried Curry recipe – another that is fast and it is designed to be made from pantry ingredients – it can also be made ahead too. If you like a “side” with your curry – using the humble spud – try this one - again the potatoes here can be cooked ahead as you'll see in the multi tasking morning concept that will follow – all will become clear.

Bombay Spuds - the quick version

Serves 4

600g cooked waxy potatoes – I use

Charlottes – any variety will do so long

as it holds its shape

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil

250g of sieved or creamed tomatoes

(or half a carton/jar of passata)

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp of minced ginger

2 cloves of garlic or 2 tsps of garlic paste

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt to taste – 1 tsp

Your potatoes should be cut into cubes of approximately 1.5 cms – don't stress any shape will do – just so long as they are a similar size!

Using a large frying pan fry the onions in the oil until soft, add the ginger, garlic, cumin and salt and cook for 2 minutes, allowing them to release their flavour - then the tomato paste and allow to cook for 2/3 minutes. Add the potatoes and then the sieved tomatoes and sugar. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Taste the potatoes – you should get a spicy hit but not too hot. Adjust salt and sugar to personal taste. Pop a lid on – allow to cool and then refrigerate.

As with many dishes that include spice the longer you leave it the better since the flavours will deepen. This dish is perfect to be made as a multi tasking option for mid week and it freezes well too.

You should now have quick and easy alternatives for both chicken and potatoes – hopefully not so boring.

Here comes the multi tasking week!

The humble spud – the spiced alternative

There are those of use who like spice so, again using the leftovers principle, but with extra flavour, here's a goodie. You don't have to go to the bother of making your own Panch phoran – it's available at the larger supermarkets as is mango powder too.

Spiced Sautéed Spuds

Serves 4

600g waxy potatoes, parboiled, peeled and

sliced into approximate 1cm rounds

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Panch phoran – 2 tsp

*see below

¾ tsp turmeric

¼ - ½ tsp red chilli powder

Sprinkle of mango powder

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the panch phoran, it should sizzle immediately. Cook for 20/30 seconds, stirring. Add the potatoes, toss well, ensuring they are all covered with the spices. Turn the heat down, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, turn the potatoes and repeat.

Increase the heat, turn the potatoes again so that they are lightly golden brown – 3 minutes each side. For a tangy finish sprinkle with a pinch of mango powder, toss again and serve.

Panch phoran is a blend of spices and seeds. It's used in Bangladesh, Eastern India and Southern Nepal. Literally it means “five spices”. You can make up your own blend easily.

½ tsp each of the following seeds

cumin

mustard

fennel

nigella

¼ tsp fenugreek

If you are a spice lover then it will probably be worthwhile. I'd remind you that if you are going to mix your own blend buy small amounts of each spice – they will deteriorate and therefore it's not economical to buy in bulk – unless of course you're going to make up the blend and distribute it to all your spice loving family and friends! If you have difficulty in sourcing any of the seeds they are available at Daily Bread Co-operative – www.dailybread.co.uk.

Not so boring!

The humble spud

The same principle applies to the potato as to the chicken - we run out of ideas and boredom sets in.

So, continuing with the detour and as a precursor to our multi tasking refresher course, here are some suggestions for potatoes that will hopefully hit the spot. The best thing about the recipes that follow are that if you cook extra potatoes and veggies whenever you cook, they'll take no time at all to create.

We have so many different “leftover” potato dishes from all over the UK – I suppose the most common in England is bubble and squeak – here are a couple more.

Adults and kids alike aren't keen on the green stuff like sprouts and cabbage and these days I'd bet that there are many out there who've never eaten swede or turnip! The beauty of swede, in particular, is that it's texture lends itself to mashing.

To kick off, if you'll pardon the rugby analogy, here is a fine Irish example - the recipe is given from scratch, just in case that's your preference :

Colcannon

Savoy cabbage, finely shredded – half a cabbage

approximately 350g in weight

30g butter

Bunch of spring onions finely chopped

1.5kg Maris piper potatoes,

Salt and black pepper

Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain, peel and mash. You could use a ricer for guaranteed lump free.

Put the cabbage in a pan with the butter and cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes until tender, stirring frequently.

Add the spring onions and cook for another minute or two.

Mix with the mashed potato and season well.

If you've cooked your potatoes ahead or are using leftovers, pop the completed dish into a pre-heated oven (200c/180 fan/Gas 6) for 20 minutes. You could use oven-proof ramekins and serve straight to the table.

It's a great way to eat green veg!

Two of my favourite things …

in my staples stash - one for the freezer and one for the pantry.

Baked garlic

Is there anyone out there who hates faffing with peeling and chopping 1 or 2 cloves of garlic for one recipe? I bake whole bulbs of garlic at the same time – see recipe attached – it's not rocket science and I think originally this recipe was also used by Nigel Slater. If you use garlic regularly this paste makes life so easy when you've no time.

Baked Garlic

2 bulbs of garlic

olive oil/rapeseed oil for drizzling

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme - optional

salt and black pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 200c/180f/Gas 6.

Slice the tops off the bulbs and place the in a small oven dish, garlic roaster or foil dish so that they fit snugly. Drizzle with oil and season with thyme, salt and black pepper.

Roast in the oven for about an hour – until the garlic has softened.

Squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Add a little more oil , keep in a tightly fitting container and place in the fridge.

You can use the paste in the same way as you'd use fresh garlic – the difference is that the baked garlic is sweeter and ready to use!

The paste will keep in your fridge for one to two weeks or you can freeze in small containers.

Speaking of small containers - check out the baby aisle in the supermarket/cheap shops for tiny pots – inexpensive and don't take up space in your freezer.

Star Anise

Lots of Asian/Indian/fusion recipes include star anise. These pretty star shapes are readily available in most supermarkets but, if you are fortunate enough to have access to a Chinese supermarket you can buy ground star anise which is much more practical when you want a quick marinade – you'll get a more powerful result from using powdered star anise when you're in a hurry. Note to self – remember that it's more practical to buy herbs and spices in small quantities. They will deteriorate and so is a false economy - unless you've friends you can share with – in which case it's cheaper still.

I promise you won't regret either!

Just in case …

… you were wondering

PICCATA is a method of preparing food where the meat is sliced, coated, sautéed and served in a sauce. It originated in Italy using veal. It's very popular in the USA, using chicken.

The sauce is made by de-glazing the pan after having flattened and sealed the chicken on both sides and set aside. To finish the sauce add lemon juice, white wine or stock to the de-glazed pan and reduce. Shallots or garlic can be added with capers and slices of lemon. After reducing butter is added to finish the sauce.

An escalope is a piece of boneless meat that has been thinned out using a mallet, rolling pin or butterflied. The tenderising i.e. bashing with a mallet, breaks down the fibres in the meat making it tender and the thinner the meat the faster it cooks with loss of moisture.

Thought you might like a smidge of information!

Your Autumn Arsenal – take 2!

Next comes a chicken idea that ticks all the boxes - with a couple of different serving suggestions too, to suit your mood.

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 tbsp baking powder*

4 fl oz/½ cup maple syrup*

2 fl oz/¼ cup white miso paste*

Mix * together, add the chicken breasts and

marinate for 24 hrs

Sprinkle with chopped spring onions

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180 fan/200c/Gas 6

for 35 minutes

By the way, if you marinate the chicken in one of my famous, washing-up free foil dishes, it can go straight from the fridge, into the oven.

Serve with :

Maple Glazed Veggies

100ml dark soy sauce

50ml Maple syrup

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp light olive oil

black pepper

You can choose any veggies you like, here's my choice :

Mange tout – cut in half diagonally

Baby sweetcorn – cut in half lengthways

Carrots – peeled, topped and tailed and cut into batons -

5 cms long x 1cm, as a guide – you'll get approximately

28 batons from 1 large carrot

Red Romano pepper – topped, tailed, de-seeded and

cut into a similar size to the batons

Salad onions – topped and tailed and cut diagonally.

If you can't be bothered or don't have time to prep the veggies, as an alternative you could, at the same time as the chicken goes into the oven, add another foil tray of new potatoes to roast and another tray of beetroot to honey roast, using vac packs (recipe is on the blog) – if saving time is your thing then this option would be perfect.

Note to self - add white miso and maple syrup to pantry shopping list!

Your Autumn Arsenal

Before we begin our multi tasking I'm making a slight detour but one with a purpose. It's true to say we are all creatures of habit, consequently food becomes boring – we tend to stick with what we know and then lapse into bad habits, hence the takeaway. It's ideas we need but, more to the point, quick and easy ones.

In the post “Get yourself organised” I mentioned the frying pan suitable for “hob to oven” or in my language “froven” – time to put it through its paces.

I think we'd all agree that chicken is a popular protein. The only trouble is it definitely falls in the boring category and it's easy to spoil. What follows are ideas using chicken, making the best use of the frying pan and also extending your pantry by adding ingredients that might not otherwise be there. These suggestions and the ones next week using potatoes are to show that you've more than one option for any supper dish with chicken or leftovers dish with potato, that appears in the multi tasking grid.

First up :

Chicken Piccata

4 chicken breasts

30g grated Parmesan

50g plain flour

salt and black pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

60g unsalted butter

120ml chicken stock or dry white wine

1 tsp garlic paste

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp capers

1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

**500g approx cooked potato, cubed

Pre-heat oven to 160 fan/180c/Gas 4.

Flatten your chicken breasts between two slices of cling film – or you can buy chicken escalopes ready flattened! Mix the flour, cheese and salt and pepper. Coat each chicken escalope with the seasoned flour.

Using your new frying pan, heat the oil and 30g of butter. Brown the chicken on each side for 2/3 minutes. Place the chicken on a baking tray (i.e. with sides) and pop into the oven. Add garlic paste, ** de-glazing the pan and then add stock/wine, lemon juice and capers, reduce, then add the remaining 30g butter to complete the sauce. Place the chicken on serving plate and drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Optional

If you wanted to create a one pot dish, **add cubed pieces of cooked potato, saute, de-glazing the pan. When the potatoes have a light brown colour add the stock (or wine), lemon and capers, reduce a little and then add the remaining 30g of butter.

There's more to follow and by the way – you might want to add a jar of capers to your pantry shopping list!

Get yourself organised!

Part of the process of getting organised is by equipping yourself with pieces of kit that make your life easier but that don't cost a fortune, for example :

In my kitchen I have certain essential pieces of kit, the smallest of which is a timer – inexpensive and comes into its own when you're doing your circus juggling act. There is nothing more infuriating than spoiling the supper because you've forgotten what's in the oven whilst supervising homework, sorting laundry or splitting the atom.

Many moons ago I invested in a frying pan (available with or without lid) that is suitable for use from hob to oven. It did not cost a fortune and has been worth its weight in gold. There are loads to choose from but, as a rough guide, approximately 30cms diameter costs £30ish. I've had mine for a few years now and the best recommendation I can give is that when it finally wears out I'd replace it immediately.

Reacquaint yourself with your slow cooker – if you haven't got one, may I respectfully suggest that you treat yourself, although treat is the wrong word – a slow cooker is an absolute must on every level. An electric slow cooker saves on your fuel bills – much cheaper than using a traditional oven – economical, saving time, money and waste. I could drone on, and on.

If there is anyone out there saying “but they are huge, I'm only cooking for one” - wrong on two counts – I cook for one meat eater using a medium/large slow cooker – I never slow cook for just one meal – I cook and freeze. The theory is that you get into the habit of deliberately cooking more than you'll use. You then create your own home cooked ready meals to freeze, so, if you suffer from what I call “revolving door syndrome” – you know what I mean - everyone coming and going at different times - you're able to pull your own ready meals out of the freezer.

I would accept that the larger versions take up space and not everyone has a large kitchen – you can buy tiny slow cookers, ideal for one person. If you've never used one, you'll never look back. The smallest capacity is 1 litre for one person, 1.5 would be sufficient for 1-2 people. They are inexpensive but shop around, the cheaper supermarkets have great deals so keep your eyes peeled!

Check out reviews – personally I'd go for a larger capacity than you think you'll need – you'll regret not buying a slightly larger version - give it some thought before you invest.

Just imagine coming home to a welcoming casserole on a chilly Autumn night.

I rest my case!

A new broom sweeps clean …

or … time to “spring clean” your pantry/cupboards and throw away all the store cupboard items that are well past their “best before” dates – if you think you've nothing lurking in there you've a shock coming!

The reason I'm suggesting this radical move is quite simply store cupboard stash has a limited life. Herbs and spices for example lose their umph – you'll be surprised what you find.

What we're aiming for is to clear the decks so that you can re-stock your pantry with a list of staples you'll use on a regular basis and some not so frequently. This will be a personal list for you but I'll give you some ideas from my own. You'll see that by creating your stash that the boring day to day cooking becomes so much easier when you know you've already got the basics.

My pantry has the usual suspects, orzo and penne pasta - stock cubes and pots, I really rate the stock pots and the range now is great. Rapeseed and vegetable oil - the best for general use and a light olive oil apart from extra virgin for dressings. A decent quality balsamic vinegar is a must for me, as good a quality as you can afford. My pantry extravagance is Panko breadcrumbs.

You can create the same pantry principle for your freezer and, to a lesser degree, your fridge. In my freezer I generally have an “emergency” bag of cauliflower cheese and I always have petit pois. In my fridge is a block of parmesan – not the ready grated variety – I'm not being a snob here, the blocks have a long life as does cheddar cheese of your choice. I'm not really sure why but cheese is the ultimate emergency staple I suppose because it's so versatile be it in a sauce or in a toasted sandwich in mashed potatoes with sautéed onions, blah blah.

A stock of microwave boxes and foil containers with lids in various (small to medium) sizes – both ideal for freezing individual meals – if you are using your oven for “sides” like baked potatoes, then your defrosted home made ready meals that you're going to create - in a foil tray - go straight into the oven. If you're going to freeze liquids, i.e. stock, soups etc., you can get resealable pour & store bags especially for this purpose – a really good product, very strong and inexpensive – check out your cheap high street shops.

This list will grow with the passage of time!

The aim of the game...

...is that you plan your meals for a week and then make your shopping list from that plan. The majority of the cooking is all done in a morning when you are in the kitchen anyway cooking, for example, a weekend roast.

If you give this a try what you should notice is how little food you waste and therefore how much money you save.

Time to fess up – how much food and money do you throw away each week? It begins with wandering around the supermarket, whether physically or on line and buying food because it looks good, or was on offer, or was a good idea at the time, with no real idea of how the random purchase would fit in to a meal.

How many of these random purchases do you discover, shrivelled and buried in the fridge, forlorn and forgotten, only fit for that not so happy hunting ground for decomposing food in the sky!

By making small changes you can reap massive rewards so plan your week, make your list and do you shopping and try not to deviate – are you really that interested in schlepping round a supermarket?

Sound like a plan?!

Autumn thoughts

… and a refresher course!

We've had a good summer by UK standards, but now we're into October and the mornings are darker until the clocks change at the end of the month and then, eek dark by 4pm!

It's time to re-group and get back into the swing of being organised.

Those who have been with me since the beginning will know that it all began talking about multi-tasking – making the best use of the time you spend in the kitchen. So, time for a refresher and, for those who are new to the concept :

Ask yourself :

“How do you shop and cook now?”

“How many times each week do you visit a supermarket?”

“How much food and consequently money, do you waste each week?”

“Are you constantly asked – what's for tea?”

If your answers are along the lines of, “badly”, “more than I should”, “too much” and “yes!” you might like to read on.

You'll save time, money and stress too, not to mention pick up tips and ideas to adapt to suit you and yours.

Coming up is a repeat of that same multi-tasking formula giving you recipes and suppers for an Autumnal week. As the new season begins so our needs and requirements change, the kids are back at school and although the weather isn't immediately horrible, it is certainly more changeable.

Ugh!

How to win friends!

Here's another fast sweet treat – it's a chuck it all in one pan with minimal prep. This is perfect for a slob out weekend afternoon catching up on the latest download – I think it used to be called a duvet day.

The beauty of this recipe is it makes loads, so plenty for everyone – it makes two tray bakes full. The only pieces of kit required are a large saucepan and the trays – standard size – 30x7cms approx and an empty wine bottle (aka rolling pin).

If you don't want the volume then halve the recipe – really?

Popchoc

125g unsalted butter

300g chocolate – 150g dark, as good a

quality as you can afford, 150g milk

3x15ml tbsps golden syrup

200g Hobnobs

150g mini marshmallows

200g toffee popcorn

Melt the butter, chocolate and syrup in a saucepan. Put the biscuits in a strong food bag, secure the top of the bag and crush – a rolling pin works but an empty wine bottle will do the job just as well! You want texture with the crumbs so don't be too heavy handed.

Add the biscuits to the melted mixture – let the mixture cool for a minute or two, then add the marshmallows and the popcorn – mix well and tip into the trays. Fridge it for at least a couple of hours, longer if possible – it will not deteriorate!

Cut into pieces to suit – consume!

Here it is – in the pan, then the tray, then ready to roll!

Hope it's popular!

Back to the practical!

This recipe uses the same principle and marinade as the pulled chicken. When it's slow cooked it doesn't look particularly inviting – however brisket cooked this way holds its form and so can be sliced very thinly and immersed in the marinade.

It takes minutes to prep :

Slow cooked brisket

1 flat piece of brisket – size to suit your needs – cut it in half

if it's too large for the slow cooker

2 tbsp Worcester sauce

½ tsp chilli

pinch of cayenne

250ml tomato ketchup

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsps lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed or 1 tsp garlic paste

125ml maple syrup

Place the brisket in a slow cooker – low setting. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix, by hand, until well blended.

Pour over the brisket and cook for 6 hours. Lift out the brisket and slice thinly, cover with the sauce. Serve immediately or is just as good cold.

Here's what it looks like served on a bed of rice :

I don't expect that the impoverished student will be able to afford a piece of brisket but, if your idea is to supplement from home you have two options – cook it and freeze it in portions, ready for delivery or, if you want to encourage the DIY student cooking approach then you could take the brisket when you visit along with the ingredients for the marinade.

Speaking of freezing – the bowl pictured was frozen and defrosted, so I can assure you it works well. I would recommend that if you are freezing portions then it's best to freeze before slicing but in reality it probably won't last long enough!

What to serve with the brisket?

Check out the Stromboli recipe – use the sliced brisket as an alternative topping. If speed is required then cheat big style and top a shop bought pizza base, spread with tomato paste, add a generous layer of sliced brisket, drizzle with the marinade and top with mozzarella.

It would be really good in a wrap with whatever bits and pieces are in the fridge – students please note - check use-by dates! One staple I have in my own store cupboard is a jar of sliced black olives. I appreciate they aren't everyone's bag but they are versatile and tasty, don't take up space – remember though that the student will need to “fridge” once opened.

Finally, what a sandwich it would make – complete with a drizzle of the marinade!

When the dosh runs out …

… a treat from home

Far be it from me to be a kill joy or a spoilsport if you prefer – it's not all about boring sustenance – there has to be a sweet treat – it's good for the soul – not so much the waistline but hey a little indulgence every now and again doesn't hurt.

The following recipe could be made easily by the student, but, if you are planning a food drop it's really quick to make – you'll be very popular!

I've made this fudge recently and it disappears without trace.

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge

350g dark chocolate, chopped

(as good a cocoa solid as you can afford -

ideally minimum 70%)
1x397g can of condensed milk

30g unsalted butter

pinch of salt

150g pistachios

Put the chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt in a heavy-based pan on a low heat and stir to melt.

Put the nuts in a strong bag – secured and bash with a rolling pin until a mixture of big and little pieces.

Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well.

Pour into a foil tray 23cm square and smooth down the top.

Let it cool and fridge until set. Can then be cut into small pieces – I remove from the tray, cut it in half and set the other half aside. Cut into half and half again and repeat, turn and then cut into squares.

It can be frozen and eaten straight away.

My thanks – again - to Nigella Lawson's “Nigella Express” for this recipe, yet again it does exactly what it says on the condensed milk tin!

Just to prove my point, here's a photo – if you look at the one in “Nigella Express” it doesn't look much different.

On the complicated level – nil – on the taste level – oh brother, 20 out of 10!

By the way, when I said it disappears without trace there are two ways of looking at it – your nearest and dearest might want to secure the stash – I wouldn't fancy the chances of it still being in the fridge left unsupervised!

First Term Survival

… is definitely a learning curve for both the student and the parent. As a student it's probably mixed feelings – “yippee freedom - do as I please” to the realisation - nay horror, that the production of food and laundry isn't the work of the respective fairies! As a parent it's resisting the temptation to phone or message every day or even “I was just passing and thought I'd pop in to see how you were” despite the fact that it's a 150mile round trip!

If you took my advice and invested in a slow cooker, here's another vital recipe, requiring no expertise at all other than may be knowing the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon measure – might be an idea to add a set of measuring spoons to the essential kit list.

Pulled chicken

4 large chicken breasts

2 tbsp Worcester sauce

½ tsp chilli

pinch of cayenne

250ml tomato ketchup

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsps lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed or 1 tsp garlic paste

125ml maple syrup

Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker – low setting. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended.

Pour over the chicken and cook for 6 hours. Shred with two forks and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Serve the chicken and sauce in brioche buns - aka slider rolls or burger buns if preferred, with coleslaw.

Alternatively you can buy individual bags of frozen rice that can be microwaved in 2/3 minutes.

The ingredients for the marinade are easy to stash staples, some of which you've already got on your “suitable for a small space” list – even lemon juice is available in small bottles!

I've made this many times and there's plenty of marinade to cook 6 chicken breasts – great economy – leftovers can be frozen – you'll be lucky!