MiamMiam Musings II

MiamMiam

Musings

… continued and still winging it!

Some days are good, some not so good.

On the days that are not so good it's really difficult to get motivated. This calls for drastic action and I have a cunning plan - give myself a “kick up the backside” or “get a grip” - whatever the phrase, therapy is required.

I'm lucky – I love to cook – which is great normally but producing food every day brings pressure. I'm still sick of food, in fact more so with every passing week.

I hate repeating myself but without doubt planning meals takes some of the pressure off.

Here's my menu for this week :

Kedgeree – the fastest ever

with a side of chip shop curry sauce

Time for another batch cook of Cottage Pie

bases

Frittata using up leftover veggies with a side

of bacon

Slow cooked venison – already in the freezer

lemon glazed carrots

New potatoes

Asian Spiced Salmon with roasted beetroot

and leftover new potatoes - sautéed

Pork loin steaks with apple sauce – slow

cook the steaks and freeze portions for

another day

Sage and onion stuffing with extra onion

Roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots, all in the

same roasting tray

Orzotto with a side of crispy pan fried

diced chorizo – perfect for the meat eaters and

the veggies – the chorizo served on top of the meat

eaters portion drizzled with the oil from the chorizo

That's that sorted and I've decided to make two extras this week – one savoury, one a sweet treat.

I love kedgeree but don't like dry dishes, even if they are well seasoned – I want a “gravy” or “sauce”. It appeals to my sense of symmetry to drizzle curry sauce over kedgeree since both are Indian in origin – a small pot of curry sauce on the side ticks that box so Chip Shop Curry Sauce it is! It's not compulsory to use the curry sauce - it'll never be wasted - I'll freeze what doesn't get used, a perfect savoury extra.

The sweet treat is a batch of hokey pokey. It's easy peasy and very moorish. It'll be cut into squares, bagged and frozen – to pull out whenever I get the urge for a sweet hit or even to serve with ice cream and fresh fruit.

It's rant of the week time … can someone please tell me where the Marmite Smooth Peanut Butter is? I've been trying to buy it since Adam was a lad all I've ever seen is the crunchy version. It's advertised constantly and it's driving me up the wall – I think it's a plot deliberately designed to upset me … it's working!

It may be that it doesn't exist … or … I've just realised, there's someone out there with a Marmite Smooth Peanut Butter mountain – how rude!

The longer lockdown continues the more it appears that none of us know what day it is. I have to check on a daily basis so that I stick to my routine of shopping on a Wednesday. If I'm not careful I'll work every day in some form or another, on the blog, cooking or chores generally – including may I say the worst chore in the world – ironing!

Another part of my routine is running – normally twice a week and in the countryside with my mate - sadly that stopped some while back. I have a small treadmill in my garage – the best money I've ever spent. It's not just about exercise it's about getting my head straight too so a double whammy. If I stick to a routine it helps – this afternoon I'm giving myself a Pilates class and I've invited Rose, our Tibetan Terrier … should be fun!

This week's confession and guilty pleasure … watching an old film and my absolute favourite, giving my age away – Zulu -1964, yikes. I've watched it so many times I could recite the dialogue, for the uninitiated it's the true story of the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879 and Michael Caine's “breakthrough role”. Such is my addiction the soundtrack is my ringtone …

uplifting … stratospheric!

Stay safe and well – until next time

Love xxxx