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!