Some simple recipes to tide up through

[CitroJim]

We found the level of spicy taste has increased, as often happens when you leave spices in a dish to work their way through the sauce.

Indeed, I love hot'n'spicy and always find what I cook is far better on second and subsequent days When I bake a lasagne I never eat it on the same day.

[Dormouse]

Homemade soup is the best example of the ingredients "melding" by the second day. Beans and lentils soften more over 24 hrs and the textures are better for it. People often claim they prefer 2nd day soup. The converse is a truth when you consider salad items. The fresher, the crisper the leafy elements are. The preparation and cooking of the different elements in a dish is what separates a good cook from a plain cook.

[Stickyfinger]

Chuck in meat, some veg and veg/beef stock cube, add 2xtable spoons of dark brown sugar and some dumpling....cook for 6 hours in a Rayburn.

[Hell Razor5543]

Homemade soup is the best example of the ingredients "melding" by the second day. Beans and lentils soften more over 24 hrs and the textures are better for it. People often claim they prefer 2nd day soup. The converse is a truth when you consider salad items. The fresher, the crisper the leafy elements are. The preparation and cooking of the different elements in a dish is what separates a good cook from a plain cook.

I remember one of Nanny Ogg's recipes (her from Discworld books fame) was "Leftover Sandwich Soup". There was nothing else mentioned of this recipe. However, her recipe book (called "The Joye of Snacks") in the book "Maskerade" did cause some consternation, as ALL of the recipes were designed to, erm, increase the libido! That recipe book did sell well!

A couple of excerpts from early in the book read thus (this is when the manuscript has arrived at the publishers, and Mr. Goatberger starts reading it);

"He turned the page. And then he turned back. And then he read on. At one point he took a ruler out of his drawer and looked at it thoughtfully".

Mr Goatberger eventually calls for his chief printer, Mr Cropper, and asks him to read the manuscript;

"Mr Cropper sat down with bad grace and glanced at the first page. Then he turned to the second page. After a while he opened the desk drawer and pulled out a ruler, which he looked at thoughtfully."

"'You've just read about Bananana Soup Surprise', said Mr Goatberger.

"'Yes!'".

"'You wait until you get to Spotted Dick'".

"'Well, my old granny used to make Spotted Dick-'".

"'Not to this recipe' said Mr Goatberger with absolute conviction."

Mr Goatberger goes on to make sure that this manuscript makes it into print; "And he dreamed the dream of all those who publish books, which is to have so much gold in your pockets that you have to employ two people just to hold your trousers up".

[Dormouse]

Just love Terry Pratchett. I have his books on cassette (giving away my age ). I still haven't got round to digitising them all for MP3 playing. I used to play them at work and in the car - so that wasn't yesterday.

[Dormouse]

We found the level of spicy taste has increased, as often happens when you leave spices in a dish to work their way through the sauce.

Marry Me Chicken marinating overnight

Simple Eve's Pudding

[Dormouse]

Guess we are having Marry Me Chicken and Eve's pudding for dinner today.

The partly prepared spiced Chicken will get it's Parmesan and Honey added when the dish is heated for serving.

The Eve's Pudding is a simple version like this BBC recipe.

[CitroJim]

Yum Enjoy!

It's OK for you, I'm so poor I have to live on bread and water

Here's my loaf of the day - fresh out of the oven

[Dormouse]

You must be saving up for the Orkney Games then.

[Dormouse]

The experiment with honey worked a treat with the Marry Me Chicken.

The Eve's Pudding was smothered in custard. Yum!

[Dormouse]

This recipe is for a tasty Steamed Rice.

Ingredients :- one cup of rice, two tspn of table Vinegar, three pinches of Sea salt, four hundred ml of boiling water in the Microwave Rice Cooker

Place the rice, unwashed, in the Rice Steamer. Pour in the 400 ml of boiling water. Put the vented lid on and cook in the microwave for 4 1/2 mins.

Remove the steamer from the microwave and add 2 tspn of vinegar and 3 pinches of salt. Stir the rice to mix in the vinegar and salt. Put the steamer back in the microwave for a further 4 1/2 mins.

The lower part of the steamer retains the water and the rice starch so that when you spoon out the rice onto the plate is actually dry enough to serve. The salt and vinegar add a crisp taste to the rice. Plain Table Condiment/vinegar is usually best for plain steamed rice.