View Full Version : Noob Food Q's
Similar to the forum thread in GD, in this thread you can ask any foody question to others that you've always been afraid to ask either because the answer should be obvious, or for fear of ridicule. I'll go first...
Is there anything to stop me cutting up my own fresh veg and freezing it so I can use it on things like pizzas whenever I need it? Does bought frozen veg have anything done to it before it's frozen?
We've frozen veg before - it's absolutely dandy to do so - not had any problems with it myself really (other than forgetting it's in there! Doh!)
I do read certain things are better blanched before freezing (like broad beans)... but I canny think of any certain ones other than broad beans :(
Boo!
Others probably know :D
*edit*
Just googliegooed this:
Freezing Veg techniques! (http://www.allotment.org.uk/allotment_foods/Storing_the_Surplus_Freezing.php)
Looks useful and has a list of veg at the bottom and what to do :D
Does bought frozen veg have anything done to it before it's frozen?
Yes, it has to be put in the freezer.
What do you do with leeks?
*waits for the "repair them" answer* :p
I think I know but I look at them in the shop and get scared so don't buy them :o :o
What do you do with leeks?
*waits for the "repair them" answer* :p
I think I know but I look at them in the shop and get scared so don't buy them :o :o
OoooOOoo I LOVE leeks!
Leek soup, leek piie, cheesey leeks, stir fry leeks, boiled leeks, steamed leeks! NOM!
You can do just about anything to them you want to! I like them plain on their own just steamed and served up with a meal! Nom nom nom nom nom! I also LOVE cheesey leeks (bung em in with your cauliflower)! Leek some is nom-tastic and they're fab for bulking out stirfrys/stews... anything!
Use it like you would an onion!
What do you do with leeks?
*waits for the "repair them" answer* :p
If I'm having them alongside a Sunday roast or equivalent meal I'll just drop them in some boiling water for a few minutes along with the other veg (chopped of course!). I'll be having some later on with a steak, but I'm going to bake them for twenty minutes with some other veg in the oven.
Yes, it has to be put in the freezer.
*Takes notes*
Stan_Lite
18-06-2008, 18:09
Yes, it has to be put in the freezer.
Thanks Ainsley :p
What do you do with leeks?
*waits for the "repair them" answer* :p
I think I know but I look at them in the shop and get scared so don't buy them :o :o
Blanch leeks for 4-5 mins then cool off under running water. Wrap each one with 2 slices Parma ham (or similar) and arrange in a baking dish. Pour over scrummy cheese sauce (made with Scottish Cheddar, of course ;)) and bake at 180C for approx 15-20 mins. Serve with mashed tatties and veggies of your choice.
Nom.
SidewinderINC
18-06-2008, 20:56
Thanks Ainsley :p
http://www.boreme.com/media/yr2006/ainsley-prick.jpg
What do you do with leeks?
Leeks in a cream and slightly cheese sauce on mash potato and sausages or steak.
I think my question was misunderstood (although the answers already given will hopefully be useful too) - what do you do with them before cooking? Peel them? Just wash them? top and tail them? sing to them? :o
I think my question was misunderstood (although the answers already given will hopefully be useful too) - what do you do with them before cooking? Peel them? Just wash them? top and tail them? sing to them? :o
chop the very bottom of, just a very thin slice, cut the top part of green bit of, not all the green, just what looks tough. Then peel the outer layer of. just run a knife down the side and peel one layer of. That's all I do.
Yep me too. Sometimes I don't even bother with taking the outer layer off if it's not dirty or tough.
Really nooby kitchen question more than food :p
My bin always stinks... I change it often and nothing leaks out the bottom of the bag and I always clean the inside of the lid which sometimes is mucky. But even with a new bag in it it smells when I close it :(
Does anyone know of any nice smelly cleaners which will clean and mask the smell?
Thanks!
BB x
Stan_Lite
19-06-2008, 09:21
The smell is probably caused by bacteria which has worked it's way into the plastic or metal of the bin. My solution is to dilute some household bleach with hot water in the bin and give it a good scrub. Leave to soak in for a half hour or so and then rinse thoroughly. This should kill any smelly bacteria which has permeated the bin material. I usually do this once a month or so.
Thanks Mr Stan! :D Will give it a go!
BB x
My dad has put "Stick up" air fresheners in his bins, they help too.
Bicarbonate of soda is good for absorbing odors, had a pack of it with a kind of meshy side in the fridge at uni, SO useful! maybe just sprinkle some in the bottom every now and then.
Beebs, the only way I've got round the stinky bin smell is to use a shopping bag hanging on the back of the kitchen door and not use a bin. You just hoik it off and chuck the whole thing. She wants to use a bin though and promised to clean it out when the rancid smell comes along because it makes me gag.
Thanks guys... One more question about the sodding bin and I'll shut up :p
Its stainless steel.... can't remember what the best thing is to use to clean the streaks off SS...?
hmmm
BB x
baby oil
Thats it! :D
Thanks all! You've all bin great!
*budum tish*
BB x
is there any land which has public access, which you could shoot rabbits?
Also does anyone know how to skin and gut a rabbit? and how did you learn?
Also does anyone know how to skin and gut a rabbit? and how did you learn?
Just watch season 4 of Lost.
:D
(sorry am in a silly mood :o)
BB x
Just watch season 4 of Lost.
Waiting for it to come out on dvd..:D
is there any land which has public access, which you could shoot rabbits?
Also does anyone know how to skin and gut a rabbit? and how did you learn?
I don't know if this is strictly legal. A load of students got expelled from my campus for shooting the rabbits even though they do a cull every year. They were shooting with a bow though and hunting with a bow is illegal in England, I know that.
Personally, I'm all up for eating the wildlife if it's available and if I had a rabbit overload in the garden eating all my vegetables they would end up in the cooking pot.
Just remember if you only eat rabbit you will die.
is there any land which has public access, which you could shoot rabbits?
Also does anyone know how to skin and gut a rabbit? and how did you learn?
Tis Faysh, if you wany to go shooting bunnies, ask a local farmer if you can go on his laaaaaaaaand. I think if you go shooting on public land you're more than likely to end up looking down the end oc a bigger and badder gun wielded by an armed copper.
As for skinning a rabbit, I'll ask my dad, he's skinned more rabbits/plucked and drawn more pheasants than I remember. The joys of being friends with the both the local gamekeeper and members of the local shoot.
Stan_Lite
20-06-2008, 17:32
Try a golf course for shooting rabbits (with permission of course), they're usually only too happy to be rid of the vermin.
As for skinning and gutting, I just made it up as I went along the first time and it seemed to work fine.
I slit the underbelly from the ribs to the arse and pulled out the guts. To skin it, I cut off the head and slit the skin from where I'd finished the gutting incision to the neck, worked the skin away from the flesh around the neck and pulled it off slowly but firmly (FNAR). The legs were a bit difficult, so the next time I did it, I cut off the feet and slit the skin on the legs to make it easier to peel off.
I used to catch rabbits at my old workplace using a sharpened broom handle as a spear. We had a load of old 45 gallon drums stored around the back and the rabbits used to hang around among them. I used to walk around on top of the drums and lance them from above :D
semi-pro waster
21-06-2008, 12:22
As for skinning and gutting, I just made it up as I went along the first time and it seemed to work fine.
I slit the underbelly from the ribs to the arse and pulled out the guts. To skin it, I cut off the head and slit the skin from where I'd finished the gutting incision to the neck, worked the skin away from the flesh around the neck and pulled it off slowly but firmly (FNAR). The legs were a bit difficult, so the next time I did it, I cut off the feet and slit the skin on the legs to make it easier to peel off.
Sounds about right, John 'Lofty' Wiseman has a good survival manual The SAS Survival Handbook (http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Handbook-John-Wiseman/dp/0002171856) which describes the process pretty well and good methods for catching most animals. If I remember rightly he might even go into the legalities of it, the book is well worth reading anyway.
The farmer local to my parents has someone who goes round shooting rabbits and foxes, no idea what type of gun he uses but he isn't half a noisy pillock during the summer nights.
goldilocks
21-06-2008, 15:38
help me with my fruit and vegetables!
our fridge is pretty dinky - so we can't store all of our fruit / veg in it.
how else can i store it to make it last?
everything i leave out on the side seems to wilt very quickly - buying fresh daily isn't really an option, neither is buying pre-prepared or frozen!
thanks!!
LeperousDust
21-06-2008, 16:36
What do you want to store? Some things you can leave out for ages, other things really need to be fridged.
Cool and dry (as much of both as possible) is second best :)
Other than that buy a bigger/second fridge :p
I know you're not meant to put bananas in with other fruit or veg as something about them makes other stuff go off faster
LeperousDust
21-06-2008, 16:43
Indeed, or put them with some things you want to try and "ripen" faster (its not really ripening though once its been pulled). Works quite well with slightly greenish tomatoes...
For things like potatoes, carrots, leeks and onions I just tend to keep them in a cool deep drawer in the kitchen. I'm lucky though as my kitchen is quite cool and the wall the drawer is next to is a cool wall. I do find that removing them from any packaging and putting them into a canvas bag helps and they keep longer. I don't know if it's just that being out of the packaging allows them to breathe better and any moisture gets absorbed/released through the canvas bag?
goldilocks
21-06-2008, 17:09
onions (have started storing them in the bread bin)
leeks (softer / bendier when not chilled?)
kale (the rabbits eat this quickly enough anyway - not too much of a problem)
carrots
broccoli (this seems to go yellow v fast when left out)
cabbage / cauliflower (starts to smell when it gets warm?)
apples (seem to go softer if not refrigerated)
grapes (don't like them 'warm' - they have to stay 'crisp'!)
lettuce
peppers
avocados
asparagus
garlic
(etc)
getting a bigger fridge would be IDEAL! (we are getting one soon, when we move - but we do eat a lot of veg, so anything less than a tesco sized chiller would probably still mean i resort to cupboards) big windows in the kitchen here (and in the flat we're moving into) do seem to mean the ambient room temp is always hotter than normal
will try the canvas bag approach
de-bagging shouldn't really be a problem as we do try and buy loose
as much as i love organic produce and we do try and buy it as often as possible - it does seem to go off much quicker, or is that just me?!
There are a couple of things in lakeland.... no idea if they are any good. I'm pretty sure my Mum had a version of the lettuce crisper though.
Lettuce Crisper (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!11501)
Stay fresh longer bags (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!1932_1094_1092) EDIT: boo just noticed it says still to store them in the fridge :/ I think I will just stick with my canvas bags :)
LeperousDust
21-06-2008, 18:08
onions (have started storing them in the bread bin)
leeks (softer / bendier when not chilled?)
kale (the rabbits eat this quickly enough anyway - not too much of a problem)
carrots
broccoli (this seems to go yellow v fast when left out)
cabbage / cauliflower (starts to smell when it gets warm?)
apples (seem to go softer if not refrigerated)
grapes (don't like them 'warm' - they have to stay 'crisp'!)
lettuce
peppers
avocados
asparagus
garlic
(etc)
getting a bigger fridge would be IDEAL! (we are getting one soon, when we move - but we do eat a lot of veg, so anything less than a tesco sized chiller would probably still mean i resort to cupboards) big windows in the kitchen here (and in the flat we're moving into) do seem to mean the ambient room temp is always hotter than normal
will try the canvas bag approach
de-bagging shouldn't really be a problem as we do try and buy loose
as much as i love organic produce and we do try and buy it as often as possible - it does seem to go off much quicker, or is that just me?!
First off, organic and locally bought green grocer fruit/veg *always* go off quicker for me. Supermarket stuff lasts a scarily long time. But its never been on the shelf half as long to begin with too... I do buy some things from the super market because i can't eat them quick enough otherwise (lettuce is one particular thing that springs to mind :)).
With regard to the list, i'm gonna copy paste and say what i do (which generally work quite well...)
onions (have started storing them in the bread bin) - Cool dry, bread bin seems fine yeah, i bought a 20kg bag of oinions (from the green grocers freshly arrived that day) and they lasted over a month. Which is what i assume he does when hes selling them. Towards the end of the bag they were getting softer and a little strange, but over peeling them seemed to sort most problems out, also at the price i could afford to throw away every other one and they were still a bargain ;D
leeks (softer / bendier when not chilled?) I don't have them that often but they get put in the fridge agreed.
kale (the rabbits eat this quickly enough anyway - not too much of a problem) - i'd never even heard of kale!? :D
carrots - they store fine outside, although they seem to "sweat" a lot in plastic bags, the cavas bag would definately help this. In fact letting anything breathe in cool dry places is good good good.
broccoli (this seems to go yellow v fast when left out) - fridge for me definately,
cabbage / cauliflower (starts to smell when it gets warm?) - i dont eat enough to really know, although i have left it out (it goes off quicker agreed though)
apples (seem to go softer if not refrigerated) - depends a *lot* on the apples i find, i buy breaburn apples now because they just seem to stay crisp forever for me :)
grapes (don't like them 'warm' - they have to stay 'crisp'!) agreed, but i dont because i eat them too quick :D
lettuce - definately fridge, but i also buy supermarket as it seems to outlast anything else by a long stretch
peppers - seem to last a while if uncut in cool dry places, but last longer
avocados - i keep them in fridge but unsure really...
asparagus - not too sure
garlic - this is just kept cool and dry, it does sprout, but i find its fine anyway.
Vegetable brain dump ahead - warning!
Garlic doesn't go in the fridge. Don't know what they don't do to garlic over here but when I get one of those plaited garlic bunches from France it will happily sit in the cupboard for up to 6 months and still be fine. Those tiny white garlic bulbs from Sainsburys go soft and start to go brown within about 2 weeks :/
Onions are quite happy out the fridge too. Potatoes I find go sweet in the fridge and I found out it's because the starch converts to sugar in the cold. They need to be cool only but in the dark or they will go green.
Bananas and tropical fruit gets damaged by the cold and go black.
Avos are ALWAYS rock hard from the supermarket and I find they need days out in the warm to become edible.
Asparagus is prime veg, like expensive meat and I do my damndest to not waste any of it so it goes in the fridge if it hasn't ended up int he cooking pot as soon as it reaches the kitchen.
Kell_ee001
25-06-2008, 18:19
Hopefully an easy one....
A recipe I was looking at asked for "1½ mugs of red lentils"... how much is a mug meant to be? All my mugs are different sizes :D
I would say a standard mug holds 10oz.
Stan_Lite
25-06-2008, 20:20
Sounds about right. I usually assume a mug holds half a pint.
Whatever you do Kell, don't use my morning cuppa mug - you may end up with rather more lentils than you need :p
Kell_ee001
25-06-2008, 21:20
Whatever you do Kell, don't use my morning cuppa mug - you may end up with rather more lentils than you need :p
I won't - I only have 1 bag of lentils :p
TOP TIP (that most people probably already know)
I always used to fiddle around reading cooking instructions and accurately measuring out the boiling water for cous cous... until I read a recipe that said simply "just cover the cous cous with boiling water". Well bugger me! Ta daaaa, no more bloody measuring. Just cover it with boiling water and stick a tea towel over it for 5 mins.
Sorry if people already know this, but I didn't and it's saved me lots of hassle. Means that I don't have to keep the instructions floating around in my cous cous tub anymore too :)
**** spooky ****
I was going to ask about cous cous in here just now!!! :shocked:
BB x
I do double water to cous cous.
And 1 person is roughly a small wine glass. Makes it nice and easy. Also you can use water out a kettle.
Out of a kettle as opposed to... what? :confused: I genuinely can't think of another way that someone would boil water for cous cous, unless they did it in a saucepan, which is just a bit silly really if you have a perfectly good kettle! :)
Butternut squash....
what do I do with it?
:o
I have no idea, I bought it cos I thought it might go well with casserole... then realised I have no idea how to cook it.
Cube it up into 1" er, cubes :o, season, splash of olive oil and roast for 30 mins in a hot oven. Goes slightly caramelised on the outside and melt in the mouth in the middle. Yummy. You can leave the skin on or peel it, up to you. I usually roast it up with other stuff like quartered onion, pepper, courgette etc with a sprinkle of dried herbs.
It also makes a nice mash if you use it 2 parts potato to one part squash, just boil it in with the potato. Use plenty of butter! This time take the skin off though :)
Cube it up into 1" er, cubes :o, season, splash of olive oil and roast for 30 mins in a hot oven. Goes slightly caramelised on the outside and melt in the mouth in the middle. Yummy. You can leave the skin on or peel it, up to you. I usually roast it up with other stuff like quartered onion, pepper, courgette etc with a sprinkle of dried herbs.
It also makes a nice mash if you use it 2 parts potato to one part squash, just boil it in with the potato. Use plenty of butter! This time take the skin off though :)
Thankyou!
Will try that this evening!
Would gas mark 4 be hot enough?
[edit]Scrap that... hot oven = GM 7-8
[edit]Scrap that... hot oven = GM 7-8
oh :( the other thing in the oven needs to be on GM 4.... s if i put it in for twice as long at GM4 would that be ok... or does it not work like that? :confused:
LeperousDust
26-06-2008, 18:14
Cooking definitely doesn't work like that.
You can to some degree jigg the heat and time, but not doubling halving so-to-speak. In that case it would cook it more thoroughly which by the sound of it you don't really want to do. What you'd be after is more of a flashing (very hot on the outside cooking it more so :)).
Cooking definitely doesn't work like that.
You can to some degree jigg the heat and time, but not doubling halving so-to-speak. In that case it would cook it more thoroughly which by the sound of it you don't really want to do. What you'd be after is more of a flashing (very hot on the outside cooking it more so :)).
oh :(
I think this dinner may be quite disastrous :(
Yep as Johnny69 said butternut squash is awesome roasted. It also goes really well with curry, especially coconut based thai style. But any form. skin, seed chop into inch squares and fry of with the meat.
Butternut squash and prawn curry with noodles
Ingredients
75ml/3fl oz vegetable oil
50g/2oz ready-made red curry paste from a jar
15g/2/3oz palm sugar (available from Asian supermarkets)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into large chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into large chunks
1 x 400ml/14 fl oz can coconut milk
90ml/3½fl oz coconut cream
½ tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
2 sticks lemongrass, crushed
1 tbsp lime pickle from a jar (available from supermarkets and Asian supermarkets)
250g/9oz raw king prawns, peeled and de-veined
250g/9oz pre-cooked Ming or egg noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
For the garnish
55ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
50g/2oz red chilli, thinly sliced
50g/2oz garlic, thinly sliced
50g/2oz shallots, thinly sliced
To serve
50g/2oz bean sprouts, picked and washed
small bunch coriander, leaves only
small bunch of basil, leaves only
Method
1. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat and add the red curry paste. Fry for two minutes, until fragrant, then add the palm sugar and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is sticky and fragrant.
2. Add the squash and sweet potato, stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, coconut cream, fish sauce and the lemongrass and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the squash and potato are tender but not mushy.
4. Add the lime pickle and king prawns and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until the prawns are pink and cooked through.
5. For the garnish, heat the oil in a wok over a low heat. Add the sliced chilli and cook slowly until all of the moisture from the chillies has evaporated (at which point the oil will stop bubbling), then turn up the heat slightly, so the chillies caramelise and crisp up.
6. Remove the chilli slices with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat this cooking process with the sliced garlic and the shallots.
7. To serve, divide the noodles among four shallow bowls. Top with several spoonfuls of the curry, then sprinkle each bowl with a little of the bean shoots, coriander leaves and basil leaves. Garnish each dish with a pinch of each of the crisp fried chillies, garlic and shallots.
LeperousDust
26-06-2008, 19:22
oh :(
I think this dinner may be quite disastrous :(
I dunno you'd be surprised what you can get away with anyway! ;D TBH i make most stuff up as i go along, and bend the rules to suit all the time, as long as you're not too adventurous, it'll work out :D
Put the oven on GM6-7, the butternut squash at the top and the stuff that needs to be cooked at GM4 at the bottom. That's the beauty of gas ovens. Heat zones :)
well....
The cat liked it.
;D
LeperousDust
26-06-2008, 22:56
:D Well no worries, better luck next time etc.... I've had some shockers too, but we don't have any animals so i tend to learn quicker, after force feeding myself some very awful meals :D
:D Well no worries, better luck next time etc.... I've had some shockers too, but we don't have any animals so i tend to learn quicker, after force feeding myself some very awful meals :D
everythign else was fine, it was just the BNS that got ruined.
It didn't help that it was already on too low a temperature, then somebody came home and started opening and closing the oven door every two mins to see if it was ready yet.
We didnt have any animals till everyone else decided to adopt a cat I cant stand ;D
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