Stuff you've cooked/baked/made today

[Silly Car]

Some stuff I’ve been messing around with today (benefits of garden leave)

Black olive and sun dried tomato focaccia

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‘Carbonara’ ravioli - basically self saucing dish as the ravioli are filled with cooked pancetta, shallot & garlic, double cream, and grated Parmesan cooked up as the sauce, work in process at the moment as my pasta machine got lobbed in the bin recently after marking a load of dough and I’m waiting to see is Santa sends me the pasta attachment for my Smeg mixer. Will likely be finessed with some salad for a starter on NYE.

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Chicken gallotine (sp) stuffed with sausage meat sage and onion stuffing, now in the freeezer to be defrosted and cooked for Christmas dinner alongside a lump of beef.

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I’ve also made up a batch of braised red cabbage and pork stuffing balls for the freezer. Next on the list will be braised beef in ale for either pies or dumplings for one day over the festive period then some desserts.

[ZRX61]

[Count Steer]

Not inedible then?

[ZRX61]

Not inedible then?

I was rather impressed with the results. Could have fed a few more people. Lamb cheesesteak sarnies today, Lamb korma tomorrow.

[Count Steer]

Not inedible then?

I was rather impressed with the results. Could have fed a few more people. Lamb cheesesteak sarnies today, Lamb korma tomorrow.

I like meals that keep on giving.

When you say you did it 'Dutch oven' style is that in the pot in the oven or on the stove?

[ZRX61]

In the oven, lid off for the last 30 min

[Count Steer]

In the oven, lid off for the last 30 min

Ah, you didn't go all Lewis and Clark then.

[DefTrap]

My missus made some salt free bread , in one of the many efforts to manage her high blood pressure. I'm not allowed any because my blood pressure is (currently) respectably normal, and I'm presumably expendable.

[Count Steer]

My missus made some salt free bread , in one of the many efforts to manage her high blood pressure. I'm not allowed any because my blood pressure is (currently) respectably normal, and I'm presumably expendable.

You should be happy. Salt free bread is like salt free rice, totally and utterly meh. There's a reason the expression 'worth his salt' came into being. (My diet is quite low salt but bread, rice...even cous-cous! without it isn't worth the calories expended in chewing).

[DefTrap]

You should be happy. Salt free bread is like salt free rice, totally and utterly meh. There's a reason the expression 'worth his salt' came into being. (My diet is quite low salt but bread, rice...even cous-cous! without it isn't worth the calories expended in chewing).

I did get a nibble in the end. To be fair, I did smother it in Marmite.
Apparently you get used to "less salt" somewhat.
I'm trying to reduce my own salt intake somewhat, just by not leaping straight for the auto-cruet.

[Count Steer]

You should be happy. Salt free bread is like salt free rice, totally and utterly meh. There's a reason the expression 'worth his salt' came into being. (My diet is quite low salt but bread, rice...even cous-cous! without it isn't worth the calories expended in chewing).

I did get a nibble in the end. To be fair, I did smother it in Marmite.
Apparently you get used to "less salt" somewhat.
I'm trying to reduce my own salt intake somewhat, just by not leaping straight for the auto-cruet.

It's a good point, you do adjust (I find a lot of restaurant food way too salty having reduced my salt intake a lot over the years, same with sweet stuff having done it with sugar too). Bread and rice are pretty much the only thing that I haven't reduced it by much. It's a bit of a jump to cut it out of them completely in one go though

I've also taken to using a vegetarian bouillon powder instead of straight salt in stuff like cous cous...it's got salt in but the other flavours in it add a certain je ne sais quoi so you use less.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Salt free bread is shit, there're no two ways about it

Took me a while to realise just how much salt needs to go in bread when you make it at home. If you don't add it you get basically flavourless dough which is fairly unpleasant. It's on the order of 1-2% by weight, which doesn't sound like much, but when you see the size of the pile which goes into your recipe you might be taken aback!

[mangocrazy]

Salt free bread is shit, there're no two ways about it

Took me a while to realise just how much salt needs to go in bread when you make it at home. If you don't add it you get basically flavourless dough which is fairly unpleasant. It's on the order of 1-2% by weight, which doesn't sound like much, but when you see the size of the pile which goes into your recipe you might be taken aback!

Absolutely. For a loaf with 800g of flour, I use 18g of salt. That's 2.25% of the dry weight. There's also 550ml of water to add to that to get the total weight.

[Noggin]

You should be happy. Salt free bread is like salt free rice, totally and utterly meh. There's a reason the expression 'worth his salt' came into being. (My diet is quite low salt but bread, rice...even cous-cous! without it isn't worth the calories expended in chewing).

I did get a nibble in the end. To be fair, I did smother it in Marmite.
Apparently you get used to "less salt" somewhat.
I'm trying to reduce my own salt intake somewhat, just by not leaping straight for the auto-cruet.

Try MSG - same taste less sodium - and it enhances the flavour quite a lot too!!

You should be happy. Salt free bread is like salt free rice, totally and utterly meh. There's a reason the expression 'worth his salt' came into being. (My diet is quite low salt but bread, rice...even cous-cous! without it isn't worth the calories expended in chewing).

I did get a nibble in the end. To be fair, I did smother it in Marmite.
Apparently you get used to "less salt" somewhat.
I'm trying to reduce my own salt intake somewhat, just by not leaping straight for the auto-cruet.

It's a good point, you do adjust (I find a lot of restaurant food way too salty having reduced my salt intake a lot over the years, same with sweet stuff having done it with sugar too). Bread and rice are pretty much the only thing that I haven't reduced it by much. It's a bit of a jump to cut it out of them completely in one go though

I've also taken to using a vegetarian bouillon powder instead of straight salt in stuff like cous cous...it's got salt in but the other flavours in it add a certain je ne sais quoi so you use less.

See above about MSG. Most stock cubes/bouillion powders are LOADED with MSG to make stuff taste good

[Count Steer]

I've also taken to using a vegetarian bouillon powder instead of straight salt in stuff like cous cous...it's got salt in but the other flavours in it add a certain je ne sais quoi so you use less.

See above about MSG. Most stock cubes/bouillion powders are LOADED with MSG to make stuff taste good

Well that made me go and look! It's got sea salt (of course), potato starch, soya protein, sunflower/rapeseed oil, onion, parsnip, carrot, leek, celery seed, parsley, turmeric, white pepper, garlic, mace, lovage and nutmeg in it. Made to an 'original Swiss recipe' no less....not even a whiff of Swiss MSG.

(It's Marigold Vegan Bouillon (gluten free)....from that emporium of exotica Sainsbury ).

[Mr. Dazzle]

Is that the stuff in the green tub with the orange lid?

[Count Steer]

Is that the stuff in the green tub with the orange lid?

Yup.

[Mr Nozzle]

Battered halloumi & salad wraps. My first venture into cooking halloumi and I'm hooked. Mixed up some batter, 60g plain flour, a dash of milk & water and a spoon of baking powder, salt & pepper. Added a block of sliced squeeky cheese and fried in the wok. Lettuce, cucumber and salad cream in the wraps and voilla!
I had just enough batter left over to do a banana for pudding

[Noggin]

I've also taken to using a vegetarian bouillon powder instead of straight salt in stuff like cous cous...it's got salt in but the other flavours in it add a certain je ne sais quoi so you use less.

See above about MSG. Most stock cubes/bouillion powders are LOADED with MSG to make stuff taste good

Well that made me go and look! It's got sea salt (of course), potato starch, soya protein, sunflower/rapeseed oil, onion, parsnip, carrot, leek, celery seed, parsley, turmeric, white pepper, garlic, mace, lovage and nutmeg in it. Made to an 'original Swiss recipe' no less....not even a whiff of Swiss MSG.

(It's Marigold Vegan Bouillon (gluten free)....from that emporium of exotica Sainsbury ).

It doesn't have to be added!! (Although it usually is!) but you have a low content version I guess!! LOL

MSG occurs naturally in ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, as well as in tomatoes and cheeses.

There is also a high level in things like broccoli!!

[Noggin]

TBF, most manufacturers avoid putting MSG on the ingredient list of almost anything because of the 'anti-MSG' feelings. Easier to leave it as yeast/soy etc!!