What's for Dinner?

We realised that we haven't had a takeaway since October (and then July before that), and really REALLY couldn't be bothered with cooking anything. Chinese won out in the end.

Roast lamb, fried onions and cheese ciabatta tonight, probably mayo too, perhaps some American mustard, question is, onions on cheese or cheese on onions? Leaning towards cheese on onions.

Last of the bubble and squeak - peas, broccoli, roast spuds - Chicken, salad, a shower of salad cream. Done.

A very rare treat, roast beef today. I even managed to overcook it (I prefer rare, my wife medium-rare, came out medium to well.as I was distracted) and it was still amazing. Really good quality joint. Last of the goose fat for the roasties, bloody amazing.

Chick pot here.

Instant Pot time again.

Fry a chopped onion on the sauté mode
Add chopped chicken, keep frying
Season with salt, pepper and hot smoked paprika
Add boiling chicken stock
Pressure cook for 20 mins
Release pressure
Add rinsed pearl barley, diced potatoes, carrots, swede and parsnips
Pressure cook for 20 mins

What sort of texture does that come out like, soupy/stewy or more rice-like? 2x20 mins sounds like a lot of pressure cooking for chicken. The "beer can" (no beer can involved) chicken the family really like for instance only has 10 mins of pressure cooking, and that's for whole thigh fillets.

EMarkM Great, thanks, going to give it a go. Always on the lookout for new Instant Pot recipes and that sounds v tasty.

In our Morrison’s, it’s on the same aisle as herbs, spices, oils, gravy and stock, if that helps.

No need to soak it, but rinse it through in a sieve before you chuck it in.

Had planned roast beef with all the trimmings for New Year Day, but as I was slowcooking it, everyone else declared they weren't interested in a big meal...

Beef was perfect though, I've been trying to get it right for years.

Dried and well seasoned with salt and pepper, left in fridge overnight. Cooked at 105C, till internal temp got to 49C (for rare). Didn't take too long, under 3 hours. When ready to serve later, browned some butter, chucked in shallots and thyme, then browned the whole thing till it got a crust.

Vey rare, very tender, very tasty all the way through. I did some Yorkshire puddings too, and we just sliced it and ate like animals.

My Christmas fryup for lunch albeit a bit late, nothing particularly fancy, just done well, hard to beat.

Paprika Chicken

You're going to have an oven full of roast veg and a wok full of chicken.

In two roasting tins in your oven, roast (in light olive oil, of course) the following:-

Tin 1: Sweet potatoes, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Tin 2: Aubergine, butternut squash, mushrooms, mass-off tomatoes, onion, capsicum peppers, black pepper, garlic.

In your wok, fry chopped chicken, salt, pepper and hot smoked paprika.

SERVE THE PHUQQA!

Frankly, yes.

I like my food spicy, but prefer to taste it on the way in only. Wouldn't touch something like that with a barge pole.

They're purely for "heat head" dudebros who try to outdo other dudebros, not for cooking with. (not calling you a dudebro)

Roman pizza tonight, topped with pepperoni, mushrooms and red onion.