Easy Hot Dogs

Not the sucess story I was hoping for...  The ease of the homecooker meant, less dishes out on the bench and the beeping timer so I should have been able to do this beautifully!

First problem, it really felt like the water took way longer to boil than it usually does in my pot.
But anyway, it boiled, I steamed the long rolls in the large steaming dish and cooked the franks in the pasta bowl thing.

The buns were ok, they stick to the bottom and the side a little less that they do in my regular pot with the steamer attachment.  I could also fit all 6 in the container at one time, which I cant do with the my other pot.  I left them in there for a few minutes and while the franks cooked.

I cant remember the time I set...but it was too long!  By the time the water had come to the boil and I had left it long enough for the buns to get  steamed/warm up, the franks were a little bit split!

But in the end we ate hotdogs that tasted as good as if they had been cooked any other way, and I covered up the "splitness" with enough cheese and sauces, so it didnt matter!!

Day 8 - Making Noodles

I really wanted to explore this for cooking pasta....so I started with 2 minute noodles for lunch!
As far as cooking the noodles go, it would have been easier and quicker in a regular pot, but it could be useful for cooking regular pasta... and steam some veges at the same time.

I got the water boiling, which took about 10 minutes, put the noodles in and set the timer for 6 minutes, when I came back the water had partly evaporated so not all noodles were cooked properly, but it was fine, we ate it.  

And I added some stir fried courgette, mushroom, garlic and rocket to it and threw a few chopped tomatoes on top.  

My conclusion is that it isnt really much use in this capacity, it is just as easy and quick to cook pasta in my regular pasta pot!  And my pasta pot has a steaming rack in it too, so I could do that there (and use the microwave timer)

Day 7 - Continental Pasta Packets!

Well they thought they were making a convenient meal already with the pasta mixes... little did they know that i wanted it to be even more convenient!!

I took their pasta packets, followed the instructions...basically... and left it to cook while I did...other stuff... no idea what I actually accomplished in that time, but still...the idea is there...

These were left over from our camping trip, and frankly they are quite disgusting!  I normally would keep anything like this, packet, instant, camping/tramping meals in a box and pull them out for our next away trip...but these were just not worth it.  The only way you can make them taste good is by adding plenty of fresh type foods to it.

So first of all I threw a couple of mushrooms and some courgette and a left over chicken drumstick into the homecooker and gave it a quick grill/fry...no, saute!  (175*C for 15 mins)

I then set that aside and put in all the ingredients as stated on the packet, butter, milk and water... only difference is that I left out most of the powder.... I kept changing my mind about how to do things so the mix got tipped from one container to another and I noticed that all the powder sank to the bottom, so it was easy to just not tip it all into the mix.  While it probably made it a completely different flavour... or rather, no flavour.... it definitely tasted better, a lot less processed and artificial and salty!

I also chucked in a handful of oregano, as my herb box (and vege garden) are getting taken over by it so I needed rid of some of it!!

Set timer for another 20 minutes and went away to accomplish something great....

When I came back it was all ready and just about to stick on the bottom, and I had forgotten that I was going to add the sauteed stuff for the last 5 minutes, so I had to put it on some more chuck those in, grated a bit of Parmesan cheese and then when it beeped, I served it on to plates for me and the kid and told them it was macaroni cheese... but they still didn't like the mushrooms and courgettes...

They should just be thankful I didn't top theirs up with tomatoes and rocket as well... but I was thankful that I did...quite the scrummy lunch as it turned out!  If only I could take this appliance camping or tramping with me!

Day 6 - Adapting a recipe from Healthy Food Guide

Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Chicken



Here is the link to the original recipe, it is really yummy, so even if you dont have a homecooker, you should make this.





So this is how I incorporated the homecooker.  I put the oil, cherry tomatoes and garlic into the homecooker.  I set the temp to 175 and the timer for 20 mins.  (Unfortunately I wasnt finished prepping the other things at the end of 20 mins, so I kept adding another 3 or 4 mins until I was ready!) I think they could have roasted for about 30 mins I guess.  I started with the lid on for a few mins, just to make sure the temp was nice and high, and then took it out, I also didnt turn the stirrer on for about 5 minutes or so, to get the going, but then I was worried about sticking, so I turned it on.

Roasting the tomatoes and the garlic

I am yet to figure out how to cook pasta in the homecooker, so I put the pot on the stove and made the pasta according to the packet directions.  (Although I think next time, when I figure out how to do pasta properly, I will do the pasta in the homecooker and the rest of the sauce can just go on the stove top maybe.)

So then i set aside a few roasted tomatoes and peeled the garlic and then put the garlic and the rest of the tomatoes into a bowl and got the stick whizz out and purreed them all, then I added the other ingredients to it and tipped it all into the homecooker, set the temp at 70, stirer going and set time for 20 mins...or until the pasta and the garlic bread was ready.   The evap milk almost seperated (as usually happens to me because I dont pay close attention to things) but somehow I managed to save it by tipping a little more milk in and taking it off the heat quickly then paying more attention when I warmed it thru just before serving.

The creamy tomato sauce... blurryness due to moving stiring attachment

I forgot again to take a photo of the finished product on the plate, but it looked pretty good, and tasted really good...and yet the kids still went to bed without finishing their dinners!  I have no idea what they like!  They are crazy!  :)

Day 5 - Making Fudge

I found this recipe on pinterest...check out my pinterest board here.

The lady who put up the recipe was testing the homecooker for Philips, and she sold this idea of doing fudge like this well.  Not having to stand over the pot stirring constantly because the cooker does it by it's self.




Well, I found, that if I made the recipe exactly as she said to, it didn't work.

All ingredients into the pot, temp set, timer set

Fudge at a rolling boil

  My fudge looked nothing like it!

Finished "set" fudge!!!

The "fudge i ended up with was more like a gooey toffee or something, inedible and with big butter swirls!!
So I thought I would give it another go, I really felt like it needed a proper beating, so I put it into a pot and remelted it, got the electric beaters out and went for it...

.... but part way through this process I got to thinking, maybe it is more about the boiling, maybe it is supposed to boil for a time and then it will set properly... but I didn't have time to do this right now as I was supposed to be at church in about 20 mins and was still in my pjs....

So I left it in the pot on the stove (turned off!)

When I came home the fudge did seem quite well set and right...but it was stuck in the pot and I couldn't get it out in nice pieces....

So I re-melted it....unfortunately, this time the bottom caught which gives it that interested "flame grilled" taste!  I didn't let that put me off and as soon as it melted I got the beaters in there gave it another go and this time tipped it into the cake tin to set.

It looks good. a little darker the take 2 and a lot darker than the picture... but it seemed to be the right consistency, so I tipped it out on to the cutting board.... unfortunately, I tried doing this with one hand as I was brushing my teeth with the other hand...and I dropped most of it on the floor... I saved it quickly and my pieces are more creatively cut...a knife was never used this time.... 

It tastes fine, with that flame grilled feeling.... and in retrospect I think I could make it again, but next time give it a proper beating with the electric beaters when the cooking is finished before pouring it into the tin.

Fudge = Success...in theory

Day 4 - Porridge

This morning I made porridge.  I have my old favourite porridge recipe that my grandfather "Bill" used to make, but I thought maybe, just maybe Jamie Oliver might have something to offer here... and the recipe in the book, is a little faster and simpler...so why not eh?



We decide to forgo the toasted almonds, so save 8 minutes.  I set the temp and set the time

... and Jamie suggests that if it isnt runny enough, just add a splash of water....well I ended up setting the timer for another 4 mintues, then upping the temperature and another3 and another 5 minutes, before deciding it was good enough.  I dont think I like it super stodgy, but I do like it at least as thick as the above picture looks like it is!

On the whole we were all happy with the end results, and my favourite part was not having to clean up the microwave from the jug boiling over!!  I will probably make it this way again.

Result = Sucess

Day 3 - Chicken Curry in the Jamie Oliver Homecooker

Once again i decided I wanted to use the homecooker, but didn't have the right ingredients to make anything in the book....so I improvised.

I turned to the recipe book, for Creamy Chicken Korma


So, no korma paste (or other mild curry paste) so i used sweet chili sauce!  While I waited for the the homecooker to heat up (which actually took a lot less time that it took me to prepare the next part)  I chopped the onions, crushed the garlic, opened the jar of ginger, looked in the garden for my coriander...turns out it has gone to seed so I got out the jar of dried coriander leaves and the jar of sweet chili sauce (this is homemade from my homegrown chillies!!)

I then chucked all this into the homecooker, turned on the stirrer and set it for about 20 minutes or whatever the book said...but came back after about 10 minutes, because I couldn't be bothered waiting
NB.  Am starting to enjoy the convenience of the Homecooker machine, I could just set it and then go and fold the piles and piles of washing I am getting through after 2 weeks of camping!...so anyway

Added the chicken (I don't like chickpeas so I just left these out anyway!)

Just after the chicken is tipped in

I then tipped in a can of evaporated milk (because I didn't have coconut cream) brought to boil...didn't come back straight away... almost overflowed... caught it and turned it down to 110 and then set the time for about 20 minutes, seemed fine.

Served over brown rice (yes feeling all healthy!!)  that was cooked separately in the rice cooker.
That was the disappointing thing, I definitely felt like the advertising hype implied that you could cook the whole meal in the one machine, ie, chicken curry and rice all together.... or spag boll where you cook the pasta and the mince together, but it looks like it's really just one or other.

I forgot to take a pic of the final cooked meal!  But it tasted fine, didn't look that great as the evap milk separated in the cooking.  I will do some grocery shopping in the next couple of days and then I will make sure my recipes are planned and ready for mr homecooker!!