"Meals on Wheels" week 1 - menu planning for four!

My dear old Dad, who has just passed his 80th birthday, is due to go into hospital at the end of this month, for heart surgery.

Well, you can imagine how we all feel about that - but however we feel, it isn't half as bad as how my Mum feels about it all.  My brother has volunteered his car and his chauffeuring skills to take her to and from the hospital each day to visit, but I was wondering what we could do to ease the burden a little bit for her too - which in turn, will make it easier for my Dad to recuperate.  Oh, it's all wheels within wheels!

Now obviously, cooking comes to mind.  However, I didn't want to suggest that I cook some single-person meals for her and so remove a pleasant occupation that might keep her brain involved and slow down the worry a little.  But then, it occurred to me that there are bound to be days when either she will have had a stressful day, or alternatively she won't get back home until late - and she won't feel like breaking out the chopping board and getting on with some cooking.  So, I suggested it to her and she (amazingly - because my Mum is a great cook) accepted.

Which is why this menu plan blog post is entitled "Meals on Wheels" week 1 - as we're including several meals where we're cooking for one person extra and stashing that portion away in the freezer, for onward transmission to my Mum when we go to see them both on Sunday - Father's Day, don'tcha know!

Just in case you wonder whether I've forgotten my Dad in all this, far from it - I'm lending him my Kindle for his hospital stay and have loaded up the current tome on Arnhem that he's reading, plus several books that deal with his old Army regiment - the Royal Engineers - and their work in the Far East, plus some humour, some thrillers and a few books that I thought might be outside of his own choice but that might be interesting to read when you've got nothing else to do!  I've also dug out a couple of CD's that he might like to listen to on his Sony Walkman.

So, Operation Hospital has swung into action!

Here's how it's looking at the moment (although it could be subject to change!) :

Tues : Pepperoni & Mozzarella Millefeuille with salad

Weds : Sausage Casserole with mashed potatoes

Thurs : Spaghetti Bolognese

Fri : Tave Me Presh with mashed potato and peas

Sat : Rose Veal with mushrooms & cider, new potatoes, carrots & broccoli

Sun : anybody's guess!

Mon : Beef curry & mushroom rice.

It's not a dazzling array of meals, but looking at the weather, it's unlikely that we'll be breaking out the barbecue any time soon, or feeling much like salad!

As for the Meals on Wheels project, well I think the Sausage Casserole, Spaghetti Bolognese, Tave Me Presh and Rose Veal are all definites.

Pic c/o whatsgabycooking.com

Tonight's Pepperoni & Mozzarella Millefeuille is something that hubby has pulled together in his feverish imagination - but that sounds pretty darned promising.  It all started when we bought some extra pepperoni and mozzarella to go in last week's Stromboli (which didn't happen in the end).  He's built the recipe around those two ingredients, but without travelling too far in the pizza direction.  I can't say too much about it at the moment, as I really don't have much idea of where he's going with it - so you'll have to wait and see what happens!

A lentil version of a Sausage Casserole - but still yummy!

Now everyone loves a Sausage Casserole, don't they?  Yes, of course they do.  We haven't made one in ages and, because we're including my Mum in this one, are going to have to keep an eye on what we're using ingredients-wise.  She has a number of ingredients that she's sensitive to, such as peppers, sweetcorn and some spices.  However, I don't see that as a problem.  We've become quite good at thinking up alternatives and co-ordinating flavours, so I'm looking forward to this one.  It'll be lovely to have some yummy gravy, sopped up with mashed potato - a hark back to winter!  Yes, I know it's June, but you honestly wouldn't believe it, to look out the window.  Mum will have to either make some mashed potato to go with this one, or buy some already made from the supermarket - but it has to be easier than starting from scratch!

Spaghetti Bolognese was a shoe-in when we were considering what to make.  We'll box up some of the Bolognese sauce, so that all Mum has to do is cook some spaghetti - or any pasta, really - and heat up the sauce.  Easy peasy.

The Tave Me Presh (or baked mince with leeks) is one of my favourite comfort food dinners.  However, as Mum can't cope with red pepper, I'll use carrots and some asparagus instead - which will give just elevate the flavours a little.  This is another one that you can eat with mashed potato - or to ring the changes, with rice.  Again, Mum will have to make a little rice to go with it and can maybe throw in a handful of frozen peas in the last few minutes of cooking time.  Luscious!

As for the Rose Veal with mushrooms & cider, well this all depends on whether the box of rose veal arrives from the lovely people at Farmers Choice, who have offered to send me a gift box of veal with which to work.  This all originated with my blog post on Veal and I'm hugely appreciative of their kindness with regard to this offer.

I'm hoping that there will be something in the box that will be able to be made into the veal with mushrooms and cider - if not, I'll be thinking again!

Sunday, being Father's Day, is all a bit of a mystery right now.  Not because we've got any  mysterious ideas cooking in the background, but because Hubby can't think of anything in particular that he'd like to have to eat on that day - and is still thinking!

Monday brings the return of the poor old Beef Curry, which must be getting something of an inferiority complex as it's been bumped from two weeks' menus so far!  I will make it, I will!

As for extra makes or bakes, well, I don't really think we're going to have a lot of time for that this week.  Then again, I'm determined to make that Peach Cobbler some time this week as it was another victim of the alarming cuts that got made to the menu list last week!  But then, who knows what might turn up in the post that needs blogging about!

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The Recipe Queen's Tave Me Presh (a.k.a. Baked Mince with Leeks)

This may, quite conceivably, be the first Albanian recipe I've ever tried - and if it is representative of an Albanian's cuisine, count me in!

I found the original recipe on The Recipe Queen's blog, along with the Paprika Chicken from last week.  In fact, this is representative of the worth of having food blogs around in the first place, as had I have found the recipe without a photograph or explanatory piece of writing, I'd have probably passed it by.  As it was, the photograph caught my eye to begin with and upon reading the explanation, it intrigued me and got my saliva glands working.  Always a good sign!

I had a couple of reservations as regards the recipe.  Firstly, I had taken note of the "brothy" nature of the gravy/sauce and as I'm sure you all know by now, Hubby isn't all that keen on "brothy" recipes.  The second worry was that it might be too gentle a flavour.  The ingredients are all fairly flavoursome, but there was nothing there that could provide a "punch", so I was concerned that Hubby's jaded tastebuds (after a lifetime of smoking - but he's just celebrated his 2nd year of being smoke-free! Yay!) might not register such delicate flavouring.  All of which might have you thinking "that Hubby is a picky wotsit", but everyone has their likes and dislikes and it's pointless my putting together a recipe that I'm absolutely sure he won't like.  So, adaptations need to be made.

In fact, the adaptations I made were simple.  I added 3tbsp of flour to the sauce/gravy, which thickened it up a treat.  Where the flavours were concerned, the simple addition of a shake or two of Worcester Sauce and Tabasco provided the lift to the flavour range that made the difference between "meh!" and "ooooh, yum!".

The original recipe also asked for either carrot or red pepper to be used.  Because Hubby so enjoys his red pepper and I really like carrots, I used them both.  I also had some leftover asparagus (from the risotto which got bumped off of the menu list) which I cut into two and added.  I haven't included the asparagus on the ingredients list, because it was simply using up a leftover.  I suspect that the recipe for Tave Me Presh is probably another one like Cottage Pie, in that there are many different versions and you could pretty much include any vegetable you really liked.  I apologise to all the Albanians out there, if my version has strayed from the traditional - but we liked it a LOT.

In fact, I liked it so much that I had the last portion for lunch today - and I can confirm that it was just as buttery and delicious as it had been yesterday.

I give the recipe, as I made it, below.  My method differs a bit from The Recipe Queen's, as I don't have a pan which will transfer easily to the oven.  Hence all the cooking and decanting!  If you aren't so bothered at having a thick sauce, then either refer to The Recipe Queen's recipe on her blog, or just leave out the flour!

UPDATE : It is now May 2014 and I have cooked this several times since that first go.  I absolutely love this dish and every time it comes out as soothing and satisfying as the first time.  Whether you include asparagus or mushrooms, so long as you include the leeks, red pepper and carrots, you just can't go wrong.

TAVE ME PRESH (a.k.a. Baked Mince with Leeks)  Serves 4

Ingredients :

75ml olive oil
4 leeks, cut into 2.5cm logs, then cut into half
1 onion, roughly chopped
450g lamb mince
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut into squares
1 carrot, peeled and chopped diagonally
500ml vegetable or lamb stock
a shake or two of Worcestershire Sauce
a shake or two of Tabasco. 

Method : 

1.  Pre-heat your oven to 190deg C (fan).

2.  Heat half the oil in a frying pan and fry the leeks over a low heat until soft, but not browned.  Decant into a casserole dish.

3.  Heat the remaining oil in the pan and cook the onion and red pepper until the onion is transparent, then decant that into the casserole dish. 

4.  Place the mince and carrots into the frying pan and fry on a high heat until the mince is browned and beginning to caramelise.  Tip the pan and drain off the larger part of the oil, leaving some behind.

5.  With a slotted spoon, decant the mince and carrots into the casserole dish.

6.  Add the flour and tomato puree to the pan, soaking up the remainder of the lamb fat.  Cook for 2 mins or so, or until you see the flour start to turn golden.

7.  Add the stock, little by little, stirring or whisking as you go until you have a lump-free sauce.  Bring to the boil, season to taste and add the Worcestershire Sauce and the Tabasco.

8.  Decant into the casserole dish and give everything a good stir.  If you are adding mushrooms, now is the time to mix them, quartered, into the casserole.  Cover, then place into the oven and bake for 1 hour.  If you are using asparagus, cut them into one inch pieces and stir them in with 30 minutes to go.

Serve with lovely buttery mashed potato.  Comfort food at its absolute best! 

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