… Fluffy Rice, Red Onion & Parsley Pickle
This was a slightly odd 15 Minute Meal for me. Odd in the sense that I cooked alone. I didn’t eat alone. I cooked alone for the first six minutes or so. Hence the limited number of photographs.
Home group (my small mid week church group) was at my house tonight and I’m cooking for two friends before the meeting. Time is tight. I need to start cooking just after 19:00, with food on the table before 19:20 and cleared away(ish) by 19:40. Normally I would be all prepared in this type of situation. Everything would be cooked and being kept warm on the hob or in the oven. But it can’t be with a fifteen minute meal. My friend Ed, who I went on my American road trip with is due to arrive at 19:15 and Gavin is late! I start to cook at 19:03.
The meal goes really smoothly. I have no issues to report at all. It’s the first time I’ve ever cooked 10-minute rice and it works well. Very well. The recipe works, without any stress at all. Frist one in under 15 minutes. I have a little celebratory dance at the end!
The meal is nice. It’s a really pleasant meal. I love the gherkin in the pickle.
But … in some ways I’m slightly disappointed. This is ridiculous. The four meals up till now have had either big flavours or been surprising in some way. This one is a bit more normal.
How can I be disappointed? I have just cooked a meal in less than fifteen minutes that tastes great. It’s a Wednesday night and I have things to do. What more should you be able to ask in this situation?
I had to buy brandy. The recipe calls for a splash of brandy. The brandy cost over £7. If I add all of this cost, it will really distort the cost of the recipe. At most I used 5% of the brandy. Just this once I’ll only add 5% of the cost of this ingredient. I know the brandy will be all used up at Christmas anyway.
Musical accompaniment was from Biffy Clyro tonight. So … “mon the Biff” … as they say.
So it’s Winter Squash Penne with Mint & Avocado Chopped Salad tomorrow.
How much: £5.20 (it just so happened that I had 2 sirloin steaks in the freezer).
How long: Fourteen minutes and forty four seconds.
Who with: Ed and Gavin
