Cooking Tips

Brynmor

We posted an instagram today looking for tips for cooking - Iots of the suggestions so far are for warming soups. I wondered what we could come up with so join in if you can

What are your tips for cooking food?

We know that the winter season may be a little more tricky for people with arthritis this year, and that looking after your emotional wellbeing is important. For some, comfort food can bring a small bit of positivity into the day.

• What are your favourite comfort foods to cook?
• What are your best tips for working in the kitchen?

We'd love to see your tips and pictures. 👇️

(You can view the video about cooking tips over on our Instagram post - no Instagram account needed)

YvonneH

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/32186/cooking-tips-and-recipes/p1

I was having a look around for some recipes that originated with us rather than some taken from any other site and found these. They date back to 2012 but recipes don't date - and some look delicious

I'm going to try the chicken and bacon paella recips from @lindalegs

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/441771#Comment_441771

Yvonne x

Anna

Your recipe suggestion looks tasty @Yvonne68 and can be cooked in one pot - always a bonus! I’ll give it a try one evening this week.

My go-to comfort food is beans on toast with grated cheese on top and a big mug of tea - it always fills me up and makes me feel like I’ve eaten something a bit decadent!

YvonneH

I'll share a soup recipe I love at this time of year

Butternut squash soup.

Now they are tricky for wrists and fingers right! So I buy frozen butternut squash to make life easier

chop one large onion, saute if desired (I confess I often leave that bit out)

1 1/2 lb butternut squash

1 lb potatoes

1 pt veg stock (I use a cube, unless I have veggie water from cooking our Sunday roast dinner)

Put all the above into a pan, boil for about 5 mins. Turn the heat down to simmer and add a pinch of nutmeg, 1tsp tarragon, leave for about 20 mins until the veg is well cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into a liquidiser and whizz or use a stick blender (my choice) until it's smooth. Reheat. Serve.

Can be frozen, tastes lovely, crusty bread is my choice to go with.

Yx

lindalegs

@YvonneH

Wow Yvonne, this is a blast from the past! It's still as easy and tasty to do nowadays 😉

Mike1

Applies to numerous food items: Remove cardboard, pierce film lid, put in microwave for recommended period, press button, when "dings" remove plastic film and eat from container to save washing up!

Brynmor

Apart from recipes...

• What are your best tips for working in the kitchen?

Be good to add our latest tips and must-have gadgets that help us 😃

lindalegs

@Brynmor Good idea!

I use a mezzaluna knife which needs 2 hands and takes pressure off joints.

frogmorton

Sitting down is my best tip and batch cooking when I am feeling at my best. Then it can go in the freezer and be treated the same as Mike's microwavable meals 🙂

legs i actually remember that recipe!

Kitty

My best tip is get the old man to do the cooking. 🤤

frogmorton

Very good Kath!😁😁😁

lindalegs

This is really easy and suitable for vegetarians though if you'd like some meat in it you could lightly fry some lardons or chopped bacon to stir in.

Gnocchi & tomato bake

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 500g pack gnocchi
• handful basil leaves, torn
• half a 125g ball mozzarella, torn into chunks

Method

1. Heat grill to high. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then soften the onion and pepper for 5 mins. Stir in the garlic, fry for 1 min, tip in the tomatoes and gnocchi, then bring to a simmer. Bubble for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi is soft and the sauce has thickened. Season, stir through the basil, then transfer to a large ovenproof dish.
2. Scatter with the mozzarella, then grill for 5-6 mins until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
3. Serve with garlic bread and/or a green salad.

frogmorton

Thanks Legs.

I can make it Vegan replacing the mozzarella with breadcrumbs too😘

lindalegs

@frogmorton

Or tofu Toni. 😊 xx

Trish9556

Just found this thread ..

My best tools in the kitchen are my slow cooker which gives me casserole two days running. Just shove any meat and veg in on low in the morning and eat at dinner time. Cool, cover and shove in the fridge until tomorrow and reheat on high for a couple if hours. You can also make scrummy soups in there shoving anything you like in. Don't need to peel veg, think fibre, with stick if your choice and blend uf you want with a hand blender. Great comfort food that can be frozen and shoved in the microwave to reheat . My favourite is leek and Tata where I can use cheap frozen leeks and old spuds that need using up.

My new air fryer comes second as I can shove multiple things in at once. No bending down to the oven and no heating the big space in the oven .

My bread maker is my trusty friend. Who doesn't like fresh homemade bread? Easy to use too. Just follow the recipes shoving everything into the Mach e, press start and smile as you smell the break cooking.

My Nespresso is my best friend though with its separate frother that I can use in the middle of the night ti heat milk fir hit chocolate when sleep evades me Not a cheap option but as a caffeine addict overall it's cheaper that posh overrated cafe coffees. Nicer too.

You'll notice I like to shove stuff. Shove is a good word when you have arthritis.

Love n hugs

Trish xx

frogmorton

@Trish9556 I am glad you've resurrected this thread.

I swear by my instant pot which is a kind of pressure cooker like you I like to make stews casseroles and soups in mine.

I don't think I could have a bread maker though else I'd be the size of a 🏡 I love love love warm bread.

Shoving it in is definitely the way to go😂still tastes good and that's all that matters isn't it?

take care

Toni x

Trish9556

Hi @frogmorton

I bought the bread maker in lockdown 1when I could only get plastic tasteless bread in a huge loaf that would go off before I finished it. Was also majorly expensive rip off prices.

I do struggle sometimes not to tear some off a fresh loaf and load it with lashings of butter but have taught myself to refrain. It is nice though to be able to try new loaves, healthier loaves that are better for us without the added preservatives and even make the standard sandwich loaf which tastes nothing like the plastic version.

My favourite homemade loaf is a cheese and sun-dried tomato loaf....

Love n hugs

Trish xx

Fran54

Hi

My two favourite items in my kitchen are my pressure cooker and my coffee machine. My pressure cooker makes lovely warming stews with dumplings ( yum ) and I always make extra for another meal either the next day or it can be shoved in the freezer! I would not be without my coffee maker machine as I do like a good quality strong coffee during the morning to perk me up.🙂

stickywicket

I don't profess to be any great shakes as a cook (and my family would agree!) but I know that I have to do everything in stages - prep a bit, rest a bit, prep a bit more. I know I have to go out tomorrow morning and will then be tired so I've already got my veggies chopped and waiting in the fridge for the evening meal.

I've recently re-discovered the boiling method for cake making. No rubbing fat into flour. Easy peasy. Just call Mr SW in when the mix needs pouring into the cake tin. Knowing what it leads to he's always willing.

frogmorton

@Trish9556

did you see? @Fran54 'shoves' too!!

You honestly think I wouldn't eat the entire loaf of lovely warm bread? sigh.......bliss!

Absolutely @stickywicket prepping ahead is the number 1 lifesaver.

You might have to explain the cake boiling method I've never heard of it but it sounds great.

Take care all

Toni x

Trish9556

@frogmorton

Hi Toni

Basically you shove all the ingredients apart from the eggs and flour into a pan and heat gently until fat has melted. Allow to cool, beat in the eggs then stir in flour, shove in the tin and bake in the normal way

Be-Ro have a good fruit cake using this method but there are loads online.

Choux buns and eclairs made the same way but the eggs and flour are beaten in while the mixture is warm but is hard on hands and wrists.

@stickywicket will add their recipes and advice on the melting method.jyst thought I'd add my thoughts while I was here.

The easiest thing to make is a pavlova and I can add my recipe if anyone wants it. It must be eaten in the day you bake it though

Shoving is as good as prepping. Lol. I'm glad I'm not in a club of one!

Love and hugs to everyone

Trish xx

stickywicket

Thanks, @Trish9556 , the Bero book, formerly my Mum's😊, is where I first got it from. Last week I had a surfeit of dried apricots so I set Mr SW (who has two good hands) on chopping them. Result, a lovely moist cake.

But I came back to this method in November when I got a cravinģ (ah, no. Those days are long gone!) for a proper Yorkshire Parkin. The real, stick-to-your ribs thing with black treacle and oatmeal, nothing like the flimsy, tasteless golden syrupy ginger cake that shops misname parkin. Fantastic. Our younger son used to ask for the recipe every year (because he always lost it) when he was at uni.

Trish9556

Hi @stickywicket

I think the Be-Ro cook book shows how young we are! (in only in our head). It was the only recipe book my mum had and even though I have acquired quite a few, this is my favourite one. I got a newer version a few years ago - nice to see some of the old standards in there but also has some new fangled ones like shortbread with lavender? To me, flowers should be on the table as a decoration, not in the food!

I've not had Parkin in years - often look at the recipe and think shall I but think it would last me weeks!

Love n hugs

trish x

Woofy

My tip for the kitchen, is to put everything you use a lot, down on lower shelves, so you don’t have to stretch up in pain to reach stuff. I also have one or two gadgets for unscrewing lids on jars. It’s like a silicone nutcracker, which basically fits small or large lids. I have also ordered a hook thing that helps with ring pulls on tins, and cans.

frogmorton

Brilliant ideas there @Woofy I think @stickywicket has a can opener thingy. I still use Mr Frogmorton!!

Thanks for the cake info @Trish9556

I have my mum's 'Mrs Beaton' here the oldies are the best😉

Toni x

Trish9556

@Woofy

I'm under 5' tall so struggle with even the lowest shelves lol. What I do have when the husband isn't around is a sturdy, long, pair of BBQ tongs which work well in his absence. Yes things do fall down but not on me and it does the job. Breakables aren't put near things that I use lol!

Love n hugs

Trish xx