Last- Minute Dinner Ideas

[Smowball]

What are your fallback meal ideas when you've not defrosted anything/ got anything prepared at all and you need to get something on the table within an hour? I've had one of those days and I haven't got anything sorted for dinner tonight. Minds gone blank!

[EDDIE51]

^ One secret is knowing when the local Morrisons reduces all the 'reduced to clear' items down to 19p or even 9p each!.
A loaf of bread for 9p or a joint of beef or a chicken for 19p are some I have picked up. Last week they had lots fresh cream sponge cakes for 9p each , I bought 5 and gave 4 away to relatives and neighbours.
But the best ever was when Tesco introduced a new type of bread they over ordered and had dozens left just before closing time.
It was originally £1.20 with 30p off if you bought 2 at once. They reduced it to 10p a loaf but forgot to remove the 30p off for buying 2.
I bought 2 and they had to give me 10p back to take them out of the shop. So I went back and bought another 30, they had to give me the bread free and £1.50 out of the till. Then I went to my local pub and sold the 30 loaves for 20p each!

[gness]

Tell you what's great in the kitchen.....no....not me you'll have gathered by now....but..

An air fryer.....it's the most fantastic bit of kit...so good I'm buying another .....it does oven chips beautifully...and other things that are like chips....

Sausages and those Indian snacks and chicken pieces are really great but it does the best baked potatoes ever....

Just stick the stuff in....select temp and turn on the timer......bliss......x

[anneasquith]

No Tilly,with a quick tomato sauce.

[Islay]

Well that's brilliant Eddie but I and many others that work fulltime don't have time to fanny around waiting for food to be reduced and then have time to play at Flash Harry down the pub!!!

[crisper]

Hope you enjoyed your dinner Smowball.. but I have to ask what did you have in the end??...lol Mrs C x

[EDDIE51]

They don't do the reduced to 19p till 8.30 pm , so no problem with work , it's just knowing when to go. Well worth it if you get a weeks shopping for £3 or so!

[Tilly2]

Thanks, Eddie. That's good to know.

[Islay]

Of course you have taken into account travelling and petrol and time in your calculations Eddie?
For example, I live 25 miles from my office so I drive to work, I then drive home again at the end of the day, cook dinner etc, then drive the 20 miles to the nearest supermarket in the hope that they have some decent produce reduced. If they don't I suppose that I could do it all again tomorrow!

[Smowball]

I did a frittata with chopped peppers, onion, mushrooms etc and did the tinned potatoes in the oven with some olive oil - they were really nice actually.

[pastafreak]

// gness
Tuna....a house is not a home without tins of tuna in brine or spring water.......:-)//
Noooo!...in olive oil!!

// anneasquith
Pasta, pasta, or pasta :-)//
Have mine anne...I don't eat it any more...;-)

[ummmm]

I usually have prawns in the freezer and always have chilli, garlic and ginger too. Prawns defrost really quickly. I'd usually do a noodle soup. So easy and very tasty.

[gness]

Oh no, Pasta!...Tuna sort of slithers around in olive oil and it slows it down....... I like my tuna sharp and frisky......x

[pastafreak]

Then I guess you don't drown yours in mayo (homemade)like I do...;-)

[gness]

Garlic mayo, Pasta....lots of it.....and some paprika and pepper.....none homemade though....might chop a cucumber for some crunch.....now that may be home grown.....x

[pastafreak]

I put a bit of very finely minced celery..or spring onion in mine. I also use half mayo,half avocado sometimes...x

[gness]

Ah...avocado....that's a must.....celery I save to wiggle in the Bloody Mary....x

[Caran]

Gness why are you buying another actifryer? I have one and one is enough. I admit they are brilliant, never thought of doing baked potatoes in it though.

[Caran]

My standby is a pizza made from a tortilla. I always have a pack of them. Just top them with whatever is available: i.e grated cheese, peppers, onions, ham, artichokes, mushrooms. I coat the base first with tomato juice and ketchup mixed. Sometimes add a bit of sweet chilli sauce. Always goes down well.

[Smowball]

That's a good idea caran

[gness]

Hi, Caran....because you can cook so much in them....and one isn't big enough for say...chicken bits and roasties....then veg in micro steam bags...

You must try baked potatoes.....even crispy skin....and beautifully cooked through.....snazzy fish cakes...fish fingers......
Did sliced potatoes with herbs and parmesan the other day.....perfect....x