Speedy Accompaniments
Since it's the flavour and imagination of a good meal you are interested in, not spending ages in the kitchen, you are hardly likely to want to waste time preparing the bits and pieces to go with your main meal. No problem! Here are some quick ideas for how to do the last-minute side dishes quickly and easily.
For many people, cooking rice can be a disaster; you end up with a stodgy, gloopy mess. For those of you who fall into that category, buy boil-in-the-bag or microwave rice. You can choose from all sorts of varieties to suit the meal. They may be slightly more expensive than the plain old grains, but if you follow the manufacturer's instructions, you'll get great results.
For those of you who want to try, though, here are my top tips for cooking from scratch:
- Wash the rice first to remove excess starch.
- Always use a large pan with plenty of water, with a pinch of salt added, if liked.
- Add the rice only when the water is boiling rapidly.
- Stir once. Do not cover the pan.
- Cook for the time it says on the packet (for most long-grain varieties it's 10 minutes).
- Just before the time is up, taste a grain or two. There should be just a little resistance to your teeth. Do not overcook.
- Drain the rice in a fine colander or a sieve (strainer), rinse with boiling water to separate the grains and drain again.
- Place the colander over the pan with a little water in it over a gentle heat, to dry out briefly.
Dried pasta is relatively easy to cook (see below) but for quickness - and quality - use fresh pasta, which takes only a few minutes in boiling water. Alternatively, use dried Chinese egg or rice noodles, which just need standing in boiling water for 5 minutes and then draining, or fresh ones, which can be added directly to the meal in the crock pot for a few minutes to heat through.
Top tips for cooking from scratch:
- Always use a large pan with plenty of water, with a pinch of salt added, if liked.
- Add the pasta only when the water is boiling rapidly.
- Stir. Do not cover the pan.
- Cook for the time it says on the packet
- Just before the time is up, take out a piece and taste it. There should be just a little resistance to your teeth. Do not overcook.
- Drain the pasta in a colander. No need to rinse (unlike rice) as you want the sauce to adhere to the pasta.
Couscous and bulghar (cracked wheat) are great accompaniments and almost foolproof to prepare.
- Use one part grain to two parts boiling water or stock.
- Stir the grains into the measured boiling liquid, with a pinch of salt added, if liked.
- Stir, cover and leave to stand. Allow 5 minutes for couscous and 15 minutes for bulghar.
- Fluff up with a fork and serve.
I don't recommend using frozen or the instant varieties as accompaniments. Canned are not that palatable as they are, either, but can be good sautéed. Drain them and then dry them thoroughly with kitchen paper (paper towels), then sauté in a little hot oil or in oil and butter, shaking the pan or turning them occasionally until golden. Sometimes they spit a bit, so I recommend using a covered pan or a splatter guard.
For quickness using fresh, buy pre-washed potatoes, but I recommend you rinse them under the tap before use. No need to peel or scrape. The skin is really good for you.
To microwave
- For jacket potatoes or mash, allow a large-ish pre-washed potato per person. Prick all over with a fork and microwave on High for 3-4 minutes per potato until soft when squeezed.
- For jacket potatoes: serve as they are or pop under a preheated grill (broiler) for a couple of minutes, turning once to crisp the skins.
- For mash: when cooked, put in a bowl and crush with a potato masher, adding a knob of butter, a dash of milk and some seasoning. No need to peel; the skin is good for you and adds texture. It's very trendy to serve crushed potatoes rather than creamy mash. They are simply roughly crushed with a little butter and seasoning - even less work!
To boil
- For jacket potatoes: prick the skins of large potatoes and boil in water until just tender. Drain, pat dry on kitchen paper (paper towels), then grill (broil) as above to crisp the skins.
- For boiled potatoes: boil small, even-sized washed potatoes in water, with a pinch of salt, if liked, until just tender. Drain.
To roast
- I have tried the frozen roast potatoes and they do come out lovely and golden and crispy, but the calorie and fat content is huge! For a more nutritious but equally quick alternative that's different but just as delicious, toss small washed potatoes in a little olive or sunflower oil (just one or two tablespoonfuls depending on the quantity of potatoes) in a roasting tin, sprinkle with salt (and scatter in some sesame or caraway seeds, if liked). Roast in a preheated oven at 230°C/450°F/gas 8/fan oven 210°C for about 30 minutes until golden and tender, turning and rearranging once, if possible.
Oven wedges
- Use frozen or cut some washed potatoes into 6-8 wedges. Put in a roasting tin with 15-30 ml/1-2 tbsp of olive or sunflower oil and add a pinch of salt or 15 ml/1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning. Toss, then bake at 220°C/425°F/gas 7/fan oven 200°C for about 25 minutes, turning and rearranging once, if possible, until golden and soft.
No-fuss green salad
- Obviously, buying pre-prepared leaves is the quickest. Use bought dressing of your choice or try drizzling with just a little olive oil, a splash of balsamic condiment, a good grinding of black pepper and a pinch of dried oregano.
Easy tomato salad
- Use cherry tomatoes, simply cut into halves. Toss with a little olive oil and white balsamic condiment, a good grinding of black pepper and some torn fresh basil leaves. If you haven't any fresh herbs, add a good sprinkling of dried chives.
Mixed salad
- You can buy ready-prepared mixed salads, but they don't keep and are very expensive, so I would argue that it's best to buy the ready-prepared leaves or tear up your own from a lettuce head. Throw in some whole or halved cherry tomatoes, and dice some cucumber. If you want onion rings in your salad, take a whole onion, don't peel it, just cut it into round slices, then separate into rings, discarding the outer two layers. Easy! You could add drained, canned sweetcorn, whole or sliced radishes and/or thawed frozen or fresh shelled peas.
Chinese salad
- Just mix 30-45 ml/2-3 tbsp of sunflower oil with a tablespoonful of soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice. If you like it a bit sweeter, add 5 ml/1 tsp of clear honey, too, then add a packet of fresh, ready-prepared shredded stir-fry vegetables, toss and serve.
Bean salad
- Try drained canned beans and sweetcorn, or green beans, mixed with a little thawed frozen chopped onion or chopped garlic from a jar, a pinch of salt, a good grinding of black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of white balsamic condiment (or wine vinegar and 5 ml/1 tsp of caster (superfine) sugar).
Russian salad
- Use a well-drained can of mixed vegetables and mix with mayonnaise and a good grinding of black pepper - a classic!
Rice or pasta salad
- Mix leftover cooked rice or pasta shapes with some canned pineapple, thawed sliced frozen peppers, thawed frozen peas, a little diced onion and a pinch of crushed dried chilli flakes. Moisten it all with a little mayonnaise and a splash of the pineapple juice.