Cooking Mama's Cooking Challenge #10: Pork Curry and Rice

This should be a nice straightforward one. The recipe just has you using the Japanese style instant roux which I've done before. It doesn't mention making the rice but we already know how thanks to RECIPE #1

Peel!

I used 2x fairly big potatoes and carrots cause that seemed like a good amount. No I did not arrange them to look like a weenus on purpose. hehe though. 

Slice up!

Chopped these up into big ol' chunks. Also cut 2 (smallish) brown onions to the same size.

Cut!

I bought one of those weird long PORK FILLETS because I thought that might be a nice cut to use. Have some leaner meat chunks rather than chewy fatty bits. And it's weirdly cheap.

Saute!

In the gameplay these always seemed to take about the same amount of time to cook so i've just tossed them in together. Took ages to brown a bit but eh no worries. They'll have more time to cook fully in the stewing part.

Measure and add!

The curry roux I am using has instructions on how much water to use, so we are doing just that!

Stew!

Stewing it in the water and adding the curry roux halfway through. Stir it a lot to make sure it's all dissolved and just let it do its thing really. Just left it on low heat for like 40 mins.

Finish

*****

This recipe is SO straightforward and so satisfying. The pork tasted great and you're making like 4-6 meals worth at a time. I highly recommend adding this to your repertoire if you need more simple, cheap recipes to feed a family or meal prep. (And if you're vegan you can easily skip the meat or add mushrooms)

Cooking Mama's Cooking Challenge #9: Fried Fish

Lightly Fried Fish Fillets

Coat!

Similar to the karaage recipe, it's not full on batter or breadcrumb it's just a coating of flour.

Melt the butter!

Two fillets two butters. Well actually I just sliced the butter real thin.

Pan-fry!

This seemed to be going well, but on the second flip the pan had dried the hell out and I crumbled most of the fish. Alas. Abass. Cod damn it.

Arrange the plate!

So the classic thing to serve in UK with fish and chips is good ol' peas (garden or mushy). But in the games options you had a different array of vegetables. Was gonna do green beans but grocery store was out!! So I went with sweetcorn. Oh and I still added chip seasoning and generous amounts of cider vinegar. I'm not a monster.

Finish

***

It's no beer battered deep fried fish & chips from your favourite gastro pub, but it's pretty agreeable.

Cooking Mama's Cooking Challenge #8: Spaghetti Neapolitan

Not sure what I'll make of this one. I believe this is "Spaghetti Napolitan", the Japanese take on Italian cuisine that's basically a tomato based spaghetti dish with hot dogs, except the tomato sauce is just ketchup. Like, just. ketchup. Given that Italians get mad when we put cream in carbonara, I dunno how this got a pass. But you know, I like ketchup way too much already so maybe it'll be to my tastes.

Boil some pasta!

Yea my hob needs a clean so sue me

Remove the pasta!

The games all like, pour out the water carefully without dropping the food. Game genie time cuz Mamas never heard of a strainer.

Slice up!

Thought about getting some hot dogs, but for about the same price I could get two GIGANTIC SMOKED POLISH SAUSAGES. (Something something that's what she said.)

Chop up!

It showed maybe half an onion, but again, small onions these.

Chop up!

You're supposed to use green bell pepper (more bitter) but Lidl didn't actually have any sold individually, which is fine because green pepperes SUCK

Saute!

We fry up all the things together. This is my kinda recipe. Also the game doesn't show it but I use a bit of olive oil to cook it in.

Saute!

So here we go right, literally the only seasoning/sauce the game has you use is ketchup. I happen to have some sort of fancy brand organic vine ripened ketchup. But also I thought it wouldn't be such a bad idea to lean into the principles of the flavourings and do my own little take on it, by also adding in a splash of indian hot & sweet sauce and hendersons relish (similar to worcestershire sauce)

Finish

*****

Ah shit. I owe Japan an apology because I REALLY like this.

Cooking Mama's Cooking Challenge #7: Salisbury Steak

 I think in Japan this is called a HANBAGU. They adopted the traditional European style Hamburg steak from before the besandwiched version came along and dominated.

Slice an onion!

The game shows 1 onion, but I'm gonna do 2 because mine are quite small.

Slice!

Just following the game here, this one's padding it out a lot.

Chop up!

I do dig this technique for dicing onions, I used it regularly ever since I first played this game. Cutting up not quite all the way in one direction, and then it holds together as you chop it all in the other direction. Pro strats.

Melt the butter!

Using my wok today because my flat pans in the wash. Wok could go wrong?

Saute!

Wiggle them around the pan until they are brown.

Add the ingredients!

Yes ya bitch had some stale bread I was saving for this and grated a chunk of it. We are taking beef mince and adding the fried onion, breadcrumbs, 1 egg and... some? milk..? I just sorta drizzled a couple tablespoons cuz I got no idea. 

Knead!

Oh god beef fat all over hands, why is washing fat off your hands the worst.

Make shape!

Yeah! Shape!!!

Pan-fry!

Ah shit I didnt get a pan pic, use your imagination. Things were getting mad chaotic up in here, trying to cook 3 giant burgers without setting the smoke alarm off or letting them crumble into dust. They held together alright, but probably woulda been easier if I diced the onions even finer or used more breadcrumbs?

Arrange the plate!

Yes that's right. YES THAT'S RIGHT. I bought some broccoli and mini creme caramels and found a tiny flag just for this. Also some organic ketchup in place of a tomato slice. Smashed it mate.

Finish

***

OK full disclosure I feel like I may have undercooked it slightly. I know medium & rare burgers are a thing, but I think biting into a fillet of not entirely well done mince is gross and slimey. And for a much fresher meat than what I was probably working with here a day after I opened the pack for the previous recipe. I will give the other two burgers a lil' extra when I reheat the leftovers. As for the broccoli, I steamed them and then seasoned them with butter, salt and swahili lemon pepper so they were fantastic, and the creme caramel juice pairs weirdly well with the burger actually, though I wouldn't let it touch the ketchup.

Cooking Mama's Cooking Challenge #6: Grilled Gyoza

 Grilled...? Gyoza?

Slice up!/Chop up!

Grabbed just a handful of cabbage from the freezer and diced it up. Trying to coordinate having the right fresh ingredients with minimal waste is a whole thing I'm up to.

Chop up!

1 clove of garlic. I have a garlic press, but it says to chop it so eh, why not.

Add the ingredients!

Grabbed about 200g-ish of minced beef, the cabbage and garlic, drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Knead!

smush it all together

Fold the dumplings!

OK so not pictured was a whole ordeal right. I couldn't easily find gyoza wraps so I figured I'd actually just make some myself. So I prepared the worlds driest simple flour + water pastry, rolled it out till all the bones in my hands hurt, cut circles with a big cookie cutter, and voila! This is actually kinda... working?

Cook amount told!

I'm not sure Mama knows what grilling is. This is steaming/frying gyoza in a shallow pan of water. 

Finish

****

Thought this was going to be a disaster. Every time I make pastry I remember that I hate pastry so much. Then the gyoza were sticking to the pan and I was worried they were all gonna eat shit. Couple of them did but as you can see they're largely intact, and they cooked through just fine. Made a simple dip of sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and worcestershire sauce to go with which I recommend. Maybe I'm not better than Mama but at least I know what a grill is.

Cooking Mama's Cooking Challenge #5: Fried Chicken

Time to make fried chicken AKA Karaage. 

Slice up!

Pack of chicken thighs sliced into cubes... or cube-ish.

Grate!

Grated some ginger I think about a tablespoon-ish

Add the ingredients!

We're adding the ginger, sesame oil, cooking wine and soy sauce. I'm using the light soy sauce this time ok!!!

Knead!

Gonna use a spoon for this actually, do you have any idea how much I have to wash my hands to take a picture each step of the damn way.

Coat!

I don't have potato starch so I'm rolling these in a mixture of corn starch and plain flour. Why both? I don't know I just happen to have both.

Deep fry!

Sorry I'm stingy with the oil sorry it just feels weird to use so much.

Finish!

****

Aww hell yeah the business! I wanted to pad it out a bit to a more rounded meal so I made a little stir fry with rice noodles and cabbage to serve with it. This wasn't like some luxury super crunchy battered chicken (esp since I didnt have the right starch) but a very nice basic crispy dark meat chicken. Also keeps it pretty economical for a fried meat dish. Goes best with a sweet and spicy dip. Bonus: my kitchen now smells like a fried chicken takeout mmmm.