January reflections

 January is always bit of a strange month. Trying to get back into a routine after the Christmas festivities, not aided this year by increased working from home in early January due to train strikes. To be honest, having injured my leg at the very end of December, I was actually quite grateful not to need to commute in the first week of January but it did make getting back to 'normal' more tricky.

This January also included fun with friends at the theatre, some tough decision making (which almost led to this post being titled 'cooking with tears in my eyes'!), and a weeks leave. Altogether not exactly conductive to routine. 

Most of this month's cooking (or at least the bits I photographed) was recipes from 15 minute vegan on a budget. 

First up we have fuss free burrito bowls. This was tasty, but not easy to reduce portions. The combination of salad ingredients (sweetcorn, lettuce, pepper) and hot rice meant that the leftovers would need to be eaten cold. I'm not adverse to making this again, but I do think it's more one for company or at least for the summer when a cold dinner is more appealing. 

Next up was patatas bravas which I had made before. The mixture of potatoes, tomatos and gently spice in very comforting and definitely a more appealing winter dish. I added a few artichokes, just because.

                                        

Then there was Lebanese lentils with caramelised onions. This was another winter warmer and one I'm already planning to repeat. Simply cook rice, meanwhile gently fry a red onion with spices and brown sugar. Once the rice is cooked add the onion and tinned lentils and warm through. Serve with so much parsley you have to rearrange it to be able to photograph the rest of the dish.

                                        

Finally we have chickpea and lemon pilaf, another dish I've made before. Fry onion with spices, add rice and stock and simmer until the rice is cooked. Stir through chickpeas, spinach, and lemon juice.

                                          

Overall while 15 minute dishes sound convenient I've realised that I tend to prefer meals which take longer. Many of my roasting tin meals may take 45 minutes-1 hour but are generally chuck it all in the tin and shove it in the oven. In contrast the 15 minute meals require constant attention. They may get easier once I've made a recipe a few times and don't need to constantly check the instructions but there still seems to be scope for things to go wrong quickly. My meal planning for the next couple of weeks includes recipes from both books, so hopefully I'll get a decent balance.

Now we need to look to February and the sense I should have plans for the year. Hmm...