The Second Cook Out

Our second Cookery Club , fewer people than last time but just as much fun. A pattern in the recipes is starting to emerge - two mains and desert. This week it was pizza and a curry followed by crepes.

E&I cooked the pizza, I was intrigued by the base recipe as this was essentially my bread recipe without the sugar. Sugar is one of three bête noires  of the Cookery Club along with Saturated Fats & Salt - the three S's we should have less or none off. There was only strong whole meal so it was 100% whole meal pizza base.

Also the topic included thinly sliced vegetables including onions. I wanted to sauté the onions as I didn't believe they would cook properly in the 15mins allocated, I was over ruled - NO extra fat, stick to the recipe!

I was mistaken the pizza tasted just fine in fact some, including me, wanted seconds!

The vegetable curry was very tasty despite having no meat - chicken is what I thought I needed but it worked perfectly well and tasty without it.

The crepes with mandarins were fine even with the yoghurt rather than cream aka fat.

What was particularly good was the cleaning & washing up as we went along, we all seemed to 'muck in' we all worked well together. As ever the banter and chat during the preparation and the cooking and especially the eating good fun.



Take aways for M

• Wholemeal pizza bases work fine 
• Mozzarella chesse has half the fat of cheddar
• Try to make bread without sugar and (further as I already have done) reduced the salt.
• Vegetable oils all good except palm and coconut (sadly the Nigerian ones!) 
• The Eatwell Plate showing the proportions of your plate as food...

Take aways for E

• Looking forward to Wholemeal pizza
• Good to confirm the fats 

Bad
     Saturated fats
     Hydrogenated fats
Good fats
    Unsaturated

• Omega 3 is good found in oily fish like mackerel 
• Portion control 

Take away meal: Pizza

The First Cook Out

E and I have always enjoyed cooking and eating together, however we realized as we aged we need to eat better in order control our blood pressure cholesterol and weight. I came across, quite be chance while on the Greenwich council’s web site an advert for the ‘free’ Council's Community Cooking Club.

It seemed a great idea so, we both signed up and found ourselves in the hearty of our community, in group of people with different backgrounds , ages and from all over the world – reflecting the vibrant diverse community that is Abbey Wood.

The first session was lot of fun as we were introduced to the program and each other.

The meal we prepared and ate together was just great.  Everyone contributed in some way and this created a bonding experience within the group from which humour prevailed.  E&I enjoyed the dish we prepared so, much so, that once home we repeated it for our evening meal with a light twist aka some chilies!

Take away for E  
hope for M  and I to be on the same (cooking) page in future, it was good to feel a part of our community together and a new dish to boot.

Learnings for M
2/3 portions  of fish a week is good
potatoes are carbohydrates not a vegetable

Take away meal - Herb and Feat Frittata

The last piece from tonight's dinner...