Episode 11: Let’s Talk About Food
This week on the podcast we’re talking all about FOOD.
As Mel says, we were BORN to talk about food!
This is subject we’ve bonded over the most so thanks for being here for the ride. Get ready for some recipes.
Comfort Food Recipes
Gabby- Pioneer Woman Beef Stew and mashed potatoes (Also if you’re a smashed potato fan get stuck into this)
Mel- Pioneer Woman (again!) mac and cheese and also the A Beautiful Mess No Bake Cookies
Other comfort eats: Rachael’s Good Eats Reeses’ Peanut Butter Cups
Recipes For When You Wanna Be Extra
Gabby- Bon Appetit Chicken Biryani Recipe
Mel- A veggie lasagna (also worth mentioning Jamie Oliver’s Family Lasagna)
When We’re Feeling “Healthy” Recipes
Gabby- Gwyneth Paltrow’s Cobb Salad
Mel- homemade pho (she doesn’t reference a specific recipe but you can hear about how she builds hers by skipping to 25:10 in the episode time stamp.
Quick Dinner Recipes
Mel- The Pasta from Chef the Movie or a fridge-dump-fried-rice (no recipe, just throw in everything leftover in your fridge)
Gabby- meat and veg. Marinade the meat in soy sauce, honey/brown sugar, garlic powder, oil and let it sit for ten mins while you chop the veg and then roast everything.
Breakfast Recipes
Mel- Hemsley & Hemsley: Anytime Eggs, and Melissa Hemsley Baked Oats
Gabby- Kelly LeVeque “Cookies + Cream Smoothie”
Bonus Notes
Anything by Alison Roman (including the famous shallot pasta)
Anna Jones has the best vegetarian recipes hands down.
>>> Click here to read the computer generated transcript (note that the transcript isn't perfect)
Mel: Welcome to the Making an Effort podcast, the podcast where you get to drop in on a conversation with two friends, discussing all the things they make an effort with and some of the things they don't welcome. Hi Gabs.
Gabby: Hi, Mel, did you just say disgusting?
Mel: The, all the things they talk about? Totally get it. We do talk about some disgusting things privately.
Gabby: Yes, those are that's in the Marco polo. Yeah, the original podcast.
Mel: Yeah, that's right. The OG
Gabby: The OG um, but how's it going this week for you?
Mel: Yeah, it's going fine. I have just done a Peloton strength class, which I just told you why I decided to ramp it up and go from beginner to intermediate.
And it was a huge mistake. Cause I don't actually know how I'm going to brush my hair tomorrow. My arms are so sore. They feel like dead weights.
Gabby: Oh my goodness. I love that feeling though. I really do well. I'm very excited about this episode because we're going to talk all about food, which is my favorite thing in the world before I know this is what we've, we really bonded over this.
Um, Uh, but before we do that, just one thing. So after last week's episode, we talked about jealousy and comparison. I talked well, Chris and I always listened to the podcast together. Usually like while we're driving around town, usually he wants to hear it at some point. And.
Mel: That's really honorable of you to do that.
Gabby: Yeah. Well, well, you know, he always shares his songs with me. And so this is my version of it.
Mel: That's a good comparison. Do you sit there and like, look at him the whole time to see his reaction? Cause that's the kind of wife that I am.
Gabby: Um, I think I, I didn't the first few weeks now we kind of, because we just kind of have it on in the background while we're running errands throughout town.
It's a little more casual, but he always has something to say, and I don't always bring his commentary to the table, but I thought last week was good because, uh, so we obviously talked about jealousy and comparison from a female perspective, because it's the only experience we can really speak into with any kind of authority. Uh, uh, but he was like, you know, I think you guys totally could have dropped most of the... not the advice, but like, he's like all, every, basically everything you said on the podcast is applicable to men and is like a similar experience, at least in his experience. Um, and so I just thought that was worth mentioning just because obviously we're never like trying to alienate anyone.
We just can only speak from the experience that we have, and we don't want to presume anything, but I did think it was interesting because my, I sat at the beginning of last week's episode. That my perception is that men don't seem to struggle with this the same way women do. And maybe that's still true, but Chris was like, no, it for, in my experience, it all comes up exactly the same way.
Just the insecurity, the immobilization, the hyper mobilization, uh, the pettiness and, um, Yeah. I don't know. I just thought I would share that because I thought it was very interesting.
Mel: Yeah. I think it is interesting. I definitely wonder if it might be, um, and this might just be across the board relevant, but if it, if it really chose up differently and personality types as well differently, because I don't know that Dave, my day of, although I could be wrong, but I don't know that he necessarily has.
Or struggles with jealousy in that way. But what I will say is that David also, unlike Chris isn't like he had eight. He doesn't have to kind of put himself out there for a whole lot of external sure. Yeah. Responses, right? Yeah. And which is totally different. Although he does have a podcast himself, Dave is all about his local football club.
Big up to the preview show. Yes.
Gabby: Yeah. We'll link it in the show notes.
Mel: If you're interested in Irish league football, particularly ported on football club. You don't want to mess up. Yeah. Oh my goodness.
Gabby: Well, I just want, you mentioned that at the top of the episode, before we got stuck in, and then also, I also wanted to mention that we've gotten so many lovely emails from all of you. And, um, if you ever want us to read something out that you've sent in, feel free to just let us know, because some of the emails we get are. Really quite vulnerable. And we would never want to share something without you guys, uh, giving us permission. So if you do send something in and you want your feel comfortable with us sharing it, uh, just let us know in the email and we'll do that.
Mel: Yeah, we got some really, I just want to. Really say, yeah, we got some so beautiful and emotional actually. I mean, Gabby and I tend to go through the email inbox together just before we hit record on the, on whatever episode. And, um, today I was reading them out to Gabby and I couldn't get through some of them because it was making me really weepy.
Um, and they were all about the episode, um, about our bodies. So if you sent a message to us, An email and we're going to try and get back to you, but we really just want you to know that they haven't just gone into the ether and disappeared. Um, and we want you to know that they were hugely moving on. We do not take lightly that you share your story with us in that way.
So thank you.
Gabby: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
Well now, are you ready to talk about food?
Mel: I was born ready to talk about food! Oh, my I, just put my hands up in the air and I've hurt my arms. I'm so screwed tomorrow. I absolutely am ready to talk about food because I mean this, like you said, this has been our love language as friends really. Is getting on Marco Polo at whatever time of the day and being like, here's what I'm making for dinner.
What have you got going on? Tell me about this drink. Tell me about this. We thought it would only be fair for us to dedicate a full episode to some of our favorite recipes, our go-to foods and cookbooks and things like that.
Gabby: Yep. You're always the person that I send a wee video to if I am cooking something a little impressive or a little experimental. I'm like, this is the kind of content Mel really wants to know about. Mel: Oh hell yeah. I'm here for that.
I'm here for that. Every second of the day, I'm on it. Like I could absolutely put a recipe show on TV and have it play all day long. Like there, there is nothing. Boring about it to me. I particularly love Nigella. I just feel like it's watching, I'm like watching some sort of erotic performance of cocaine and I'm here for it.
So good. So good. Yeah. So we thought what we do is kind of, we've got some categories of. Uh, like different types of food that we go to for different types of things. Um, and so we don't know what each other is going to say or what we're going to talk about, but we thought it'd be fun to kinda talk about, um, Yeah, where are we? Where are we go to? What kind of food we make when we're failing certain ways.
Gabby: So that's what we're doing. Yeah. Do you want to go, you want to start with, with your first category there?
Mel: My first category is what food or recipes do you, what is your default comfort making recipe? Or food? Like what is like a, I've got my period or do you know what I mean?
Like, I am, I want to make something, but I don't want, like, I don't give a shit if there's any nutrients in it, like I just need the comfort. What is it? What was it for you?
Gabby: Oh, gosh. Um, I think that there's a few recipes like that. Uh, one would definitely have to be the pot roast with the mashed potatoes from pioneer woman, actually, anything she D she makes is like always a pound of butter, cream, cream, cheese, like the whole works.
So. Yeah, there was a, I remember when Chris and I first got married, pioneer woman was having a real, uh, I don't know, her blog was just like the, it blog every time you'd go over to someone's house and try something be like, this is amazing. I'm like, Oh yeah, the pioneer woman.
Mel: Um, Have you tried her stashed, her smashed potato, like her, like you
Gabby: I haven't tried it, her recipe, but I have made them before. And that is the one thing that I make that whenever I, you know, we go over to friend's house and I'm like, what can I bring? People are always like, bring those because they are so good. They are so, but I'm sure she has a great recipe for that because. She has a great recipe for everything.
Mel: Yeah. Yeah, she does.
Yeah. So like a roast dinner basically.
Gabby: Oh yeah, she does. She does. It's like four hours in a Dutch oven and you just add all the good stuff. Like there's tomato paste, Worcester sauce, red wine. It's almost like of beef bourbon, Bergen, yawn, but like, uh, Just a little more homey and a little less whiny. And then she pairs it with her mashed potato recipe, which if you've never made her mashed potatoes, that's, that's the recipe.
That's right.
Mel: The one, how much are we messing with a mashed potato though in this recipe? Because you know, like, you know, we're, I'm from here, you know, like our mashed potato is a thing because it's, it's just simple. Goodness. Like, yeah. A little bit of butter. Yeah. A little bit of milk, maybe. But like how much are we, how much are we messing with the potato?
Gabby: We are, we are really working with American potatoes in this recipe, like a weapon. Uh, I think she mashes them, but she definitely puts like at least half a cup of CRA like full fat cream cheese, melts that in there. Butter salt, pepper. And it is so good. It is so good.
Mel: If you're not salivating right now, then you're dead inside.
Gabby: Then this is going to be a really painful 30 minutes for you. Yeah.
Mel: Um, what about you? Okay, so similarly with like the heaviness, I tend to always creative, like a homemade cheesy. Saw smack and chase. Oh yeah. So like, and the salt, like the cheese sauce from scratch. So, because for me it's all about the, like, uh, the standard over and the Mac and the room, you know, with the flour and the butter, and then slowly add in the milk and then the grated cheese and the salt, maybe some nutmeg.
Gabby: Ooh, nutmeg.
Mel: Okay. Yeah. It gives a ways Agnes, so good. Um, and then baking it. Maybe I'm maybe even afraid off some backend to put in there.
Gabby: Oh my goodness.
Mel: So all of that together with some really good macaroni, um, and the often maybe even a bread crumb.
Gabby: Oh, yum. I love when it's baked, it has to have a breadcrumb. So that's what I think. Yeah. If it's baked it can, you know, it could just be stove top and that's fine. Yeah. So not as necessary. Mel: I go, I go to that and then once a month, usually at the same time of the month, I will make a batch of, um, no bit cookies. Um, so these are, I think the recipe is from a beautiful mess.
I have been making these for years. I mean, when I had a blog spot blog, I posted this recipe on it. Oh my true true. Um, and it says
Gabby: OG blogging,
Mel: I know melwiggins@blogspot.com or something. And I have no idea if it even exists anymore, but yeah. Um, and it's all, it's like, No big. So you do it on the stove top, and it's like oats and butter and sugar and cocoa powder and vanilla and peanut butter and say salt. And you just like it. You boil up the mixture, then you add the oats, then you add the peanut butter and then you just dollop it onto a baking trayand put it in the fridge and it hardens and I mean, if you've done it right. They're a little bit glossy and sticky, but not, but not like. No gooey. And that sounds amazing.
I'll tell you what I can, I can inhale. Well, a full tray of those over, over a 24 hour period. They are so good. Uh, so that's always comforting to me. And I always know those are things that you'll most mostly have. And the hosts, you know, par Jones, butter, sugar.
Gabby: Yeah. Speaking of no bake treats. Do you, um, do you guys do a Reese's peanut butter cups in the UK?
Oh yeah. Or do you enjoy them? I do. I don't know.
Mel: That makes sense sometimes.
Gabby: Yeah. Yeah. So these ones are supposed to be quote unquote healthy, but. I don't really know. They're still just a treat and that's not why I make them. I make them cause they're really delicious. But, uh, Rachel, I think your Instagram handle is Rachel goodie and she makes these, um, like the Easter egg ones.
What. And they are so good. I mean, what do you mean by Easter? So I don't know what it's like in the UK, but in the States, every holiday Reese's peanut butter cups, we'll do holiday based like peanut butter church. So, so Christmas it's like Christmas trees and then the original was Easter, Easter eggs, and they are so good.
Mel: Um, so like an Easter egg shell with peanut butter inside. Gabby: No. So it's just shaped, it's like a little like, so this is literally how you make them, because I've made them a few times, you make the peanut butter mixture and you form it in just like kind of an oblong oval, like on the tray. Um, and then you dip that whole thing in melted chocolate and then put it in the fridge or freezer to, to kind of, you know, pardon.
And they are so, Oh, delicious.
Mel: That is so delicious. I sometimes. Go ahead.
Gabby: I was going to say, I'm going to link it, but we're going to link everything. So that's just like a blanket statement. Everything here we talk about.
Mel: Yeah. There'll be a lot of links. Expect a lot of links. Um, yeah, so I do those peanut butter cups too.
And like a cupcake tin, or you melt the peanut butter with some coconut oil and then pour it in, put it in the freezer and then you mail your chocolate and then pour it over the frozen peanut butter. But that's good. um, Okay, so that's comfort, comfort, comfort. And the next category, which I think both of us had was when you want to be a little bit extra.
So like, when you want to go make some serious effort, um, duh, duh, duh, make some ass, you didn't even pick up on that. Or you will have to like, you know, You want it to be a wave at luxurious or something? What's your, what's your, like, this is a bit extra. I'm doing it. Yeah.
Gabby: Uh, I want to say it's bone on Petite's chicken wedding, bus, Matti recipe.
I make it every time we have guests over and every single time you can like literally see their heads explode because it's so good. They, um, it is. It is a labor of love. Like I either go to my local Indian food restaurant or Indian food grocery store, or order off Amazon aged bus, Matti, rice. Like it can't just be like, okay.
Yeah, it has to be aged. Um, preferably at least two years, I don't know what they do in the aging process, but I'm told in the recipe, they're like, if you're gonna make this with normal bus money don't even bother. Um, so I didn't, I got the rice course. And then, um, you just, it's just so good. So you, you marinate the chicken, chicken thighs in like a marinade in the kitchen for like, at least. Six hours. So like, usually like if I'm gonna make it, I'll just do that in the morning, put in the fridge. And then that honestly is like the hardest part over, I think, cause then the rest is just, um, sashaying up some, some red onions boiling the rice, and then you kind of like set the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Again, you kind of put all your, um, all your sauteed onions and your marinaded meat. At the top or like, sorry, at the bottom of the Dutch oven. And then you pour the rice on top and then you put it in the oven. And so then by the time it comes out, you just kind of like flip the Dutch oven. Oh. And, uh, you get this like amazing caramelized bottom where like everything has just been cooking and it is so good.
I can't even tell you. It is amazing. And it is a real stunner of a dish.
Mel: Oh, that sounds amazing. I feel like I made you when you and Kreskin to visit, I feel like I made you a chicken rice, Dutch oven. Gabby: It was so good. It was amazing. You did. I don't know what it was called, but it was really delicious chicken side.
I remember, I remember Dave being really brave and trying it awesome.
Mel: I know he did so well. Um, pretty F like. He hits it when we have people over, because it means that he's just never, he's not gonna get fed well, um, by his standards, but I will, um, Oh, that sounds to me as an account. We had to get the, the link for that. Um, and have everyone in my heist rejected and complain about the spices that smell throughout the house.
Gabby: Cause that is what's going to happen. Yeah, it is like there's a lot. I mean, it's a lot of ground, a lot of. Those kinds of spices, but it's not spicy. So there's that?
Mel: Yeah, that won't matter. That's all about the smell. So I would say I just love mechan. Elizah Tanya, like a really juicy lasagna. That is my like luxury, extra luxury. No, it's not. It's when you present it, it's not like the fancy. Caramelized chicken and rice thing, but like, it is a labor of love to make a lasagna from scratch.
Gabby: Oh yeah, it is.
Mel: And I particularly love a veggie lasagna.
Gabby: Oh, okay.
Mel: I, I love like, um, or a half and half where you're using instead of pasta sheets, you're using like thinly sized, butternut squash. Uh, as the pastor sheets, no you're talking and just like a really, really rich mate's mate sauce. Again, the cheese sauce from scratch, like your white sauce from scratch.
Really good strong cheese. Um, yeah, there's nothing like up to me. Yeah.
Gabby: Yeah. You know how it was a great, um, and it is a labor of love, but it's delicious. Uh, lasagna recipe is. Jamie Oliver. He, and I feel like the UK lasagna is for all the Americans listening UK lasagna, if you've never had it is so worth it, it's different from like your bog standard American Italian lasagna, which totally has a place in my heart.
But if you're not a lasagna person, cause that's the only kind of lasagna you've had. I highly recommend getting yourself a UK lasagna recipe and making it at home because you guys do have, like, we don't have, um, like the, like the best Shamali kind of cream sauce that you guys put in. We'll just put ricotta cheese and a story.
Right. And it's not like a saucy experience. And I remember when I was making the ball and A's for this Jamie Oliver recipe, it had like celery and like all of this stuff in it. and I don't think that a lot of Americans, maybe that maybe that was just me and my ignorance that I didn't know, but I, I don't think that a lot of American and Italian lasagna recipes do all of that.
Yeah.
Mel: It's probably, it's probably not an authentic lasagna,
Gabby: but it's still delicious.
Mel: Um, and funny, I always. Always like up Jamie Oliver for whenever it gets the time to like assemble everything. So I'm always like, what goes first? Is it? Cause I'm yeah. I just always forget and I always go to him for that.
Um, so that's yeah, I would say a really hearty lasagna. It's so extra, like it takes, like it takes like a half a day to make a really good lasagna like that.
Gabby: It does welcome to our first ever outbreak, except it isn't really an ad. We've been doing this podcast for almost two months now. And several of you have kindly got in touch to ask if we have a Patreon to support us.
So we've set one up and if you're one of those people and I've been enjoying the podcast, we just want to say thanks. We're hoping to do some fun stuff on our Patrion, like host alive, unedited recordings, and have some zoom calls. You can find all of this and more www.patrion.com/makinganeffortpodcast.
Thank you for making our first two months of podcasting, such a delight. Now back to the episode.
Mel: Um, what about like, if you need to just nourish your body in some way, if you know that your body is like, give me non-big food, what, like, what do you, what do you tend to make?
Gabby: So I specifically, if we're talking non beige, I love Gwyneth Paltrow's Cobb salad recipe. Oh yeah. I've seen that on Instagram. I actually, I have plans to make it today.
Cause I have a lot of edge I need to get through. And it's a good one where you can kind of just like whatever you have in your fridge, you can kind of add to it. Like if you've got like a stock of salary leftover a few radishes kicking about. Um, but I just think so the, and I'll, I will link it. It it's just so simple.
Um, I always do Turkey bacon cause I D I don't really handle pork very well. Um, so I'll do Turkey bacon. That I chop up hard-boiled egg and then whatever vege I can find in my salad with this, like mustardy, champagne, vinegar, vinegar at, um, with, and I always use like horseradish mustard because I love mustard so much.
It's the only condiment that I genuinely, it just can't get enough of it.
Mel: It has grown on me. It wouldn't have been my, my go-to, but it is so good. And addressing. Yeah.
Gabby: So I'll, I'll, uh, I'll probably make that today.
Mel: That sounds amazing. I've been making this thing recently, which is kind of like pho you know, like a Vietnamese pho, because we have this amazing, um, Vietnamese like home cooking, uh, service. Is service the right word?
Basically, this girl started cook Vietnamese food from her house in lockdown, and you can order it and then like to have on a Friday or Saturday and pick it up. Um, and it's just totally, it's so authentic. Um, and like, yeah, well, all the things that she ate growing up, um, from her like mum or whatever, And I wanted to kind of replicate, try and replicate that myself, even though I'm, I'm not in any way a good like cultural cook in those ways, but I'm really interested in learning.
So, but I, if I like a soap and so folk gives you like the broth easiness of a soup. Yep. But with loads of like, so I will put garlic and onion and chili and a pond with maybe some Sesame oil. Um, and then you add your broth. You add whatever grains you have going on, whatever. Oh yeah. You've already put some, maybe some chicken or beef in as well.
Um, I'm sure this is completely not the right thing. Um, maybe some spices and then add your broth. Your grains and then maybe some rice noodles. And that to me is just health and a bowl. You've got all your ginger and your garlic. That's just good for your immune system. And then all the grains such as, and then it's soupy.
So you feel like it's warming and delicious. So I, I absolutely. Love, uh, a broth like that if I need, like, to feel like my body needs some help.
Gabby: Yeah. Yeah.
Mel: And then I also love a salad, like what you're talking about and I I'm talking, like, make, make a salad as boujee as you need it to be. Yes. Like don't skimp on your pomegranate Jules.
Don't skimp on throwing some strawberries in. Don't skimp on toasting some nuts or seeds, you know, you know how I feel about that?
Gabby: I, I do. I think it's interesting. Cause I think a lot of people. You're either fall into the camp where you don't mind a bit of fruit in your salad, like a savory salad, or you do.
I personally love like cranberries and all of that good stuff, but I know that's not everyone's thing. Um, but yeah, I agree. Like if you're gonna make a salad, make a salad, like throw tons of herbs in there. That's been a huge game changer for me. It's like, I always do fresh stuff. Um, yeah, like. Get throw a ton of parsley, flat leaf parsley in there and, uh, like spring onions, like.
Just throw it all in there.
Mel: People who think they don't like salad have just never had a really good salad. Agreed. You know, it gets a bit of a, I guess, a bit of a bad name. Although if you went to my mother-in-law's house, it's like iceberg lettuce and like baby tomatoes, whole not even cut up Annabelle and she's like help yourself to solid.
Should we just put lettuce and tomato in a bowl? And then I, then I proceed to like, You know, fancy it up for her. I'm like, do you mind if I just have a look and see what's in your cupboards and she's always like, that's amazing. Tell me what you've done there. This is classic. My mother-in-law. She lets her late.
You come over. This is a wayside bar, um, to dote a bite, my glorious mother-in-law who I do love very much. Um, but she will always come over a sh. Um, when I find him cooking, she'll always be asking me every single step. Right. So what are you doing with that? Right. And what, what have you put in there? And I'll tell her and all the rest, and then I'll be like, do you want to stay for tea?
And she's like, no, no, no, I've got, I've got stuff out for tea now. Um, and she's still stand around, like asking about it. I'm like, do you want to try some? So I just take away spoonful, just put a wee spoonful in a bowl. Um, so I'll do that and she'll have it. That is delicious. That was beautiful. I think Andrew would like that.
That's my father, like algae would like that. Um, by the time, like she's going, she's going with like a full Tupperware of this mail for her, her husband. Oh my goodness. That is amazing. But yeah, but it's so good. Yeah. That's a very Northern Irish mother thing.
Gabby: That's so cute though. You are, but see like you are her Nigella Lawson show, but it's more interactive. You get to eat the thing at the end.
You're like watching it, but then you have a better end result. Mel: Actual food. Yeah. And then what will happen is I'll get phone call a couple of days later and she'll be like male. I've got that Cali floor that you, that, um, I've got the flower. And what is it that you put on that again? Would you text me through the, and she'll want me to like them talk her through? Um, it is funny.
It was really funny, but yeah, that's the, that's the health that I. Nate. So what do you, I want to know, like, and I think this is also just really helpful for people who run out of ideas. If you need a quick, a quick dinner that isn't bland, what are you going for? Like, what are you, what are you make Amish?
Gabby: Uh, Okay. You go first because I might need a week. Wait a minute.
Mel: So I have to go check that are just like, like no-brainers and it's the pasta from chef the movie.
Gabby: Oh, Oh, um, wait, I don't know that one.
Mel: Oh, is that the one in the beginning where he makes the pastor for Scarlet Johansson and it's like spaghetti.
I can't remember what it's called, but a Lincoln, because it's so easy. It's such really like. Six cloves of garlic, like finely sliced fried in loads and loads of olive oil. And you throw in some like chili. So either just like dry chili, but fresh Chili's better, or like lays HLA, um, boil your pasta with loads of salt.
And then, um, separately chop up like loads of fresh basil. Yeah. Loads and loads and loads. Um, And then. Once you pass this cooked, Janet, put it in, swirl it around with the really gorgeous garlic HLE fire, the fresh basil through the whole thing. And just like go to tie in with the Parmesan. Well, it sounds like salt and pepper.
Oh. And it takes like five minutes. It really does take like, as long as it takes to boil the pasta is how long it takes. So that, that has been a really like a regular go-to for me. Yeah. Um, and I just love. The movie chef so much. I really do. I love John Tarboro in general, but I just love that. I love that movie and that movie.
Oh, sorry, go ahead. No, go ahead. Oh, no, go ahead. Remember, we're still talking about chef.
Gabby: I was going to say like Chris had never heard of a Cuban sandwich before that movie. And now every time we like are in Chicago or somewhere that has like a good Cuban restaurant, which is not Nashville. Uh, at least not one that I'm aware of, he will make sure to get the Cuban.
There was a week cafe, like in Northern Ireland called Havana Havana cafe, then near Bangor. And we saw it when you were driving by. And Chris got so excited. Like I hope this is like an actual Cuban cafe and not just a cafe that they're calling Havana and. Uh, it was not a Cuban cafe. It's just a cafe and normal cafe.
They were calling Havana, which I mean, to be fair is delicious, but it's not Cuban.
Mel: That's for sure who doesn't love a Jackie Spud. Um, so I would do that or I would do like a fridge dump fried rice.
Gabby: Yeah. Yep. That, that's a really, it's a go-to for me. I do that for a lunch a lot too. Cause it's so easy. Like you just get all, cause like you have three frozen peas, your frozen KA, like all of those things that are just in the freezer already.
And you just like put a little bit of Sesame or
Mel: Oh yes. Maybe some fives.
Gabby: Yeah. All that good stuff. Um, I mean really for us, like we are so into just like a. A really simple meat and veg. So like, I'll do what if we're, if I got like 30, 45 minutes for dinner, I'll just walk the oven on to like roasting temp and just do like a quick, really, really quick marinade and like some chickens.
So like, I usually do, uh, soy sauce. Some kind of sugar, like a like Brown sugar, honey, something like that. And maybe like a touch of oil of some kind Sesame oil does it, it could be, it could be all of whatever, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Put that on the fridge for like literally 10 minutes while I chop up vege.
And then I just like roast. Hmm. I don't know, like just roast whatever vege we have in the kitchen. And then I'll throw the chicken in at the last minute. And we do that for dinner, like two or three times a week where it's just like, whatever meat we've gotten there. And that's our like quick go-to dinner.
I it's not that inventive, but at least it's like,
Mel: I think I can be interested in if you're doing it like that marinade makes it completely. Yeah. Okay. So one of the things that I find the hardest, if, if I'm trying to kind of, because I really love, I really love food so much. So I feel like for like breakfast, I find really difficult.
Yeah. Because it's either. Like cereal or toast or whatever. Um, and I, yeah, I find breakfast for really, and also I'm just, sometimes I'm just not in the mood to, to have certain things at that, whatever time in the morning, it is usually, you know, half seven, eight o'clock. But yeah, one of the things that I.
If I I'm up for it that I absolutely love is this amazing recipe by the Hemsley sisters, um, which is like, it's like baked eggs. Right? So, um, we'll, we'll for sure. Length the length, the recipe. I think it's on the Vogue website. They have it on the Vogue website or else you can find it in there in the Hensley Hammersley cookbook, but, um, and it's a little bit like a shack Sharika.
Am I saying, am I saying that right?
Gabby: Yeah, I think so. I don't know.
Mel: So it's a bit like how I would say it. So it's like, like a tomato, a pepper onion base. And then you put ahead of balsamic into that your eyes just went wide. So you put a bit of both Sonic into it, and then you make space for your eggs and you crack them in cover it, let them cook.
And then when you're serving it, you serve it with like coriander, fresh coriander and crumbled. Feta. Yeah.
Gabby: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm into that. I'm sorry. I'm like nodding my head,
Mel: but like, if I was really making an effort at breakfast time, it would be that.
Gabby: Yeah. Breakfast is a hard one for me. I, I don't, I, um, If I'm honest, I usually do smoothie, which is really boring.
But if you're looking, if you're a smoothie person and you're looking to up your game, then I think you should check out, uh, Kelly website. Cause she has an entire website of smoothies that are just next level like, Oh, there is one where every day I would make it a, it was called the cookies and cream.
Smoothie and it doesn't, it is, I mean, it's still healthy. So like it's stuff like milk of choice. Uh, I usually do almond milk in my, I love milk in general, but I usually do almond for my breakfast smoothies. And then you put like frozen blueberries, uh, cocoa powder, cashew butter, um, And I usually do like some kind of like vanilla flavored or like coconut flavored away.
It's like some kind of vanilla element in there to get kind of that cookie taste. Um, and like, uh, like a protein powder, like just any kind of vanilla flavored...
Mel: I'm so intimidated by that. Like, I wouldn't know what to buy. It's so cool concept is really intimidating to me.
Gabby: Chris is really into his protein powders.
So I feel like it's just been a part of my life for awhile, but if you don't know what to get, and you are like interested in adding a bit of protein to your smoothies in the morning, and you're normally just like a banana and you know, whatever's in the fridge kind of a smoothie person, definitely just go to, what is it called?
Like the health place in your, in the UK is called the Holland Holland. Yeah, you can just walk in and get any, I would recommend any vanilla flavored protein powder, excuse me, and walk that in there. And it whales make it taste better and add protein. And which will make you feel fuller longer. Like I usually, if you're not. If I don't have protein in my smoothie, then I might as well not have a smoothie because I'll just be hungry five minutes later. Uh, but yeah, I'll, I'll link her as well. Cause she's got a ton of recipes like that, that are actually really good.
Mel: Okay. Yeah. And the other thing that I tried really recently, which is another hiss, Melissa Hemsley of the Hemsley sisters, um, posted this.
What looked really delicious baked oats. It seems like back-to-school is doing or doing a thing on tech talk at the minute. Not that I would know because I'm not on tech talk, but looks like, it sounds like it's some sort of a craze at the minute like that, you know, like the, um, the folded special fold RAF thing for awhile, but so she met, she has a recipe for.
Like a raspberry baked oat. So it's got like, yeah, it's just it. And I made it, I've made it twice this week and it was, Oh my goodness. Chef's kiss. So good.
Gabby: That sounds amazing. Is it just raspberry? Cause like Chris's favorite flavor combo is raspberry white chocolate, anything. Mel: Oh yeah. You could throw some white chocolate chips in there. I actually put some coconut in some like desiccated, coconut and um, cause it give it for flaked almonds, but I was like, no. Raspberry needs coconut.
Gabby: So I think you're right. I think you really improved that recipe and I should tell her you should like recipe tester.
Mel: Um, so I, yeah, I really, I really liked that.
And then, and I will just fry some mushrooms. I just love mushrooms. I will fry them with some garlic salt or garlic powder and crack an egg into it and have that for breakfast. Uh, but is there anything better than a big chunky slice of Sarto toasted with butter though? Gabby: Um, no, there actually isn't. So that just wins the whole episode.
Mel: Yeah. That does win the whole episode. Did I feel like I mentioned this before? Maybe I didn't, but last week, um, I sent Dave to go and guess I'm sorry to bread. So like, This, this there's this new like refill shop that's opened and our tine. And it's really lovely. And they they're doing this gorgeous Sarto bread from this local Baker who we used to go and drive like 10 miles to get his bread.
But now it's like here in time. So I sent Dave together and he came home and he's like, well, let me as well quit my job. Because there's money to be made in Sardou that loaf cost me four pounds 50, and I was like, fair enough. But it is also the best bread you'll ever have.
Gabby: So, and also if you want to get into making and selling really good sourdough, please be my guest.
Mel: Right? Yeah. That would be amazing. But yeah. Anyway, um, And then I thought maybe we could just share any other, like, have you got any other character or categories or any other recipes that you just are like diehard fans of?
Gabby: Um, well, I'll say so. I know you're not as much of a cookbook person, but I love a good cookbook.
Like I literally collect them and I. Have a few. So anything by Alison Roman. Okay. Is good. Have you ever made an Alison Roman rest tomorrow? Um, she had the shallot pasta, which you would love. Uh, it does have anchovies in it and I hate anchovies. I do. I hate them will not touch them, but I did. I put on my big girl pants, I made the shallot recipe with.
The anchovies. And there was like a full disclosure. There was a brief moment where my kitchen smelled like anchovies, very brief. It was like maybe 30 seconds. That was while they were, it was melting in the oil, um, on the pan and then it was gone and I didn't taste them and I didn't see them cause they just melt.
So they just like,
Mel: yeah, like they do like a paste. Yeah. Yeah.
Gabby: I think go to paste. They like bring some like salty braininess that you to your pasta. And it was the best boss I've ever made at home for sure. Big clam. So there you are. Um, anything by Alison Roman? Um, I'm a huge Anna Jones fan. She's a vegetarian chef from the UK.
She studied under Jamie Oliver and I am pretty like, I want to say. Like religious about her. Like anytime she comes out with a book, like I'm on her newsletter.
Mel: She's got a new one coming out, hasn't she?
Gabby: Yeah. It's called one. It's like one pan, one pot and it's just. Meals, you can make on one, well, one pot, one pan.
Um, and I haven't gotten that one yet, but I have all the other ones and they are great. They're like my go-to for sure. And a lot of them, I mean, they are all vegetarian, which is why I like them because they, I feel like I just need ideas when it comes to what to do with vetch. Yeah. And a lot of them, you could easily just like if you have a non-vegetarian eater in your house, like I do, uh, you could just do like a bit of chicken or something on the side and there you go meal done.
So if you haven't checked out any of her stuff, go to her blog. Go subscribe to her newsletter and really buy a book. I think. Yeah, I think her, and if I had to suggest one of her many cookbooks, I would say the modern way to eat is the winner.
I mean, all of her cookbooks have gotten awards. Uh, but that one to me is the, is the best for home cooking and. Yeah. There's a lot of good stuff in there. Um, I'm trying to think if there's anything else, is there anything else for you that you're like, I need to mention this before we wrap up?
Mel: I feel like I don't, I love the photography and cookbooks like that is.
I'm all about that. So that's probably why I would buy a cookbook. Um, but I, they take up too, how much space in my heart.
Gabby: I like, I like the way a cookbook fills up my house.
Mel: You do, of course you. Um, so I tend to, I tend to Pinterest it, um, or Instagram. So I follow on a Jones. I follow like a whole bunch of other.
People who make delicious food. Um, and so I would tend to kind of go to my saved cause I see of all kinds of stuff. So I'd go to my saved folder and just be like, okay, I've got like, uh, what is most, what do I fancy or whatever. Um, And then I've been using HelloFresh for the last little while as well. Um, which I have really enjoyed.
I have to say I've really enjoyed it. And there was one recipe in particular that was delicious and it was like a, to read. So crusted Cod. Yeah. So I don't know if you can find that on the HelloFresh website or if you have to subscribe to it to get it, but if he can find that that was yum. Yeah. I mean, I'm, y'all sounds incredible.
We could talk about this all day, but if you're not completely Salvian or if you haven't just hopped into your car to go and get ingredients already, um, you probably will, and we will make sure to have all these recipes, uh, feelable as much as we can for you.
Gabby: Yeah. And if you make something tag us, we want to see that.
Yes. If you want to be a part of our little friend group chat, where we send each other pictures and videos of what we're, what we're making for dinner, then feel free to just. Send over a wee pick,
Mel: yes. This is where the magic happens. Absolutely. Okay. Thanks everybody so much for listening again. If you want to get in touch, you can reach us on Instagram at gobbler Ellen or male Wiggins, um, and email us feel free to email us.
If you have like a recipe that you are just die in a bite, feel free to send us a link, um, at making an effort podcast@gmail.com and we will see you. Next week.
