This has got to be the nation’s opportunity to learn how to cook!
Somewhere along the line, our nation went from a nation with good knowledge of a range healthy and cheap home batch cooking meals; to a nation who feed their families processed chicken dippers and chips, and microwave burgers.
My Nan used to make soups - lentil, chicken and veg, potato and leek, even “leftovers soup” wheee she’d throw in everything that needed using up in the fridge/cupboard and cooked it in a soup.
She’d make stew - called various things around the country including “lobby” in Stoke, “lobbies” is StHelens Leigh and Wigan, “scouse” in Liverpool.
Corned beef and potato hash.
Fish pie, cottage pie and shepherds pie.
I’ve learnt how to cook all of these as well as some more international dishes made in a similar batch/one-pot manner, including:
Chilli - which I cook with diced beef rather than mince.
This made-up (by me) Spanish style Bolognese where I use pork mince and chorizo.
A Korean inspired stir-fry - I make with my own sauce consisting of olive oil, crushed/pressed onion+garlic+ginger, soy sauce and smoked paprika... to which I add spring onions, chillis, beansprouts and noodles and one of those mixed seafood packs you can buy (prawns, scallops, squid rings).
Cooking is easier than you’d think and cooking like this is much cheaper (because the ingredients are cheap and you can cook in batches spreading a number of meals) than buying ready made meals.
