Cook in the bag

This morning, another clear dream day! We are so lucky to be surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean….

For a quick and nutritious weekday meal, I am preparing a Cook-in-the-Bag supper and probably do it around once a week as it is always tastes different but is very quick and much healthier than a take out if you are very busy. The meat and vegetables cook in their own juices and the result is bursting with flavor !

When you are working and have no time at all, this is ideal. You can virtually use up any kind of meat such as fish, chicken, pork or lamb. It can be fresh or left over from a roast. You can also have it cubed, sliced, whole like a roast or in large pieces or chunks. I sometimes take this opportunity to use up all my vegetables left in the fridge and today I have sweet potatoes, carrots, and new potatoes. i am leaving the new potatoes whole and I am roughly chopping up the other vegetables.

I am also adding a chopped onion, some garlic and freshly chopped vegetables which again can be what takes your fancy or what you have available. Sometimes i leave the garlic whole especially if the cloves are large and then just remove them before serving. I am also adding a glass of wine, a squeeze of a fresh lemon and putting in half a lemon into the bag as the infusion gives a great flavor. A drizzle of olive oil and some seasoning….. If you have no fresh herbs, dry herbs will do and I am especially fond of dry oregano and mint which taste nothing like the fresh variety but add depth of flavor… I am also adding a stock cube dissolved in some water or another option would be to add a can of chopped tomatoes and this will give you more of a ragout type meal.

If you are vegetarian, you need to leave the meat out and cook the vegetables in the same way. I have also tried this with tofu and the result was very good.

Seal the bag and when required cook for an hour in a moderate oven.

If you néed to go to work you can prepare the bag the night before and refrigerate it and when you return home, all it will need is an hour in the oven. This also allows the meat and vegetables to soak in the marinade. The vegetables are cooked in their own steam and the result is a tasty, nutritious and healthy meal that has taken up very little effort and uses all the random bits and pieces…