Semi Homemade

[kgord]

I think Sandra who had the show semi homemade is no longer on the food network. Her show was all about customizing store bought foods to add a home made touch to them. Do you ever do that? Do you take storebought foods and customize them? I sometimes like to add extra ingredients to store bought foods to put my own personal touch on them or improve them in someway like extra veggies and cheese on storebought pizza for instance.

 

[Morning Glory]

I buy cheap brand baked beans and add a squirt of tomato puree (and half a teaspoon of brown sugar sometimes). I usually manage to fool people that its Heinz baked beans! Sometimes I cook frozen oven chips and sprinkle them with spices (paprika, chilli etc.). A secret vice is SMASH (instant mash potato). I stir in garlic puree to make garlic mash. But I don't buy much ready made food in general.

 

[Rosyrain]

I really miss that show because Sandra Lee had a lot of wonderful ideas. I even liked the table scape feature she would do too. I like to take boxed pasta dishes and add extra ingredients to make them my own.

 

[Berties]

I buy cheap brand baked beans and add a squirt of tomato puree (and half a teaspoon of brown sugar sometimes). I usually manage to fool people that its Heinz baked beans! Sometimes I cook frozen oven chips and sprinkle them with spices (paprika, chilli etc.). A secret vice is SMASH (instant mash potato). I stir in garlic puree to make garlic mash. But I don't buy much ready made food in general.

I should report this to admin for offensive words on the forum,smash has no place in vocabulary it is a un written obscenity ,it's only use use is to rescue wet mash potato ,and gets referred to as pomme,no one should eat it in its designed state even with garlic in it ......

 

[Morning Glory]

I should report this to admin for offensive words on the forum,smash has no place in vocabulary it is a un written obscenity ,it's only use use is to rescue wet mash potato ,and gets referred to as pomme,no one should eat it in its designed state even with garlic in it ......

I agree and I know exactly what you mean. But sometimes I like it! I also eat it out of bowl with salad cream and harissa squirted on top!

 

[Berties]

I agree and I know exactly what you mean. But sometimes I like it! I also eat it out of bowl with salad cream and harissa squirted on top!

When I helped with scouts the instant mash made me shudder and my days of cooking in the field makes me gag thinking of a product that resembles wall paper paste

 

[DancingLady]

I liked the idea but I can't afford the store bought food. Everything I buy is pretty much the raw and or dry ingredients like dry beans and grains. Canned and boxes food costs way too much.

 

[Morning Glory]

When I helped with scouts the instant mash made me shudder and my days of cooking in the field makes me gag thinking of a product that resembles wall paper paste

Its quite handy for thickening soups too. It can also be used to make fish cakes... I'm sure I can think of many more uses for it @Berties! Oh, and Nigella uses it too:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/potato-cakes-with-smoked-salmon-recipe.html

 

[Morning Glory]

You can also use SMASH (in dried state) to coat fish to make a crispy coating.

 

[Berties]

Hold on I've found another use for instant dried potato
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_mashed_potatoes
Look under uses ,sour dough starter @SatNavSaysStraightOn did up know this?

 

[kgord]

I really miss that show because Sandra Lee had a lot of wonderful ideas. I even liked the table scape feature she would do too. I like to take boxed pasta dishes and add extra ingredients to make them my own.

I do that too. I almost always customize boxed pasta salads by adding additional veggies, meat or cheese..usually what ever I have left over, or have a lot of. It makes the dish more interesting and more nutritious and can even pass for a main course.

 

[Morning Glory]

Hold on I've found another use for instant dried potato
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_mashed_potatoes
Look under uses ,sour dough starter @SatNavSaysStraightOn did up know this?

Couldn't find the reference to how you use it in sourdough in this link. But I did find this. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sourdough-starter-i/
Not sure @SatNavSaysStraightOn would approve! But as I'm such a fan of instant mash I'll venture to try it.

 

[Berties]

Couldn't find the reference to how you use it in sourdough in this link. But I did find this. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sourdough-starter-i/
Not sure @SatNavSaysStraightOn would approve! But as I'm such a fan of instant mash I'll venture to try it.

 

[Morning Glory]

Yes I know but the link on that page didn't seem to lead to any instructions for instant pot sourdough. Maybe my sight is failing too...

 

[cupcakechef]

I do this quite a lot myself. Mainly with store bought pizzas like you mentioned. I also sometimes buy jarred sauce (pasta sauce) and will add my own combination of additional herbs and spices that customize it to something more flavorsome and suited to my family's tastes.

I think that's one of the best things about life these days - we get to enjoy convenience but we still have the ability to personalize things.