Saturday, 7 February 2026

Feeling A Little Pasty, Eating A Large Pasty

The former represents how I have been recently, not sleeping well and therefore feeling fatigued. The sinus issue was still bothering me - and I have apparently been snoring an awful lot. I finally saw the GP on Thursday, and he discovered I have polyps in both nostrils - and they, not the sinuses, are the cause of the problem. A daily nasal spray should deal with them [but allow 12 weeks for it to work fully, he says] I felt much better for knowing what was wrong!
The latter- I watched Jamie's programme on Monday night [Channel 4], and decided to cook his £5 meal meat and potato pasties
The recipe was easy, budget friendly and we both enjoyed them - but they were huge

They came out nearly 20cm across and filled the bowl, I served them with mix veg. The filling [mince, plus grated potato, carrot, onion] was very moist and the 3tbsp of brown sauce added extra flavour. We added a little ketchup at the table. Next time, I might make three[ or four] smaller pasties with this quantity of mixture. Using strong bread flour for the pastry meant it was both thin, and robust [but not tough] I need to practice my crimping technique though
Have you cooked any of Jamie's £5 Feasts?

22 comments:

  1. Glad to hear that something is being done about nasal problem. I haven't cooked and Jamie £5 meals. The pasties sound good. Bread flour for the pastry - who'd have thought it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hadn't come across this idea before, but it makes a lot of sense. And as I make most of our bread, there's always "strong" flour in the cupboard

      Delete
  2. We have been thoroughly enjoying Jamie's £5 feasts series. We admire him for his mission to educate people into understanding that you don’t have to spend a fortune to eat really well. We made the hearty chicken hotpot which was delicious and will definitely be doing several other recipes.
    They are all available on his website which is brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's good he makes the recipes freely available, and you don't have to buy the book

      Delete
  3. Wow-that pasty was a whopper! Glad you have had a visit to your GP and have received medication-fingers crossed it helps.I have developed a full blown cold and feel miserable. At least the weather isn’t good so staying in isn’t really a chore. Catriona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry about the cold. I'm sleeping better, but apparently still snoring loudly!

      Delete
  4. I haven't cooked anything from Jamie's new series yet, but some of the recipes have been really good haven't they. I am tempted by the pasties once I'm eating normally again. Bread flour was a new one for me, so it's nice to hear that it works so well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Every week day our village shops bakes premade pasties, and the smell is very enticing. A lot of local workpeople get their lunch there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are in the right county for a good pasty

      Delete
  6. The Quick Fish Curry, episode 1, was so easy and very tasty. I think he is so good at inspiring people to give cooking a go and helps regular cooks feel a bit more inspired.
    Jill x

    ReplyDelete
  7. I made the pasties which were delicious, but on rolling out the pastry decided they were going to be gi-normous, so made 4 smaller ones. 2 were eaten and 2 in the freezer. Hope the nasal spray works, 12 weeks seems like a long time to wait and see if it does. Xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. How wonderful that a chef is using their talent to really help people eat well on a budget. I think that is remarkable. JanF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He does seem to be realistic about what people can do/can afford

      Delete
  9. I liked the look of those pasties too (but without the meat for me) but we both commented on the size of them. I think you could easily make 4 out of the recipe. I've enjoyed all the progs so far and aim to find the recipes online to try them soon. Jamie makes it all look so simple. I like the idea of mashed potatoes done in the microwave too, so much quicker!
    I'm glad you know what's wrong at last, Ang. Poor sleep is no joke is it. I didn't realise that you could get a nasal spray for polyps. That must be a relief to know!
    Angie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you click the £5 link in my post,it should take you to the Feasts for a fiver website. Yes I'm pleased to find the cause, and the cure 😊for my nose problems👃

      Delete
  10. Glad to hear that the doctor was able to diagnose your sleep problems and hopefully, the nasal spray will help.
    Your pasties look lovely. I checked the link to the £5 meals and did a price comparison for my own amusement. £5 would come to US$6.81 according to today's online conversion rate. With ground beef (our equivalent of mince) selling for $8.49/lb. and 200g being the equivalent of 7 oz., the meat for the filling would come to $3.71. Bread flour is too expensive (12 oz. bag is selling for $9.99; 200 g = $0.87), so I'd substitute all purpose flour (store brand; @ 200 g = $0.28). Butter is selling at $4.79/lb. (store brand) and 100 g would come to $1.05. The vegetables (potato, carrot, onion, celery) would come to about $0.60. So, I could make the pasty for about $5.64, without the English mustard, brown sauce, etc.
    But, if the £5 included the salad, then, one gem lettuce costs $3.49, one apple would cost $1, and that would add another $8 to the cost of the meal. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for doing the comparisons, Bless. I frequently look at your shopping list and note price differences. Your salad costs way more than it would here, and bread flour costs around 40cents for 200g. Butter and beef pretty similar. On the programme, they calculate the average costs using the top 4 British supermarkets, and they are fairly accurate. However, I think everyone in the UK is aware of food prices being much higher than they were 5 years ago. Do you think USA food costs have gone up? Has your grocery bill doubled now your daughter is back home, I wonder❤️

      Delete
  11. So glad you’ve got some clarity from the GP—it must be a relief to know what’s really going on and have a plan in place. Those pasties sound absolutely epic in size!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely making them smaller next time 😉

      Delete

Always glad to hear from you - thanks for stopping by!
I am blocking anonymous comments now, due to excessive spam!