A Bit of Low-Effort Batch Cooking, Plus Not-Lasagne

[@joeroylemusic]

Shrimp... Please never stop creating these odd one-off, not-quite-part-of-a-series type videos! The random trivia, insight, and creativity is really useful for a university student such as myself. I'm most keen on the seasonal suitablilty of various vegetables, it's all too easy as a shopper in the UK to not give much thought to such a thing when availability is usually constant - but my pocket and palate may like me more if I were to know when seasonal fruit and veg are about!

[@chocoblocka]

Also a student - couldn't agree more

[@bda5683]

Yep. This is a great contribution.

[@gillianmeehan3206]

Ooh you sound rough, thanks for still creating even when you are poorly

[@TheSuzberry]

When I’m feeling poorly, I eat cereal. This is extra.

[@gillianmeehan3206]

@@TheSuzberry For me it's mashed potato and gravy

[@ohmydinosare]

If you think about it, almost every dish in the entire world could be described as "not-lasagne". In fact I can only think of one dish that you couldn't call that.

[@sideenawilliams5322]

This made me chuckle 😆

[@134StormShadow]

What about not not lasagne 😂

[@ohmydinosare]

@@134StormShadow not not lasagna is a less versatile dish, I can only think of one thing that would fall into the category of "not not lasagna"

[@JohnDlugosz]

That's what you serve for your un-birthday.

[@herowither12354]

I'd be willing to just eat that sauce plain like it's a soup.

[@Laguns-ij4hn]

I was thinking the same thing. Adding the veggies to rice would be good too.

[@regimiro4888]

@@Akotski-ys9rr Why wouldn't it lol

[@regimiro4888]

@@Akotski-ys9rr Are you 6 years old?

[@j_jhij_j5819]

@@Akotski-ys9rr veggie bad ;(

[@LadZeroUltra]

@@Akotski-ys9rr lots of things are just veggies bro. And theyre very tasty

[@saidchammas]

The thing to admire most about you and your channel is the consistency. You upload things you enjoy, regardless what youtube thinks. By doing so, you attract viewers who are also interested in those things, creating a more long-term constistent community, rather than a short viral spike to be forgotten. Get well soon

[@squeak5213]

Hi Shrimp! I just wanted to drop by and say a huge thank you for all the amazing content you create on your channel. Your food videos have been particularly helpful for me, especially as someone who struggles with mental illness and finances while moving into my own house for the first time. Your unique perspectives and the methods you use while cooking have helped me see things in a new light, and for that, I am truly grateful. Wishing you all the best, and hope you feel better soon. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@michaeldavidson2548]

Not all heroes wear capes! Take care 👍

[@liserjones8465]

My Grandmother's first rule of cooking was 'you can always add but you can't take away'.. I don't think this could be classed as low effort or lazy! I would say this is the love and self care you need when you aren't well.. Wishing you a speedy recovery x

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

I go the same way. I start with low salt, and if it tastes flat, I add a bit more. Same with batter and dough. Just mix flour, liquid, whatever else goes in, and add flour or liquid until the consistency is right. I think I haven't used a recipe in over 20 years. This winter I started making cookies, then decided that I can cut out a step and just make a huge cookie, basically a weird cake, and just go from there. Saw I still had some frozen strawberries, in with them.

[@SilverDragonJay]

I love low-effort stuff! (I should probably get a food processor). Even if this meal lacked the structural integrity of a normal lasagna, it was still very good looking for a pile of hot food. 10/10, would eat.

[@AtomicShrimp]

To be honest, I like a sloppy lasagne too. If you can cut it like a cake, it's probably a bit dry for my taste!

[@allesindwillkommen]

I don't know if you can call it "low-effort". If ingredients are not a problem, I would probably just use some chicken and vegetables and make fresh chicken stock. You don't need a food processor or even a knife. Just drop everything in a pot and cook for about an hour or so. Then you can just drink the pure stock which is good for your soar throat or if you have more energy you can quickly make a quick soup or stew with rice, potatoes or pasta and some other veggies. You need more liquid when you're sick anyway.

[@Onio_Saiyan]

Low effort cooking is the only cooking I do when I’m feeling unwell. Hope you feel better, Shrimp!

[@slightlyoffensivedadjokes]

this was so relaxing to listen to, you have like the perfect cadence when you talk. even when your voice is sick, your voice is still soothing, which like I think you're the first guy ever in history who can do that. hope you get better soon, and thank you for such a pleasant video:) love that you post whatever you want

[@livelaughloaf519]

I love doing these big vegetable batch meals. The technique I have been using for it is to just roughly chop a bunch of veg, coat them in oil and spices and then bake them in a big baking dish until they have softened and there is some colour on the tops. Then I take everything out, put it in a pot and blend them with a stick blender until smooth, adding stock or water as I go. Then I use that for sauces, soups or whatever.

[@tomelner]

Atomic shrimp says low effort... They proceeds to do a fair bit of grating and chopping while also filming different camera angles. Hats off to you, I'd just be in bed eating soup

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

That is the kind of prep work that can be dine on the side. Put on a movie, some music, maybe an audiobook, and start chopping.

[@gemmaalguero8913]

As a college student I'm 80% made out of instant noodles. I don't usually have time to cook but when I do I love to follow your recipes along. Get better soon :) a warm cup of milk or tea with honey and lemon juice works wonders for a sore throat.

[@LuLu-xs4sh]

"As a college student I'm 80% made out of instant noodles." Thanks for the smile of remembrance today : )

[@bergenheim1]

Love your content Shrimp! Get well soon! ❤

[@AjiNoPanda]

This reminds me of something called "Milan style doria" in Japan ミラノ風ドリア that has a base of turmeric rice, topped with a white sauce, then topped again with Bolognese sauce and placed under the grill until bubbly. One of my favorite things in Japan. Maybe you can try with one of the frozen ones.

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

That white cooking dish with the veg pattern on the side! My mother had one, it’s a memory from my childhood!

[@monaebreak561]

You are such a rare gem! 💎 You brighten the world! ☀️ Feel better soon! ❤ LOVE from 🇸🇪

[@Joemerowastaken]

Thanks for posting this content. It helps me relax and feel cozy inside when life gets tough. My mom went through a knee surgery recently and I binge watched your videos to help me relax after long days at the hospital. Watching someone doing what he loves makes you feel nice and your soothing voice (a little rough today) is the perfect complement to what is happening on the screen. Greetings from Mexico City!

[@raymcdonald6734]

I know exactly how you feel. I spent the first three months of the year visiting my mum in hospital after she had a terrible fall and smashed up her knee. Mr Shrimp is like medicine for the soul. Hope your mum’s better soon. Best wishes from United Kingdom 🇬🇧

[@gravic48]

Shrimp, if you lift the folded down corners of your stock cube, and then push down on it to crush it, before unwrapping it, you crumble it without getting it on your fingers. You can them tear open one end and pour out what you need.

[@gravic48]

Look up Here's a thing - oxo cube on the James Henry KZbin channel for a demo.

[@stoojinator]

This looks absolutely fantastic. Love the layerings too. Such a great idea, and a brilliant way of getting a massive veggie boost (people don't eat enough spinach these days). I've been adding seeded mustard - just a teaspoon - to my béchamel sauce of late for a bit of a different thing. I reckon it'd go superbly with that concoction! Get well soon!

[@barneylaurance1865]

"If you don't like this, use something else" Very good advice!

[@jenfeer3071]

Nice job! I really appreciate your patience and thoughtfulness. I teach cooking to university level students and I have gotten a lot of inspiration from you. You have helped me continue to find simple explanations for what are ultimately simple processes. I’ll continue to be a bit wordy I’m sure, but your videos help bring me more zen-like clarity. This was a really good one!

[@MYuee]

I love those simple yet versatile/creative recipes. No fancy and expensive ingredients, all stuff you probably have at home - and even if you don't you can switch things up and make it your own. Your videos always get me excited about cooking!

[@TheCotzi]

as a vegan i supsitude the meat with a blended powder of dried muschrooms nutricional yeast soy protin and raw red lentils through a high speed blender, then you can hydrate it in a veggie stock with salt and pepper or directly put it into the dish the ratio is 1:1 ecxept the Nutricional yeast thats half the ratio choosen

[@seasmacfarlane6418]

Sorry you're not well... do wish you better very soon. Thanks for yet another inspiring video! Some of your ideas have been real purse savers, and delicious too😊

[@paulpollock3804]

Sorry you were ill Mr Shrimp. However I did enjoy this episode of "Cooking with Ray Winstone".

[@FirstDagger]

2:30 "A foolish consistency is the Hobgoblin of small minds" this might be my favorite saying of yours so far, ironically this mantra probably is recursive on itself.

[@eloquentsarcasm]

Holy hell Mike, I don't think I've EVER heard you sounding so poorly, get some rest! Much as I and many others love your work, don't feel pressure to produce videos if you're sick, algorithms be damned. That said, thank you for this one, rummaging thru the supplies and coming up with tasty, easy meals is something I really enjoy doing, it's like foraging but inside rather than outside, lol.

[@Sololop]

I'm quite sick myself right now, and I can sympathize with you. Watching you cook while ill got me up and cooking a breakfast for myself and the first real meal in 2 days. Thanks Shrimp! Let's get on the mend.

[@paulturner6679]

Hope you're feeling better soon. Pasta bake looked fantastic.Going to give it a go myself,your content has really energised my enthusiasm for cooking with fresh ingredients again,and I'd just like to say Thankyou.Just keep doing what your doing,speedy recovery.

[@happybunny1329]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear you're not well.... you've gone all Gregg Wallace! I love the recipe and I will definitely try it out since I get all these veg routinely in my weekly veg box and always run out of ideas for them. I will try substituting polenta for the wheat and protein though. I do a lot of batch cooking and often add noodles or pasta to a saved soup portion to transform it to a main. :)

[@yawninggrave]

i hope you don't get offended by this but your videos are so good to fall asleep to! your voice is really soothing and the noises of chopping, frying etc are so calming to me

[@raraavis7782]

I often rewatch older ones, as I fall asleep. His voice *is* very calming! And hey, more views for a video is always a good thing. Win-win!

[@mgratk]

Alton Brown did a bit of a washing mushrooms experiment, and found that they don't absorb a measurable amount of moisture when washed. Of course there may be some exceptions, but generally the types you find in your average supermarket can be washed. And I hope you've had plenty of hot tea and are feeling better already, Mike. Thanks sir for your always interesting vids.

[@AtomicShrimp]

I've done my own tests. They do. Maybe tiny button mushrooms don't.

[@Annie.Kashmir]

Hope you feel better soon, Mike. Thank you for all you bring to us.🇬🇧

[@barnarnarpower3696]

genuinely one of the best most realistic chefs I've came across

[@kermitthepog7063]

You're an inspiration! Even when I'm feeling well I rarely go to that amount of effort to make nice food for myself. Get well soon dude!

[@silkehostenkamp3968]

Spinach is the perfect vegetable for your garden beds and the seedlings are quite cold resistant. Great videos!! You are one of my favorite KZbinr!

[@mackenziedrake]

This looks utterly delightful. I'm in the process of clearing out the fridge and cooking for the weekend myself, so more good ideas are always welcome. Get well soon!

[@shadowminer1]

Just wanted to say a big thankyou for all your content. I've been watching since mid Secondary school all the way to now 23 about to move out out. All your videos from cooking, outdoor education and various self made challenges have provided all sorts of little lessons I notice I use in day to day life. I really appreciate it I didn't have a father figure growing up and these videos just give that warmth and homely feeling while always having something to learn. Really gives me old scouting vibes! Appreciate the work you do and look forward to future videos! (I'd love to see those day army ration pack / home made ration pack for a big day out walk videos make a come back!)

[@emperorgrogg]

That looks just the ticket for when you're under the weather - hearty and comforting, but lots of good veg in there too. Feel better soon Mike!

[@claire2088]

adding your 5 a day to a sauce is such a sneaky and easy way to get the veg in :) I need to make a few more batches for my freezer

[@jamestabbron8124]

Marmite is such a good tool when you don't have any beef stock in. Nice to see someone else doing it.

[@MaryKane-qv5vz]

Love the recipes. I freeze portions in jam jars. NEVER fill to the top since any liquids expand in the freezing process. Take out of freezer night before required to defrost.

[@andrewsycamore3661]

I do love your creativity and out of the box thinking. It definitely makes the videos so interesting to watch. Keep up the great work Mike

[@reddevil939]

Another great video Mr. Shrimp, it's good to watch this with the knowledge that you're feeling better already. I did want to say though that I love how even through the sickness you can just hear you passion for food and cooking!

[@kitchenworker446]

Hi Mr Shrimp, I am a vegetarian so I love these cooking videos. Love the sauce you made...I do a very similar one but I like to add mustard powder instead of nutmeg to the cheese sauce...just a personal preference...

[@AtomicShrimp]

Yeah, mustard is a superb adjunct to cheese

[@PandemoniumMeltDown]

Take good care of yourself, Mike, you are precious to us.

[@Luncheon23]

Get well soon Shrimp! Love your videos 😊

[@g8rchick663]

Your videos are both interesting and informative. Love watching you make your dishes and seeing what alternative ingredients you use. Hope you feel better soon 😊

[@thebloodedprincess]

his voice with a cold makes him sound like a grizzled librarian who finally found the mystical copy of the hungry hungry caterpillar

[@philipareed]

A tip for TVP. It can leave a nasty aftertaste. Sieve it first to remove all the tiny pieces.

[@nicetoseeyou9278]

I feel like this recipe is faithful to the spirit of Italian recipes - using what you have, wasting nothing, using hearty sauce as a base...either way, looks delicious!

[@michaeldavidson2548]

I really enjoy your videos. I hope you continue doing them as long as you feel like making them. Get well soon 👍

[@alextomlinson4141]

Do not apologise for this voice, good sir. It was a delight (at least for us) Feel better soon! ❤

[@xingcat]

This looks terrific! I love how brown and crispy the cheese sauce gets on top.

[@cynthiajohnson6747]

I hope you are feeling better by the time you read this. Those little hot sandwiches are a preschool stalwart in the us. We call them English muffin pizza. Many are the days I spent teaching very young children to cook making this sandwich.

[@RJ-wx3fh]

This is the kind of thing I learned to cook helping family in the kitchen. I think it's why I'm not scared of new dishes, or improvising around a recipe with what I've got handy. Definitely a style of cooking I'm sure others would benefit from learning for the cheap nutritious meals you can make .

[@bewd4310]

That sauce looks delicious alone. When I make a pizza sauce I think it tastes great mixed into coleslaw it can fix even the blandest tasting shop ones. It’s also great with salad on a decent bread 😋

[@depniff]

The one positive thing I find from a throat/chest infection like yours is that I like trying to sing with my new lower voice. I can reach new lows that I can't normally manage so songs like 'Wandering Star' come into my range. Of course my ears are probably blocked so I may not sound better to the outside world but I'm usually impressed.. Get well soon.

[@xxsparrow]

Hope you feel better soon! We appreciate the content even when you're ill and I like to imagine this episode is a cameo from Merton Snerdon ;)

[@torisheets5335]

I hope this nutritious meal makes you feel better, it made me feel healthier just watching it. Thanks for all you do, you are a cooking inspiration to me. Feel better soon!

[@edgarallennope]

I hope you get better soon! I doubt there's anything I can tell you about cold maintenance that you don't already know but do make sure to stay hydrated!

[@traceymars]

Love your recipe videos! They inspired me to buy some British cook books from some other cooks - since you have not written any yet (hint hint). Hope you feel better soon! That not lasagna looked great!

[@etaoinshrdlu927]

Spinach is so tricky! I just buy frozen spinach (in the bags, not the bricks). It's pre-wilted but it still has so much water with it; you can toss it in soup but it needs coaxing for an omelet. Some day I'll bite the bullet and buy a jar of dehydrated spinach to try.

[@AtomicShrimp]

I find the frozen stuff really watery - I tend to thaw it out and then wring it dry

[@etaoinshrdlu927]

@@AtomicShrimp In every form, spinach is a moist li'l guy.

[@1angelofthelight2]

I appreciate that you put content out even when you're ill. Hope you get better very quickly Mr Shrimp. What a cracking batch bake, my mouth was watering.

[@jennsigmund620]

I love watching these videos for cooking inspiration!

[@sanstheblaster2626]

9:20 in case anyone is wondering about the specifics, in Italy, Bolognese sauce refers to a very specific tipe of sauce made mainly in Bologna, and it consists of minced cow and pork meat, celary, carrots, onions, red wine, a bit of milk and tomato sauce. You use one of every vegetable, about one kg of meat and about 700 ml of tomato souce (the proportions can obviously be changed to taste). You cook the meat with the vegetables until they dry out, then pour the wine and let that dry out too and then you put in the tomato sauce in and cook it on a very low flame for at least 3 hours. After that, you can add about half a glass of milk to combat the acidity, let the sauce reduce a bit again and then you can serve on a plate of fresh tagliatelle pasta. It's also really good for batch cooking, as you can freeze it in small portions and use it whenever you like, and the cooking process involves basically only waiting and stirring a bit. I think it's safe to say that the english version took quite a bit of liberties, but it looks delicious nonetheless 👌 (It still feels a bit wierd that you use the name of a very specific Italian city to describe a food that has basically nothing to do with it tho lol)

[@AtomicShrimp]

A standard 'Bolognese' sauce here is pretty much as you described, but I don't think anyone adds the milk. It is strange, but I think if we called it something else, there would be people saying "Hey, that's similar to Bolognese sauce! And you never mentioned it!"

[@sanstheblaster2626]

@@AtomicShrimp yeah that's fair I guess, us Italians can get very protective about our recepies sometimes, it almost reaches gatekeeping levels.

[@CineMiamParis]

Get well soon, Mike! Wishing you lots of honey. This might be a good time for your tin of Golden Milk. Ginger and turmeric might give you a bit of an energy boost. And thank you for uploading while under the weather.

[@laxrelaxing3373]

i just wanted to say i love all your videos and i hope your channel grows even more ,good luck

[@anniegetyrgun8741]

Love this! Please do more batch low effort cooking

[@alexx0988]

Its like a gordon ramsay parody with cold voice with tempo of your talking and explaining.

[@wass77]

that was a mouth watering experience and i felt the warmth of that dish from my screen, hope you get well soon and thank you very much for sharing

[@matsnilson7727]

Looks really tasty! I sure wouldn't mind having some of that instead of my oatmeal porridge dinner. Great job!

[@EllieChristine744]

Hoping you get well soon, thank you for your video. Hugs from us in Sweden!

[@Azimuffin]

It was nice of Danny Dyre to do the voice over for you while you're sick. Get well soon Mr. Shrimp.

[@cosudu3002]

Oh, I see you had to pay the cheese tax at the end. This was really good. I cook plant-based meals only, never use oil or sugar and have done for 2 years. I enjoy cooking now like never before. Thank you for some good ideas!

[@tomelner]

That's weird... I watched your Cullen and skink video yesterday which is 4 years old. You had a cold in that video. When you said you had a cold at the start of this I initially thought 'oh, still got that cold' before realising that I'd watched an old video

[@1ericedwards]

Lovely recipes, Mike! Hope you (and Jenny, if she's also unwell) feel much better soon. Thank you and take care.💖

[@theprofessor4914]

Hope you got well quickly. I'm just fascinated with the gas mark concept. Was interesting to read up on. Ty!

[@orriesmom5769]

Sincerely, thank you for filming even while you're under the weather.

[@chloebenn5708]

Thanks for the inspiration, I'm also under the weather & wanting comfort food that was also nutritious. I made a pasta sauce with lots of veg chopped in the food processor, it was really quick and delicious 😋

[@375-Productions]

Get well soon Mike!! I've been feeling pretty horse doodoo recently too, had to take today off work, but it's not covid, so that's some good news! The next peice of good news is that you've uploaded!

[@Reichstaubenminister]

The fact that you can't tell the difference and actually have to check if it's "Covid" should really make you think.

[@375-Productions]

@Reichstaubenminister typically can't tell the different between a flu and the common cold, which are two completely different things, and we know they're real, so I don't see the issue?

[@Reichstaubenminister]

@@375-Productions You made the same point as I, just with a different example. The symptoms exist, what causes them isn't as clear.

[@ryanhkimmel]

Always love watching you having fun in the kitchen! Get well soon!

[@colonplums]

Hi Mr Shrimp. A little tip for peeling garlic... I always find it a bit fiddly. Place the cloves in a jar with the lid on and shake for 30 seconds. The shell will just fall away. Saves your hands smelling of garlic for hours afterwards too.

[@xxPenjoxx]

That looked absolutely delicious, and what a great way to create a large amount of veg sauce! Really nicely done, hope you feel better 😊

[@nicpurnell7630]

Lovely recipe, Thank you, Get well soon Mike! ❤&🙏 🥰

[@elijahfontanilla9840]

Hope you feel better Shrimp! I love the cool phrases and quotes you always say! Good ways to live

[@misc.cont.]

Loved that line about consistency. I'd not heard it before and the source essay looks like a good read. Cheers!

[@tylerdejong6930]

Shrimp sick day videos are a whole mood

[@dogomancer]

Came for the budget challenges, stayed for the great cooking ideas and info. Keep it up!

[@steffie00000]

Looks yum! When making vegan/ vegetarian recipes with mushrooms there is a technique I use to give them a bit more bite. Slice/cut/dice however, marinate or toss through oil, soy sauce and marmite (and other sauces or stocks as desired) cook in a large fry pan weighed down with a heavy bottom pot. This pushes the water out and caramelises the mushrooms. I recommend the addition of mushroom seasoning for more umami flavour.

[@italiana626sc]

Thanks for sharing this process, even though you're under the weather. Hope you feel better soon!

[@merlinathrawes6191]

Excellent cookings. I can tell you're a bit rough. Not due to the voice, but due to fact that the chili flakes never made an appearance lol. I'm an old hand in the kitchen, but I am taking away some of these bits and bobs for the future. Who says an old dog can't learn new licks? Sorry, memory going.

[@phyphor]

Sorry to hear you're not doing so well. I hope you're putting this out because you want to, and enjoy sharing this with us, and not because you feel you have to. Hope you get well soon.

[@kathleenfleming7519]

I hope you feel better soon. I also want to thank you for posting a video, even though you don't feel well.

[@ragnkja]

For "ribboning" vegetables as seen with the courgette here, use whichever of your peelers makes the thickest peelings unless you want the ribbons super-thin.

[@Shaun.Stephens]

Thanks for sharing this (and all that you do). All the best!

[@healinggamer]

I love these cooking videos! I hope you are feeling better soon!

[@capslockpenguin7518]

You must really be feeling terrible if you're washing mushrooms. 😨 Jokes aside, I hope you recover quickly. Thanks for putting out a video despite being so sick. Feel better soon!

[@lonely-listener]

Low Effort?! The only low effort thing here is your immune system allowing you to get a Cold.