Yeah, I don't really care if I find mold on cheese, because, well, it's cheese, but everything else gets tossed. My stomach is delicate enough and I don't want to make my body angry by accidentally ingesting something I'm allergic to. Like I won't even drink or cook with milk the day after the sell by date. I was just surprised by the bacon because we didn't even have it that long, but I think it's because I had it wrapped in saran wrap instead of in an air tight bag or container. And the saran wrap we have is really crappy.
Interesting - I guess I'm more of a "suck it and see" kind of person, probably because I've grown up with the idea that throwing food away is sacrilege. (Note: you can't make friends easily with this philosophy) Saying that, there were far too many times as a student that I'd realise 3/4 of the way through a sandwich that the bread I'm eating has little green spores all over it. That's when the coke has to come out...
Seldom Killer - interesting that you'd suggest frying off the meat before cooking it. I guess it makes a difference whether you're doing a stockpot/crockpot or have an electric slow-cooker (or are you just being safe?). I usually use an electric slow cooker, so basically shove everything in at say 10am and have that heating and cooking away till something like 5-6pm, slowly adding spices/wine over that time. Usually means the raw meat is beautifully cooked in the stock and is very tender.
I've got a proper tried and tested salad going on now. I've tried it as a base for dishes with both mackerel and chicken, so it seems pretty versatile in that way. It's great for this time of year, as you get a big citrus/mint hit - any Americans suffering with the heat may be interested!
Start cooking your meat/fish of choice.
While that is frying/baking/grilling, shove this stuff in a bowl:
1-2 portions of cooked betroot, thinly sliced (I am able to buy 4 beets ready-cooked in a packet, so 1-2 of these I guess)
Handful of mint leaves, torn up/chopped
Juice and zest of 1/2 an orange
120g of cooked lentils (your choice, they go with everything - I've been using green and 'lentilles vertes', which are just smaller French ones)
Now, shove more stuff in the bowl:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (I've been using white - does it matter? I love wine)
1 tsp pommegranate juice
Get some plates out. Shove some leaves of your choice on there - I've been using baby leaf spinach and watercress.
Wash a cup or two of green beans or sugar-snap peas (I have them raw), slice them and scatter them (preferably over the plates)
If you've got a pommegranate handy, disperse half of the seeds (bits? pods?) over the leaves.
The other half of that orange? Chop it up and sprinkle over the leaves too
Chuck the beetroot mixture over the plates too. Do it well, or your prospective diners will hate you.
Lay the fish/meat over the 'bed' of leaves/beetroot mixture.
Huzzah! A big citrus hit in a meal that is packed full of good things, protein, and like 16 of your five-a-day.