Pasta, Sausage & Broccoli

Weather can’t make up its mind, ranging from muddy grey-brown and mild, to exquisitely silvery and frozen.  And I am tired Because Chemo and Because January.  This was a handy and simple recipe that covers all the necessary veg/protein/carb bases with a little wine and parmesan to luxury it up.  Plus I find that some brand of vegetarian sausages or other is invariably on offer at the supermarket so you can stock the freezer on the cheap.

Original from here:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/17/pasta-with-broccoli-and-sausage-recipe-rachel-roddy-a-kitchen-in-rome

Pasta, Sausage & Broccoli

• Head broccoli, cut into small florets
• Dried pasta
• Several vegetarian sausages, sliced
• Glass of red or white wine
• Clove garlic, minced
• Chilli powder
• Olive oil
• Parmesan or other hard grated cheese

Boil the broccoli until tender and drain.  The put the pasta on to boil.

Heat oil in a wok, and gently heat the garlic.  Add the chilli.

Add the sliced sausage and brown.  Then splash over the wine and allow to bubble and evaporate.

Add the broccoli and then the parmesan, and stir.  Serve hot.

The Shepherd’s Nuts

Anxious Dad created an absolute masterpiece of a nut roast for Christmas Eve dinner (chestnuts! cheese! artistic cabbage leaf wrapping!).  I returned to Anxious Towers with a decent hunk of the remains, plus a handful of roast chestnuts.  My vegetarian turkey roll and mince-pie lust* having been satiated over the Xmas period, I was in the mood for something comforting and hot, and this shepherd’s pie hit the spot whilst handily using up the leftovers.  I bought the parsnip and carrot fresh, but those with leftover veg, or leftover cheese from a festive cheeseboard, might find a home for them in the recipe as well…..

*A mince-pie and a double vodka with coke is a perfectly acceptable Xmas breakfast, I’ll have you know.  As is another mince-pie.

Careless Wispa

More soothing and nourishing soup, although this one’s a mite spicier with a dose of harissa paste…..

Sasquatch Squash

In celebration of my finally managing to tie a head scarf on single-handed*, I present more soup!

Original from here: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/25/winter-vegetable-soup-recipes-ribollita-squash-and-pasta-thomasina-miers, amended to sweet potato as, whilst I like squash, life is arguably too short to spend a Sunday afternoon peeling one of the frackers, even with Planet Rock’s Blues Brunch grooving on down in the background…..

*I’m sure additional arms are required somewhere.

Peanut & Vegetable Noodles

Fast, spicy, and stuffed with nut protein, vegetables and whole-wheat carbohydrates.  Should be available on prescription as the perfect balanced meal….

Vegetable & Lentil Soup

….nothing glamorous, but cheap, cheerful, and very enjoyable with some crusty bread and, perhaps, the very merest sprinkling of grated cheese, Red Leicester for preference….?

“And you’re never gonna get it right…..”

I find it reassuring, that even with everything going on around me, I can still hear a song from a band I’ve not heard of before, and get that “zzzzooooommmmm!” feeling that I had as a teenager.

A New Favourite Band!!!

Today I bring to you not one, but two new favourites; the Last Shadow Puppets (Arctic Monkey spin-off band, and frankly I keep mishearing “Bad Habits” as “Bad Rabbits”, which suggests some kind of “Watership Down” mash-up really really needs to be done).  Also, Ryley Walker, for those of us that still miss the late, great John Martyn.  Enjoy!

A Fool and His Medals

Felt like a serious Sunday brunch was required, and a random post in a newspaper…..

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/aug/20/family-life-sister-lost-spike-jones-city-slickers-egyptian-shakshuka

…. sparked off a sudden desire for shakshuka/huevos rancheros, which when at home is known as “eggs with spicy tomato stuff”, a recipe I’ve explored previously on a number of occasions, only this time with beans involved.  I understand that traditional Middle-Eastern preference is for fava beans (the humble broad bean to us Brits), but I compromised with what’s actually in the cupboard, and chucked in a can of cannellini beans instead.  Whilst you’re waiting for yours to cook, check out this Wikipedia entry on Fuls Medames, a common Middle-Eastern breakfast.  Now let’s be honest, does this not look way cooler and more nourishing than a bowl of Frosties….?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ful_medames

Advent of the Crab

Musings on breast cancer:

The Shepherd’s Star

Sorry, faithful Anxious-Watchers, for the lack of posts.  I got a new job and everything went a bit frantic whilst I undertook my first task, which was to clear out a pit of  metaphorical venomous vipers.  The Project is now (mostly) viper-free (I can HEAR you slither, you little bastard.  I’m cooomminngg for yoouuu……).

In the meantime I finally bit the bullet that there is more of Anxious Cook than is really healthy, so I womaned-up and joined Slenderiser’s Globe, a nice shiny corporate dieting system which boils down to the usual list of minimal sugar, minimal fats, minimal processed food and minimal bread / dairy fats.  And lots and lots of vegetables (well that part I can get behind at least).

Still experimenting with the finer points of the system at the moment, but this lentil shepherd’s pie recipe was actually pretty economic, tasty, and shepherdy.  Baaaa.  And of course if you’re not dieting, you can add as much cheese and marge to the mash as you want 🙂 .