Sausage Pasta

Sausage Pasta

Happy twenty twelve! Wowsers i can't believe how the last few years have flown by. It's been twelve years since i celebrated the millennium in Malaysia with school friends, my first big trip without parents it kicked off my love for spicy food & taught me that humid weather is not kind to curly hair. It's been at least seven years since i spent a ski season in Saas Fee, Switzerland where i learnt how to drink every night for six months while not getting liver failure & the beauty of Swiss food. And most fun, it's been almost four years since i swept the Houseboy off his feet while sailing around Croatia, since then i have learnt the joys of Cherry Ripes & Bundaberg Rum & not worrying so much. Fun times. 

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We had Christmas in Scotland which was brilliant as usual, Mrs Rhodes loved having the brood all back & spent the week flapping round the kitchen producing amazing meals & feeding us all till we couldn't move. Luckily the Scottish Borders is a pretty place so there was lots of long walks to be had, despite the fact it was blowing a gale for most of the time. We joined Mr & Mrs Robinson for a night out in Edinburgh starting with an amazing evening trip round Edinburgh Castle, then on to dinner at Maison Bleue where i had a lovely venison dish. We finished up at The Whiski Rooms on the Mound for a nightcap, there i tried a 'Smokey Mary' a twist on a traditional Bloody Mary with the addition of 10 year old Ardbeg...i couldn't drink more than one at a time, but it was very good. New Year was spent at the Piano Bar in South Kensington, London which was Mr Bird's great choice. Small & intimate it was a fun evening of Champagne & piano playing, although we all relatively behaved ourselves i did wake up on January the 1st lying on a pile of clean washing in the spare room (apparently i went to turn off a light) while the poor Houseboy suffered the worst hangover in a long time. Not even homemade soup & sympathy could save the poor soul, so i ate all the soup & left him watching cartoons. 

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I've never really been a new years resolutions time of girl, it always feels like jumping on a band waggon which everyone promptly falls off. But, this year i have a few which i would like to undertake. Firstly to blog more (poor you) i initially decided to blog twice a week, but then downgraded to a solid once a week & anything else is a bonus. I guilty of setting goals which are unreachable which then annoys me & i give it up. I'm excellent at starting things but not very good at finishing things. You can see throughout our flat which is littered with half made cushions, half painted pictures & pieces of knitting that could be the start of a scarf. Losing a little weight is also kind of a goal (ironic given i'm writing this while eating Mrs Rhodes' excellent Christmas Cake) so there will be more spinning classes & less baking. 

After all the festivities January should be filled with healthy options, but the does the current weather really make you want to have a salad (it's tipping down with rain in London Town) so gently ease into the healthy food with a warning sausage dish. Use decent quality sausages as it makes all the difference, also you could add vegetables to this dish, Courgettes, Mushrooms, anything that takes your fancy. 

Ingredients:

• 6 good quality sausages
• 160g sun blushed tomatoes
• a good splash of red wine
• 7 shallots 
• 1 clove of garlic
• 300g of rigatoni pasta
• s&p

Method:

Put the pasta onto boil in salted water, while its bubbling away slice the sausage into chunks add to a hot pan with a slug of olive oil. After a few minutes quater the shallots, crush the garlic & slice the sun blushed tomatoes. Add all three ingredients to add to the pan along with the wine. Let it simmer away for a couple of minute & then turn the heat right down. Check the pasta & when it's ready, drain & add the sausage. Mix well & serve straight away. You could throw caution to the wind & sprinkle with some grated cheese. 

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Chorizo & Courgette Pastabake

Chorizo & Courgette Pasta Bake

Well it's been very quiet in the flat with the Houseboy setting off with a spring in his step for a boys weekend in Ibiza, i'm  not anticipating him coming back with the same spring...needless to say i think he may need some nursing. I've hot footed it up North to stay with Mrs Rhodes but have left him some hangover cures in the fridge. The positives of having the place to myself has meant endless 5 USA without feeling guilty, the golf clubs have been banished to the spare room & have all the lamps on. (the Houseboy & i are in opposing lighting camps, while he's happy with one ceiling light on, i love to have a good collection of lamps on. Could be worse things to bicker about i reckon)  

 

It's been a busy old ten days, Monsieur M. my Jesus lookalike uni friend from far away Aberdeen has been on his annual pilgrimage to London, so some sightseeing, museum trips & drinks have been in order. I always love a trip to the V&A,  i dragged him (literally) round the jewelry rooms where i could spend hours staring at Victorian costume jewels. I'm just thankful i didn't have to take him to the science museum-don't get me wrong, science is cool & all that, but only in batches of 20 minutes or so.   

We had another fantastic evening with the Lipchucks who served up the most delicious Lamb dish served with Mashed Potatoes, Aubergines & Tomatoes. They have a great outdoor space for entertaining & its very easy to while away the hours with a glass (or several) of wine on a Sunday evening. I'm still contemplating the returning of the favour-going to have to pick up the pace here! I've been dreaming a lot of Pigs Trotters recently & i am dying to cook some up & make them into fritters, Black Pudding has also been heavily on my mind, although making that from scratch is trickier. 5 pints of pigs blood isn't readily available from Sainsbury.



The New Love In My Life

I recently got a new bike. Its amazing. I was originally advised to go for something lightweight, agile & discreet...i listened (for about ten seconds) but somehow ended up with  baby blue pashely. I've wanted one for so long i couldn't quite believe i was riding it home. My first gumtree purchase & it was successful-despite Mrs Rhodes almost convincing me i was going to end up being murdered & made into sausages after meeting a girl in Clapham flat. So all in all a good choice, even though it weighs a ton, is like driving a tank & pretty noticeable.

So this dish is quick, easy & lovely to have when the weather is rubbish. You can add a variety of different vegetables if you would like, Aubergine, Artichoke, Spinach, most will work. You could even do a bechamel sauce instead of a tomato one-if you fancied.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 750g passata (essentially one large bottle)
• 5 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 tbsp of sugar

• 110g chirizo
• 1 1/2 courgettes
• hand full of cherry tomatoes
• 250g rigatoni pasta
• 50g of grated cheese (such as chedder, mozzarella, parmesan - what ever is lurking in the fridge)

Method:

Finely chop the onion & the garlic, add to a hot pan with a dash of olive oil along with the paprika, cook for 5 minutes making sure it doesn't burn. Add the passata, tomato paste, red wine & sugar. Leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile as the sauce is bubbling away, put the pasta on to cook as per the packet instructions. While the pasta is cooking, slice the chirizo & courgette into fairly chunky pieces. Cook the chirizo until crisp & add the courgette & cook for a further 3 minutes (make sure you don't over cook the courgette as it will cook further in the oven) Set  aside. Drain the pasta well & then mix in the courgette, chirizo, cherry tomatoes & sauce. Place in an oven proof dish, sprinkle with cheese & pop into a preheated oven of 180c - bake for 20minutes. Goes very well with a rocket salad. 

Bolognese Cannelloni

Gin & Tonic

I can't tell you how guilty i feel about the lack of blogging lately! I love writing it & never struggle to waffle on about things, it's just trying to find the time to sit down & do it. Well tonight's the night, the Houseboy is cooking Prawn Stir Fry & police, camera, action is on tv (one of my guilty pleasures...) Perfect creative atmosphere. So as usual it's been busy in London town lately. The Lipchucks thew a extremely fun 30th for Dirty Dave complete with frozen Mojitos, Strawberry Daiquiris & Liz's amazingly inventive canapes. With a beach theme there was a healthy dose of Hawaiian shirts & the odd grass skirt (i mistakenly thought people were going full fancy dress...) Luckily they have lovely patient neighbours who happily ignore horrendous renditions of 80s classics...

Readyfields Farm Tents

The following weekend we spent a brilliant weekend 'glamping' (posh camping with proper beds) in Nottinghamshire which was amazing fun. Featherdown Farms is a company which advertise glamping on nearly 30 farms across the UK. We choose Readyfields Farm run by David & Lesley who were incredibly welcoming. A beautiful working farm with a mix of chickens, donkeys, a huge horse called Brian & a energetic pack of blood hounds it's perfectly located for a weekend break from London. It was all about beer & BBQ & dodging showers of rain (i did notice the odd person dodging having a shower full stop. You know who you are) All the tents were fully set up with a wood burning stove, sink & loo. And more importantly beds! i love camping but if offered a choice between a paper thin foam mat & sweaty sleeping bag or a comfy bed with pillows i know which one i will go for every time. We started the Saturday with some clay pigeon shooting which was enjoyed by all, there were some pretty good shots knocking around. On the Sunday we all went for a bike ride with the hounds through the local village, hilarious due the variety of bike size. The Houseboy had his knees round his ears for most of the time, but was well worth it. After our cruisey cycle we headed back to the farm for homemade pizzas cooked in a huge outdoor wood burning oven. Happy happy times.

The boys in charge of the BBQ

My birthday seems to have gone on & on & on which has been pretty brilliant, i think by the time i turn 50 i will be demanding a month long celebration. One present i received from the Houseboy's super kind parents was an amazing turquoise Le Creuset pot which has seen some heavy use! (as i'm writing this it's in the oven filled with Beef in Red Wine for the freezer) Perfect for casseroles & pot roasts i really think that the range is unbeatable. The Houseboy's parents live in 'Bloody Paradise' a beautiful town in Australia so unfortunately i can't cook them up a feast, but they at least can see the evidence of it's use here! I also received some fabulous cook books  (people do know the way to my heart) which have hugely inspired me. So excited to bash out some new recipes.

My favourite cooking pot.

Mr & Mrs Brown's fantastical European travels are sadly over & they made a brief stop over in London on the way home to Sydney. Always game for a laugh, usually the last standing & great entertainers they are going to be sorely missed. A usual catching up with them involved food, drink & more food. One evening we headed to the Walmer Castle in Nottinghill, the pub has a Thai menu which was pretty good, the Fish Cakes were particularly good & the Pad Thai also a winner. The prosecco was even better. My head the next morning not so much. The Rose pub in Fulham was also frequented. Excellent food, beautiful garden & lovely staff, its perfect for a leisurely Sunday lunch. I would love to run a little restaurant or cafe, problem is, i would most likely eat all the profits.

 

The Scariest cycle gang i know

The inspiration behind making this dish is two of the naughtiest boys i know - Poppy & Chisholm who gave me a fantastic Italian cookbook full of regional dishes. It's great to make in large quantities & freeze. Nothing better than realising you have Sunday night dinner waiting for you in the freezer after a overly social weekend. This makes a fairly big portion, there may be some bechamel sauce left over, but it's better to have too much than too little.

Ingredients:

 

Bolognese

• 750g beef mince
• 200g chirizo (a ring not sliced)
• 1 & 1/2 onions
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tins of plum tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 large glass of red wine
• 2 boxes of cannelloni tubes
• s&p
• grated parmasan (to sprinkle on top of dish)

Bechamel Sauce

• 850mls milk  
• 10 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves & 1/4 of an onion)
• 80g butter
• 40g plain flour
• s&p

Method:

Kick off proceedings by turning your oven to 180c. Take an oven proof pot & heat up a good splash of oil. Finely chop the onion & garlic & cook gently. While that's happening pull the thin skin of the chirizo & chop as finely as possible. (its always will be a little lumpy) Turn up the heat slightly, add the chirizo & cook for 5 minutes. Then add the mince & quickly brown. Once nicely browned add the wine, tomato paste & tinned tomatoes. Season well & place in the oven (lid on) & cook for 1 1/2 - 2hrs. Check regularly, you may need to skim a little oil off the top. Once its done take it out & leave it to cool.

While the bolognese is cooling you can make the white sauce. Add the milk, peppercorns, bay leaves & onion to pan & gently heat to simmering point, making sure it doesn't boil. After 5 minutes of infusing take the milk off the heat and strain into jug. Then take the butter & melt making sure it doesn't colour or burn, otherwise it will effect the flavour. Add the flour & using a wooden spoon stir together vigorously to make a smooth paste. Add roughly 25mls of milk & stir in well, once the milk is fully incorporated add the next bit until all the milk has been added. Make sure the each stage of milk is fully absorbed to avoid lumps. You should now have a nice smooth sauce. Season to taste.

Take the now cooled bolognase & start to pack the cannelloni tubes making sure you fill them as tightly as possible. Lay in an oven proof dish & pour the white sauce over the top. Sprinkle with grated parmasan & bake for 40-50 minutes. Serve with a rocket salad.

Blood Hound

Spinach Bucatini

Spinach Bucatini

After a whirlwind of exciting travels, it’s back to reality in London Town & sadly back to the gym. My first spin class on return was shear torture….After what seemed like an age i looked at the clock thinking that there would be, at most, 5 minutes of the class to go, i nearly bloody fell off when i realised that we were only 10 minutes in. Sad times. I'm trying to stick to healthy food, which when i get into the swing of it is easy. Falling off the wagon is also easy.

 

Last week saw us celebrating the lovely Liam’s 30th (it’s the year of the 30th) at the East India Club on St James Square. The Canadian room were we ate was filled with history & perfect for the occasion. The food was great. A set menu, it kicked off with Mushroom Soup. I have to say it’s one of those dishes that i tend to avoid as like many things like wine or seafood when it’s good it’s amazing & when it’s bad it’s terrible. This, i’m happy to say was good. Rich, earthy & importantly a perfect consistency (lumpy mushroom soup is a sin) Even the non mushrooms eaters enjoyed it. The main was another winner, you simply can’t beat Roast Beef with all the trimmings. Dessert was a huge & beautifully decorated cake. After all that food all i wanted to do was sleep but i managed to perk myself up & head to Sketch for a cocktail or two.

 

Mrs Rhodes' Victoria Sponge

This weekend past saw me head back to the bonny Scottish Borders for my cousin’s very belated 21st. I can say now, it was well worth waiting for! There was a fancy dress theme of the letter H, so i went as a hot air balloon (like you do) I love a good fancy dress party & always try to make my outfit from scratch, this time i definitely had luck on my side, as i didn’t actually try the whole thing on until i got to the party! There were some amazing outfits, hicks, hoovers, hulks, hen parties, even a ham sandwich made an appearance. It was certainly a night of dancing & frivolity. Mrs Robinson made a very smart looking air hostess complete with drinks tray & suitcase, Mrs Rhodes & Jerry threw caution to the wind & attended as head boy & head girl... Sunday was spent recovering, eating homemade cake & going for a walk. It's always so nice to get 'proper fresh air' as Mrs Rhodes always says. 

 

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The Houseboy was absent on my blog cooking night, so this is a quick dinner for one, which also would work for ten. As with a lot of my recipes it can be adapted, especially the amount of garlic used. I am well aware (hard not to be with the Houseboys moaning) that i somewhat over use garlic, but I cant help it! Anyway its good for your blood & nobody likes a vampire… The quantities below are for one person.

 Ingredients:

•     75g-100g bucatini
•     3 large handfuls of spinach
•     5 tbsps of creme fraich
•     1 –3 cloves garlic (as little or as much as you please)
•     3 tbsps grated parmesan
•     1 tbsp butter
•     s&p

  

Method:

 

Start by putting on the pasta to cook as per the packet instructions. Then have a glass of wine (it’s that easy a recipe) Gently cook the garlic in the butter, garlic is annoyingly easy to burn & once burnt turns very bitter, so make sure you keep the heat low. Shred the spinach & add to the pan. Wilt quickly & then stir in the crème fraich, parmesan & season according to taste. Once the pasta is ready (i like the throwing on the ceiling test) drain well & quickly mix the sauce in. Serve with an extra sprinkling of parmesan. See? Easy peasy.

Dressed as Hot Air Balloon