The Special People Club

I find that on weekends where I'm stuck at my desk working on coursework I follow the path of least resistance and eat whatever's convenient, and unless I plan ahead it isn't healthy. I have a difficult week ahead, so I made sure I'd gone shopping and could cook ahead so I'd have something decent in the house to eat. My mother used to make the most delicious vegetable beef soup. (She still does, I just haven't had it in awhile so it's a childhood recipe for me.) She'd use left over roast beef, frozen mixed vegetables, broth and some tomato juice or something red. (I am going to get clarification from her later today.) It was a great meal in one bowl, and will keep really well in the fridge for a fast dinner with a salad when I get home from a long day at work and need to jump straight into an MBA project. (Bubs, you're a wise, wise man for thinking twice about taking on school at this ridiculous age.) The problem with this recipe is the requirem...

I had to work late tonight, so I came home and took a gander at my kitchen to see what I could scratch up for dinner. Here's what I did: Roasted butternut squash with pecans and blue cheese Find: a whole butternut squash half an onion some bacon some mushrooms some thyme olive oil salt pepper paprika balsamic vinegar some blue cheese Deseeded and cut up a butternut squash. I was too lazy to peel it, but I suppose you could. Toss it in olive oil, some thyme, salt, pepper and a shake or two of paprika. Put it in the oven and roast it at around 400F for half an hour - 45 minutes. NOW. Fry the bacon until crisp, and blot on paper towel. Get rid of most of the grease from the pan, and then put in a half an onion, and some mushrooms, all chopped to bitesize. When they start to soften toss in a handfull or two of pecans halves. (I'm assuming you know to get them out of the shell first.) Cook until all toasty and carmelized, sprinkle with some pepper and then put a couple of dashes ...

This weekend is all about the writing. I had let the fridge dwindle to nothingness and I knew I needed a decent breakfast to fuel my brain, so I set my alarm for 8AM and hit the rode before coffee to get to Sainsbury's before the Saturday crowds. Perfectly timed, and I got out right as people were starting to come to brawls over parking in the lot. I have many delicious groceries waiting to be transformed into delicious meals. This is one of my favourite things, actually...the knowledge that my kitchen contains the ingredients for any number of delicious treats, just waiting for me to decide what to do! I'd gotten a Nigella Express cookbook through the Book People at work (they give us great deals on select items, kind of like Costco except in the lunchroom,) and when I saw that Nigella was beckoning I could not resist. She is my idol. And I've read (yes, read) most of the cookbook while getting ready to sleep, so I have made sure my shopping list contains items require...

Cut up half an onion and some garlic. Put it in a pan with some hot olive oil and some Penzey's chicken taco seasoning. Added a little cayenne. Sauteed. Put about three cups of stock in there, added a frozen chicken breast and let it poach. Shredded up the chicken, added a jar of salsa. It makes a passable soup. Who knew?

I have had a freakishly long week (it's Tuesday,) and I was able to come home by 7pm tonight. Unheard of for the days I've had lately. I don't really have much in the fridge, and I did not want to order takeaway or go to the grocer. Here is what I cobbled together. Pasta Carbonara I put some pasta to boil. It was either spelt or whole wheat, but I'd emptied it into a jar and I don't remember which I bought most recently. Cup up part of an onion and two cloves of garlic, heated up a pan, added olive oil and the O/G and sauteed. Added two pieces of turkey bacon and one slice of parma ham. Seasoned with Aleppo pepper from Penzey's and some black pepper. Beat one egg, added a teaspoon of milk and some salt and pepper, then some grated parmigianno reggiano. When the pasta was done, I dumped it in the pan with the onions and bacon and tossed it around, added a little of the pasta water, and after about thirty seconds tossed it with the egg mixture until it all thi...