CBC 16 - Ching's Chilli Chicken Noodles

This is another recipe that I used to make all the time and I can't quite remember why I stopped making it all the time.  This dish is fabby any time of year, in summer when everything is crisp and fresh or in winter when the chilli really kicks in and warms from the inside out.  We affectionately call this 'Ching's Chilli Chicken Noodles' as the recipe comes from Ching-He Huang's book Chinese Food Made Easy which accompanied the BBC TV series.  There are loads of fantastic recipes in the book but I shame-facedly admit that since trying this recipe I haven't ventured on to any of the others.  I really must rectify that!

Ching's Chilli Chicken Noodles
180g rice noodles
250g skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced
1 courgette, sliced into strips
1/2 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 large spring onions, sliced lengthways
For the Sauce
4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled, sliced and finely chopped
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
2 tomatoes, sliced
5 tbsp water
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp soft light brown sugar

Place all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender and blitz.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.  Drain, then run them under cold running water and drain again.  Drizzle with a little groundnut oil and put to one side.

Heat a wok over a high heat and add 1 tbsp groundnut oil (I use fry lite!).  Add the chicken and stir fry for 2-3 mins until it starts to turn brown.  Add the courgette and red pepper and stir fry together for 1 min.  Add the sauce and bring to the boil.

Add the cooked noodles and stir well to combine.  Season with the soy sauce, garnish with the spring onions and serve immediately.

Serves 2
Ching-He Huang's Chinese Food Made Easy

One shortcut I take is to boil the kettle and pour the boiling water into a bowl that has the noodles ready and waiting with a couple of crumbled chicken stock cubes.  Not classy, but tasty!  By the time the chicken and veg have stir fried the noodles are soft enough to drain and add to the wok along with the sauce where they finish cooking but soak up some of that spicy flavour.  To bulk the meal out I often add extra red pepper and / or courgette if I have it.

CBC 15 - Broccoli, Feta and Tomato Salad

Chocoholics and baking fiends should look away, for the next few post have a decidedly savour bent to them!  Hubby and I have taken to packing our lunches for work and this salad has once again made its way back onto my weekly menu.  When I first moved to Edinburgh I made this salad for dinner quite a few times a week, its quick and easy to make, the ingredients cost pretty much next to nothing (this is a very important element to ones menu when one was on a temp!), its fairly healthy and above all else, it tastes pretty good too. 

Now is the part where I have to admit which cook book this comes from in order to qualify for my Cook Book Challenge .... deep breath, apply the same strategy as removing a band aid ... Ainsley Harriott's Friends and Family Cookbook.  I have nothing against Ainsley, except for maybe that hip shimmy, arm flailing in the air  like a maniac move he seems to love.  In fact most of the recipes of his that I have tried I seem to like quite a bit but I can't help but feel a little shameful for having bought this book.  I blame my local book retailer for reducing the price and shameless praying on my vulnerable book fetish.  How dare they!  ;0)

Broccoli, Feta and Tomato Salad
400g broccoli, broken into small florets
100g feta cheese, cut into cubes
225g cherry tomatoes, halved
6 tbsp mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Blanch the broccoli for 1-2 mins in a pan of boiling salted water, then drain and refresh under cold running water.  Tip into a bowl and scatter over the feta and tomatoes.  drizzle over the vinaigrette and fold until well combined.

Serves 4
Adapted from Ainsley Harriott's Friends and Family Cook Book (said it twice now!)

Mustard Vinaigrette
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
a pinch of caster sugar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 small garlic clove, crushed
A small bundle of fresh chives, snipped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the vinegar in a screw topped jar, add the sugar and a good pinch of salt, then shake until the salt has dissolved.

Add the oil to the jar with the mustards and garlic and shake until you have formed a thick emulsion.  add the chives, season to taste and then chill until needed.

Makes enough to dress 1 large salad (serves 4)
Ainsley Harriott's Friends and Family Cook Book (thrice!)


To avoid the dressing from cooking the broccoli beyond the fresh, vibrant green that comes from blanching it, I pack the salad and dressing into separate containers to transport to work. 

Fresh From The Oven - Stuffed Buns

This is my first time taking part in the monthly bread group Fresh From The Oven. The event was hosted by Ria this month and she choose Stuffed Buns. Having never had a stuffed bun in my life I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this but I'm pleased to say that the results were very yummy. These are going to be made again for a girl's day out to Haddington Farmer's Market at the end of October.

The dough for the buns was very different from anything I've ever made before and while I was making it I thought I had misread the recipe as it was very oily, I was too scared to tip it out for kneading for fear it was going to stick to the bench and be a complete disaster. To my surprise though I didn't even need to add any more flour to it, the oil just seemed to keep everything silky smooth, which defied logic for me. Next time though I think I will reduce the amount of sugar and oil int he recipe, the finished bun was a tad on the sweet side for a savory bun and there was a puddle of oil left in the bottom of the bowl after it had finished proving. But I can see that this is a very versatile recipe and can easily be adapted to sweet fillings as well (doesn't take much for me to see the dessert side to a recipe!) so I'm really pleased that Ria has introduced this to my baking repertoire.

Now ... its time for a slight admission. The original recipe called for a curry type filling but as Hubby is my chief taste tester and dislikes anything curry flavoured I decided to change the filling to something more aligned to both our palates and I adapted the Tomato, Mascarpone and Mozzarella Lasgane pasta sauce to use as a filling. This was very successful and the buns were taken to work the next day for Hubby's lunch.

Stuffed Bun Dough
1 tbsp dried yeast
2 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste
1/2 cup oil
2 cups plain flour (I used strong bread flour as I didn't have enough plain flour to hand)
1/4 sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 egg white, for egg wash
White sesame seeds for sprinkling

Tomato, Mascarpone and Mozzarella Filling

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

Oil spray

1 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes

A small handful basil, torn

1 ball of mozzarella, torn into pieces

3 heaped tbsp mascarpone

Make the dough; Dissolve the yeast in warm water with 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tbsp flour. Leave aside for 10 mins.

Boil the milk and allow to cool down till it is warm to touch. Add sugar, oil and salt.

Mix well with a wooden spoon till the sugar dissolves and add 1 cup flour and mix till it forms a smooth dough.

Knead well for 10 mins.

Let it rest till it doubles in volume (I left mine for a good hour or so and it did rise but not to the same extent that a normal bread dough would).

Punch down the dough lightly using your palm and divide them equally into 12 portions. Flatten them into small discs and fill them with 1 tbsp of the filling. Reshape them into a ball. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.

Let the buns prove for another 20 mins.

Bake them in a preheated oven at 200C for 10 mins. When it starts going brown, give them an egg wash using 1 slightly beaten egg white.

Makes 12 buns

Make the filling; Use oil spray to coat a pan and fry the onion and garlic until softened but not coloured. Stir in the tomatoes. Season and bubble for about 15-20 mins or until the sauce is thickened and glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Let cool slightly then stir in the mascarpone and mozzarella.

This filling will make slightly more than the buns will need.

I did have some problems rolling the filled buns into a ball, they were more like very squished footballs! Only a couple of them oozed the cheesy mixture while cooking, I'm guessing this stage will get better with a bit more experience. Some of the other Fresh From The Oven guys also said they didn't need as long to cook, my range cooker is on the colder side of the temp range though so it took 12 mins for mine.

Check out the Fresh From the Oven website to see the rest of the gang's work's of art!

The Italian Job

Oh. My. Goodness.

I'm not hung over - honestly! Just not firing on all four cylinders quite yet. Entirely self inflicted, except for the extra generous triple measures of booze certain people were pouring ... you know who you are, hang your heads in shame ... if you can lift them off the pillow that is ;0(

Needless to say last night was great fun. Trying to play 'Scene It' on the X Box and half one in the morning and read the writing on the screen was a bit of a challenge but fun none the less. And as expected, I did forget to take photo's of the finished dishes but I'm still posting them cause they were yummy and I'll want to make them again at some point.

Homemade Pasta

250g pasta flour

3 large eggs

Sift the flour into a mound onto a work surface, or into a large bowl. Break the eggs into the centre. Blend eggs into flour with a fork, then use your hand to slowly work in flour until a paste forms in the middle. Keep going, until you have a rough textured dough.

Dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Hold dough with one hand, push down and away from you with the heel of the other hand, then fold back towards you. Repeat for a good 5 mins, then cover and leave for 15 mins.

Cut or shape the pasta for your recipe and spread out on a floured surface until required.

Add salt to a large pan of water and bring to a vigorous boil. Add pasta and continue boiling for 5 -12 mins or until cooked. Drain the pasta, add a dash of olive oil and serve as required.

This recipe made enough to make the lasagne with a lot leftover that I should have thought about drying for later use. The dough itself was really smooth and easy to work with, the jury is still out about the finished product though. I felt it was slightly firmer than the fresh pasta sheets you can buy at the store now days but nobody else knew that the lasagne sheets had been homemade until I told them. I think they were being polite!

Roasted Tomato Salad

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C. Put 500g cherry tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp olive oil and several thyme sprigs into a small roasting tin. Season and mix together. Roast for 5-8 mins, then cool.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Good Food Italian Magazine

The smell of this cooking was amazing. It did take me much longer than the stated 5-8 mins (closer to 15-20 mins) to get the tomatoes to a 'roasted' state but that could be that they weren't as ripe as they maybe should have been. I think I would prefer to have this warm as opposed to cold next time, although for a picnic or a barbie in summer cold would be fine.

I was going to serve the lasagne with a Garlic and Rosemary Bread but I stumbled across a recipe for Pesto Focaccia that just cried out to be made. I'm so glad I did, it was the run away success of the night. I used both Green Pesto and Red Pesto on it as some of our party liked one and not the other, I'm afraid though that you'll have to use your imagination for what the finished bread looked like as I didn't quite get around to taking a photo before we all devoured it!

Easy Homemade Pesto

50g pine nuts

Large bunch basil, leaves and stalks

50g parmesan

150ml olive oil, plus extra for storing

2 garlic cloves

Tip the pine nuts into a frying pan, then toast over a medium heat for about 5 mins, stirring often, until evenly golden. Cool, then put into a food processor with all of the remaining ingredients. Whizz until smooth, then season to taste.

Pour pesto into a jar and cover with a little extra oil, then seal and store.

Makes 250ml

Good Food Italian Magazine

Focaccia with Pesto and Mozzarella

500g strong white bread flour, plus some for dusting

1 1/2 tsp salt

7g sachet fast action yeast

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

126g ball mozzarella, drained

5 tbsp pesto

Sea salt, to serve (optional)

Put the flour into a bowl and mix in the salt. Mix the yeast into 325ml tepid water. Add the water and oil to the flour, then mix well with a plastic scraper or your hands. When most of the liquid is incorporated, use your hands to bring all the ingredients together into a ball of dough.

Tip the dough out onto a worktop lightly dusted with flour and work it by pulling and stretching for at least 10 mins. Try to get as much air into it as possible. Put the ball of worked dough into a well oiled bowl, cover with a little more oil and a tea towel or cling film. Leave to rest for 1 hour or so in a draught-free warm spot, until doubled in size.

Now stretch the dough out onto a baking sheet until its about 20 x 30cm. Leave the dough to rise again to about half as high again, about 30-40 mins in a warm draught-free place, loosely covered with a tea towel.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C. When the dough has risen, press your fingers into it gently to make some holes. Bake for about 5 mins, then remove from the oven. Tear over the mozzarella, then bake for another 5-10 mins until golden and cooked through. Drizzle over the pesto and scatter with sea salt, if you like. Serve straight away.

Serves 4-6

BBC Good Food Website

Thanks to this recipe I was paid the biggest compliment my cooking has ever received last night. One of our friends works at the new very swanky and posh Italian Hotel and Restaurant that has recently opened in town. He said that this Focaccia Bread was even better than the ones that the Italian Chefs make in the restaurant!!! I was on cloud 9 ;0)

Maple and Mustard Chicken Tray Bake

It's a sad day when a girl discovers she can't survive on cake alone. When that day comes for you give this recipe a try - it has 'bake' in the title to help ease the pain!

Maple and Mustard Chicken Tray Bake

800g small new potatoes, halved

2 red onions, chopped roughly

2 courgettes, chopped roughly

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

4 x 125g skinless chicken breasts, seasoned

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 heaped tbsp grain mustard

Juice 1 lemon

250g cherry toms

Preheat oven to 180C fan (200C conventional).

Parboil potatoes for 10 mins, drain and mix with onions, courgettes, oil and seasoning in a large roasting tin. Oven cook for 15 mins.

Stir veg around and add chicken breasts on top, then roast for a further 10 mins.

Mix maple syrup, lemon juice and mustard. Stir veg again, keeping chicken on top, add tomatoes then drizzle syrup mixture over top. Roast for a final 15 mins.

Serves 4

WW website

I add loads of different veg to this to help bulk it out. Peppers and mushrooms work really well but anything you have in the fridge will work.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

This freezing cold weather has me craving some comfort food, something that is easy to cook but hot and filling too. This pasta sauce is so quick and easy to make, in the time it takes to boil the pasta the sauce is made. Not only does it taste delicious but its actually pretty good for you too (WW will be pleased with me ... just avert your eyes when we get to the mascarpone bit!) and I like the added bonus of knowing exactly what I am eating.

Tomato and Basil Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil (I use fry lite)

1 garlic clove, crushed

400g can chopped tomatoes

1 tsp veg stock powder or 1/2 a crumbled stock cube

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp sugar

Few basil leaves

Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic, then gently fry for 1 min. Tip in all the other ingredients, except the basil and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. To finish, tear basil leaves, then stir into the sauce.

* This sauce freezes well, or you can keep a batch in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Serves 4 (makes 350ml)

Good Food Italian

This sauce is pretty good as it is but there are a few variations for when you fancy a change.

Tomato and Mascarpone (This one is our favourite!)

Stir 2 tbsp mascarpone into the sauce at the end of cooking time. Delicious poured over fresh tortellini, topped with a few more spoonfuls of cheese, then baked until bubbling at the edges.
Arrabiata

Use 2 garlic cloves and add a good pinch each chilli flakes and dried oregano. Stir in 1 tsp balsamic vinegar to serve.

Amatriciana

Fry 8 rashers streaky bacon until golden, then add 2 garlic cloves, as before. Add a splash of red wine with the tomatoes if you like, use a good pinch oregano and dried chilli then, to finish, stir through 25g grated parmesan.

Puttanesca

Stir through 1-2 tbsp drained capers, 4 anchovies, drained and chopped and a handful pitted black olives, chopped. when ready to serve, stir through a handful freshly chopped flat leaf parsley.

I always make a double batch of the sauce, means that there is an almost ready made meal waiting in the fridge for those days when making a meal from scratch is just a bit too much.

Tonight's dinner was the Tomato and Mascarpone Sauce which was stirred through some pasta. I also cooked off some leftover mushrooms and pan fried some chicken breasts with salt, pepper and mixed herbs and added these to the pasta and sauce. It was then all topped off with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.

Cherry Tomato, Parmesan and Basil Flat Bread

I've had the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook in my collection ever since it was first published.  Not only is the bakery from my homeland, the recipes speak my language.  Breads and pastries and cakes ... oh how I wish I lived a life within the Bourke Street Bakery!

This is the first recipe I've tried from the book, I made the ferment on Friday night after work and then whipped the breads up on Saturday afternoon.  They were ready for dinner and I have to admit they are probably some of the nicest loaves of bread I've ever eaten let alone made.  That said, I did make a small, teensy weensy itsy bitsy mistake.  I didn't read the recipe properly and so when I left the dough to bulk prove I didn't knock it back every 30 mins.  Oops!  The result wasn't terrible ... just some very fat looking flat breads, which is actually perfectly fine in my world.  They fit in perfectly lol.  The recipe makes enough for two loaves, which is more than enough for three hungry adults for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the weekend (not to forget tonight's dinner too!) and plenty to spare to spread with butter and run along to the hospital for my mother in law.  Job done ;0)

First or Initial Ferment
100g strong flour
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp milk
70ml water
1g dried / instant yeast (or 2g fresh)

To mix the ferment by hand put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together to combine, about 5 mins.  If you are using an electric mixer, put all of the ingredients in the bowl of the mixer on low speed for 2 mins.  Increase the speed to high and continue mixing for 5 mins, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Transfer the dough to a container that has been sprayed with olive oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and rest overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Makes 180g

Olive Oil Dough
600g strong flour
7g dried / instant yeast - I actually just used what was leftover in the sachet from the ferment (or 13g fresh yeast)
400ml water
20ml extra virgin olive oil
20ml milk
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
180g ferment (optional)

To mix the olive oil dough by hand, put the flour and yeast in a large bowl and pour in the water.  Use a spoon to mix together until well combined, then set aside for 10 mins.  Add the oil, milk and salt, mixing well.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and start kneading.  Knead for 10 mins, then allow the dough to rest for 10 mins.  Add the ferment (if using) and knead for a further 10 mins.

If you are using an electric mixer (this was my preferred method!), put all of the ingredients, except the ferment, into the bowl of the mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Mix in low speed for 2 mins, then increase the speed to high and continue mixing for 5 mins.  If using the ferment break it up with your hands and scatter into the bowl.  Continue mixing on low speed for 1 min, then increase the speed to high and mix for 5 mins, or until well combined - this may take an extra couple of mins - the dough should come away from the edges of the bowl and have a silky complexion when done.

Place the dough in a container that has been sprayed with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to bulk prove for 1 1/2 hours.  Knock back the dough every 30 mins during the bulk prove - this means you will need to knock back the dough twice in total.

To knock back the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and press out into a rectangle, about 2.5cm thick.  Use your hands to fold one third back onto itself, then repeat with the remaining third.  Turn the dough ninety degrees and fold it over again into thirds.  Place the dough back into the oiled container, cover with plastic wrap, and continue to bulk prove for a further 1 hour.  Once the dough has finished to bulk prove it is ready to be divided and shaped.

Makes 1kg of dough or 2 loaves

Cherry Tomato, Parmesan and Basil Flat Bread
1kg olive oil dough
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
50g parmesan cheese, roughly chopped or grated
1 large handful basil leaves, torn
55ml extra virgin olive oil

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press down evenly with your hands, until it is a rectangle about 25 x 10cm and 2cm high.  Divide the dough into two even sized portions, about 500g each, trimming each flatbread to create a 25 x 5cm rectangular shape (I didn't worry about this, opting instead for a more 'rustic' fat flatbread!)  180g of the offcuts can be kept in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and used as the ferment for the next loaf if you like.

Place each flatbread on a baking tray lined with baking paper and use your fingers to press down into the dough and create shallow indents over the surface (my first clue should have been when the indents sprung back up!)  Set aside in a warm place to prove for 15 mins.

Next, add the topping.  Press the tomato halves and parmesan into each flatbread until half submerged.  The tomatoes look best when facing cut side up/  You can either press the basil leaves into the flatbread at this point and brush the extra virgin olive oil on top or you can put the basil in a food processor or blender with the extra virgin olive oil, and blend until just spreadable but not runny.  If using the basil oil, brush it over the flatbreads when they come out of the oven.

Set aside to prove for a further 15-20 mins.  Preheat the oven to 180C.  Place in the oven and spray the oven with water.  Bake for 25-30 mins, turning the flatbread around after 15 mins.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool until you can safely eat it,

Makes 2 loaves
Bourke Street Bakery (genius people that they are!)

Comfort Food - Tomato, Mascarpone and Mozzarella Lasagne and Mango Mist Cocktails

What do you do when something happens to really upset you? And I don't mean the kind of upset that can be caused by breaking a nail or stepping on a worm on your way to work. I mean the kind of upset that makes you stew in your juices and the kind of upset that lets you turn things round and round in your head, getting no peace and just allows you to work yourself into a state.

Let me give you an example, as it just so happens that I have one! Imagine you got married in June (to the loveliest man that you ever did meet) and that you took your wonderful, beautiful only ever worn the once wedding dress - the dress that turned you into a princess for a day and cost you nearly an entire months wages - imagine you took that dress to a 'reputable' dry cleaners at the end of July and agreed that it would be ready for collection on the 8th August. Imagine that it is now the 4th September and said dress has still not been returned. Imagine how upset you'd feel if upon calling the dry cleaners this morning and you finally got to speak to someone (after weeks of speaking to an answering machine) only to be told that they may have 'misplaced' the dress (thankfully they haven't, they managed to find it about 20 mins later). Now imagine that the lady at the dry cleaners has told you not once but three times this afternoon that the delay doesn't really matter because "its not like your going to wear the dress again"! Oh how my blood was boiling - upset didn't even really begin to cover it at that stage. The issue is ongoing, and hopefully will be resolved on Monday night, when I have to go to the dry cleaners to 'identify' my dress for them. Brides-to-be in Edinburgh heed my warning - email me if you want to know which dry cleaner NOT to go to!

So ... what do I do when I get to that level of upset? I cook comfort food! The food of choice today was a full on meal ...

Tomato, Mascarpone and Mozzarella Lasagne

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Olive oil (I use fry lite)

3 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes

A bunch of basil, torn

1 pack fresh lasagne (lets be honest, making pasta from scratch today is totally out of my remit!)

250g mascarpone

3 balls mozzarella, torn into pieces (I use the light variety)

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C. Fry the onion and garlic in 4 tbsp olive oil (or fry lite) until softened but not coloured. Stir in the tomatoes, I drain 2 tins and add the other tin with the juice. Season and bubble for about 15-20 mins or until the sauce is thickened and glossy (I always let mine bubble for 30 mins - the sauce seems to be too runny otherwise). Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Pour a layer of the tomato sauce into a large baking dish and cover with a layer of the lasagne sheets.

Arrange 1/3 of the mascarpone and mozzarella over the lasagne and spoon another layer of sauce over. Cover with lasagne sheets. Repeat the layers. Finally, add a last layer of lasagne, spoon the remaining tomato sauce over and dot the last 1/3 of the mascarpone and mozzarella evenly across the top.

Add a grinding of black pepper and bake for about 40 mins or until the lasagne layers are soft when tested with the point of a knife, and the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread.

Serves 6 apparently but it only ever manages 4 in our house!

Not 100% sure where this recipe came from but I have a feeling it was a Woman's Weekly Cookbook

Tonight we had ours with a Spinach Salad that we've not tried before. I expected Hubby to dismiss it at first sight for the healthy factor alone but he went back for thirds which is generally a sign of approval.

Baby Spinach Salad

65g baby spinach, washed and dried

2 tsp pine nuts

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper

Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss them together lightly. Serve at once or the leaves will become wilted.

Serve the salad garnished with a few Parmesan shavings, if desired (I omitted this bit due to the amount of cheese in the lasagne but it would be a very nice touch for another meal).

Serves 2 (but closer to 3 with us)

Feedie Website

And because when situations like this arise a girl always needs her bubbles ...

Mango Mist Cocktail

1 mango, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp lime juice (I like my lime so I use the juice of half a lime)

Champagne or sparkling white wine

Sliced fruit to serve

Puree the mango and lime juice in a blender until smooth. Divide between 6 champagne flutes and pour over the champagne. Top with the fruit slices.

Serves 6

Again I can't actually remember where this came from, but its more than likely bound to be another Donna Hay recipe.

So now I've had my 'debrief' (apologies for the rant!) and made my comfort food, I'm off to watch Harry Potter and flick through my new recipe magazines.