Last night’s dinner
Madison didn’t get to have lamb chops but she did chow down on some rice and banana cereal-that was my priority to take a picture of and my dinner picture went by the wayside.
Tonight’s dinner
Today we had playgroup at Cassie’s house so dinner is a rushed affair. I’ll make bumped-up pasta sauce. This isn’t really a recipe, instead think of it as a reminder that quick eating doesn’t have to be dull.
Here’s how: In a saucepan saute a red pepper (use yellow or green if that is what you have in the house) with sliced mushrooms and two ribs of celery (cut on the bias so that all your veg have a different appearance). Add in 1/2-1 cup of red wine, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp. dried basil and the same in chili flakes. Add meatballs (either buy a big bag from Costco or Loblaws or I just make a big batch once in a while and take them out as I need them) and a can or jar of commercially prepared tomato sauce.
In a big pot of salted boiling water cook-up your pasta and toss with a bit of butter and chopped parsley before topping with sauce.
When the baboo goes to sleep I’ll get ready for cocktails with friends tomorrow before we go out to dinner to celebrate two birthdays. Everything needs to be done tonight as we’re at a kiddy party helping out during the day. I’m hoping to get enough time to get into my cache of pre-pregnancy clothes and find something that will look decent to go to dinner in. Let’s hope the force is with me right now the best thing I have going for me is the baby induced boobs.
I am planning on an assortment of cheese (chevre, goat’s milk gouda, curds and Wensleydale), salami’s (mmmmm…salami and prosciutto mixed) and a neat savoury cookie.
Here is the recipe for…
Herb and Pepper Cookies (taken from My Diverse Kitchen)
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup salted butter, cold (cut into small pieces)
½ cup finely grated cheese
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp freshly crushed pepper
1 tsp mixed herbs
1-2 tbsp chilled water
Method:
Rub the butter into the flour till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Now add the cheese, egg, pepper, herbs, baking powder, and enough of the chilled water to bind the mixture into a dough that comes together and can be rolled out. Do not knead or handle the dough much.
Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface, roll out to about ¼ inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 190C for about 15 minutes till golden brown.
Cool on a rack.
As usual, I am going to double this recipe and put half in the freezer for the next time. I am also going to roll them into balls and press them with a fork instead of rolling them out and cutting them with cookie cutters. I HATE to use cookie cutters-don’t know why, everyone has their thing.
{Adventuresindinner} 