One of posts I have been hoping to write from the 365 Blog Topic Ideas book, is My Favourite Recipe.
This evening we decided to make the most of our time off work, and do some cooking.
Unbelievably, despite this being our favourite meal to cook and eat, we haven’t done so in over a year. I know this because we have been in our new house for 368 days, and haven’t prepared the dish here.
Tonight, we cooked our favourite…
Cheesy gnocchi bake
Ingredients
- 500g pack gnocchi
- 200g cauliflower, divided into small florets
- 250g spinach
- 500g tub 4-cheese sauce
- 4 tomatoes, sliced
- 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
Preparation
- Heat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200C
- Bring a saucepan to the boil, add the gnocchi and cauliflower, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the gnocchi rises to the surface. Drain contents of saucepan
- Cook spinach in microwave, according to pack instructions
- In a gratin dish, combine half the cooked gnocchi, cauliflower, spinach and cheese sauce
- Layer half the tomatoes on top, then combine the rest of the ingredients, finishing with a layer of tomatoes
- Scatter over the Cheddar, season with black pepper (optional) and bake for 10 minutes until golden and bubbling
I have decided to stop eating meat. While I haven’t gone officially “veggie” (yet), I have been avoiding the stuff for a few weeks now.
I can’t see myself missing it. I have never been a big carnivore – growing up with a Mum and now living with a wife who are both vegetarians certainly helped with this. To her credit, Claire has never had an issue with cooking meat for me; although more often than not, I eat what she eats, including veggie burgers and Quorn sausages. I even went for the veggie option at my wedding!
Strangely, the only thing I will miss, if I do go all-out vegetarian, is not meat at all – it is sweets and desserts. It is amazing how much confectionery and puddings contain pork or beef gelatin. It is no surprise that jelly-based sweets, like Haribo, are unsuitable. However, veggies also have to avoid most types of mousse – the pudding, not the large Canadian deer, which coincidentally, they also cannot eat.
I am yet to explain my recent change in attitude towards meat. The reason is Roman, my pet rabbit. I have NEVER eaten rabbit. I couldn’t. Growing up with the cute creatures, I grew so attached, that I would rather eat my left arm than a bunny burger.
Since getting Roman, my feelings towards rabbits have grown even stronger. I’ve seen him grow from a timid little ball of fluff, to a cheeky, excitable, loving member of our family, who demonstrates levels of intelligence that I didn’t think rabbits could reach.
I don’t believe that Roman is any more clever than other rabbits. I just think that, as a child, I was oblivious to just how smart my pet bunnies were.
Roman has made me realise that if rabbits can show a degree of intelligence, so can other animals, like pigs and cows. Roman would be petrified if he thought he was going to be killed. Who am I to deprive some poor piggy of their life, in order for me to enjoy a Walls sausage, anyway?
If you know me, or regularly read this blog, please don’t worry – I am not going to start preaching that “meat is murder”. One of my hates in life is when people try to force their beliefs – religious or otherwise – onto others. Although, if I do see you eating a Big Mac, I will be throwing a bucket of cow’s blood over you…
For Christmas, I received a selection of Nandos sauces. This evening, I decided to cook some chicken…
Shortly after getting up this morning, I covered two chicken breasts in marinade.
Half an hour in the oven, and this came out…
The chicken was transferred to a plate and vegetables added…
Very tasty it was too…
I didn’t lick the plate as the sauce was very hot!
Pancake Day came early to our house tonight.
Here is Claire’s effort
Mine was less successful…
I’m a useless tosser (of pancakes)
EATING OUT
John came round on Friday. We were planning on going to Nandos, but upon getting there, people were queuing out of the restaurant door. Not wanting to wait hours and end up having Peri Peri chicken for our breakfast, we decided to drive out of town to The George pub in Bathampton. The meal was nice.
While eating, I overheared a woman, who must have been at least 25 stone, tell her husband “I’ve just been told they’ve sold out of the salad. I’ve had to order the Mixed Grill instead”. I’m sure that must have been gutting for the greedy cow.
POSH COFFEE
I couldn’t help but notice those TV ads doing the rounds for Kenco Millicano coffee. You’ve probably seen them yourself. The one where some mother walks into her son’s school and takes away the coffee he has brought in for a harvest festival and gives him a tin of mouldy old peaches. I think another ad shows a couple about to have sex on the kitchen, but immediately stop after knocking over a packet of the coffee. If only Imogen Thomas had smashed a coffee jar during her night with Ryan Giggs, it would have saved no end of problems.
I’ve got a coffee machine in my flat, but also drink coffee in work. The instant coffee I drink there doesn’t come close to the real stuff, so Kenco’s promise of “instant real coffee” was appealing. I bought a packet and after sampling, I have to admit, I am impressed. It doesn’t share the quality of freshly made coffee, of that I am not surprised. However, it is by far the best instant coffee I have tasted. I’ll be bouncing off the walls when I return to work on Tuesday.
THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Last nights Champions League final was most delightful. Not only because I am a Barca fan (well, they’re my “foreign” team), but because they beat Manchester United. Barca didn’t just beat ManU, they destroyed them. If the performance could have been foreseen, ITV would have had to issue a warning pre-match that the upcoming programme contains frequent scenes of rape.
This isn’t me having a go at Manchester United (although, it was funny). They were simply outclassed. Barca were simply a joy to watch and gave everyone a lesson in football – most notably Fergie and his boys.
I know this blog will result in a barrage of comments from bitter Man Utd fans (anything anti-ManU usually does). Let me say this in advance – it’s football, get over yourselves. People support and like different teams. I know this may be hard to believe, seeing as I live in Somerset, but I dislike your team. Any comments will be marked as spam, unless they amuse me and I’ll approve them, simply for the purpose of ridicule.
About Me
So you stumbled across my blog. No doubt after searching for something bizarre on Google. Before you hit that 'Back Button', why not stay and have a read for a few minutes?
If you are after a website which gives advice on how to hack an iPhone X, download the latest Steven Seagal movie, or view nudy ladies, you've come to the wrong place and may now press 'Back'.
However, if you would like a lifestyle blog, written by a 30-something chap, living in Bath (England), feast your eyes on this.
You won't discover how to copy PlayStation 4 games. What you will find is a blog, covering life in the West Country, the highs and lows of supporting two unsuccessful football teams, while sharing a house with a wife and rabbit.
All written by a man, somewhere on the sanity-scale between normal and eccentric.
