I've got the munchies.

Over the weekend I semi moved into my friends parents house in a small surfing town on the north coast of Cornwall. Sunday night, Mike came for the night- we cooked dinner together, watched Michael Macintyre and had an early night :). We are both ill at the moment so a big bowl of  tomato pasta was perfect for us! Last night I decided to use up some of the leftover sauce and flourish up the same dish a bit.

Overall delicious and filling- plus I made a large portion so that I have some for lunch tomorrow! Here's my recipe :)

A handful of pasta
1 chicken breast
a handful of peas
1 large (and I mean BIG) mushroom
a few slices of chorizo (or salami, or other...)
some sort of cheese
tomato sauce (I used a tomato and herb store bought jar)
A handful of spinach plus another handful of rocket
Any salad veg that you like- I chose to use cucumber

Start by cooking off the pasta in a small amount of water, keeping it at a rolling boil and adding more water when necessary.

When nearly done, add the peas so that they cook with the pasta.

Meanwhile in a frying pan, cook off the chicken, followed by the mushrooms.

Drain the pasta and peas, replacing them into the saucepan. Add the tomato sauce and return to the heat. Chop up the chorizo and add that too.

In your bowl create a layer of salad then combine all the warm ingredients and pile up on top! Finish off with some yummy cheese :).

I believe that when it comes to Italian food, we all eat far too much of the carbs. The pasta in a pasta dish should not be the main ingredient, it should be about a third of it. So I tend to double most of the above ingredients (except for the chicken) to save some for another meal, then eat it with the salad. This way it is more nutritious, healthier and just as filling! This was a meal I really enjoyed and it was oh so simple. I love to just add lots of random veg and meat to a meal for a yummy combo. Next time I might try it with some kind of seafood as apparently cured and deli meats compliment seafood perfectly!

Enjoy and let me know if you try to make a similar dish! :)

Abiento x

I wanna grab a spoon

The other day I watched that early episode of Friends where Ross is still depressed about his divorce with Carol, and Joey tells him that women are like ice cream. There are a billion flavours out there, and all he has to do is grab a spoon.....

Well, when I saw this, that's all I wanted to do. In the same way that on a bad day you eat Chocolate spread out of the jar and squirt the squirty cream straight into your mouth.

Image and by Cafe Fernando

Of course, you can only do all of the above if you don't have a lactose intolerance. Like me :(. However this scrumptious delight is dairy free, so I can eat it!! I love love love it when I find chocolate that I can actually eat!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY)
Recipe by Herve This & Heston Blumenthal

Ingredients

4 servings

• 9.35 ounces (265 grams) bittersweet (%70 cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped (preferably Valrhona Guanaja)
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 4 tbsp sugar, optional

Method

1. Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
2. Put chocolate and water (also sugar and/or liquor if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. If the mousse becomes grainy (which is possible at your first try), transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.
4. Divide into four serving cups and serve immediately.

Recipe by Herve This and Heston Blumenthal via Cafe Fernando

Abiento x