the cooking improves, the family cheers!

Okay - I could say that we plunged to new depths of culinary despair last week, but in fact, we have been sliding towards this dismal situation since our move.  So this week, it is time to rediscover the pleasure of dinner.

Little A and I started to reform ourselves on Sunday - we pored over “Nigella’s Express” and a new Women’s Weekly cookbook “Mince” (nothing quite like mince for speedy ease and yummy) and wrote a menu for the week, a shopping list and took ourselves off to the market.

Thus far, we have enjoyed pork and apple terrine with sauteed vegetables (it served two dinners - what a bargain!), tuna and chickpeas, pollo alla … forgot the Italian name - hunter’s chicken …

and we’ve made Lunchbox Treats (also from “Nigella’s Express) for Little A’s schooldays - but have all been unable to stop ourselves from sneaking these from the fridge all week!

The tuna and chickpeas make such a delightful meal, I thought I would share it here with you … it is ridiculously simple, quick and tasty.  It’s our “fast food” when we are feeling too virtuous for takeaway.

Ingredients

1 400g tin chickpeas

1 250g tin tuna in brine

1 onion sliced finely

1 red capsicum slice finely

1 clove garlic minced

half a butternut pumpkin, chopped small, and seasoned and roasted in maple syrup and olive oil

a bagful of english spinach leaves, washed

1/2 glass of white wine

juice of half lemon

olive oil

thyme

parmesan

Method

Gently fry the onion, capsicum and garlic in a generous dollop of olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the thyme and cook until soft. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and toss them in, stirring until glistening and very gently fried.  Pour in the wine and cook until it bubbles.  Add the tuna and stir lightly through.  When the tuna and chickpeas are warm, add the spinach and pumpkin.  Mix through gently.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and parmesan and serve immediately. 

Nevertheless, despite all this healthy goodness, there is still room for a piece of Turkish Delight … after you’ve licked the icing sugar off of course!

Now we just have to tame the exploding milk and our kitchen frolics will be back to normal …

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