What a week! I am very pleased of a long weekend off I can tell you- although in fairness I only have to work 4 days next week before we head off to Tuscany!!! ✈✈✈

But let’s have a round up of this weeks menu…..

Monday

A meat-free Monday classic today, a ratatouille pasta. This was a bowlful of absolute goodness- peppers, yellow courgette, baby aubergines, red onions, tomatoes- and all from my gorgeous Natoora delivery. With whole wheat pasta it was a delicious, yet nutritious, start to the week! 🍅🍅🍅

Colin had been out today with his old friend Jim: a good catch up during a walk of London and a nice lunch. He broke the alcohol-free pact for the day and came home with red wine stained lips…

Tuesday

My day off as I was working on Sunday. I always try to make myself a lovely lunch when I have a day off on my own, and have something that I know Colin would prefer not to eat. And today was an old favourite, based on a Jo Pratt recipe: harissa salmon.

The salmon is marinated in Greek yogurt, harissa pasta and lemon juice and then baked in the oven. The original recipe served the fish with a taboulleh type of accompaniment with pomegranate seeds which is absolutely delicious, but I wanted to keep it light so a salad did suffice. Delicious as always.

For dinner we are continuing the vegetarian theme and made a Homity Pie. You can see the recipe and a previous picture on the recipe link on the home page.

Wednesday

I ordered some spicy Tuscan salami from Natoora which was crying out for a pizza! However, better than that was the puff pastry tart that I made instead- puff pastry topped with a little passata, red onions, chilli, fresh tomatoes, salami and some shavings of cheese (I used some mature cheddar I had in the fridge) and baked in the oven for 30mins until browned and bubbling. These kind of tarts on puff pastry are quick and easy and so versatile- there is a gorgeous Nigel Slater recipe with caramelised onions and blue cheese which I would never get tired of eating! Scrummy!

‘Thursday

As well as the spicy salami I had bought some ordinary, Milano salami, which I sauteed with some garlic and red chilli, added some tinned tomatoes and served with spaghetti.  Comfort food of an Italian variety.

And finally Friday

It was Colin’s day off today so he assumed chef duties!!!

He decided to make some spicy beef burgers. Here they are in production-

The recipe is a closely graded secret, but, it was delicious! Not too spicy or hot, well seasoned, and cooked so well that the burgers were really juicy. Salads were prepared too, as well as some spicy potato wedges, plates were cleared and Tums were filled. Colin is back on form!!!

Today was a great day at work as lots found a nice surprise in their payslip due to some payroll problem that was fixed- squeals of delight were heard at work, for the very first time!

Oh, and still no drinkies for me, but we are now in count down until Friday when a cold beer may break the fast, or will it be a g&t, or a glass of vino- decisions, decisions, decisions!!!