Sunday, June 19, 2005

Sunday Dinner for the evening after the night before…

You know what I love about Nigella recipes? It’s that she tells you the stories behind the food, when and why and how they’re eaten. Basically, she puts the food in context. And with that in mind…

I had a rather large night last night, and when I came home, starving, at 6:00pm on Sunday evening, I needed food. Fast. Something meaty and salty and carb-filled and delicious.

30. Beef and Beans with Pasta

This recipe emanates from the Feeding Babies and Small Children Chapter, which is ironic considering the context in which I made and ate it.

It is so super-easy. You just whiz up a carrot, a celery stick, an onion and a stick of celery in a processor, and then cook them in a pan, adding beef, borlotti beans, beef stock, tinned tomatoes and macaroni. It took less than an hour in total. And, thank God, the recipe asks for one litre (so one carton) of stock. My freezer has become the graveyard of half and 3/4 filled cartons of stock which I am too lazy to defrost...


By the way, this is a big non-stick Bessemer pot, which is my favourite pot!

You grate parmesan over the top to finish, and Nigella suggests serving it with chilli oil – a wonderful combination. And excitingly enough, we now own a bottle of chilli oil because I had to buy it for Wednesday night’s lamb racks.

It was really yummy, very comforting home-style food, perfect for the cold weather. (It's freezing outside!) And I know it’s aimed at feeding children, but I’d rather keep it for myself! Yes, it is aimed to please children, but it is still a serious meal, not a dumbed-down kiddie-friendly imitation of proper food.

I ate it with my parents, who liked it. Especially my mother, who said repeatedly, “Hm. I like it. I like it.”

There are lots of leftovers, which is a very good thing.

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