THIRTY-EIGHT & THIRTY-NINE : FROZEN DINNERS AND A FRESH START

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

JUNE 01 2012

THIRTY-EIGHT : BLACK BEAN CHILLI WITH AVOCADO SALSA
THIRTY-NINE : VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA

It's a very strange thing to lose one's mojo. Mine has been elusive for a few months now and, although I know why it has now departed, I'm not sure exactly how to get it back. It lurks around corners, almost within reach, but as soon as I catch it's eye my mind drifts off and I lose focus. "Oh well", I shrug. It has become so much easier these days to think of nothing rather than that which occupies my mind entirely. So I sit in the backyard, avoiding all thought, and instead watch the little finches gorge themselves on thistle seed.

But as spring swings into summer and my garden offers up the first few radishes, I'm reminded again of what I'm missing. So how best to lure it back? The answer is pretty clear. Start doing again what I love to do... garden, cook and share it all with my friends.

EIGHTEEN : PRAWN COCKTAIL 2000

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

FEBRUARY 25 2012

EIGHTEEN : PRAWN COCKTAIL 2000 

(Please read the following in a robotic monotone voice:)
 
It is the year 2000. Welcome new millennium. I will celebrate with a prawn cocktail served in a martini glass. How fashion forward and futuristic this prawn cocktail looks in it's fancy stemmed serving glass. Oooh. La. La.

(You may now return to your normal inner monologue... unless you're enjoying the robot voice and want to continue)

THIRTY-ONE & THIRTY-TWO : BEET SALAD

AUGUST 17 2011


THIRTY-ONE : BEETS
THIRTY-TWO : ROASTED BEET & AVOCADO SALAD

I want to like beets... I really, really do. But it hasn't happened yet. I thought my dislike might stem from their irritating habit of staining everything they come in contact with bright red, so decided to grow some sweet little candy-striped beets in my garden this year and give them another try. I saved up my entire harvest of the little guys and put them all into this salad. But, it turns out, I still don't really like beets... even my own beets.

The salad required me to incorporate the "Beets" recipe from the veggie section, which was simply roasting them with olive oil, salt and white pepper. At this point, they could be served as is or used for a couple of different salads.

baby beets ready for roasting

TWENTY : AVOCADO CROSTINI

JULY 1 2011
Using the remaining parley pesto, I whipped up a batch of avocado crostini for a BBQ today. The parsley pesto also was used to marinate the steaks and season a cut-up cauliflower. It worked great!

Back to the crostini. Baguette slices were swiped with parsley pesto and quickly broiled. Then topped with avocado slices, a drizzle olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and white pepper. Delicious! The creamy avocado balanced perfectly against the crunchy crostini.

They disappeared quickly! Yummmmm :)

But then later I was flipping through the book and took a closer look at the avocado crostini recipe I thought I had so deftly prepared earlier. Wait... black pepper? Not white pepper? WTF? I thought everything used white pepper so I had only glanced at it. Dang!

What do you think? Do I have to re-do it because I used the wrong pepper? Technically I guess so. Luckily they were delicious so I am not too sad about it. I had better make sure to use the correct pepper, though, so I can cross it off my list with no guilt!