Spring, two lazy recipes and Mama Mia

Sorry to have neglected this blog but have been busy with family and guests recently. Writing too.

Domesticity

Just discovered another good easy fish recipe from Mary Berry - one cod loin portion per person, smear on a tablespoon of sundried tomato paste, a slice of goats cheese, some fresh breadcrumbs (she says, but I cheated and used Bart crispy crumbs) and then top with grated cheddar. Put on baking tray and cook at 200 deg for 12-15 minutes. With the crisped topping it was different and delicious.

Here is my own recipe for cheat's chicken casserole - 1 tin Eazy ready onions (an excellent ingredient), 1 tin chopped tomatoes, chicken thighs (according to no of guests), plenty of red wine, Swiss Bouillon, celery, courgettes, mushrooms, fennel or any other veg you fancy. Season to taste and bung 'em all in together, as Jamie would say, and cook in the oven until chicken is done. Add crushed garlic too if you want. I don't even pre-fry the chicken and it tastes fine. Serve with Basmati rice - OK, I am a rice snob, I admit.

Reading

Been re-reading Division of the Spoils by Paul Scott, about the last days of the Raj in India. Very long and heavy going in parts. It strikes me that the characters are good, but that they make speeches to each other. Despite the fact that most of the dramatic scenes are told in retrospect, it works pretty well. Interesting.

Family matters

Recent guests made me laugh - the seven-year-old was playing Club Penguin on my computer at 7am stark naked yesterday, meanwhile the five-year-old watching the DVD of Mama Mia for the tenth time.

'Did you know,' she said confidingly, 'that Donna has been in another film.' I confirmed that I had indeed seen Meryl Streep in one or two different roles over the years.