On our return from holiday I wanted something reasonably straightforward to ease myself back into the real world with, so I chose Autumn Tacos with Squash & Chorizo from Mexican Food Made Simple. It was the perfect dish for chilling out with in front of the TV while we caught up on some of the TV we’d missed while we were away (god bless Sky+, and The Newsroom). The fact that it didn’t take too much effort either was a bonus, simply roast the squash and then add it to the pan with the chorizo and you’re practically done. The squash was lovely and tender, with the chorizo adding that little bit of bite that was much needed. Autumn is one of my favourite times of year so while it’s sad to see the end of summer (and that nip in the air is definitely getting colder) I can’t wait to have more autumnal dishes like this…and it’ll be Christmas soon too!!In a bid to justify my recent holiday purchase my next dish was Salsicce e Lenticchie (or sausages and lentils) from Gino’s Italian Escape. Now while I cannot claim to have sourced some genuine Italian sausages for this dish I did make sure to get some packed with herbs from the local butcher, and I think they were just as good as any fancy Italian ones. I’ve made similar dishes to this in the past but I think this one does surpass them all by a mile, there was still enough liquid to keep the dish moist without making it watery and the gentle buzz from the chilli really gave it that extra hit of flavour. I didn’t feel the need to serve anything with it, I suppose some bread might be a good accompaniment but for me the lentils provided more than enough substance and I was definitely satisfied by the time I’d cleared my plate.
In order to use up the rest of the butternut squash I had lurking in the fridge I chose to make a Harissa Chicken Traybake from BBC Good Food Magazine, a recipe that kept staring at me from my file but I had yet to try. The marinating time was minimal so I could cook this after getting home from work, then all I had to do was chop up the vegetables and roast them briefly before adding the yoghurt and harissa covered chicken. I love the smells that permeate the house when I cook things with spices; the best place is the spare bedroom at the front which is sometimes where hubby likes to hang out when I’m in the kitchen. When the chicken was almost cooked I simply soaked some couscous and set the table. I should probably also mention that I did chuck some marrow into the tray as well since it needed using up, and I figured that a few more vegetables couldn’t hurt. The chicken was lovely and moist and had really absorbed the spicy marinade, and the vegetables were tender and juicy which was perfect for accompanying the couscous.My final new dish of the week was again courtesy of my new purchase but this time was a pasta dish, Rigatoni all' Arrabbiata con Salmone (Rigatoni with Salmon and a Spicy Tomato Sauce). It was simply a matter of making the tomato sauce and putting the chopped up salmon in right at the end to cook through in the heat of the sauce. By doing this the salmon was still nice and moist and did not overcook, I love pasta with a tomato sauce (and the chilli goes without saying) but the salmon was a really nice touch, it was soft and delicate in amongst the robust sauce and the substantial pasta – a nice twist on the classic arrabbiata.
Recipe Count: 124
New Target: 156
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