* Sweet Potato and Caramelised Onion Quiche {Meatless Mondays}

I know I keep saying that I'm surprised when a recipe works, but I genuinely am. This Sweet Potato and Caramelised Onion Quiche was an experiment because I used my favourite Parmesan and polenta pastry with it. I thought I might have gone for overkill with the flavour combinations and ended up with a dish that was all over the shot.

Happily I was wrong.

I made the quiche to take to mum's on Sunday as my brother and his clan were donning their life jackets and coming to Cornwall to visit. So.... an "occasion" was at hand. An "occasion" always requires copious amounts of food in my family, so you're guaranteed to have at least one individual who likes what you've put in front of them.

Both Neil and my brother, demolished my quiche. I've no idea if Josh ate any. Josh is a Ninja at family gatherings. He appears from nowhere with a plate. The plate is suddenly full to brimming. Then both Josh and his plate disappear... as if they had never been there to begin with!!! There's not even a throwing star lodged in a wall somewhere. It's like the air is displaced with his image, and a plate... then *piff paff poof*... gone.

I wish I could do that.

Especially just after I've farted.

* Sweet Potato and Chana Dahl Soup {Meatless Mondays}

I know... you've all been waiting with bated breath for yet another chunky soup recipe. Haven't you.

I'm going to take your deathly silence as assent and plod on with the post.

This Sweet Potato and Chana Dahl Soup Recipe is a copycat of a Baxter's Soup by a similar name - except mine is a damn sight cheaper and has less calories... which wasn't the ultimate point but you can't have too much *happy* when it comes to food.

The point was... actually I don't know what the point was. I forget.

Anyway.... I've ended up with an exceptionally scrumptious and healthy soup that'll serve as a dinner if you're not craving steak and chips (fries), and works perfectly as a filling and healthy meal if you're doing the 5:2 diet... which I am. Sometimes successfully... other times... notsomuch. It seems to depend on how much cake there is in the house at any one time. 

If there isn't cake, it's really not a good idea to make cake, especially on a day when you are meant to be fasting because all sorts of things can (and do) happen... like finding yourself licking the butter cream off of the whisks or suddenly discovering your tongue in the bottom of the mixing bowl. Neither are good situations to suddenly come to your senses in. 

It's also very difficult to work out the exact amount of calories in 20 licks of coffee butter cream and 5 tongues of coffee cake batter.

Though I promise I did try.

Not.

* Chicken, Pineapple and Coconut Curry

Last night I was invited to "A Really Good Night In" in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, at my friend Lynne's place. The idea was that we all turn up with a bottle (or three) of whatever we wanted to drink, and some nibbles - then put the money that we would have spent in the pubs and clubs, into a pot supplied by Macmillan. I've no idea how much money we raised, as "the hostess with the mostest" is currently nursing a hangover of mammoth proportions and has completely lost the ability to count...

I - however - am bright and breezy this morning because I drank alcohol-free wine all evening. Yes I did.

Noooo - I'm not back on weight watchers - I had to drive home because I had to go to work this morning. See... I can act responsibly when required. Although - twenty years ago when I couldn't drive, it wouldn't have phased me to go out socialising all night, then get up and go to college in the morning, then to work in the evening... then back out again for more... socialising.

I have NO IDEA how I managed to do that. Even thinking about how I managed to do that is making me feel like I need to go lie down somewhere and recover. It's also making me hungry. Even now, on a night out, I crave junk food of some description. I've spent many an evening sat on a wall, stuffing my face with a donna kebab or a take-out curry... my bum slowly turning blue from the cold. Walls are never warm at night in this country, neither are pavement edges, car bonnets... or boats...

I really need to get in the habit of mentioning my recipe at the beginning of a blog post, rather than ramble on until the end and suddenly realise I have no segway into it. The recipe really isn't the afterthought, it's the reason.

Note to self: Develop better blogging habits...

Dammit... I'm doing it again.

The recipe... the recipe... what's the recipe?!? .... oh yeah. Chicken, Pineapple and Coconut Curry... goes very well with Chicken Flavoured Rice. Of course.

It's lush. Eat it.

* Smoked Haddock Chowder

I've been going through my freezers just recently, in a bid to work out what we have that needs to be used up before it evolves... like the lone bratwurst sausage that has been a member of the family for the last five years (at least) - I couldn't possibly make use of it, but it did deserve a far better funeral that it got. We named him Billy and consigned him to the bin. 'Bye, bye Billy Bratwurst.'

I did - however - find lots of perfectly usable food. Mostly fish and chicken. I always have loads of chicken in all it's guises, and I have a tendency to buy fish because it's good for you - then not use it. I'm the only one that truly likes fish pie, and that's been about as inventive as it's got over the past few years. Though I'd like that to change.

I was going *out with the girls* on Saturday night, and thought a filling soup would do the trick before I went. Not enough to bloat me out, but enough to line the stomach for the vodkafest that was to follow. Well that was the plan...