Easy Shakshuka

I’m never in the mood for complicated dishes. More so right now. I was out all morning/early afternoon running errands. Carrying all the grocery shopping up the stairs isn’t how I would like to spend the first part of this Valentine’s Day but there you go. I don’t expect anything else mind you, I like when my days are full with things to do, although I must say today I feel somewhat under the weather, after a few sleepless nights. I’ve tried everything, from a calming brew of herbal tea to lavender essential oil, but nothing seems to work. Part of it is that my mind just doesn’t stop and I’m finding it so hard to wind down at the end of the day. Some of this comes with keeping on with my reading, writing, thinking and jotting down mental notes throughout the day, especially late into the evening. I know some of my readers and blogger friends are nodding in firm agreement. I can almost hear and see you my friends. I find a kind of gentle reassurance in that, although I do wish everyone plenty of peace and rest. Always.

Advertisement

Fettuccine with a simple tomato and red pepper sauce

I’ve always said that, for me, the hardest part of writing recipes is not really the recipes themselves, but the introduction. I’m never happy to post something without one. I think food, like most of the things in life, has to have some kind of context, no matter how small it might be.

Now when I say ‘small’ I don’t mean insignificant. I never mean that because to me that’s somewhat disrespectful. Eating with your partner, spouse, friends, or even alone is never a small thing. I don’t want to sound too philosophical here. Leading busy lives means that sometimes we might skip supper and/or lunch with others. That’s one reason why I like to have people over for supper. Sometimes I do it on the spur of the moment, on a whim,  when I know my pantry and fridge are stocked for that week. Sometimes I even wing it, without many ingredients to hand. We all have those days where all we want is to be alone, and for the most part I lunch alone, but nothing beats a full table.

Stuffed Baked Aubergines

This week will be a stay-in week. Lucky you, I hear you say. Honestly, I would love to be out and about though, instead of being stuck with a very painful ear and throat infection that’s really making me lose both my patience and hours of precious sleep. I wasn’t even going to post anything for the next few days, but C&T really needs some love, care and attention right now, so here I am. I love being here, sharing recipes and cooking tips, and writing. Also I learn so much by reading comments and blogs by my favourite people. It’s totally worth being here. Even if half of my face is a mess and telling me to rest. Now.

However it’s going to be a rainy week they say, and what better excuse than to spend some time in the kitchen and bake. A very good friend of mine and her daughter gave me a couple of cake recipes which are the bomb. They are so good that I plan to share very soon. I just love it when people share their favourite recipes with me and in turn allow me to share them with you. I will give them a mention of course when I do just that, because that’s my style and I like to keep it that way. Come back for more later, but in the meantime onto today’s dish.

Easy Chilli Con Carne

Whenever I meet up with friends, one of the first questions they ask me is “what are you cooking today?” Such a great question. Seriously. It’s a simple one really, but there’s always a reasoning behind it which I totally get. Because when you’re the one in charge of feeding the people living in your household, thinking about what to cook every single day, or more tediously, day in, day out, it starts to feel as too much of a chore. I applaud every one of you though. I know where you’re coming from and I understand.

Trottole with Courgettes and Ricotta (#PastaFriday and the conclusion to Writing 101)

I can’t quite get my head round the fact that it’s already the beginning of October. Children have started school this week here in Malta and today, poor things, they made their way in the rain. We had quite a storm this morning and this doesn’t make the commute easy for all those who have to walk out the door to work. Flooding affected the usual places and traffic was even more nightmarish than usual. I hope everyone made it to their destination in one piece. It’s Friday once again though, so there’s the weekend to look forward to. Anything to hold on to, to make life better, right?