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[Blasted]

From Nigella's website:

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Serves 8



500g borlotti beans
5 cloves of garlic, whole, plus 1, Microplaned or grated
1 popsock
2 leafy sprigs of rosemary
1 onion, peeled and quartered
salt to taste
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
3 tablespoons olive oil
sprig of rosemary, about 6cm, needles finely chopped
200g ditalini or other small pasta tubes
extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

1) Put the borlotti beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and let the beans soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.

2) Drain the beans and tip them into a large saucepan. Using the flat side of a large knife, press down on the whole garlic cloves so that their papery skins tear and begin to come away. Peel them and chuck the bruised cloves on top of the beans. Now take your popsock and in it pop, appropriately enough, the sprigs of rosemary and cut-up onion. This will stop the needles (which turn bitter on boiling) from infiltrating the soup (very irritating between the teeth, too) but allow their resiny fragrance to seep through. I also find it better not to have slimy onion skins all over the place later. Cover everything generously with cold water, clamp on a lid and bring to the boil. Once it’s started boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for an hour. Check the beans to see how cooked they are and, only when they’re tender, add salt to taste.

3) Chuck out the corpsed popsock and its contents. Remove a mugful of beans – or more if you want a very thick soup – and tip into a blender (my preference) or processor, along with a tablespoonful of tomato concentrate and 250ml of the beancooking liquid and liquidise.

4) Now, add the 3 tablespoons of oil to a small saucepan and grate (I always use my fine Microplane for this) or squeeze in the sixth clove of garlic. Cook over a low to medium heat until soft but not coloured and then stir in the finely chopped rosemary. Cook for another scant minute, add the liquidised soup and cook for a minute or so, then tip into the large pan of beans. Bring back to the boil and add the ditalini, cooking them according to packet instructions. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

[TheoK]

Creating Flash Powder  

[Peter]

Meat + various steamed vegetables + olive oil + various seasonings = what I eat a couple of times a day.

The meat is usually budget-brand frozen skinned chicken breast fillets and the veg is usually budget-brand frozen broccoli, frozen peas, fresh brown onions and fresh carrots, but I'll use any meat and veg that are available.  Mum often buys fresh veg and mushrooms and then doesn't get around to cooking them, so I use them once they start to spoil.  I season it with various combinations of vinegar, salt, herbs, spices, lemon juice and vary the texture and flavour by adding or removing things like onions, nuts and creamed coconut, so although most of the ingredients are the same from one meal to the next, the flavour, aroma and texture can be quite different.

[P7PSP]

Russ' Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef (Euros use .5 kg)   1 medium yellow onion
2 eggs                                                 2 or 3 pieces sliced white or wheat bread
1 can (16 ounce, .5kg) Mushroom Soup   1 bell pepper

1. Mix eggs and Mushroom soup in a bowl
2. Tear bread into 3/4" pieces (19 mm)
3. Mix bread with half of the egg/soup mixture by hand. Allow it to soak for two minutes.
4. Knead bread/soup mixture into ground beef.
5.Dice onion and bell pepper into 3/4" (19 mm) pieces.
6.Mix onion and bell pepper in with meat. Place in bread pan or 8" X 8" pan.
7.Pour remaining soup/egg mixture on top and fill in sides of pan. Cover pan with
  foil and bake @ 350 F for approx. 90 minutes.
  Serve with rice or potatoes.