Spicy Sausage Pasta

I knew I would be late home tonight, so needed something for dinner that was quick, easy and tasty.  This one definitely ticks all those boxes.  In fact, it’s so quick that the sauce will be ready by the time your pasta has cooked.

Spicy Sausage Pasta
Print Recipe
A delicious, quick, creamy spicy sausage pasta.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Spicy Sausage Pasta
Print Recipe
A delicious, quick, creamy spicy sausage pasta.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 200-250 grams penne (approx 2 cups)
  • 200 grams cooked cocktail sausages (approx 4 sausages per person)
  • 3 bell peppers (any colour)
  • 500 grams passata
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed or grated)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2-4 tbsp Greek yoghurt (full fat)
  • balsamic vinegar
  • hot pepper sauce (Tabasco, Encona etc)
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Fill a large pan with water and a pinch of salt, and put on the hob to boil. Whilst water is heating, chop the peppers and sausages into chunky pieces and crush the garlic.
  2. Heat a little olive oil (or sunflower oil) to a pan, add the garlic and allow to cook for a minute or so. Add the peppers and half a teaspoon of sugar and cook for 10 minutes. During this time your pasta water should be boiling, so add the pasta, stir and leave to simmer. Add the sausages, oregano, smoked paprika, a dash of balsamic vinegar, and hot sauce to taste (it's always better to err on the side of caution, as you can always add more once you've tasted the sauce). Stir to combine and add the passata. Stir again and allow to simmer until the pasta has cooked. Taste to check the hot sauce amount is okay. Once the pasta has cooked, remove pan from the heat, drain pasta, and return to the pan. Stir the sauce through the pasta and add a good dollop of Greek yoghurt.
  3. Serve in bowls, topped with parmesan and a good grind of black pepper. If you're extra hungry, this pasta dish is delicious with garlic bread.
Recipe Notes

I hope you try (and enjoy) this recipe.  If you do, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy cooking!

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Thursday Recipes

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the recipes I’m posting here. So far I’ve been keeping it very simple, in the hope of encouraging any of you beginner cooks out there to make meals from scratch instead of reaching for a jar. Homemade is less expensive and healthier (especially regarding the sugar content), plus it doesn’t have that slightly ‘shiny’ taste you get from highly processed foods.

This week’s offering will also be quick, simple fare, what I generally refer to as ‘midweek meals’,  but I also want to start offering some more complex recipes. My question to you is: would you rather the Thursday recipes remained simple, with the more involved ones being additional, or would prefer the odd challenge thrown into the regular feature? Also, if there is a particular recipe you’d like to see here, comment below and I’ll see what I can do.

Thanks for taking the time to read/comment and be sure to check back later today for this week’s recipe.

P.S. I know I haven’t posted any crafty stuff yet, but I’m working on a sneaky peek of a wonderful crochet project I’m currently working on.

Slow Cooked Lamb Curry

Welcome to my regular Thursday recipe.  If I had to pick one type of food that was my favourite to cook and eat, even if it’s not the most photogenic, I’d probably go for Indian.  Yes, I love doing elaborate dinner parties, but not every week, and lately I’ve been really into Thai but there’s something really satisfying about a good curry.  As Thursday is traditionally curry night in our house, I thought I’d share this slow cooked lamb curry with you.

I know the array of spices needed for a lot of dishes can be quite daunting, and expensive if you don’t already have a large stock of spices, so when I was making this one up tonight, I limited the spices I used to few in number and ensured they were all easily obtained from any supermarket.  I’ve used garam masala, as this is a spice mixture; you won’t get the same complexity of flavour you do by toasting and grinding your own spices but it’s a great staple to have in the cupboard.

Slow Cooked Lamb Curry
Print Recipe
A slow cooked curry with cheap cuts of lamb, spices and yoghurt.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Slow Cooked Lamb Curry
Print Recipe
A slow cooked curry with cheap cuts of lamb, spices and yoghurt.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 700 grams lamb (stewing or another cheap cut, without bone or 1.2kg with bone)
  • 2 large onions (1 pureed or grated, one finely sliced)
  • 6 green chillies (sliced)
  • 1 head garlic (8-10 cloves) (grated, crushed or pureed)
  • 1 piece fresh ginger (approx 8x2cm) (grated or pureed)*
  • I tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup Greek yoghurt (full fat)
  • 3 medium tomatoes (pureed or very finely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large, lidded pan** and and add the pureed (or grated onion). Gently cook for 5 minutes or so then add the sliced onion and cook until soft (approx 10 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes)
  2. Add the turmeric, cumin and salt, stir, then add the lamb (it's fine to keep the lamb in large chunks, as the slow cooking will make it lovely and tender). Stir in the chillies, half the yoghurt, and half a cup of water.
  3. Put the lid on your pan and, if it is ovenproof, transfer to the oven to cook at 140 degrees C for a couple of hours. If not cook on the hob at a low heat, for a similar time.
  4. Stir in the pureed or chopped tomatoes, garam masala, and the rest of the yoghurt and cook for another 15-30 minutes.
  5. Serve with rice ***
Recipe Notes

* If you don't have a small food processor or grinder and can't be bothered to grate ginger, pureed ginger is available in the spice aisle of your supermarket.  Grating plates are also a wonderful invention - I've used mine so many times since getting it a couple of years ago, even though I have a wet/dry spice grinder.

** If you don't have a large lidded pan, use tinfoil placed tightly around the top of whatever pan you're using.

*** This curry is also delicious with cauliflower "rice".

If you make this curry, I'd love to know how you got on with the recipe and if you enjoyed it.  I'd also love suggestions for any other recipe or types of food you'd like to see here.

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Leek & Celeriac Soup

We were out for dinner with friends on Saturday, at the always wonderful Wedgwood the Restaurant and one of my friends ordered the leek starter.  We all commented that we loved leeks but didn’t eat them often for some reason.  With this conversation in my head, I thought leek would be an ideal ingredient for my new soup maker’s inaugural outing.  I ran to the shop on my way into work to pick up some leeks and grabbed a celeriac as well.  I love celeriac, especially done dauphinoise style (got to love things baked in cream!).

The soup was delicious.  Ideal food if you’re trying to drop a few winter pounds (pointing a big finger at myself).  Tonight I’m going to make some with roasted carrot.

 

Leek & Celeriac Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
21-45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
21-45 minutes
Leek & Celeriac Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
21-45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
21-45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 large leeks
  • 1/2 medium celeriac
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 litre vegetable stock (or 2 stock cubes and 1 litre of water)
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, keeping a little of the green part of one leek back for garnish if you so desire, and put in the soup maker (or large, lidded pan), add the stock (or cubes &water).
  2. If using a soup maker, select smooth option, and switch on. Your soup will be ready in just over 20 minutes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If making it the traditional way, simmer for 40 minutes or so until vegetables are soft, then blend with a stick blender. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cut the green section of leek into thin strips, fry in a little butter and serve on top of the soup, along with a good grind of black pepper.
Recipe Notes

If you are using a jug blender instead of a stick blender, allow soup to cool a bit before blending, then reheat.

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Product Review – Morphy Richards Soup Maker

I had a department store gift card which expired today.  I had sort of forgotten about it over Christmas, but suddenly remembered at the weekend and didn’t have a clue what to buy with it.  I neither needed nor wanted more clothes, shoes, makeup, perfume etc, so opted for them old fallback – something for the kitchen.  We have plenty of crockery, glassware, pans, and utensils, plus they’re a bit boring to buy yourself as a present, so I decided to look at some gadgets.

I remembered one of my friends had recently bought a soup maker, so asked her opinion on it; after hearing the good things she said, I thought why not – I might like it, it might come in useful and if not I can give it to my mum or sister.

I bought the Morphy Richards Soup Maker


Morphy Richards Soup Maker

I used it last night and absolutely loved it. I was late getting home, so it was 7:15 before I was even able to start prepping dinner.  I quickly chopped my ingredients, bunged them in with some water, put the setting to smooth and let it do it’s thing whilst I had a shower.  At 8pm we were sitting down to a lovely bowl of fresh soup.  For speed and ease it really is unbeatable – no stirring to stop the soup sticking and no having to decant from my enameled cast iron pots in order to use my stick blender.

It made enough soup for 4 main course portions, would easily do 6-8 for a starter/soup course, so will be ideal for dinner parties – one less thing to have to keep an eye on, which is always a bonus when you’re doing multiple courses.

As it made me so happy, I have written up a little bonus quick, cheap and easy recipe for Leek and Celeriac Soup.

 

Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post and has no affiliate links. Product was bought by me for use in my home

Homemade Burgers

Sometimes you just really fancy a nice juicy burger for dinner, but I don’t like to buy pre-made ones, as I really like to know what I’m eating, and ensure there are no hidden fats or fillers.  This burger recipe is quick, doesn’t need any equipment, other than a burger press, should you wish to use one (in an ideal world, I’d mince the beef myself every time, but it’s Thursday night, I’m tired, getting over a flu bug thing, and I really don’t have the time or inclination tonight).

So, why not try making your own burgers next time.  They will only take 10 minutes longer to make than shop-bought ones, but are so much tastier.  Another thing you may notice is that there isn’t a lot of shrinkage when you cook them, so your quarter pounders looks as big as they did before cooking.

Enjoy

Homemade Burgers
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 large burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time
12-16 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 large burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time
12-16 minutes
Homemade Burgers
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 large burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time
12-16 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 large burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time
12-16 minutes
Ingredients
  • 500 g lean minced (ground) beef (1lb)
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
  • 1 tbsp polenta or fine semolina
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp mustard powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Servings: large burgers
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together by hand.
  2. Divide mixture into 4 and, using a burger press or by hand, make into burger patties.
  3. Shallow fry in a little sunflower oil for 6-8 minutes on each side.
  4. Serve on a lightly toasted bun with salad, relish, cheese, and any other garnish of your choice. I served homemade oven chips and corn cobs as an accompaniment.
Recipe Notes

If you are serving the burger plain, you can up the seasoning a bit and add some herbs.  I always err on the side of caution if I'm topping with cheese and/or bacon, as they are both very salty.

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Seville Orange Marmalade

Two of my favourite things are the stunningly beautiful city of Seville and the cute little marmalade sandwich nibbling bear, Paddington. To celebrate my upcoming trip, Paddington’s first foray onto the silver screen, and the relaunch of my site, I’m going to share an extra recipe this week.

Gorgeously bitter Seville oranges are only available in January and February, so this is the ideal time to stock up on marmalade for the rest of the year.  The recipe is very easy – only 4 ingredients if you include the water.

Seville Orange Marmalade
Print Recipe
A deliciously bittersweet orange marmalade
Servings Prep Time
4 x 500ml jars 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
Cook Time Passive Time
2.5 - 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 x 500ml jars 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
Cook Time Passive Time
2.5 - 3 hours 10 minutes
Seville Orange Marmalade
Print Recipe
A deliciously bittersweet orange marmalade
Servings Prep Time
4 x 500ml jars 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
Cook Time Passive Time
2.5 - 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 x 500ml jars 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
Cook Time Passive Time
2.5 - 3 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 kg Seville oranges (2 lbs)
  • 1.5 kg Demerara sugar (3 lbs)
  • 1 Lemon (juice only)
  • 2.5 l Water (10 cups)
Servings: x 500ml jars
Instructions
  1. Scrub the oranges, then juice them. Keep juice in a separate container. Slice the pith and peel to your desired thickness. Once all the peel has been sliced, put in a large container, cover with the juice and 2.5l of water, and leave overnight.
  2. Add all the orange peel, juice and water mixture to the largest pan you own (or can beg, borrow or steal - I'm lucky enough to have a maslin pan which is obviously perfect for marmalade making). Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for a couple of hours until the peel has softened and the mixture reduced by around one third.
  3. Add the sugar and lemon juice, bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Keep the mixture going at a rapid boil for another 20 minutes or so until it reaches setting point. This can be tested by putting some on a cold plate, and cooing for a couple of minutes - the marmalade should have some stability and sort of "wrinkle up" when you nudge it.
  4. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then pour into warm sterilised jars. This recipe should yield around 2 litres of marmalade and keep until the oranges are available again next year.
Recipe Notes

If you wish, once the marmalade is completely cold (I left mine until the following day), use kitchen roll to dry off any condensation on the inside of the lids.

If you are unable to get Seville oranges, any bitter oranges will do.

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Welcome to My New Home

Hello, new visitors and old; welcome to introductory post for Oblibby.com, my new home on the Web.  I decided it was time for a change, and what better time than a new year to implement all the new things – look, start, Wed address, direction, and focus.

I’m going to be posting a recipe every Thursday, with the aim to up this to 2 a week.  I’ll also still be posting my crafty makes, travel adventures and a bit about my life here in beautiful Scotland, along with regular reviews.  To add some variety (it is the the spice of life after all) from all the crafty and kitchen things, I’m going to get over my fear of being photographed share some of my favourite outfits and looks, which will show that everyone can wear really nice looking clothes and makeup without spending a fortune.  I’d love by the end of the year to be showcasing some of my own homemade clothes, as I’ve put myself on a bit of a buying ban this until I have a huge clear out.

Thanks for reading; I hope you’ll stay with me.  Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s anything you want to know about the things I show here.