The lane this morning
I am fed up – I went to the hospital today and they have put the cast back on for another 2 weeks. This would have been ok but they have put on a bigger cast with my thumb almost completely covered which then goes almost up to my elbow. So I’m stuck, unable to drive or get about without a lift. Having managed to get through the snow this morning we worried that we would get snowed in at the hospital, thankfully after much snow we had a bit of rain on the pre-gritted tarmac so the roads in Carmarthen town stayed open!
We ventured to the big Tesco there to purchase a few bits including some yummy sounding chicken and parsnip soup from the finest range for our lunch along with a big seeded loaf and some reduced dim sum. Now I know St Delia (Smith) complains on her web site that good soup eludes the commercial makers. Our experience today sadly echoes that, we don’t usually eat pre-prepared food but with the old wrist incapacitated I thought it would make life easier. The soup tasted of parsnip – where’s the chicken? – the texture lay somewhere between mashed potato and glue. I assume it is only picky us that doesn’t get on with this sort of thing as they must sell the soup to many satisfied customers. We didn’t eat the soup or much of the dim sum. The bread was delicious!
So this evening we will revert to home made quiche http://glanbrydan.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/flexible-quiche-or-egg-and-bacon-flan-recipe-leave-out-the-bacon-for-a-veggie-version/, potato wedges & fried cabbage.
The wedges are simple and healthy:
3 medium potatoes for 2 people, peeled and chopped into wedges
a plastic bag
quarter teaspoon of garlic salt
half a teaspoon of paprika (not the hot type unless you like it that way)
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C (about gas 4.5)
Put the potatoes into the plastic bag sprinkle in the paprika and garlic salt, then add the olive oil. Give the bag a good shake and spread the paprika around by rubbing the bag between your hands.
I line an oven try with foil and then tip the contents of the bag into the tray. Bake for about an hour checking after 40 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning. They are cooked when you can run a sharp knife through them without resistance.
The cabbage is easy too, it takes 5 minutes to make. Cut up half a savoy cabbage into fine strips. Melt about an ounce of butter in a frying pan and put in the cabbage, sprinkle with about quarter teaspoon of garlic salt. Add two table spoons of water and let the cabbage sizzle. Put a lid on the pan and squeeze out the juice of half a lemon then add to the pan. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes stirring every minute. The cabbage should be soft but have a tiny bite left.
