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Six days of laziness. Sleeping as long as I liked, playing tennis or going to the gym, pilates, reading, watching tv, cooking, and doing a bit of house work. And that was it, more or less.
Since it rained almost the whole day on Sunday, and the temperature had plunged by ten degrees, there was no reason to do anything at all on Sunday, except -- well, se above minus sports.
The Trio Infernal loved it, too -- obviously the massive presence of the Mother Goddess increases the harmony. Lola is becoming more self-assured and now even dares join me on the couch when ze boyz are asleep somewhere else (usually my bed). And last night, after falling asleep on the couch, I woke up around midnight, only to find *all three of them* sharing the couch with me. Cornelius sleeping on my stomach, Lucius on the backrest, and Lola wedged into the space between my right leg and the backrest. What an idyll.
Since I don't have much to say, not to mention anything exciting, let me share last night's dinner with you, or rather the recipe thereof. Because it was de- wait for it! - licious!
You start with a pumpkin -- don't ask me which sort, as I have no idea. It weighed about 1 kg and was shaped like a very oblong pear. I guess any pumpkin you can use to make soup will do. You cut it in half, clean out the seeds, cut it in slices about 1,5 cm thick and put these on a baking tray (covered with baking paper) which you then insert in the oven. About 40 minutes at about 180°.
Then you boil potatoes.
Then you pour boiling water over dried porcini mushrooms -- if you don't have fresh ones, that is -- and leave them to soak for about 15 minutes. Not too much water, just enough to cover them.
While the potatoes are peacefully simmering, you do this:
Roughly dice one or two onions, fry in a wide, low pot at low heat -- no browning, they should just get glassy and soft.
After 10 minutes, add two or three diced tomatoes.
Add the mushrooms with the water they've been soaking in, or fresh porcini mushrooms (if you use fresh mushrooms, you might have to add a bit of broth, too).
Let simmer for another 10 minutes, then add about 1/8 l of a full-bodied red wine, 2 or 3 teaspoons of capers and a finely diced clove of garlic.
Cover the pot, decrease the heat if necessary and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
Then take off the lid, add a cinnamon stick and as much salt as necessary (careful -- capers!), plus a bit of tomato sauce or puree, and let reduce until the consistency is just as you like it.
If you're as lazy as I am, add breasts and legs of grilled chicken (without skin), turn off the heat and cover the pot/pan, so the chicken may steep a bit in the sauce. Oh, and take out the cinnamon stick.
Scratch the pulp off the pumpkin slices, peel boiled potatoes. I used one part pumpkin and two parts potatoes, but feel free to change the ratio to taste. Mash together in a bowl, which you then put in the still-hot oven. Heat milk in a saucepan together with a generous pat of butter and nutmeg. Mix into potato-pumpkin mash -- you decide which consistency you like best. Add two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and salt.
And that's it. The harmony between the sweetish potato-Pumpkin mash with its slight twist of mustard and the slightly tangy sauce is absolutely heavenly, and serving it with a salad would only ruin it. This is pure comfort food. And if there are any chicken-and-sauce leftovers, they'll be even better the next day, eaten with a crispy baguette (which is exactly what I'm planning to have for tonight's dinner)
Enjoy.
Since it rained almost the whole day on Sunday, and the temperature had plunged by ten degrees, there was no reason to do anything at all on Sunday, except -- well, se above minus sports.
The Trio Infernal loved it, too -- obviously the massive presence of the Mother Goddess increases the harmony. Lola is becoming more self-assured and now even dares join me on the couch when ze boyz are asleep somewhere else (usually my bed). And last night, after falling asleep on the couch, I woke up around midnight, only to find *all three of them* sharing the couch with me. Cornelius sleeping on my stomach, Lucius on the backrest, and Lola wedged into the space between my right leg and the backrest. What an idyll.
Since I don't have much to say, not to mention anything exciting, let me share last night's dinner with you, or rather the recipe thereof. Because it was de- wait for it! - licious!
You start with a pumpkin -- don't ask me which sort, as I have no idea. It weighed about 1 kg and was shaped like a very oblong pear. I guess any pumpkin you can use to make soup will do. You cut it in half, clean out the seeds, cut it in slices about 1,5 cm thick and put these on a baking tray (covered with baking paper) which you then insert in the oven. About 40 minutes at about 180°.
Then you boil potatoes.
Then you pour boiling water over dried porcini mushrooms -- if you don't have fresh ones, that is -- and leave them to soak for about 15 minutes. Not too much water, just enough to cover them.
While the potatoes are peacefully simmering, you do this:
Roughly dice one or two onions, fry in a wide, low pot at low heat -- no browning, they should just get glassy and soft.
After 10 minutes, add two or three diced tomatoes.
Add the mushrooms with the water they've been soaking in, or fresh porcini mushrooms (if you use fresh mushrooms, you might have to add a bit of broth, too).
Let simmer for another 10 minutes, then add about 1/8 l of a full-bodied red wine, 2 or 3 teaspoons of capers and a finely diced clove of garlic.
Cover the pot, decrease the heat if necessary and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
Then take off the lid, add a cinnamon stick and as much salt as necessary (careful -- capers!), plus a bit of tomato sauce or puree, and let reduce until the consistency is just as you like it.
If you're as lazy as I am, add breasts and legs of grilled chicken (without skin), turn off the heat and cover the pot/pan, so the chicken may steep a bit in the sauce. Oh, and take out the cinnamon stick.
Scratch the pulp off the pumpkin slices, peel boiled potatoes. I used one part pumpkin and two parts potatoes, but feel free to change the ratio to taste. Mash together in a bowl, which you then put in the still-hot oven. Heat milk in a saucepan together with a generous pat of butter and nutmeg. Mix into potato-pumpkin mash -- you decide which consistency you like best. Add two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and salt.
And that's it. The harmony between the sweetish potato-Pumpkin mash with its slight twist of mustard and the slightly tangy sauce is absolutely heavenly, and serving it with a salad would only ruin it. This is pure comfort food. And if there are any chicken-and-sauce leftovers, they'll be even better the next day, eaten with a crispy baguette (which is exactly what I'm planning to have for tonight's dinner)
Enjoy.
