So it all gets busy. Dinner seems too hard. Take away is either too boring, too junky or too pricey. Last night Dear Husband had a work dinner to go to so I decided the kids and I would have tomato pasta. I have a dislike of store bought, jarred sauces and for a sauce like this you save on your health and wallet by making it from scratch. It was so easy, and the kids love the simple flavours. Like most of the recipes I post there are many variations you can make to suit your tastes, your budget and whatever is in your pantry. I have used passata (sieved tomoatoes, with nothing else), basil, garlic cloves and a chopped tomato. You could used dried oregano, dried mixed herbs, chilli, you could even blitz some veggies in the thermomix/food processor. It’s all up to you, and what you feel like. That’s what makes this so easy. Giving yourself a break sometimes is also one of the most loving things you can do for yourself, and a simple meal like this is definitely a break.

So here is my recipe for simple tomoato pasta. Even Master R thought it was a winner, as evidenced by the photo!

I hope you are loving easy food

SIMPLE TOMATO PASTA

1 bottle tomato passata 

4 bruised cloves of garlic

Large handful roughly torn basil leaves

Chopped ripe tomato

Salt to taste

Enough pasta (long or short) for how ever many you’re feeding

Parmesan for sprinkling on top at the end

In a saucepan place the chopped tomoto, garlic cloves, basil and passata. Place on a simmer, I leave it for an hour

Cook pasta according to packet instructions

Serve sauce with pasta and top with Parmesan

Eat with a simple salad

Sometimes I find it hard to come up with something different for dinner, but not so different that the family is reluctant to try it. Then there’s the time factor! So while shopping the other day I spotted a whole chicken and decided instead of a roast, a baked curry may be the way to go. The preparation is easy and the cooking leaves me time to do the homework with the kids and all the other household jobs that need doing at that time of day. 

When I took the whole chicken home I flat backed it, you do this by cutting the bird on its back bone. Then I made a curry marinade in the thermomix. The beauty of making your own is you can alter the flavours to suit your palate, but if you didn’t have time (or the inclination) a good quality bought curry paste would work just as well. You could add coriander, chilli, more ginger, less garlic, the options are endless.

 I rubbed the chicken with the marinade and left it overnight. The next day I baked it for dinner. It was a winner so I thought I’d share it with you. 

I hope you are loving easy food

BAKED CURRIED CHICKEN

1 whole chicken

1 onion quartered

1 small head of garlic, separated

3cm piece of fresh ginger 

1 Tbsp cumin powder

2 Tbsps turmeric powder

3 Tbsp curry powder (in Bahrain there is chicken masala powder, I used this)

400mL coconut cream

400mL chicken stock

Salt to taste

Rice to serve

In the thermomix/food processor place the onion, garlic and ginger, 5sec/speed 7

Add the powders to the mixture are mix for 5sec/speed 7

Get your chicken, and using kitchen scissors, cut the chicken along the spine (this is the other side of the breast). Place the chicken on a tray or in a container and then rub the marinade all over it, even under the skin. Put any marinade left over in the container with the chicken. Place in the fridge until the next day, if you have time. A few hours would work too

When you are ready to cook the chicken take it out of the fridge and preheat your oven to 150 degrees celcius

Heat a fry pan and fry the chicken, and any paste that was left over, until you get that delicious curry smell. Place the chicken in a roasting dish. Add the coconut cream and chicken stock to the frypan until it bubbles and pour this over the chicken

Cover the roasting dish with foil and cook for 2 hours

Serve with rice