The FastDay Forum

Not actually in person, sadly, but through food.

Last night it was my version of Amok Trey (fish curry with coconut, lime leaves, lemongrass and turmeric) with miracle noodles - based on Rick Stein, but 381 calories.

Tonight it's butternut, apricot and chickpea tagine. My own recipe and very spicy! 362 calories.

Tomorrow it's off to Mexico with cheat's chilli (half turkey mince, half quorn with baked beans, veg and cauliflower 'rice') 331 calories

If it's Thursday, it must be China with Prawn Kung Po. I'll calorie count the recipe before I make it.

Friday is always curry night - okra and bean curry for me, with lots of fresh side salads (305 cals) with chicken saag for hub with rice.

And Saturday? Back home for a good old fashioned barbe!

Haven't thought of Sunday yet, but we still haven't visited Italy, Thailand, France....oh, so many places!

I'm looking forward to these travels,off to pack

Ballerina x

Sounds like fun Penny. I try to do that once and awhile also. Like to mix food and geography/culture into dinnertime for my grandson who is 9.

I'm with you, I love cooking food from all over the world. I live in Greece, have a dad from Britain and a mum from Asia Minor, so much inspiration all around!

All aboard then! The more the merrier!
Maybe I should start a blog!

I was once asked if I wanted to write a book and then do a telly series to advertise it but I'd have to move in the States for 6 months and I didn't want to.
I do plan to write a book one day though, that I will do. Since my recipes are mostly unique and original, I do have material good enough for a book.

TML13 what is your favourite recipe? I use to love cooking when I lived in France and when I went out I could break down a dish by taste and then make it at home. I can still do that but I havn't got the enthusiasm anymore my friend who works in media wanted to go to channel four to do a cookery show with me ( before nigella) but I said " NO WAY" I was young and shy at the time

My favourite recipe in general or my favourite of the ones I created?

Ah, yes, being young and shy is a bad advisor!

One that you have created, and can do again and again with your eyes shut but everyone ask's for it when they come to dinner

I think that it's cous cous pasta with butternut sauce, minced meat sausage and cheddar. Minced meat sausage is the Greek equivalent of pork sausage, which when you remove the skin it turns into minced meat.

That sounds interesting, what's the recipe? I imagine I could use pork mince for it, if it's top secret you can send me a message talking of mince I made a lovely Jamaican mince lamb dish for a barbecue the other week ( i know barbecues are chunks of meat but i thought a different texture would work well with jerk chicken) don't ask for a recipe as I don't know what I put in it but I will try to recreate it this weekend to stuff the courgettes I've grown as they have gone crazy big and need stuffing

I don't have the exact recipe but I can give you a rough guide.
I cut the butternut in pieces and boil it in salted water. When it's soft enough, I strain it, keep the water and boil the pasta in that water.
While the pasta is cooking I sautee the minced sausage meat and when it's cooked I add some white wine.
I mash the butternut and mix it with the sausage. If the sausage left any fat in the pan, I don't add it. I then add the pasta and grated cheddar. It doesn't usually need any seasoning because the sausage has it all.

It actually doesn't work with plain minced meat because the sausage has a tad more fat and all the herbs and spices add more flavour to the recipe.

What herbs & spices would you recommend when working with plain pork mince, also pork mince can be dry so would you add butter for flavour plus oil or just an oil or maybe a bit of beef mince. Also what pasta shape works best with this dish? I never follow recipes but I would like to give your favourite dish a go as it sounds unusual

Sage works really well with both butternut and porkmeat. I'd add a little nutmeg, too.
Might be lovely stuffed into those huge pasta shells, but I'd have to have something poured over - maybe a shallot sauce?

I like coriander or spearmint with butternut but this particular sausage that I use has oregano it it. I would also try wild cumin (carraway).
When I sautee pork minced meat I don't use any additional fat but for this recipe I would add bacon and use its fat to fry the pork.