Now that's what I call a successful day's meals

Some days, I look back at the meals we've had over the course of that day and feel like I could have done so much better.

However, yesterday wasn't one of those days I'm pleased to say.

Hubby got cracking early on the bagels and before we knew it, there was a new batch of bagels all ready for consumption.  He reckons he let them get a little over-browned, but I like them like that - adds flavour!  Mind you, I'm the sort of person who likes her toast to be browned as opposed to just warm bread.

We had a new batch of free range eggs and a new packet of Asda's cheap as chips smoked salmon offcuts (88p! Can't say fairer than that), so all that just begged to be made into scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, on a bagel.  Delicious!

I had plans to make Mary Moh's Sweet Potato & Carrot soup for lunch, so once we'd got back from our trip to the library, greengrocer (where Hubby picked up two duck eggs and more plums) and charity shops, I got started.

Mary's Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup - plus Bagel

I didn't have any garlic oil, so as a substitute, I began the process by frying a sliced clove of garlic.  Somehow a small chopped red chilli crept into the mix at the same time.  Well, it seemed like a good idea!

The soup is so ridiculously easy to make and smells simply gorgeous when it's cooking.  I digressed from the recipe once more, in that I pushed the blitzed soup through a sieve - just to emphasise it's velvetiness.  Goodness, but that soup is really delicious - and to think, it's doing you good too.

So, flushed with success, I set to and made a batch of plum chutney - but more on that later.

Dinner that evening was an easy one, but a family favourite.  Sausage & Mozzarella Pasta Bake.  It's grown a little from the original, as the recipe was one of Jamie Oliver's "Food for a Fiver" for Sainsbury's.   I felt that the tomato sauce was quite weak in the original recipe, plus the emphasis was too heavily on the broccoli, so the following recipe has resulted, which is always greeted with cheers whenever the question "what's for dinner tonight, Mum?" is asked.

Sausage & Mozzarella Pasta Bake

Serves 3 hungry people, or 4 people if you're serving dessert too!  Can also be served with a green salad, although we tend not to.

Ingredients :

1 pack of 8 sausages (Cumberland preferred).
Around 300g of broccoli (depending on how much you like it)
200-300g Penne Pasta
3 balls of Mozzarella (quantity depends on how big your casserole is!)
400g tin tomatoes
A small red chilli
An onion, chopped
A clove of garlic, chopped
Half a tsp oregano
Worcester sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
Half a tbsp tomato puree
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Method :

1.  Place the sausages onto a baking tray and bake at 190deg C for 25mins or so, or until they are brown.

2.  Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, with salt added.  Once boiling, add the broccoli florets and cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, retaining the cooking water.

3.  In another large pan, or deep frying pan, begin to make the sauce by sweating the onions until they gain a golden colour and are transparent.  Then add the garlic, oregano and chilli and cook for a minute or so more.

4.  Add the tin of tomatoes and allow to heat through, adding a shake or two of Worcester Sauce, the tomato ketchup and the tomato puree.  Leave to simmer while the flavours combine, then season and taste before the broccoli is added, to heat through.

5.  Fire up the heat under the broccoli water and once boiling, add the Penne pasta.  Cook for slightly less than recommended on the packet, retaining a little bite.  Drain and add to the sauce.

6.  Slice the sausages into four and add to the sauce.  Mix to combine carefully, so as not to break up the broccoli, then decant into a casserole dish.

7.  Slice the mozzarella and lay over the top.  Bake at 190deg for around 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbling.

Serve, to the acclamation of all.  :)