BBQ Pulled Pork Pasta

I often take inspiration for my home cooking from meals that I've eaten out. Recently, at a popular chain Italian restaurant, I enjoyed a pasta dish of pulled pork and venison and attempted to do a simplified version of it at home and it's been quite a hit! 

I use Tesco BBQ pulled pork and make my own accompanying sauce to compliment it. Here's my version. This usually serves 2 hungry adults and 2 toddlers!

Ingredients

A pack of BBQ pulled pork (or make your own!)

A few mushrooms, chopped finely

Half a leek chopped finely

2 fresh beef tomatoes chopped

250ml of passata

A clove of minced garlic

A sprig of chopped Rosemary

A splash of red wine

Ground black pepper

Drizzle of olive oil

Pasta, we prefer fusilli

What to do

1. Cook the pulled pork according to the pack instructions.

2. Chop the mushrooms, leek and tomatoes and cook with a little olive oil on a high heat.

3. Add the garlic, passata, red wine and Rosemary.

4. Simmer the sauce for around 20 minutes until it reduces a little. 

5. Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the pack.

6. Shred the pulled pork and add it to the sauce.

7. Add the BBQ sauce to the tomato based sauce and stir.

8. Add a little black pepper.

9. Add the cooked pasta to the pulled pork and sauce and mix together. 

10. Serve and enjoy! 

Butternut squash, leek, carrot and red lentil spiced soup

Butternut squash, leek, carrot and red lentil spiced soup

You will need;

A large butternut squash

2 large carrots

Half a leek

A few tablespoons of Korma curry paste

Tin of light coconut milk

200g red lentils

Water as needed

Knob of butter

Drizzle of single cream

Directions;

1. Chop and remove seeds from the butternut squash and drizzle with olive oil. Oven roast at 200 degrees for around half an hour until soft. 

2. Roughly chop carrots and leeks and add to the pan with a knob of butter.

3. Add the lentils and cover with water. 

4. Bring to the boil and add the korma paste and coconut milk. 

5. Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool. Scoop out, away from the skin and add to the pan. Discard the skin.

6. Blend and serve with a drizzle of single cream.

From this, you should get around 6-8 decent sized servings. Ideal for reheating for lunch the next day.

Serve as it is, or with a warmed pitta or naan bread. I've no idea of the calories, but it's warm, filling and full of favour! Give it a try and let me know what you think! 

The truth about child number 2...

The truth about child number 2....

Transitioning to two (especially when there is a small age gap) is quite an eye opener!

1. Inevitably, your house will be filled with toys and various child and baby paraphernalia for them. It takes over everywhere and the concept of what you once considered as tidy has left the room quicker than your dignity left whilst giving birth, legs up in stirrups with an audience to rival the Great Albert Hall!

2. You'll have several unexplained stains on your carpet/floor/settee/clothes. You may even do the scratch/lick test and often smile to yourself that it was actually chocolate from sticky fingers and not smeared toddler turd!

3. Your Hoover will likely get more action than you do!

4. The washing and piles of singular socks will multiply. I've no idea where the 50 odd socks' partners have vanished to, probably with the Tupperware lids!

5. Being able to go to the toilet alone feels like a luxury reserved for royalty. Sitting smugly on the throne whilst two kids simultaneously nap is a rarity. Instead, I'm left to answer 101 questions from a toddler about my bodily functions and then politely have to refuse his request to look at the contents of said toilet and "no, you can't wipe my bum!"

6. Your youngest will learn a lot from their sibling. Like how to jump like a ninja from the sofa, where the sharp knives are kept and how to go down the stairs in the most dangerous way possible! 

7. You'll find that through your exhaustion, you'll laugh, a lot. It's either that or wail uncontrollably. It may also make you look a little deranged. 

8. You'll find that that you'll confide in mummy friends and realise that you're not alone in the insanity that is parenting little people. Other people's kids as just as crazy as yours. 

9. You may be unlucky enough to have an argumentative munchkin; current arguments that I've had with my 3 year old include; you can't go out in just underpants and wellies, your dad can't fly and 'it's definitely a lady, not a man, even though she's got a beard!' 

10. Your calm and composed 'mum' voice often mutters FFS under your breath, multiple times per day in utter disbelief of what your kids have done. 

However, in amongst the mayhem of day to day life, you'll see the love and admiration that your children develop for each other, the way in which your partner steps up to the mark of his daddy role and the love as a family unit evolves and changes into something really special. Oh, and you often ponder if it's too early to drink wine, even some mornings!