Snow Day!

Yesterday the UK was braced for snowmageddon, or possibly the snowpocalypse. I think we're all still traumatised by the snow back in November 2010, when it was really deep and the councils had no grit or plan to deal with said snow. I like that the photos on Wikipedia for that winter are from Sheffield, where the panic was worst due to the hills and the heavy snow on the peaks.

So when we were told there was a 100% chance of snow yesterday we did what the British do so well- went to buy bread and milk. I don't really know why we do that, though back in 2010 the supermarker closest to the M1 (which was closed) did run out of both, OMG! I actually bought chocolate milk, cos it's better than plain and anyway, I don't drink tea :p

The first hour was pretty disappointing.


It picked up a bit later, but didn't get much past this by nightfall.



Fortunately we got enough overnight to make everything pretty but light enough that it isn'gt going to cause the complete breakdown of civilisation.



So we went for a walk in the park.









We have a labyrinth in the park. Not sure why. But it's awesome.





And the wisdom at the centre of the labyrinth? The secret you learn once you've face dangers untold and hardships unnumbered?



Classy.

The pond is partially frozen, and our neighbour cat is a foolhardy idiot.







Cute little paws though.

Easiest Indian Recipe Ever

I think I've mentioned our households love for all things Madhur Jaffrey. One of the first cookery books we got as a couple was her "Invitation to Indian Cooking", it was originally published in 1976 but our edition is from 2003. It's from that strange era when cookery books weren't full of colour photos and you basically had to guess what your dish was going to turn out like.

Our approach to Indian style cooking has always been to take the original recipe as a guide, often Madhur Jaffrey's recipes aren't spicy enough for our tastes, or the selection of spices too complicated for every day cooking. We only cook Rogan Josh on special occasions when we have time to stick to the recipe, but this is more of an every day dish, so we've simplified it. Takes about 30 minutes, though the longer it simmers the tastier it will become.

Streamlined Kheema (feeds 6)

One large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
500 grams mince/ground beef or lamb
1/2 tsp chili (or more)
glug of lemon juice
200 grams frozen peas
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
Water

1. fry off the onion and garlic in a small amount of oil (or ghee if you're feeling fancy).
2. Once the onion is translucent add the meat and fry until browned.
3. Add the chili and lemon juice then stir to combine.
4. Add the peas and and garam masala.
5. Stir until the peas are no longer frozen, then add water until the meat is covered.
6. Bring to a simmer and then cover.
7. Cook for 15 minutes to an hour.
8. Serve with your favorite rice dish and a pitta bread or naan.

You can add other vegetables and spices to suit your tastes. Not all store bought garam masala mixes are equal, we've found one we really like, and we're happy to use it in place of making one at home. I'd recommend checking your local Asian supermarket for good brands, it's usually cheaper than buying all the spices individually.

This is a great meal for those who aren't that familiar with Indian flavours as it isn't too strong. It's also super yummy used in place of your usual cottage pie meat mix.