I've been thoroughly uninspired lately. Nothing like travelling for three weeks with a baby, and then coping with the ensuing jetlag to make me groan every time a meal time comes around. 'What, you want me to think of something else? AGAIN?'
Now that I have to feed a small person as well as myself, the standing in front of the open fridge eating things from containers style of solo meal planning is not feasible anymore. I have to think of things, balanced things, three times a day. To make it easier on myself, I've signed up for vegbox delivery again, if for no other reason than it forces me to eat a wide range of things rather than the triumvirate of broccoli-peas-carrots I will unending return to if left to my own sleep-deprived devices.
So, lunchtime today found me lying on the carpet while Elliot used my knees for standing practice and the dog brought me the same damp sock 14 times in a row, depositing it in my hair. But once I dragged myself to the kitchen, I collected bits and pieces – and what emerged was actually quite good. Wet garlic is just fresh garlic when it's first pulled out of the ground and looks like giant salad onions with big bulbous ends. Let me sing the praises of the Waitrose own-brand garlic oil – I love love love it. I hate peeling garlic, I hate chopping it, and I hate prising it out stinky garlic crusher things. This garlic oil does away with all that crap, and you still get a lovely garlicky flavour, and in most contexts I was going to add olive oil anyway. So, onto the details.
Double garlic, radish & seafood noodles
serves 1, generously
Glug of garlic oil
1 small courgette
handful frozen king prawns (or fresh, I just happen to keep some in my freezer for protein emergencies)
1 salmon fillet
About 2 tbsp wet garlic chopped (I used the green bits and some of the white bits)
Tsp of butter
1 nest of fine egg noodles
1 radish sliced thinly
Salad onion sliced thinly
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
1. Heat the garlic olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Slice the courgette into coins, thinly enough it won't take a year to fry them until al dente and browned nicely. Remove the courgette to a plate. Meanwhile, boil the water for the noodles.
2. In the remains of the garlic oil, add your frozen prawns, butter and wet garlic. Tuck your piece of salmon on the side there. Your water is boiling, so dump the noodles in. They take no time at all, so drain them after a minute or so. Add a tiny bit of garlic oil to the drained noodles to keep them from turning into a hideous mass.
3. Toss your courgettes with the noodles, then dump prawns, salmon and garlic mixture on top. I broke up my salmon a bit at this point. Sprinkle the salad onions and thinly sliced radishes on top, then add some nice extra virgin olive oil and sea salt to taste.
by Rose Levy Beranbaum