Monday

We make the chicken stuffing and salad sandwiches for our packed lunches and are quite looking forward to them. I even have a small pot of the pea and mint soup so I shouldn’t be hungry today. Some of us have toast, but I don’t have breakfast until I get to work. That way I can save our milk by using the one at work for my porridge.

We made garlic dough balls to go with our pasta tonight with some salad and I even make a bit of Aioli too. When I put it all out it looks like loads, way more than we normally have. Are we doing this right?

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Day 3

Breakfast
Porridge or toast and jam

Lunch
Pea and mint soup and chicken sandwiches on homemade bread

Snacks
Apple and biscuits

Dinner
Chilli and bacon tomato spaghetti
Garlic dough balls and salad and Aioli mayonnise

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RECIPES

Chilli and bacon spaghetti

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 chilli pepper
1 medium red onion
4 slices of bacon
1 400g tin tomatoes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 packet 500g spaghetti
Glass of red wine (optional)

Method

Slice up the onion, chilli, garlic and bacon thinly. Then put the water on to boil for the pasta

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion until softened.

Add the bacon until just going golden and then add the garlic and chilli. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. You can add a glass of wine here if you want.

Season it now to taste.

When the water has boiled add the spaghetti and cook following the packet instructions.

Once the pasta is cooked drain it then add to the tomato pasta sauce.

Serve with a little chopped parsley if you have it.

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Garlic dough balls

Makes 12

Ingredients For the dough balls

250g Strong white bread flour
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp sugar
7g Butter softened
1/2 a 7g sachet Easy bake yeast
150ml Warm water

Ingredients For the garlic butter

Tablespoon of Butter softened
Tablespoon oil
2 Garlic cloves
Handful parsley

Method

Place the flour and salt into a large bowl, stir in the sugar and yeast then rub in the butter. Add enough water to form a soft sticky dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth.

Divide into 12 small pieces and roll them into balls, then place on a baking tray with space around them. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes or until they have doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 230C or gas mark 8.

Bake the dough balls for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 200C gas 6 and cook for a further 10 minutes or until risen and golden brown.

Make the garlic butter while this is cooking by chopping the garlic finely with the parsley and adding to the oil and softened butter.

Serve the dough balls in a bowl with the butter mixture brushed over them.

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Aioli
(Garlic mayonnaise)

This is an interesting alternative mayonnaise for sandwiches, salads or chips,

Ingredients

2 egg yolks
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
70ml olive oil

Method

Blend all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor, or jug with hand blender.

Pour the oil into the blender in a steady stream, until it forms a thick sauce. The mixture, once blended, should be vibrant and yellow in colour.

Season to taste.

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