Baked Salmon and Asparagus Foil Parcel

Last night I made such an incredible, tasty, quick and easy dinner (my usual meal for one saga.....) I just had to share it with you all. 

What you will need:

- Salmon (or your preferred fish)

- Asparagus

- Black Olives

- Lemon (thinly sliced)

- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)

- Salt and Pepper

- Olive Oil

- Rosemary

- Aluminium Foil

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Holding your asparagus spears in your hands, bend them until they naturally snap at the point separating the tender top part and the tough bottom part.

Tear a generous piece of foil from the aluminium foil roll and fold in half, placing it in the middle of your baking tray. 

Curl the edges of the foil to form a square just large enough to lay your asparagus in.

Drizzle some olive oil over your asparagus spears once they are in the tin foil. 

Mince up a clove of garlic and sprinkle it over the asparagus, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Slice the sides off of some black olives - removing the pips- and scatter them on top and around the asparagus.

Baste your fish in some olive oil and lay on top of the bed of asparagus.

Crush and mince your second garlic clove, scattering it on top of the fish. Season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice your lemon and layer on top of the fish as a garnishing. Squeeze your desired amount of left over lemon over the fish to add some more flavor. 

Finally, put some sprigs of rosemary of the fish and wrap it all up in the foil to make a parcel.

Place your baking tray with the parcel into the oven for 15 minutes (it won't take long for the fish to cook in the foil). 

Remove and carefully unwrap your parcel to enjoy it! I eat straight out of the foil but you can remove it and put it onto a plate if you want to.

Bon appétit!

Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino

My mum spent the entire day in bed yesterday. I can't say I blamed her, it was a horribly stormy winter's day. The ultimate weather to stay snuggled up in pajama's and under the covers. It also helps that she had these four big babies entrapping her:

Their names are India, Guru, Striker and Mini Minx. Coolest cats in the world!

(Yes... I am aware that them sprawled out across a leopard print blanket is slightly sadistic....)

Anyway - as it's just the two of us at home at the moment, I felt like spoiling her with some lunch in bed (she had breakfast in bed too, by the way! Lucky lady...) so I went off to the shops and bought a few small ingredients as well as a delicious bottle of Nederburg wine and set to work in my kitchen. 

The dish I decided to make for us was a vegetarian pasta typically known as: Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino... also known as: Pretty Much The Best Damn Pasta In The World. 

I can also tell you why I believe that: 

A) The ingredients (which I will list below) are all common things found in even the most simplistic kitchen. 

B) If you do not have one of the ingredients, absolutely everything you need is dirt cheap anyway!

C) It's quick and filling! What more do you need?

Ingredients

Serves 2

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Big Red Chili's, Chopped Ruggedly
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Diced
• Spaghetti 
• A Handful of Fresh Parsley
• A Handful of Bread Crumbs
• A Bottle of Your Preferred Wine! (not optional)

Start by preparing all of your ingredients while the spaghetti boils away for roughly 8 minutes (until cooked al dente). 

Destalk parsley and tear the leaves roughly up with your fingers and put them into a dry pan. 

Add in a handful of bread crumbs which you can find at nearly any bakery you try for as little as 50p. 

Then put this dry pan onto the stove and cook until the crumbs turn golden brown.

Ruggedly chop through chili's and dice up the garlic cloves before putting them into a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the stove. 

You have to be really careful at this point not to burn your garlic because if you do it will give the dish a bitter taste. 

Once the garlic and chili's are cooked through you can drain your spaghetti (leaving a few ladles of pasta water to prevent dryness if necessary). Mix the spaghetti into your pan with the chili and garlic with the stove on low heat. 

Grind in some salt and pepper to your liking.

Now take your other pan with the bread crumbs and parsley and mix these ingredients all together thoroughly. 

Dish up your plates and add a fresh parsley leaf on top as garnish. 

Serve immediately. 

I first had this pasta in Venice. A friend of mine, Tom, told me it was an amazing pasta and I really wasn't sure that I believed him. How could it be??? There's so little ingredients and no meat.... but boy did he prove me wrong. This is by far the yummiest, tastiest, most incredible pasta and I will make it again and again! Particularly when I'm just cooking for myself at home! Perfect meal for one. 

♥