Coconut Thai Curry and Throwing out the Clocks

I was thinking this morning as I was rushing around and looking at the clock how wonderful it would be not to have to live by the clock.  To get up when it is light, go to bed when I am tired, eat when I am hungry and get things done in my own time.  I read about a couple who refuse to change the clocks when we move over to British Summer time, they just keep their usual routine They were retired so that made it easier, I don't think my clients would appreciate me working to a different time!  Have I said all of this before?  I seem to be repeating myself a lot lately!  I guess what I am looking for is a simpler less frazzled life, yet I continue to take on too much.  Instead of concentrating on getting the house sorted to put on the market, I decide to grow my own veg, not just a few of course, but everything from sweetcorn to squashes all from scratch. Learning basketry is wonderful, but did I have to do it now?  I have trips planned and a foraging course booked.  What is driving me?  Well I guess it is my 'live life to the full, you never know what is around the corner' attitude to life.  But it can be exhausting!

After yesterdays meltdown over the on-line training which still hasn't been sorted, a computer glitch apparently.  The assessment time should start when you press the 'take assessment' button not when you are doing the training!  It makes me nostalgic for the days of sitting in a hall when the invigilator would say 'turn your papers over, you may begin'.

As promised I have another 'Cooking the Books' recipe for you, a lovely Thai Curry, the recipe came from Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward.  Here it is:

COCONUT THAI CURRY WITH CHICKPEAS

2 x 400 ml tins coconut milk
2 x 400 g tins tomatoes
2 - 3 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 - 2 tsp chilli flakes
1 large butternut squash (1kg)
2 medium aubergines (600g)
handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 x 400 g tin chickpeas drained
3 teaspoons brown miso paste
brown rice to serve
salt and pepper

*A word of warning, because this is a gluten free cookbook I assumed the miso was gf.  I have not used it before and didn't read the ingredients until after I ate the curry.  Luckily there was not enough gluten in it to affect me but if you are celiac make sure you pick up a gf version.

I also didn't weight the aubergine or squash so I had to dig out the biggest pot I had to fit it all in!

Preheat the oven to 200 C (fan 180 C)

Put the coconut milk, tinned toms, grated ginger and chilli into a large pan with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and allow it to heat until boiling.

As it heats up, peel the squash and cut both the squash and the aubergines into bite sized pieces.  Add these to the coconut and tomato in the pan.

Allow the mixture to cook for about 30 mins in the oven, at which point add the coriander and chickpeas to the pan with the miso and place the pan back in the oven for 30 mins.  It's ready when the squash is soft.

Serve with brown rice.

It can be frozen, leave out the chickpeas if you don't like them and replace any other veg with cauliflower etc if you prefer.

It is a lovely healthy recipe but even though I used a reduced fat coconut milk I'm not sure that it will help with my goal to shed the weight I gained after my various operations.  I eat very healthy food, but they are not always low fat/low calorie.  Snacking on dried fruits and nuts needs to be done in moderation, a word that doesn't apply to anything I do!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, we have glorious weather here so I am bailing out the greenhouse (it floods every year) in preparation for the tomatoes and cucumber.  It was lovely to be out in the fresh air, listening to the birds singing and spotting first signs of life on my cherry trees, I love seeing them burst into flower.

I found these little beauties hiding under a tree

I will leave you with a photo of my veg plot....... no I haven't lost the plot :).  My son visited with his dogs last weekend.  They spend all their time careering around my garden with total disregard for flower beds and veg plots.  I had visions of my newly growing spinach being squashed so I took drastic action.  I have decided that it would be a good cat deterrent as well so have left them there for now.  Growing my own garden chairs :)

Welcome to Undomestic Diva and Lynda :)

Chickpea xx