Saturday Snippets 3

Do you have a fetish?  

Yes, you heard what I said.  But it's not what you think.  This is mine:

These are my latest addition!  I know.  I probably won't ever be able to do more than just stand around in them.  Or sit and eat.  But what the heck, life's too short!

I do have another fetish - I'm always on the lookout for really beautiful and sexy underwear!  But you don't get to see any of that!!!

So..... WHAT IS YOUR FETISH?

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And now for my recipe of the week.  We eat a lot of Indian food in the UK.  We had this for dinner last night.  Cat asked me what this was, and I promised her I would write it down.  It's one of the most popular of Indian dishes and it's absolutely delicious.  It can take a whole day to make, but this is the 'quick' version.

LIGHTNING LAMB DHANSAK WITH PULAO RICE

Serves 4

500g (1lb 2oz) cubed lamb

2 tbspn garam masala

2-3 tbspns vegetable oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

200g (7oz) diced pumpkin or butternut squash

100g (4oz) red lentils

600ml (1 pint) hot vegetable stock

1 tbspn curry paste

1 tbspn tamarind paste

25g (1oz) caster sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbspns chopped fresh mint or coriander

juice of 1 lemon

Method

1  Toss the lamb in the garam masala.  Heat 1 tbspn of the oil in a large pan and quickly brown the lamb.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2  Add a little more oil to the pan, then cook the onions, garlic and pumpkin or squash for 5 minutes until softened and beginning to brown.

3  Now add the lentils, stock, curry paste, tamarind paste and sugar and return the lamb to the pan.  Bring to the boil.  Now place in a slowish oven for at least one hour.  160 degrees C, but don't worry if it's a bit hotter.  My oven has a tendency to vary.  Stir occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and the ingredients are lovely and tender.  

4  Check the seasoning, then stir in the mint or coriander and lemon juice, to taste.  Serve with pulao rice.

PULAO RICE

Serves 4

4 tbspns vegetable oil

3 onions, thinly sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1 tspn cumin seeds

3 cardamom pods, cracked

3 star anise

500g (1lb 2oz) basmati rice

2 tspns salt

handful fresh coriander leaves

Method

1  Heat the oil in a large pan and cook half the onions over a fairly high heat for about 10 minutes until crisp and lightly browned.  Drain on kitchen paper and set aside, leaving just a costing of oil still in the pan.

2  Add the remaining onions to the pan with the cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and star anise and cook gently for 5 minutes or so until the onions are golden.

3  Add the rice, cook for 1 minute, then add 1 litre (one and three quarter pints) of cold water and the salt.  Bring to the boil, cover and cook over a low heat for 12 minutes until the grains are tender and the water has been absorbed.

4  Remove from the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a serving dish and scatter over the fried onions and coriander leaves; serve warm.

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I'm pretty hopeless at telling jokes because I always forget the punch line!  

However, I found this old book of pictoral jokes residing at the bottom of our bookcase.  I've no idea who bought it or why.  But I'll conclude this week with these.  I hope they make you smile.

So many people here are always going on about sitting on the sofa together in the evenings!  My sense of humour took over here!

And maybe a little, well you know, BDSM? for those who are interested?!

And finally, spring is on the way, and our resident 'barn' cat likes to fight off all opposition.  Starman gets incandescent if he is woken up by caterwauling cats!  I have to hide all my scent bottles, because he uses them as ammunition!

And you think you have problems!!!