Naughty But Nice

It's good to be back in Loughborough. Where it's never hot and sweaty. Free from people judging what you wear and do. We moved in to our new home where i got a smaller but a warmer and prettier room. It wasn't long enough before i started cooking again after my 2 month hiatus. Just been busy with dissertations,endless errands and plenty of eating out.

One of my first creations after a few days of cooking with ready made sauces. Oven roasted drumstick lodged with a long and meaty sausage. I know,naughty right? but nice~~~~
Accompanied with hot crisp hash cut fries and my version of ratatouille. Mediterranean vegetables; courgettes, tomatoes, roasted peppers and grilled onions cooked in basil and tomato sauce with a sprinkle of thyme.

The one below is my daring take on pasta with sardines in rich tomato sauce.Salmon with pasta yes, but sardines?It's what i call creating something out of nothing. What looks like a fancy tenner's worth actually costs only 2 pounds to make.

Thick and tangy sauce with the bold flavour of rich sardines. Funnily enough, the fresh breath of herbs cuts through the strong fishy taste of what could otherwise be an awkward tasting dish.

The How to's:
Oven roasted sausage stuffed chicken
4 Chicken drumsticks deboned.
4 beef sausages
a chopped onion
4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil to drizzle
1 tsp Paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp of dried mixed herbs.

Clean the chicken and debone it. Then lodge the sausage into the drumstick cavity. Grease the baking tray. Place the chicken and sprinkle with seasoning, paprika and mixed herbs all over. Sautee the onions and garlic until caramelised. sprinkle on top of the chicken. Lasty drizzle with olive oil and shove in the oven for an hour Gas mark 7. Make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked when ready. Enjoy.

Pasta with sardines in tomato sauce
1 canned sardines in tomato sauce.
200g pasta
1 large onion chopped.
3 cloves of garlic chopped.
2 carrots and 2 celery stalks.
2 Tbsp sugar
sprigs of thyme.
Chicken stock and pepper
A tube of tomato puree.

First, fry the onion and garlic and onion until fragrant. Then add the chopped carrots and celery for 10 minutes stirring constantly. Squeeze in the tomato puree and simmer for another 10 minutes adding water if necessary. Add the sugar and stir.Add the can of sardines lastly and cook for a further 2 minutes. Season well and add the thyme during the cooking process and for garnish