Just another manic Monday...

Questions is, did you read the title, or sing it??

After doing the front garden and lawn yesterday, I was thinking about dinner, and what I would do... I have had a craving for a roast lately, and a Pork one at that with some good crackeling... But, with friends coming for dinner, one of which doesn't like the flavour of pork, I thought as to what to do. So, I thought of a dish that I have not done in a while...

Its pretty easy, really, and its quite nice!

Pancetta Wrapped Beef on a bed of Mash and mashed peas

• 2 x strips of pancetta
• 1 x Veal Steak (or Beef)
• 2-3 Baby Potatoes
• Frozen Peas
• Garlic (minced)
• Small Onion
• These are per person quantaties...

1. Season meat with a little pepper and simply wrap the Pancetta around your cut of meat. For last nights meal, I used Scotch Fillets as there was no Veal, and its better with a Veal cut as well. Cover with cling wrap and into fridge.
2. Peal and boil potatoes in a saucepan, and in another saucepan, boil peas until very tender.
3. Remove meat from fridge and then put into a frypan and seal one side, 3-4 minutes. Then, turn your cut and put lid on frypan, as this will cause a 'sauce'.
4. Remove potatoes from saucpan, return it to heat; add a nob of butter, teaspoon minced garlic and diced onion and cook until just transulcant (I cheated and used Onion Flakes, works just as well). Then add potatoes and a little cream (or milk) and mash until smooth and creamy.
5. Drain peas, another nob of butter, and return peas to pot and mash, again until smooth and creamy.
6. Plating up is simply a stack, a spoon full of mash potato, then of peas, and then place you cut of meat atop. Pour over some of the pan juices/sauce and serve up - YUMMO!

Baked stuffed apples, with ice-creeam and passionfruit juice

• Granny Smith Apple
• Sultanas or Dried Fruit
• Brown (or Raw) Sugar
• These are per person quantaties...

1. Core center out from apple.
2. Stuff Sultanas/Dried Fruit into the center of the apple and cover with sugar
3. Place into a baking tray, glass/ceramic, and into a pre-heated 180c oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the sugar caramalises and into a sauce.
4. Serve onto a plate, topped with Ice-cream and cream, and then added a Passionfruit over the top of that - YUMMO!! 

Then, this morning I had to drop my car at the mechanics as it is time for its service and registration. So he could do the 'Pink Slip' to make sure it is road worthy! I, on the otherhand, had to then catch the train into the city, which is never a good experience...

Crowded carriages and a $9.60 return fare, I'd rather drive myself in, sit in a comfy car (both train and car was sitting in traffic) and listen to the radio on the way!

I also had to pay for my CTP Greenslip, and this is a rort!!! The Government deregulated to make it cheaper to register cars in NSW some years back. If thats the case, all up, I will be paying $98 CTP, $30 Pink Slip and then another $325 just to register the car!!! And then there is Insurance (this is seperate to Greenslip)!!!

Not sure what I will do for dinner tonight, I actually really enjoyed the vegemite and cheese toastie, so maybe something nice, quick and simple like that...

Hoo roo for now...

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