Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Roasted root vegetables are a lovely accompaniment to any meal.  They are a winter favourite of mine, very simple to prepare and incredibly versatile.  I often make a large tray to ensure I have leftovers to get creative with long after the meal is over (well not too long).  I live for leftovers.  Before the original meal is finished, I'm already excited about what I can make with the leftovers.  How times have changed; from boys and clothes to leftovers and finding out sparkling water gets the red wine out of my brand new carpet.  I was also pretty thrilled when new french doors and windows were installed this week and every time I walk past I open the curtains and beam a little smile.  My new joys.  It sounds sad, but I swear, I'm fulfilled.

Anyway, back to root vegetables.  Like I said, they're easy.  I usually go with carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, red onion, beetroot (par boiled or the pre-prepared ones in the plastic packet) and whole cloves of garlic roasted right in the skins.  Swede and butternut squash or pumpkin would work nicely too.  I chop everything up to roughly the same size (large-ish chunks),  drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I roast a large tray for about 45 minutes in a 200°C oven.  Use them as a side dish, in pasta dishes (if you learned anything this week it's that I love pasta!), soups and salads.

I spent last year eating a lot of salads (nothing gets you motivated to trim up a little than a wedding dress) and feeding salads to my poor brother, who had to supplement his meals with sandwiches (or he was going to fit better into my dress than I was!).  This is a salad combination I came up with when living in New Zealand and I just threw what I had in the fridge into a bowl.  Sometimes this method works and, well, sometimes it doesn't - this time it had.  Simple: rocket and spinach salad leaves, topped with roasted vegetables, topped with cottage cheese, drizzled with a balsamic glaze (or dressing).  This salad has sundried tomatoes because I happened to have some and also a side pf pork chop because according to the men, a meal isn't a meal without meat.

Any specials meals planned this weekend?  Starting your Christmas baking?  Tree decorating?  (I have to wait till the puppies go first)  I've just convinced the fella to have fish and chips from the takeaway tonight.  An English Friday must have!  I'll tell you all about it next week.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Summer is still here!

So remember when I said summer was done, finished, kaput?!  Well, I was wrong.  Cue the rain the storm...

Wait for it, wait for it...

Hmm...nope nothing.  It's still warm out there.  Yesterday was glorious sunshine and actually hot.  Like tank top and cropped pants hot (not shorts hot - I don't think it's ever been shorts hot here-though some in the neighbourhood might disagree).

 This is George enjoying the summer sun.  She spent most of yesterday lying on her side on the patio catching the rays but anytime I tried to take a picture she'd get up and do this:

Not exactly a fan of the paparrazzi!

Again today, the weather has been lovely.  Not as hot as yesterday but what I would call neutral, so there's no difference between inside and out.  It would have been the perfect day to sit outside with a magazine and a few bevvies but common sense (I do have a little of it) told me that if your man is out at work all day he best not come home to find you've been boozing all afternoon.  So instead I cleaned the bathroom.  Not exactly the Lady of Leisure lifestyle I'm going for here but I have to do my bit.

Though not before making myself a summer salad.

This is an easy one.  Salmon goes in the oven with a little olive oil on both sides, pepper (if you like) and some sweet chilli sauce.  Put it in the oven at 200°C/400°F for about 20 minutes.  While it's cooking make your salad - I've been enjoying tomatoes while they're still red!  Pop the salmon on top of your salad and add more sweet chilli if you like.  I make this with chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) or just a can of tuna and some nice dressing.

Would have gone down nicely with a bottle glass of white.

It's probably going to chuck it down this weekend so I'm enjoying the warmth with the back door open and finally that glass of wine (red though).  Maybe a bowl of ice cream?

Anyone else still have nice weather?