Day 75 - An amzingly tasty recipe for you........

Its Thursday.......'prep day'. A day when I can leave the chip fatty smell of the downstairs cafe and head upstairs to the relative 'rose garden' of upstairs!

I was quite chuffed with myself today. Without sounding like a big headed, egotistical tit, I know I can cook, but sometimes I create something that makes me think to myself..... 'Jimbo, that was different class'. I wanted to do something a little different for one of the main courses on the 'Menu of the Day' and as my passion is Italian food, I decided to make a curry! Only joking! I decided to make a peasanty type, rustic, Tuscan style pasta dish. Very simple in its concept, but with bags of flavour. To me that is the essence of good food.

I have a very strong feeling that this is going in the book, but as I value all my readers , I will allow you this recipe for free!  Here it is......

 Start by browning some 'country sausages' over a medium heat. You can use any sausages for this recipe you like. If you are watching the calories, you could try chicken sausages or similar. At this stage, you are not cooking them completely, just getting some nice colour. When browned, remove from the pan and set aside. Then finely dice an onion and gently sweat it down until it becomes translucent. At this point, add the sausages back to the pan with some fresh sage leaves. I used about 15 smallish ones. Turn the heat up to full whack and add a good glass of red wine. Something Italian makes sense. Burn off the alcohol and add a 400g tin of tomato passata. Do not discard the tin! Fill it with chicken stock and pour that in too. I always add a little sugar to tinned tomatoes as they can be quite bitter. Bring the heat down to low to medium. At this stage have a little taste and season with salt and pepper. I also add some fresh oregano. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 30 mins so all the flavours can really get going. After about 30 mins, remove the lid and reduce the sauce until you have the consistency you want. Remember, you need enough sauce left to coat the pasta. While your sauce is simmering, cook the pasta of your choice. Different shapes of pasta are made for a reason. Choose one that will hold the type of sauce you are making.

Thats it, that simple, that tasty! I have listed some pictures for you to have a look at.....
 
  I have to say that its one of the tastiest pasta dishes I have ever cooked. If any of you try it, I would love some feedback from you...

While prepping, I also made some 'pimped up' potato salad made with , peas, carrots, green beans, softened spring onion, bacon, oh and potatoes. Here's a piccy.................


It was another okay night for the 'all you can eat buffet', we had 16 in, so cant grumble. A picture for you of a platter of food for 1 person..........


I'll leave you with these images for now and I really would love some of you to make the pasta dish and hear your feedback...

I didnt manage to do a video today, people kept coming into the kitchen everytime I started setting the camera up, so another time!

As always, sleep well and I will speak to you all again tomorrow

Nite nite,
Slimbo!

Day 74 - Quiet day at work.......

A quiet day at work today, so again I dont have much to say today. It worries me a little that people may lose interest if I dont have something funny or intresting to report. I was talking to someone today who told me to make something up to make the blog interesting. I cant do that. Whats the point? This blog / journey is about exactly that, my journey. I have said before, there will be highs and lows, boring days and interesting days. Some blogs will appeal to some readers and some to others. But whatever happens, I will keep it real.

So, with that in mind, all I can tell you is that tomorrow I have about 4 hours of prep to do for evening service, so I can furnish you with details and pictures of my creations etc, and I'm hoping to possibly attempt my second video! Whoo hoo! I may even put my voice on this one! Knowing me though, I'll probably bottle it and say nothing! I think I may use 1 or 2 of the recipes for the book, so you will get an 'exclusive' too!

Take care peeps, my conversation has run dry, (I just stole a line from Natalie Imbruglia), sorry Natalie, and I will update you all tomorrow.

Remember........... keep it real..........

Slimbo xx

Day 73 - We got the house!!!!!!!

Woke up this morning with a little knot in my stomach, wondering what the news would be about the potential new house. I needn't have worried. We got the house yipee! I cannot describe the incredible weight off my shoulders. I can relax a little now....Phew. Thank you to Melissa & Gary, we will take very good care of it for you.............

Work was okay again. It seems to be picking up a little. Nothing really to report though.

I dont really have much to say today really. I'm just soooooooo chuffed about the house.

Rather than spout drivel, I am going to go now as I have tonnes to do, but I will try and give you something more interesting to read tomorrow.

See ya

Slimbo  :0)

Day 72 - I invent 'creamy' pasta at under 500 calories!

Here we are, Monday, Day 72. Some positive news on a house for rent! Its perfect, its within budget, but we are waiting on a phone call tomorrow/Wednesday to confirm if it will be available. There are a couple of problems that need to be sorted first. We will see......

Work was pretty ok. Fairly busy today for a Monday. In fact I hadnt even finished putting the chairs and tables out and people were sitting on them! I hate that! I like to get into work, have a coffee, sort my kitchen out, get everything ready and then they are allowed in! How dare they spoil my routine...... It was even hotter today than yesterday. I suppose I will just have to get used to it for the next few months.

I have been pining for a creamy pasta dish for the last few days, but obviously do not want to spoil my hard work, so I set about making a low calorie alternative today. Here it is.....


300g Fusilli pasta                        (1050 calories)
100g Low fat cream cheese        (150 calories)
200ml Chicken Stock                  (15 calories)
1 onion                                         (50 calories)
100g garden peas                        (80 calories)
100 ml fat free milk                     (40 calories)
200g Mushrooms                        (40 calories)

4 portions.......total calories 1425
Calories per portion approx 350

I'm very chuffed with this dish as it tasted pretty damn good. Its obviously not as good as using cream, but using cream got me to 20 stone!

Try it yourselves, you'll be surprised how good it is. Make sure you season well......

Thats me done for tonight. Sleep well, sweet dreams and I will speak to you all in the morning

Slimbo x

Day 71 - Sunday Lunch

Another stupidly hot day in the kitchen! Temperatures outside were in the low 30's, but the kitchen was in the low 40's. For any fellow chefs out there reading this, you know how I felt!

Service was good, if a little less than we we would have liked, but still had 26. I think its getting too hot at lunch time to eat a full 3 course roast. I also notice that some of the 'wintery dessets' i.e, crumbles and bread & butter pudding etc are becoming less popular and desserts like 'Eton Mess' and Cheesecake are selling out. Its gotta be a heat thing..........

Sold out of lamb again, which is heartening, however I did manage to stash a little away for our friend Sharon whose birthday it was today, (Happy Birthday Sharon). She had expressed an interest in it on Friday when I posted a picture of  it marinading, so I thought the least I could do would be to save her some. Not sure if she liked it yet as I havent heard from her since giving it to her. Got excellent comments from the diners again today, which gives you lift and sense of achievement after all the hours of work you put in. It makes the hot, sticky day seem a little less stressed. Here are some piccies of todays food.....






I'm hungry now! Back to my crispbreads though!

Managed a little swim this afternoon and am going to try and step it up this week as I desperately want to be 17 stone something on Saturday! I need to get back and focus on the eating plan and start creating some 'interesting food'. I think I'm goiong to try and create a lowish calorie 'creamy' pasta. 'Creamy pasta' I hear you say...... It can be done,...watch this space.....

Its 1.15am and time for bed. take care all, sleep well and I'll be here again tomorrow

Slimbo!

Day 70 - Result from the weigh in

Well, I got weighed this morning and managed to lose another 2 lbs this week for a total weight loss of 2 stone 3 lbs, yipee! Its slowing down a little now, so I will have to step things up a bit methinks. I need to drink more water and up the swimming. Although I swim every day and sometimes twice a day, I think I need to push harder. I'm hoping to lose 4lbs next week so that I will be 17 stone something. Its the next milestone..............

Another house fell through today! Well it didnt exactly fall through, it was just ridiculously expensive and way over budget. So we are still looking. Time is ticking away........... Something has to materialise soon or Laura will get her wish and sleep in the tent we have had for ages!

Another heartening night at work. We managed 20 covers . I think a lot were tourists, but all custom is good custom. Not sure how long this influx of punters will last, but we will make the most of it while it does. Managed to get all the prep done for Sunday Lunch as well, so all in all, a pretty decent day.

Got 20 booked so far for Sunday Lunch, so hope to get a few more bookings in the morning. I'm looking forward to cooking the slow roasted lamb, (see lasts nights blog), and gonna be interested to hear the customer feedback. I think its gonna be pretty damn good. While I'm singing my own praises, I have to say the mushroom soup I made for tomorrow tastes bloody lovely too!

I've gotta get to bed peeps, its 2 am and I need to be up at 8 o'clock. If you say that quickly it sounds like 'I need to be a potato clock!' On that note, I'm off

Take care, sleep well and I'll speak to you all in the morning
Ciao 4 now!

Slimbo!

Day 69- (is it just MY schoolboy humour that finds that funny)!

Its Friday, day 69 (snigger) and tomorrow is weigh day! I'm hoping for a good result as I feel much lighter and thinner this week, but the scales are funny things sometimes. I have been getting some nice comments from people that I havent seen for a few weeks, so its nice to know that people are noticing.
I have had 2 swims today and I will try and get up early enough in the morning to have one before I get weighed. We shall see......!

Work was hot, sticky and stop start today with a decent return at the end. The road works seem to have finished outside for now, so it was also quite a peaceful day too! The zebra crossing seems to be staying for a while, which is hilarious seeing as though there is a tree right in the middle of the exit and 2 of our 4 chairs and tables from the cafe are also in the way. I wonder how long it will stay like that. I have taken a picture to try and give you an idea of what I mean! Notice the seating area on the other side of the road as well... Madness!


A little drama unfolded today in the sleepy coastal resort of Calpe. There was a pretty serious forest fire about 1/2 mile from where we live. Not sure how it started, but its still going on now after about 15 hours. Fortunately the wind changed direction and its moving away from us now.....phew. As we drove home this afternoon, we could see huge plumes of black smoke behind where we live and we enjoyed watching the planes and heicopters dropping huge amounts of water over the flames! Great to watch, but a little close to home for comfort. Here's a picture of the fire and one of a plane heading towards it to drop some water........


I decided to marinate Sundays lamb tonight. My thinking being that the longer it has to marinate, the fuller the flavour. Looking forward to tasting it on Sunday. Gonna make some mushroom soup as one of the starters and I must remember to take out some for me before I put the cream in this time!
Heres the lamb.........


I'm off to bed now....., gotta try and get up early for a pre weigh in swim. I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow.

Sleep well and thanks for reading..
Slimbo