Domestic Goddess? I think Not . . .

I seem to have somehow established a reputation amongst some of my friends as a bit of a whizz, gourmet, food snob - whatever - in the kitchen. Now I will admit to being a food obsessive, and I love to cook. But I assure you that I have just as many lazy, throw something together or takeaway nights as anyone else :)


Proof? OK. On Sunday I had one of those nights. You know, when the afternoon gets away from you and before you know it, you have precisely 5 seconds to get a meal on the table before utter anarchy breaks out. BUT you haven't done a proper grocery shop and the pickings are pretty slim. So you pull a few random ingredients out of the pantry/fridge/freezer in an attempt to throw a meal together? You been there????

And so Fancy Beans were born . . .

Fancy Beans
Ingredients:

• 2 cans Baked Beans, (any flavour, but I like BBQ)
• 250g grams Bacon, diced (when I'm feeling really hopeless I get the pre-diced stuff)
• 6 Sausages, (Plain old beef, or whatver is lurking in the freezer)
• 2-3 tablespoons Caramelised Onion, (This is what makes it seem a bit fancy)

Directions:
In a large fry pan, cook sausages until golden brown. Remove from heat. Add bacon to the pan and warm through. In the meantime slice sausages into 1.5cm diagonals (see, a bit fancy!).
Add beans, onion and sausages back to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Serve over creamy mashed potato


(Serves 4)


But the Mash MUST be this:


Best Ever Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 250 g potatoes, per person
• ⅓ cup double cream, warmed
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• Salt
• pepper
• Nutmeg, Freshly grated

Directions:
Boil the halved or chunked (but unpeeled) potatoes in a large pan of lightly salted water. When they are soft enough to mash, drain them thoroughly then push the potato pieces through a ricer.


With a wooden spoon, beat in the warm milk or cream and butter and season with salt, pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg, to taste. Eat alone and straight from the bowl for quintessential comfort food.


(Serves 1)


And then you get this:

I know it doesn't seem like much, but it's pretty hearty and yummy and a kid fave! Try it next time you're having one of those days, you'll thank me LOL!