Chunky Oven-Baked Ratatouille and Pasta

It's now 13 days until BUSOM's production of Back to the 80s starts (and 10 days until we start rehearsing in the theatre itself).  Last Sunday, I cut a cursor out of cardboard on my bedroom floor for the one scene that I will be appearing in and will soon be learning the choreography for.  On Tuesday, we had our first full run-through with members of the tech team coming to watch us and take notes for the set of the production, and I heard and saw some of the songs that I hadn't heard being rehearsed before and I was very impressed by the sound and choreography.  Yesterday's main focus was Act 2, from which the choreography to Dancing On The Ceiling, the line delivery of "The only difference between you and a bucket of crap is the bucket", and the choreography of a fight scene between two characters.  I've now also seen most of the costumes, including a black sparkly dress and a few of the tie-dye T-shirts made at the fundraiser event we held a few weeks ago.  I'm getting more and more nervous about this every day, but I'm also very excited and very proud of the cast and the rest of the production team.  Tickets are on sale at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/EFFFMM!

Get your tickets now for our main show 'Back to the 80s'.Be sure to get them before they're gone! ...
Posted by Bradford University Society of Operettas and Musicals (BUSOM) on Wednesday, 24 February 2016

Getting closer every day!⏳http://www.bradfordplayhouse.org.uk/box-office#loveBUSOM #backtothe80s #mainshow #countdown #musicals #musicaltheatre #teambradford
Posted by Bradford University Society of Operettas and Musicals (BUSOM) on Friday, 26 February 2016

Meanwhile, my final project group development plan was submitted today, meaning that 15% of the marks have now been accounted for.  The main areas that I wrote were the competitor analysis of the other websites that have similar features to what we are going to provide with the website we are developing, and the industrial budget for the project, for which I was constantly updating the final totals after changing one figure after another.  The next 15% is for my 2000 word individual reflective report which is due next Friday.

I've heard some people say that they think a plant-based diet is too expensive for them, but it's been proven to be possible.  There is the Live Below The Line initiative in which participants fed themselves on £1 (or Australian $2, seeing as I followed agirlnamedally's Live Below The Line journey) a day for 5 days to gain an insight into the amount of money that those who live "below the poverty line" are able to spend each week on food.  There are also plenty of blogs by vegans who have a lower budget, including students.  I found this recipe in a little booklet called "Meat-Free: Feed four for under a fiver!" that I picked up at a stall at my university's volunteering fayre promoting volunteer work with animals, anti-animal testing and veganism.  What I like most about this recipe is that it's full of delicious vegetables!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 large red onion - peeled and cut into chunks
1 large courgette - cut into chunky pieces
1 large aubergine - cut into chunky pieces
2 red peppers - de-seeded and cut into chunks
2 yellow peppers - de-seeded and cut into chunks
8 garlic cloves - peeled
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
400g can plum tomatoes
several sprigs of fresh basil
Your choice of pasta

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius OR 350 degrees Fahrenheit OR Gas Mark 4.
2. Put all the vegetables into a roasting tray or large shallow casserole dish, and sprinkle with the lemon juice, oil and pepper.
3. Mix so that all the vegetables are coated.
4. Bake, uncovered, in the oven for 20 minutes, giving the vegetables a stir after about 10 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 15-20 minutes.
6. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions whilst the vegetables cook for another 10-12 minutes.
7. Season the vegetables with more pepper if necessary, tear the basil over the top and serve with the pasta.

Also, I'll be posting soon about my weekend in Newcastle over Valentine's weekend (it was for a 21st birthday party and had nothing to do with Valentine's Day though)!

Toasted Quinoa Bowl with Falafel, Avocado and Red Cabbage Salad

I'm writing this a couple of days late while every part of my body is crying out for me to go to sleep, but I thought I should sort this post out once and for all before I start writing the post for this new week (based on the weekend I've just spent in Newcastle).  This recipe was one I found in the January 2016 edition of Tesco Food Family Living, and I can't help but notice that there seems to be an increasing number of vegetarian and also vegan recipes in this magazine and the February edition (which is currently on the kitchen table).  If it's not just me noticing this, it's exciting!

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 x 264g pack of frozen sweet potato falafel
2 large corn on the cob
200g (7oz) quinoa
450ml (3/4 pint) vegetable stock
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
300g (10oz) red cabbage, finely shredded
3 carrots, grated
60g (2 1/2 oz) wild rocket
1 avocado, sliced
1 x 200g pot tzatziki

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, 180 degrees C (when using a fan oven), or gas mark 6.  Put the falafel in a large roasting tin and bake for 18 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp and hot.
2. Wrap the cobs in foil and bake alongside the falafel for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the cobs and discard the foil.  Slice off the kernels with a sharp knife and set aside until needed.
3. Meanwhile, put a large frying pan on the hob over a medium heat.  Add the quinoa and toast, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, until golden with a nutty aroma.  Pour in the stock, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender.  Remove from the heat and leave to rest, covered, for 5 minutes, before stirring in the lemon juice and olive oil.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the red cabbage, carrot, corn and rocket.  Add the quinoa and gently toss until well mixed.  Divide the mixture between 6 serving bowls.
5. Slice the falafels in half and divide them between the bowls.  Top each salad with a slice of avocado and serve with a dollop of tzatziki.

Katie's Christmas 2015 - Sticky Carrots with Thyme and Maple Syrup

This is the last of the vegetable idea recipes for making Christmas dinner this Friday, and it's a recipe for maple syrup-glazed carrots.  The original recipe, found on a UBU Green Thursdays recipe sheet, called for the carrots to be glazed with honey, but we're going to substitute the honey with maple syrup to make it more vegan-friendly!  I'll be back very soon with a recipe for the main part of the Christmas dinner, the nut roast!

Ingredients

1kg Chantenay carrots, unpeeled, larger ones halved
25g vegan margarine (such as Pure)
a few sprigs of thyme
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Instructions

1. Tip the carrots into a deep frying pan with the margarine, thyme and maple syrup.
2. Cook for 5 minutes until they start to brown.
3. Pour in 250ml of water, bring to the boil and cook until the water has evaporated and the carrots are tender.
4. Turn down the heat and cook the carrots slowly, stirring, until glazed.

Katie's Christmas 2015 - Roasted Red Peppers stuffed with Fennel

This week, I've been both watching Christmas DVDs, helping at a shop in Leeds, and writing about Christmas DVDs.  I've often felt like I'm catching up with my own checklists, which I actually find so difficult even though I make weekly checklists.  I don't know how to take a break from it because it keeps me at least semi-organised.  A proper break might not happen until May.  In the new year, I think I will try to make a post on how I make checklists, but just remember that I keep them really flexible.

I think this will be the last vegetable part of my ideas for what to have at the table for Christmas Day, as I should really think about main courses.  Additionally, since I normally post about food on Fridays, I'll have to write next week's post a bit earlier than usual (Tuesday or Wednesday) because NEXT FRIDAY IS CHRISTMAS DAY!!!  Therefore, you'd need to know the recipe for the main course beforehand, wouldn't you?  In the meantime, I found this recipe for roasted red peppers stuffed with fennel in Delia's Happy Christmas by Delia Smith.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

4 large red peppers
1 x 400g tin Italian plum tomatoes
2 small bulbs fennel
8 dessertspoons good-quality olive oil
1 rounded teaspoon mixed pepper berries
3/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
salt flakes
the juice of half a lemon

Instructions

1. Slice each pepper in half lengthways, cutting right through the green stalk and leaving it intact (although it won't be eaten).  Remove all the seeds and place the pepper halves on a baking tray.
2. Drain the tomatoes (you don't need the juice) and divide them into eight equal portions, placing each portion inside a pepper half.
3. Remove any brownish bits of fennel with your sharpest knife and cut the bulbs first into quarters and then again into eighths, carefully keeping the layers attached to the root ends.
4. Put the fennel in a saucepan with a little salt, pour boiling water on them and "blanch" them for 5 minutes.  Then drain them in a colander and, as soon as they're cool enough to handle, arrange two slices in each pepper half.  Sprinkle 1 dessertspoon of olive oil over each one, using a brush to brush the oil round the edges and sides of the peppers.
5. Lightly crush the pepper berries, coriander seeds and fennel seeds with a pestle and mortar or rolling pin and bowl, then sprinkle these evenly all over the fennel and peppers, and finish off with some salt flakes.
6. Bake the peppers for approximately 1 hour on the top shelf of the oven until they are soft and the skin is wrinkled and slightly browned.
7. After removing them from the oven, sprinkle the lemon juice all over and cool.

NOTE: If you want to make the peppers ahead of time, cover with Clingfilm after cooling, but don't refrigerate them as this spoils the fragrant flavour.

Katie's Christmas 2015 - Pan-Fried Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts

As promised in the first of my Christmas posts on Wednesday, I have a Christmas-related recipe for you today (Friday).  I think one of my aims over the next few weeks is to provide a few recipes for a vegan Christmas dinner.  Now, I know that a lot of people aren't keen on Brussels sprouts, which is personally not something I particularly understand.  Why is there mass hate against Brussels sprouts?  I don't love them, but I don't hate them.  I think they're a Christmas dinner staple, especially when you're trying to have a vegan-friendly Christmas dinner (I wish I was), and this recipe from the December 2015 edition of the Tesco Food Family Living magazine adds toasted pine nuts to give you a bit more Christmas spirit because I have eaten Brussels sprouts at times other than Christmas before.

Ingredients (serves 8)

600g (1 lb) Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons pine nuts
40g (1 1/2 oz) vegan margarine (such as Pure)
1 lemon, zested

Instructions

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.  Add the sprouts, bring back to the boil and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Drain then plunge the sprouts into cold water to halt the cooking process.
3. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a large frying pan until golden.  Remove and set aside.
4. Melt the margarine in the frying pan, add the sprouts and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
5. Toss with the pine nuts and lemon zest before serving.

Super Salad Sandwich

Last Thursday, for the Wellbeing Week Festival at uni, a couple of people from Jamie's Ministry of Food came to do some cooking demonstrations and tasting.  Unfortunately, I was busy doing my show at RamAir while they were doing the demonstration, but I picked up a Get Food Smart recipe booklet from their table in Student Central during a song break.  This top-ranking recipe is for a sandwich full of colourful vegetables and is perfect for lunch any time of the year and especially with friends.  Next week, I'll be starting with ideas for Christmas dining and will also be giving a few top 5s, so look out for those!

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 radishes, halved
5cm piece of cucumber, halved lengthways
1/2 small carrot, halved lengthways
2 cauliflower florets
1/2 small red pepper
1/2 small apple
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 sprigs of soft herbs, such as dill, flat-leaf parsley or basil, or 2 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked
1/2 punnet salad cress or sprouting herbs
a handful of peas
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
4 seeded wholegrain rolls
2 tablespoons hummus

Instructions

1. Using a table knife, cut each radish half into three pieces on a chopping board and place them in a large bowl.
2. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the watery seeds from the cucumber, and discard them, then slice each cucumber half into four pieces and add to the bowl.
3. Cut the carrot into 8 even-sized pieces, then snap apart the cauliflower florets into bite-sized chunks and place both veggies into the bowl with the others.
4. Pull out the pepper's stalk and scoop out the seeds and pith with a teaspoon, discarding all.  Cut the pepper into four long slices, then cut each slice into four segments and add to the bowl.
5. Place the apple half, flat-side down, on the board.  Cut into six even pieces, discarding the core.  Add to the bowl.
6. Place a clean tea towel on the chopping board and pile the veg and apple in the middle.  Fold over each corner of the towel so your ingredients are wrapped up like a parcel.  Squash with a rolling pin to break the ingredients into little pieces.
7. Measure the vinegar and olive oil into a large bowl and blend into a dressing.
8. Tear the herb leaves into small pieces (if using dill, snip it with scissors), adding them to the bowl as you go.  Snip the cress or sprouting herbs into the bowl, then add the peas, seeds, squashed veg and apple.  Using your fingers, carefully toss all the ingredients with the dressing until they're nicely coated.
9. Halve each roll horizontally and spread the insides of each one with hummus.  Divide the vegetable mixture between the base of each roll.  Place the lids on top, press down lightly, and enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

Yesterday was BUSOM's winter showcase, Meet Tony and Olivier, which was very fun but I'm now very sleepy and stressed about coursework, so check in with me next week when I have a special post planned.  Here's an awesome starters idea from the January 2015 edition of the ASDA magazine!

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 large peppers, any colour
100g giant cous cous
350ml vegetable stock, made with 1/2 a stock cube
50g sultanas
50g sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped
25g pine nuts, toasted
300g can haricot or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
salad, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, 170 degrees C with a fan oven, or gas mark 5.  Cut the tops off the peppers and scoop out the seeds and pith.  Put the peppers and lids on the tray and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Put the cous cous into a pan and cover with the stock solution.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 minutes.  Add the sultanas and tomatoes.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes, before taking off the heat and mixing in the pine nuts and beans.
3. Leave the cooked peppers to cool slightly, then fill with the cous cous mixture.  Put the pepper lids on top, then cook in the oven for 12 minutes.
4. Serve with salad.

Winter Veg Minestrone

In the past week or so, the weather here has really changed dramatically.  On Monday, I had to walk between buildings at uni to go to yoga at the gym and then go back to editing my project, and the hood of my coat got SOAKED!  Meanwhile, I'm spending my evening cosy in bed with pillows and a good catch-up on Red Dwarf.  I've been talking to Saph Joy, who I met last month at one of the BBC Radio 1Xtra Academy Q&As (which I still need to complete my post about), and she's recently been considering going vegan after seeing Food Inc., and I told her to go and read the wonderful Ally's page on vegan meal ideas and that although I'm not currently a vegan myself, I have lots of vegan-friendly recipes on my blog.  When she said she'd look for my blog for food inspiration though, I realised that I'm so much more of a smoothies and desserts person, rather than a main meal one, so this is an area that I think I'll start trying to up my game in.  I found this recipe for winter veg minestrone in the January 2015 edition of the ASDA magazine, and being low in fat and containing 2 of your 5 daily portions of fruit and veg, it sounds like a pretty good idea for families to eat this winter to keep bugs away!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for the bread
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and finely diced
390g carton chopped tomatoes with herbs
3 tablespoons tomato puree
2 x 300g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
600ml stock made with 1 vegetable stock cube
100g spaghetti, broken into small pieces
160g baby spinach, washed
200g baguette
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the onion and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft.  Add the butternut squash and cook for another 8-10 minutes, until it starts to soften.
2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, cannellini beans and stock.  Bring to a mild boil and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the spaghetti and stir.  Boil gently for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
4. Stir in the spinach and boil for 1 minute until wilted.
5. Preheat the grill.  Slice the baguette and drizzle the remainder of the olive oil over the bread, then rub the garlic halves over one side of each slice.  Grill until golden brown and serve hot with the soup.

Lime and Chilli Aubergines with Peanuts

It's now the end of my 2nd week back at uni (well, my 3rd if you count volunteering the week before Fresher Week) and I already feel like I might drown in my final year.  My current extra-curricular activities are BUSOM (musical theatre), RamAir (student radio) and archery (I finally started this last week and I'm very excited), but I'm scared about having to give anything up to fit in more studying.  In my ideal world, I set out on a piece of paper which lectures or activities I need to attend each day, add in things like what I want to watch on TV at home or read, and then I add in the generic task "do uni work".  I don't set myself specific targets of what coursework I do each day, but I just try to make sure to do some, and until I feel like I've done enough work, that task won't be checked off.  In March is BUSOM's production of Back to the 80s, and I'm already panicking a little bit about that because I'm on the production team (I volunteered to do this because it sounds like a fun musical to do) and I'll need to be concentrating on BOTH that AND my final project after Christmas and not just my final project.  I also want to separate myself from all my to-do lists a bit because I feel bad about not having done everything on time and I feel like I'm not "free" enough, but I also need all those reminders to function properly.  I guess that next semester, I just have to get a routine going and make sure that I've done enough work before Back to the 80s to leave a few days without too much work, but leave time to relax as well.  It's going to get complicated ... Meanwhile, it's getting a bit cooler and wetter as we enter the autumn months (and in mid-September as well - I started asking the universe for sunshine and warmth during Fresher Fayre last week through some solo dance parties, and it kinda worked), but if we're lucky, we might still get a couple of days where it's warm enough for a barbecue.  You can even do this one if you're a student, so if it's warm enough, grab your new/old friends for a barbecue and have a go at this recipe for aubergines stuffed with lime, chilli, coriander, spring onions and peanuts that I found in the 2015 edition of the Tesco Food Family Living magazine!

Ingredients (serves 6)

3 aubergines, halved lengthways
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 limes, juiced
3 spring onions
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
oil, for brushing
50g (2 oz) dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Using a sharp knife, deeply score the flesh of each aubergine in a diamond pattern.  Squeeze to open up the cuts.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, 1 tablespoon coriander and the lime juice.  Brush the mixture over each aubergine, pushing it into the cuts.  Scatter the spring onions and chilli over the aubergines.  Wrap each aubergine in oiled foil and barbecue, among the coals, for 30 minutes.  If not using a barbecue, grill at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-30 minutes, or until softened and cooked through.
3. Unwrap the aubergines and arrange on a serving platter.  Scatter the remaining coriander and peanuts over the aubergines.

Adventures in the USA part 5 - Epcot, Disney World Florida

On our 5th day in Florida (Monday), we were off to the second Disney theme park of the four main parks (we weren't visiting the water parks), Epcot.

Top 5

• Test Track - In a new and improved version of a ride I've visited in the past, you can design your "own" car to be driven around the test track.  You can choose what the strengths of your vehicle are, including its performance in adverse weather conditions, and its speed.  This information is then stored on your Disney Magic Band for use later in the ride.  When you board the test track car, you scan your Disney Magic Band for your chosen car's information to be loaded.  As you zoom around the track, your car then competes with the cars of the other passengers of your test track car in a series of tests measuring the performance and endurance of the cars.  Some cars may perform better in some tests than in others.  At the end of the ride, you enter a showroom full of Chevrolet cars (the Test Track ride is sponsored by Chevrolet), and you can, scanning your Magic Band again, design an advert for your car, choosing the music style, presenter's voice and the location of the advert, which you can then email to yourself.
• Soarin' - This is also one of my all-time favourite rides.  Board a "glider" and fasten your seatbelts for a virtual flight of a lifetime, as you take-off from the ground and whoosh over the landmarks, mountains and other sites of California.
• Living with the Land - a boat ride through greenhouses with real fruit and vegetables and fish tanks.
• Spaceship Earth - this ride seems to have been enhanced in the past 5 years, and each cabin now includes a touchscreen feature where riders answer questions and then at the end of the ride, the magical computers inside the ride build a little video about how your life would be in a futuristic world (including living under the sea).  During the ride itself, you learn about history, including the Ancient Egyptians, The Stone Age and eventually the age of movies and going into space.

Spaceship Earth as viewed from the World Showcase Lagoon.

The Morocco Pavilion

The pagoda at the Japan Pavilion

• IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth - Epcot's fireworks show that showcases the wonders and cultures of the world.

Fireworks during Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at the World Showcase Lagoon.

While I was watching Disney Channel, I saw a programme promotional advert where they were making Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Waffles.  Nutritional information for this and for some of the meals served in Disney World restaurants could be found by visiting disneymickeycheck.com.  The meals listed were recipients of the Mickey Check and met Disney Nutrition Guidelines, developed by health experts to align with federal dietary guideline recommendations.  They had a page for recipes, so I decided to look through them for some fun and relatively easy recipes.  I've been looking for a while for a vegan-friendly version of sushi that all my family will like (and which is easy to make at home without having to go out and find nori wrap, etc, so the first recipe from this website to catch my eye was for Sandwich Sushi.  With the exception of one ingredient (alfalfa sprouts), we had bought all the ingredients required while at Winn Dixie, so I put it forward to my mum as a lunch or dinner suggestion.

Ingredients (to serve 4)

12 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed
4 tablespoons hummus (you can use the recipe here)
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" by 1/4" by 2" sticks
1/2 a cucumber, cut into 1/4" by 1/4" by 2" sticks
1 bell pepper, cut into 1/4" by 1/4" by 2" sticks
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts

Instructions

1. Place crustless bread on a large cutting board.  Using a rolling pin, flatten the bread so it spreads slightly and is as flat as possible.
2. Spread each slice with a very thin layer of hummus, about 1 teaspoon's worth per slice.
3. Lay a piece of carrot, cucumber and bell pepper lengthwise on each piece of bread, staggering and stacking them slightly so they take up as little space as possible.
4. Top with a few alfalfa sprouts and then roll tightly into a spiral towards the opposite side.  Press on the seam to ensure that the bread sticks together.
5. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread.  Slice into 4 "sushi rolls" and serve.

Cucumber, Fennel and Parsley Salad

As we near the end of June, it's getting even hotter - well, not THAT hot, but it was 21 degrees Celsius here on Wednesday and we needed the windows open while having lunch in the car in Leeds and it also made me feel really sleepy.  This weekend, I'm heading down to Cambridge for the first of two family meet-ups for this summer and if the weather's good (it's usually better in Cambridge than it is here in the cold North), we'll be having a barbecue in my cousins' garden.  Since we're only going to be arriving in the late-afternoon, I probably won't quite have enough time (or the ingredients) to make anything, but if I were to make a contribution to the barbecue party, I make a couple of batches of this salad recipe that I found in the Tesco Food Family Living magazine for June 2015.  It's full of greens and herbs, so eat plenty!

Ingredients (to serve 6)

1 cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out, and finely sliced
2 fennel bulbs, finely sliced
1/2 x 60g bag lamb's lettuce
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

For the dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 x 31g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, fennel, lamb's lettuce, chives and lemon zest.  Scatter over the poppy seeds.
2. To make the dressing, put the olive oil, parsley, garlic and lemon juice in a blender and whizz to combine.
3. Gradually add 1-2 tablespoons of water until the mixture reaches a pourable consistency. 
4. Serve the dressing on the side to spoon over the salad.

Harissa Roasted Veg Flatbread

As I start writing this, it has just turned to Monday morning, and so we're now so far past Friday that I'll be soon writing a post for this Friday.  Last week was also a busy one, with Monday running until just after 3am on Tuesday so that I could finish my Media Ethics essay for a Tuesday 5pm deadline (I'm glad that's over an done with), Tuesday being a dress rehearsal running til almost 11pm, having to wait at uni until 9pm on Wednesday because my parents and brother were at an information evening, and Thursday running from the start of a 9am lab session to the end of The Merry Old Scratch of Oz in the evening. I was definitely glad to come home on Friday lunchtime after my lecture and just spend the rest of the day listening to music and doing my work with no pressure whatsoever. This week is a lot less busy with the only evening for me to be late home being Thursday when my brother has lifeguard training, during which I'll be finishing my SQL lab and then meeting up for a catch-up with one of my friends (I say catch-up - I see this person regularly anyway, but we were both so busy with deadlines and rehearsals and stuff that we barely saw each other all week). I also feel like, for the first time in a month, I'm in a position to finally try to get back into a regular reading routine. I've chosen a selection by Irish writer Cathy Kelly called Christmas Stories. I know that it's only still early-ish November, but this weekend has been when I have seen so many Christmas films come up on television guides, and with at least two Christmas books to read this season, I think I'd better get started on one of them now. In the next week or two, I'm also going to update my iPod to include all my Christmas songs! In another week or two, I'll also start to include festive recipes, but for now, I'll share a recipe for harissa roasted veg flatbread that I found in the October 2014 edition of the Tesco Food and Living magazine and then modified slightly to exclude ricotta cheese.

Ingredients

1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 broccoli, cut into florets
2 tablespoons harissa paste
4 tortilla wraps
1 x 375g jar tomato and basil sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6, 200 degrees Celsius, or 180 degrees Celsius fan-assisted.  Put the cauliflower and broccoli in a bowl and mix with the harissa paste, until coated.
2. Lay the wraps flat on two large baking trays.  Spread each wrap equally with the tomato sauce.
3. Top with the broccoli and cauliflower.  Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges have crisped up.  Serve immediately.