Half Time and Not What it Says on the Tin

Not what it says on the tin:

In the UK it is a well used phrase “It does what says on the tin” and is even an advertising slogan.  Well, to coin another phrase “think outside the box”, I decided to “think outside the tin”.  A tin of ratatouille has been languishing on the larder shelf and I decided it was time to use it.  How many recipes can I create with this being the main ingredient became a bit of a challenge.  Wont bore you with them all, but here are some suggestions: whizz it in a processor and if necessary just add a little stock or water and hey presto a soup manifests itself in the saucepan.  A second idea was to use it liquidised again as a sauce over pasta.  The third idea is the one I actually implemented and is Recipe of the Week below.

Half Time:

Unless you inhabit another planet you will know we are in the throes of Euro matches.

Whilst I don’t mind actual football matches, I can do without endless hours of the pundits telling me what I am about to watch, and worse still what I have just watched.

A few minutes of informed opinion is OK, but if I want to hear more I would go to the pub and it is there in abundance.  So to fill in the time I like to read or knit.  Well, that’s not strictly true is it, as I have to feed my internet addiction first!  Or “Quality time with the laptop”!

Belowtherefore are knitting/kindle/recipes for half time.

 Half Time Knitting:

The knitting has to be the sort that distractions don’t impact on the project.  So I resort to sock knitting or the favourite standby for stash busting of a Baktus. The Baktus is really the most versatile scarf/shawlette to wear.  For the socks Patons site have some good free patterns that fit the bill nicely like these  http://www.patonsyarns.com/pattern.php?PID=2423

And to save the search on here for the Baktus here is the pattern link http://www.flickr.com/photos/norwayneedles/2963651011

Recipe is Half Time Casserole.

(the pic doesnt do it justice as it is not so anaemic in real life!)

Ingredients:Tin of ratatouille, small onion, Redwood ready to eat sage and majoram sausages or equivalent, 4 oz twirly pasta.

Saute the onions, and while they soften cook the pasta and drain.

Add the tin of ratatouille to the onions.

Zap the lot like crazy till a nice thick sauce happens.

In a bowl mix sausages, sauce and pasta and either serve immediately or reheat later.

Now you know why it is called Half Time Casserol, because it can be made earlier, then when the football is on the tv, just before kick off put the casserole in the oven.

Half time remove the hot casserole and eat before the second half starts!

Half time/pundit time read. 

Kindle How Not to Run a BB Bobby Hutchinson,http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Not-To-Run-ebook/dp/B007KOTSVQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340109708&sr=8-1

This book is an interesting mix, it has humour, racy moments (you have been warned!) and breakfast recipes!!  I like it as a half time book because it can be picked up spasmodically without a complicated plot to follow.   It was a free download notified to me by http://www.ereaderiq.com/free/  If it is no longer free, then it may become free again at a later date with a bit of luck.