just breathe

Do you find that cooking dinner / having a very hungry child is a bit like hitting the  start line at Le Mans each evening? The engine begins to rumble as soon as you get the key in the lock and you know it is only seconds before the whine of “I’m hungry” begins to build before the lights go green and you hit the kitchen at 125mph?

Stand down Hamilton, for tonight I was the F1 champion, of the kitchen at least. Door to dinner table in under 900 seconds.

I am not going to insult your intelligence and ability to read a packet by telling you how to boil some spaghetti apart from to say, don’t waste two pans. Pop the broccoli on top of the spaghetti and in the time it takes to cook the pasta the broccoli will be perfect

Tomato Sauce (to feed 2 very hungry adults or 1 hungry adult, a hungry child with leftovers for tomorrow.

For the sauce, get a pan wide pan and throw in:

• 390g of chopped tomatoes in juice (from a can or packet)
• 4-5 cloves of roast garlic (or less if you want to have friends tomorrow)
• A teaspoon of smoked paprika
• A level teaspoon of Vecon (concentrated vegetable stock)
• A pinch of sea salt
• A pinch of sugar

Bring to the boil and reduce the sauce until it is thick and lovely. While that is happening grate up some Parmesan Cheese (proper stuff, not that knock off rubbish that the Italians have got their knickers in a knot about) into a pretty little bowls and stick it in the middle of the table. Set the table (forks and spoons and what-not)

Add to the sauce:

• 43g of dress crab meat (from a can)
• A handful of chopped spring onion

For the final lap, toss the sauce through the pasta, throw on the onion and serve with the broccoli on the side and the parmesan sprinkled on the top. Also good served with olives.

Super tasty, super cheap, super mum (or dad)!

Also, as a nod to todays #hellomynameis campaign for @NHSChangeday – Hello My Name is Natalie – if you get time, please take a look at all the Tweets and great pictures that NHS staff from up and down the country have been posting today, as part of NHS Change Day 2015. Thank you.