Woollies had limes for the same price per kilo as lemons the other day – as opposed to one lime costing the same as the per kilo price for their yellow sibling.

So I made my lemon yoghurt cake according to the original recipe, in which it was called a lime yoghurt cake.

Yum

I also caught up w/ a friend from school – Sar – who is married to an English minister and now lives in the UK. She’ staying with her olds and it is always a surreal experience when visiting to be back in that house we all hung out in as teenagers, but now as parents. with children. and in my case, a LOT of them.

Then my beautifully wonderful friend Lara came over – just because. Can I just say, it was SO nice hanging out with women today.

For dinner I made pasta shells stuffed w/ ricotta and spinach.
Make a basic tomato sauce (I doubled this recipe and also cooked the onions for a long long time at first, so it went deep brown, but not crisp.)
Make a bechamel (I haven’t done this before but was feeling like it needed the creaminess – I did about half this recipe.)

For the shells
2xpackets of frozen finely chopped spinach, defrosted and well drained
500g ricotta
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
- cook the onion and garlic, let cool slightly
- mix ingredients together and season

pour sauce into baking dish
top with shells stuffed w/ ricotta and spinach
drizzle over bechamel
scatter over cheese
c00k at 180C until shells are cooked.

Mmmmm

You know, quiche is one of those things I make very rarely, and then I do and go – oh, so good! Why don’t I make this more often?

Who knows.

The following makes 2 small quiche, because I like variety. And having choice.

Quiche
filo pastry
8 eggs
330 ml cream (or thereabouts – I think the other day I put 1 1/2 cups)
salt and freshly ground pepper
good handful finely chopped flat-leafed parsley
125g parmesan cheese, grated

- in one of the few uses of virgin oil in a spray can, spray oil between 3-4 sheets of filo pastry and line small quiche dishes (20cm diametre) – which you’ve sprayed with oil as well.
- mix together the eggs and cream
- add the parsley, seasonings and cheese

Two variations made recently

Lorraine
4 slices bacon, cut into strips
1 onion, finely chopped
- heat some oil in a fry pan, saute onion until soft and then add bacon – saute for a few minutes.
- let cool
- scatter over base of filo, top with about half of the egg mixture – make sure you get a good bit of the parmesan as well.

Mushroom and asparagus
1 bunch asparagus, cut into short lengths
button mushrooms – sliced thinly (use as many as you like – I think I used about 8 small-medium sized button mushrooms)
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
- heat some oil in a fry pan, saute the onions, then add the mushrooms after a few minutes.
- blanch the asparagus for a minute or so
- let cool, then scatter over base of filo and top with filling.

Bake in a 180C oven for about 25 minutes.
Serve with a green salad or steamed veg.