bignoseduglyguy

The meal after the birthday outing

After a long day celebrating Sprog #4's 3rd birthday at an animal park - pictures here - we arrived home tired, so the last thing SWMBO or I wanted to do was cook. However, parental responsibility nagged us into rustling up a large pan of penne, which was dumped on the table with some hastily chopped meats, cheeses etc for a quick hearty meal. Sadly, I tried plain yoghurt in place of cream in the Mum and Dad's crab sauce I whipped up which made is smell dodgy and taste worse. Although pasta with liberal helpings of butter, peppper and cheese is not bad, I would have preferred a reprise of the salmon and prawn pasta I made on Friday for a friend who dropped by. If this sounds extravagent, take the frugal route by buying a bag of small frozen prawns and a pack of the smoked salmon trimmings supermarkets often sell cheap from the fish displays - I got both for £2.

Salmon and Prawn Pasta

250g pasta (shells, bows, spirale, fusili)
25g butter
4 salad onions or 2 shallots, sliced
75g prawns
juice of ½ lemon
15ml spoon freshly chopped dill - or dried
142ml double cream or creme fraiche
125g smoked salmon, cut into strips
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, melt the butter, add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the prawns, lemon juice and dill. Drain the pasta, add to the prawns and stir in the double cream or creme fraiche, salmon and some seasoning, to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, until heated through thoroughly. Serve on a warmed serving plate, garnished with the dill and lemon slices and with lots of crusty bread and chilled wine. To make the evening complete, make the kids wash up.