Lunch SOS

I return with a fear of more comebacks than Britney Spears. Though nothing so scandalous, I have not shaved my head nor had a stint in rehab. I have this rather annoying thing in my life, called a job. It consumes much of my spare time. I have also had another more positive time consuming activity in that I had an event of my own to plan – our wedding, and wonderful it was too!

So the Kitchen Fairy is now a married lady and all round domestic goddess. Well, actually my domestic skills are still confined to the kitchen according to my wonderful husband, though I don’t have much more time to waste on domestic chores.. do I?! I did stop writing, but I didn’t stop cooking (or eating as my “few” extra pounds will tell you).

I had contemplated deleting my last post, to soften the embarrassment of my prolonged leave of absence. My friend James told me he sometimes clicks on my blog for his own personal amusement, at my giant grin and giant fall from comebackdom! I am what I am, an overworked Event Manager who likes to cook and has very little time to herself. Anyway, I was born sorry, and will not start every new blog posting with an apology or end with a promise, I will just do the best I can dear reader.

I had my friend Daphne over for lunch today, SOS imagination rescue - I had nothing in the fridge (apparently) or much in the cupboard but I managed to rustle up from nowhere a little gem from nowhere and a few items lying about the place!

Speedy Lunch SOS - Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach and Camembert Frittata


Butternut Squash, Spinach & Camembert Frittata


It’s so very easy and looks beautiful. It would be a good dish to take to a picnic, poorly friend or as I intended today a quick and easy lunch for a lovely friend. Peel a butternut squash and chop into bite sized pieces, lay on a baking tray and drizzle with rapeseed oil and season with Maldon Rock Salt and Black Pepper.

Line a baking tin with baking paper or I use a silicon cake “tin” and pop a cake tin liner (available from John Lewis) in - no messing!  Cover the bottom of the cake tin with the squash, tear up some washed baby spinach and pop into a mixture of 5 free range eggs beaten with 200ml of double cream. Season with Maldon Sea Salt and black pepper. Add this to the cake tin and dot it with some cheese. You can use whichever cheese you have or prefer, I just happened to have camembert left from the weekend and it happened to work really well. I wouldn’t have chosen camembert for this, but knew the halloumi I had wouldn’t work as well.

Pop in the frittata in a preheated oven at 160oC for 25 minutes, until just firm and golden. Though do check after 20 minutes as ovens really do vary. This needs to be slightly soft (baveuse as the French call it) and keep in mind eggs keep cooking until they cool and the frittata can easily become rubbery.

I served it with a ripe avocado and tomato salad, tossed with baby spinach, parmesan and a little rapeseed oil and lemon juice. Serve it with anything you jolly well fancy. For now....x