Jo's Old Site

Last Sunday I got some wonderful constructive feedback from my sister about my story, and afterwards I decided to make my Mrs Mopp story into a short story; as trying to write it as a story with chapters had made it too confusing. So I have now done it all again and instead of being sixty seven pages it is now only three pages long.

The short story also has a new title, as I renamed this story “The Changing Mrs Mopp” and I made major changes to the story as Mrs Mopp is now the main character; I also think that in this short story that I have been more successful at figuring out what the main plots are and keeping to the big picture.

Anyway, Mr and Mrs Mopp cooks a baked dinner in “The Changing Mrs Mopp” and I thought to put the veggie recipes here as I know that some people are always interested in them. The recipes came out of a Family Circle Christmas Edition magazine and my mum cooked these recipes on Christmas Day.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

You’ll need:

750g Brussels Sprouts, peeled
if necesssary.

125g pancetta (Italian Bacon),
chopped.

Squeeze of lemon juice.

25g butter.

1) Steam the sprouts until tender about ten minutes. Meanwhile, put the pancetta in a frying pan and fry until it turns crispy. Leave the pancetta in the pan while the sprouts cook.

2) Once the sprouts are cooked, toss them in the pan with the pancetta and over a high heat, add the lemon juice and the butter and stir until the butter has melted. Then put the sprouts and pancetta in a warm serving dish.

Lemon and Garlic
Roast Potatoes.

Use Olive Oil Cooking
Spray.

You’ll need:

2.25kg sebago potatoes,
peeled and washed then
cut up into 6cm pieces.

1/3 cup of olive oil.

Finely grated rind of
one large lemon.

2 garlic cloves crushed.

2 sprigs of rosemary, cut
into 3cm lengths.

sea salt, to taste

1) Preheat oven to 220C and lightly spray a large oven tray with oil.

2) Put the potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender then test them with a skewer.Drain potatoes and return to the hot saucepan.

3) Cover saucepan and shake vigorously, until the surface of the potatoes are rough.

4) Combine the olive oil with the lemon rind, and garlic and spread the potatoes over the prepared oven tray. Then brush potatoes with the flavoured oil. Next scatter over the rosemary sprigs, and then roast the potatoes in pre heated oven, turning halfway through the cooking, for an hour or until golden and crisp. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Mrs Mopp also cooks other veggies in the short story, but I’ll put those recipes up later.