Macaroni Cauliflower Cheese

Today we had the best ever Macaroni Cauliflower Cheese. This is how it happened:

A few weeks ago, I asked Stephen if he would like Macaroni Cheese for dinner and he said he would cook it. I had all the ingredients and was going to cook it myself. But if someone offers to do my work....

It was delicious - he made the cheese sauce in what I would call 'entirely the wrong way' but it turned out way better than mine. How does he do that?

So today when I suggested we have it again, he agreed to make the cheese sauce. I used to make this quite often in Melbourne where cheese is a staple ingredient. This was one of my 'eat less meat' meals. In Tokyo, this wasn't so till I discovered Nissin supermarket. Now its back on the menu again. It's not the healthiest of meals and we both love cauliflower cheese so I add that to the pasta. And bacon of course. My version has had a bit of chopped tomato on the top, spring onions, pine nuts/walnuts - mostly to add nutrition and perhaps mustard and nutmeg to the sauce. I also don't use macaroni pasta as this gets too soft in the baking process.

I was cringing as he made the sauce. And again it was the tastiest sauce for macaroni cauliflower cheese! Today's recipe had shell shaped pasta, cauliflower, bacon bits, a mix of cheddar, red cheddar, mixed packet of cheese with breadcrumbs and parmesan on the top.

I checked Delia Smith's version, a bit complicated for me, asking to whip egg whites just to make dinner! and she suggests heating the dish while preparing the pasta/sauce. This certainly hastens things up.

Tuna Pasta

I got this recipe from a magazine. Its quick and easy to make. If I am eating alone, this is what I'll do. Today I made this for myself while Nathan had some shop bought meatballs. He ended up eating my pasta while I had to eat his meatballs (which was actually a prawn/fishball something with a very Chinese restaurant taste)

1 can tuna flakes in olive oil, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 dried chilli, crushed
1/2 cup olives, chopped
1 cup rocket or watercress
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
olive oil
salt & pepper
lemon

1. Cook the pasta as directed.
2. Heat the oil and throw in the garlic and chilli.
3. When the garlic begins to brown, add the tuna flakes.
4. Toss it around. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and add to the tuna.
5. Add the rocket and olives and combine.
6. Add salt, pepper and lemon.

I found this recipe on Simply Recipes here