Is it even cooking if you're not blogging?

 I made tacos on Monday, and you probably don't need to know about it. Nice tacos, though. I remain completely incapable of serving them without making a hell of a mess. I took photos, even though there isn't really a narrative here. Apart from the usual one (Melinda, are you planning something that needs three pans to cook on a busy Monday evening? Yes, definitely). But let the record show: NKB chicken tinga tacos are good. 

I did buy another avocado, after months of not really feeling like eating one. Does that count as narrative? I think it counts as spring.

It was also really impractical leftovers trying to fit between manymany meetings yesterday and even more when I got home at 3pm today after An Actual Work Thing requiring Travel. Let the record show, I have used the Tube for the first time since November 30th (which was a similar Actual Work Thing, I've not done it for fun since mid October, when museums were open).

 

But on Tuesday, I made a slightly better decision in terms of post-work cooking, which also did nicely as leftovers tonight after all that plus a haircut (!!) and then yoga. A stew. See if you can guess what attracted my attention to it (another one from Carpathia, which is going to get a rest after this I reckon): 

Chicken stew with tomato and garlic (and dumplings)

The stew is super simple - start by browning some chicken thighs, then add some passata (750ml) and chicken stock (200ml - both those are for 8 thighs, so I halved), and 10 crushed garlic cloves (did not halve this, though I also didn't quite use 10. Bring to the boil, and then simmer 30-40 minutes. 

Honestly, I think this would be better with actual passata instead of the elderly tin of tomatoes I fished out of my not-quite-stockpile (heavy stuff at the bottom, and this had got overlooked several times). It wasn't lumpy, but it was a smidge watery without having that blended base. Still, it's really very easy as stew instructions go. 

And the dumplings are simple too. 150g self-raising flour, 50g polenta, 2 eggs, 25ml oil, 35ml water, salt. Mix. 

Be cautious with the liquid, you want it just gloopy enough to fall off the spoon into the saucepan...says the recipe. When you do that, you get...

...very flat dumplings and shreds. Quite a few of these are pretty solid, and all of them survived the recommended 20 minutes-plus cooking. Drain them when done, and add to the stew about 3 minutes before you want to serve, ensuring they get covered in sauce.

Then garnish with parsley....and raw sliced garlic... (I added it with the dumplings, like a wuss, so not actually raw).

No looker as dishes go, and I reduced the sauce tonight with greater success. But! It's very nice, very unfaffy, and something you can leave cooking while you watch something for 20-30 minutes in the middle. I recommend it. (Not to vampires.)