Goals update

I'm doing quite well at knocking a few of my goals for the year over:

3. Cook a new recipe each month January's new recipe was yet another stuffed pepper/tomato one - when I've visited Greece I've just lived off these for a week or more, only picking other dishes every few nights just so I don't seem wierd (OK, make that TOO wierd. Anyway, this has been lurking in my recipe file for many years and may have been cut out of Woman and Home magazine. This must be the most expensive stuffed pepper/tom recipe I have; because of the cheese, lamb and eggs, but it was very nice. I noticed that my supermarket now does a value brand feta-style 'salad cheese', so that might help bring the price down a bit.

Greek stuffed tomatoes

Serves 4

Note: I used peppers and, as they tend to be larger than beef tomatoes, I added an onion with the garlic and added the chopped sliced flesh from the stalk end when I cut off the tops. Peppers don't always sit nicely on their bases so lie them on their flatest side and slice the upper side off - that way they still keep the stalk for aesthetic effects. If you're using largeish peppers you may need to add some rice when you put the wine in for extra bulk, or perhaps use twice as much feta. Instead of breadcrumbs you can use a plain unsweetened breakfast cereal like bran flakes or Weetabix. If you're using peppers then finely chop 8 tomatoes (or a tin of them).

Oil for frying and drizzling
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
4 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (or 1 tablespoon of dried - try marjoram or parsley if you're out of oregano)
500g minced lamb
150ml dry white wine
8 ripe beef tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper
50g breadcrumbs
2 medium eggs
100g feta cheese, crumbled or diced

Heat the oil and fry the garlic (and onion and pepper 'lid', if used) for a few moments.
Add the oregano and stir.
Add the mince, break it up with a fork and stir until it changes colour.
Add the wine, turn up the heat and bubble until the liquid evaporates.
Turn the heat off and leave to cool.
Remove the tops from the tomatoes and carefully scoop out the insides, being very careful not to puncture the tamato.
Cut the woody bitter core from the tomato innards and chop them and the lids very finely (or puree in a food processor).
Stir the eggs, breadcrumbs, seasoning and feta into the meat mixture (I put the tomato innards in too, but read on for a different option).
Stuff the meat mixture into the tomatoes.
Put the tomatoes into a shallow casserole dish, tightly packing them in will help stop them splitting.
Pour the tomato puree around them.
Cook covered in a medium oven (gas 5-ish/190c) for an hour.
Uncover and cook for a further 30 mins to become golden on top.
Remove from the oven and let them stand for 15 mins.
Serve at room temp drizzled with a little olive oil and scattered with some chopped parsley.

4. Get a hair cut - sounds easy but I've always hated going to the hairdressers and the last time I went was Sept 2009! Done - the hair is once again short and has blond highlights. It's the first time it's been short since April 2007. The hairdresser thought it was very funny when she asked why I was getting it all cut off and I replied, 'Cos it's blocking the hoover!'. Other reasons are: will cost less in gas to heat the water to wash it; will take less time to wash; will cost less in shampoo and conditioner; will take less time to try to comb the knots out after washing it; etc etc etc