My wife is currently between jobs. And she likes it that way. Who wouldn’t? However she is in demand. The recruitment consultant is chasing her around and she is facing the reality that, although her husband is extremely successful* even he will eventually struggle to meet certain demands – face creams, shoes and handbags do not, after all, grow on trees.
So we have together created a motivational tool to assist in the employment acquisition process. We call it the CONVEYOR BELT OF REALITY. The Conveyor Belt of Reality is a virtual machine that, just like in ‘Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game’ of the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, passes before the eyes of the contestant a plethora of desirable items which they must memorise and then recall to win.
(For me the Conveyor Belt of Reality would comprise expensive cuts of meat, exotic spices and top-of-the-range kitchen appliances).
This got me thinking that if I had to find another job (sorry I mean a new direction to my career) I would need to rein in the orgy of food porn that I generate on a regular basis. Maybe I would create more dishes similar to ‘Roasted Vegetable Roll-Ups’ – wholesome morsels of healthy living that won’t break the bank.
(*success is all in the eye of the beholder, of course)
To create ‘Roasted Vegetable Roll-Ups’ you will need
- 2 aubergines
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- handful fresh basil
- olive oil
- 2 courgettes
- pine nuts
- ½ pot of green pesto
- ½ pack of cream cheese
- 3 large tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 pack halloumi cheese
Start with the aubergines. Top and tail them then slice into thick slices.
Arrange on a baking tray covered in foil and brush liberally with olive oil.
Season and grill for 5 or mins each side. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Repeat the process with the courgette.
Meanwhile slice the halloumi into strips and fry in a little oil until browned.
Next cut the peppers into quarters and put under the grill to scorch the skins. Peel them and set aside.
Combine the cream cheese with the pesto.
Dry fry the pine nuts for 30 seconds, just to toast them lightly.
Put all the left over vegetables, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste in a pan and bring to simmer until everything begins to breakdown. Season well and add the cheese.
Now it’s time to construct the Roll-Ups. Take a slice of aubergine and spread some of the cheese-pesto mixture on.
Place a courgette slice on top and some more cheesy mix.
Lay one green and one red slice of pepper on top.
Form the layers into a round and place on a serving plate on its side. Repeat to create four Roll-Ups.
Drizzle with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle on the pine nuts and a few basil leaves.
Serve a Roll-Up sitting on a spoonful of the halloumi sauce.
Breaking News: The wife got a new contract. Starts Monday. She’s gutted. Spent the whole day watching Breaking Bad to get over it.
Looks great as well as delicious. Twisting that eggplant took some skill. Breaking Bad is guaranteed to be perfect break. Going to Albuquerque today in a blinding snow storm.
Good luck watch out for Mr White.
Well of course expensive creams, handbags & shoes don’t grow on trees, silly! They come from considerate, loving husbands who buy them on a whim to please their wives (hint, especially after landing a new job….just saying).
Those roll ups look great & it’s good to finally get a chance to catch up on your blog.
Looks lovely and will try it. But where did the halloumi go …I slightly lost the plot – did you put it in the tomato sauce?
yes it went in the sauce. Actually I kind of got lost myself with that one. I had a photo of the cheese and a photo of the tomatoes and i guess that’s where it went… PS we are watching Breaking Bad. Amy has been watching it all week – we’re on Season 4…..
Hmmm, what’s on my conveyor belt of reality? Electronic gadgets, Saigon cinnamon at $8 for a small tin, anti-aging skin care (absolute necessity there), dining out, stylish sensible shoes (only available at exorbitant prices). Good thing I sell that anti-aging skin care (in Canada & the UK – um, how shameless is that) in addition to blogging, for which my only remuneration is satisfaction.
Good luck to your wife on her new job!
That selection sounds almost identical to to my wife’s!
Ha ha poor her. I hope it’s better than she’s expecting and the money will come in handy for Christmas! Your recipe today looks absolutely gorgeous. I think you two should open a restaurant!
Mmm all that work work work. And I would struggle to deal with picky customers…
I so agree. That’s one job I would be hopeless at – waitressing. I would be tempted to say something like ‘take it or leave it’ to the overly picky ones!!
Good luck to your wife for the new job. I feel her pain, but I love the conveyor belt of reality set-up 🙂 What on earth is halloumi? I’d love to taste your rolls, but it appears to be a lengthy procedure involving lots of washing-up 😦
The washing up is directly proportional to the amount of wine consumed in the cooking process. More wine = more mess!
Good luck with the conveyor belt!
Didn’t she do well! Haha, For some reason, looking at your gravatar pic, I’ve got Basil Brush in my head.
Got bitten by a squirrel in my bedroom this morning!
Congrats on the new job for the Mrs. Your rolls look great and different from your usual stuff (which also looks great, that’s not what I meant). By using ricotta and mozzarella instead of halloumi and cream cheese, these would be Italian antipasti 🙂
Good point – its good to read someone who thinks food!
Best of luck to the wife as she climbs the ladder. Lovely rolls.
Yes thanks she’s right back on it already.
Oh my! That looks amazing! I am sure it tasted amazing too!
Tasty and wholesome!
Good wishes to your wife! And I have always failed in making an eggplant look nice in a pic. You’ve managed to roll that up, on top of that – simply awesome!
Why thanks – they look okay don’t they.
They obviously do! I have never been able to make eggplants look good.
I agree they usually look better in their natural purple state dont they