Chilli prawn pasta

What to cook when you are hungry and your brain feels mushy from a migraine? This is a dilemma I face every so often. It may sound like a minor issue, based on lack of inspiration or not wanting to cook. That is however only part of the problem, but not the biggest obstacle by far. Imagine looking into the fridge and not quite understand what you are looking at and how certain items may work together, then you may begin to see what I'm dealing with when battling an attack. Those of you suffering migraines will of course see the issue without trying very hard.

If I was on my own, I would go for a bowl of yogurt and cereal, staples in our home. I do however have people depending on me making a proper meal. Several times I have heard about muscle memory, when the body knows what to do without the brain being particularly active in the process. That's the best way to explain the birth of this meal. The only thing I wondered about afterwards were the mushrooms, not what I would normally pair with prawns. They were however the only three mushrooms I had left in the fridge and they needed using, so that's probably why they ended up in the dish.

Apart from the mushrooms, my hands grabbed a classic combo of onion, garlic, ginger, leek, pepper and tomato from the fridge drawers. A couple of shelves up, they found sambal oelek and Greek yogurt. In the freezer was a bag of prawns and there was pasta in the cupboard. I probably used salt and pepper as well, but I can't recall any other seasoning. I remember looking at the ingredients on the counter top, wondering what to do and deciding not to worry about it. It would all work out fine, or not. As luck would have it, or perhaps my muscle memory when it comes to cooking is that good, the meal ended up being very tasty. Let me tell you, it could just have easily gone the other way.

How to cook this haphazard meal:

1. Get the ingredients out and stare at them for a while.

2. Chop the stuff you need first and put pasta water on to boil.

3. Soften the onion and mushrooms (if you are using them) in a little oil.

4. Add the garlic and pepper and cook for a little while.

5. While the pepper is cooking, chop the leek and tomatoes. At some point the pasta needs to be added to the boiling water, probably about now.

6. Add the leek and tomatoes to the pan and cook until the tomatoes start breaking down and become a little mushy, without losing their structure completely.

7. Add the frozen prawns and chilli paste. Make it as hot as you like.

8. By now the pasta ought to be cooked.

9. When the prawns have defrosted and cooked for a little while, add a big dollop of yogurt. Greek yogurt is better for cooking warm food than natural yogurt. Stir well.

10. Add the pasta.

11. Mix well and get your plate or bowl ready.

12. Dish up and enjoy a hopefully nice meal.

I'm a stubborn fork person, unless I'm having soup. Eating soup with a fork would be silly. Ice cream and yogurt also require a spoon. Pretty much everything else I eat with a fork. What about the sauce, I hear you say. That's just it. Often the sauce is the most unhealthy part of a meal and by eating with a fork, I get some of the sauce, but not all of it. No, I don't fetch a spoon at the end of the meal or lick the plate. That would defeat the object. Sometimes I tip my leftover sauce onto my son's plate, as he needs a treat more than I do. That way it looks as if I finished with a clean plate. Trickery!