Starting simply - Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

Despite having an entire day to come up with something amazing for day one, I found myself staring into the fridge at 7.30pm wondering how I could've wasted so much time doing housework and not researching exciting new recipes.

Of course, this was tempered by the knowledge that I was cooking for someone whose idea of adventurous eating is to have mayonnaise in his sandwiches rather than butter (he wouldn't do this himself I hasten to add!).

But given that the husband doesn't vary his diet much, the chances of me being able to try a new recipe out on him were quite high.  As a point of note, I frequently cook two or three different meals each dinner time because some days, I just have to eat something interesting!

A quick search on the BBC Good Food website with the contents of my fridge saw us eating chicken and chorizo pasta - probably a staple meal in most households, but in this house, it was positively cosmopolitan.

It even got a half-thumbs up although the husband rightly requested the omission of chillies next time, which I actually agreed with.  They added heat but no flavour.  Perhaps because I substituted dried for fresh.  And omitted the creme fraiche as rather unusually I don't actually have any.  Oh and I didn't have cherry tomatoes (I hate those little suckers) so used a tin of plum tomatoes instead.

And a complete technology fail (never buy a Samsung Galaxy SII), mean no documentary evidence of dinner.  Hey-ho.  A better day beckons tomorrow!

Anyhow, in a nutshell, this is how the recipe went:

Chicken and Chorizo Pasta - Serves 4

• 300g pasta shapes
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red chilli
• 16 cherry tomatoes (or a tin of plum tomatoes)
• 300ml creme fraiche (optional)
• 100g cooking chorizo
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 190g jar red pesto

1. Heat olive oil in a pan. Dice chicken and chorizo and add to pan - fry gently for 3-4 minutes until chicken is browned and chorizo oil is released
2. Whilst chicken is cooking, roughly chop onion and pepper and finely chop garlic and chilli. Add to pan and cook until onion and peppers have softened and chicken is cooked thoroughly
3. Add tomatoes to pan, gently cook for 5 min until tomatoes begin to burst. Cook pasta as per pack instructions
4. Whilst pasta is cooking add creme fraiche (if using), lemon juice and pesto to chicken and warm thorugh. Season to taste
5. Add cooked drained pasta to chicken and creme fraiche mix and stir until coated - serve with a rocket and parmesan salad