What makes the perfect Friday Night In? Is it the company you
keep, like your friends and family? Is it what you have for dinner,
like a tasty home-cooked meal or a hassle free curry delivered to
your door? Or maybe it's simply knowing that you've got all evening
to relax without having to worry about getting up for work the next
day.
No matter how you like to spend a Friday night at home, we can
bet your sofa has major part to play. It's hard to relax standing
up, after all. Here at Sofas & Stuff, we're kind of the experts
when it comes to comfy living room furniture, which we think kind
of makes us the Friday Night In experts too.
To put that theory to the test we're launching a brand new
series on the Sofas & Stuff blog. Every Friday (starting from
now) we'll be looking at loads of different ways for you to create
your own perfect Friday Night In. We'll be suggesting films and TV
shows to watch, easy recipes to try, games to play and much more.
Each week we'll be putting ourselves in the shoes of our customers
and asking ourselves, 'how can we make your great Friday Night In
even better?'
We understand that Mark's perfect night in is different from
Julia's, and that Julia's is different from Emily's. We all have an
idea of what makes for a great night at home after the end of a
long week, from the bookworm who likes to spend it curled up under
a blanket to the sports nut catching up on the rugby world cup with
his mates. So stay tuned for more top ideas than you can shake a
stick at.
Next week we'll be sharing some great Friday night tips for
couples. A romantic night doesn't always mean dinner at an
expensive restaurant - with Sofas & Stuff as your guide you can
have an unforgettable night without setting a foot outside. From
wine tips to conversation topics, we'll have everything you need
for an affordable and fun night in.
To get you started, here are a few of our top picks for tonight.
We hope you like our suggestions:
Something to watch
Crash (9pm, Film Four) This gripping
Oscar-winning drama follows several intertwining stories. A strong
cast including Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton deal
with crashes, crime and conflict in Los Angeles.
Something to drink
We think the colder weather is the perfect excuse for a glass of
red wine. Try this delicious Oyster Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough from
Waitrose, only £10.99 a bottle.
Something to eat
What goes perfectly with red wine on a chilly evening? A hearty
stew of course! We love this recipe for orzo soup with meguez lamb meatballs -
delicious!
Ingredients
1/2 lb. lamb merguez sausage*
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup finely diced yellow onion (1 small-ish onion)
1 cup finely diced carrots
2 tbsp. chopped carrot green (optional)
5 cups beef stock
1 cup whole wheat orzo
3 cups collard greens
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
salt to taste
Parmesan for dusting
Preparation method
Make mini meatballs (about 1/2-inch in diameter) from your
sausage and set aside. Set a large pot over medium heat. Once it's
hot, heat up the olive oil for a minute, then add half of your
meatballs in a single layer. Brown for 2 -3 minutes on each side,
then remove to a plate. Repeat with the second half of your
meatballs.
Add the onions and carrots to the pot and saute until the onions
are almost transparent - about 7 minutes. Add the stock, collards
and carrot greens. Cover, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 15 -
20 minutes, or until the onions, carrots and collards are
tender.
Add the orzo to the pot and place the meatballs back in. Cook
until the orzo is almost al dente - about 8 minutes, then add the
vinegar and salt to taste. Cook for another minute.
Serve with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and more
carrot greens as garnish (optional).
We also want to hear about your perfect Friday Night In. You can
tweet us your ideas @sofasandstuff or leave us a comment on our Facebook page. We love hearing your
suggestions, and we'll pick some of the best ones to feature on our
blog.