Spaghetti a la Packets

250 grams of thick spaghetti will feed two people easily
1 small tin pineapple pieces
1 tin La Gina Roma diced tomato
1 small tub of tomato paste
50 grams of sultanas and/or 50 grams of raisins
Half a packet of cranberries (Coles have these)
100 grams pitted prunes (the orange essence ones are just delicious if you can stop nibbling as you go)
Couple of handfuls of peanuts, almonds, pine or other nuts you have on hand
1 small tin apricot or mango nectar
1 small tin corn
2 medium onions
Spices - we use tumeric, paprika, cumin, coriander and (surprisingly) cinnamon - about 1 teaspoon each or to taste - three cloves garlic
Olive oil

How to do it

Place a small amount of oil in frypan.
Finely chop the onions, add to frypan with spices of your choice and the garlic - cook until reasonably tender.
Whilst onions are getting started, place a pot of boiling water on the other gas jet and add the spaghetti. Cover, bring to boil again, then simmer.
Back to the onions - add raisins, sultans, cranberries, prunes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, pineapple, corn, nuts, finally adding the apricot nectar.
Simmer on medium heat until excess water is evaporated (usually about 15-20 minutes) and you are left with a thick sauce surrounding all the fruit and nuts.
When the spaghetti is ready, drain and place on each plate as a bed for the tempting mixture in your frypan.

Optional extras you can add:

Thinly sliced zucchini - add with the onions.
Diced carrot - once again add with the onions.
Small florets of cauliflower - add with the fruit, tomatoes and nuts.
Frozen peas - add with the fruit, tomatoes and nuts.
Any fresh herbs you can get your hands on - especially basil and parsley - add about 5 minutes before serving to give maximum flavour.
Capsicums added half way through give a lovely crispness.
Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the top is nice

If travelling in Queensland in summer you often come across mangoes growing wild everywhere. Just cut these up and forget about the apricot nectar. A very interesting meal with a unique flavour. Whichever way you go, you will have a very healthy meal - very filling - and if there is any left over, it can be refrigerated for the next day. We haven't tried freezing any leftovers yet. Why - well ---- because, what Bob doesn't have for seconds and son Brad doesn't eat, is quickly devoured by Rex (our vegetarian border collie) and Jack (Brad's labrador/kelpie cross).

Feel free to use this as a base recipe and email me about any experimental variations you create - my recipes usually can never be duplicated exactly as there are never exactly the same ingredients in our Possum House - but that's half the fun of A-Cooking!