SMOKED MACKEREL, LENTIL & ASPARAGUS SALAD

Smoke mackerel is dead cheap, versatile and incredibly flavoursome

and we usually have a pack in the freezer on standby.

Perfect in pasta, I often make a mackerel carbonara which I will add to the blog soon.

In a sandwich with lashings of mayo or in crunchy salads like this lentil one.

The Salad

2 smoked mackerel fillets

6-8 asparagus - blanched 

1 red onion - sliced

1 tin of green lentils - rinsed

2 handfuls of rocket leaves

1 tomato - sliced

2 free range eggs 

The French dressing 

1 tbsp olive oil, 

1/2 lemon juice 

1tsp Dijon

Pinch of sugar

Serves 2

Cook the asparagus for 3-4 minutes and plunge straight into cold water.

Boil  the eggs for 5 minutes and again plunge into cold water.

In the meantime, skin the mackerel removing any large pin bones and

break up in to large pieces.

Slice the onion and the tomato and throw into a mixing bowl along with the lentils, 

asparagus, rocket and mackerel.

To make the dressing

Put the Dijon mustard into a small bowl and spoon on the olive oil a little at a time,

 stirring well to combine before you add more.

When all the oil is combined add the lemon juice and sugar.

Stir and leave to sit for a few minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve.

Drizzle the dressing over the prepared salad and toss

Serve the salad onto two plates, half the eggs and place them on the top

SPICY SWEET POTATO AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Try this super quick, super tasty vegetable soup with a hunk of bread and butter.

A healthy, meat free lunch or tea with a spicy kick.

Ingredients

50g butter

1 medium onion, chopped

½-1 tsp green Thai curry paste (depending on how hot you like it!)
½-1 tsp red Thai curry paste

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

350g butternut squash, peeled and cubed

700ml of vegetable stock

160ml coconut milk or cream

Natural yogurt and chopped coriander to garnish

Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently fry off the chopped onion until softened.

Spoon in the Thai pastes and fry for another minute or so.

Add the cubed sweet potato and butternut squash and cook for a further 5 minutes on a medium heat to soften a little and take in the curry flavours.

Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 25-30 minutes

to allow the vegetables to cook through.

Take off the heat and blend until lump free.

Add the coconut milk

Its now ready to serve

Spoon on some natural yogurt and sprinkle with chopped coriander, parsley or lovage

Serve with a hunk of bread or toast

PASTIES AT PADSTOW

I wonder how many pasties are sold in Cornwall every day? Answers on a postcard please! :)

GYROS, OF A SORT

Last summer, our family holiday was a fortnight in Greece.  Lots of memorable foodie moments,

one of which was the delicious 'Gyros' street food.

 Traditionally made with pork but I made mine with beef skirt - as I said, Gyros, of a sorts.

Pretty darn good, if say so myself.

If you fancy a try, this is how 

I marinated 1.5Ib of beef skirt in finely chopped clove of garlic and a table spoon

of red wine vinegar and left for an hour.

 Meanwhile, I made up a few pizza bases in the bread maker 

but you could just buy some round pittas.

And made a kind of guacamole dip by mashing four cloves of chopped pickled garlic
with one avocado and a simple onion and Greek yogurt dip.

Char grill the beef skirt in a griddle pan for 3-4 minutes each side depending on

how rare you like your meat. 

Remove from the pan onto a chopping board and thinly slice.

Load up with the dips, a few leaves of rocket, sliced tomato and cucumber and

top with the beef skirt and a handful of chips - homemade or from the local chippy!

AVOCADO & BACON SALAD, HUGHS POLENTA AND OTHER NON POTATO DISHES!

Mealtimes over the past few weeks have been quite a challenge, particularly lunches as Marie, my wife, is avoiding potato's and bread.  I hadn't realised how much we rely on these day to day but we've managed to find some tasty alternatives and have been enjoying various salad, bean and polenta dishes. 
Here's just a few...

Avocado and bacon salad which literally takes 5 minutes to make

and is surprisingly filling.

Mixed leaves, spinach and sliced avocado topped with pan fried bacon and chorizo

and a free range poached egg

I have never made polenta before and was unsure what to do with it.  Having trawled all my cookery books, I eventually found this recipe on line from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Hugh's polenta fingers (olive oil, chilli, garlic & rosemary) with garlic & tomato sauce

and a fresh green salad.

Recommend you try this!

Click here for Hughs recipe

Sausages with lentils, cream,wilted spinach and roasted tomato's

Utterly delicious!

Swede, carrot and parsnip rosti topped with thick shredded ham and 

a poached free range egg or two! 

There's no shortage of eggs in our house, as you know, so they do turn up in many

of my dishes at the moment.

Fortunately the salad and beans counteract the eggs, if you know what I mean.

101 WAYS WITH.....EGGS!

Since the arrival of our six chickens a few weeks back, egg production has ramped up somewhat and not even the hungry Baker bunch can munch through them.  This week alone, the grandparents, neighbours, friends and even the teacher have had deliveries of eggs.  Interestingly today, I opened the nest box and there were five eggs one of which was two thirds bigger than the others. So I'm guessing the 'mini size' we've been collecting up until now are just beginners. Jolly good!

Needless to say, egg is on the menu and today's delight was swede, parsnip and onion rosti topped with poached eggs and flaked smoked ham.  Delicious!

You'll not find a york this orange in a shop bought egg, I promise you.

PEPPER & PARMESAN TARTLETS

Using pizza dough rather than pastry.

Ingredients

2 red and 2 yellow peppers, deseeded and cut into strips

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp crushed black pepper

2 gloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp freshly chopped thyme

1/2 tsp freshly chopped parsley

100g mature Cheddar, grated

50g Parmesan, grated

150g Greek yoghurt

Mix together the peppers and onion in a roasting tray. Drizzle with oil, season with the salt and pepper and cover the tray with aluminium foil. Roast in a preheated oven at 190°C for about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and drain any excess juice from the vegetables.  Leave to cool while you line the tartlet tins with pizza dough but do not trim edges. 

Stir in the garlic, thyme, parsley, 60g of Cheddar and the 50g grated Parmesan into the roasted peppers and onion and set aside. 

Mix together the yoghurt and the remaining Cheddar in a mixing bowl, then spoon into the tartlet shells.  Scatter the roasted pepper mixture over the yoghurt, spreading it evenly and finish with some shaved Parmesan.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 170°C.

LUNCH TODAY......

TOASTED MUSHROOMS WITH CHEESE

What to eat? Some days, you really need something more than just a sandwich!

Fortunately working next to the Aga today so threw in a few large mushrooms with some emmental cheese. 

Handful of salad on the side, lovely. 

A large glass of white would of finished it off nicely had I not been a work!

SATURDAY NIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT

Saturday nights are a firm favourite in our house for homemade pizza.  Thin and crispy with whatever topping takes our fancy (or what the contents of the fridge allows!) In this case, tomato, ham and mozzarella.

Pizza, sofa,TV, perfect!

BAKED SPUDS WITH SMOKED HADDOCK AND CREME FRAICHE

I'm lucky enough to work near an Aga range and this was my lunch 

Makes a change from the usual cheese and ham sandwich don't you think?

The potatoes had a good hour in the oven, the haddock about 10 minutes.

Empty out the jackets into a bowl and add the flaked fish (not too fine), butter and seasoning. 

Give it a mix up and pop back in the skins. 

Grated cheese, a generous dollop of creme fraiche and more pepper on the top.
Back under the grill for 5 mins, if you can wait!

A mighty fine luncheon!