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

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!

VENISON LEFTOVERS

Many of you will have seen my previous post on venison, a roast haunch for Sunday lunch on the BBQ.  Well, as is usually the case with a roast dinner, there was plenty left over which we ate throughout the week - and it was just as good cold.

Apart from cutting a slither off every time I opened the fridge, we've had a lunch of

stuffed venison pitta breads and a meal of cold venison with char grilled Mediterranean veg.

Toast and split the pitta bread

 Stuff with the cold sliced venison, red pepper, spring onion, tomato and goats cheese

And drizzle over some sweet chilli sauce for an extra something

This one is locally handmade from Gulls Cottage, Dedham, bought from our local deli.

Warm and crunchy with a spicy hot kick!

Use any other cold meat or remove altogether for a vegetarian option

For the venison with charcoal grilled Mediterranean veg.....

Grill three peppers on all sides until the skin has charred and is bubbling away from the flesh. 

Put into a plastic bag for 5 minutes to allow to sweat.   

Remove from the bag, peel off the skin, de-seed and thinly slice. Put to the side.

Steam a handful of green beans and put to the side.

Slice one courgette and four mushrooms and toss in a desert spoon

of olive oil with six whole trimmed spring onions.

Char grill in a griddle pan, placing just a few slices in at a time and cooking on both sides.

No oil required.

Press them down as they cook to get an even colour.  

In a separate bowl add a desert spoon of chopped chives and one of chopped lovage.

(two chives if you don't have the lovage)

Add eight finely chopped black olives and a teaspoon of finely chopped capers

and then mix in one teaspoon of dijon mustard and a tablespoon of raspberry vinegar

or good red wine vinegar.

Throw in the char grilled vegetables, sliced peppers and green beans and toss together.

Serve with slices of cold venison and cous cous

 So, all in all its fed the family well for the last week and it didn't cost a bean!

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.