Very lazy kedgeree

If you have read this blog before you will know that I have the privilege of living with an Aga.  I say "living with" rather than owning, because an Aga really does become a member of the family, as it greets you with warmth every time you come into the kitchen, but it has some idiosyncracies which you have to learn to live with.  If, like me, you are spoilt and have an aga ... this is proper, proper easy - you bring it to the boil on the fast plate, and then stick it in the simmering oven for how ever long... 20 minutes to 2+ hours.  In a kitchen with a hob and oven - put the oven on to quite low - about 140 I would think, as soon as you come in - faff with ingredients briefly - on the hob for less than 10 mins and in the oven for half an hour or longer ... ie. put your dinner on, go swimming, gym class, parent teachers evening etc ... and dinner will be ready when you step back through the front door.

You need a cast iron casserole - or other heavy saucepan with lid - basically it has to go from hob to oven, and be covered without any harm coming to it.

rice (I used basmati)
curry powder of your choice (I used organic balti mix)
spring onions
veg - I used spring onions, endame beans and mushrooms - was going to include spinach before the end, but forgot
smoked haddock


1.  Put rice in casserole, mix in curry powder/paste and cover with enough cold water to cover + about 1.5 cms above.
2.  When it comes to the boil add chopped veg over the rice.
3.  Place fish on the top.  The water/stock should still be slopping about at least half way up the fish fillets (unless you have really stuck shed loads of veg in, in which case perhaps just below the fish).  Cover, transfer to oven.  Leave in oven for 20 minutes at least.
4.  If adding soft greens (eg. spinach or frozen peas) add them 10ish minutes before serving)

Measurements are vague - timings are vague - as long as you get it to boiling before putting in warm oven, and as long as you leave it long enough this really is a very very easy, forgiving dinner.  Obv, if you want proper kedgeree you use cooked rice, a more complex spicing mixture and cooking processes .. oh, and some boiled eggs.  But - I was busy, and I loved it.

Tilapia fillets with pesto.. and pasta thingy

I ate this, and I enjoyed it.  However, I was very hungry, and I like all the constituent elements.  I cannot wholeheartedly claim that it all goes together!  I think some tomatoes (fresh, not tinned) tossed into the pasta mixture might have brought the mediterranean vibe together more.  Having said that - I would have it again in a heartbeat.  AND I didn't have to buy/ supplement a single ingredient, and it stopped some stuff going to waste.  So, as far as I am concerned RESULT.

I don't think my primary victim would be a big fan - but that's a lot to do with the aversion to fish .. and spinach.


2 tbsp olive oil
3 tilapia fillets
3 tbsps pesto (mine today was from a jar, but if it's homemade, so much the better)
1 cup mushrooms
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 cup macaroni (when dry)
Handful spinach leaves
5(ish) tbsp half fat creme fraiche


1.  Place the fish fillets in an oven proof dish, which has been drizzled with a tiny drizzle of olive oil, and spread pesto on top (if you are going to keep any of the pesto for another day, make sure you don't "double dip" - or cross contaminate... ie.  do not dip into jar, touch fish with spoon, and then go back into the jar ... that way food  poisonning lies.  Put slathered fillets in the oven (about 180)
2.  Chop mushrooms and fry off, gently, in olive oil, after a couple of mins add crushed garlic (optional .. obv).  (Whilst bringing pasta water to the boil)
3.  Cook pasta in boiling water according to packet instructions (lets say 11 mins)
4.  When mushrooms have released their liquid (the sound of them in the pan changes), add a couple of spoons of pasta water and chuck in spinach.  Take off the heat after a out a minute and let the spinach wilt.
5.  When pasta is cooked, drain and add to mushrooms and spinach, add big dollops of creme fraiche (you might want to return to the heat if its been waiting around) and stir in, until lovely and creamy.  grind on black pepper, and salt to taste.
6.  Chuck pasta and veg on a plate and place fish on top.
7. Scoff ... ponder about whether they go together (and then comment here! ...)

Spicy tilapia fillets with rice, veg and wilted spinach

No prizes for presentation on this one, but it was quick, healthy and tasty.

1 tbsp olive oil
chili mix
natural yogurt
3 tilapia fillets
rice
vegetables (green beans & purple carrots)
spinach


1.  Cook rice and steam chopped vegetables.
2.  Mix chili seasoning into natural yogurt, coat tilapia fillets.
3.  Wilt spinach in very little water.
4.  Fry marinated fish in olive oil for a couple of minutes either side.
5.  Put out neatly on plate... chortle.

Effortless plaice and vegetables

Home alone this week, as my primary victim is enjoying a week sailing in the sun in the Greek Islands.  So, after catching up with work today, wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity to cook fish (primary victim is not keen on the flavour, and HATES the smell) - but to also have time available for lots of faffing.  I find that faffing is an activity best enjoyed in quiet me moments.

So, this took 10 minutes (if that) to put together, and left me with a full hour to enjoy faffing / mooching - and a little bit of plotting.

Then, make a hash of putting it out, but it was delish nontheless.


Recipe

1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek
Handful green beans
I clove garlic
4 big (or more smaller) mushrooms
4 medium sized new potatoes
2 tomatoes
2 plaice fillets
1 lemon

Do this:-

1.  Chop leek and sautee in olive oil.
2.  Add chopped green beans, chopped mushrooms, sliced potatoes and crushed garlic, stir around for a minute.
3.  Add a cup of water.  Simmer for a couple of minutes.  Move veg around to form a single layer.
4.  Layer fish on top.  Add tomato and lemon slices.
5.  Season, cover - stick in oven for about 30 minutes (or an hour in this case).

Vegetable soup with noodles

We are on a health kick.  What with the sponsored swimming and sensible food we should be skinny in about 10 minutes.  It's also turned a bit cold, so I thought soup might be in order... bit of a chili kick, and it hit the spot.







Serves: 4,  Calories per portion:  approx 270;  Price:  approx 75p per portion.


Vegetable soup with noodles.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper
2 carrots
150 g green beans
100g mushrooms
Good pinch of chili flakes
4 blocks of noodles
miso soup mix
2 pints chicken (or veg) stock
1 tsp marmite

1.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil.
2.  Chop other veg finely and chuck into pot with onions.
3.  Add crushed garlic, chili flakes and stir.
4.  Add 1 sachet mixo soup mix, tsp of marmite and 2 pints of chicken stock.
5.  Simmer unit veg is soft, probably about 12 minutes.
6.  Add noodles and simmer for another few minutes.
7. Taste, season, scoff.

Sausage paella

Beautiful sunny Sunday, which got a bit windy towards teatime - could have been Spain, not Cheshire.  So, what with bargain sausages in the fridge and veg left in the veg box - we settled on paella for dinner.  Made shed loads, so outlaws took some home for the freezer and the dogs had a treat.

The bargain sausages - were infact bargain pork meatballs, but they looked too big for a mouthful, so I split them in 2 and made 24 smaller meatballs from them.  Had they been actual sausages I would have taken them out of their skins and rolled them into small meatballs.

Serves: 8, Calories per portion: approx 250  Price:  Approx:  70p

1 tbsp olive oil
50g chorizo
1 leek
400g sausages/ meatballs
1 garlic clove
pinch of chili flakes
150g (ish) rice
pinch of mixed herbs
1 courgette
1 red pepper
200g green beans
200g mushrooms
2 tins of tomatoes
2 pints of chicken stock, with a pinch of saffron if any is available

1. Chop chorizo into small dice.  Roll sausage meat into small balls.
2. Fry chorizo in small splash of olive oil, until it starts releasing its coloured oil, and crisping a bit around the edges.
3. In a separate pan fry sausages balls in another splash of olive oil, just to get them firm and get a bit of colour on them.  Remove from the pan and keep them to add in later.
4.  Add chopped leek to the chorizo, and stir around until a little bit soft.
5.  Add rice to chorizo and leek and stir until every grain is coated.
6.  Chuck in chopped veg, garlic and chili.  Stir in stock and tomatoes.
7. Simmer.  Add sausage balls - simmer again.  Try not to stir too often.
8.  When veg is soft leave to stand for a few minutes - scoff.

Asparagus and pea risotto

Not feeling too great at the moment, and craving a bit of comfort food... what better than risotto? - and asparagus in the bargain shelf (£2.55 - not so much of a bargain, but it is a treat).

I happened to have thai jasmine rice handy, and not risotto rice, so some authenticity lost, but still works.

I didn't sautee the celery quite long enough, so it kept a bit of crunch... I think it would be better all soft, but it was tasty.

Serves 4.  Takes about 30 minutes.  Approx calories:  365 per portion  Approx price:  £1.86.

Recipe

Tablespoon of olive oil
5 spring onions
1 clove crushed garlic
1 red pepper
Handful of chopped celery
White rice - about 200g
About 2 pints of stock
Bunch of asparagus
Handful of frozen peas
Half a tub of low fat cream cheese
Handful of grated parmesan

1.  Chop celery, red pepper and spring onion.   Sautee in olive oil for a few minutes.  Add crushed garlic and stir around.
2.  Add rice and stir to make sure that every grain has a film of oil on it.
3. Add stock, a ladle at a time, allowing it to cook into the rice... keep stirring and adding - it'll take about 15 minutes.
4.  Add chopped asparagus stems after about 5 minutes of adding stock.  After another 5ish minutes add frozen peas and asparagus tips.  Keep adding stock and stirring.
5.  When rice is soft, take it off the heat and allow to stand.
6.  Stir in cream cheese and parmesan, season and scoff.