Hake, on a bed of lentils

Paul the fish had beautiful hake today, so I adapted this from something I saw on the web - it might have been a Hairy Bikers thing.

All ingredients available from inside and outside Todmorden market.

The Mediterranean Pantry

Olive oil
Garlic
Lentils
Gluten free flour
Bouillon
Bay leaves
Mustard

Garry the veg

Onions
Carrots
Lemon
Spinach
Potatoes

Lots of places:  eggs

1.  Roast potatoes, in olive oil, in a hot oven for about an hour.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and carrot, with a little crushed garlic, in olive oil.
3.  When the onion is soft, add lentils - beluga in this case - but any small brown would be good.  Add stock made of bouillon, and bay leaves, cook until lentils are done.  Add more stock/water if required.
4.  Make lemon mayonnaise - whisk an egg yolk with 1/2 tsp dijon mustard and the juice of a lemon.  Slowly whisk in about a cup of light olive oil - it will thicken to a glossy mayonnaise.
5.  Dust the fish in flour, then dip into whisked egg.  Fry, in hot oil, for a few minutes...
6.  Serve, scoff ...

Greek feast

 Unseasonably warm weather, and storms the other night - it felt a bit like Greece, so I thought I would pull together a Greek feast.  Actually, it was a symphony of opening packets and throwing together some salad and tzadziki, but it all tasted quite authentic - right down to the oven chips.

Greek meatballs
Greek gyros
Pita
Oven chips
Feta, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano
Houmous, sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil

Prawns, marinated in olive oil, garlic, chili and lemon juice - griddled
Tomato and onion salad
Green salad - lettuce, cucumber and radish
Tzadziki - greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, salt
Greek beans

Tah dah - you could be on a Greek island

Budget roast chicken dinner

Sometimes you want something really simple, but really tasty - and this was really cheap too - I think is was under £1 a head, and done in 30 minutes.

Chicken thighs
Garlic
Lemon
Olive oil
Potatoes
Cabbage
Green beans
Onions
Butter

1.  In a roasting dish - put in chicken thighs, season them, add crushed garlic and a sliced lemon.  Splosh on a little olive oil and massage it into the meat for a minute.  Roast - high heat for 30 minutes.
2.  Boil new potatoes, steam the beans and cabbage on top of them.
3.  Fry chopped onions in olive oil until soft, and a little brown.
4.  Serve - with butter for the potatoes, and the pan juices from the chicken as a simple "gravy".

Just another Todmorden tapas

This time it was a sort of american-spanish take ...

Spicy mini potato roasties
Chorizo
Cauliflower with pine nuts and raisins
Pepper filled with stockfish
Coleslaw
Corn on the cob
Grilled chilli and garlic prawns

Not bad for a Wednesday night!

Start with the potatoes, and work steadily for about an hour, and it will all get done.

Ingredients.....

From The Mediterranean Pantry:  Olive oil, cajun spices, chorizo, pine nuts, raisins, garlic, chilli flakes, stuffed peppers
From Garry:  Potatoes, onions, cauliflower, sweetcorn, lemon, carrots, cabbage
From Paul:  Prawns

also ... sherry

1.  Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces, put into a roasting tray with a dusting of cajun seasoning.  Roast in a medium-hot oven (about 180).
2.  Finely slice 2 onions - one for the cauliflower, and one for the coleslaw - actually it's about 1 and a quarter for the cauliflower, and 3/4 for the coleslaw.
3.  Gently sautee the onion for the cauliflower in olive oil, then add cauliflower florets, and a drop of water, put the lid on and "steam" the cauliflower until done.
4.  Finish making the coleslaw by adding julienned carrots and shredded cabbage.  Season, add the juice of half a lemon and a splash of olive oil.
5.  Prep the sweetcorn, and put into a pan of water, ready to boil at 20 minutes to serving.
6.  Take the peppers with fish out of tin, into an oven dish and put into the oven with the potatoes to heat through.
7.  Marinate the prawns in chilli falkes, crushed garlic, lemon juice and a splash of olive oil.
8.  Chop chorizo into bite sized pieces.
9.  Check on the potatoes, I think you should be about 5 minutes from all done.
10.  Splash some sherry into the cauliflower and add a small handful of pinenuts and raisins, cook the alcohol off.
11. Fry the chorizo and the prawns in 2 separate pans - turn the prawns after a couple of minutes, keep the chorizo moving until it's done.
12.  Serve, scoff - some people will mix in mayonnaise to make their coleslaw creamy.

Massaman chickpea and squash curry

One of those open the fridge door - stare aimlessly at piles of veg for a bit, then a rummage in the cupboard and Tah-dah Massaman curry is created within 25 minutes.  Again, all ingredients can be sourced from Todmorden's fabulous market.

Coconut oil, coconut cream, garlic, chickpeas and rice from The Mediterranean Pantry

Massaman curry paste and coconut cream from Oriental Foods

Veg from the traders outside ...

Onion

Coconut Oil

Garlic

Butternut squash

Pattipan squash

Red pepper

Green beans

Massaman curry paste

Coconut cream

Rice

1.  Cook rice  - in this case basmati, but I would have used jasmine if I had any.

2.  Sautee onion in coconut oil, add crushed garlic.

3.  Add chopped vegetables, and a couple of teaspoons of curry paste and some water and simmer until veg is almost done.

4.  Drain a tin of chickpeas and bung them in.

5.  Add creamed coconut, and simmer until chickpeas are heated through and veg is cooked.

6.  Serve, scoff ... 

One day I will learn to take better pics!

Fish and chips with a calabrian twist

Spice up fish and chips with a little calabrian crust - don't mind if I do.

Fish from Paul, potatoes from Garry, fish crust from The Mediterranean Pantry.  (Peas from the freezer) ... easy peasy Friday night dinner.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Haddock
Calabrian Fish crust mix
Frozen peas

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges and roast for about an hour in olive oil.
2.  Sit about, chat, drink wine ... whatever ...
3.  40 minutes later, check on the potatoes, put the water on to boil for the peas, and coat the fish with the crust mix.
4.  Fry the fish for a few minutes each side.
5.  Serve, scoff.