Cauliflower and cabbage cheese, butter bean ragu and roast potatoes

Sometimes you just have to use up a load of veg which are sitting in the bottom of the fridge - this was one of those days.  I liked it, but then I like "school" cabbage ... other people didn't like the cabbage in with the cauliflower, saying it was overcooked ... but, actually, it was still pretty darn good - and cheap too.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Chilli flakes
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Vegetable stock
Butter beans
Cauliflower
Cabbage (obvs, optional, see commentary)
Soya milk
cornflour
Cheese (assorted leftover bits, including some blue)
Mustard

1. Chop potatoes and roast in olive oil.
2.  Chop onion and sautee in olive oil, add crushed garlic and chopped pepper and mushroom.
3.  Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes, and a cup of veg stock, simmer.
4.  Steam cauliflower and shredded cabbage - when done move to am oven dish.
5.  Add drained butter beans to the mushroom and pepper mix, transfer to an oven dish and keep warm in the oven until the rest is ready.
6.  Make the cheese sauce by heating soya milk, add slaked cornflour and cheese.  Stir in a spoonful of mustard.  Stir and heat until cheese is melted and its think and lovely.  Pour over the caulifloer and bake for about 15 minutes.

Mushrooms and cabbage, with mash and bacon

Open fridge, ponder, shut fridge, ponder ,,,, OK - ragu of onions, mushrooms and savoy cabbage, creamy mashed potatoes and a few rashers of bacon - bliss.

Potatoes
Onion
Olive oil
Garlic
Savoy cabbage
Vegetable stock
Butter
Bacon

1.  Start with the mash - peel, chop and boil potatoes.
2.  The ragu - very easy - sautee chopped onion in olive oil, add crushed garlic and chopped mushrooms.  When they are soft add shredded cabbage and a cup of veg stock to fry/steam until done.
3.  Mash the potatoes with butter, put it in the oven to keep warm and brown the top.
4.  Grill the bacon.
5.  Serve, scoff.

Spaghetti with cauliflower, kale and hazelnut "pesto"

Make the most of our lovely autumnal vegetables by chucking together this fabulous "pesto" and pasta.  I'm calling it "pesto" because it's a hand cut chunky sauce, not a finely blended herby sauce.  this means that you can really taste the chunks of roasted cauliflower and hazelnuts in their separate loveliness as well as the mixture.

Cauliflower
Olive oil
Garlic - quite a lot
cavolo nero
parmesan
hazelnuts
lemon zest
spaghetti (gluten free in our case - but could be standard, or some other long pasta)

1.  Break the cauliflower into smallish florets, and roast in olive oil for about 30 minutes.
2.  Meanwhile mix together finely sliced garlic, shredded cavolo nero, grated parmesan and roughly chopped hazelnuts with a good splosh of olive oil.
3.  Boil the water for the pasta.
4.  Sprinkle the cavo nero, hazelnut and parmesan mixture over the cauliflower and return to the oven to roast for a further 10 minutes.
5.  Cook the pasta, drain, reserve a ladleful of the cooking water.
6.  Mix the vegetable sauce with the pasta and the spoonful of water and toss.  Grate over a little lemon zest and a good grind of black pepper.
7. Serve, scoff, be amazed at how well it all goes together.

Chick peas on toast

Like beans on toast, but a bit crunchier.  Very filling, very delicious, and probably cheaper than chips.

The sourdough bread is from the very lovely Cragg bakers who are here on the outside Todmorden market on a Saturday - their bread is outstanding.

All other ingredients can be found on the market, inside and outside.  Chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, passata, tomato puree and spices from The Mediterranean Pantry.  Butter from The Crumbly Cheese.

Onions
Olive oil
Garlic
Red pepper
Tomato puree
chilli flakes
mixed herbs
Dijon mustard
Chickpeas (tinned, jarred or soaked overnight and boiled for an hour)
Passata
Water/stock
Sourdough bread
Butter (Olive oil spread to make it vegan)

1.  Sautee chopped oniion and crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  Add chopped red pepper, fry a little longer, then add tomato puree, a pinch of chilli flakes, a pinch of mixed herbs and a teaspoon of dijon mustard, stir in.
3.  Add drained chick peas and a tinful of water/ veg stock, simmer briefly.
4.  Add passata and simmer gently until it looks like the right consistency for you.  (if it goes too think just add a little water.
5.  Toast bread, butter ...
6.  Serve, scoff, smile

Roast plaice, with mustard leeks and mushrooms

Easy, and a nice change.  Lovely plaice from Paul the fish, Todmorden market - veg from the outside market and olive oil, good dijon mustard and garlic from me at The Mediterranean Pantry.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Leeks
Mixed herbs
Garlic
Mushrooms
Mustard
Baby spinach
Plaice

1.  Chop potatoes (washed, but peel on) into chunks, toss in olive oil, sprinkle on sea salt, and roast.
2.  Sautee leeks, crushed garlic and mushroom in olive oil, add a sprinkle of mixed herbs, and a teaspoonful of dijon mustard, add a little water to provide a little steam.  When the leeks are nearly soft stir in a big handful of baby spinach and transfer to an oven dish.
3.  Lay the plaice, skin side down on the bed of vegetables - drizzle with olive oil and grind on a little black pepper.   Roast for about 20 minutes.
4.  Dinner is done - serve, scoff.

Halloumi, with roast potatoes and autumnal veg

This time of year gives us delicious sweet parsnips and delightfully earthy savoury cavolo nero.  I combined them with some delicious grilled halloumi and roast potatoes for this easy, satisfying vegetarian autumnal feast.

Potatoes
olive oil
carrots
parsnip
onion
garlic
cavolo nero
butter
halloumi
za'atar

1.  Cut potatoes, skin on, into cubes.  Roast in olive oil for about 50 minutes.
2.  Peel, chop and boil the parsnips and carrots until just soft.  Drain, and "mash" by cutting with a sharp knife in all directions, add a good knob of butter and plenty of black pepper after a couple of minutes of slashing, then carry on slashing until the vegetables are in tiny pieces.  Keep warm in the oven until you are ready.
3.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic, then add shredded cavolo nero.  Add a splsh of water and fry/steam until the water has evaporated.  The cavolo nero should now be done.
4.  Fry halloumi for a minute or so on each side, in a hot pan.  You might want to add a little oil to help it stop sticking.
5.  Serve, sprinkle cavolo nero with za'atar, and scoff.

The za'atar (sesame seeds, sumac and herbs) give the cavolo nero some extra zing and a protein boost.  A real winner.

Roast cauliflower, with hazelnuts, baby roast potatoes and a mushroom gravy.

I love cauliflower, but I didn't fancy cauliflower cheese (to be honest, I am trying to cut down on lactose containing, as I've been suffering with headaches recently - and cheese is a trigger) ... anyway, to avoid disappointment of it not being cauliflower cheese, I wanted to do something tasty ... so, with some baby roasties and a flavoursome mushroom gravy this hazelnut loaded, herby spicy roast cauliflower was invented - and very tasty it was too.

Baby potatoes
Olive oil
Cauliflower
Moussaka seasoning
Onions
Garlic
Mushrooms
Tomato puree
Veg stock cube
Mustard
Hazelnuts

1.  Cut baby potatoes into pieces, toss in olive oil and roast for about a hour.
2.  Break cauliflower into florets, toss in olive oil, sprinkle with moussaka seasoning and roast for about 45 minutes.
3.  Make gravy by sauteeing onions and garlic in olive oil, add chopped mushrooms, tomato puree and stock cube with water, simmer ... after it has simmered for a few minutes stir in a spoonfulof mustard .. keep an eye on it, if it's getting a bit dry add more water, if it's too watery turn up the heat and reduce it down.
4.  Strew the cauliflower with roughly chopped hazelnuts and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.
5.  Serve, scoff, congratulate yourself.

Shepherdless pie

A bit of an old favourite, really, so this is another version of not-cottage pie, there is another one here.  Basically its a lentil and veg casserole under a lovely mashed potato topping.  Delicious.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Celery
Italian seasoning
Mushrooms
Lentils
Tomatoes
Veg stock
Mustard
Butter
Broccoli

1.  Peel and chop potatoes for mashing.
2.  Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, add whatever veg you are using eg. celery and mushrooms today, but often carrots, peppers, courgette, peas etc etc
3.  Add lentils and a lot of water/stock, simmer for a good while.
4.  Add fresh or tinned tomatoes and keep simmering.  Add whatever flavourings you fancy - this time it was an italian seasoning mix and a spoonful of mustard.
5.  Mash the potatoes with butter.
6.  Transfer the lentils to an oven dish, top with potato and bake until it starts going a bit golden.
7 Serve, with veg of your choice - we had steamed broccoli, scoff.

Pieless leek and mushroom pie, with roasted potato wedges and steamed green beans

I think that sometimes half the reason for putting stuff in a pie is that of itself it doesn't look so gorgeous, even though it might taste great.  So, tonight, I thought ... leak and mushroom - they make a great pie, but we don't like pastry that much, so I just made a crustless pie ... it resembles a spoonful of swamp, but it tasted great.

Potatoes
olive oil
Leeks
Garlic
Celery
Mushrooms
GF flour
soya milk
mixed herbs
mustard
edamame beans
green beans

1.  Cup potatoes into wedges, roast in oil for about 45 minutes.
2.  Chop leeks and celery, crush garlic.  Sautee together until the leeks are quite soft, about 10 minutes.
3.  Add mushrooms in chunks.  Sprinkle on some mixed herbs, continue to fry for a few minutes.
4.  Sprinkle on a spoonful of flour, and mix through until it disappears into the mixture, then add soya milk and stir to make the sauce.  Add edamame beans and a spoonful of mustard.  Stir through.  Transfer to oven dish and keep warm until you are ready to serve.
5.  Steam green beans.
6.  Serve, scoff ... it's all vegan and gluten free, but still a comforting dinner.

Edmame and cashew nut chow mein

 Ringing the changes with a bit of oriental influence.  Dead easy, once you've done the chopping, grating and crushing.  A little bit of lots of ingredients and, ta dah ....

Cashew nuts
Peanut oil
Spring onion
Garlic
Ginger
Chili flakes
Carrot
Red pepper
Brocolli
Mushrooms
Soy sauce
Rice wine
Rice wine vinegar
Edemame beans
Beansprouts
Cooked rice noodles

 1.  Roast the cashew nuts for a few minutes, set aside.
2.  Chop veg into quite small bite sized pieces - they need to cook quickly, and at about the same rate.
3.  In a wok stir fry spring onion, crushed garlic and finely grated ginger.
4.  Add other vegetables and keep stir frying, sprinkle in chili flakes.
5.  After 5 minutes add soy sauce, rice wine and wine vinegar to steam is a little and coat the veg, you might want to add a little water too, it helps the steaming.
6.  Keep tossing veg about for a minuute or so, then add edamame beans, beansprouts and noodles.  Toss about until it's all heated through.
7.  Top with cashew nuts.
8.  Serve, scoff.

(Gluten free and vegan if you use gf/vegan soy sauce)

Deconstructed ratatoui bake, with roast anya potatoes and salad

I don't like aubergines.  I try to like them, but really I don't.  I can manage them if they are grilled first, and then incorporated into something - so, aubergine, courgette, onion and tomato - that sounds like ratatoui - but to make it more interesting I did it in layers in the oven, with loads of cheese on top (I'm not supposed to, but frankly ... sod it - I do like cheese).  Also, found some anya potatoes - and quite big ones so roasted them in thick slices - they're good, they are both crisp and chewy, yum.  Topped off with some mixed salad leaves.

Aubergine
Olive oil
Courgettes
Crushed garlic
Italian seasoning
Finely sliced onion
Cherry tomatoes
Cheese (chedder, gouda, gorgonzola, parmesan - but whatever is handy)
Anya potatoes
Salad leaves

1.  Thickly slice anya potatoes, toss in olive oil and roast for about 40 minutes.
2.  Thickly slice aubergine and courgettes.  Griddle on both sides in olive oil.
3.  Place in layers in an oven dish and top with crushed garlic and italian herbs, salt and pepper.
4.  Layer halved cherry tomatoes on top, and bung in the oven for about 30 minutes.
5.  Grate/cut into slices cheese, and spread over the top of the bake - back in the oven for 10 minutes.
6.  Toss together simple salad.
7.  Serve, scoff .... delicious

Celeraic, lentil and hazelnuts

Lovely autumnal vegetables all around, mix with with some tasty ingredients, and you can eat all sorts of delicious things - I think I read something along these lines by Ottolengi, but I wouldn't swear to it.  All ingredients available in Todmorden market (The Mediterranean Pantry, and the veg stalls)  Also, totally vegan.

Olive oil
Lemon
Celeriac
Carrots
Hazelnuts
Onion
Celery
Garlic
Green lentils
Vegetable stock
Dry white wine
Bay leaves
Thyme
Mustard
Baby spinach

1.  Peel the celeraic and carrots, cut into batons, spritz with lemon juice (to prevent discolouration of the celariac), toss in olive oil and roast for 45 minutes.
2.  Spread hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for about 5-20 minutes.
3.  Put lentils on to boil with a couple of bay leaves and a spring of thyme.
4.  Sautee chopped onion and celery with crushed garlic in olive oil.
5.  When the lentils are nearly done (about 20 minutes), drain them and pick out the dry herbs.
6.  Toss the lentils into the onion mixture, with a splash of dry white wine and a cup of stock, simmer for a few minutes, so finish them off,  stir in a tablespoon of mild mustard.
7.  Turn the heat off under the lentils, stir in a big handful of baby spinach and let it wilt.
8.  Serve, put a bed of lentils on the plate, topple on the veg and sprinkle with roughly chopped roasted hazelnuts.
9.  Serve, scoff

Update - this made a fantastic soup zizzed up with some more veg stock then next day for lunch.

National curry week: Day 5: Fish and chips?

Well, potato wedges and fried fish - but I shall include it in curry week because I spiced up the batter with garam masala and turmeric - it was lovely.  (Batter - whisk egg, and add to spiced flour with some milk to form a batter - dredge fish through flour, then batter and fry).

National curry week: Day 4: Dhal and rice, with pepper and courgette curry.

Dead easy, dead cheap and dead good for you.

Brown rice
Red lentils
Onion
Garlic
Vegetable oil
Curry powder
Courgette
Red pepper
Tin tomatoes
Curry leaves
Cardamon pods
Chillies
mustard seeds
cumin seeds

1. Cook the rice.
2.  Put the lentils on to boil for the dhal.
3.  Make the curry - sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in oil.  Add curry powder.
4.  Chop courgette and pepper and add to the onion, then add a tin of tomatoes - bash them up and add a tin full of water - simmer.
5.  When everything is ready make the tarka - flash fry curry leaves, cardomon pods, chillies and cumin and mustard seeds in hot oil - sizzle onto the dhal.
6.  Serve, scoff.

National curry week: Day 3: Egg and pea curry with gf chapati

Dead easy this - but you need the right gf flour - the normal one for pastry etc simply will not work, you need the professional pizza version.

For the chapati:-

Flour
salt
cold water

For the curry:-

onion
garlic
oil
cumin seeds
fennel seeds
turmeric
chilli flakes
tomatoes
boiled eggs
peas

1.  Start the curry by sauteeing onions and garlic in the oil until soft, add spices and continue to cook.
2.  Chop tomatoes and add to the sauce, simmer until cooked, adding water to stop it going dry.
3.  Make the chapati dough - knead together flour, a tsp of salt and water into a soft dough.  Start with a splash of water, and add more as you get the consistency correct (if it gets too wet, add more flour).
4.  Divide the dough into balls, cover and set aside.
5.  Boil eggs - when done drain and peel - you could slit them to get more flavour in - add to the curry sauce and continue cooking for 10 minutes or so.  Then add frozen peas and heat through.
6.  Fry chapatis in a dry pan for a minute or so on each side, until they start to puff up.
7.  Serve, scoff.

National curry week: Day 2. Veggie curry with rice

A fairly disappointing start to this year's national curry week - with fish fingers and chips!  Well, it was a very busy day fo getting things fixed - tumble dryer, van (aka the moneypit) ... and domestic sorting.  Day 2 was not particularly inspired - though it was, infact, delicious ... it was basically cauliflower and potato curry, with some extras.

Olive oil
Garlic
Onion
Mustard Seeds
Cumin seeds
Coriander seeds
Chilli flakes
Potatoes
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Baked beans
Garam masala
Spinach

Basmati rice

1.  Sautee onion and garlic, add spices.
2.  Chop potato into smallish dice, stir in.
3.  Split cauliflower into florets, stir in.  Add water and simmer.  Cook rice.
4.  Add chopped tomato.
5. Chuck in left over baked beans (optional ;p), and 1 tsp garam masala.
6.  Stir and simmer until just about done, add more water and seasoning as needed.
7.  Add shredded spinach.
8.  Serve, scoff ... it actually is very tasty.

Leek and potato soup

It's turning quite autumnal, so what better than a big hot bowl of soup?

Olive oil
Leeks
Onion
Garlic
Potatoes
Mustard
Mixed herbs
Vegetable stock

1.  Slice and thoroughly wash leeks, sautee in olive oil with chopped onion and crushed garlic.
2.  Peel and chop potatoes into small dice, add to the leeks.
3.  Stir in a spoonful of mild mustard and add a sprinkle of herbs, salt and pepper.
4.  Add stock and simmer.
5.  After 10-15 minutes, test the potatoes - when soft  zizzz
6.  Serve, scoff

Spiced haddock, with sweetcorn and black beans

It's Friday, so a pick of Paul's excellent fish.  Today, I went for haddock and some bang in season sweetcorn.  To give it a bit more body I mixed the sweetcorn with black beans, onion and red pepper, and to give it some zing I coated the fish with a paprika herby garlicky paste.  We had it with leftover mash with the leeks stirred through it.

Haddock

Corn on the cob

Tin of black beans

Onion

Red pepper

Paprika

Crushed garlic

Italian seasoning

ground cumin

salt & pepper

olive oil

1.  Strip the corn off the cob, rinse the beans, finely chop the onion and red pepper.  Mix together and layer in the bottom of an oven dish.

2.  Mix the garlic, herbs and spices into a paste with the olive oil.  Spread onto the fish.

3.  Layer the fish over the bean mixture and cover with foil.  Pop into a medium oven.

4.  Do what ever you want for 30-40 minutes ... drink wine and chat, watch Corrie, do a crossword etc etc

5.  Open oven door, take foil off the dish - serve ... scoff ... optional spritz with fresh lime.

Halloumi, with spicy tomato sauce

I don't suppose it qualifies as a recipe really, but some of the simplest things are the tastiest, and we certainly enjoyed this.

Potatoes
Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Tin tomatoes
Chilli flakes
Leeks
Halloumi

1.  Peel potatoes, cut into chunks and boil.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic until soft, add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a pinch of chilli flakes, and cook until saucy ... add a little water to loosen if you need to.
3.  Slice leeks and wash well, boil in water with a dash of olive oil.
4.  Mash potatoes and put in the oven to brown the top a little (optional).
5.  Fry the halloumi in a hot pan, for a couple of minutes each side.
6.  Serve, scoff .... yum

Roasted cauliflower with peanuts and gorgonzola

Cauliflower is such an under-rated vegetable, but it's bang in season.  I roasted it with lots of lovely flavours to give us a warming and delicious autumnal dinner.  Also, I love cheese, but I'm afraid it doesn't feel the same about me, so I added some small blobs of gorgonzola which gave me the savoury hit I wanted, with none of the unmentionable repercussions of a full cauliflower cheese (which I love ...), and some roasted peanuts for a bit of crunch.  Served it with potato wedges and wilted spinach.  Delicious.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Cauliflower
Polish mustard
Garlic
Italian seasoning
Chilli flakes
Spinach
Nutmeg
Peanuts

1.  Cut the potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil and roast for about 45 minutes.
2.  Cut the cauliflower into 6 wedges.
3.  Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp polish mustard, crushed garlic, italian seasoning and chilli flakes - possibly a little water if its a bit thick.  Pour this over the cauliflower and move it around gently until all surfaces are coated.  Roast for about 40 minutes.
4.  Prepare spinach by removing thick stems, washing and cutting into thick ribbons.
5.  5 minutes before serving pop peanuts into the oven on a tray & wilt the spinach in a little water.  Grate a little nutmeg into the spinach to lift the flavour.
6.  Serve - dotting the cauliflower with gorgonzola (or other blue cheese) and sprinkle over peanuts, scoff.

Delicious.

Butter beans and mushrooms

I had some porcini mushrooms languishing in the fridge (in a jar, not the dried ones) so I thought I'd use them up.  Mixed with some field mushrooms, and butter beans this was a very satisfying vegan dinner, served with crispy roast potatoes

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Rosemary
mushrooms (field)
porcini
white wine
lettuce
avocado oil

1.  Dice potatoes and roast in olive oil, for about 45 minutes.
2.  Sweat chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil, add sliced mushrooms and porcini mushrooms, stir until a bit soft.
3.  Add a spinkle of chopped rosemary and a glass of white wine, simmer.
4.  Add a drained, rinsed tin of butter beans and simmer a little, until the sauce is the right consistency.  Keep warm until potatoes are done.
5.  Simple salad of kos leaves drizzled with avocado oil.
6.  Serve, scoff

Simple, cheap, easy ...

Roast dinner - veggie style

It was Sunday, and I fancied a roast dinner, so I made one.  Well, when I say "I" I mean Lidl and I ... I don't mention may products on this blog, partly because most of the time I cook from scratch, and when I don't it's not usually worth writing about.  Don't get me wrong, convenience food has its place, but I don't like to use it all the time - I mean, if I did, I'd probably not be writing a food blog!  Anyway, we tried Lidl's cashew, quinoa and carrot nut roast - and it is very good.  I was glad that I made a gravy to go with it, because I think it needs it - but all in all - we'll be buying it again!

Potatoes
Olive oil
Cashew nut, quinoa and carrot nut roast
Onion
Garlic
Tomato ouree
Marmite
Polish mustard
Veg oxo cube
Courgette
polenta
mixed herbs
chili flakes

1.  Peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces and roast in olive oil, for about an hour.
2.  Follow the instructions on the nut roast - takes about 35 minutes.
3.  Make the gravy - sweat down chopped onion and garlic.  When it's soft add tomato puree, a spoonful of marmite, stock cube, water and mustard.  Stir and simmer until reduced to how you like it.  Make sure it's had a good 10 minutes to cook out the tomato puree.
4.  Slice courgettes, mix polenta, herbs and seasoning, toss courgettes in herby mix and fry for a couple of minutes on each side.  Keep wrm in the oven until everything else is done.
5.  Scoff, be impressed by the shop bought nut roast... have seconds.

Chickpea casserole with baked potato

Another open the fridge and see what's there sort of dinner ... and there were mushrooms, squash, kale and tomatoes - add a tin of chickpeas - and there you go.  Delicious and nutritious. (If not very pretty).

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Fennel seeds
Chili flakes
Acorn squash
Mushrooms
Kale
Jar of chickpeas
vegetable stock
Tomatoes

1.  Prick potatoes with a fork, rub on oliev oil, sprinkle on salt and bake for about 45 minutes.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, add fennel seeds and a pinch of chili flakes and stir in.
3.  Peel and dice squash, add that, stir, slice mushrooms, add them, stir.
4.  Prep the kale by removing hard stem and shred finely - add to the veg.
5.  Add chopped tomatoes and about a pint of veg stock, stir and simmer until veg are done.
6.  Drain and rinse a jar of chickpeas, add these to the mixture and simmer gently until the casserole has reduced a little.
7.  Serve, scoff ... it was actually very tasty.

Haddock, pepper and tomato fish pie

Incredibly easy, incredibly tasty - all ingredients (except frozen peas - but you could use fresh, or leave out) from Tod market - this fish pie takes literally minutes to put together.

Baby potatoes
Onion
Olive oil
Red pepper
Tomatoes
Frozen peas
Italian seasoning
Haddock

1.  Slice potatoes and par boil for 7 minutes.
2.  Splash olive oil into an oven dish and layer sliced potato, sliced pepper and sliced tomatoes.  Add a handful of frozen peas.  Sprinkle with herbs.
3.  Add portions of haddock to the top of the vegetables.
4.  Drain the potatoes and lay over the top of the fish, like roof tiles, drizzle with olive oil.
5.  Bake for 30 minutes.
6.  Serve, scoff ....

Fish and chips, but healthier, and easier!

Baked aubergine and courgette, with toppings and rice ....

Once again the mixed requirements of the dinner table meant a main feature, and varieties of extras.  Tonight we had veggie (doesn't like rice much), meat eating but lactose intolerant and blarghh aubergines (that's me) - so it was pick and mix from baked veg, white rice, a veggie topping and a minced beef and chickpea topping, feta and pinenuts - this is mine - obvs I got to have a bit of eveything apart from yucky aubergine ... I keep trying with them, but they need to be disguised for me to really enjoy them.

Olive oil
Aubergines
Courgettes
Onions
Garlic
Chili flakes
Minced beef
Kale
Stock cubes (veg and beef, respectively)
Chickpeas
Water
Passata
Feta
Pine nuts

1.  Cut the aubergines and courgettes in half, score the flesh in diagonals, bake for about 40 minutes.
2.  Make the toppings - in 2 pans sautee onion and garlic and a sprinkle of chili flakes.
3.  To the meat version add minced beef and brown off.
4.  Add the correct stock cube to each mixture, stir in.  Add a cup of water to each.
5.  Prep the kale by removing thick stem and shredding quite finely.
6.  Drain chickpeas - add 2/3rds to the veggie mix and 1/3rd to the beef mix.
7.  Add passata to both, stir and simmer.  Add more liquid if necessary.
8.  (optional) toast pine nuts.
9.  Serve, with crumbled feta - scoff.

We all had seconds of something - and there are 3 more portions boxed up for lunch .... win, win, win.

Curry night

Chicken korma (lactose free), veggie curry, dhal and rice ... it's not that difficult, just lots of ingredients. You need to soak the cashews, so put them in water in the morning.  I started with the chicken and veg curries, and then put the rice on to boil.  As soon as the chicken went in the oven put the lentils on for the dhal ... it all kinda came together in about 45 minutes.

Onions

Olive oil

Garlic

Chicken thighs

Tikka Massala paste

cinnamon

Cashew nuts

Mustard seeds

fennel seeds

cumin seeds

chili flakes

potatoes

Courgette

Mushrooms

Carrot

Tomatoes

Garam masala

Red lentils

Basmati rice

1.  Soak the cashew nuts for some hours, or boil them for a few minutes.  Zizz them up with approximately an equal quantity of water to nuts.

2.  Sautee onions in olive oil in 2 heavy pans - one for the chicken, one for the veggie curry.

3.  Add crushed garlic to both pots.

4.  Put the rice on to boil in a heavy pot, covered by water to 1 inch above the surface of the rice..

5.  Add turmeric and a tsp of tikka masala paste to the chicken pot, then the chicken pieces skin side down first.

6.  Add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and chili flakes to the veggie pot.

7.  The add peeled diced potatoes, diced courgette, mushroom and carrot to the veggie pot.

8.  Turn the chicken over, sprinkle on 1/2 tsp cinnamon and pour in the cashew mixture.  Transfer to the oven.

9.  When the rice boils, slam a lid on it, and put it in the bottom of the oven.

10.  Add tomatoes, in pieces if whole and veg stock to the veggie curry, stir and simmer.

11.  Put red lentils and water on to boil for the dhal.

12.  When ready to serve make the tarka by frying cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chili and curry leaves, if you have them, in a little olive oil.  Pour this, sizzling over the dhal.

13.  Serve, scoff.

Mussels!!!

I love Todmorden.  I do. And I love the stuff we can make when we have a trawl around the fresh and interesting stuff on the inside and outdoor market.  Today Paul had new season mussels from the Menai Straits. That was enough to start me off in the direction of this dinner.  The only ingredient not sourced from the market was the wine ... and you only have to cross the road for that.

Dry white wine
Potatoes
olive oil
Salt
White onion
Sweet picante peppers
Garlic
Mussels
Tomatoes
Basil
Parsley
Salad leaves
Baby cucumber
Radishes
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Pour half a bottle of dry white wine into a jug.  Put the rest in the fridge to chill.
2.  Wash potatoes, cut into chip sized pieces - skin and all - roast in olive oil.  Check on them after about 20 minutes, turn them over so that they cook evenly.
3.  Do stuff ... the washing, the crossword etc for half an hour ...
4.  Wash the mussels, pull off beards, scrub off any barnacles etc ... actually these were beautiful - I only discarded two which didn't shut on a gentle tap.
5.  Finely chop onion, sautee gently in a big pan, in olive oil.
6.  Add very finely chopped garlic (lots of...) and peppers, keep on a very gentle heat.
7.  Chuck salad together - leaves, sliced cucumber, sliced radish - drizzle of balsamic and olive oil - toss together on serving.
8.  Check chips .. finely dice tomatoes and chop herbs.
9.  When chips are 10 minutes away .....  turn the heat up under the onion - add garlic and peppers, stir and cook for a minute or so.
10.  Pour wine from jug into onion pan ... pour chilled wine into glass ... :-p
11.  As soon as the wine starts bubbling, chuck in mussels.  Slam the lid on.  Shake the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
12.  Add the tomatoes and herbs to the mussels, lid on, shake violently ... cook for 2 more minutes.
13.  Serve, scoff ... don't eat any mussels which have not opened.


You may need crusty bread to dip into the delicious juice.

This was good ... really, really good ...

Duck breast, with figgy greens and mash

More experimenting with the "pudding with me dinner concept", and I'm sorry to say, but in general I am still on the anti team .... this was perfectly pleasant, but ....

The sherry, fruit and cinnamon do give the greens a nice slightly spicy sweetness, but I still don't have a sweet tooth.  On the upside - 6 of my 5 a day in one dish.

Potatoes
Butter
Olive oil
Onion
Sherry
Vegetable stock
Figs
Raisins
Cinnamon
Chili flakes
Cavolo nero
White cabbage
Spinach

Duck breasts

1.  Peel and dice the potatoes, boil - when cooked mash with butter and put in the oven for the top to crisp up.
2.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil.
3.  When the onion is soft add a splash of sherry and a cup of vegetable stock.  Add a small handful of raisins and 2 whole figs, simmer briefly.
4.  Remove figs, turn off the heat.
5.  Cook the duck breasts on a high heat, skin side first for a couple of minutes.  Turn the heat down, turn them over for a couple of minutes, then transfer to an oven dish and roast for 10 minutes.
6.  Cut figs into pieces.
7.  Add green veg to the stock, and simmer/steam for 5 minutes, stir the figs back in and heat through.
8. Serve, scoff, watch veg dodger eat seconds of cabbage mixture.

Tapas ... figs with blue cheese, cod and chickpeas, potatas bravas, heirloom tomato salad

Tonight's tapas was so delicious that we just dug in and forgot to take a picture until we'd had seconds ... so, have a look at the leftovers protected by plates, for supper snacking.

Patatas bravas

Dice potatoes, toss in olive oil and roast for about an hour.  Salsa bravas - sautee diced onion, add garlic, a pinch of paprike, a pinch of chili flakes and a load of tomatoes ... simmer and stir until it's a sauce.

Cod & chickpea ragu

Sautee diced onion in olive oil, add chopped sweet red pepper and fry a little longer.  Add a splash of sherry, stir in.  Tip in a tin of drained chickpeas, stir through.  Put fillets of cod on top of the beans and allow to steam for about 8 minutes, then gently stir into mix ... sprinkle a little paprika on topn

Figs, with blue cheese and almonds (and jamon serrano)

Slit the figs and wrap with serrano ham (if using) ... drizle with a little olive oil and bake for 10 minutes.  Stuff with blue cheese, and return to the oven.  Make the sauce by melting a little honey and add the almonds, turn over in the honey and pour onto figs.

Heirloom tomato salad

Cut tomatoes into tasteful shapes, delicately arrange them on serving platter (honestly, you just can't see them - lovely mix of red, orange, green and yellow.  Sprinkle on finely diced onion and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Leaf salad

Toss salad leaves with a drizzle oil oil and spritz of sherry vinegar.

Serve, scoff (do NOT under any circumstances take pictures) cover leftovers with plates.

Pork chop, brie and grilled nectarine

I'm not usually one for "me pudding with me dinner", but I saw a few recipes with round about this idea on t'interweb, and thought I'd give it a go.. it works!  The pork, mild mustard and cheese and really cut through by the bittersweetness of the grilled nectarine. The spinach was ours ... grown in the allotment.  Mostly the allotment has only grown weeds this year, as every time we get a minute it pours it down, and when we've been busy it has but sunny - perfect weed growing conditions.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Pork chops
Apple juice
Dijon mustard
Brie
Nectarines
Green beans
Spinach.

1.  Roast potato wedges in olive oil.
2.  30 minutes later - fry pork chops on each side.
3.  Steam beans and spinach.
4.  Smear top of chops with dijon mustard, top with slices of brie.  Put into oven dish and splosh in a half a cup of apple juice (just to stop it going dry).  Put in the oven for 10 minutes while brie melts.
5.  Griddle nectarine pieces.
6.  Serve, scoff ... be surprisingly impressed.

(Veggie had field mushroom and onion topped with brie).

Tofu bibimbap

We are spoilt at Todmorden market - we can venture way beyond our Yorkshire borders for some tasty dinners.  Today, I had a scout around t'interweb, and after reading a number of recipes thought I would create my version of a bibimbap ... big bowl of rice, topped with a protein source with assorted raw, pickled and cooked vegetables with a chili sauce ...ingredients are mostly available from the market - Oriental foods, The Mediterranean Pantry, a couple of vegetable stalls ... but I had to go to a local supermarket for the beansprouts!

Tofu
Jasmine rice
Peanut oil
Korean red chili pasta - gochujang
Soy sauce
Rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Sugar
Agave syrup
Sesame seeds
Garlic
Ginger
Radish
Carrots
Cucumber
Green beans
Cavolo nero
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
Spring onions

Basically you cook all the ingredients separately, give each person a bowl of rice topped with pan fried tofu and a fried egg, and they choose which of the other bits they want, add some sauce, and stir it all together.  I started with putting the tofu in salted water, then pickled the radish and carrot, then chopped the rest of the veg ... put the rice on, steamed the cavolo nero and green beans, fried the tofu, made the sauce, and stir fried the veg - one at a time - keeping them hot in the oven while I finished the tofu.  Finally fry the eggs .. and begin the assembly.

The tofu:-

Soak in salted water for 15 minutes to tighten up the edges.  Slice into fork sized slices - return to the salted water to firm up further.  Fry in hot peanut oil, in batches, do not over crowd the pan, until crispy on both sides.  Keep warm in the oven.

The sauce:-

Mix 3 tbsp gochujang with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, 1 tsp (to taste) agave syrup and 1 tsp sesame oil.

The pickled veg:-

Prepare carrot and radish batons.  Heat together 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup rice vinegar and 1 cup water.  Put veg into pickling liquid, swish about and take off the heat.  After 10 minutes drain and chill.

The stir fried veg, one at a time, keep warm in the oven:-

Mushrooms, sesame seeds, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil
Cavolo nero, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, soy sauce
Green beans, garlic, tiny splash soy sauce
Beansprouts, soy sauce, tiny splash sesame oil

The raw bits, chop finely:-

Cucumber
Spring onions
Sesame seeds

On your marks - go ....

Chilli two ways, with GF cheesy cornbread

We had no potatoes!  We had recently had both rice and pasta, so I wanted something different on the carbs front - so - cornbread, why not?  This led quickly to the obvious decision to combine it with chili for dinner.  A minced beef one for the veg dodger, an aubergine based one for the veggie - and, of course, both for me!

Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Cumin
Chilli flakes
Mixed herbs
Paprika
Carrots
Minced beef
Aubergine
Courgettes
Red pepper
Kidney beans
Black beans
Passata
Soya milk
Dark chocolate
Sour cream
Lime (optional)

Corn bread

GF plain flour
polenta/cornmeal
baking soda
baking powder
salt
egg
soya milk
sour cream
grated cheddar

1.  Start the chillies.  In two separate pans sweat down chopped onion in olive oil.
2.  Add crushed garlic, herb and spices - we don't like things too hot so I held back on the chili flakes, you can add, but it's very difficult to take away (if you do over spice you need some sugar to counter balance, so a big squirt of ketchup can help).
3.  Add chopped carrot to both, and continue to sweat down.
4.  Add minced beef to the meaty version, and diced aubergine to the veggie version.  Stir.  Keep stirring every now and again until mince is browned, and aubergine is slightly soft.
5.  Add chopped courgettes and red pepper to both, stir in.
6.  Drain a tin of kidney beans and a tin of black beans, stir half of each into each chili.
7.  Then add a cup of passata and a cup of water - simmer - season to taste.
8. When they are cooked (about 20 minutes, but you can just keep simmering gently, just make sure that they don't get too dry, add more water if necessary), add dark chocolate and a splash of milk/soya milk (this just "softens" the chili slightly). Stir until chocolate has dissolved. Spritz with lime if you have any.


Make soda bread

1.  Combine a cup of GF plain flour, a cup of cornmeal, 1/2tsp each of salt, baking powder and baking soda.
2.  Whisk together 1 egg, about half a cup of soya milk and a spoonful of natural yogurt or sour cream (you need a little acid to get the baking soda working).
3.  Mix a big handful of grated cheese into the wet ingredients.
4.  Combine the dry and the wet ingredients - kneed gently, but not for too long.  Juts enough to bring the mixture together.  Form into a round - with a sharp knife slash the top in a cross.
5.  Bake, on a floured tray, in a medium oven for about 30 minutes.

Serve, with sour cream .... scoff

Smoked haddock and cavolo nero risotto

Well, it makes a change from fish and chips, but still fish on a Friday.  Again, all sourced from Todmorden Market - olive oil, herbs and rice from me at The Mediterranean Pantry, fish from Paul, vegetables from Garry or Traynors and eggs from one of the butchers .... jobs a good'un. Also - basket to bowl in 25 minutes.

Onion
Olive oil
risotto rice
White wine (optional)
italian seasoning
Stock/water
cavolo nero
mushrooms
smoked haddock
eggs
frozen peas

1.  Soften chopped onion in olive oil.
2.  After a couple of minutes add risotto rice, stir into the oil until every grain is lightly coated.  Pour in a glass of white wine, add a sprinkle of herbs, and stir.  Add a cup of water/stock and simmer.
3.  After about 6 minutes add shredded cavolo nero and chopped mushrooms, stir again.  Add more liquid as it absorbed by the rice.
4.  Put eggs on to boil.
5.  After another 5 minutes put the fish on top of the rice to steam.
6.  Keep an eye on the risotto, making sure it doesn't get too dry, add a little stock if necessary, but be gentle with the fish - after 10 minutes it will be nearly cooked so fold it gently through the rest of the mixture, with a handful of frozen peas.
7.  Leave the risotto to stand for a few minutes off the heat so that it can suck up the remaining liquid.
8.  Take the eggs out of the hot water, run under a cold tap, peel off the shells - and, there you go ...
9.  Serve, scoff

National burger day

You can't exactly call it a recipe - but it was national burger day - so rude not to!  Serve with potato wedges, cheese, gherkins and salad in pita.  Veggie had field mushroom and onion "burger" topped with cheese, also in a pita.

Stroganoff two ways

 Once again two versions of the "same" dish - one made with meatballs for the veg dodger - and the other with chickpeas for the veggie.  I, of course, had both.

Start with 2 pans ... and another to make the rice. I used a rice ball, but you could use a microwave, or just a pan etc...

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms
Paprika
Meatballs
White wine
Tomatoes
Chickpeas
Veg stock cube
Chicken stock cube
cornflour
Sour cream

1.  In two pans sautee onions in olive oil, add crushed garlic.
2.  In the veg pan, add chopped mushrooms.
3.  In the meatball pan, add meatballs and fry until lightly browned, then add chopped mushrooms.
4.  To both pans add a glass of white wine and a sprinkle of paprika.
5.   Simmer for a while, then add halved cherry tomatoes, stir in.
6.  Add veg stock to the veggie version, and chicken stock to the meaty version.  Simmer again.
7.  Drain a can of chick peas and add to the veggie version.
8.  When the rice is done turn off thicken the sauce of the stroganoffs (if required) using cornflour slaked in a little water, then turn off the heat.
9.  Stir a spoonful of sour cream into each stroganoff.
10.  Serve, scoff ..

Fried chicken

Occasionally it has to be done!  It might not be top of the healthy list, but it's pretty high on the tasty list.  I was going to serve it with homemade coleslaw - but when I opened the fridge I realised we had finished the cabbage - so it was steamed veg and a simple salad instead.  We also had fabulous roast potato wedges.

Potatoes
Olive oil

Egg
Milk/soya milk
Fried chicken mix
Chicken thighs and drumsticks

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil and roast for 45 minutes, or so.
2.  Whisk together the egg and (soya) milk.
3.  Put the fried chicken mix in another bowl.
4.  Coat the chicken pieces first in the egg mix, and then in the coating.  Leave to one side to dry a little.
5.  Repeat the chicken coating exercise.
6.  Shallow fry the chicken pieces in oil.
7.  Put the chicken peices in the oven for 20 minutes, just to make sure they are cooked right through.
8.  Makes salad, steam veg.
9.  Serve, scoff.

Chinese influenced pork steak with veggie stir-fry

Nick (Fielden's family butchers) has some really great bargains.  The veg dodger choose this particular treat of chinese style pork steaks.  I developed the idea into a full dinner by making a stir fry with egg noodles, vegetables, kidney beans and cashew nuts.

All ingredients from Todmorden market - Fielden's butchers, The Mediterranean Pantry, Oriental Foods and Garry the veg.

Ground nut oil
Spring onions
Garlic
Ginger
Chilli flakes
Carrots
Broccoli
Red pepper
Baby cucumber
Soy sauce
Rice wine
Tomato ketchup
Noodles
Kidney beans
Sesame oil
Chinese pork steaks
Cashew nuts

1.  Chop all veg into small pieces, as the cooking process is quite quick.
2.  In a hot wok fry spring onion, crushed garlic and finely chopped ginger in groundnut oil.
3.  Add chopped veg and stir-fry.
4.  Boil noodles in water.
5.  In a hot pan fry the pork steaks for about 4 minutes on each side.
6.  Drain the noodles.
7.  To the veg add drained noodles, soy sauce, rice wine, tomato ketchup and drained kidney beans.
8.  Toss the stir fry - and empty into serving bowl, top with cashew nuts.
9.  Serve, scoff, water veg dodger eat 3 pork steaks ... yes 3 ... but also seconds of noodles and veg.

Roast trout, salsa verde and coleslaw

Friday - so, it'll be fish then ... no surprise there.  The beauty of this meal is that is suits everyone - the veg dodger likes coleslaw (albeit slathered in mayonnaise) and we all like fish.  I made a punchy salsa verde just to ring the changes, which wnet down well - I love the sharpness of the capers and cornichons chopped into the parsley and garlic - so dolloped on a load.  Others had a modest taste, but declared that it was surprisingly tasty.  This mix is firmly on the make again list.  It's also dead easy apart from some chopping.

Baby potatoes
Olive oil
Trout
Lemon
Spring onion
Red onion
Salt
Carrots
White cabbage
Cider vinegar
Sesame seeds
Parsley
Garlic
Capers
Cornichons

optional mayonnaise

1.  Parboil baby potatoes, then roast in olive oil.
2.  Put slices of lemon in the fish, fold them closed, drizzle with olive oil, roast covered in foil - for 30 minutes (about 160).
3.  Make the coleslaw - thinly slice onions, toss in a salad bowl, sprinkle with salt to start breaking them down.  Add julienned carrots (or grated) and finely shredded cabbage.  Toss gently and leave to stand.  After 10 minutes sprinkle on sesame seeds, splosh in some olive oil and a splash of cider vinegar.  Toss again, more throughly.  (at this point add mayonnaise/yoghurt if your household likes it - some of mine don't, so we have have it on the table for DIY concoction).
5.  Finely chop a pile of parsley with a small handful of capers and cornichons and a couple of garlic cloves.  Put the lovely green-ness into a bowl, add olive oil and stir until it looks and tastes right.
6.  Serve, scoff ... have seconds ... fight over last potato, leave leftover coleslaw for lunch tomorrow.

Pork chop, mushrooms with cheese, potato wedges and tomatoes

As the omnivore of the household I sometimes get a real treat at teatime - catering for the veg dodger and the vegetarian means I can have a bit of everything!  Today was pork chops in apple juice and mustard gravy for the veg dodger, and cheesy mushrooms for the veggie - accompanied by potatoes wedges, courgettes fried with onions and roasted tomatoes... the veg dodger managed some mushrooms - and there were lots of onions and apple juice in his gravy too ... ha - take that veg dodger!

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Pork chops
Mushrooms
Cherry tomatoes
Courgettes
Apple juice
Chicken stock
Wholegrain mustard

1.  Cup potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil and a little salt.  Bake for 45 mins- 1 hour.
2.  Toss tomatoes in olive oil and salt, and bung in the bottom of the oven with the potatoes.
3.  Do the same with the mushrooms - ie.  in a dish in the oven.
4.  Chop onions and crush garlic, sautee in olive oil.
5.  Remove a spoonful of onions to another pan, add the courgettes 5 or 6 minues before serving - then fry them.
6.  Add the pork chops to the rest of the onions and brown slightly on both sides.
7.  Pour apple juice and stock into the pork chops, add a big spoonful of wholegrain mustard and simmer (about 15 minutes).
8.  Turn the mushrooms over, and add a piece of cheese - return to the oven to melt.
9.  Last 5 minutes - fry courgettes, check gravy for seasoning.
10.  Serve, scoff.

Baked halibut - Spanish style

Halibut is an exceptional fish.  Not one we get often, because it is pricey - but Paul had some fantastic looking fresh halibut at a reasonable price - so I didn't resist.  I thought I would give it a bit of a Spanish twist.

Potatoes
White wine
Olive oil
Veg stock
Red onion
Garlic
Courgette
Tomatoes
Red pepper
Parsley
Lemon zest
Black pepper
Dry sherry
Halibut

1.  Peel the potatoes and slice into thick slices.  Place as a layer in an oven dish, with a splash of olive oil, a glass of white wine and about the same of veg stock.  Bake/poach in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until almost done.
2.  Make the sauce - sautee sliced onion and crushed garlic in olive oil, add finely diced courgette and thin strips of red pepper.  After a couple of minutes add chopped tomatoes and a good twist of black pepper.  Simmer, add water/stock if it goes a bit dry, until the veg are soft.
3.  When the potatoes are nearly done, layer the fish on top.  Add 2 tablespoons of dry sherry, a handful of parsley and grated lemon zest to the tomato/pepper mixture, and stir in.
4.  Pour the tomato mixture onto the fish and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
5.  When the fish is cooked, sprinkle on some extra parsley and lemon zest.
6. Serve, scoff.

This was a real treat - I used 2 big halibut steaks, and two of us were eating - there are now 4 portions in the freezer waiting for lunches - I hope it freezes well, because I am already looking forward to pulling it out for work lunches.

Sausage and mash

Sausage and mash is excellent almost any day - but I made a really nice onion and mustard gravy which turned this into a real treat.

Potatoes
Sausages - these were pork and apple
Olive oil
Butter
Red onion
Garlic
Flour
Vegetable stock
Grainy mustard
Baked beans
Cabbage


1.  Prick the sausages with a fork and bung in the oven in an oven dish.  I add the tiniest splash of olive oil, roll them round in it - just to stop any initial sticking.
2.  Peel potatoes, boil for 15 minutes - until softish to a sharp knife.  Mash with butter and put into another oven dish - bake for 20 minutes, until the top goes golden brown.
3.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil until soft, add a tablespoon of flour and stir in until it becomes a paste.  Add stock and simmer, add a spoonful of grainy mustard, simmer again.  The gravy will thicken.
4.  Heat beans.
5. Steam shredded cabbage.
6.  Serve, scoff .... delicious

Hake and potato wedges with a ragu of summer vegetables

Paul had some lovely hake this Friday, so I thought we would have a treat.  Tasty wedges making a tiny change from chips, and some veg braised in wine finished it off. Yum.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Carrots
White wine
Stock
Cabbage
Hake

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil and bake for 45 minutes.
2.  After 25 ish minutes - Sautee red onion and diced carrot for a few minutes, in olive oil.  Add a cup of white wine and a cup of stock, simmer gently for a few minutes.  When you put the fish on add shredded cabbage and allow to wilt.
3.  Brush the fish with olive oil, and fry in a hot pan, skin side down first for a few minutes each side.
4.  Serve, scoff.

Lamb breast and mediterranean vegetable bake

I love a bargain.  I had to go to the supermarket to pick up soya milk, so glanced in the last minute bargains section - and saw lamb breast for 50p!  50p! ... so, that was enough of a spark to dictate what we were to have for dinner.  I only bought one each, but they worked so well I wish I had bought more, for the freezer.

Lamb breast
Tomato pesto
Garlic
Olive oil
Potatoes
Salt
Aubergine
Courgette
Tomatoes
Cheese (masdaam and cheddar, could have been almost any cheese)
Red onion
Italian herbs

1.  Mix together tomato pesto, crushed garlic and a little olive oil, massage into the lamb breast and marinate for an hour or so.
2.  Sprinkle potatoes with salt, toss in olive oil and roast in the oven.
3.  Put the lamb in the oven, start at a medium heat for half an hour, then at a high heat for half an hour.
4.  Griddle sliced aubergine and courgette in a little olive oil, then stack in an overlapping pattern in an oven dish - aubergine, courgette, tomato ... keep going in a spiral.  Tuck bits of cheese in with the vegetables, sprinkle with italian herbs and finely chopped red onion.  Bake for 20 minutes.
5.  Serve, scoff.

(The veg dodger had seconds of mediterranean bake!)

Fish curry

Fish on Friday, as usual, but a bit of a change this week.  Lovely haddock from Paul, and a trawl through the veg in the fridge, and we had this delicious, but not very authentic, version of Malaysian fish head curry.  There were no fish heads involved, or any Malaysians for that matter.

Jasmin rice
Peanut oil
Spring onion
Garlic
Curry paste (Malaysian fish head for us, but could have been red thai, or something similar)
Courgette
Mushrooms
Tomato puree
Coconut milk
Haddock (or other white fish)

1.  Cook the rice - I used a rice ball - those things really work - put rice in ball, put into pan of cold water - bring to the boil, boil for about 15 minutes - done!
2.  In a wok, heat peanut oil, then add chopped spring onions, curry paste and crushed garlic.  Stir fry briefly.
3.  Add chopped veg to the wok, and stir fry, then add water/stock and a squirt of tomato puree, simmer until veg a nearly done, stirring occasionally.
4.  Add coconut milk, and taste for seasoning.
5.  Add fish pieces and simmer gently for about 5-6 minutes.
6.  Serve, sprinkling more chopped spring onion on top, scoff.

Spanish fish casserole

You could use any fish in this, really - but I had some lovely haddock and hake (from Paul the fish) in the freezer, so that was what went in for us.

The "spanish" about it is a little bit of heat, a little smokey paprika, peppers and garlic.  It was damn good.

Onion
Garlic
olive oil
Potatoes
courgette
Pepper (yellow or red)
White wine
Chilli flakes
Smoked paprika
Turmeric
Tin chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
vegetable stock

1.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  Add chunky diced potatoes - I keep the skin on, but peeled on not - either is fine.
3.  Add chopped courgette and pepper, add a pinch of chilli flakes, a pinch of smoked paprika and a smidge of turmeric.
4.  Pour in about a glass of white wine, and about the same of stock.
5.  Simmer, after 5 minutes add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato puree and a tin of water.  Simmer again, covered.
6.  When the potatoes are just about done (15-18 minutes) add fish to the top, and cover again, to let it steam through for about 5-10 minutes (depends how big your fish is).
7.  Serve, scoff ... could have had crunchy bread and a green salad, could have topped with aioli - but it was delicious by itself.