Smoked salmon linguine

 

It might seem a bit summery for an autumnal Sunday tea - but I added a bit of zing with chilli, and it was fresh and tasty, but also filling and satisfying - and very quick to make.  If you started with water boiled in the kettle I think it could be on the table in 15 minutes.

I made it with linguine - but it would also be good with shorter pasta - which would be ideal packed into a tub for work lunches.

Linguine (or pasta shapes)

Olive oil

Onion

Red pepper

Mushrooms

Frozen peas

Chillli flakes

Cherry tomatoes/baby plum tomatoes

Smoked salmon 

1.  Put salted water on the boil for the pasta - bung it in when it's a a rolling boil (follow instructions for timings on the packet).

2.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil until translucent.

3.  Add the other vegetables to the softened onion, with a pinch of chilli flakes, and sautee gently for a few minutes.

4.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the vegetables, add chopped up smoked salmon, and toss around to mix thoroughly.

5.  Serve, scoff ... it was really delicious.

Pork stir fry with noodles

 

Well, folks, it has been a while!  My cooking mojo has taken a serious dip.  We've had dinners, obviously, but not that exciting ... and I've not been in a sharing mood.  So, in an attempt to get back at it - I've gone a little oriental (well, with what I had in the fridge and cupboard).

Coconut oil
Pork steaks

Spring onions

Garlic

Ginger

Chilli flakes

Medium egg noodles

Carrots

Pak choi

Mange tout

Oyster sauce

Tomato ketchup

Rice wine vinegar

Shaoxing rice wine

Soya sauce

Cornflour

1.  Prep the meat and veg.  Cutting pork into small pieces, peel and slice carrots, thinly slice spring onions, crush garlic, grate ginger etc.

2.  In a wok, heat coconut oil to very hot, then chuck in spring onions and stir in the oil.

3.  Put a pan of water on to boil for the noodles.

4.  Add the diced pork to the spring onions, stir until a little coloured.

5.  Add crushed garlic, grated ginger and chilli flakes to the pork, keep stirring.

6.  Add noodles to boiling water - for about 6 minutes.

7.  Add chopped veg to pork mixture - carrots and pak choi stems first, stir fry for a minute or two, then add the softer bits.  Keep moving around.

8.  Add oyster sauce, a squirt of ketchup, rice wine vinegar, rice wine and soay sauce ... keep moving.

9.  Slake the cornflour.

10.  Add a ladle of water to the meat and veg, keep moving.

11.  Stir in slaked cornflour to thicken the sauce, stir in well.  Add more water if it's too sticky.

12.  Drain noodles and add them to the wok.

13.  Stir together for two minutes.

14.  Serve, scoff ... add more soya sauce to taste ...

Pasta with cauliflower, peas, feta and hazelnuts

I couldn't get the lighting right for the picture, and I wanted to eat my dinner … so, very substandard picture of a delicious dinner.

Pasta - I used pea fusilli to keep it GF, but could be any short pasta
Cauliflower
Baby spinach
Red onion
Frozen peas
Feta
Hazelnuts
Mint
Olive oil




1.  Break cauliflower into small florets.
2.  Boil pasta in salted water, steam the cauliflower over it.
3.  Mix a couple of big handfuls of baby spinach with a small, finely diced, red onion.
4.  Add some frozen peas to the steaming cauliflower and continue cooking.
5.  Roughly chop half a cup of hazelnuts.
6.  When the pasta is done drain it and chuck it on top of the spinach to wilt it.  Stir it around a little to help it, then add the cauliflower and peas, stir it again.
7.  Break on the feta, add the nuts - turn over gently.
8.  Add a little finely shredded mint and a drizzle of olive oil.
9.  Serve, scoff …

Done in 10 minutes flat (if the water is boiling already).  The veg dodger had some salami, but otherwise very quick very tasty veggie dinner.

Meals in minutes: stir fries

We needed food fast, so this isn't a recipe as such - as it involved prechopped veggies and ready to wok noodles … however, it gave us two delicious stir fries - one featuring prawns and the other one cashew nuts.

Peanut oil
Garlic paste
Chilli flakes
Soy sauce
Ginger
Rice wine vinegar
Ketchup
Pre-prepared veg stir fry mixes (we had 1 x Chinese veg, 1 x mushroom stir fry & 1 x broccoli and butternut squash …) or chop up veg into bite sized pieces
Frozen prawns
Cashew nuts
Ready to wok noodles

1.  Make a paste from a couple of spoonfuls of peanut oil, garlic and ginger paste, a tablespoon of ketchup and chilli flakes to taste.
2.  Thaw frozen prawns by running hot water over them.
3.  In tow woks heat a little peanut oil until hot.
4.  Fling in veg - I used Chinese type in one wok, and the other two combined in the other one.
5.  Add the prepared mix to the Chinese mix, and a good splash of soy sauce.
6.  Add garlic paste and soy sauce to the mushroom etc mix, and a splash of rice wine.
7.  Toss the veg about for a few minutes, add a little water to help steam the veg.
8.  Add the noodles …. unknit them a bit with your fingers to make them easier to mix in.
9.  Toss around until veg is done and noodles are heated through.
10.  Serve, scoff … add more soy sauce/chilli sauce if desired.

Ten minutes, start to finish.

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

Courgette frittata, pesto gnocchi with tomato salad

The veg box often leaves us with challenges at the end of the week - but, as the bantams a re laying again, this challenge of onions, courgettes and cherry tomatoes was easily handled.  Also, had a packet of pesto gnocchi in the fridge, so that was easy too - and quick.


Red onion
Olive oil
Garlic
courgette
pesto gnocchi
eggs
tomatoes

1.  Chop a red onion - some very finely - reserve this for the salad,  sautee the rest with crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  Add finely sliced courgette to the softened onion.
3.  Whisk together a number of eggs (7 bantam eggs in this case, but depends how hungry you are).  Add to the courgette mixture, cook on the hob for a few minutes (about 3), then finish under the grill/in a medium oven.
4.  Boil the gnocchi until they float, drain.  (You can then toss them in a little melted butter/olive oil if you wish).
5.  Put the salad together, chopped tomatoes, the reserved red onion and a sprinkle of salt.
6.  10 minutes after starting - serve, scoff, carry on with your day.

Spaghetti "carbonara"

Dead easy, dead quick - and a visit to Todmorden indoor market can supply all of the ingredients.  Vegetables from Traynor, pasta (gluten free for us) from The Mediterranean Pantry, bacon and chicken from Bracewell's or Fielden's butchers.  We had some left over chicken from a roast, but you could get some ready cooked from Brian's.  An egg from all over the place, and parmesan from The Crumbly Cheese.

Olive oil
Leeks
Mushrooms
Peas
Spaghetti
Bacon
Cooked chicken
Egg

1.  Sweat the chopped, washed leek in olive oil for a few minutes, then add chopped mushrooms.
2.  Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water.
3.  Fry off chopped bacon and then add cooked chicken.  Add the leeks etc to the meat.  (I was doing a veggie version and a meat eaters version, so then split the leeks etc between the two frying pans).
4.  Chuck in a handful of peas.
5.  Drain the pasta, and add it to the vegetables.
6.  Lightly whip an egg.  Let the pasta cool for a minute, then quickly turn the egg through, forming a silky "sauce".
7.  Serve, top with shards of parmesan and a good grind of black pepper.
8.  Scoff, watch veg dodger have seconds!

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".

Turnip colcannon, with mushroom and romanesco

So, today we have vegetarian, gluten free and lactose intolerance ... and a veg box (with no onions), and potatoes to use up.  I think I did really well.  Those who came with their dietary requirements seemed to think so to, as thirds were eaten!

Potatoes
Turnip
cabbage
olive oil
garlic
mushrooms
romanesco
vegan bouillon
tuscan seasoning (available from the Mediterranean Pantry)
olive oil spread

30 minutes, start to finish.

1.  Peel and chop potatoes and turnip, boil until cooked (about 15 minutes, depends how small you chop the potatoes.
2.  Shred the cabbage and steam it.
3.  In a good few tablespoons of olive oil, chop mushrooms and sautee.  Add crushed garlic, gently cook off some more.
4.  Cut florets from the romanesco, and add to the mushrooms, add a teaspoon of tuscan seasoning.
5.  Make about half a pint of stock with veg bouillon and add to the mushrooms and romanesco.
6.  When the potatoes and turnip are cooked mash them, with a couple of spoons of olive oil spread (or similar) - season.
7. Serve, scoff .....

And apparently, scoff again - thirds! at least!

Quails eggs with fried rice and cumin cabbage

When you have a veg box once a week you also have the end of the week ... and whatever veg is left.  This week there was white cabbage, and also some quails eggs we bought - just before our bantams had a laying spree - so we have eaten our girls' eggs already.  This is odd, because we were really looking forward to the quails eggs - they are delicious.

Some cooked rice, some frozen peas and a few spices ... ta dah!



Coconut oil
Fried onions
Crushed garlic
Cooked rice
Courgette
Cumin seeds
Turmeric
Cabbage
Quails eggs
Frozen peas
Tomatoes

1.  Plonk some coconut oil in a frying pan and chuck in a handful of fried onions, stir, add crushed garlic.
2.  Add the fried rice, and turn around until every grain of rice is lightly coated.
3.  Add chopped veg - courgette in this case, and a splash of water to keep it moist.
4.  About now ... tiny spoon of coconut oil in a pan - add shredded cabbage, tsp cumin seeds and  1/2 tsp turmeric.  Stir.  Add a half cup of water, lid on, turn the heat down.
5.  Put qualis eggs into a pan with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat.
6.  Add peas to the rice mixture ... stir in.
7.  Wait 3 minutes and serve ....

Yum - if you have cooked rice this is on the table in under 20 minutes.  (You can also buy cooked rice in microwavable trays - this can be used from the tray, without microwaving - from 2.)

Wild fennel and tomato pesto tagliatelle, prawns and salad

We needed a very quick dinner, and fortunately I had been waiting to try the wild fennel and tomato pesto which I now stock - well!  it is outstanding!  Some good pasta - tagliatelle today and some salad and we were good to go.  I added some grilled prawns as well, to please the gathered ... but there were three views on this!  i) fantastic, love it, having thirds; ii) really good pesto, pasta and salad - would make a really good veggie dinner; iii) nice dinner - but would be fan-bloody-tastic to have this pasta and pesto with steak, or indeed, chicken ... and the same salad would be great too.  I think I come down with iii ... but, damn good pesto, damn good pasta, damn good dinner.

Takes about 12 minutes from cold ...

1.  Put on a pan of water to boil.
2.  Prepare lettuce.
3.  Make salad dressing - a splash of garlic infused olive oil, a squirt of lemon juice and a grind of sea salt and black pepper - into a salad bowl.
4.  Chuck lettuce and very finely sliced half moons of onion into the dressing.
5.  When water is boiling, chuck in the pasta and cook for 4 minutes until al dente.
6.  Grill prawns in hot pan.
7.  When the pasta is done, drain and stir in pesto.  Toss the salad.

Serve, scoff ...   then get the opinions written above ... thinking about it now - I think this pasta/pesto combo would be AMAZING with a good steak.  (Sorry vegetarians!)

Indtant dinner: gnocchi and pesto

It was a drizzly old day, but it bucked up in the afternoon, so ended up exploring wine shops and a cocktail and coffee bar, and unexpectedly getting home latish and tired-ish - so dinner was gnocchi and pesto with a tomato and onion salad.

I really can't bring myself to call it a recipe as the gnocchi was out of a packet and boiled for 1 minute - the pesto was out fo a jar - but it tasted good, and it was super quick.

Courgette and broccoli spaghetti

Courgette, onions and broccoli at the end of the veg box ... so, here goes:-
 1.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  When a little softenned add diced courgette, and the broccoli stem, diced.
3.  Add a little water, so that it doesn't get too dry, and a few chili flakes, season.
4.  Make pasta (GF spaghetti in this case) according to packet instructions.
5.  5 minutes from serving add small broccoli florets and juice and zest of half a lemon.
6.  Drain pasta, toss together ... turn of black pepper
7.  Scoff - with, or without parmesan.

Delicious and under 20 mins to make.

Broccoli, bean and anchovy pasta

It's quick, it used the veg from the veg box ... yum.

Olive oil
Leek
Garlic
Anchovies
Broccoli
Green beans
Spinach
Black pepper

Pasta

1. Put your pasta water on to boil.  When it's ready put in your pasta.
2.  Chop and rinse your leek, soften in olive oil.
3.  When a bit soft add garlic, anchovy fillets and stir in.
4.  Add chopped beans and broccoli spears, broken into bite sized pieces.  Cook through, adding water to boil and steam to cooked.
5.  Drain pasta, add to sauce, add a handful of spinach and grind on black pepper.  Turn over and spinach will "melt" into the pasta.

Serve, scoff.  Really healthy and very tasty.

No duck pancakes

Peking duck pancakes, from an Asian supermarket, freezer section
Hoisin sauce
Onion
Carrot
Fennel
Cucmber
Sesame seeds


1.  Steam pancakes for about 10 minutes.
2.  Julienne vegetables
3.  Scoff - by smearing sauce on pancake, topping with veg and sesame seeds - roll up

Delish - quick and healthy

Pasta puttanesco

It's not authentic, but it is quick and very tasty.  Tonight we had a nightmare with trains so didn't get in through the front door until 9:20.  We were sitting down to eat this at 9:40.  I decided to pep it up with anchovies and miss out the chili this time.

Olive oil
Gluten free pasta
leek, chopped and washed
2 plum tomatoes, diced
handful of olives, roughly chopped
small handful of capers, roughly chopped
crushed garlic
About 6 anchovy fillets, chopped.
Parmesan, freshly ground

1.  Put the pasta on, cook according to packet instructions.
2.  Sautee leek in lots of good olive oil.
3.  Add diced tomatoes.  Stir in and chuck in olives and capers.
4.  About 2 minutes before serving, stir through anchovies - they don't need to cook, just warm through.  I like them to retain little punchy pockets of flavour rather than it be evened out over the whole dish, in this recipe.
5.  Drain pasta,  stir into the sauce.
6.  Serve with big grinding of black pepper ad freshly grated parmesan.

Spicy beef stir fry with noodles

A stir fry is not the best thing to make when you have a hurty hand as there is too much chopping involved, and vigorous stirring and flipping can be a challenge - but I managed.

I used peanut oil, cos I had some, but any neutral flavoured vegetable oil would be fine, avoid olive oil.



1 tbsp peanut oil
about 100g steak - in bite sized strips
1 small leek
Fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
Chili flakes
1/2 red pepper, in strips
1/2 Kholrabi, peeled and chopped into strips
Small handful green beans
4 mushrooms
Chinese rice wine
Chinese rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Sweet chili sauce
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 cup water
Beansprouts
Shredded chinese leaf
1 nest noodles
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil

1.  Heat wok, add peanut oil.  Sear beef in hot oil.
2.  After a couple of minutes flipping meat about add chopped leek, garlic, ginger and chili. (set smoke alarm off)
3.  When leek is slightly softened, chuck in harder veg - beans, kholrabi and pepper.
4.  Splash in chinese rice wine, chinese rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. Keep stirring around for a couple of minutes, add sliced mushrooms.
5. Add water, and boil quickly.
6.  Slake cornflour in water and stir in quickly to thicken sauce.
7.  Chuck in cooked, drained noodles, beansprouts and shredded cabbage.
8. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, scoff.

You've gotta love leftovers

Working from home, and on a tight deadline, so needed something quick.  Fortunately, despite some people's protestations, there is nearly always something in the fridge which will take minutes to whip up into something both tasty and healthy.  Today was no exception - our own eggs - left over veg from Sunday dinner - a spring onion - dah dah - garden omelette.

I calculated the price by (over)estimated amount used from  a standard supermarket packet.  What this reminds me is not that this was pricey - but the importance of not wasting leftovers etc.

Garden omelette, with a bit of salad

Serves 1:  Preparation time:  7 minutes.  Approx calories 399:  Approx price: £1.07 (if you had to buy the eggs, and the veg wasn't already costed into another meal - I think it's more like 35p)

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 spring onion
Big handful of cooked green beans (or other veg)
Torn sections of mozzarella (optional, or use other cheese)
3 eggs
Seasoning
Lettuce and radishes

1. Toss spring onion into hottish olive oil and fry.
2.  After a minute or so add leftover green veg and flip about a bit.
3.  Tear in mozzorella
4.  Pour over whisked eggs.  Wait until the edge has cooked a little and pull into the middle, tip pan to allow uncooked egg to move to the edges.  Either continue like this until cooked, or stick under a hot grill for a minute or so.
5. Serve.  scoff.

Prawny stir fry with noodles

An interesting day all round.  Victim may have the opportunity of an adventure of a lifetime, but we can't say much yet.  A mate has had an amazing invite to an International trade thingymajig... but not allowed to say anything about that either!  There was a traffic jam on the way to the pool, so swimming training was stalled for the day (only 160 lengths this week.. smug grin).  Then, we were going to go out for dinner, but couldn't decide where to go - and came to the conclusion that it is usually quite disappointing, so opted for a nice spicy prawny treat  instead.  Victim didn't say much - but I think that is mostly down to me insisting on a Corrie overdose rather than a reaction to the dinner - cos it was all eaten.

So, prawny stir fry with noodles:-

Serves 2:  Takes:  about 20ish mins - start to finish - 10 mins cooking time: Approx calories per serving:  395  approx price per serving: £1.90

Ingredients (indicative, not exhaustive - use veg you have available, amounts approximate to say the least)

1 tbsp peanut oil
Vegetables: spring onions, orange pepper, carrot, courgette, mushrooms, green beans, radish, beansprouts
handful of prawns
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger puree
1 finely chopped chili
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp rice wine
2 "cakes" of dried noodles
pinch of sesame seeds

Method:

1. Chop veg, and mince garlic and ginger, finely chop chili.
2. Put water on for noodles, heat peanut oil in large frying pan/wok
3. When the oil is hot chuck all veg in and toss around a bit.  Add garlic, ginger, chili and toss around a bit more.
4. After a couple of minutes add tomato puree, soy sauce and a splash of rice wine - and about half a cup of water.
5. When noodle water boils chuck noodles into it - and chuck prawns into veg (if you are using frozen prawns thaw them out in boiling water first - boil kettle pour onto frozen prawns, swirl about, leave for 30 seconds or so, check they are soft - then chuck into veg).
6. Chuck veg about happily, and a minute or so later add beansprouts.
7. Drain noodles and add to stir fry.
8. Toss energetically, sprinkle on sesame seeds, and more soy sauce if you think it needs it.
9. Scoff

Pasta and tuna pesto salad

Recipe:  be as busy as humanly possible all day - look in cupboards - panic - boil pasta, open some jars and a tin or two, chop some stuff and mix.  So pasta - shells, because, why not?  Farfalle would be OK, and penne or other shortish types, but probably not long pasta, or sheets.  Jars - roasted peppers, pesto, mayonnaise (lower fat), gherkins, olives: chop - red onion, tomato, cucumber & stuff from jars that needed to be in smaller pieces (gherkin, peppers, olives).  Chuck handful of frozen peas into pasta - bring back to boil.  Open tin of tuna, drain, chuck into mixed vegetables - add big splodge of mayonnaise, add drained pasta and stir all together with a nice fresh grind of black pepper on top. Victim didn't say much, but ate it all.  I enjoyed mine. Some left for lunch tomorrow - result!