One list five meals: Salmon and Asparagus Pasta Bake
Salmon and Asparagus Pasta Bake
Serves 4
Penne pasta for four, about 250g, cooked in lightly salted water
30g of butter
30g of flour
600mls of milk
100mls of creme fraiche
1 tsp of mustard
A small bunch of dill, finely chopped
300g of asparagus, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 salmon fillets, chopped into bite-size pieces
60g of cheddar cheese, grated
Asparagus is gorgeous when in season and it works well with the fish in this dish.
Melt the butter over a low heat and vigorously stir in the flour until it is completely combined. Keep stirring for a further minute to cook the flour and then remove it from the heat. When off the heat stir in the milk, creme fraiche, mustard, and dill. You will have to start slowly and then make sure they all combine well.
Steam the asparagus until tender.
Heat a dash of oil and brown the salmon all over.
Place the salmon into an ovenproof dish and top with half of the pasta. Pour half of the sauce over. Sprinkle the asparagus and then cover with the rest of the sauce.
Sprinkle with the cheddar and place into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 190 degrees until golden on top and the fish is cooked through.
Eggy Mince Meat Hash
Serves 4
4 cloves of garlic chopped
A dash of rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
500g of lean minced beef
2 handfuls of baby spinach, roughly shredded
A bunch of parsley, chopped
1 tsp of chilli flakes
4 eggs, lightly beaten
70g of parmesan grated
Crunchy bread for 4
Heat the oil and gently sauté the onion until it has just begun to turn translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking until it has started to turn golden. Add the mince to the pan and turn up the heat. Brown it all over making sure to break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Once it is completely brown add the spinach and continue cooking until it is soft and the meat is cooked. Stir in the parsley, chilli flakes, and eggs. Stir until the eggs have cooked. Add in the parmesan and serve on slices of nice crunchy bread.
Herb Broth with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 inches of ginger, roughly chopped
400g of leeks, washed and cut lengthwise
1 turnip, roughly cut into cubes
4 carrots, roughly chopped
5 dried mushrooms
6 cloves of garlic, left whole
1 tbsp of pink peppercorns
A dash of olive oil
2 tbsp of fish sauce
1 tbsp of honey
A bunch of parsley, chopped
A bunch of coriander, chopped
A bunch of tarragon, finely chopped
Put the onion, ginger, leeks, half of the turnip, half of the carrots, the mushrooms, garlic and peppercorns into 2½ litres of water and allow to bubble away in the background for an hour over a low heat without a lid.
In the meantime toss the rest of the carrots and turnips in the oil and season, then place them into a medium oven until they are tender and turning golden.
Once your broth is done strain it through a sieve or colander. Add the fish sauce and honey then taste. Season it and add a little more of either fish sauce or honey if necessary.
Stir the herbs through the broth before serving and add the roasted vegetables to each bowl. This is also nice with a handful of cooked noodles in each bowl.
Rhubarb, Pumpkin Seed and Feta Salad
Serves 4
400g of rhubarb, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tbs and a dash of olive oil
1 tbsp of port
½ tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of cider vinegar
Mixed leaves for 4
200g of feta cheese
A handful of pumpkin seeds
4 pitta breads, toasted and cut into fingers
Heat a dash of oil and sauté the rhubarb gently until it has softened. Add 2 tbs of the port and honey and allow to simmer for another minute then set aside.
Make the dressing by whisking three tablespoons of olive oil, the rest of the port and the vinegar. Taste and season well.
Toss the leaves in the dressing and toss through the cheese and seeds. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. Sit the rhubarb on top and pour any juices from the pan over the salads.
Serve with the toasted pitta breads on the side.
Chilli and Bacon Pizzas
Serves 4
A dash of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A bunch of coriander, chopped
400g of fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp of tomato puree
2 tsp of lime juice
6 smoked rashers, cut into thin strips
2 pizza bases
2 balls of mozzarella
Heat the oil and sauté the onion in a saucepan on a low heat. When it has turned translucent add the chilli and garlic. Continue frying until the garlic has started to change colour.
Stir in the coriander, tomatoes and tomato puree and allow to bubble away on a low heat for ten minutes. Add the lime juice taste and season. Allow to bubble away gently for a further five minutes. Blitz with a soup gun or in a blender until it is a smooth sauce. Taste again and add seasoning if necessary.
Fry the strips of rasher until they are half cooked.
Preheat your oven to as hot as it will go and place two baking trays inside so they heat up. If you sprinkle a layer of semolina on the trays as you are heating them at the begining it helps with rolling the pizza off afterwards.
Spread some sauce on each pizza base. You may have some left over and it can be frozen once cooled, or kept in the fridge to be used on pasta. Sprinkle the bacon over and then the cheese. Sprinkle with black pepper.
Lay your pizzas onto the hot baking tray and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted.
