Cheese, Onion & Potato Pie

Yes I know this recipe has "winter warmer" written all over it but, even thought it's the end of May, it's not exactly toasty outside yet. Yesterday was grey, cold and rainy and that, combined with a two hour power cut around lunchtime, meant that by the time dinner came around I was ready for something warm and comforting.

Well, this is about as comforting as it gets. A big, warm, cheesy, mashy hug of a dinner that you could happily eat under the duvet with a spoon.

Cheese, Onion & Potato Pie
(adapted from In the Mood for Food, by Jo Pratt)

750g potatoes, peeled and quartered
40g butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
100ml milk
200g mature cheddar or similar
1 teaspoon wholegrain or English mustard
salt and pepper
2-3 tomatoes, sliced (I substituted baby plum tomatoes on this occasion)
.
1) Preheat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6 and grease an oven proof dish.

2) Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.

3) While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes until lightly golden. Add the milk and heat until just boiling.

4) Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan and mash them really well. Stir in the milk and onions, three quarters of the cheese, the mustard and season.

5) Transfer to the ovenproof dish, scatter over the remaining cheese and top with the tomatoes. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is bubbling and lightly golden.

Serves 2 generously

Oven-Baked Fish with Tomato & Parsley

At this time of year rather than thinking "what shall I cook for tea" I'm more often wondering "what can I cook for tea that goes with Jersey Royals". As a native (albeit it living overseas) I admit I'm bit biased but the annual arrival of these wonderful potatoes in the shops, like the asparagus and strawberries that are also beginning to appear, is cause for celebration. Their firm texture and buttery flavour are not to be missed at this time of year.

This particular recipe is a perfect partner for my favourite potatoes and comes from one of my favourite take-to-bed cookbooks (I'm surely not the only person who loves to curl up in bed with a pile of recipe books to leaf through!), Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros. A lot of the recipes aren't the sort of things I would usually cook but the layout and photographs are lovely and it's a great inspiration when I want to try something different.

The simple ingredients in this recipe and combine to provide some wonderful flavours and the colours are enough to brighten up the chilliest spring day. It's a great way of turning a plain piece of fish into something a bit special.

Oven-Baked Fish with Tomato & Parsley
(adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros)

1kg/ 2lb 4oz firm white fish fillets cut into 6cm pieces
400g tin tomatoes with juice, chopped (or very ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped) - I used whole tomatoes but by-passed the peeling part
15g/1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
juice of 2 lemons
2 celery stalks, chopped, with some leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil

1) Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4. Put the fish in an oven dish where they will fit in a single layer. Mix together the tomatoes, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, celery, sugar and olive oil and add seasoning to taste.

2) Pour over the fish so that all pieces are covered, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

3) Remove the foil, increase the heat to 200c/400f/gas 6 and bake for a further 40-50 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened and the top of the fish is golden in a couple of places.

4) Serve with new potatoes or some crusty bread.

Serves 4 - 6

Keema Lamb Mince

Here's another one of those recipes that I've made many times over but never got around to writing about.

It's another brilliantly simple mince dish but, unlike the ones I posted about recently, it's cooked on the hob rather than in the oven. It only takes a few ingredients and, as you can see below, it couldn't be more straightforward. I use korma curry paste which gives it a nice gentle flavour but you can use an alternative if you want to ramp up the heat a bit.

Oh, and the children like it too - result!  

Keema Lamb Mince
(delicious magazine some years ago)

500g lamb mince
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbsp of your favourite curry pasta (I use Korma paste)
200ml coconut milk

1) Heat a deep, wide frying pan. Fry the lamb mince, onions and garlic for about five minutes.

2) Add the tomatoes, curry paste and coconut milk and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Serves 4

Pasta with Bacon & Vegetable Sauce

This recipe comes from Tana Ramsey's recent cookbook, which I picked up on a whim for the bargain price of £3 in one of the discount bookstores.  I really shouldn't have but at that price I just couldn't resist.

I'm welcoming my weak will on this occasion, though, as it is a very nice book with lots of great-sounding recipes suitable for all the family.  This one is the first I've tried so far and on the whole it was a success (my eldest was a bit sniffy about the aubergine).  The best part of the dish for me was the bacon as this one of my favourite things to pair with pasta.  It effortlessly adds bags of flavour and texture.  This is a great everyday pasta recipe that I'll definitely be using again.

Pasta with Bacon & Vegetable Sauce
(adapted from Tana's Kitchen Secrets by Tana Ramsey)

2 tbsp olive oil
150g/5 1/2oz fresh breadcrumbs
50g/1 3/4oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
400g/14oz spaghetti, or pasta of your choice

For the sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 courgette, cut into half moons
1 small aubergine, diced
8 rashers of smoked bacon, diced
400g can tomatoes
12 button mushrooms, halved
salt and pepper

1) First make the sauce. Put the oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, chilli (if using) and garlic. Fry gently for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened but not coloured.  Add the courgette, aubergine and bacon and cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.  Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and basil and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

2) Bring a large pan of water to the boil ready for the pasta.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over a high heat and toss in the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly until they are toasted a light golden brown. Remove from the heat and mix in the parmesan and basil. Set aside.

3) Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Drain and drizzle over a little oil.

4) Serve the pasta in warmed serving bowls or plates and spoon the sauce over the top, then top with the toasted breadcrumbs and a little more chopped basil.

Serves 4

Moroccan Fish Stew

With the season of indulgence advancing steadily towards us, here's a gratifyingly healthy recipe that will help to balance things out a bit. This is another recipe from Bill Grainger's book, Every Day, and like many of the recipes in this book it was very light and fresh with lovely gentle flavours. Plus, as the main ingredients are fish and couscous you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes.

Moroccan Fish Stew

(adapted from Every Day by Bill Grainger)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 cinnamon stick

pinch cayenne pepper

400g tin chopped tomatoes

pinch of sea salt

500g/1 lb 2oz firm white fish fillets (such as cod, snapper or ling), cut into chunks

400g tin chickpeas, rinsed

2 teaspoons honey

freshly ground black pepper

To serve

fresh coriander leaves

flaked almonds, lightly toasted

1) Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

2) Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more, or until fragrant.

3) Add the cayenne, tomatoes, salt and 250ml/9 fl oz/1 cup of water and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the fish and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the fish is just tender.

4) Add the chickpeas and honey and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Season to taste. Serve garnished with coriander and flaked almonds.

Serves 4

Spaghetti with 5-minute tomato sauce

This is a delicious pasta recipe that's just perfect for this time of year when you want something a bit fresher and lighter than a heavy pasta bake. The lovely summery flavour comes from the fresh tomatoes so it's definitely worth trying to make the most of the British varieties as they arrive in the shops over the next few weeks. The soft tomatoes are complimented by the hint of garlic and salty pancetta in the background and the whole dish is finished off perfectly by the bright, tangy goats cheese.

I should say that the title, "5-minute tomato sauce" is a little misleading as it doesn't account for the fairly lengthy and messy process of skinning, deseeding and chopping the tomatoes. It's a bit of a chore but definitely worth the effort and when done you are just minutes away from putting your feet up with a delicious dinner.

Spaghetti with 5-minute tomato sauce

(adapted from Good Food Magazine, September 2005)

5 large ripe tomatoes

140g/5oz spaghetti (This never seems like much for two so I use 6oz)

3 tbsp olive oil

100g/4oz diced bacon or lardons (the little plastic tubs of pancetta work really well)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

50-85g/2-3oz soft fresh rindless goat's cheese

handful basil and/or snipped chives

1) Pour boiling water over the tomatoes to cover, leave for 1 minute, then drain and slip off the skins. Quarter and seed the tomatoes, then chop the flesh.

2) Bring a large pan of salter water to the boil, add the spaghetti and give it a stir. Cook as per the instructions on the packet.

3) Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and fry until starting to crisp up. Add the garlic, tomatoes, the rest of the oil and pepper and salt if using. Heat through for 1-2 minutes until just simmering.

4) Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan, tossing in the sauce until lightly coated. Divide between two warm soup plates, crumble over the cheese and scatter over the herbs. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

Serves 2

Egg and Bacon Pie

Look at this for a great weeknight supper. A tortilla/frittata of sorts but cooked in the oven rather than in a pan on the hob. There are a few stages to the recipe so it takes a little while to prepare but once all the component parts have been prepared you can just put it in the oven and relax. I should point out, though, that this did NOT take the 20 minutes to cook stated in the recipe, not even close! This one was in the oven for 40 minutes and still wasn't set in the middle (and my tin was definitely the right size). In the end I gave up and put it under the grill for a few minutes to finish if off.

Don't be put off though, this is a great, filling dish with a good balance of carbs, protein and veggies so you could serve it just as it is if you wanted to. Otherwise a nice salad on the side would be great too. Just make sure you all some extra cooking time when planning your evening!

You can find the recipe here on the the Delicious Magazine website.

Griddled Halloumi with Spiced Couscous

If you want a simple, quick, inexpensive and filling weekday dinner then you can't get much better than this. I actually tried this several years ago and wasn't too impressed but I think that was because I'd never tried halloumi before and was a bit bemused by it's unusual texture and flavour. Fast forward to this year and my taste buds are now accustomed to the squeaky cheese and I was happy to give this recipe another try. I'm really glad I did as I enjoyed it much more this time. The spices add a subtle flavour to the otherwise plain couscous and the halloumi adds texture and a hint of saltiness.

Griddled Halloumi with Spiced Couscous

(taken from Good Food Magazine January 2005)

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

handful of sugarsnap peas

175g/6oz couscous

1/2 tsp each cinnamon, cumin and coriander

300ml/1/2 pint hot vegetable stock

handful cherry tomatoes, halved

250g pack halloumi cheese

juice of half a lemon

olive oil

1) Steam the broccoli for 6 minutes, add the peas and steam for 2 minutes more.

2) Mix the couscous with the spices in a bowl, pour over the hot stock, then cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

3) Heat a non-stick frying pan or griddle pan. Cut the halloumi into 6-8 slices and cook quickly on each side for 2 minutes until lightly tinged brown.

4) Mix the vegetables and tomatoes into the couscous, fork in the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Pile onto plates and top with the halloumi.

Serves 2

A Simple Scrambled Egg Supper

There's nothing complex at all about this recipe - just a nice little supper dish when you fancy something quick and easy. The soda farls make it filling enough to have for tea which is great for those evenings when you don't want to spend any longer than necessary standing at the stove.

Cheese and Watercress Scramble

(adapted from a recipe by Sarah Buenfeld in Good Food Magazine)

2 soda farls (usually sold in packs of two, alongside the bread and rolls)

4 large eggs

4 tbsp milk

50g/2oz mature cheddar cheese

generous knob of butter

10 cherry tomatoes

generous handful of watercress (I don't always bother with this if I don't have some to hand)

1) Split the soda farls and put them in a toaster or under the grill to toast on both sides. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs and milk with a good sprinkling of salt and some black pepper. Grate the cheese.

2) Heat the butter in a small-to-medium sized frying pan (preferably non-stick) and when melted add the tomatoes and cook them for about 3 minutes over a fairly high heat, shaking the pan occasionally until they start to soften and the skins split.

3) Pour the eggs into the pan and leave them undisturbed for about 10 seconds. Stir and leave to settle again, then stir again until the eggs are almost scrambled. Sprinkle in the cheese, roughly chop and add the watercress if using, then remove the pan from the heat. Butter the farls and put on serving plates, pile the scramble on and serve straight away.

Serves 2

If you're looking for another way with scrambled eggs have a look at the Curried Scrambled Eggs I posted about last year.

Baked Spaghetti with Aubergines

This is a nice recipe if you fancy something different to your usual tomato pasta sauce. The aubergine adds an almost meaty texture and the chilli flakes provide their usual background warmth. This recipe comes from another of the Books for Cooks compilations, volume 6 this time, and is a dish I've made many times. This time, however, I used a different ratio of tomato and aubergine as I'd been left with just half an aubergine from another recipe (details of that to follow) and couldn't be bothered to deal with half a tin of tomatoes (I was making a half portion to serve two). I have to say I think I actually preferred this combination as I liked the extra tomatoey flavour.

The recipe below is the original, undoctored version.

Baked Spaghetti with Aubergines

(adapted from Books for Cooks volume 6, various authors)

5 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

salt

400g tin Italian plum tomatoes, chopped (I just use a regular tin of chopped tomatoes)

2 medium aubergines (eggplants), diced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

dried chilli flakes

500g/1 lb Italian spaghetti

4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1) Warm the oil in a wide pan (with lid) over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2) Stir in the tomatoes, aubergines and oregano. Adjust the heat to low, cover and leave to stew slowly, stirring occasionally, until thick and meltingly soft, about 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and chilli.

3) Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas mark 5. Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, salted water then drain well and mix with the hot sauce.

4) Divide the pasta and sauce between four oven-proof dishes, sprinkle evenly with parmesan then bake in the oven until piping hot and turning crisp on top, about 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Spicy Sausage & Broccoli Tartlets with Roast Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe comes from Books for Cooks, volume 4, a collection of recipes put together by the bookshop of the same name. For more information about what is, in my opinion, one of the best shops in world, have a look at their website here.

I've tried various puff pastry tarts in the past but these ones sounded a bit different. No sauce as such to bind the filling together, just an interesting mix of sausage, tomato, broccoli and spices. I was worried at first that there was too much filling for the pastry but with a bit of gentle stretching and a couple of minor patch-ups I got them into the oven pretty much intact. And, as you can see above, they came out in one piece aswell.

The result was lovely - hearty flavours from the sausage and broccoli, a little bit of warmth from the chilli and a hint of aniseed coming through now and again thanks to the fennel seeds. I'll be making these again.

Spicy Sausage & Broccoli Tartletts with Roast Cherry Tomatoes

(adapted from Books For Cooks Volume 4 - various authors)

375g/12 oz puff pastry

300g/10oz sprouting broccoli, broccoli di rapa or broccoli

3 tbsp olive oil

350g/12oz best meaty pork sausages, skinned

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp crushed chilli flakes

12 (about 200g/7oz) ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt & black pepper

4 tbsp freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan

125g/4oz mozarella, diced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 handful fresh basil, torn

Extra olive oil to serve

1) Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas mark 6. Have ready 2 floured baking sheets

2) Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a square about 30 by 30 cm (12 by 12 inches). Cut out four equal sized squares from the rolled out pastry. (If you have a box of ready rolled pastry I'd recommend rolling it out a bit further to the size mentioned above, otherwise you might struggle to fit all the filling on)

3) Cut up the broccoli into 2 1/2cm/1 inch pieces and cook in a pan of boiling salted water until just tender, from 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and straightaway refresh the broccoli pieces in plenty of cold water to preserve their nice fresh green colour, then drain well.

4) Warm the oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Stir in the sausage meat, garlic, fennel and chilli. Fry quite briskly, stirring and squashing with a wooden spoon to break up the sausage meat into pieces, until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broccoli pieces and cherry tomatoes halves and cook for another minute to flavour with the herby, spicy oil. Add salt and pepper and any extra chilli to taste (the 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes don't give a huge amount of heat so if you like a bit of extra kick then I would recommend you add some more).

5) Divide the sausage mixture among the pastry squares, leaving a 2cm/3/4 inch border, aiming to have a few of the tomato halves on top for the best colour, then sprinkle over the grated cheese. Fold over the pastry border onto the filling, pleating as you go.

6) Bake the tarts until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 20-25 minutes, swapping the baking sheets over half way through baking. Transfer each pie to a warmed plate, sprinkle with mozarella dice, drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, grind over a little pepper and scatter with basil. Serve at once.

Serves 4

Tomato & Thyme Cod

This is just a quick post to recommend a lovely fish recipe I stumbled across recently. I found it on the BBC Good Food website which is a fantastic source of inspiration if you're looking for some new recipes to try out.

Anyway, I've been making a conscious effort to eat a bit more fish recently and this dish is a simple and healthy way to go about it. It involves nothing more strenuous than chopping an onion and, if even that is a stretch, then I recommend those bags of ready chopped onion that you can store in the freezer. Perfect for those weekday evenings when you just want something quick and easy.

You can find the recipe here.

Guacamole

I love guacamole (or Piquant Avocado Salsa as Anthony Worrall Thompson calls it - is there a difference?) and would happily eat it all day long if avocado wasn't quite so heavy on the calories. This is the best thing that can happen to an avocado if you ask me. I'm not really a fan of them in their natural state - I find their bland, smooth texture a bit weird and icky. Add some tomato, spring onion, lime juice and spice though and they just come alive. This is gorgeous served just as it is with plain tortilla chips.

Piquant Avocado Salsa

(adapted from Anthony Worrall Thompson's GI Diet)

1 ripe avocado, peeled and stoned

1 tomato, de-seeded and diced

2 spring onions, sliced

Juice of 1/2 - 1 lime

1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Pinch of ground cumin

Pinch of ground coriander

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (or not in my case)

1 teaspoon chilli oil

Salt and ground black pepper

1) Mash the avocado with the back of a fork but don't make it too smooth.

2) Fold in the other ingredients and season to taste.

Serves 2

Fragrant Chicken & Spinach Curry

Ever since I dug out my copy of Bill Grainger's Everyday and lavished a bit of attention on it as part of my Unloved Cookbooks project I've been promising myself that I would come back to it at some point and try out the other recipes that caught my eye.

So the next recipe on the list was Bill's Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry. This recipe was fairly simple and straightforward and the result was everything I've come to expect from Bill Grainger - fresh, light and healthy but with good flavour - an ideal weeknight supper.

Fragrant Chicken & Spinach Curry

adapted from Everyday by Bill Grainger

Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

750g/1lb 10 oz boneless chicken thighs, cubed

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

90g/3 1/4 oz baby English spinach, chopped

Large handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped

1) Heat the oil, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the spices, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.

2) Add the chicken and increase heat to medium-heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned.

3) Stir in the tomatoes and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

4) Add the sugar, lime juice and spinach and stir until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with coriander and serve with steamed rice.

The Lunch Challenge - Part 3

This next recipe was a real hit with me. Easy to put together, tasty and healthy - a real winner all round. As part of my lunch challenge I decided to try the Bulgar Wheat Salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Lots of Herbs from In The Mood for Food by Jo Pratt.

This book must surely be a contender for the prettiest cookbook award. Call me shallow but I do particularly like cookbooks that look nice, with lots of enticing pictures, and this book definitely falls into that category!

I had never tried Bulgar Wheat before as it just didn't sound very appealing and I nearly substituted it for couscous. I was worried that it would be a bit like brown rice, which I find a bit of a chore to eat, but I'm pleased to say that my fears were unfounded. It just tasted like a slightly larger version of couscous and, mixed with all of the other ingredients, was a pleasure to eat. I'll definitely be making this salad again.

Bulgar Wheat Salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Lots of Herbs

(adapted from In the Mood for Food by Jo Pratt)

100g bulgar wheat

125g feta cheese, finely crumbled

seeds from 1/2 pomegranate (I used half a tub of seeds from the fresh fruit section of the supermarket)

1 large handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

1/2 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Cook the bulgar wheat according to the packet instructions and the rinse under the cold tap to cool it down. Drain really well and tip into a large bowl

2) Add the remaining ingredients and mix together well. Serve straight away or keep in the fridge overnight. I found this tasted nicer when it was closer to room temperature so you might want to take it out of the fridge half an hour before you plan to eat it.

Serves 2

The Creme Fraiche Challenge - Recipe No 3

Tomato, Red Onion and Creme Fraiche Tart

I was trying to think of a creme fraiche recipe for my Creme Fraiche challenge that didn't involve pasta or mushrooms when I remembered a lovely tart recipe. I found this recipe in Delicious magazine some time ago and have made it two or three times now. The first time I made it I thought the recipe used far too many tomatoes so since then I have just used 250g and have much preferred the end result.

Making this recipe has reminded me of a couple of useful pastry-making tips!

Tip No 1 - If you can't be bothered with messy flour on your worktop or are struggling with cracking pastry just put the pastry between two big pieces of cling film and roll away!

Tip No 2 - Always keep a few scraps of raw pastry to one side. Then, if your cooked pastry case comes out of the oven with a crack or two in it you can just cover them up with a bit of raw pastry. Don't worry about the raw pastry, it will cook when the tart goes back in the oven.

This is a really delicious tart. The onions give a lovely sweet, rich flavour which is nicely balanced with the creamy filling and sharp tomatoes. This is a recipe which takes bit of time to put together but rest assured, your efforts will be rewarded!

You can find the recipe here on Delicious Magazine's website.