Creamy Smoky Fish and Spinach Gratin

This was absolutely delicious, one of the best recipes from my cuttings box. It was also very easy to mix and used up the mashed potato I had languishing in the freezer. 

Creamy Smoky Fish and Spinach Gratin (from The Times)

(Serves 4)

1 tsp oil, plus extra to oil the dish
1 small onion, diced
sprig of thyme
salt and pepper
half glass of wine
200g spinach or chard leaves, roughly chopped
500g cooked potatoes, mashed, or in crumbled pieces (if roasted or boiled)
150ml cream or crème fraîche
few gratings of nutmeg
200-300g smoked fish, such as mackerel, kippers, haddock or pollock, broken into large flakes

For the topping
40g breadcrumbs
40g cheddar, parmesan or emmental, grated

Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly oil an ovenproof dish, about 28cm in diameter.

Heat the oil in a medium-large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and thyme, and a pinch of salt and sauté gently, until the onion is softened, for about 15 mins.

Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the spinach or chard leaves, put the lid on and cook for 1-2 mins, until just wilted.

Remove from the heat and add the potatoes and cream or crème fraîche. Stir to combine and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Gently fold through the fish. Tip the fish mixture into the oven dish. Toss together the breadcrumbs and cheese and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 25 mins until golden and bubbling.

Leave to cool for a few mins before serving with a green salad.

Summer Vegetable Pizza Pies

These were actually really very good. Lovely and tasty with all those summer flavours. 

Summer Vegetable Pizza Pies (from WeightWatchers)
(Serves 4)

1 packet pizza dough mix
plain flour
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
200g courgettes, chopped
2 peppers, deseeded and chopped
650g tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp thyme leaves
125g mozzarella, torn

Preheat the oven to 22C. Make up the pizza dough according to packet instructions. Dust a work surface with some flour and turn out the dough, leave it rise for however long it says on the packet., then divide into 4.

Dust the work surface with little more flour and then roll out the dough to make 4 rough circles about 20cm. Set aside on a baking tray.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion, garlic, courgette and peppers. Cook for 8 mins until softened a little. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and thyme, cook for a further 3 mins, then season and remove from the heat.

Divide the veg and mozzarella between the dough circles, the fold the dough around the covering some of the veg.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins. Serve with salad.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This takes a bit of effort and wasn't very spicy but it was flavourful. I think the chillies I used just weren't very hot!

Chicken Tikka Masala (from The Times)

(Serves 6-8)

1 level tsp ground cloves
1 level tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 heaped tsp garam masala
3 lemons
6 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized piece ginger
6 heaped tbsp natural yoghurt
800g skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 fresh green or yellow chillies

For the sauce
2 onions, finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1-2 fresh red chillies, finely sliced
1 bunch coriander, slice the stalks and chop the leaves
oil
1 level tbsp ground coriander
2 level tsp turmeric
1 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 heaped tsp garam masala
6 tbsp ground almonds
2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
1 chicken stock cube
 2 x 400g tins of light coconut milk

Put the cloves, cumin and 1 heaped tsp each of paprika and garam masala into a small pan and toast for 1 min, then tip into a large bowl. Finely grate in the zest of 1 lemon, squeeze in all its juice, crush in the garlic, peel and finely grate in the ginger, and add the yoghurt and 1 tsp sea salt. Cut the chicken breasts into 5cm chunks, then massage all that flavour into the meat. Skewer up the chicken chunks, interspersing them with lemon wedges and chunks of green or yellow chilli, but don’t squash them together too much. Place on a tray, cover with clingfilm and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Make the sauce. Put the onions, garlic, chilli and coriander stalks into a large saucepan on a medium-high heat with a tbsp of oil and cook for 20 mins, or until golden, stirring regularly. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, paprika and garam masala. Cook for 2 mins, then add and toast the almonds. Pour in the tomatoes, crumble in the stock cube and add 300ml boiling water. Simmer for 5 mins, then stir in the coconut milk. Simmer for a final 20 mins, stirring occasionally, then season.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, drizzle it with a little oil, then grill on a hot barbecue, in a hot griddle pan or under a hot grill, turning until it’s very golden and gnarly on all sides. Slice the chicken off the skewers straight into the sauce, reserving the lemons. Simmer for 2 mins while you use tongs to squeeze some jammy lemons over the curry, to taste. Swirl through some more yoghurt, sprinkle with the coriander leaves, and serve with parathas or rice.

Blackberry Clafoutis

My sister came to help me out with a bit of housework and so I made her dinner. This was our pudding. I used blackberries that I picked on Walthamstow Marshes and they were oh so sweet.

Blackberry Clafoutis (from Sainsburys)
(Serves 4)

10g unsalted English butter
40g plain flour
30g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
200ml milk
1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
225 g fresh blackberries

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease a shallow, 1-litre ovenproof tart or flan dish with the butter.

Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Slowly add the milk to create a smooth batter. Stir in the sunflower oil and mix well.

Put the blackberries in the base of the dish then pour over the batter.

Bake for 35-40 mins, until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean. Serve.

Mediterranean Chicken Parcel

I was given this recipe by a friend and I finally got around to making it. I used courgettes and tomatoes from the garden and it was delicious. I served it with new potatoes and beans.

Mediterranean Chicken Parcel
(Serves 1)

1 chicken breast
1 tbsp pesto
1 medium courgette, sliced thinly
40g mozzarella
10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly oil a 25cm sq of foil.

Put the courgette into the middle of the foil.

Cut a pocket into one side of the chicken. Spread with the pesto and tuck in the mozzarella. Place on top of the courgettes, add the tomatoes and wrap over the foil and scrunch up.

Bake on a baking sheet for 25-30 mins or until the chicken is cooked. Serve.

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Squid with Shaved Courgette and Sweetcorn Salad

This was a really simple fresh salad. The squid was very tasty and the courgette, corn and tomato salad was lovely and fresh. I'm still trying to use all those veggies from the garden!

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Squid with Shaved Courgette and Sweetcorn Salad

(adapted from The Perfectly Tossed Salad by Mindy Fox)

(Serves 4)

225g white crab meat
2 tbsp mayonnaise
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
8 cleaned squid bodies with tentacles
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 corn on the cob, kernels removed
1 shallot, chopped
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large courgette, peeled into strips
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
handful basil leaves, large ones torn

Mix together the crab, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stuff the squid with the crab mixture, leaving a 1cm space at the top. Seal the squid with toothpicks.

Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the sweetcorn, shallot, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 3 mins, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the tomatoes, toss and cook for 1 min. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.

Put the courgette ribbons into a bowl, add the olive oil, basil and salt and pepper and toss together.

Heat a griddle pan over a medium high heat. Drizzle the squid with the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and season. Lightly brush the griddle pan with oil, then grill the squid bodies for 13-15 mins, turning frequently until golden in spots. Cook the tentacles for 2-3 mins.

Mix the courgette and sweetcorn together and put into bowls. Top with the squid. Serve.

Cannelloni Nicoise Style

This was absolutely delicious. Really simple to make but oh so flavourful. I used the cherry tomatoes from my garden and they are so sweet cooked this way. 

Cannelloni Nicoise Style (from Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook)
(Serves 4)

For the tomato sauce
500g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp oil
pinch salt

For the filling
2 courgettes
8 large fresh lasagne sheets
8 tsp olive tapenade
200g grilled peppers
200g cooked artichokes
200g creme fraiche
100g mozzarella, sliced or grated

Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the tomatoes, oil and salt into a small saucepan. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 8 mins or until the tomatoes have burst. Meanwhile, using a peeler, slice the courgettes into ribbons.

Spread the tapenade thinly over the lasagne sheets. Lay a few of the courgette ribbons down the length of the sheet just to cover them.

Mix the peppers and artichokes and spoon three tbsp of the mixture down the centre of each sheet, then roll up tightly from the long side, keeping the filling inside. Put 2 tbsp of sauce in a baking dish and then put the roll on top. Repeat with the rest of the sheets.

Pour the tomatoes over the lasagne rolls. Stir some pepper into the creme fraiche until smooth and put tbspfuls randomly on top of the cannelloni. Top with the mozzarella and put in the oven and back for 30 mins until golden and bubbly. Serve.

Blueberry, Oat and Chia Seed Muffins

These muffins are a bit dense but they are very tasty. They used up lots of stuff I had in cupboards and they are slightly more complicated than a straight forward muffin but tasty.

Blueberry, Oat and Chia Seed Muffins (from Time Out)
(Makes 12)

75g wholemeal flour
125g plain flour
200g rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp chia seeds
2 really ripe bananas, peeled
2 large eggs, separated
250 milk
2 tbsp runny honey
3 tbsp oil
125g blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a muffin tray with paper cases.

Cobmine the flours, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, chia seeds and a pinch of salt in a bowl, the create a well in the middle.

Mash the banana in a separate bowl, then add the egg yolks, milk, honey and oil. Mix well, then pour it into the well. Mix everything gently until a wet batter forms.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the muffing batter with the blueberries until evenly mixed.

Divide the muffin mix between the paper cases and bake for 25 mins or until cooked through and golden.

Courgette and Mozzarella Piadina

This was a delicious sandwich, with really easy flatbread made in minutes. It used courgette from my garden and gorgeous mozzarella. Really tasty.

Courgette and Mozzarella Piadina (from Waitrose Autumn)
(Serves 2)

2 courgettes, cut into thin slices
olive oil
1 tsp red wine
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1/2 chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
zest 1 lemon, grated
250g self-raising flour
125g buffalo mozzarella
handful basil leaves

Preheat the grill to high. Brush the courgette slices with oil and season. Spread out on the grill pan and grill for 4-5 mins per side until softened and golden. Mix together the vinegar, garlic, chilli and lemon zest. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the courgette slices and mix well.

Meanwhile, place the flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt and 6-7 tbsp cold water. Mix well with a fork until it starts to come together as a soft dough. Divide into two pieces, place on a lightly floured surface and roll each one into a 18cm circle.

Warm a frying pan over a medium heat. Spray with oil, add one of the dough circles and spray the top with more oil. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side until just golden and slightly risen. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Lay the courgette slices and any juices onto half of each bread circle and sop with the mozzarella and basil. Fold over the other half of the bread to cover the filling and press down gently. Slide one piadina back into the pan, place a large heavy saucepan on top and press down gently.  Cook for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and the cheese has melted. Serve.

Sweetcorn Fritters with Avocado and Bacon

Most of my sweetcorn failed to come to anything, they had no kernels of corn on them! My Mum gave me one of hers and so I made these fritters. They were very filling but delicious and went perfectly with the bacon and avocado. I also served it with a gorgeous tomato and onion salad.

Sweetcorn Fritters with Avocado and Bacon (from Cook Yourself Thin by Gizzi Erskine)
(Serves 2)

1 large egg
150g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp cornflour
60g plain flour
salt and pepper
200g tin sweetcorn, well drained
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp oil

4 slices smoked bacon
1/2 avocado sliced
1 tbsp maple syrup

Put the egg, yogurt, cornflour, flour and salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk together until it becomes a smooth batter. Add the corn and spring onion and mix thoroughly.

Heat a frying pan until it is fairly hot and add 1 tbsp oil.  Drop ladlefuls of the mixture into the pan until you have 4 fritters. Cook for 2-3 mins or until the bottom is crisp and golden. Then turn over and cook the other side for 2-3 mins. You might need to do this in 2 batches.

Add a little more oil if you need to, then add the bacon to the pan and cook for 1-2 mins on each side, until cooked through.

Serve 2 fritters on each plate, top with 2 slices of bacon and a few slices of avocado. Drizzle with the maple syrup.