Mackerel, Pea and Pesto Jackets

I love twice baked potatoes at anytime of day and these were no exception, really yummy and the fish and the peas work really well together.

Mackerel, Pea and Pesto Jackets

(Serves 2)

2 baking potatoes

100g frozen peas

2 tbsp green pesto

1 spring onion, chopped

2 smoked mackerel fillets, flaked

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Prick the potatoes and bake in the oven or 1 hour or microwave for 8-10 mins until tender.

Meanwhile cook the peas in a pan of boiling ater for 2 mins, then drain.

Halve the potatoes and scoop out the filling. Roughly mash together the potato and pesto. Gently stir in the peas, spring onion and mackerel.

Spoon the filling back into the potato skins and grill for 5 mins until golden on top. Serve.

Freekeh and Prawn Salad

I'm having a go with those new grains again, one of them is freekeh, it has an interesting texture a bit like bulgar wheat but is a bit nuttier and chewier. This is a simple salad using up ingredients from the fridge.

Freekeh and Prawn Salad (from Appetite Magazine)

(Serves 2)

100g freekeh

1 tbsp oil

1/2 onion, chopped

130ml veg stock

200g tenderstem broccoli

150g cooked king prawns

handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 lemon

Soak the freekeh in cold water for 5 mins, drain, rinse under the cold tap and allow to drain well. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion and saute over a medium heat for about 5 mins until softened.

Add the freekeh and veg stock and simmer gently for 20-30 mins. Add the broccoli, cover and cook for a few mins. Turn the heat off and allow everything to steam under the lid for another five mins. Leave to cool.

Stir in the prawns, parsley and a good squeeze of lemon juice, season to taste and serve with a spoonful of natural yoghurt or some toasted pine nuts.

Curried Chicken and Pea Wrap

This took me five minutes to make with some leftover chicken from the night before, it would also be a good use of leftovers from a roast. Creamy yet spicy with the sweetness of the peas. Yum!

Curried Chicken and Pea Wrap
(Serves 1)

1 cooked chicken breast or 2 small chicken thighs
2 tbsp greek yoghurt
1 tsp curry powder
30g peas, cooked
1 wrap
handful salad leaves

Shred the chicken and mix with the yoghurt, curry powder and peas.

Put the salad leaves down the middle of a wrap and then top with the chicken mixture. Roll up and serve.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Well this is something different to do with a spaghetti squash! Lots of my squashes went mouldy before I had a chance to use them so this is my last one and this was a fittingly tasty recipe to make with it! Full of flavour, this transforms this sometimes watery and bland vegetable.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (from Green Gourmet Giraffe)
(Serves 2)

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tbsp oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper
400g tin black eye beans, drained and rinsed
100g sweetcorn
1 tsp liquid smoke
Juice 1 lime
2 handfuls grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 190C. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and cook until it is soft, 45 mins - 1 hr. Cool so it is cool enough to handle . Spoon out and discard the seeds.

Heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, chilli and pepper and fry until the onion is soft. Add the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and seasoning. Stir for 1 min. Stir in the black beans, corn, liquid smoked and lime juice. Scrape the spaghetti squash flesh into the pan with a fork. Keeping the shell. Mix the filling mixture with one handful of mozzarella and the spaghetti squash until everything is well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the spaghetti squash shells, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella cheese.  Grill until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve.

Smoked Trout and Farro Salad

The original recipe used spelt and I have made this before using spelt but this time I used farro which was just as good. I'm still experimenting with lots of different grains and loving trying all the new things now available.

Smoked Trout and Farro Salad (adapted from Good Food Magzine September 2014)
(Serves 1)

60g farro

85g tenderstem broccoli

juice ½ orange

1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

140g hot-smoked trout, flaked

large handful watercress

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the farro according to packet instructions, adding the broccoli for the last 3-4 mins. Drain and leave to cool.

Mix together the orange juice, parsley and farro, then top with the broccoli, trout and watercress. Pack into a lunchbox or serve.

Meal Planning Monday

Well better late than never! This week calms down a bit until the weekend when it goes a bit hectic again, but lots of lovely things to look forward to not least a Thankgiving feast! I'm also going to the Reading Agency's annual lecture tomorrow which should be interesting. Russell Brand is the main speaker and he is nothing if not controversial!

Bacon seems to feature quite heavily this week! Not really sure why! Simple but hearty fair for the winter!

Monday 

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Spinach

Chicken Gumbo with Dirty Rice

Tuesday 

Bacon, Mushroom and Asparagus Preto Pasta Salad

Leftover Rice with Bacon and Veg

Wednesday

Cheese and Pickle Sandwich

Pasta with Smoked Trout Sauce (Jamie's 15 Min Meals)

Thursday 

Chicken and Preserved Lemon Salad (Waitrose Recipe Card)

Smoked Cheese and Kale Rice Bake with Salad

Friday

Smoked Salmon, Cucumber Noodle Salad

Sea Bass with Lime and Rosemary with Pesto Pasta (Leiths Fish Bible)

Saturday

Out at a friends house for Thankgiving

Out at a party

Sunday

Cheese and Onion Toastie

Faggots with Fennel, Mash and Peas

Creamy Green Crab and Shrimp Enchiladas

I ended up making these after mistakenly opening a tin of crab thinking it was salmon. They were really lovely and creamy and tasty. Surprisingly so with a delicate flavour.

 

Creamy Green Crab and Shrimp Enchiladas

(Serves 4)

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

20 raw prawns, chopped into 3-4

1 tbsp taco seasoning

1 200g tin black eye beans, drained and rinsed

1 190g tin lump white crab meat, drained

1 tin green enchilada sauce

4 tbsp sour cream  

handful shredded cheddar/montery jack cheese

4 corn or flour tortillas

 

Preheat oven to 180C. Spray an overproof dish with cooking spray.

 

Heat a tbsp of oil in a frying pan and add the onion and pepper. Fry for a couple of mins then add the prawns and cook until just pink. Add the taco seasoning and stir well. Add the beans and crab and a2 tbsp of the enchilada sauce and cook until heated through. Add in half the cheese and half the sour cream and then stir well to combine.

 

Heat the tortillas in the microwave for a few secs to soften.

 

Spoon some of the filling down the centre of each tortilla, fold the sides to the middle to cover filling, and place rolled enchiladas seam side down in the prepared baking dish. They should fit tightly together in the pan.

 

Mix the rest of the sour cream into the rest of the enchilada sauce. Pour over the enchiladas and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 30 mins until golden and bubbling.

Minty Bulgar with Tuna and Lemon

This looks like a really simple salad but it turned out to be unexpectedly really tasty. Few ingredients but the tuna really works in this and brings out the flavour of everything else.

inty Bulgar with Tuna and Lemon
(Serves 4-6)

300g bulgar wheat
2 200 g tins of tuna in water, drained and flaked
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell or pointed pepper, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 lemon zest and juice

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook according to packet instructions. Stir in the lemon zest and onion while still hot.

Then add the tuna, lemon juice, olive oil, mint and red pepper. Stir well, season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to cool and pack into a lunchbox.

Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Mascarpone

This is meant to be a hot dish and I think it would be lovely as such but I had it cold for lunch and it was really good. I'm not a huge fan of tinned chickpeas but adding them to the couscous cooks them a bit and makes them softer.

Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Mascarpone (from Good Food Magazine October 2009)
(Serves 4)

4 red peppers, deseeded and sliced

2 courgettes, halved and then cut into thick sticks

2 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

½ tsp sugar

6 tomatoes, quartered

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

200g couscous

400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

50g mascarpone or full-fat soft cheese

small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat oven to 200C and put the kettle on. Put the red peppers and courgettes in a roasting tray with the garlic, olive oil, sugar and some seasoning. Roast them in the oven for 20 mins, then add the tomatoes and sliced chilli. Roast for 20 mins more until the tomatoes and peppers are bursting with juices.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl stir together the couscous and chickpeas, and pour over 200-250ml boiling water until just covered. Covered with cling film and leave to stand for 10 mins, then fluff up with a fork, adding more water if needed.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and stir in the mascarpone. Divide the couscous between 4 plates, top with the roasted veg and finish with some chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Or pack into a lunchbox and leave to cool.

Turkey with Veg and Couscous Salad

This is a take on a Weightwatchers recipe with my own twist. It was delightfully tasty and a bit different with the chopped tomatoes mixed in. I didn't think I'd like it cold but I loved it.

Turkey with Veg and Couscous Salad

(Serves 1)

60g Israeli couscous

1 turkey breast

pinch cumin

pinch coriander

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 yellow pepper

1/2 small courgette

handful sugar snap peas, halved

handful spinach leaves

1/2 small tin chopped tomatoes

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the couscous according to packet instructions, drain, run under the cold tap and drain again well.

Heat a tbsp oil into a frying pan, add the onion, pepper and courgette and cook for 2-3 mins. Stir in the cumin and coriander. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for 2-3 mins more. Add the chopped tomatoes and spinach and stir to combine. Add the couscous and cook for a min or 2.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan. Spray the turkey with cooking spray and cook for 3-4 mins on each side. Remove and leave to cool.

Transfer the couscous mixture to your lunchbox and leave to cool. Slice the turkey and top the couscous when cool.