Fish Chowder - or use Shrimps/Prawns

Ingredients: serves 4

Couple of tblspns. of Olive oil - or oil and a knob of butter
1 small Onion peeled and chopped
(thinly sliced white part of a small Leek if wanted)
1 stalk of Celery - peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. Potatoes (250g.) - peeled and roughly chopped
approx. 14 fl. ozs. Fish stock - home-made preferably but stock cube is fine
approx. 14 fl.ozs. Milk
couple of bayleaves, small clove of Garlic - crushed
approx. 12 ozs. - lb.cod or haddock
(including a small amount of smoked haddock if wanted) *
herb of choice - parsley, corriander, thyme - chopped
Seasoning

Method:
1. Saute the onion and celery until just softened
2. Add the milk,stock and potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked.
............ you can liquidise the soup at this stage - (or once the fish is added).
3. Add the fish - - and simmer until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through.
This shouldn't take very long. (5 mins? depending on the thickness of the fish)

**Taste for seasoning and serve, garnished with fresh chopped herbs of choice.

You could also add some sweetcorn, peas and/or throw in a few ready-cooked prawns. The prawns work well.

*use recipe with prawns/shrimp instead of cod or haddock or a mix of cod and shrimp.
**Liquidise the soup to make it smooth.

Add a little cream to serve.

Little Tip: If you have lots of shells left from the prawns - dont throw them away - you can use these to make lovely fish stock.

Potato Gnocchi - easy

Ingredients:
approx. 500 grams nice potatoes that are easily mashed - leftover mashed potatoes are just fine - just alter the amount of flour used if you dont have the correct amount for this recipe.
approx. 200g. plain flour
1 large egg - beaten
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

1. If starting from scratch - boil your potatoes till soft, drain then mash them.

2. In a large bowl, add your mash, beaten egg and about half of the flour,  plus seasoning.
Mix this into a firmish dough - adding more flour as you need, so that the dough is firm enough to handle and not too sticky.
Well flour a surface and knead the potato dough for a minute or so.

3. Meanwhile, place a large pan of water on to boil, and lightly butter a serving dish.

4. Break off a largeish piece of dough and roll into a sausage, roughly 1" in diameter.
Cut this into 1" pieces.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.

 5. Carefully drop them into the boiling water - a batch at a time.

7. When they've popped up to the top - leave them another few seconds, then carefully take them out with a slotted spoon, and place in your serving dish.
Taste one (or so) - to make sure they are nicely seasoned ...... :)

Serve either just with butter, or tomato or pesto sauce, and scatter some nice chopped green herb over the top - i.e. flat parsley, coriander, and also some grated parmesan/cheese of choice.

Mushroom Soup with Chestnuts - made in the micro

Ingredients:
approx. 8 ozs.(225g)  Chestnut Mushrooms - remove the dry end of the stalk and chunkily chop them - no need to peel if fresh.
1 oz. (25g) of butter
1 tbls. oil - sunflower or olive
1 small onion - peeled and chopped
1 potato - peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk - peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic - peeled and crushed or chopped
Dried or fresh Thyme
Sand and Pepper
approx. 3/4 - 1pt. hot water + stock cube or use home made stock
1/2 to 1 pack of ready prepared Chestnuts (Gourmet) 

This can all be made in the micro:
1. Place the chopped vegetables, seasoning, herbs and garlic into a large pyrex bowl with the oil and butter.  Shake the bowl so the veg are lightly coated with the fats.
2. Zap in the micro - (covered) - until the veggies are just softened
3. Add the stock - to just cover the vegetables and zap (covered) again until all the veg are well cooked through, adding the Chestnuts, which you can 'crumb' in the food processor before adding to the soup.
4. Leave to cool, and for the flavours to infuse -  then liquidise, adding more stock or a little milk/cream if necessary.
Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with sweet or sour cream, and some finely chopped corriander, flat leaf parsley or fresh thyme leaves.

If you dont have a micro, then just saute the veg in the oil/butter, until softened, add the stock and continue to cook as above.

Potato & Sorrel Soup & Tuna Patties - a quick and easy supper or lunch

Ingredients for Potato, Onion & Sorrel Soup: (serves 4)

2 large baking potatoes - peeled and roughly chopped

1 large white onion - peeled and chopped

a few sorrel* (or spinach) leaves

1 clove of garlic - crushed, salt and pepper,

sunflower oil, chicken stock powder

small amount of sweet pouring cream

* sorrel has a lemony taste and just adds a bit of zing to this soup.  If you use spinach (or not) - you can add a squeeze of lemon to the soup.

Place your

potatoes and onion,

garlic, salt, pepper,

couple of teaspoons of chicken or veggie stock powder,

a small amount of oil - in a microwaveable bowl, mix together, cover and zap until veggies are almost done. 

Add boiling (hot) water to cover and zap again until veggies are soft.

Add the sorrel or spinach.

Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Add more water if needed, zap a little longer, then allow to cool.

Liquidise until lovely and creamy.

Add a little cream to the soup and serve.

Ingredients for fried tuna balls (or patties):

1 can of tuna in brine - drain off the brine -  (makes about 7 balls - (I've eaten one - see photo!) )

a small amount of finely chopped white onion

1 small clove of crushed garlic, if wanted.

2 tablespoons of matzot meal (or fine cornmeal)

1 beaten egg

salt, pepper, and peanut oil* for frying

Mix all the ingredients together (except the oil), wet your hands a little, and make into either patties or balls.

Fry in hot oil until golden. Fry on one side until golden, then turn them over.  (I tend to use my wok, so you wont need so much oil.)

Drain on kitchen paper, cool slightly or eat cold.

Serve with a good mixed or green salad
+ vinaigrette:
4-6 tbls. olive/sunflower oil
1 tbl. cider vinegar, wine vinegar or lemon juice
salt, black pepper
large teaspoon of dijon mustard
clove of crushed garlic
- place all ingredients in a screw top jar, shake well to combine and use. 
I make a larger quantity of this and it will keep really well in your fridge for some time.

*peanut oil is excellent, but otherwise use another oil which will take a high temperature for frying.

Tartiflette - !delicious! (Potatoes & Cheese the French way)

This recipe is from the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie in France - it is completely delicious!

It makes a wonderful light snack with a lovely dressed green salad.

Below is the Roblochon cheese used in the recipe.

Ingredients: - serves 4 - oven 200 deg.C (400 F)

1/5 kg medium sized Desiree potatoes - any good potato that doesn't fall apart when boiled

1 white onion - peeled and chopped

2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon or lardons

25g butter

1 clove of garlic -peeled and cut in two

salt, black pepper

1 ripe Roblochon Cheese

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins until just cooked through - make sure the centers are not hard.

2. Saute the onion and bacon in the butter till softened - do not brown them.

3. Drain the cooled potatoes and peel them.  Cut into thick slices.

4. Butter an ovenproof dish, using the garlic too, and layer half the sliced potatoes over the base.  Season.

5. Scatter the onion and bacon over.  Add the remaining pots and season.

6. Place slices of the Roblochon on top and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180 deg.C (350F).  The cheese should melt (with its skin) and drip down on to the pots.  The potatoes can crisp slightly.

This is completely delicious!

Obviously Vegetarians can make this but without the bacon! :)

Potatoes

I have just dug these up from the garden - it's my entire crop (unless I've missed some) !  So exciting ........

...... (I must get out more.)

Ideas: 

1. plain boiled or steamed, served with garlic and butter

2. parboiled, then roasted, sprinkled with salt, black pepper and olive oil

3. potato salad

4. Potato Gratin Recipe

...... difficult decision!

Fresh Sorrel & Potato Soup

Sorrel has a lovely slightly bitter, lemony taste - it makes a lovely soup as long as you dont use too much.

Ingredients:

1 large onion – peeled and chopped

2 med / large pots – peeled and chopped

1 large clove of garlic – peeled and crushed (poor thing! :))

1 or 2 bayleaves

Little olive or sunflower oil

Vegetable stock – approx. 1pt. - or more

About 12-14 approx. small fresh sorrel leaves – roughly cut

Ground black pepper

Saute the chopped onion, bayleaves, garlic and potato in the olive oil until just softening.

(This can be done in the micro.)

Add the stock to very well cover and cook until the vegetables are very soft.

Leave to cool for about 10 mins.

Blend, using a hand blender until soup is smooth and creamy, and adding more stock if necessary ...... (removing the bayleaves!)

Add the fresh sorrel leaves and blitz again until smooth ……. (And tasty).

Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve drizzled with a little olive oil, or a small knob of butter and some croutons.

Sausage, Roasted Onions and Mash - simple comfort food

I'm afraid I didn't think to take a photo of this when I made it, (photo above isn't mine), - but this good old British staple is always delicious and easy & quick to make. I roast my onions so it's also good, particularly if you dont like peeling & chopping them .........

Ingredients: quantity below serves 2

Good Pork Sausages - 6

2 white onons - unpeeled

2 red onions - unpeeled

little olive oil, seasoning

Good mashed potatoes.

Preheat Oven to approx. 190/200 C.

Separate your sausages and place them in a roasting tin with a little water in the bottom.

Bake them for approx. 30 mins (until golden and cooked through).

You can double-foil-line your roasting dish - then you might not have too much trouble washing it up afterwards! :)

Roasted Onions:
Place unpeeled onions in 2 sheets of foil in your roasting dish
Pour a little olive oil over each one, and add a small amount of water
a Sprinkle of sugar if wanted -
Parcel them up and baste occasionally - roast till cooked through. (Test with a skewer).

I then open the parcel, cut the onions (carefully as they're hot!) in halves and either leave them for a little longer in the oven to slightly caramelise or put them under the grill.
Cooking them in foil also saves a bit more grungy washing up!

While the sausages are baking, make your Mashed Potatoes, adding a good knob of butter and a little warm milk - if wanted.

If your sausages aren't cooked yet, put the mash into an ovenproof dish with a knob of butter and a thin layer of milk on top and leave in the oven until ready to use.

When all is done - carefully peel the outer skins from the onions, plate up your mash, sausages on top and roasted onions on the side - with the added juices ............ yum!
(Serve with nice green salad + vinaigrette).

Potato Gratin - simple

Ingredients: (approx. serves 2 - - - maybe 3)

4 medium thinly sliced white potatoes - (preferably peeled pots but not necessary).
1/2 tsp. salt, pepper (and nutmeg if you like it) or finely chopped herbs of choice. (e.g. rosemary, thyme, oregano)
1 beaten egg
1 cup of milk (or half milk and half cream) (enough liquid to just cover the pots)
Grated cheese - amount and cheese to choice
a few small knobs of butter

Butter an ovenproof dish well.
Spread the thinly sliced pots into your dish. (A nicely layered pattern always looks good!) Season.
Mix together the egg, cheese & milk and pour over the pots. Season again if necessary - dont oversalt. Dot with some butter.
Bake in a hot oven until going golden brown. If the potatoes are not cooked through - cover with foil until done.
There's nothing worse than undercooked spuds!

This dish can also be precooked in a saucepan on the hob before placing in an oven-proof dish into a hot oven. It cuts down on cooking time, and you can be sure your spuds are cooked through.

Another tasty way (with stock instead of milk) is:
Place thinly sliced potatoes in your buttered dish.
Pour hot veggie or chicken stock over pots, and a few knobs of butter. Season.
Cover with foil and bake in a hot oven until potatoes are well cooked through.
Remove foil and brown slightly.

Crushed Garlic is nice added to either of these recipes.

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(gorgeous photo found on "Google")