Baked fish and potato

This is a winner allround! Fantastically delicious! Thumbs up from everyone.

4-6 portions


7 medium sized potatoes
450g white fish
1 bunch salad onions (5-6 onions)
4 tomatoes
1¼ cup milk (3 dl)
1 fish stock cube
1 tbsp water
1½ heaped teasp cornflour
1 small tub reduced fat creme fraiche (300ml)
2 teasp dried dill
1 teasp lemon pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
generous pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper


Turn the oven onto 200 degrees. Peel and slice potatoes into not-too-thin-not-too-thick slices. Boil the sliced potato for 10 minutes, then drain. Place potatoes in an oven proof dish. Slice the salad onions and spread over the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling make the sauce.
Crumble the fish stock cube into the milk in a saucepan. Heat the milk while stirring until the stock is dissolved. Mix the cornflour with cold water. When the milk and stock start boiling, slowly mix in the cornflour mix while stirring until you've got a nice smooth sauce. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the creme fraiche. Mix in dill, lemon pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil for 1 minute.
Place the fish on top of the potatoes and salad onion. Slice tomatoes and place over the fish. Pour the sauce over the dish, covering everything.
Bake in the oven for about 30 mins (until the fish is cooked through).
Serve with vegetables such as carrots, peas and/or broccoli.

Bolognese sauce

This is a saucier version that I let cook for longer, to try and achieve the same "feel" as the bolognese sauce we used to get in school. I was very pleased with the result, and cooked lots to last us two days; but it proved too popular and not much is left!

t tbsp olive oil
800g beef mince
1 brown onion
1 crushed garlic clove or ½ tsp garlic salt
2 finely grated carrots
pinch of white pepper
pinch of black pepper
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 chicken stock cube
1 beef stock cube
2 cups boiling water (5 dl)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
50-100ml red split lentils (not necessary)
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 tbsp (or a good squirt) ketchup
2 heaped tbsp creme fraiche


Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or casserole dish (one with a lid, that has high enough sides). Fry the onion for a few minutes until it gets a more clear colour. Brown the mince. While you are browning the mince make up your stock by pouring 2 cups (5 dl) boiling water over the two stock cubes and let dissolve. Add the garlic/garlic salt, pepper, paprika, herbs and chopped tomatoes. At this stage, if you wish to make the mince a little bit finer (although NOT liquidised) use a hand blender. Take the pot off the heat and give a few touches with the hand blender over the biggest pieces of mince. Do not overdo it and liquidise the mince as this won't feel or taste nice. Just a few goes until the biggest pieces have become a bit smaller. Add the finely grated carrots, lentils if you wish to use them (they help fill out and thicken the sauce) and stock to the pot. Add tomato puree and ketchup. Give it a good stir and once boiling, lower the heat, put the lid on and let simmer for about 45 minutes. When your bolognese has been simmering for a good while and it's smelling "right", add 2 heaped tbsp creme fraiche and possibly some salt if you need it. Ready to serve with some spaghetti. Bon apétit!

Roast Pork Joint for dinner!

Tonight's dinner consisted of roast pork joint, boiled potatoes, creamy gravy and ratatouille.


Marinade for the pork joint:
½ tin chopped tomatoes
1 brown onion, chopped or sliced
100ml red wine
½ tsp garlic salt
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
½ tsp paprika


Mix all ingredients together and put into a resealable bag together with the pork joint for a good 3-4 hours. Let the pork joint reach room temperature before roasting. Place the pork joint in a roasting tray, pour the marinade on top of the joint and pour some pork stock (just more than half a cup, made up by 1 stock cube and boiling water). The stock is added to avoid the roast burning. Cover with foil and roast at 180 degrees (fan oven) for 35 minutes per 500g of meat + another 35 minutes. After the roasting is done, let the joint rest uncovered for about 15 minutes for maximum succulence and tenderness. Carve thin slices. 

Ratatouille

1½ tins chopped tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 tin sliced mushrooms
1 brown onion
½ cube vegetable stock
1 tsp oregano
pinch of white pepper


Put chopped tomatoes, sliced/chopped onion, chopped pepper, crumbled vegetable stock, oregano and white pepper in a pot and bring to the boil. After about 10 minutes add the mushrooms and let boil/simmer until reduced and thickened. It will all take about 30 minutes if boiling slowly. 

A twist on tacos

This recipe is something I picked up from my sister. I have modified and substituted some things as it's originally a Swedish recipe (heaven knows from where) with ingredients we don't have here in the UK. So simple yet so festive! And not least - DELICIOUS!

Mince:
700-800g lean beef steak mince
1 brown onion
1½ - 2 sachets Old el Paso taco spice
⅓ cup water (80ml)
400-500g vegetables (I used chinese stir fry veg, but if you're not big on bean sprouts-use whatever tickles your fancy)


Brown the onion and the mince in a frying pan. Sprinkle over the taco spice, mix and add water according to instructions on the taco spice pouch. Let cook for 5-10 minutes. The more spice mix you add, obviously the more flavour you get, but it also get spicier! When all the water has cooked away and the mince mix is fairly dry, add the vegetables and let cook under a lid for about 5 minutes.


Dip:
2 cups (just less) reduced fat creme fraiche (4½ dl)
1 small garlic clove
1 shallot
2 tsp lemon juice
½ vegetable stock cube, crumbled
2 tsp dried parsley (found in the spice rack) or more if you are using fresh parsley-to taste.


Chop shallot and garlic roughly and put in a container/jug you can use with your hand blender. Crumble the veg stock cube into the jug and 2-3 tbsp of the creme fraiche. Liquidise with your hand blender until smooth. Pour back into serving bowl. Add lemon juice, parsley and the rest of the creme fraiche and stir. Chill in the fridge until serving. 


Serve mince, rice, salsa as a topping, tortilla chips, creme fraiche dip and whatever else you feel like! We added tabasco olives on the side as well. Yum yum yum!

Chicken and bacon

This is soo simple and soo tasty!

400-500g chicken breast fillet

240g smoked bacon rashers (as lean as possible)

10 fresh mushrooms

1 red onion

1½ cup (3.75dl) reduced fat creme fraiche

Cut chicken into chunks, bacon into pieces, chop onion and slice mushrooms. Fry the chicken and the bacon in separate frying pans. Keep the chicken frying on quite a low heat (the water in the meat will then come out and the chicken will boil slightly in it's own water which I find makes it  nice and soft). Add a pinch of white pepper to the chicken. When the chicken is cooked on the outside, add the red onion and mushrooms. Give it a stir and cover. Let cook slowly until all liquid has cooked away (and chicken is cooked thoroughly). Add the fried bacon and stir. Stir in the creme fraiche and heat through. If you want more sauce you can dilute with a bit of milk. No extra salt is needed in this dish as the bacon is already very salty and together with the creme fraiche give a fantastic flavour!

Serve with basmati rice and a green salad for example.

Chicken coconut curry

There are endless variations of this curry, but this is what I had at home today and YUMMIE! You can of course use other vegetables such as courgette, green beans, cauliflower, cabbage-or whatever you fancy. I often use a Korma curry paste to enhance flavours, but decided the jar had done its time in the fridge and made my own.

400-500g chicken breast fillet
2 large carrots
4 small/medium sized potatoes
4 good size mushrooms
2 small brown onions
8 broccoli florets
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken stock cubes
1½ cups boiling water (375ml)
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp tomato purée 
⅓ tsp ground ginger
⅓ tsp paprika
⅓ tsp cumin
1 tin (400ml) coconut milk, full fat gives best results

pinch of white pepper

½ tsp salt

1-2 tbsp cold water

2 heaped tsp cornflour

Cut chicken, onion, mushrooms, carrots and potatoes into bite size pieces. Potatoes are nice when they are a bit chunky. Dissolve 2 stock cubes in ½ cup boiling water. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken until all pieces are cooked on the outside. Sprinkle the chicken with a pinch of white pepper and a pinch of curry powder while frying. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes. Pour the stock into the pan and add the rest of the boiling water (1 cup). Crush the garlic clove through a garlic press and add broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, curry powder, turmeric, tomato purée, ginger, paprika and cumin and give it a good stir so the spices mix well with the liquid. 

Cover the pan and let boil for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then. When the potatoes are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce, add the coconut milk and salt and stir well. While you bring it back to the boil, dissolve the cornflour in 1-2 tbsp cold water. When your curry is boiling again, slowly pour in the cornflour whilst stirring until you have desired thickness.

Serve with basmati rice. 

Tip: I have used mild curry powder for the kids' sake, but medium or hot curry powder will obviously give more of a sting!

Tip: If you want a saucier curry, add more coconut milk or water. You may have to adjust the amount of salt and curry accordingly, and up the cornflour mix to 3 heaped tsp to 2 tbsp cold water.