Crab, Chilli and Rocket Linguine

Here's a sexy little number to add to your pasta recipe repertoire (I know you have one).

It's quick, light, fresh, and uses tinned crab meat so is also very economical. I made this for a weeknight dinner calling for something a little bit special, but that could be knocked together in 10 minutes over a catch up and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. You will not be disappointed! Go, go, go!

150g linguine

1 small tin white crabmeat

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 a red chilli, chopped

1/2 a lemon

A good handful of rocket (sorry I do not weigh rocket!)

olive oil - regular and extra virgin

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the linguine and cook according to packet instructions until al dente. 

Whilst the pasta is cooking, gently fry the garlic and chilli in the (regular) olive oil on a low heat, until the garlic starts to lightly colour - this will only take 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the crab meat and warm through for another couple of minutes.

Drain the pasta, then return to the pan and stir through about a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. This will add flavour and also stops the pasta from sticking.

Add the crab mixture and some rocket, plus a good squeeze of lemon juice, and mix together.

Serve on warmed plates with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Nothing like feeling a bit fancy on a school night.

Creamy Pasta with Prawns and Broccoli

A great thing happened in my kitchen the other day...the Wonderboy ate prawns for the first time! Hooray and hurrah! He said they tasted "like fish and peas" which, weirdly, is kind of right. Once again, I have learnt to never underestimate the sophistication of a child's palate.

This makes for a handy emergency dish, as it requires very few ingredients and I even used frozen prawns and frozen broccoli. Simply put some pasta shapes onto boil (I used rigatoni). Add the broccoli for the last 3 minutes of the cooking time. Now drain the pasta and broccoli, making sure to retain some of the cooking liquid seperately for later.

Return to the pan. Now add the prawns, a couple of tablespoons of creme fraiche, some freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used half a lemon for 2 adult-sized portions), and plenty of salt and pepper. Put over a low heat, stirring until hot. This is where you can add some of the cooking water back to the pan if the sauce is a little thick.

Stir through a fresh herb of you have some-I used basil, though I think mint or parsley would also work well.

Then just act super casual, like it's no big deal and "hey all 4 year olds eat seafood, chill out man", and see if your little one digs in..

Pools and Polperro

Well we're home from the sea, and I'm missing it already. Luckily the sun came out in the last few days, so we spent a very happy day at the beach in Looe. Laying on the sand, burying our feet, rockpooling, walking out to sea, eating ice creams, watching the boats go by....life at it's best, surely?

Then, a lovely evening in the nearby village of Polperro. This is a real working fishing village and is very small, so feels less touristy than Padstow and was certainly much quieter.

We found a very old, creaky and crooked fisherman's tavern on the seafront, serving local fish and seafood. Having bagged the best window table, we could sit and watch the fisherman bringing in their evening catches (this elicited different reactions from us..my Dad and I thought of how fresh and delicious they would be, whilst my Mum was grossed out. She's not the biggest fish fan. Toby was more interested in the boats themselves)

So in true form my Dad and I each had the seafood platter, which included (and this is a big claim here) The Best Scallops I Have Ever Had. Cooked in garlic butter and bacon. Just truly heavenly.

Oh take me back...

Mackerel and Fennel Nicoise

If you don't think a salad can be sexy, give this one a try! I assembled the usual nicoise ingredients: new potatoes, softly boiled eggs, green beans, red onion, capers and olives. But to jazz things up I added some thinly sliced fennel, watercress, and a small pan fried mackerel each instead of tuna. Not a bad idea, as it turned out. You could use flaked smoked mackerel, which would also make this a great lunch dish.

I also made a simple salad dressing with 1 tbsp dijon mustard, the juice of 1 lemon, about 1 tsp white wine vinegar, and some seasoning. Hence the jam jar in the last pic, in case you were wondering.

A bit of crusty bread with oil and vinegar, some red wine...what more could you ask of your dinner?

Give salad a chance!

Smoked Mackerel with Couscous Salad

Never underestimate the sophistication of a child's palate. Now obviously most kids would be happy to live on a diet of cheese, bread and potato, but trying new things can also be a fun and exciting adventure. Anyway, I learnt a lesson in this when I discovered that, at about the age of 18 months, Toby loved smoked fish. As in, he will peel the skin off and eat it whilst licking his lips. Can't get enough of it. So it taught me to always offer him new things to try, even if he has turned it down in the past, and never think that something is "too grown up for him".
So here's a lovely fresh, summery, smoked mackerel dish that's great for lunch or dinner. Simply warm the mackerel fillets under the grill, whilst preparing a simple couscous salad:

Cook the couscous according to packet instructions-it literally takes 5 minutes so is super speedy. You'll need approximately 50g per person. Leave to cool, then add some chopped fresh parsley, the juice from half a lemon, some salt and pepper, and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.
I added salad leaves to mine, along with some cucumber and tomatoes. For Toby, I omitted the salad leaves (he still can't get his head around salad..) and served the cucumber and tomato alongside. This was actually the first time I got him to eat raw tomato, so in my sad little way it's been a productive day already!

Roast Sea Bass with Lentils.

Used a little shortcut tonight, as I've been at work today so didn't want to spend all evening standing around in the kitchen. I tried out these packet lentils from the supermarket, and actually they were pretty good! You just simmer them in water, on the hob, for about 20 minutes.

I served a portion of lentils with a small seabass that had been prepared at the fish counter, which meant no gutting and decapitating for me to do! I simply put a wedge of lemon and a sprig of rosemary inside the fish, put onto a baking tray, drizzled with olive oil, and roasted in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes.

A simple, healthy, fuss free meal. Just the sort of food I want to eat right now.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I'm planning on using the leftover lentils as a dip to have with some crudites and pitta bread for lunch tomorrow! How frugal of me.

Spiced Trout with Sweet Potato Chips

Trout: in my mind, a highly underrated fish. It is full of omega-3 and similar in texture to salmon, though a fraction of the price. Like salmon, it can take bold flavours alongisde it, so I decided to pan fry a fillet in Cajun spices.

For one fillet: Combine 1 + 1/2 tbsp plain flour and 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoing in a shallow bowl, and add salt and pepper. Heat 1tsp olive oil in a pan. Coat the trout in the spicy flour, pressing down to make sure it is evenly covered. Lay the fillet, skin side down, in the hot pan and cook for approx 2 mins each side, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

I served mine with sweet potato chips. I'm having a bit of a love affair with sweet potato at the moment. To make the chips, simply cut 1 small sweet potato into wedges and lay in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, season, then roast in a hot oven for 25-30 mins.

A little summer spice to get you through the cold nights!

Roast Sea Bream with Potatoes and Mixed Mushrooms

Last night, for a special Sunday treat, I made this lovely Jamie Oliver dish. The original recipe used Sea Bass but I used Sea Bream, which is cheaper and very similar! I was going to roast the fish whole, but Tim's a bit squeamish about eyes and the whole he's-watching-you-while-you-eat-him thing, so I had a go at filleting them instead, which gave us two small fillets each. To make this light but tasty dish you'll need:

2 small sea bream (or 2 large fillets)

1 handful mixed herbs (I used, thyme, rosemary and parsley)

500g potatoes

olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

salt and pepper

2 knobs of butter

250g mixed mushrooms (I used chestnut and shitake), torn

1 lemon

First, prep the fish-make 3 slashes in each fillet and stuff with the chopped herbs.

Now do your potatoes. Wash. Slice lengthways, just under 1/2 inch thick. Dry them on kitchen paper, then mix with olive oil, half the garlic and salt and pepper. Lay out in a large baking dish or roasting tin. Cook in the oven for around 15 minutes, until just cooked.

Meanwhile, melt a large knob of butter and a glug of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the rest of your garlic, then the mushrooms. Fry them for about 5 minutes, until the juice that comes out of the mushrooms evaporates. Take the pan off the heat, squeeze over juice from 1/2 the lemon and add another small knob of butter.

Scatter the mushrooms over the potatoes. Place your bream fillets on top. Now bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave to sit for 5 minutes. This will allow all the lovely lemony juices to run into the potatoes.

Serve with a crisp green salad, and the remaining lemon cut into wedges. Oh, and a crisp white wine!

Grilled Mackerel with Sticky Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds

Last night we had two whole mackerels, which I marinaded then grilled for 4-5 minutes each side.

I made a sticky asian marinade with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp honey and 2 tsp sesame seeds. I cut 3 slashes in each side of the fish, laid them in the marinade in a shallow bowl and turned to coat. Left in the fridge for 5 minutes while I heated up the grill.
Afer grilling the first side, I turned the fish over, then put a small piece of peeled, sliced ginger into each slash. I poured over any remaining marinade liquid, then I cooked this side. Putting the ginger in at the last minute ensured there was just a subtle ginger flavour and it didnt overpower the dish.

I served it with brown rice and green beans, which I sauteed in sesame oil, chopped garlic and dried chilli flakes for an extra kick.

Sweet Chilli Salmon

Went for the first power walk with Team Power this evening! It was really good, we walked for about an hour around some really beautiful parts of Bath, and it made me so thankful that I live here. We even did sit ups and buttock crunches in the park, so we took it pretty seriously.

I felt so good when I got home, that I just wanted a light and healthy dinner. I cooked some organic noodles with brocolli,peas and spinach, then stirred in a dressing made of approx 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce,1 tsp honey and a splash of sesame oil. Topped it with a salmon fillet that I pan fried for about 5 minutes each side.

I'm vowing right here in black and white to get fit, and do the walking twice a week. Go Team Power!

Sticky salmon with stir-fried greens

After repeatedly making different versions of a teriyaki salmon dish, I've decided this is the best way to do it and has just the right quantities of sweetness and spice. We love this and now have it almost every week!
It may seem expensive to buy the bottles of oyster and teriyaki sauce, but they can stay in your store cupboard and you can use them again for other oriental dishes. Or you might want to just keep making this one!

Ingredients

2 skinless salmon fillets

1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1/2 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp oil (vegetable or sesame)

1/2 tbsp finely grated ginger

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

1/2 red chilli, chopped, or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes

250g mixed green veg (I used brocolli, mangetout and spinach)

1. Heat oven to 200'c/Gas 6. Place the salmon on a baking tray. Mix together the oyster sauce, teriyaki and honey, then spoon a little over the fish.

2. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes until glazed and just cooked through.

3.Heat the oil in a wok, then fry the ginger, chilli and garlic for 1 minute. Stir fry the brocolli or any larger, harder veg for 3 minutes. Add the leafy veg and cook for 1 minute more.

4. Stir in the rest of the sticky sauce, heat through, and serve alongside the salmon and some boiled basmati rice, if you like.

Miss P's Fish Pie

Tonight we had a Fish Pie, made by my own recipe.
I use these handy fresh "fish pie mix" packs from the fish section of the supermarket. They are basically an equal mix of chopped salmon, cod and smoked haddock. You can buy the fish individually if you wish, but this just makes life easier after a day at work!
This served the two of us generously with one portion of leftovers for Toby. It could feed 4 if you added a bit of extra fish or a side dish.
This is 100% my own recipe. I used to make a white sauce for the base of this dish, which worked well, but after once realising we had no flour to make the sauce I had to improvise with some creme fraiche and white wine. Now I've discovered this short cut I'll never bother with making a white sauce again!

So here's the deal:

Place the fish pieces in an ovenproof dish. Add one handful of frozen peas and/or one handful of frozen sweetcorn. Add 2 heaped tbsp creme fraiche, a generous splash of white wine, and some chopped fresh parsley and tarragon (approx 1 tbsp of each). Season. Stir to combine.







Top with mashed potato (made with 4 medium sized potatoes, cooked and mashed with butter, milk and salt and pepper). At this point it's up to you whether or not you top it with grated cheese. Some people are uncomfortabe with the combination of fish and cheese but we like it!

Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Check that the fish is cooked through (it should be opaque and just starting to flake but not be too firm). Serve with some fresh green beans .... and perhaps a nice chilled white wine. Fish on a Friday. Perfect.

Miss P's Top Tip: You could easily dress this up for a dinner party or special occasion, by adding some prawns or mussels, and lightly boiled eggs. Eggs may sound an unlikely addition but it is traditional in a classic fish pie!

Ready Meal Moules!

A simple dinner for us tonight. My new find is these pre-cooked packs of mussels from the fish section of the supermarket. These came in a garlic and white wine sauce. I love moules mariniere but, as of yet, haven't been brave enough to try cooking live mussels myself! These packs are great-you just empty the contents into a saucepan and re-heat. And they honestly taste (almost) as good as any fresh ones I've had.
Serve them with french fries and/or baguette to mop up all the yummy juices, and pretend you're sitting by a sunny harbour in the south of France!