Mixed Herb Fish Pie

Growing up, most fish pies I had (bar my mother's - this recipe is derived from hers) were made from bland cod in a cream sauce. Despite being incredibly rich, they lacked excitement and flavour. This recipe has become a firm favourite of ours (and Reggie enjoys the odd prawn chucked his way) and we enjoy it both in the summertime and winter.



For 4 servings -

This is what you need:

8 medium sized potatoes
100g cheddar cheese
100g cod, diced into bite sized pieces
100g salmon, diced into bite sized pieces
100g king prawns, peeled and de-veined
100g smoked haddock, diced into bite sized pieces
Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Handful of tarragon, roughly chopped
Handful of garden chives, roughly chopped
Handful of basil, roughly chopped
2 medium sized onions, diced
2tbsp paprika
2tbsp butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tin chopped tomatoes (optional - use if you like more sauce)
Salt & pepper to taste

This is how you do it:

1. Peel, dice and boil potatoes until soft enough to mash. Mash whilst adding butter and paprika and set aside. I like to mix in paprika with a spoon instead of mashing it through so there's a marbled effect.
2. Fry onions until brown and add herbs and tomatoes.
3. Once tomatoes have softened, gently mash. If at this point you'd like more sauce, add a tin of chopped tomatoes. Add lemon juice and season to taste.
4. Lay fish and prawns in a casserole dish and pour sauce over the top.
5. Spoon and evenly spread mashed potatoes over the top of the fish.
6. Top with cheese and place in a 180 degree pre heated oven.
7. Remove from the oven after 30 minutes and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with a mild flavoured salad and enjoy!

Caramel Snack-a-Jack with coconut ice cream & sliced bananas

This is a lazy dessert, concocted on a lazy night for two lazy people. But it was delicious and I really enjoyed the textures. My beloved Snack-a-Jacks were to hand and we had some bananas that needed eating up. I had intended to use whipped cream instead of ice cream but it fell out of the fridge while I was opening it...and smashed...everywhere. The cats enjoyed it though. Just as well because the coconut ice cream was surprisingly tasty with the caramel!



For each serving -

This is what you need:

1 Caramel Snack-a-Jack
1/2 banana, sliced
3 scoops coconut ice cream (I'd imagine other flavours would work well too!)

This is how you do it:

1. Use Snack-a-Jack as a base, top with ice cream and banana.
2. Serve and enjoy!

Yes, that's it. I told you it was lazy. I'm looking forward to trying more. I made a similar sandwich type dessert with the chocolate ones which turned out great. Not as easy to eat though! Best thing is, it's not that bad for you. If you use frozen yoghurt instead of ice cream, even better!

Hot (HOT) Wings

A slightly healthier version of a favourite of mine. I love wings. I love them roasted, fried and most of all grilled. They're the perfect pig out food and great to set in front of the boys when you want them to be quiet for a few minutes.



For approximately 20 wings -

This is what you'll need:

Chicken wings (also works for other meat! I've done this with a whole chicken, ribs, pork chops etc.)
3tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt & pepper
100ml light soy sauce
2 red chillis - diced (keep the seeds in for extra heat)
5 drops of Tabasco sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly

This is how you do it:

1. Combine everything in a large bowl.
2. Cover with a plate/foil/cling film and put in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. Best left for 24 hours!
3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 190 degrees Celcius.
4. Place wings on a baking tray with a small amount of the marinade.
5. Cook for 30 minutes.
6. Serve and enjoy!

This marinade works for all kinds of meats as long as you like them spicy! Great for BBQs too. If grilling, keep the marinade to brush over the wings while cooking to prevent them from drying out.

Mini Pittas with Warm Salad & Chili Cheese

My new favourite lunch! This dish would also be incredible with mozzerella and other soft cheeses but a friend of mine bought me this delicious chili cheese I wanted to try out. It also works well doing these as mini pizzas. Just follow instructions below but top each pitta instead of stuffing them and put under a grill until cheese has melted.



To fill 3 mini pittas (one serving) -

This is what you'll need:

3 mini wholemeal pitta bread or 1 regular sized pitta bread
Large handful of spinach
2 stems fresh basil, leaves pulled from stems
Small handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
50g grated cheese of your choice or 1/2 ball mozzerella sliced

This is how you do it:

1. Microwave pitta for 20 seconds or until it puffs up - this makes it easier to open them up.
2. Tear small pockets into the pitta bread and set aside.
3. Wash veggies and wilt in a pan with balsamic vinegar
4. If using grated cheese, add to the mix after removing from the heat and toss until cheese has melted. If using mozzerella - stuff pittas with vegetables then place a slice of cheese inside the pocket.
5. Stuff pittas with mixture. Overstuffing will cause them to fall apart so be aware of this!
6. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Casserole & Couscous

Another simple recipe that can be as hearty or light as you like. Once again, London's summer has been interruped by a cold snap so I decided to whip together something that would warm out tummies and prepare ourselves for a snuggly Sunday night in front of the TV.



For 4 servings -

This is what you'll need:

300g dry couscous
300ml boiling water
1tbsp butter
4 large chicken legs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Large handful of parsley, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
2 medium onions, diced
4tbsp olive oil
4tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1tbsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

This is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius.
2. Heat oil to a medium heat and add garlic and onions, sautee for a minute or so until soft.
3. Add tomatoes and stir thoroughly.
4. Add 1/2 the parsley, paprika, salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
5. Arrange chicken legs in a large casserole dish and pour sauce over the top.
6. Sprinkle grated parmesan over the top and place in the oven for 40 minutes or until the chicken easily slides off the bone.
7. Prepare couscous according to directions on the packet.
8. Once ready, toss with 1tbsp butter and remaining parsley.
9. Serve on the side of the chicken with sauce drizzled over the top...and enjoy!

For a lighter meal, cook as above but allow to cool. Remove chicken from the bone, shred then toss with the couscous and some of the sauce.

Chicken & Aubergine Curry

This is yet another one of those dishes you can cook way ahead of time and keep in the freezer. Aubergines or eggplants as I've always known them - are a vegetable I've had to grow accustomed to and I have to say - I love them now. My mum used to cook them all the time and I'd never touch them. I think it may have been the texture I didn't like. Either way, I love throwing them in a good curry. They're great at soaking up all that flavour.



For 6 servings -

This is what you'll need:

300g rice
1 large aubergine, diced into large chunks
600g boneless, skinless chicken, diced - I used diced chicken thigh
Handful of green beans, chopped in half
5tbsp curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 large onion, diced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Handful of corriander, chopped roughly
2tbsp olive oil

This is how you do it:

1. On a medium-high heat, add oil and curry paste and quickly stir until bubbling.
2. Add onion, garlic and ginger and stir for about 1 minute before adding the chicken.
3. Once the chicken has browned slightly, add the aubergine and green beans. Fry for a further 3 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk and 3/4 of the corriander.
5. Stir and leave to simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
6. While curry is simmering, cook the rice according to instructions on the packet.
7. Serve with remaining corriander sprinkled on top and enjoy!

Lack of posts = a lack of cooking

I haven't posted anything recently. This is down to the fact that both John and I have been extremely lazy. On the days we're not pigging out on takeaways (I know...I know...) we're eating leftovers from the freezer. It meant we were able to clear some space though!

Coming up - A quick, simple chicken curry and some kind of dessert using my latest obsession: Chocolate or Caramel Snack-a-Jacks.