Mackerel Pate

This has to be the easiest pate ever to make and I can assure you that you will never buy shop bought fish pate again. You can use all sorts of fish: salmon, trout, haddock etc, but this is the simple bog standard version. This is so easy it involves no cooking, just putting together.
You get the best texture if the mix is given some quick blitzes in a food processor but, if you don't own one, mash the mixture with a fork and use a sharp knife to finely cut up the pepper/gherkin/onion.

Ingredients:

• One shop bought packet of mackerel, any version will do normal, peppered, lemon etc, I am using normal here.
• A couple of small spring onions, white only, use 1 if large.
• 1 large gherkin, 2 if you like these.
• Slice of red or yellow pepper about 1/8 of the pepper
• Creme fraiche/Mayonnaise. Cream if you want to indulge. (sometimes I throw in some cream cheese, you can change the quantities of these to suit your tastes).
• Lemon juice
• Pepper

Wash the gherkin to remove excess vinegar, and put into your processor through the tube whist the blade is spinning. At the same time add the spring onion & pepper, to finely chop all of these. Turn off machine and scrape pieces off the sides and redo if not fine enough.

Peel the skin and add the fish, just pulse a couple of times to gently mix.

Add some creme fraiche and mayonnaise, pulse into the mix. Check and if required add more to get your consistency.

Now pulse to get the coarseness you prefer, I like mine chunky but sometimes I make it completely smooth.

Add lemon & pepper to taste & one final pulse to mix these in.

That's it, another simple meal, get some crusty bread/crackers an enjoy.

Fridge clearout soup.....Spicy

I make soup on a regular basis, sometimes pre planned, going out to buy the ingredients but normally just using what is around and today is one of those days. So simple and it is always well received. Often I freeze a few portions for later in the week. Its time for the fridge to be cleared out and given a clean. Very little gets wasted around here.
Last night when I cooked the vegetables I deliberately boiled in water my carrots, turnip & potatoes. I always retain the cooking juice so now I have flavoured vegetable stock for my soup, no need for stock cubes etc.
Ingredients:
In the fridge I have: (you use whatever you have)

• Onions
• 1/2 butternut squash
• A chunk of turnip, about a quarter.
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• I also have some red lentils.

Brilliant, lets get started.
Into the pan add some butter & olive oil. Chop the onions (I prefer leeks for my soups but as I don't have any onions will do fine today), add to the pan, cover and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes to soften.
Chop up the other ingredients, nothing fancy as they are going to be blitzed later. Add to the onions & again cook slowly for another 5 minutes. I always add salt at this stage to bring out the flavours.
Now to make it spicy, no need for time consuming roasting & processing spices unless you want to, I simply add 2 tsps of Pataks medium curry paste. You can add more or less of the paste depending on your taste. If the soup is for my granddaughters then no paste goes in. Give it all a good stir to coat all the vegetables a cook for a couple of minutes.
Rinse through about a tea cup of red lentils until the water is running clear and add to the pot.
Now add your stock and extra water to cover all the vegetables by about an inch, the lentils will expand in the cooking.
Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste and add any seasoning as required.
Blitz the mixture in a processor/blender or using a hand blender until smooth. You can use now but better left to cool and reheat slowly. Sometimes I just crush the soup with a potato masher for a course texture. You can add water if too thick for your taste.
Eat as it is or add some fresh coriander to garnish or a blob of creme fraiche or both. Nice crusty bread to mop it all up.
Simple, just enjoy.

Prawn & Salmon pasta

Today's offering is so simple to make, very quick around 15 minutes maximum and I can assure you that everyone will go wow!! An easy supper/dinner that has only 5 main ingredients, make it 4 if you omit the salmon. If you want to you can add all sorts of extras to the dish to make it your own but this version does just fine.
If you wish this can be prawn only, still delicious but I prefer the extra dimension of the smoked salmon.
Warm a couple of pasta bowls, I put into microwave for a couple of minutes (assuming yours can go in a microwave, please check).
This is for 2 but easily doubled.
Ingredients:
Butter
Leek or onion
Prawns
Salmon
Creme fraiche
Pasta
Salt & Pepper
The choice of pasta is entirely up to you, in the past I have used spaghetti, penne & fettuccine but today's choice is fusilli. I allow 200g per adult which is enough for us.
First thing to do is to boil the water and throw in your pasta which normally takes about 10 minutes or so to cook. No need to season the water at this stage, see tip after draining.
Put the butter in a pan under a low heat, all the other ingredients going in this pan so use a reasonable size.
I prefer to use a small leek but onions are just fine. Chop to whatever size you prefer and add to the butter to soften.
The prawns I use are Farmfoods frozen raw prawns. These are a larger size and very good value. Again add as many as you want, I use 8-10 per person here as we are not having any other course, but if you are not using salmon then please add more. Add the prawns to the softened leek and keep stirring. You are cooking the prawns from frozen so the juices will add extra flavour.
Cut your smoked salmon into fine strips. There are plenty of these on offer in the supermarket so make this dish when you grab a bargain. I love this so much that I could and do eat plenty of the salmon as I'm slicing. Add the salmon to the pot when you think the prawns are cooked.
Now add your creme fraiche at the same time. As much as you need to make a sauce for the pasta.
All this now on a low heat for a few minutes as you are only warming this through at this stage, not cooking it. I don't think you need to add any lemon as the creme fraiche has its own taste but feel free to add it if you prefer.
Now add a couple of spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water to this mixture to thin your sauce, it does also add taste to the dish. Keep mixing gently to coat everything.
Finally, your pasta should be cooked, drained and added back to your pan. Top tip: at this stage I add a little olive oil, salt & pepper to the pasta and it really makes a difference to the taste of the dish. Give the pasta a good swirl to cover it all in the oil & seasoning and divide into your bowls.
Now add your prawn mixture to the bowls.
You can serve with bread of your choice to mop up the juices.
Now sit back and relax another quick, easy and very tasty meal.

Sausage, Mash, Cabbage, Mushroom & Onion Gravy and Black Sheep Ale

Hi I believe in quick simple cooking. All of my posts will be food that anyone can cook. It takes a little effort but is always worth it.
Tonight's meal is a pre footie fare, relaxing very plain comfort food with a beer or two. It will all be made in 20 minutes.
For 2 people: ingredients easily changed depending on number of people.
Ingredients:
6 good quality sausages of your preference, I am using butchers Cumberland sausages.
Potato mash so simple but oh so comforting.
Savoy Cabbage not everyone's favourite but I enjoy it.
Onion chutney which was pre-made by myself, so simple and I will put a separate post for this. Once made you will never buy this stuff again, guaranteed.
Butter
Milk
Seasoning
Cooking:
Heat grill to 200 gas.
Boil water for the potatoes. I use a steamer as I normally prefer to cook my vegetables this way to keep the texture.
Prepare potatoes any way you want but I am peeling and halving mine tonight.
Chop up half of the savoy cabbage.
The sausages are cooked in the grill for 20 minutes. Line pan with foil to save on cleaning later. Set the timer and rotate every 6 minutes. You can pan fry but I think this is better for consistency.
Boil potatoes for 15 minutes. Then add cabbage to your steamer for the last 5 minutes. Season the cabbage at this time. This will give you cabbage with some bite to it, not soggy drowned stuff we all dislike. There's all sorts of fancy things you can add to the cabbage but not needed for this meal tonight.
With 10 minutes to go chop/slice button mushrooms add to small pan with oil/butter and stir for a couple of minutes. You don't need to add too much oil, the mushrooms soak it up. Add 3 tablespoons of onion chutney and heat through.
Drain the potatoes and add butter (spreadable stuff fine), milk, seasoning all to your taste. I use a potato masher and then the secret is to beat this with a wooden spoon. Great exercise and you do not need potato sieves etc. This turns your mash into creamy perfection.
Put onnto heated plate,s simple but delicious.
Tonight I'm drinking some beer with the meal. I have chosen Black Sheep Ale which is brewed in Masham, Yorkshire. It is a light ale in a modern style. Goes well with the food. A bargain right now at £1.25 a 500ml bottle at Tesco. I have attached the link below so that you can explore the brewery site at your leisure.
http://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/
Give it a go you know you can.