Spanish-style cod

Serves 1 – easily multiplied

Have just come back from Majorca and really enjoyed the gutsy flavours of the local tapas. Anyway I had lots of leftover bits in the fridge that needed using up when I got back – peppers, toms, garlic, onion etc – so threw this dish together with a little Spanish inspiration. I really liked it, even though it was eaten on a dreary day rather than hot Mediterranean sunshine!

1 cod fillet

¼ red onion, finely sliced

3-4 cherry tomatoes, sliced

¼ small pepper, sliced (or a mini pepper such as Tesco Chiquino peppers)

½ clove garlic, finely chopped

4-5 chorizo slices, cut into strips

3 olives, sliced

½ tin butterbeans, drained

Pinch dried herbs

Hot paprika

Salt and pepper

2 -3 tablespoons red wine

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Drizzle of Olive oil

Preheat oven to 180C Fan.

Layer most of the onions, tomatoes, pepper, garlic, chorizo, olives and butterbeans in a small heatproof dish (I used a small oblong enamel pie tin). Season and add a little hot paprika to taste.

Place the fish on top and season with herbs, a little extra dusting of hot paprika to taste, and more salt and pepper.

Pile the remaining sliced ingredients on top to cover the fish, then spoon over the wine, balsamic and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Cover tightly with foil, allowing a bit of tent space for steam. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes and serve with seasonal vegetables, rice or bread.

Mummy's Chicken and Leek Pie

Mummy’s chicken and leek pie

Serves 2 with leftovers for next day

I have no idea where mum got this recipe. It is pure comfort food and is equally yummy served hot or cold the next day which is why I always make this amount! I tend to buy Elmlea cream is it lasts longer in the fridge - great if you live alone and only need a little at a time. My friend Mandy always requests this pie!

180ml chicken stock, from a cube

125ml glass of dry cider

2 chicken breasts

A large knob of butter

1 leek, chopped finely

1 celery stick, chopped finely

1 tbsp flour

2 tsp fresh thyme or lemon thyme leaves

125ml cream

1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or as much as you like)

1 sheet ready rolled shortcrust pastry

1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Extra thyme leaves

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Put the stock and wine in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken breasts and simmer with a lid on for 10 mins. Then remove from heat and leave for another 10 mins. Remove chicken and reserve about 200ml of the liquor. Chop chicken into little pieces.

Melt the butter in another saucepan and cook the leek and celery until soft. Add the flour and thyme, and stir until bubbling and starting to brown the flour. Slowly add in the cooking liquor and cream, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and add the chicken and mustard.

Grease a pie dish and line with the shortcrust pastry. Pour in the chicken filling and top with the puff pastry. Seal or crimp the edges. Brush with egg and sprinkle over a few thyme leaves and a few sea salt flakes. Make an air hole.

Bake for 20-30 mins until the pastry is golden. Serve with new potatoes or mash and veggies. You could also make mini picnic pies using muffin tins!

Kind of Mediterranean Pasta Bake

Mediterranean Pasta Bake

Serves 1

Leftover turkey and pasta sauce to use up! Pasta bake is a-calling! I tend to go through phases of eating pasta quite a lot and then don't use it again for weeks. No one said I'm normal :)

60g pasta e.g rigatoni

Olive oil

½ turkey or chicken breast, diced

50g smoked bacon lardons

½ clove garlic, chopped

½ stick celery, diced

Few olives, sliced

1 tsp capers

¼ jar tomato and basil pasta sauce

2 tsp parsley, chopped

1 tbsp grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for about 15 mins until tender.

Meanwhile fry the turkey or chicken, bacon and celery in frying pan for a few mins until cooked. Add the olives, capers, pasta sauce and parsley and simmer gently for 3-5 mins to heat through.

Mix with the drained pasta and transfer to an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle over cheese and cook under a grill until toasty and bubbling. Eat!

Breaded turkey escalope with rosemary and garlic roast potatoes

Breaded Turkey Escalope with Rosemary and Garlic Roast Potatoes

Serves 1

I had an Italian dinner party at the weekend and decided at the last minute I couldn’t really be bothered to cook! So I bought ready-made breaded escalopes and needless to say they were pretty awful! So this is the made-from-scratch version and not only were they so easy, they were ten times tastier! It was inspired by my favourite dish from Strada.

1 turkey breast fillet

Salt and pepper

1 beaten egg

 Dried breadcrumbs

1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 large-ish new potatoes

1 large garlic clove, halved

Olive oil

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1 shallot, sliced into half moons and separated out

Few green beans

¼ jar tomato and basil pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 200C. Flatten the turkey fillet a bit and season. Put the beaten egg in a bowl. In another bowl add the dried breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Dip the fillet in the egg and then the breadcrumbs until well coated. Set aside.

Cut the potatoes into chunks and tip into a baking tray with the garlic. Coat in oil and season well. Sprinkle over the rosemary and bake in the oven for 8-10 mins.

Put a bit of oil in a frying pan and sear the turkey fillet until lightly golden on both sides. After the potatoes have had 5 mins transfer the turkey to the baking tray. Cook for another 12-14 mins, turning halfway through. Toss the potatoes halfway and sprinkle over the shallot.

Boil the green bean for 7-8 mins until tender and gently warm the pasta sauce in another pan.

Rest the turkey for a couple of mins and then serve with the roast potatoes and frazzled shallot and  drained beans and  the pasta sauce on the side.

Pommes Boulangere

Pommes Boulangere

Serves 1

I made this side dish to accompany sea bass and veg. It was damn tasty and very savoury in taste – the crispy top and soft, moist layers beneath were gorgeous. It would go with any meat or fish. I think it’s supposed to have thinly sliced onion in between the layers but I would say it’s no worse for no including them.

Small baking potato, sliced as thinly as possible

Seasoning

1 small tip fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Chicken stock concentrate (in a tub)

1 tsp butter

I lightly greased a small dish and layered in the potato, sprinkling in the rosemary and seasoning in between the layers. Put 2-3 tsp chicken stock over the top (mine was jellified which is fine) and 1-2 tsp hot water from the kettle, Add little pieces of butter on top and bake at 220 for 40-50 mins until cooked underneath and crispy and brown on top. Heaven!