SMOKED SALMON FISH CAKES

Fish cakes can be as fancy or simple as you want them, don't be afraid of swapping flavours like Wasabi or Thai Green Curry Paste.  You can leave things out too, I tend not to use the horseradish for children as this can make them "a bit spicy".

I've used 2 packets of smoked salmon trimmings that most supermarkets have now.  They're great for something like this, already chopped and cheap as chips at 98p per packet you can't go wrong and no-one will ever know you've used the cheap stuff.  I use it mixed with cream cheese for sandwiches and in sushi for people too scared to eat raw fish, you'd be surprised how many people don't realise that technically smoked salmon is raw.

Assembling them can be easy or a phaff depending on how much time you have.  I used a round pastry cutter to shape them.  Fill it with the mixture then press them out.  You could just roll them in a ball and flatten them but wait till the potato has cooled to do this.  Cold mash is easier to handle and doesn't burn.

You can use fresh or dried breadcrumbs.  I keep breadcrumbs in the freezer made from the end crusts which no-one in our house favours unless it's straight out of the oven.

I've served them here with Hollandaise and Samphire, my ingredient of the month - sorry Sean, I'll lay off it for a bit now.  Alternatively spinach tossed in a little butter for 3 minutes over a low heat, fine green beans and of course good old peas go well.

It's worth making a big batch of these and freeze them once they are assembled before you cook them and you've got a meal ready and waiting .

600g Mashing Spuds (You want King Edwards or Maris Pipers ideally)
240g Smoked Salmon Trimmings
5 Spring Onions Chopped
3 Good Tbsp Creme Fraiche
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Creamed Horseradish
Salt & White Pepper
Flour for coating
1 Egg Beaten
Fresh or Dried Breadcrumbs for coating.
2 tsp Dried Dill
Oil for frying

Boil the spuds till soft and beginning to fall apart.  Drain and leave them to dry out for 5 minutes, you don't want any excess water.  Once they have dried mash them and stir in the smoked salmon, onions, creme fraiche, lemon juice and horseradish and season.  Mix it all thoroughly together.

Add the dill to the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and put the egg in another ready for assembling.  Sprinkle some flour onto the surface and fill a 3" pastry cutter with your mixture.  Sprinkle the top with flour then push it out with a fork.  Dip the fishcake into the egg then the breadcrumbs.

I fry them briefly in a little oil now to get them nice and golden and finish them off in the oven at 180c for 15 minutes.  You could spray them with a little oil and cook them in the oven completely if you like, it's probably slightly healthier, only slightly though but every little bit helps.

These could just beat Sean's Smash and Savers Tuna Uni' specials....Only just mind!

Double Cheese Muffins

It's the holidays which means lots of packed lunches and picnic food.  These cheese muffins are so quick and easy to put together and the kids can help too.  They're great warm from the oven while the cheese is still melty or cold the next day if they last that long.  This recipe uses one of my favourite store cupboard ingredients - Crispy Onions! I love em. You know the ones in a tub, usually in the salad dressing section of the supermarket next to the soya bacon bits.  Both are good to have in as an emergency ingredient when you want to supe up your savoury scones or bread.  

250g Self Raising Flour

1/2 tsp Bicarb

1/2 tsp Mustard Powder

100g Strong Cheese (1/2 cubed 1/2 grated)

6 tbsp Vegetable Oil

150g Onion & Chives Cottage Cheese

125ml Milk

1 Egg

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Crispy Fried onions

Heat the oven to 180C

Combine all the dry ingredients, apart from the onions in a large bowl.  In another bowl or jug, mix all the wet ingredients.  Stir the wet into the dry but don't mix too thoroughly, you should have lumps.  It's important with muffins that the mixture isn't over worked.

Divide the mixture between your muffin cases and sprinkle on the crispy onions.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. I makes 12-15 depending on the size of your cases and how generously you fill them.

Real Men Do Eat Quiche

We love quiche in this house.  You can have it hot or cold, it's easily transportable for picnics and packed lunches and you can stick anything in it, great for using up left over bits from the bottom of the fridge.

These two were exactly that, I had some bacon, halloumi and sweet potato's in the fridge and came up with these two: Bacon & Samphire and Sweet Potato & Halloumi. 

SAMPHIRE & BACON

200g Plain Flour

100g Margarine

Iced Water to mix

250g Bacon
90g Samphire

Knob of Butter

1 Clove Garlic

3 Eggs

3/4 pt Milk

Black Pepper

Samphire is a vegetable that grows wild in marshy areas or close to the sea.  It's a bit like very fine asparagus and very salty.  I love the flavour and vibrant colour which it doesn't lose when you cook it.  If you're not lucky enough the be able to pick it fresh yourself, Asda sell it as one of their 'Extra Special' ingredients.

Make the pastry.  Rub the margarine into the flour, you can use a food processor or a free standing mixer for this.  When it looks like fine bread crumbs add enough water to form a dough.  Line your quiche tin and pop it into the freezer for 15 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 160 C.

You need to bake the pastry shell blind so line it with some parchment and fill it with baking beans.  You can use rice or dried pulses instead if you don't have ceramic beans, they work just as well.

Bake it for 15 minutes then remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 5-10 minutes till it's cooked and lightly browned.

While this is finishing snip your bacon into bite size pieces and cook till browned.  Remove the bacon from the pan and tip in the samphire with the butter and garlic.  Cook this for 2-3 minutes to soften it.

When your shell is baked put the bacon into the base and top with the samphire.  Add some freshly ground black pepper, I like lots especially with this, both the bacon and samphire are very salty so don't add any more salt.

Mix your eggs and milk together and pour over your filling.  Bake for 30-40 minutes till it's set and browned.

SWEET POTATO & HALLOUMI

200g Plain Flour

100g Margarine

Iced Water to mix

300g Sweet Potato

1 tblsp Oil

250g Block of Halloumi

3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

3 Eggs

3/4 pt Milk

Black Pepper

Make your pastry shell as before.  While it's baking cook your sweet potato.  Peel and cut it into small cubes about 1cm square.  Put them in a pan, coat with the oil and add the thyme leaves.  Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat till soft and lightly browned.  It should take about 20-25 minutes and you'll need to stir it from time to time to stop it sticking.

When the potato is cooked, remove it from the pan.  Cut the halloumi the same size as the potato and cook in the same pan.  It will only take about 5 minutes for the cheese to brown so keep your eye on it.

Add the potato and halloumi to the shell and pour over your egg and milk mixture.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

There was even a little pastry left over to make  a couple of mini quiches with some salami and manchego I found, see what I mean about leftovers!