Spiralised Mackerel Salad

During my fat fighting and healthy eating regime I have been strictly adhering to 1200 calories a day and this particular salad is a delicious, refreshing 350 calorie meal, ideal for lunch.

I used my spiraliser and vegetable peeler to make for an interesting and crunchy texture of radish, yellow pepper, carrot and cucumber with some blanched kale and topped with pomegranate seeds for some added crunch. Using lemon juice as a natural dressing too just really peps this up.

Mackerel is a fantastic oily fish full of fabulous nutrients and can be bought so inexpensively too - what's more it's delicious.

Spiralised Mackerel Salad

Here’s how:

50g kale
1/2 pomegranate
1 carrot
4cm length of cucumber
4 radishes
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 lemon
1 peppered smoked mackerel fillet
Firstly blanch the kale in some boiled water and drain. Use some kitchen towel to take out any excess moisture and add to a plate or bowl.

Now peel the carrot and spiralise, or use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons (grating also works). Add to the plate. Do the same with the cucumber and radishes and use the peeler to make thin slithers of yellow pepper.

Remove the seeds of the pomegranate and drain out the juice (add to some water for a lovely, refreshing beverage) and scatter over the plate.

Add the mackerel fillet and squeeze the lemon over. Enjoy!

Sandwich Face

This isn’t a recipe, just an idea to make mealtimes fun for your tot during the weaning stage and beyond.

This is an especially good tactic if you have a fussy eater or one who needs a lot of encouragement and motivating little ones to eat finger foods is really important too.

By simply using a cookie cutter to make round sandwiches (use their favourite filling – ours at the moment are soft cheese with cucumber) and then use some salad items to make a face shape outline – using different items for the different features of the face. You could grate some carrot to make the hair, or use some radishes to make rosy cheeks but I’ve just kept it plain and simple here – a cucumber nose and hair and cherry tomato mouth.

Baby Bites Greek Feta Plate

Ok this isn't really a recipe - more an idea for a quick and simple weaning lunch or dinner. It's perfect for when baby is into finger foods as everything can be cut into similarly sized cubes.

This is perfect for you having the same meal as it's less fuss and this also travels well in a little lunchbox if you're out and about too.

I've used peashoots here but you could change this for rocket, watercress or even plain old iceberg and have some fun introducing new items to the plate. Bridget really likes olives - but if you offer these be warned they have a strong taste for a tiny palate and make sure to remove the stone. 

Here's how:

• 75g feta cheese 
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• An inch length of a cucumber
• Handful of peashoots or rocket
• 1/2 brown pitta bread

Firstly toast the pitta for a couple of minutes and then allow to cool a little so baby can handle.

Next wash the tomatoes, peashoots and cucumber and then dry with a clean tea towel or some kitchen paper.

Now cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the cucumber into cubes of around the same size and place onto the plate with the peashoots.

Cube the feta into as close in size to the other items as possible and pop onto the plate with the toasted pitta.

Baby Bites Lightly Spiced Salmon Fishcakes

These salmon fishcakes are delicately spiced with a little turmeric - almost like an introduction to bolder flavours to come. The soft, fluffy middle with the crunchy breadcrumb exterior make for a fun two-textured finger food.

The amounts below make 7-8 small fishcakes and I give Bridget two with some cucumber or red pepper battons for a meal. One is probably enough if this is one of the first finger foods or you are just starting on solid food.

These freeze well too - just pop into sealable food bags once made and before frying and defrost fully before using next time.

• 1 large jacket potato or two smaller ones
• 2 spring onions
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 small salmon fillet
• 1-2 slices granary bread
• Drizzle olive oil
• 1 egg

Firstly bake the potato in the oven for 30 minutes until the centre is soft and fluffy. You could of course boil or steam the potatoes but I prefer to bake as they can go straight into the oven and it's one less piece of equipment for the dishwasher!

For the last ten minutes of the potato cooking, place the salmon into the oven in a small ovenproof dish with a little foil over.

Meanwhile finely chop the spring onion and crush the garlic clove into a small frying pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and just soften then remove from the heat.

Remove both and firstly scoop out the potato, discarding the skin and with a fork mash it up. It should still have some texture and not be too smooth.

Flake the salmon into the potato and mix through, also adding the spring onion and garlic. Add the turmeric and evenly stir through.

In a food processor blitz the bread into breadcrumbs and place into a bowl.

Crack the egg into another bowl and beat.

Next, with your hands, shape the salmon and potato mixture into small rounds until you have 7-8.

Drizzle a little more oil into the pan and place on a medium heat.

Meanwhile take each fishcake, place into the egg, turning over to ensure it's fully coated then place into the breadcrumbs, doing the same to ensure each fishcake has an even coating.

Next fry each fishcake for around 4-5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown.

Remove from the heat and place onto a plate with some kitchen roll to draw out any excess oil.

Then allow to cool, break into halves and serve with some vegetable batons and let little one enjoy this tasty fishy supper.

Perfect Greek Salad

In my humble opinion a Greek salad is one of the best possible salads you can have and throughout the summer months it's a mainstay in my kitchen. Made for barbecues, to go alongside a roast chicken instead of the usual wintry accompaniments or just made up for a great lunchbox with pitta and some Tzatziki. 

Here is my version of the ultimate Greek salad.

Lettuce leaves of your choice (I tend to use iceberg)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
Half a cucumber
1 red onion
Celery
1/2 large red and green pepper or 1 small one of each
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kalamata Olives
Half block of feta cheese
Generous drizzle of Greek olive oil
2tbsp dried oregano
Coriander
Sprinkling of black pepper

Wash the lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, celery and dry off with some kitchen roll or a clean tea towel. Shred the lettuce and add to a bowl. Chop the peppers, and cucumber and slice the onion and throw into the bowl and throw the olives in too. 

Tear off the leaves of a small bunch of coriander and add to the bowl. Drizzle olive oil over and the juice of the lemon and give a good shake.  

Finally slice the feta into large oblongs or if you prefer, cubes and place on top of the salad. Drizzle over a final flourish of olive oil and toss over the oregano and enjoy!

Tzatziki

There are many varieties of tzatziki out there - but this is the fail-safe recipe I use time and time again which complements a variety of Greek dishes and which goes down a storm each and every time.

Combine 200g Greek natural yoghurt with a quarter of a cucumber finely grated, 1 large clove of garlic, crushed and about a tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves and stir through - simple but fantastic.