Salmon with Crushed Vegetable Mash

This is a simple but incredibly delicious and satisfying dinner, that's great for family meals mid-week as it doesn't take long to pull together.

The crushed vegetable mash is a sort of hybrid colcannon but I include thinly sliced leeks and curly kale gently sautéed in a tablespoon of butter so it keeps its’ bite and add some herbs from my kitchen windowsill selection - parsley and chives. The potatoes are baked in the skin while you can crack on with everything else; and then just peeled and the soft, fluffy flesh scooped out and combined with the vegetables after a gentle mashing with just a drizzle of olive oil.

I serve with peas and asparagus cooked in boiling water and the salmon is steamed on a plate, covered in tin foil on top of the pan to save on washing up!

For Glen and Bridget I poach an egg each to soft, in the vegetable water while dishing up as an added protein hit and it's a real family winner for our toddler foodie as well as us adults too.

The below serves two adults and one child portion. 

Salmon with Crushed Vegetable Mash

Here's how:

• 2 large fillets of salmon
• 3 large potatoes
• 150g curly kale
• 2 leeks
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• Handful fresh parsley and chives
• Handful Asparagus spears
• 100g frozen peas
• Pinch salt
• Black pepper
• 3 eggs (optional) 

Firstly place the oven on a high heat around 200-220 degrees to pre-heat and place the potatoes in the microwave for six minutes.

Fill and boil the kettle.

Once the potatoes come out of the microwave, place the end of a metal teaspoon deeply inside of each, and place directly on the shelf of the oven to bake for 25 minutes. The metal teaspoon (a skewer would work as well) will speed up the heat working its way through and so will cook quicker).

Now add the butter to a heavy-bottomed pan and place on a gentle heat with a tiny drizzle of olive oil to prevent it burning or cooking too quickly.

Now slice the leeks and add to the pan. After four minutes on a gentle heat add the kale and stir with a wooden or plastic spoon and cook for a few minutes. Now remove the kale and leeks to a bowl and set aside for the minute.

Place the salmon fillets onto a plate and cover with foil. Now place the peas and asparagus into a different pan and cover with the boiling water, place the plate with the salmon on top and cook for 6-8 minutes.

While that’s cooking remove the potatoes from the oven, de-shell and place all of the soft and fluffy potato into the pan that cooked with leeks and kale. Add a knob of butter and mash with a fork, or a potato masher. Then stir in the buttery kale and leeks with a wooden spoon and place on a very gentle heat to keep warm.

Once the vegetables and salmon are cooked, use a slotted spoon to get the vegetables out of the water and place into a colander, then if you’re having poached egg, pop these into the vegetable water – they only take 3 minutes to poach to soft, so will be ready by the time you’ve dished up the rest of the meal. Enjoy!

TIP: If you prefer your salmon to be cooked through more, then leave to steam over the eggs as they poach.

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!

Seabass En Papillote with Jeweled Couscous and Roasted Kale

This is a beautiful, healthy and delicious dish that's perfect for January when most are putting the gluttonous days of December behind them.

The fish is light and fresh, and the accompaniments can be changed to suit your preference.

I got the idea for the en papillote with rosemary and lemon whilst dining in The Ivy in Hong Kongs' IFC Mall, and having made it at home now can see this becoming a regular dish - it's so simple to prepare but tastes fantastic and the great thing is it can be prepared in five minutes and on the table in fifteen which makes it ideal for mid-week meals.

The below served myself (1 fillet), Bridget - our fifteen month old (1 fillet) and my partner Glen (2 fillets) and a full portion comes in at around 415 calories.

Bridget loved this meal so it's a great choice for families with little ones and sea bass is quite inexpensive these days too. Why not give it a try for your children - it's a great alternative to cod.

Seabass En Papillote with Jewelled Couscous and Kale

Here's how:

• x4 sea bass fillets
• 6-8 fresh rosemary twigs (don't supplement for dried - it won't work here)
• 2 large lemons
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 100g dried couscous
• Seeds of half a pomegranate
• Handful fresh mint leaves
• Handful fresh coriander leaves
• 1 yellow pepper
• Half a cucumber
• Handful of radishes
• 3 spring onions
• 100-120g kale
• Sea salt
• Black Pepper
• Dried Chilli Flakes

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C and fill and boil the kettle.

Now lay the kale onto an ovenproof dish or tray, sprinkle with a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper and drizzle with a tiny bit of rapeseed or olive oil or use a spray - one spritz, if you have that. Set aside.

Now thinly slice one of the lemons - use the whole fruit to get a good load of skinny slices. Get enough greaseproof paper to line and make a parcel over the fish into an ovenproof dish and drizzle with a tiny bit of oil. Scatter 3-4 of the lemon slices around the dish and 3 or four of the rosemary sprigs. 

Now place each sea bass fillet, skin side down, onto the dish. Season with sea salt and black pepper (omit the sea salt if you are serving one fillet for a child or weaning baby). Now place a couple of the lemon slices on top of each fillet and then place the rosemary atop of each also. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Now wrap the greaseproof paper around top loosely cover the fish - I tuck one end under the fish to ensure it's enclosed as this is essential for this type of cooking - alternatively you can buy specific bags for cooking in this way. 

Seabass ready to be cooked en papillote

Now place both the fish and the kale into the oven to cook for 15 minutes.

Now you can concentrate on the couscous - place the 100g dried couscous into a bowl or jug, then cover with 160ml boiling water. Stir with a fork then cover with a plate and leave to one side for five minutes.

Finely shred the coriander and mint and remove the pomegranate seeds ready for the couscous, and once all the water has been absorbed, fluff up with a fork and then add the herbs and seeds and give final stir, then place the plate back on top to keep warm. I also sometimes add the zest of one of the lemons to add a hit of zingy citrus to the couscous.

You can now prepare your side salad. Using a vegetable peeler create slithers of the yellow pepper, cucumber, radish and spring onions.

Once the fifteen minutes is up, remove the kale and the seabass from the oven and leave to stand for 1 minute. In the meantime dish up the couscous and side salad. 

Roasted Kale with chilli

Seabass Weaning Portion

Now this can be adjusted to taste or omitted completely but whenever I toast kale, I like to add a teaspoon full of dried chilli flakes before serving which makes the crunchy accompaniment even more flavourful. Add to the plate and use a fish slice to dish up the sea bass fillets. Serve with a wedge of lemon. Enjoy!

Skinny Spicy Breaded King Prawns with Chilli and Garlic Fried Vegetables and Sriracha Dressing

These were an experiment of mine that, happily, worked out very well indeed. During my healthy eating regime, I really should detox from social media as every time I care to take a glance I see a Tweet or an Instagram post containing something utterly delicious looking that is well and truly off limits.

These prawns were as a result of seeing some gorgeous looking deep fried breaded Thai prawns online, it got me thinking, how can I create a healthier version.

The result was the below - a crumb, created by Melba toast and flavoured with chilli, garlic, coriander and plenty of salt and pepper. They worked perfectly too, soft, sweet and juicy prawns contained in a spicy, crisp coating. Winner. Served alongside some chilli and garlic fried kale and asparagus and a low calorie Sriracha dressing made with my new favourite ingredient 0% Fat Natural yoghurt, a portion of the below comes in at 486 calories.

The below serves two.

Skinny Spicy Breaded King Prawns with Chilli and Garlic Fried Vegetables and Sriracha Dressing

Here's how:

• 200g King prawns
• 1x packet (20g) Melba toasts (I use Asda)
• 1 red chilli
• 2 cloves garlic
• Bunch coriander
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 spring onions
• Dried chilli flakes
• 5ml coconut oil
• 150g kale
• Bunch asparagus
• 1 egg
• 50g plain flour
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp 0% Fat Natural Yoghurt (I use Yeo Valley)
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce

Place the oven on at 180 degrees.

Firstly prepare the prawns by de-veining and placing onto a plate or bowl with some kitchen towel to absorb any excess moisture.

In the meantime place the flour into a bowl with the cayenne, paprika and a large pinch each of salt (preferably coarse sea salt but table will do) and black pepper. Stir and set aside.

Now finely chop the chilli and crush one of cloves of garlic and add to another small bowl. Chop the coriander finely and add. Now crumble in the melba toasts. Try to have a combination of textures both small and crumbly and larger pieces too - it all adds to the dish. Give a good stir and set aside.

Now crack an egg into one final bowl and quickly beat.

Now get an oven sheet or tray ready and add a layer or parchment paper.

Firstly coat each prawn into the seasoned flour, then into the egg and then toss in the crumb mix. Now place onto the oven sheet ready to be cooked. Repeat until all prawns are coated. 

Skinny Spicy Breaded King Prawns

The prawns will take ten minutes to cook so set aside for the moment while you prepare the accompaniments.

Finely slice the spring onions and remaining garlic and add to a non-stick pan with the coconut oil and half of the dried chilli flakes and place onto a medium heat.

Once the oil is warmed and starting to sizzle (but not burn), add the asparagus. Cook gently for four minutes and once the asparagus is in the pan also pop the prawns into the oven to bake.

Get a piece of tin foil ready that will easily wrap the asparagus and once the four minutes is up, remove from the pan and add the kale and the remaining dried chilli flakes for a further four minutes. Wrap the asparagus to keep it warm.

Now whilst the kale is cooking place 1 tbsp of 0% fat natural yoghurt into a small bowl with 1 tsp sriracha and stir. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Remove the prawns from the pan and plate up with the kale and asparagus. Enjoy!

Green Goodness Smoothie

This is my Green Goodness smoothie and incorporates kale, kiwi, pear and lime plus some sunflower seeds for a hit of morning protein. It has 244 calories so saves plenty of calories for the rest of the day. The lime and ginger give it a really sharp and fresh flavour too.

Green Goodness Smoothie

• 50g kale
• 1 kiwi
• 1 pear
• Juice of a whole lime
• 1 tsp pumpkin seeds
• 10g fresh ginger
• 100-150ml water

Core the pear and then add all of the ingredients to your Nutribullet or blender and blitz for 20 seconds. Enjoy. 

Applewood Spreadable Challenge: Cheese and Vegetable Pie with Kale and Chorizo

This is my third and final recipe that I have created as part of the Applewood Spreadable #SpreadStirShare challenge in which 20 food bloggers have been tasked with devising some interesting and delicious family recipes using Applewood Spreadable as an ingredient. I have already posted my Cheesy Pea, Leek and Pancetta Gnocchi Bake and the Creamy Pea, Courgette and Mint Risotto, and my final recipe that I enjoyed last night was a Cheese and Vegetable Pie with a side of Kale with Chorizo.

Of the three recipes, this has to be my favourite – but then I do love anything encased in gorgeous pastry, it’s so comforting on a cold, wet winter’s day, and this is a delicious pie filling that I will absolutely be making again.

I used pumpkin, broccoli and leeks in my pie, but you could experiment with whatever you had to hand really. I made a traditional roux – mixing equal parts of butter with plain flour as the basis for this unctuous, decadent cheese sauce, as well as mixing equal parts of the smoky Applewood Spreadable cheese with unsmoked Cheddar.

The kale and chorizo side was to convince the boyfriend that we can sit down to dinner without a big hunk of meat or fillet of fish and with, instead, just a little smidge of meat-stuffs and I’m happy to report he agreed after this lovely meal. This served the two of us comfortably with one portion left over for lunch today – just increase the portion sizes to stretch further!

Here’s how:

1 small pumpkin

1 broccoli head

2 leeks, trimmed

50g plain flour

50g salted butter

65g Applewood Spreadable

65g Cheddar (I used some Cathedral City I had in my fridge)

300ml milk (I used full fat)

Salt & Pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

250g puff pastry (I used Jus Rol)

1 beaten egg

100g kale

100g chorizo cooking sausages

Firstly cut the pumpkin in half carefully, and scoop out all of the seeds. Either retain to toast and enjoy later on or discard. Place on a piece of baking paper on a baking sheet and place in the oven at around 180-200 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime chop off the florets of broccoli and chop up into bite-size pieces. Plunge into some boiling, salted water and cook for 3-4 minutes, to ensure there will be no biting into rock hard vegetables in the pie. Then drain and put to the side.

Once the pumpkin is out of the oven and cool enough to handle, remove the skin and chop into small, bite-sized chunks. Place into an ovenproof dish, and then add the broccoli.

Chop the leeks and then add these, raw to the pie dish with the broccoli and pumpkin.

Next up it’s time to make your cheese sauce. Firstly weigh everything out equally in advance so there is no mad scramble mid-sauce-making as it is a bit of a delicate procedure and needs care and attention! Add the butter to the pan (a tip is to add it in small little knobs so it takes less time to melt and is less likely to burn) – keep on a low heat throughout.

Once the butter is melted, gently add a little of the flour at a time stirring in each time with a wooden spoon or whisk in gently with a balloon whisk. Keep repeating this process until all of the flour has been mixed in.

Now you will add your milk, a little at a time. You may not even need the 300ml, it will depend on how you prefer the consistency of the sauce to be. Once you’ve added about half, add the cheese. I firstly added the grated Cheddar and mixed through until melted through and part of the now-thickening sauce. If you need to, add a little more milk and then add the Applewood Spreadable, again stirring all the while.

Once you are happy with the consistency (it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and velvety smooth with no lumps), continue to cook on a low heat for a further five minutes to ensure the flour is all cooked out.

Remove from the heat, season generously and add a pinch of nutmeg or even cinnamon to add a little warming spice. Taste at this point to ensure it has the right flavour to your taste, if not add more cheese for a cheesier flavour or a little more milk for a milder taste.

Now cover the vegetables with the cheese sauce, using a spoon to ensure each piece of vegetable is nicely coated and place to the side for a moment. If you hadn’t already – get your oven pre-heating at this point at 180-200 degrees.

Now roll your pastry out accordingly so it will fit snugly over the pie. I baked this as a ‘pot pie’ with a just a pastry topping to cut the calories down a little, as it still gives that huge comforting joy of eating a pie, but isn’t quite as naughty. You could of course also top this with mashed potato and a little grated cheese too, but for me puff pastry is king.

Once you’ve covered the pie, egg wash it so it becomes lovely and golden and place into the oven. If you are artistic you could try and make a beautiful puff pastry garnish out of the excess pastry – if you are artistically challenged like myself, you could create something less adventurous:

The pie needs baking for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and ten minutes before the end of baking you can start preparing the side dish. 

Firstly chop 100g chorizo sausages into small cubes and add to a dry pan on a medium heat. Chorizo always exudes its own oils, so none is needed here. Once the chorizo has cooked for a good few minutes and is nicely charred on all sides, add the washed kale to the pan and mix continuously. It is more cabbage-like than spinach in the heat and does retain its pretty shape, a few minutes of cooking and this is ready to serve.

Remove the pie from the oven and dish up. Enjoy!

To keep up with the remaining Applewood Spreadable challenge follow the #SpreadStirShare hash tag and check out the Applewood blog for details on the winner due to be announced at the end of this month: http://applewoodcheese.co.uk/blog.php