Tuna Fishcakes

These fishcakes are super quick and easy to make, really tasty and if you're stuck at home with children during the COVID-19 pandemic as we are, they are a good activity to get the little ones involved in cooking. They're also a great store cupboard recipe, as much of what you will need, you are likely to have in the cupboard or fridge and whenever we have leftover mashed potato, fishcakes are inevitably on the menu the following day.

Tuna Fishcakes

Tinned tuna is actually a really good store cupboard ingredient for these times and in addition to the recipe for these Asian-style tuna fishcakes I've listed out a few other ideas below with the ingredients needed:

• Tuna Pasta Salad (uni style): Cooked fusilli pasta, mayo, spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes, sweetcorn, squeeze of lemon, black pepper

• Tuna Pasta Bake: a simple tomato sauce (onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs such as basil, rosemary or oregano and olive oil) stirred through the pasta with the tinned tuna, then put into an oven-proof dish and topped with a little cheese before baking

• Tuna Nicoise Salad: tinned tuna, boiled egg, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, cooked new potatoes (or leftover roast or boiled potatoes), red onion, olives, anchovies

• Jacket Potato Topping or Sandwich filler: tuna, mayonnaise, tinned sweetcorn

• Tuna & Sweetcorn Frittata: A thick baked omelette made up of x3-4 eggs, sweetcorn, some fresh herbs if you have them (parsley or dill would work), a finely chopped pepper, red onion, a handful grated hard cheese (Cheddar, Red Leicester or Parmesan would work) and milk

The below served x4 of us for a lovely lunchtime meal served with a ribbon salad which is simply x2 carrots, and 1/2 a cucumber cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, drizzled with a tiny bit of soy and topped with some sesame seeds, as well as a variety of dipping sauces, one being just Sriracha, one a chipotle mayo (just mix together) and finally an Asian dipping sauce of soy, fish sauce, chilli oil, sesame oil and some fresh ginger. Sweet Chilli Sauce would work too.


Here's how:

• x2 tins tuna
• 1 red onion
• 3-4 tbsp leftover mashed potato
• 3cm piece of ginger
• Handful fresh coriander 
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of bread blitzed into breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Sesame oil to fry

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and put a little sesame oil into a frying pan on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion, peel and finely chop or grate the ginger, and roughly chop the coriander and add to a mixing bowl.

To that bowl add the leftover mashed potato, the drained tuna, the fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, salt and pepper. Use a fork to roughly mix together. It should be a chunky texture so don't be tempted to use a hand blender here.

Now into a bowl crack one egg and beat and set aside.

Pop the breadcrumbs into another bowl, and finally add the flour to a third bowl. Add the Chinese Five Spice, a pinch of salt and black pepper to the flour and give a quick mix.

Now you're ready to assemble, get a chopping board or a plate to place each fishcake as it's formed ready.

Now go in with your hands and get about 1.5 tbsp of the mixture and roll into a firm ball, then place in the palm of one hand and lightly press down with the other to get it flatter and like a fishcake size and shape. 

Drop the formed fishcake into the flour then turn over, next dip into the beaten egg and finally toss into the breadcrumbs and then set on the board or plate and then repeat until all of the mixture is used up.

Now place about 4-5 of the fishcakes (depending on size) into the pan and allow them to brown for a few minutes, then use a tablespoon to gently turn over and cook the other side. I sometimes add a little oil to the pan using Fry Light at this stage so they're not too dry.

Once cooked through, remove the fishcakes and put onto a baking sheet and place into the oven to keep warm (nobody wants cold mash potato in anything!). Repeat the process and place the final fishcakes into the oven for five minutes before you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

Tuna Fishcakes

Mini Egg Brownies

I made these this delicious fudgey Mini Egg Brownies this morning with Bridget and Beatrice, which was a lovely way to spend Mother's Day morning as we weren't able to visit the girls' Nanny's as we usually would. 

The same recipe would work with any mini chocolate eggs, Smarties, M&M's or anything chocolatey. You could also just use chunks of chocolate or chocolate chips instead.

Whole Mini Eggs can be a choking hazard for small children under the age of five, so if I use them in any baking recipe, such as Easter Cookies with Mini Eggs I cut them in half using either a knife or crush them into 2-3 pieces using the end of a rolling pin.

Mini Egg Brownies

Here's how:

• 250g dark chocolate 
• 185g salted butter at room temperature
• 80g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• 300g Mini Eggs

Firstly put the oven onto 180 degrees and grease and line a square or rectangular dish or tin. 

Place a small pan of water on to boil. Break up 200g of the dark chocolate and pop into a bowl with the butter and place over the boiling water. Use a wooden spoon to mix together until completely melted into chocolate lava, remove from the heat and set aside for the minute.

In a mixing bowl crack the eggs and add the caster sugar and vanilla and whisk for a few minutes until light and frothy. Set aside.

Into another bowl, sieve in the flour, cocoa and pinch of salt and give a rough stir to combine.

Now cut the remaining dark chocolate into small chunks, and cut or bash up the Mini Eggs. If you're making the brownies only for adult-consumption, you can of course keep them whole. 

Now gently pour in about half of the melted chocolate and butter into the whisked eggs and sugar, and use a wooden spoon to gently fold in, using a figure of eight technique. Be careful to be gentle here as you don't want to knock out all of the air. 

Once they are combined, repeat the process with the flour and cocoa into the chocolate batter. 

Once completely combined, add the chocolate chunks and two thirds of the Mini Eggs and give one final stir and then pour the batter into the dish and place into the oven for 28 minutes exactly.

Mini Egg Brownies

Once out of the oven, allow to stand in the dish for at least 30 minutes, and then use a sharp knife to cut into the portion size you require and enjoy!

Vegetarian Peanut Noodles

This is an utterly delicious vegetarian friendly family meal and you can use absolutely any vegetables you have to hand for it - and especially your family's favourites. 

If you like a satay style dish, this is for you and it is super versatile so use whatever you have to hand to make it work.

We are in worrying times right now, and a lot of ingredients are either not available or have become like gold dust but the heart of this dish is in just x4 store cupboard ingredients; peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce and noodles or long, thin pasta as I have used here. You can honestly use any vegetables you like and if you're a fan of spicy food, add a red chilli (chilli oil, or a chilli flakes) to crank up the heat, but this is very much kid-friendly for my household. 

This dish could also be improved with a few coriander leaves or even snipped chives - but in my haste to eat today, I forgot to add these. 

We have to be adaptable to what we have and so I will try to share a few store cupboard recipes in the hope it might help someone that is fridge foraging and wondering what to make with the contents on their cupboards. Where you see an ingredient that you don't have and you're not sure what you could replace it with, please contact me and I'll make a suggestion.

Vegetarian Peanut Noodles

Here's how:

• 300g egg noodles (spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle would also work!)
• 1 garlic clove (Very Easy Garlic, Garlic Infused Oil or a pinch of Garlic Salt)
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger (use ground if you can't get fresh)
• 1 large carrot
• 1 courgette
• Half a head of broccoli
• 1 pepper 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (if you don't stock this as a last resort you could use Worcestershire sauce, just reduce slightly)
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice (you could use a pinch each of Cayenne Pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves if you don't stock Five Spice)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (any vegetable or nut oil would suffice)
• 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 tin of coconut milk (you could use a cream, creme fraiche or an almond milk)
• 1 tsp Sriracha 
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 lime (use a lemon if you can't get a lime, or even a drop of a Jif Lemon)

Firstly put a pot of salted water on to boil. Once brought up to boil, cook the noodles.

In the meantime, place the sesame oil into a wok on a medium heat.

Mince the garlic and finely chop the ginger and add to the wok with the soy sauce. 

Cut or break the broccoli into florets and add to the wok.

Peel and then cut the carrot into thin matchsticks, slice the pepper and add both to the wok.

Cut the courgette in half, and then cut into small slices and add to the pan. 

Once all of the vegetables have cooked for a moment, add the peanut butter and a drop of sriracha and use a wooden spatula to move around and break down a little. 

Now add the coconut milk and give a good stir.

Once the noodles or pasta are cooked, use tongs or a spaghetti server to lift into the peanutty vegetables and give a good stir to ensure the noodles get a good coating. 

Dish up onto a big bowl or a platter, squeeze over the juice of a lime and scatter over the sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya

This one-pot rice dish is a family crowd-pleaser and super easy, making it a perfect mid-week meal.

Glen and I love a little more heat than the below produces, but that is the family and child-friendly version. I tend to dish up the children’s portions and then stir through a heaped teaspoon full of chipotle paste into the remaining jambalaya for us adults.

Prawns and chorizo are perfect partners but this also works well with chicken and chorizo too so use whichever you prefer.

The below serves 4-5.

Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya

Here’s how:

• 260g cooking chorizo sausages
• 160g raw peeled prawns
• 1 large white onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (I use X)
• 300g long grain rice (rinsed with cold water)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 375ml chicken stock
• 150g peas (fresh or frozen)
• Handful fresh parsley leaves

Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic and chop the red pepper into small pieces and set aside for the moment.

Use a heavy-bottomed pot and place on a low heat. (I use a cast iron skillet with a lid)

Slice the chorizo into thin ‘coins’ and pop into the pan to gently cook. Turn them over to cook on both sides. The chorizo will release it’s contained oils which you’ll cook everything else in.

Next add the onion, garlic and red pepper to the pan and allow to soften just a little.

Now add the Cajun seasoning and stir through.

Next add the rinsed long grain rice and stir through. Cook for a few minutes like this, stirring to ensure a good coating of the now-flavoured chorizo oil. If you find there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a tbsp of olive or vegetable oil at this point to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan during cooking.

Now pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir through with the tomato paste. Cover with the chicken stock, season with salt and black pepper and give it a good stir.

Now pop the lid on the pan and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through (if you haven’t got a lid for the dish, place a baking tray on top to help the cooking process along quickly).

Take the lid off every five minutes or so to stir and ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once satisfied the rice is almost cooked to taste, and most of the stock has been absorbed, add the peas and allow to cook for a further two minutes.

During those final cooking moments, roughly chop the parsley and simply scatter over the finished dish before bringing to the table to serve. Enjoy!

Salmon and Dill Gnocchi Bake

This is a creamy and moreish salmon pasta bake that is a real crowd pleaser. 

I use half fat creme fraiche, but you could use full fat, and I've made this with smoked mackerel before, as well as bacon and chicken - it's a versatile base but I would change to thyme if making with chicken. 

The below is enough for 4-5 people and is a great make-ahead meal for mid-week.

Salmon and Dill Gnocchi Bake

Here's how:

• 3 spring onions
• 1 clove of garlic
• 300ml half fat creme fraiche
• 1 lemon 
• Half a side of salmon (or about 450-500g)
• 200g peas
• 150g spinach
• Handful fresh dill
• Drizzle olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 20g grated Cheddar or any other hard cheese
• 1 pack gnocchi

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and place a large pot of water on to boil. 

Drizzle the olive oil into a large frying pan and place on a low heat.

Finely chop the spring onions and mince the garlic and add to the pan. 

Once they are soft add the creme fraiche and give a gentle stir. 

Zest the lemon and add to the sauce, then cut the lemon in half and add the juice of 1/2 the lemon to the sauce, again stirring. Season with salt and black pepper and then add the peas and spinach stir through and remove from the heat.

Now cook the gnocchi accordingly, if fresh it usually takes just two minutes and in the meantime chop the salmon into bite-sized pieces and add to the sauce mixture. Take about half of the dill and chop or pull apart and add into the sauce and give a final stir through.

Drain the gnocchi and add to the sauce and give a good stir to ensure it gets a really coating and then pour or spoon everything into an oven-proof dish. Try to distribute as evenly as possible and then give a final seasoning, scatter over the grated cheese and the remaining dill. 

Salmon and Dill Gnocchi Bake

Place in the oven for twenty minutes. Enjoy!

Popcorn Chicken Bites

I have been playing around with these for a while and making a version of them for years, but since I tried Half Baked Harvest's recipe for Chicken Tenders back in January, which introduced me to the cornflake crust, it's honestly been a game-changer and this version has been voted for as a winner by my family. 

You can soak the chicken in buttermilk, but I make a version of my own and have included the details for this below as buttermilk isn't always easy to come by.

I cannot stress enough the importance of using boneless and skinless chicken thighs here for the juiciest little crispy bites of chicken; you can use chicken breast if you prefer but it will inevitably be drier! 

You can also play around with the seasonings in the crust, I have just a gentle spicing, as my girls don't like anything too hot, but I think cayenne would work really well here. 

However many you make, they will go, and I guarantee once you make this once, you'll be making it again and soon. I served this here with my Slow Cooker BBQ Beans with Chorizo but they'd also work well with my Healthy Coleslaw.

Popcorn Chicken Bites

Here's how:

• 600g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 3 heaped tbsp of natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 140g cornflakes
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Fry Light Sunflower Oil

Firstly make your own buttermilk, by combining the yoghurt with the white wine vinegar and stirring through and place into a container big enough to hold the chicken. If you don't have white wine vinegar, any white vinegar will work or you could even use the juice of half a lemon.

Now cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and place into the buttermilk. Once all chopped and added to the yoghurt use a spoon to mix the chicken all around and ensure every piece is coated. Put a lid on the container and place into the fridge for at least an hour. 

When ready to cook, pop the oven on at 200 degrees. 

For the crust, blitz the cornflakes in a blender or a Nutribullet and place into a bowl then add the seasonings; paprika, oregano, black pepper and garlic salt and mix.

Get a couple of baking trays ready - I line them with baking paper to stop the chicken sticking and losing any of the crust.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and take off the lid.

Use a fork to pop each piece of chicken into the cornflake mixture and move it around to ensure it's completely coated then place onto the baking sheet. Repeat this until every piece of chicken has a good coating. 

Now give all of the chicken pieces a spray with the Fry Light.

Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through and crisp. Enjoy!

I serve with a Jack Daniels' BBQ dip and then two dips which I knock up quickly myself and which are always devoured. 

The first is a Honey Mustard dip and it is simply 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1.5 tbsp honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper and a drop of white wine vinegar and mixed together.

The second is an Asian dipping sauce and is a minced garlic clove, and a 2 cm piece of ginger grated or finely chopped and heated in a pan with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp sriracha, 1 tbsp red bean chilli paste. 

Again, if you make either of these dips I guarantee it won't only be the once!

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Homemade mushroom soup is one of my absolute favourites, and when you can make it with wild mushrooms there is nothing better.  There's currently a green grocer stall in the outside section of Borough Market selling about 300g of woodland wild mushrooms for £3.50 so this week I took full advantage and have enjoyed this glorious soup for three days solid.

You can make it with any mushrooms though and it'll still be tasty so if you can't get the wild mushrooms, just use a mixture of what you can get hold of locally.

This is a completely vegetarian meal and if you wanted to adapt it to make it vegan, you could just omit from using the cream, or use a plant-based variety such as Elmlea Plant Double.

The below makes enough for x4 full portions.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Here's how:

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 400g wild or mixed mushrooms
• x1 leek
• x1 red onion
• x1 clove of garlic
• x3 celery sticks
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Pinch black pepper
• 1.5 pints vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp single cream

Firstly drizzle the oil into a heavy bottomed saucepan and place on a low heat. 

Now peel and dice the onion, mince the garlic, slice the leek finely and the celery and place into the pan to gently soften - this is your soup base. 

Now roughly chop the mushrooms and once everything is softened in the pan, add the mushrooms and allow them to get a good coating of the olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper now.

Add the dried thyme, which really complements mushrooms, and pour over the stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.

Now blitz the soup - I use my Nutribullet so I always allow the soup to cool a little first to avoid any explosions! 

Once blended, return to the heat and once warmed through remove from the heat and stir through the single cream. Add a tiny drizzle to each bowl once dished up as a pretty garnish.Enjoy!

If you're also making the most of soup season; here are a few other soup recipes you might like:
Restorative Green Soup
Alphabet and Hidden Veg Soup
Winter Vegetable Soup
Red Lentil and Chorizo Soup
Thai Sweet Potato Soup
Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup