more lunch ideas

Had some feedback that a couple of you liked my idea of making a big salad on a Sunday and spooning out each of the five portions over the the work week. Thought I'd share a few more of those salads with you:

Sweet potatoes
500 g sweet potatoes, steamed, chilled and cubed
250 g frozen green beans, parboiled and blanched
200 g wafer-thin chicken, sliced
lime juice-coriander dressing (juice of two limes, chopped coriander, 1 tbsp olive oil)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Ham and black olive
500 g salad potatoes, boiled and chilled
250 g wafer-thin ham
150 g light cream cheese
100 g black olives, sliced
chopped parsley (handful)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Classic potato with chicken
500 g salad potatoes, boiled and chilled
200 g chicken (ideally leftover from a roast, but wafer-thin is fine)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
50 g light mayo
2 tbsp mustard
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg
(WARNING: you'll need an apple after those spring onions!)

Pea and potato
500 g salad potatoes, steamed and chilled
200 g wafer-thin chicken, sliced
250 g peas, steamed and blanched
3 tbsp dijon vinaigrette (vinegar, dijon mustard, rapeseed oil, water)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Tomato and peppers
500 g salad potatoes, steamed and chilled
200 g wafer-thin chicken, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
100 g feta, crumbled
sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (4 sun-dried tomatoes - leftover from an antipasti, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp tomato puree)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

And for next week, I'm thinking:

Celeriac
500 g celeriac, grated
200 g carrot, grated
250 g mushrooms, sliced
handful of parsley, chopped
100 g feta, crumbled
lemon-garlic dressing (juice/zest of two lemons, 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tbsp rapeseed oil)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Feel free to mix, match or add your own suggestions below! I'm always looking for ideas...

salmon summer salad

As part of my “cook what you have” drive in the kitchen, I’m bound and determined to use and enjoy every last morsel of what’s in the kitchen. So a lone salmon fillet in the freezer was fair game. Obviously, a single fillet won’t go very far in your average “fish and two veg” scenario unless you’re just cooking for one. But alas, I’m cooking for two.

So what to do? Since I’ve only got one fillet, salmon needs to be a team player rather than the star of any dish I make. Since it’s summer, I thought a salad might do the trick. Not your conventional salad, necessarily, but one that combines the best of the early English summer. By that I mean baby new potatoes, fresh spinach, cucumber and, of course, salmon. With a twist of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise (or tartar sauce) at the end, the dish is delicate yet filling.

Salad with poached salmon and steamed potatoes
(serves 2)

1 large salmon fillet (at least 150g)
500g baby new potatoes, scrubbed (and halved if necessary)
200 grams of cucumbers, sliced into sticks
1 lemon, cut into wedges
150g spinach or baby spinach, washed, with stems removed
a couple of peppercorns
a bay leaf
2 tbsp of mayonnaise or tartar sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper

First, set the potatoes to steam. They’ll need about 15 minutes.

Bring a pan of water (with the bay leaf, juice of half the lemon and the peppercorns) to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the salmon fillet (ensuring there’s just enough water to cover the fish. Simmer for about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the plates with the spinach and cucumber. Add a wedge of lemon to each plate as well as the mayo (or tartar sauce).

When the fish is done, remove from the water and allow to sit for a minute or two. Flake the fish and divide it evenly between the two plates. Season with black pepper to taste.

When the potatoes are ready, add them to the plates too, dividing them in whatever ratio you like (I took 2/5, leaving 3/5 for the heartier eater between us).

Serve immediately.

Calories per serving: with 200g potatoes – 385 calories, which is excellent, considering all the protein, carbs and healthy fat you’re consuming. (For the record, that’s about 23g of protein, 39g of carbohydrates and 16.5g of fat)

whenever May it come...

It's a new month, it's a new day, it's a new life for me.... and I'm feeling good.

Okay, I'm no Nina Simone. But I am feeling good, because it's May! Hooray! Plenty of new and exciting produce will be available. We've had a few teasing tastes of asparagus, of strawberries, but now, even more is available. My tongue - and my stomach - can't wait. Here are a few ideas to whet the appetite.

Strawberries

Thus far, I'm still a fan of the "eat them on their own" team. The flavours are so new, so fledging, that to pair them with anything else might not work.

But if you must:
-put together a simple fruit salad for breakfast: strawberries, bananas, and some natural yogurt taste amazing together.

-add to some muesli. I'm loving Waitrose's apricot and fig muesli at the moment. Very fruity.

-pair with some dark chocolate - not too much, mind. Best to go with those mini Green and Blacks rather than the big 'uns.

Asparagus
I'm a little confused - one week Sainsbury's is overloaded with the stuff, and the next week it's all Peruvian produce. Asparagus eludes me once again. But when it is around, here are some lovely ideas:

Asparagus, pea and basil soup: ever so easy. Combine them all with some veggie stock, and simmer. Puree when it's ready. Don't fancy basil? Use mint instead. Or use watercress. Or leek. Any and every green vegetable will do. But the first three are my personal preference.

Keep it simple: poached egg, grilled bacon, steamed asparagus. The most beautiful triptych you'll ever come across. Museum-quality.

I love this idea - asparagus mimosa. Egg and asparagus, but classy-like. Just add champagne.

As a side dish, asparagus with hollandaise can't be beaten. But hollandaise isn't exactly low-calorie. I have never been let down by the South Beach Diet's mock hollandaise sauce. (Note: Smart Balance spread is a heart-healthy spread available in the US. In the UK, try a similar product.)

Welsh lamb

I know things are looking up when Waitrose stops stocking New Zealand lamb and starts stocking the Welsh variety. It's very young, and very new, but excellent in a variety of recipes. Try these:

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall offered up this excellent idea in a recent Guardian weekend column. Lamb, spelt and kale: It's part stew, part casserole - but all one-pot meal. You can't go wrong.

I got a bit creative in the kitchen earlier this week, combining diced leg of lamb, light feta cheese, black olives, onions, chopped tomatoes and spinach. Another fabulous one-pot meal: just sear the lamb, then allow to rest on the side. Saute the onions, and add the chopped tomatoes and simmer. Add chopped olives, spinach and black olives just before serving. Go crazy and add harissa too if you have it on hand, but it's not a requirement. I served it with green beans and carrots for myself, but with plenty of rice for those with larger appetities.

Grilled rump steak of lamb would taste lovely with steamed sweet potatoes and some sauteed courgettes.

New potatoes

Thanks to Jersey, the new season of potatoes is upon us. These little nutty nuggets are perfect, just lightly steamed. But with fresh herbs and a tiny bit of olive oil, they are even better. Just don't get too carried away!!

Radishes

On their own, they're not particularly exciting. (Though word is that Nicole Kidman considers them her pregnancy craving... how strange.) But combined with other veggies, they are a crunchy addition to a summer salad.

-In a food processor, combine radishes, carrot and oregano (or thyme). Serve as a side salad as part of a mezze or along side a fresh fish dish.

-Chopped salad: chop baby spinach, carrot, radish, capers and plenty of lemon juice. Makes a lovely and bright light lunch.

To be honest, spring has come quite late this year. Fingers crossed that June brings us our favourite produce in droves. In the meantime, keep eating!

comparing carbohydrates

Since diets such as Atkins and the South Beach became popular, a widespread anti-carbohydrate movement has been brewing. I think some of this unfounded.

Sure, toss out crisps and cakes. But many starches and grains are quite good for you and help to fill your stomach. Comparing calories is a useful exercise.

carbohydrate	Average serving size	Calories*	Calories per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Potatoes, uncooked	150	112.5	75
Sweet potatoes, uncooked	150	139.5	93
White pasta, uncooked	100 g	352	352
Wheat pasta, uncooked	100 g	315	315
Brown rice, uncooked	50 g	176	352
Bulgur wheat, uncooked	50 g (1.75 oz)	179.5	359
Couscous, uncooked	50 g	182.5	365
Quinoa, uncooked	50 g	270	360
Chickpeas, dry weight, uncooked	50 g	167.5	335
Butter beans, dry weight, uncooked	50 g	145	290
Chickpeas, canned, cooked	¼ can (60 g)	71.5	119
Butter beans, canned, cooked	¼ can (60 g)	59	98

*calories are estimated based on varieties available at a local supermarket and should be used only as a general guideline

Many find it surprising that potatoes are actually LOW in calories. But consider the fact that most people, when eating potatoes, consume much more than one serving, sometimes wolfing down two or three.

Also, whereas brown rice, couscous, and bulgur wheat are often eaten without any extra additives, potatoes – and pasta – often receive a buttery treatment. The calorie amounts listed above refer to the plain carbohydrate in question that is boiled and served.

The overall message in my opinion is clear: carbohydrates are not bad, in fact they are very good. But eat the recommended portion size and refrain from loading the carbohydrates full of fats – instead complement them with vegetables. (They'll be flattered.)

A salad of baby new potato, runner bean and tomato - all from leftovers

Lunch today was a hodge-podge of leftovers in the refrigerator. Luckily, leftovers can be better than first-timers. I filled my salad with some of the best seasonal vegetables (runner beans from the garden... tomatoes from Norfolk... potatoes from Jersey) and complimented them with some protein to last me through the long afternoon. It was a niçoise of sorts:

Baby new potato, runner bean and tomato salad

(serves 1)

180 g baby new potatoes, steamed, halved and cooled

100 g runner beans, sliced diagonally

2 medium ripe tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 slices of cooked ham, sliced

50 g little gem lettuce, rinsed and chopped roughly

Pepper, to taste

A dollop (about 10 g) of light mayonnaise

A splash of balsamic vinegar

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl. Spoon a dollop of mayonnaise on the side. If serving immediately, add a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Calories: 291

I made this dish the night before, since I had extra new potatoes after cooking salmon fishcakes. It keeps well in a plastic container overnight and transports easily to work.

I have begun keeping a bottle of vinegar at work to splash on my salad right before eating. This helps keep the lettuce fresh. Aspall's Organic Balsamic Vinegar is on my shelf (you can get it at Tesco), but white wine vinegar and red wine vinegar work nicely too. I prefer not to use cider vinegar in salads, though others think it makes a good salad dressing. Try them all and decide for yourself.

salmon fishcakes with fresh pea shoots and baby new potatoes

Yesterday afternoon, we took a drive out to Abingdon for a friend's 30th birthday party. "Lovely spread," noted my husband in his broadest Yorkshire accent. I have to admit, he was right. My personal highlights: borlotti bean, tomato and avocado salad; fresh smoked salmon; a cheese board to die for; and fresh French bread.

By the time we arrived home, even I couldn't eat a morsel more. Only problem? I had two lovely fillets of salmon sitting in the fridge that I had defrosted the day before. I don't like wasting food, so I had no choice but to cook them despite my stuffed state.

Instead of grilling them (I figured I could always let them cool and serve them in a salad the following day), I decided to make fish cakes. Simply cut the salmon into small cubes, getting rid of the skin, and combine with breadcrumbs (use a handblender and 1/2 a piece of bread), one egg, salt, pepper and fresh parsley. Form into little balls: 300 g of salmon produced five neat little cakes.

When I make salmon burgers, I often grill them, but these were too small to hold up, so I pan-fried them, which I don't normally like to do, since it calls for a lot of oil. But I decided to start with small amounts, and it turned out one teaspoon of olive oil was plenty to do the job.

For lunch today, I served the salmon fishcakes, cooled and refrigerated overnight, with a couple handfuls of pea shoots (right in season), steamed baby new potatoes, and a dollop of light mayonnaise. Fresh, light and cool - just right for a weekend lunch.

Calories: 478 (1/3 of the salmon fishcakes, 150 g baby new potatoes, 25 g pea shoots, 1 tbsp light mayonnaise). Should you decide to split the fishcakes 50-50, add another 96 calories to the total, which may be a bit much if you are trying to watch your calories. After all, dinner is only a few hours away...