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)

courgette cakes with smoked salmon and natural yogurt

Courgettes, the soft Provençal vegetable similar at first glance to the cucumber, work well in a multitude of dishes, including soups, omelettes, stir fries, and even just on their own.

I had not considered cooking them as cakes before, until browsing the back catalogue of Nigel Slater, who can always be counted on to devise something with that perfect seasonal touch.

First appearing in Observer in an al fresco collection, Slater’s recipe for courgette cakes combines spring onion, garlic, courgettes, egg, feta, flour – and crucially, dill. He recommends frying the cake mixture in olive oil and serving with ripe, red tomato chutney.

Unfortunately, the nineteenth of September did not provide the Indian summer evening necessary for this recipe, with which a late-summer tomato chutney and an urban balcony would work wonderfully.

A gray, sprinkling evening indoors was instead the setting. But actually, these courgette cakes were just as lovely indoors as out. The courgette mixture was warm and satisfying sans feta (only owing to the fact that I had run out and the weather wasn’t quite nice enough to warrant a quick nip to the shops). I used only half the quantity of olive oil that Slater suggested. Next time, I will consider groundnut oil, which will give a crispier edge.

Natural yogurt (a dollop of) replaced the tomato chutney and complemented the cakes (which I left slightly soft and ever so gooey in the centre) quite refreshingly. A few slices of smoked salmon served alongside finished off this simple yet very satisfying dish. A glass or two of rose to see off the summer felt quite justified, nearly elegiac.

in season: mussels

I awoke Saturday morning with a clear plan. The goal: mussels. Pete and I walked from London Fields to London Bridge, with our minds dreaming of Borough Market. The smells wafted on to the bridge as we weaved our way down into the market.

If we had the means, I would visit this market every Saturday morning. But dropping in for just one ingredient feels somehow more special. We beelined for the fish counter. Bags of mussels, fresh from the Scotland coast, were piled high on the right of the stand, nestled in ice.

Feeling hungry already, I inquired just how much I'd need for two people that night. Two kilos, figured the man behind the counter. Not three? I asked. Now you're just being greedy, he laughed.

I agreed, picking up two kg of mussels for a mere £8.80.

That night, we scrubbed and polished the mussels to a fine shine, eagerly awaiting our prize. A small wine's glass worth of Viognier, an entire bulb of pressed garlic and a finely chopped bunch of parsley went into the pot with the mussels. Steamed in a large pot, covered, for 10 minutes, the mussels relented, exposing the lovely pearls within.

I saved the cooking liquid and poured about half of it into a saute pan already full of spinach leaves and olive oil, allowing the mixture to bubble for a few minutes. My patience got the best of me and I decanted the liquor over the mussels.

Served with a stick of French bread and the remainder of the Viognier, I can't recall having eaten a better meal in recent memory. The mussels, huge and fleshy, were completely infused by the garlic and white wine.

I won't let another September go by without a trip to Borough Market for these mussels. You simply can't go wrong - shellfish is so healthy (about 90 calories per dozen mussels), and at seasonal prices, you can easily afford to feed two for less than £15. Considering that our overflowing bowls of mussels would have set us back at least £15 each, plus wine, at any decent restaurant, I'd say you can't get a better deal than that.

japanese soup

On Friday night, after a few pints, we headed to a sushi joint in Mile End for some food before heading home. It wasn't great, unfortunately (the fish smelled a little too, well, fishy). But the teppanyaki noodle dish we ordered tasty and spicy.

After fishcakes this afternoon, a Japanese noodle soup just felt right: simple, cleansing, natural.

Japanese noodle soup
(serves 2)
2 blocks of fine egg noodles
1 large carrot, julienned
1 large courgette, sliced into rounds and quartered
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced diagonally
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Swiss Marigold bouillon powder + 1 1/2 litres freshly boiled water
1 tbsp soy sauce
white pepper, to taste
dried chilli flakes, to taste
salt, to taste

Set a small pot of water to boil and cook the egg noodles for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over a medium high heat in a large pot. Add the courgettes, carrot and broccoli and saute gently. Add a splash of soy sauce.

Drain the noodles and add to the pot, coating the noodles. Add the bouillon powder and water mixture and stir. Add the spring onions and bring to an almost-boil. Stir in the spinach leaves and sprinkle the chilli flakes over the soup. Season to taste. Serve evenly and immediately in large bowls with chopsticks.

Calories: 350 per serving.

This recipe is also great for a quick meal - it literally took me less than 20 minutes. What's more, most ingredients are usually on hand.

Raw peppers and chillis would be great additions to this soup.

award winning

You may remember a salad I made almost two months back - "A supper-sized salad" - with peaches, bacon, mozzarella and avocado. I entered it in a healthy-eating website's contest for the best summer salad under 500 calories - and won!

Unfortunately, you need to be a member to log-in, but here's what I - and they - had to say:

"My favourite thing about this salad is the peach, oil-less vinaigrette." says Jen. "The flavours are amazing - so alive!" … The tasting team at WLR couldn't have agreed more. We particularly loved the complimentary flavours of peach and bacon (they just fuse).

Try the salad out for yourself and see - just click on the top link.

Oh and the prizes - my bounty was Super Salads cookbook (see left) and a Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker. I haven't used the latter yet - but will keep you posted.

a supper-sized salad

I picked up fresh peaches from Lower Marsh market today. They were too ripe, too good not to put in a fresh, tangy salad with creamy avocado, fresh mozzarella, crispy bacon, and clean leafy spinach. The trick is to find ingredients that are delicious but not over the top with fat. After the rich flavours of the dinner party the night before, a light dinner could not be a more ideal choice.

(serves 2)
200 g spinach leaves
2 peaches, quartered
1 peach, mashed
1 lemon, juice of
1 large ball of reduced-fat mozzarella (like Tesco's Healthy Living)
1 pack danish-style trimmed bacon (again, Tesco's Healthy Living makes good ones)
1 avocado, chopped
basil leaves
salt and pepper

combine all the ingredients into individual bowls. Place the 8 rashers under the grill - I like them crispy, but grill them to your liking. For the dressing, combine the peach mash, lemon juice and basil leaves with salt and pepper - use a hand blender to make the dressing. Drizzle over the top of the salad and top with the bacon rashers.

My favourite thing about this salad is the peach oil-less vinaigrette. The flavours are amazing - so alive. If anything, oil would drag it down in my opinion.

If you prefer, toss the salad leaves with the dressing first, then add the avocado, mozzarella, peaches and bacon.

Serve in large bowls.

Calories per serving: 390. Great for a light dinner - or a Saturday afternoon lunch.

park lunch

I was approached in the park today at lunch. Before you start worrying for my safety, however, I must tell you that in fact, it was about the salad I was eating. That morning, I had created what I felt was a ‘mini-masterpiece’ salad:


(serves 1)
baby spinach leaves
1 peach, quartered, peeled and broken into chunks
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
75 g cucumber, sliced and quartered
2 slices of wafer-thin ham, cut into think strips
about 35 g mild French goats cheese

The man, in his late thirties, shyly approached, and asked, “Did you get that salad from around here?” I must say, there are some lovely places to eat lunch on Lower Marsh, down behind Waterloo Station – Ruby Marsh and Coopers Vegetarian Deli, to name a couple. “No, I make my salads at home,” I told him, to which he replied, “Oh, that’s why they are so good then.”

Very pleased with his compliment, I thought back to the origins of this salad for me, which was really only four days prior.

I was going to prepare a salad on Saturday afternoon when I was stuck for ideas. I looked at my fruit bowl, where six Spanish peaches sat colourfully. I bought them in the excitement of seeing local (well, European) peaches at the supermarket for the first time in months and months. But they were, in fact, a bit tart, so they sat. Until now. An entry in Nigel Slater’s Kitchen Diary popped into my mind, one in which he described a quick meal he had made with mango and bulghur wheat. I believe he served it with ham as well. Well, why not peaches, I thought, as I got to work.

Thirty minutes later I put the finishing touches on the grandmother to the salad I ate in the park.

(serves 1)
50 g bulghur wheat
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
Baby spinach
2 slices of wafer thin ham
Juice of half of a lemon
Basil leaves

It was lovely, and even my husband liked it, although he confessed to me later that he couldn’t quite get his head around tomatoes and peaches together. To me, it makes sense.

Monday rolled around and I couldn’t get the salad out of my mind. Instead of my stalwart salad (see other blog), I attempted a recreation – this time, approximately the same as Saturday. But I missed the other vegetables I’m used to having at lunch – cucumber – and the cheese.

Tuesday comes and I tweak it again. I love this version, but for different versions than I loved the weekend version. I think they suit their days, if that makes sense. I did miss the bulghur wheat, but as it can take up to 30 minutes to soften once boiling water has been poured onto it, it may not be the ideal ‘quick meal’ to make in the morning.

Oh, for those who ask where the dressing (lemon juice) went in the second version – I realised that with the juicy, ripe peaches added plenty of juice for the salad. It kept better, and in fact, when the soft goats cheese mixed with the peach juice, a lovely impromptu dressing was born.

Intrigued by Pete’s comment about the implausibility of peaches and tomatoes, I searched Epicurious for the two ingredients and got six hits. A notable entry was the peach and tomato gazpacho (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/232601). I may just have to try that this summer. It evokes thoughts of a sweltering summer afternoon being rewarded by a surprising soup. And I’ve made melon salsa before, so why not peach salsa?

eating lunch at work

For some, a weekday lunch is the most dangerous meal of the day. Often there's not time for much of a lunch. Or there's only time for lunch at the desk. Or you're meeting friends for lunch. Or colleagues.

It's safest, if you are able to take time for lunch at work, to bring a salad or some leftovers. Sandwiches are gone too quickly. A salad is a good way to get 5-a-day, or even more. I used to vary my salads, but once I found my favorite, it became my stalwart. There's always room for a variation or two:

everyday lunch salad
(serves 1)
50 g baby spinach
5 cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2 tomatoes-on-the-vine, chopped)
1/2 a large carrot, sliced into matchsticks or chopped (approximately 70 g)
2-3 inches of cucumber, chopped or sliced (approx 75 g)
1/4 tin of chickpeas
25 g reduced fat feta
red wine vinegar

Rinse and prepare all the ingredients and combine into a tupperware container.

Calories: 170, which leaves room for a few pieces of fruit as a snack during the day.

Tips for this lunch:
-Add more vegetables if desired, to bulk the salad further - this will help to increase satiety. But CONTROL the portions of cheese and chickpeas. The cheese is a treat, and the chickpeas are there to sustain energy levels for the rest of the afternoon.

-The red wine vinegar is a substitute for an oil-based dressing. With the vegetables, as well as the cheese, there's plenty of flavor there already.

-Substitutes for chickpeas: butter beans, sliced chicken

-Open a tin of chickpeas on Monday: rinse and put into a small tupperware in the refrigerator. Use 1/4 of it each day and the tin will last you most of the week.