Salmon and Broccoli Lasagne

Ingredients:
6 lasagne sheets
4 broccoli florets
4 mushrooms - sliced
2 tbsp sliced black olives
2 salmon fillets - cooked, skinned and flaked
White lasagne sauce (I used a 375g jar of Ragu sauce, but you could make your own sauce)
Pepper to season 

Method: 
Soak the lasagne sheets in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften them
Cut the broccoli florets into thin slices, cook in boiling water for one minute and then drain
Begin by placing a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the lasagne dish, place in 2 lasagne sheets (trim sheets with scissors if they are not quite the right size)
On top of the sheets layer up half of each of the other ingredients - broccoli, mushrooms, olives and salmon
Spoon on some more sauce, add on two more lasagne sheets and press down lightly
Layer up the other half of the ingredients onto the lasagne sheets
Spoon on more sauce and place the last 2 lasagne sheets on top, press down lightly and then spoon over all the remaining sauce
Grind a small amount of freshly milled black pepper on to the top
Cook in the oven at 180 degree for 25 - 30 minutes

Serves two

This is the prepared lasagne before it was cooked.  I used lasagne verdi sheets and had to trim them slightly as they were a bit too long for my dish. 

I served it with chilli bread which was made by cutting slices from a granary french stick, drizzling chilli oil on one side and cooking on a baking sheet in the oven (oil side up) for 5 minutes. 

Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:
10oz plain flour
2 large eggs
1 tsp pesto 
2 tsp olive oil (and a little more may be needed to sprinkle on the dough if it is too dry)

Method:
Place the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a hole in the centre
Add the eggs, pesto and oil into the hole in the flour and mix them around with a knife
Slowly begin to incorporate the flour until, using your hands, the mixture come together into a ball of dough - if it is too dry at this point sprinkle a few additional drops of olive oil on to the dough
Knead for about 2 minutes until the dough becomes smooth
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave in the fridge to rest for about 2 hours

A pasta machine is needed to roll out the dough and to cut it into tagliatelle or spaghetti 

Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water for around 5 minutes (timing will depend on the thickness of the pasta)

This will make enough pasta to serve 2 to 3 people

To make the pasta darker green use more pesto and less olive oil

I cut the pasta into tagliatelle.  
Whilst the pasta was cooking I heated up about a glass of white wine in a large pan, added in two chopped red chillies and once boiling, added in some raw king prawns.  
The prawns cooked, and became pink, within about one minute. 
The drained pasta was added into the pan with the wine and prawns and mixed together. 

Crunchy Salad Timbale

This crunchy salad timbale is a starter which will serve 2

Ingredients: 

1 large braeburn apple - grated

1/2 a small fennel bulb - finely chopped 

8 radishes - sliced

8 walnut halves - chopped

2 tbsp mayonnaise 

Method:

Grate the apple and gently squeeze out any excess juice - the juice will make the dish too wet

Chop the fennel and walnut halves

Slice the radishes - I slice them in one direction, and then turn them around and slice again into fine strips

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together

Add in the mayonnaise to combine everything together - don't use too much or the mixture will be too wet 

Line 2 timbales with cling film and put half of the mixture into each one

Push the mixture down to get out any air bubbles and to ensure that it goes into the bottom corners of the timbale

Fold the cling film over the top and push down again

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving

Serve with a mixed leaf salad and garnish with fennel fronds  

Marjoram Pesto

Ingredients:
1oz pine nuts 
1 clove of garlic - crushed 
1oz pecorino cheese - grated
a few stalks of marjoram - leaves only (mine weighed just under 1oz)
3-4 tbsp olive oil  

Method: 
Put the pine nuts into a small blender/chopper to chop up
Add in the grated cheese, crushed garlic clove and marjoram leaves and blend
Slowly add in the oil until you are happy with the consistency of the pesto - this could be slightly different each time

Information: 
Pesto can be made using all sorts of different nuts, cheeses and herbs/vegetables. Recently I have been using a lot of marjoram, and also basil which is the traditional herb used, as I have a lot of them growing in my garden.  A few suggestions are -

In place of the marjoram:
Rocket, spinach, spring greens, basil, coriander, parsley, dill, chard

In place of the pine nuts:
Cashews, peanuts (unsalted and skinned), macadamia, hazelnuts (skinned), walnuts 

In place of the pecorino:
Parmesan, hard goats cheese, ossau iraty (this make the pesto really creamy)

I used my pesto to stir into a mixture of half normal pasta spaghetti and half courgette spaghetti, added a handful of black sliced olives and placed a grilled salmon fillet on the top.  The amount of pesto made served 2. 

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2oz green lentils

1/2 courgette - sliced and quartered into chunks

1 large floret of cauliflower - cut into tiny flower heads (discard the stalk)

1/2 stick celery - sliced very finely 

1/2 green pepper - cut into chunks

1 tin chopped tomatoes

3/4 pt vegetable stock (I used 1 vegetable oxo cube)

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

Rinse lentils and then place in a pan, cover with water, and cook for 20 minutes

Drain lentils and rinse again in cold water

Place stock, celery, cauliflower and pepper into the pan and bring up to the boil

Add in the chopped tomatoes, courgette and sugar and bring back to the boil

Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes

Add salt and pepper to taste before serving

Serves two

Any combination of vegetables could be used to make this soup.  I just used what I had in the fridge at the time. 

The soup would probably look more colourful if half an orange or yellow pepper was used.  

Adding the small amount of sugar doesn't make the soup sweet, but does help to enhance the flavour of the tomatoes. 

Wholemeal Pizza Base

Ingredients:
120ml warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 sachet dried yeast (7g)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil (plus a bit extra to coat the dough)
7oz strong wholemeal flour (plus a bit extra for the rolling pin and rolling out surface) 

Method:
Place the sugar and warm water into a large bowl.  Add in the sachet of yeast and stir
Leave for 10-15 minutes for the yeast to activate
Add in the salt, oil and flour and mix into a dough
Place on to a clean, dry work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth
Rub a bit of oil over the ball of dough, return it to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 45 minutes 
The dough should rise to about double its original size
Knock back the dough and knead again for 1-2 minutes
Put dough back into bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise again for 30 minutes
Flour the work surface and rolling pin
Roll out dough to fit on to baking sheet
With a fork puncture a few holes in the surface of the dough
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes (200 degree)
Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes before adding on the pizza topping

The toppings I used for this pizza were:
2 tbsp pesto
3-4oz grated Ossau Iraty cheese (made with ewe milk)
4 slices of prosciutto 
1/2 a courgette - thinly sliced
1/2 an orange pepper - finely sliced
1/2 a red pepper - finely sliced 
3 mushrooms - sliced
2 large off the vine tomatoes - sliced

Pizza was returned to the oven to cook for 10 minutes
Serves 2-3 

This method of proving gives a thin and crispy pizza.  

For a deeper pizza base - after the first 45 minutes of rising time, knock back the dough and at this point roll it out and place on the baking tray, cover with cling film and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.  Then continue as above with cooking the pizza base for a few minutes, cool slightly and add on the toppings.  I find that by allowing the dough to rise again for a second time after rolling it out I get a deeper, lighter base up to 1cm thick.  

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Ingredients:
1 small onion - finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp smoked paprika
8oz paella rice
1.5 pints hot vegetable stock (I used 2 vegetable oxo cubes) 
1 small cooking chorizo (about 10cm in length)
1 small/medium chicken breast or 1 large chicken thigh 
small bunch of french green beans 
6 small plum or cherry tomatoes
splash of oil 

Method: 
Place the oil and chopped onion into a large based pan.  On a low heat soften the onion - add a bit of water if needed so that the onion doesn't stick or brown
Stir in the turmeric, paprika and rice.  Add in all the stock, stir thoroughly and bring up to the boil
Turn down to a simmer and stir regularly
Remove any skin, bone and fat from the chicken.  Cut into small pieces and add to the pan 
Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly
Slice the chorizo in half lengthways and then cut into half moon discs (2-3 mm in width), add to the pan and stir. 
Cut the beans into 1-2cm lengths.  Add to the pan, stir and continue to cook for about 5 minutes
(If the rice is getting a bit too dry, add in a small splash of hot water to that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan)
Cut the tomatoes in half and place on the top of the paella.  Leave for about 2 minutes to allow the tomatoes to warm through and then serve. 

Serves two

This is the first time I have used french beans in a paella, I usually use peas, but it did work quite well.  The beans were provided from my neighbour's allotment.