Creamy Mushroom Pasta

As a brit I've been having a real identity crisis when it comes to food recently, the British seem to have an overwhelming obsession with all things potato and I'm absolutely sick and tired of potatoes and potato based products (obviously excluding fried potatoes, frying just makes everything better).

Baring that in mind I've been eating a fair amount of pasta as of late and therefore a lot of the recipes I've come up with are pasta based. The recipe below is yet another pasta dish, it's a rich, flavourful and satisfying meal that feels a lot more decadent than it really is. Since both the sauce and pasta can be cooked in advance and kept in the fridge for several days, or even frozen, this can easily make a super quick, lazy midweek dinner.

You will need:
400g dried pasta
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
600g mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp hendersons relish
200g fat free quark
120g parmesan cheese
2 tbsp water
2 tsp cornflour

Method:
1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain, retaining the water and set aside.
2. Pre-heat the oil in a large saucepan, over a medium high heat.
3. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, stir through and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.
5. Add the mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar and relish, stir and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
6. Stir through the quark and parmesan.
7. Add the cornflour to the water, mixing until all the cornflour dissolves, before adding to the pan and bringing up to the boil.
8. Add in the drained pasta, stir thoroughly and bring to a simmer, if the mix looks a little dry add in some of the retained pasta water and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.
9. Season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, stir through to ensure everything is evenly distributed and serve in 4 bowls.

Notes:
Swap out the vegetable oil for spray oil and cut down on the parmesan to make it more diet friendly. If you're not too bothered about calories, add more cheese and some broken up crispy bacon for more flavour and to give the dish a little texture.

Super Simple Salmon

I love salmon, but don't often eat it because of the cost. When I do I like to taste the salmon, I want it front and centre with the rest of the meal complimenting the flavour rather than overpowering it.

Below are two simple, quick and delicious salmon recipes that I've absolutely loved eating.

Watercress Salmon Pasta

Pan fried salmon with tagliatelle in a watercress sauce.

You will need:
400g tagliatelle
1 small onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic
150g watercress
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to season
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Pinch of smoked salt flakes
4 good sized salmon steaks (around 200g each)

Method:
1. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain the pasta, but retain the water in a bowl.
2. Add the onion, garlic, watercress, lemon juice, seasoning and 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water to a food processor and pulse until a paste is formed.
3. Add the watercress paste to the pasta, thoroughly stir through, place a lid on the pan, cook over a very low heat for 1 minute, remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Pre-heat the oil in a pan over a high heat, pat dry the salmon, season the flesh side liberally with the smoked salt and pepper, place in the pan skin side down and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the pasta water over the salmon, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside to rest for 1-2 minutes.
7. Serve up the pasta into 4 bowls and place a salmon steak on top of each.

Creamy Salmon Pasta

Pan fried salmon with tagliatelle and spinach in a creamy sauce.

You will need:
400g tagliatelle
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 spring onions, sliced to a thickness of around 5mm
200g reduced fat soft cheese
400g spinach
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 good sized salmon steaks (around 200g each)
Pinch of smoked salt flakes
Salt and pepper to season

Method:
1. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain the pasta, but retain the water in a bowl.
2. Add the garlic, spring onion and 2 tbsp of the pasta water to the pasta, stir through, cover and cook over a very low heat for 1 minute.
3. Remove the pasta from the heat, stir through the soft cheese, if needed add in another tbsp of the pasta water, add the spinach to the pan, cover and set aside.
4. Pre-heat the oil in a pan over a high heat, pat dry the salmon, season the flesh side liberally with the smoked salt and pepper, place in the pan skin side down and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the pasta water over the salmon, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside to rest for 1-2 minutes.
7. The spinach should have started to wilt from the residual heat in the pasta pan, season to taste and stir the wilted spinach through the pasta.
8. Serve up the pasta into 4 bowls and place a salmon steak on top of each.

With both of these dishes if you wanted to really boost those salty savoury flavours you could add in a few capers as you're stirring everything through the pasta or grate some parmesan cheese over the dish before serving.

Both recipes could also be made a little more budget friendly by swapping the fresh salmon for frozen prawns, or even tinned salmon, and stirring them through just a few minutes before serving.

Cheeseburger Pasta Bake

When I call this Cheeseburger Pasta Bake I’m not joking, the simplicity, the flavours, the carb hit from the pasta, come together nicely and really do conjure up those old school cheeseburger vibes. This pasta bake is a super simple, super comforting, tasty, and surprisingly healthy, nostalgia hit of a dish. It can be knocked up fairly quickly, with absolutely no nonsense, and stored in the fridge, or freezer, ready to be popped in the oven at a moment's notice.

You will need:
400g dried penne (or other pasta shape)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
500g lean beef mince
125g lean bacon, cut into 1cm chunks
2 cans peeled plum tomatoes
120g extra mature Cheddar, coarsely grated
6-8 pickled gherkins, halved and sliced
Good sized pinch of salt and pepper

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
2. Add the pasta to boiling, salted, water, cook for 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time, drain and set aside.
3. Pour the oil into a fairly large, oven safe, low sided saucepan and allow to heat over a medium/low heat.
4. Add the onions to tha pan, stir to coat in the oil, cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, until thoroughly softened.
5. Remove the lid, turn the heat up to high, add the beef and bacon and fry for about 5 minutes, until browned.
6. Remove from the heat, add in the pasta and stir through.
7. Add in the tomatoes, half the cheese, some of the gherkins and the salt pepper. Gently break the tomatoes with the back of the spoon and stir everything through.
8. Sprinkle over half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven, divide between 4 bowls, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and gherkins then serve.

Notes:
If you’re not a fan of gherkins then simply don’t add them, they’re there simply because I feel like they give the dish a more authentic burgery taste.

If you want to really ramp up the burgeryness, serve with a simple side salad of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato and thousand island dressing.

Reduced Fat Mince Beef Stroganoff

I love a beef stroganoff, but it's an incredibly rich dish and doesn't exactly make for the most healthy of meals. This is my attempt at making something that is both healthy(ish) and scratches that comfort food itch.

You will need:
1 calorie spray
500g 5% fat minced beef
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
300g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp english mustard
½ tsp black pepper, ground
200ml beef stock
6 tbsp reduced fat creme fraiche
Salt to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
1. Put a high sided pan over a medium/high heat to warm.
2. Spray in a few squirts of 1 calorie spray and add the minced beef. Once browned, tip the beef into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onions, to the same pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
4. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened.
6. Add the worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper, stir through until incorporated.
7. Add the beef stock, bring to the boil, reduce the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced slightly.
8. Add the browned beef and creme fraiche and stir through.
9. Check for seasoning and add salt, if needed.
10. Serve over rice, pasta or mash and sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

Notes:
Stroganoff is a very widespread dish, with dozens of different variations, so adept it to suit your own taste. I often add a couple of spoons of paprika, mostly because I love paprika.

Apple And Cinnamon Cupcakes

The flavour combination of apple and cinnamon is a firm favourite of mine, also, I really love cake. This recipe combines apples, cinnamon and cake in a glorious amalgamation of heavenly delight.

You will need:
100g low fat spread
60g Half Spoon
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tbsp fat free creme fraiche
100g self raising flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 apples, peeled, cored, chopped and lightly tossed in plain flour

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
2. Add the spread and half spoon to a medium sized mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy.
3. Add about ¼ of the beaten egg and stir until fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining egg, until it’s all added.
4. Stir through the creme fraiche.
5. Add half the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg, fold into the mix, until fully incorporated, and repeat with the remaining flour.
6. Add in the apples and fold through the mix.
7. Using a spoon, add the mix to paper cupcake cases, filling to about ⅔ up the side of the case (the mix should make about 9, depending on the size of the cases being used).
8. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out of the cake clean.
9. Remove from the tray immediately and place on a wire rack to cool.

Notes:
I like these on their own, but they’re also great with a super simple cream cheese frosting.

Chicken And Vegetable Pasta One Pot

A super simple, rustic, budget friendly and flavoursome pasta dish. The simplicity of this recipe makes it a good midweek meal, add a little extra fluid, and a bit of spice, and it makes an excellent winter warmer.

You will need:

400g fusilli/penne or similar pasta

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 large onion

2 medium carrots, roughly chopped

2 sticks celery, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, roughly chopped

1 tin of tomatoes

A small handful of fresh sage, finely chopped

160g good quality cheese, grated

100g spinach

Pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time.

2. Drain the pasta, retaining some of the cooking liquid, in case you need to thin the sauce later, and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid, add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.

4. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and chicken to the pan, cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

5. Add the tomatoes and sage, stir thoroughly, bring the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Add the pasta, spinach and cheese, stir until the spinach wilts, season to taste, put the lid on the pan, remove from the heat and allow it to stand for about 5 minutes.

Notes:

I wrote this recipe whilst locked down, due to covid-19, so my access to fresh veg etc. was slightly limited. To really ramp up the veg content, and give it a little more flavour, add a green pepper and a head of broccoli. 

A Quartet Of Tangy Chutneys

It's a new year, but it's still only January and, if you're anything like me, you have a ton of leftover cold meats and cheeses in the fridge and/or freezer. I refuse to waste food and my leftovers are in desperate need of using up (I'm forever short of freezer space). For me at least, the ideal way of using up this type of leftovers are meat and cheese boards or good old fashioned sandwiches and neither are complete without a healthy dollop of chutney or pickle. With that in mind here are 4 super simple, tangy chutneys that go great with meat and cheese.

Apple And Cranberry

You will need:
250g onion, sliced
250g apple, peeled and chopped
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/2 tsp peppercorns, cracked
1/4 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp salt
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar
250g cranberries

Method:
1. Add everything, but the cranberries, to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.
3. Add the cranberries and continue to cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes.

Onion And Pepper

You will need:
250g onion, sliced
150g red pepper, chopped
150g green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, ground
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar

Method:
1. Add everything to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.

Root Vegetable

You will need:
200g onion, finely chopped
100g carrot, finely chopped
100g swede, finely chopped
100g parsnip, finely chopped
100g apple, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, ground
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar

Method:
1. Add everything to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.

Tomato And Onion

You will need:
250g red onion, sliced
250g tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, ground
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar

Method:
1. Add everything to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.

Notes:
Store in the fridge in sterilised jars and these should keep for weeks, if not a couple of months.

Chicken, Pumpkin And Chickpea Curry

Rich, creamy, flavoursome and a little bit seasonal (it's currently autumn/winter). I know this is very similar to a couple of other recipes I’ve posted in the past, but I do love a curry and sometimes changing just a few little things can alter the flavour dramatically.

You will need:
1 tbsp vegetable oil (rapeseed oil)
3 medium onions, sliced
6 chicken thighs, boned and very roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
3 chillies, finely chopped
2/3 tbsp curry paste*
1 small pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
250ml chicken stock
1 can reduced-fat coconut milk
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped

Method:
1. Heat the vegetable oil over low/medium heat in a large saucepan with a lid.
2. Add the onion and cook for 10-15 minutes, until they begin to caramelise.
3. Turn up the heat to medium, add the chicken and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until just coloured.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for another minute.
5. Stir in the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly to stop it catching, for 1 minute, until fragrant.
6. Add in the pumpkin, stock and coconut milk, stir, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Add in the chickpeas, stir and continue to cook until the pumpkin is tender.
8. Remove from the heat, stir through the coriander and serve.

Notes:
Serve over rice, with a naan or maybe both (definitely both).

* You can easily substitute with curry powder if you don't have paste.

Nan’s Victoria Sponge

This is my Nan’s victoria sponge recipe, it's super simple, always gives decent results, nicely fills two 8 inch cake tins and is the starting point for every sponge style cake that I ever make.

For the cake you will need:
8oz (roughly 225g) caster sugar
8oz (roughly 225g) butter
8oz (roughly 225g) self raising flour
3 large eggs, beaten

For the buttercream you will need:
12oz (roughly 340g) icing sugar
6oz (roughly 160g) butter
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

6 tbsp apricot jam (approx)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Add the sugar and butter to a fairly large bowl and cream together until fluffy.
3. Add in the flour and fold until combined.
4. Add the egg, a little at a time, folding in until fully combined.
5. Pour the mix into 2 lined 8 inch cake tins and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and a cocktail stick comes out clean.
6. Once cooked, turn out of the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
7. In a large bowl cream the icing sugar, butter and vanilla essence together until smooth.
8. Once the cakes are completely cool spread the jam onto one of the cakes, top with the buttercream and sandwich with the second cake on top.
9. (Optional) Sprinkle the top with a little caster or icing sugar for decoration.

Notes:
Believe it or not these cakes actually freeze really well. Once completely cooled, rather than filling, wrap the cake in cling film, place into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. My Nan would use a slightly modified, and scaled up, version of this recipe to make large batches of cupcakes, freeze them and simply get one out, before putting the kettle on, to have alongside her cup of tea. My Nan always insisted on using buttercream, NEVER fresh whipped cream, and apricot jam as the filling, anything else just wasn’t right.

Apple And Cinnamon Sponge Cake

IT'S AUTUMN... is there a more autumnal flavour combination that apple and cinnamon? It's possible, but I'm hard pressed to think of one. This lovely cake instantly conjures up images of wool jumpers, thick socks, hot chocolate and leaves changing colours. Please note this recipe isn’t entirely mine, it’s a modified version of the recipe my Nan always used for her victoria sponges.

You will need:
100g soft brown sugar
100g caster sugar
200g butter
200g self raising flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 tsp ground cinnamon (I'm aware 3 tsp is 1 tbsp, but have you tried to get a tbsp in a supermarket jar of ground cinnamon?)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 - 6 apples (depending on their size), peeled, cored and chopped

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Add the sugar and butter to a fairly large bowl and cream together until fluffy.
3. Add in the flour and fold until combined.
4. Add the egg, a little at a time, folding in until fully combined.
5. Add in the spices and fold through.
6. Add the apple and fold until fairly evenly distributed through the mix.
7. Pour the mix into a lined cake tin and bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Once cooked, turn out of the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.

Notes:
Eat this as is or glaze it with a simple sugar glaze, made from a mix of milk, icing sugar and vanilla extract. When I first made this I left the apples fairly coarse, I would advise chopping them slightly more finely.

Banana And Ginger Oat Cookies

This cookie recipe goes hand in hand with my Not So Naughty Chocolate Brownies as a sweet little treat without the guilt. I based this on a popular 2 ingredient breakfast cookie recipe, that appeared in a free supermarket magazine. I’ve tweaked it a bit to make it more of a treat by making them a little more moist, adding a bit of sweetness and giving them an extra hit of flavour.

You will need:
2 large ripe bananas, mashed until liquidy
180g porridge oats
1 tbsp sweet freedom fruit syrup
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C
2. Add all the ingredients to a fairly large bowl and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Set the mixture aside for about 20 minutes for the oats to absorb some of the moisture and soften up.
4. Form the mixture into balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
5. Press the balls into cookie shapes, this mixture doesn’t spread as it cooks, and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until lightly brown and set.

Notes:
Usually buying better quality ingredients can improve a recipe massively, however, In this case cheaper oats are generally better for this recipe, as they’re often a smaller, broken down, floury oat and will take less time to cook. Dip half of a cookie into melted dark chocolate to make them even more of a treat.

Not So Naughty Chocolate Brownies

Rich, sweet and gooey in the middle, chocolate brownies are perhaps one of the most indulgent treats there is. This is my attempt at making them just a little less naughty whilst trying to keep that rich, fudgy flavour and feeling of indulgence.

You will need:
250g pitted dates, roughly chopped
300ml hot water
125g plain flour
75g cocoa powder
2 tbsp of sucralose based sweetener
1 tbsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
0.5 tsp baking powder

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
2. Add the dates to a bowl and pour over the hot water, allow to soak for 20 minutes before draining the water into a jug and setting aside for thinning the batter later.
3. Add the dates to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.
4. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, vanilla extract and salt to the blender then pulse until smooth. If the mixture is too dry add some of the date water, a little at a time, to thin it out.
5. Add in the baking powder and pulse until incorporated.
6. Pour the mixture into a greased 20cm square pan, ensuring an even coverage.
7. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, allow to cool in the tin before cutting.

Notes:
These will keep for days in an airtight container, though they’ve never really hung around to find out exactly how long for.

Simple Chicken And Split Pea Curry

This is another one of those batch cooked recipes that is essentially a whole meal in a bowl. Rich, flavoursome, nicely spiced and filling, this is a fairly simple meal that'll keep you going without being too heavy and stodgy.

You will need:
1 tbsp vegetable oil (rapeseed oil)
2 medium onions, chopped *
4 large chicken legs, skin removed **
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
3 chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp curry powder ***
500ml chicken stock
250g yellow split peas
1 pack sweet peppers, roughly chopped ****
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped *****
200g bag of fresh spinach

Method:
1. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large saucepan with a lid.
2. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
3. Add the chicken and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, until the chicken browns and the onions start to caramelise.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring constantly to stop it catching, for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
6. Add the stock, split peas, peppers and sweet potato, stir to combine and cover with the lid. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 60 minutes.
7. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 30 minutes, until the sauce darkens and thickens and the split peas are cooked.
8. Check the seasoning and add salt, if needed.
9. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the spinach then leave to stand, with the lid on, until the spinach wilts.

Notes:
* I say medium onions only because they’re what I have, 1 very large onion or 3 smaller ones would be fine as an alternative.
** I ended up using 8 chicken thighs because they're what I had in the fridge.
*** I actually used curry paste because I happened to have a small pot left over in the freezer.
**** Again this could be swapped out for 2 ordinary peppers, I just happen to have these to hand.
***** This could be left out completely if you're serving this over rice or, alternatively, could be swapped out for normal potatoes or even butternut squash.

Reduced Sugar Oaty Rock Cakes

Looking for a little tea time treat that won't completely blow your calorie intake? Try these lovely little reduced sugar rock cakes.

You will need:
100g Self raising flour
85g porridge oats
50g sultanas
1 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tbsp sucralose based sweetener
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
125g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
2. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated.
3. Use a spoon to place dollops of the mix onto a non-stick baking sheet.
4. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until cooked through.

Notes:
To reduce the calories even more you could switch out the remaining sugar for sweetener.