Middle Eastern Flavours

Grilled Mushrooms w Couscous

Serves 4 – fab as a starter or lite lunch

8 Large Field Mushrooms

½ cup Couscous

½ red pepper finely chopped

1 tbls ex virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ cayenne pepper

2 tbls coriander

2 tbls fresh mint

3 tbls lemon juice

½ cup veggie stock

1. Remove the stalks of the mushrooms, pop them under the grill top side up for about 3 mins.

2. Place the Couscous, olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, & lemon juice into a bowl.

3. Pour the veggie stock over the Couscous, cover with a clean cloth for 5 mins then fluff with a fork.

4. Pop the red pepper, coriander, mint into the couscous mixture and fluff again with a fork.

5. Fill each mushroom with the couscous mixture and pop under the grill until nice & golden.

These are very simple but tasty morsels, which take very little time to prepare ….

Serve them with some mixed leaves drizzled with chilli oil for a spicy kick!!

Chermoula

Coriander, Flat leaf parsley and mint are the traditional herbs used in Moroccan cooking and combined with spices, coriander, cumin, garlic and chillies they can be used to form the basis of chermoula.

Chermoula, can be used as a marinade or a sauce and probably was used in ancient times as a method of preserving the food for longer as no refrigeration was available. There are many different varieties of chermoula and in Morocco each cook has their own way of preparing it and adding their own flavours.

Here is our recipe which I hope you will really enjoy ;)

3 Garlic Cloves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

Small bunch of coriander chopped

150ml olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Place all the ingredients in a food processor (except the olive oil & lemon juice) blend for about 1 min then slowly pour in the olive oil and juice of lemon to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a clean glass jar and top with olive oil… Chermoula will keep in the fridge for about 4 days…

Chicken breast skewers with chermoula & mixed leaf salad

Serving 4 people

3 medium sized chicken breasts

Lemon Wedges (garnish)

Chermoula - recipe above

1 generous handful of mixed leaves per person

Drizzle of olive oil per person.

Fresh lemon juice

Slice Chicken breasts lengthways into 3 strips per breast . Pop the chicken skewers onto a plate and spoon 4 teasp of chermoula mixture over the chicken skewers and combine … marinade for a couple of hours. Heat the grill or bbq to a high heat & cook for about 5 mins on each side. Toss the salad in a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Transfer to each plate and top with the Chermoula Chicken Skewers.

Tagines

A Tagine is basically an earthenware pot, it has a conical shaped lid, which fits very snugly to prevent the food from drying out when cooking. A casserole dish with a tight fitting lid will work just perfectly..

A Tagine is also a Moroccan stew, they are usually cooked slowly which tenderises the meat and also allows the flavours to mature.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

2 kilos – shoulder of lamb trimmed of any fat cut into cubes

6 garlic cloves

1tablespoon clear honey

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

300ml chicken stock

1 cinnamon stick

250g can of chickpeas

250g raisins

250g carrots

Marinate the lamb in a casserole dish with, the garlic, honey, olive oil, coriander, paprika, cumin & tomato paste, combine.

Season with salt and pepper and marinade overnight or for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Remove from fridge one hour prior to cooking (to allow it to come to room temperature) add the carrots, cinnamon & stock.

Combine all ingredients and cook covered in a preheated oven to 200 C for 1.5 hours. Stir in the chick peas and raisins and cook for 20 minutes.

Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve with Harissa and couscous..

Harissa

Harissa originated in Tunisia and is now used extensively in Morocco and Algeria. Basically it is a fiery blend of red chillies, onions, garlic and spices that adds life to dishes. Moroccans use it when preparing food to add spice and it also sits as a condiment in small bowls on the table at meal times. Why not try it with some grilled chicken to add flavour and contrast.

2 red peppers, roasted and skinned

1 or 2 fresh red chillies, chopped with seeds (to your taste)

2 Garlic cloves crushed

½ teaspoon coriander seeds toasted

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Olive oil

Salt

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor, adding enough oil to make a thick paste. This will keep in a clean jar topped with olive oil and covered for weeks in the fridge.

To toast coriander seeds, pop onto a non stick pan over a low heat for about 2 Mins…

Middle Eastern Baked Fish Parcels

Serves 4

4 fillets of white fish

3 tbls of olive oil

1 tsp of cumin

¼ tsp of chilli powder

1 tsp of coriander

1 lemon juiced

1 lemon sliced ( 4 thin slices)

1 large red chilli (for garnish)

1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 200 c – 400f/gas 6

1. Combine the olive oil, cumin, chilli powder, coriander & lemon in a small bowl stir until well combined.

2. Tear 4 pieces of foil – enough to take a fillet & make generous parcels.

3. Place a fillet on each piece of foil and brush each fillet with the olive oil marinade.

4. Pan fry the lemon slices in a little olive oil with a little cumin until slightly charred.

5. Pop a lemon slice on top of each fillet .

6. Wrap each parcel tightly and place in the fridge to marinate for about 1 hour.

7. Meanwhile finely chop the chilli & flat leaf parsley .

8. When you are ready to cook the fish – pop into an oven proof dish and bake for 8/10 mins.

9. To serve, place the parcels on individual serving plates and serve open with scattered chilli and flat leaf parsley.

Serve with steamed rice & lovely fresh greens…..

Get Started for Christmas with a Cooking Club

‘Thank You' Project launched

The Irish Hospice Foundation has launched a very special fundraising initiative - the 'Thank You' project - involving a beautifully produced 'gratitude journal' and a range of very original thank-you cards, all leading up to Ireland's first ever National Thank-You Day, which will take place on Thursday, 25th November. Log on to www.Irish-Hospicefoundation.ie to have a look in more detail about this very special project.

So I was thinking what a lovely idea this is and how great would it be to share a meal with friends 1 month before our Mad Christmas Season. Keep it very simple by using the old Cooking Club model which began in Italy where many villages, towns and even cities shared communal cooking facilities. You could also say that we had our own model of it here in Ireland where Grandparents, Parents & Kids lived closely together in citiestown/villages or even on the same Farm and they would come together to make food from the harvest chutneys &jams or Sunday lunch and then the annual project of the Christmas cakes, puddings& mince pies.

Now many of us live far away from our families and find it difficult to cook other than for our everyday meals. Bringing a group of friends together to share the planning, prep, cooking & eating!!! Is such a fun way to spend time cooking & you also learn from others...

Produce based Cooking Clubs....

How they work is that you get a group of people together and 1 person volunteers their kitchen each time you meet. You choose what you wish to produce,

Some clubs meet once a week and cook batches of soups and casseroles for the week.

Other clubs meet once a month and produce food for their freezers.

While others go down the 'chutneys, jams & sauces' route. These can then either be used as presents or for personal use.

Its also a FUN way to make Christmassy Stuff llike Christmas Puddings, Christmas Cakes & Mince pies.

The costs are divided evenly between members with either one person doing the shopping or the list is split between members.

These cooking clubs are great at getting people together, sharing recipes, shopping & cooking tips and are a great way to spend a cold wet day in the company of likeminded foodie people.

Halloween Recipes

The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain –which means the Feast ofthe Dead’.

The celebration also marked the end of summer and the start of the winter months.

Then in Christian Times, The first of November was and still is celebrated as All Saints Day – a celebration for those saints that do not have a specific day of remembrance.

The night before was known as ‘All Hallows Eve which, over time became known as Halloween!!

Some fun stuff for kids…

Toffee Apples

6 dessert apples

6 lollypop sticks for holding apples

225g brown sugar

25g butter

110ml water

2 tbsp golden sugar

½ tsp vinegar

Pop the sugar and water into a saucepan together, stir over a moderate heat until sugar is dissolved (its not cloudy) add the vinegar, golden syrup and butter.

Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until it reaches whats called (hard crack stage) 138c or hardens into a ball when dropped into a jug of cold water. This takes about 10 mins of boiling time.

Pierce each apple with its wooden stick , once the toffee is ready dip each apple into the hot toffee, swirl it round to coat it fully.

Leave to set on a lightly oiled tray. If you’re not going to eat immediately wrap in cellophane to keep

Also a great idea for pressies is to wrap in cellophane with ribbons.

Chocolate Dipped Apples

6 Irish eating apples

225 grams chocolate

2 tbls of butter

Sprinkles, or whatever decorations you fancy..

Simply melt the chocolate & butter over a pan of simmering water

Spike the apples with lollipop sticks

Twirl them around in the hot chocolate mixture

Have the sprinkles on a plate ready to dip the choc apples into... simple but very delicious.

Wrap in cellophane with ribbon for a great pressie.....

Colcannon

Comfort food at its best – this recipe differs depending on where you come from in Ireland…

6 medium sized potatoes 1 cup boiling milk

1 medium green cabbage Salt & Pepper

3 tablespoons butter

Cook potatoes in their jackets in cold salted water bring to the boil and after 10 mins strain off most of the water.

Place lid on pan and allow to steam until fully cooked, this method steams the potatoes and prevents them from getting too mushy…

Remove dark leaves from cabbage and cut into quarters, and then slice finely. Barely cover cabbage in water add a little salt and cook until tender. Mash potatoes, cabbage butter, salt & pepper, and boiling milk until combined nicely… just delicious..

Variations…

· Add some finely sliced onions boiled in milk

· Cook 2 parsnips and combine into potato & cabbage mixture

· Ulster Champ, 2 cups of peas & 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley

· Top with a fried or poached egg.

To serve you just place a few good heaped tablespoons onto the centre of the plates, place a knob of butter on top and scatter with chopped parsley..

How about cooking some fab ham to go with the Colcannon

I’ve found the best way to cook a ham is to first steep it for a couple of hours in cold water, then change water and bring to the boil..

If you don’t have time to do this then bring ham to the boil in cold unsalted water.. strain once boiled and refill with cold water bring back to the boil and repeat the process before settling down to a simmer… the reason for this is that ham can be very salty and these methods get rid of the excess salt…

Cooking times vary a little however if you allow 20 mins per pound and then check by inserting a a skewer into the centre if it comes away easily when inserted into centre its perfectly cooked if not allow another 10 mins and try again.

Drain all the water from ham, transfer to a baking dish, leave to cool a little and then trim ham of excess fat..

Meanwhile make a Honey Mustard Glaze

6 tablespoons of brown sugar

4 tablespoons of honey

2 heaped tablespoons of wholegrain mustard

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl, coat the entire ham with the glaze and roast @ 180 for 30 minutes… cool a little before slicing..

Quick but tasty alternatives

· Butcher Thick Smokey bacon rashers

· Butcher Gammon steaks

Halloween Pumpkins

Halloween Festivals have become very popular throughout the country so why don’t you get into the spirit with pumpkins foods that are typically served through Halloween & Harvest Time thanksgiving...

There are so many varieties of pumpkins available, and many ways to use them, for example..

· Make a delicious soup - traditional heart warming pumpkin & potato soup variations sprinkling a little nutmeg or how about spicing it up with chilli, coriander & coconut milk...

· Roast pumpkin as a side dish – cut pumpkin in half scoop out the seeds, chop into large sized chunks drizzle with olive oil, pop onto a baking tray in a preheated oven for 15 mins or until tender.

· Creamy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Mash – cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, quarter and peel. Chop into bite sized cubes. Peel sweet potato cut same sized as pumpkin, steam for 15 mins or until tender. Mash until smooth with 2 tbls of warmed cream & salt & pepper

· Make a delicious risotto w roast Pumpkin, fresh sage, mushroom & parmesan

· Add cubed pumpkin to a veggie curry in lieu of potatoes.

· Delicious in pasta, or risotto dishes, roast first in peeled cubes drizzled with olive oil..

· Small varieties include the Orange Minikin, Golden Nugget & Gem Squash are delicious roasted whole or stuffed with rice, nuts & spinach..

Baked pumpkin with penne & basil butter

Serves 4

1kg pumpkin

100g real butter

600g penne pasta

80g pinenuts

45g ¾ cup shredded basil

4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

1. Cut pumpkin into big bite size pieces, place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook @ 220 until tender…

2. Meanwhile cook the pasta in lots of boiling ½ teasp of salted water until just al dente. Heat butter over medium heat in a small pan until foaming add garlic, cook for 2 mins then add pinenuts, cook till golden be careful not to burn

3. Remove from heat, add basil.

4. Drain pasta, add the basil butter, pumpkin & 2 tablespoons of parmesan combine and serve immediately… with the extra parmesan in a little bowl..

Butternut Squash Ginger & Coconut Soup

Serves 6

1 large butternut squash peeled and roughly chopped

2 medium sized potatoes peeled & chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 inch piece fresh ginger grated

1 large onion chopped

1 litres veggie stock or about 5 cups

1 cup of coconut milk

1 tablespoon of peanut oil

pinch of nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

Season with chopped coriander

1. Heat the peanut oil and pop in the onion & garlic cook until tender.

2. Pop in the squash, potatoes & half the grated ginger.. cook for a few mins.

3. Add ½ the veggie stock allowing the veggies to soak up the liquid then add the remaining stock and simmer until veggies are tender.

4. Blend soup and then gradually stir in coconut milk and pinch of nutmeg..

5. Season to taste and serve with scattered coriander on top..

Served with crusty bread…..

Warm Roast Squash Spinach & Feta Salad

1 medium butternut squash

1 red onion thinly sliced

2 large handfuls of baby spinach

2 tbls of pinenuts

1 orange juiced

1 handful of feta cheese cubed

1 tsp of paprika

2 tbls of olive oil

1. Slice the butternut in half scoop out the seeds, chop into cubes without the skin on. Heat the oven to 200 pop the squash on a tray and drizzle with olive oil.

2. Pop the pinenuts onto a baking tray and cook for about 5 mins until golden. Remove from tray pop on a plate.

3. Heat a pan with the remainder of olive oil and cook the onion for about 2 mins then add the paprika and pumpkin.

4. Leave to cool

5. Combine the butternut mixture with the spinach, transfer to a bowl

6. Scatter the pinenuts and feta gently thru the spinach.

7. Lastly, squeeze over the fresh orange juice

Take 4 Ingredients & its Dinner!

Salmon Parcels

Serves 2

2 Salmon Fillets

1 orange juiced

1 sheet of puff pastry

1 egg beaten with a little milk

Leave the salmon to marinate in the fresh orange juice for 30 mins.

Meanwhile cut the puff pastry into 2 pieces large enough to make parcels for the salmon

Lay the salmon on the sheet of puff pastry and make a parcel by pulling the ends together and pinching with a fork. Brush with the egg mixture and pop on a lined baking tray for 20 mins @ 180 or until pastry is golden in colour...

Tuna & Sweetcorn Cakes

Serves 2

1 Can of Tuna Chunks 400g

3 tablespoons of mashed potato

1 egg beaten

3 tablespoons of sweetcorn

Combine drained tuna, sweetcorn, mashed potato & beaten egg. Shape into cakes. Dust in a little flour and fry on a non stick pan with a little olive oil for about 4 mins each side until golden brown and heated through.

Serve with a tossed green salad

Asiany Inspired Tuna Cakes

Swap the egg for 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce and add some fresh coriander..

Honey Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

Marinade

4 tablespoons of lemon juice

3 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoons of Dijon

4 chicken breasts … whole or cubed..

Pop all of the marinade ingredients into a bowl. Stir well to combine all of the ingredients .

Add the cubed chicken stir and coat with the marinade, allow to marinate, if possible for an hour..

Heat oven to 200 (400F) Gas 6) and place in a casserole dish covered for the first 10 mins.. Stir to combine chicken with marinade and cook for a further 15 mins.

This dish is delicious with baked baby potatoes, drizzled with olive oil & seasalt & cooked for 20 mins @ 200 & some steamed broccoli.

Sesame Chill Beef

Serves 4

500g beef strips

1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped

2 tbls of oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Heat a non stick wok and swirl with a little olive oil, pop the chilli on the pan for 30 seconds then add the beef strips, cook on a high heat for 1 min the add the oyster sauce, continue to cook until the sauce bubbles, add half the sesame seeds and combine. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds

Serve with steamed rice & a green veggie like steamed sugar snap peas.

Sesame Stir Fry Veggies

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

1 red pepper sliced lengthways

1 yellow pepper sliced - lengthways

1 carrot sliced – Lengthways

8/10 mushrooms sliced

1 onion thinly sliced

8/10 sugar snap peas

3 handfuls of beansprouts

2 cloves of garlic bashed

2 tbls of soy sauce

2 tbls of sesame seeds

1 tbls of sesame oil

1 tbls of peanut oil

Begin by slicing the peppers & carrots lengthways around the same size.

Have all the other veggies chopped and ready to go.. (this is the key to good stir fries) About 8 mins before the end of the chicken being ready..

Heat the oil in a non-stick wok & add the garlic & onions cook for about 2 mins before popping in the carrots & peppers drizzle with soy sauce, cook for about 3 mins and then add the mushrooms… they will take about 2 mins to cook whereupon you now add the sugar snaps, remainder of the soy, sesame oil beansprouts & sesame seeds … cook for about another minute and you’re ready !!!

This is also a dish in its own right… serve with noodles or rice for a fantastic vegetarian option…

Sauces & Stocks

Sauces & Stocks

Basic Tomato Sauce

2 cans of tomatoes

Or 12 medium ripe tomatoes skinned

3 cloves of garlic chopped finely

1 medium red onion finely chopped

1 cup of red or white wine or veggie stock

1 teaspoon of sugar (optional taste)

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

Heat a little oil in a non stick pan, add the onion & garlic, cook over medium heat until the onion is soft, add the wine or stock and simmer under reduced, pop in the tomatoes, simmer uncovered for 20 mins or until it begins to thicken.

Season with salt & pepper, taste and if a little bitter add the teaspoon of sugar.

This sauce can be made in advance and stored, covered in the fridge for 1 week , it is also suitable for freezing.

Variations on this basic sauce are endless...

· Chilli Tomato Sauce, chop 1 red chilli and cook with the onion & garlic

· Tomato & Basil Sauce, tear 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, add half the basil leaves with the tomatoes and reserve the remainder until the seasoning stage.

· Tomato & Red Pepper, Grill 2 red peppers, remove their skin and chop finely add the peppers at the tomato stage.

· Creamy Tomato , add 3 tbls of fresh cream when the sauce has been simmering for 10 mins, continue to simmer for a further 15 mins or until the sauce has thickened. Add some fresh basil leaves for a great taste.

· Provencal Tomato Sauce, 1 handful of chopped black olives, 1 handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. Add the black olives and flat leaf parsley when the sauce has been simmering for 10 mins.

· Pizza Sauce, add another 2 cloves of garlic and 1 tbls of tomato paste, continue to cook until sauce has thickened to a paste like consistency.

Basic Red Wine Sauce

30g butter

3 shallots finely chopped

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

1 ½ tbls of plain flour

1 cup of beef stock

1/3 cup 80ml of red wine

1 sprig of thyme (optional)

Melt butter in a non stick saucepan, add the shallots and garlic, cook until shallots are soft. Stir in flour for 1 min and then add the wine and stock. Stir over heat until sauce thickens. Pop through a strainer if you would like a smooth sauce.

Beurre Blanc

2 shallotts, finely chopped

2 tbls of fish or veggie stock

2 tbls of white wine vinegar

¼ cup ofdry white wine

250g cold butter chopped

Boil the shallots, stock , vinegar and wine in a small pan until reduced to 2 tbls. Strain and reserve the liquid. Return liquid to the pan, Whisk in the butter cube by cube over a low heat, until the sauce has thickened.

Here is another novel way to make this sauce - pour some boiling water into a Thermos flask to preheat and clean it. Pour the water away and then sieve the flavoured wine into the thermos, adding all of the butter. Put the lid on tightly, place a tea towel over the lid and shake the thermos around for a few minutes. Open it very carefully (in case of any hot steam escaping) and you should have a nice beurre blanc sauce. The best thing about this method is that you can keep it in the flask and it will keep warm until you’re ready to serve the food.

Stocks …

....are really easy and cheap to make to make you just need a little time!

Veggie Stock

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large parsnip, chopped

2 medium onions chopped

6 sticks of celery chopped

1 bunch of mixed herbs

1 tablespoon of black peppercorns

3 litres (about 12 cups) of water

Pop all of the above ingredients into a large saucepan, simmer, uncovered for 1 ½ hours, strain.

Stock keeps in the fridge for about 5 days, and is suitable for freezing.

Chicken Stock

2kg chicken bones

2 medium onions, chopped

2 sticks of celery chopped

2 medium carrots chopped

1 bunch of mixed herbs

2 teasp of black peppercorns

5 litres of water

Pop all of the ingredients into a large saucepan, simmer uncovered for 2 hours, strain.

Speedy Tuna Dishes ...

Lets Get Thrifty.....

Speedy Tuna Dishes ...

Tuna are ocean-dwelling fish and are extremely fast swimmers, can you believe they have been clocked at 70 kilometers per hour Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, tuna flesh is pink to dark red, which could explain their odd nick-name, “rose of the sea.”

Some of the larger species, such as the blue fin tuna, can raise their blood temperature above water temperature through muscular activity. This ability enables them to live in cooler waters and to survive in a wide range of ocean environments.

There are over 48 different varieties of Tuna , with names like Yellow Fin, Big Eye, Long Tail Tuna, Bullet Tuna, Bonito, Little Tunny, Slender Tuna

The main tuna fishing nations are concentrated in Asia with Japan Taiwan, Indonesia & South Korea floating the main fleets In Europe Spain and France are the biggest producers.

Tuna is very high in protein and is such an easy food to prepare whether you are using a fresh tuna steak or from a tuna from a tin, you can have a meal on the table in minutes, it is also an extremely cost effective!

Tuna is also an oily fish and therefore contains a high amount of Vitamin D.

There are many brands of tuna on the market, choose a well know reputable producer. It is also packed for example in Spring water, brine or olive oil. There are also premium brands on the market such as Ortiz which is produced in Spain.

The Ortiz company has been there for 5 generations and family members still run the company. The tuna is brought fresh from the ocean and straight to one of their many production units dotted along the coast of Spain. Ortiz use only bonito and yellow fin which are 2 of the top grades of tuna.

Bonito is white in colour, lower in fat and very delicate in flavour. Yellow fin is slightly pinky in colour and a little stronger in flavour.

All the tuna from Ortiz is caught by traditional fishing boats, the bonito being actually caught using rods and live bait, which is the most selective and ecological method, making it dolphin friendly and the one that brings in the highest quality fish.

Simple Tuna Ideas…..

All Using 1 tin of drained tuna & serving 3 to 4 people

· Toasty Tuna, grated mozzarella & red onion – pop on ciabatta bread and then under the grill until toasty

· Tuna sandwich filler – drained tuna, chopped cucumber, chopped onion,sweetcorn, ½ tbls of mayo & ¼ teasp of sweet chilli sauce. Make the night before and simply pop into sandwich bread next morning.

· Pitta bread top with drained tuna, mix with ½ tbls of mayo sweet corn and grated cheese – pop under the grill to melt...

· Tuna Salad w chopped celery, chopped apple, 1 handful of walnuts & 1 tbls of mayo

· Asiany Tuna salad, w 1 handful of beansprouts, 1 tbls of chopped coriander, 2 spring onion sliced thinly & 1 tbls of soy sauce

· Italian Tuna Pasta salad, 1 grilled red pepper sliced , 4 handfuls of cooked penne pasta, 1 large spoon of chopped sunblushed tomatoes, 1 handful of shredded basil leaves, drizzle of olive oil or a little basil pesto

· Nicoise Salad, drained tuna, 1 handful of cooked green beans, 2 hard boiled eggs, 4 handfuls of mixed leaves, 2 sliced tomatoes, olive oil & sprinkling of sea salt

Tuna pasta bake

1 tin of drained tuna, mixed with some chopped tomatoes (fresh or tinned) 2 tomatoes or half a can of tomatoes, 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas, fresh or frozen sweetcorn, mix ingredients together, pop into an oven proof dish topped with breadcrumbs and some grated cheese. CooK @ 180 for about 20 mins or until bubbly and light brown on top.

Tuna & Potato Cakes

Take 4 large spoons of mashed potato, 1 tin of drained tuna, finely chopped onion, 1 can of sweetcorn, 1 egg & a little flour to shape.

Combine mixture in a large bowl shape into 4 round potato cakes and fry on a non stick pan in a little oil and butter.