Monday 30 April 2012

Halloumi with Warm Lemony Bean Salad

Here start the WeightWatchers recipes. For the first couple of weeks I think I am going to stick the WeightWatchers recipes from their cookbooks and website that have already been pointed so I know exactly what I am doing, but as I go along I will try recipes from other sources and try and work out the points for them.

I am finding this hard, but its actually amazing how much I do still get to eat, it's just about portion control, eating lots of fruit and exercise. I have my weigh in tomorrow and I hope that I've lost some weight, but I know that it might take a couple of weeks to see any results.

This halloumi salad recipe was actually really good, I added some rocket to the bottom as a bed and that added a peppery flavour to the dish.

Halloumi with Warm Lemony Bean Salad (from WeightWatchers Complete Cookbook)
(Serves 2)
(8 WW ProPoints per serving)

calorie controlled cooking spray
1 courgette, diced
1 shallot, chopped roughly
1/2 red chilli, deseeded and diced
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped roughly
410g cannellini beans in water, drained and rinsed
100g halloumi, sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped mint
black pepper

Spray a saucepan with the cooking spry, add the courgette, shallot and chilli and stir fry for 3-4 mins until starting to colour. Add the tomatoes and cannellini beans and heat for 2 mins.

Meanwhile, heat a non stick frying pan and spray with the cooking spray. Season the halloumi with pepper then fry over a medium heat for 2 mins on each side until golden brown.

Add the lemon juice, olive oil and mint to the warm bean salad and divide between two plates. Place the halloumi on top and serve immediately.


Saturday 28 April 2012

Monkfish and Saffron Risotto

A couple of weeks ago my Mum came to stay and she brought some Monkfish for us for dinner. I found this Monkfish and Saffron Risotto recipe and it was so good! Really creamy and the fish was beautiful and soft. We had it with a green salad.
















Monkfish and Saffron Risotto (from Fish - Joanna Farrow)
(Serves 4)

500g monkfish
50g butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250g risotto rice
1 glass dry white wine
1 tsp saffron strands
2 tsp chopped lemon thyme
1l hot fish stock
salt and pepper
grated parmesan to serve

Cut the monkfish into chunks and season lightly. Melt half the butter in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion until it is soft but not browned. Add the fish and cook stirring for 2 mins. Drain the fish and add the garlic to the pan, Cook for 1 min.

Sprinkle in the rice and fry gently for 1 min. Add the wine and let it bubble until almost evaporated.

Add the saffron, thyme and a ladleful of the stock and cook stirring, until the rice has absorbed the stock. Continue to add the stock, a ladleful at a time, cooking the rice and stirring until the stock is almost absorbed in between each addition.

After about 20 mins, check the consistency of the rice. It should be creamy and tender but slightly firm in the centre. (You might not need all the stock). Check the seasoning and stir in the fish. Heat through and serve immediately scattered with parmesan and chopped thyme.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

I got on the scales the other days stared in horror, I have managed to put on almost a stone in 3 months, partly due to lack of self control and partly because of some medication I'm taking, so I am back on Weightwatchers and actually going to the meetings to see if I can actually shed some of this weight, the Online thing just didn't work for me. I only started on Tuesday and I am, at the moment, hungry, but I have found lots of interesting recipes that will fit in with losing weight and I will get there.

To use up the refried beans that I made, I found a recipe for enchiladas that called for a tin of refried beans and substituted my own in. I also think I used oregano instead of coriander as it is at the moment going mad in my garden! This also freezes really well in portions. 




Chicken and Bean Enchiladas (From Good food Magazine July 2009)
(Serves 10)

3 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
3 red chillies, 2 deseeded and chopped, 1 sliced
small bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped - plus extra to serve
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin seeds
6 skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
415g can refried beans
198g can sweetcorn, drained
700ml passata
1 tsp caster sugar
10 tortillas
2 x 142ml pots soured cream
200g cheddar, grated

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in your largest pan, then fry the onions, peppers, chopped chilli and coriander stalks with half the garlic for 10 mins until soft. Stir in 2 tsp ground coriander and 2 tsp cumin seeds, then fry for 1 min more. Meanwhile, in another frying pan, fry the chicken in the remaining oil, in batches, until browned - add it to the pan of veg as it is done.

Stir the beans, sweetcorn, coriander leaves and 150ml of the passata into the veg and chicken. In a bowl, mix the rest of the passata with the other crushed garlic clove, the remaining spices and the sugar, then set aside.

To assemble, lay the tortillas onto a board and divide the chicken mixture between them, folding over the ends and rolling up to seal. Divide the passata sauce into the dishes you are using, then top with the enchiladas. Dot over the soured cream, sprinkle with grated cheese and scatter with the sliced chilli.

Cool and freeze, or, if eating straight away, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then bake for 30 mins, scattering with more coriander leaves to serve, if you like.




Tuesday 24 April 2012

Baked Tortilla Chips

When I try and take frozen tortillas out the packet I never seem to be able to get them out whole, this is especially a problem with flour tortillas, so I end up with lots of half tortillas and bits and bobs that I can't really do anything with. Except I can! Why didn't I think of it before, make my own tortilla chips! This is so easy to do and healthy as well, well it would have been had I not made them into nachos with large amounts of cheese!!

To make the nachos I put the tortilla chips in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, spotted over some salsa and sour cream and then sprinkled (liberally) with cheese, popped some olives on top and baked for about 20 mins in the oven. Cheesey and delicious!
















Baked Tortilla Chips

tortillas
cooking spray

Spray a baking tray with the cooking spray.

Cut the tortillas into six triangles.

Lay the tortilla chips onto the baking tray and then spray the chips with the cooking spray.

Bake for about 5 mins at 200C until the chips look golden brown and crisp and serve, either as nachos or with a dip.


Sunday 22 April 2012

Chicken Pies

As is normal I was looking for something to do with the rest of a pot of sour cream and stumbled across this Donna Hay recipe. It is ok by itself, but could have done with the addition of some veg in there. I also have to warn you that it doesn't freeze well, the sauce does not thaw properly and you just end up with clumps of sour cream, so a bit disappointing really.



Chicken Pies (from Fast, Fresh, Simple - Donna Hay)
(Serves 2)

320 g cooked chicken, coarsely chopped
180 g soured cream
1tbsp basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp lemon rind, finely grated
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 200g sheets pre-rolled butter puff pastry, thawed
1 egg lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Combine the chicken, soured cream, basil, lemon rind and mustard, then season with salt and pepper.

Cut 2 rectangles measuring 15cm x 10cm from the pastry and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Spoon the filling into the centre of the pastry. Brush just inside the edge of the pastry with the egg.

Cut 2 rectangles measuring 18cm x 12cm from the remaining pastry and place over the filling. Gently press the edges together to seal.

Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake the pies for 25–30 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

Friday 20 April 2012

Prawn and Yellow Bean Chow Mein with Pak Choi

My supper on Easter Sunday was this beautiful prawn noodle dish, it was delicious. I spent the afternoon in the Victoria and Albert Museum at the British Design Exhibition, it's fantastic to think that all the stuff has been done in the country since 1948 and I can't wait for the mini exhibition connected to that on how Japanese fashion has been influenced by British Victoriana, Gothic and Punk that will go up in the Museum next week.

















Prawn and Yellow Bean Chow Mein with Pak Choi (from Ching's Fast Food - Ching He-Huang)
(Serves 2)

100g medium egg noodles
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
200g cooked shelled and deveined tiger prawns
100g baby pak choi leaves

For the sauce
1 tbsp yellow bean paste
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp cornflour

Cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 mins until al dente, or according to packet instructions. Drain then rinse under cold running water and drain again.. Drizzle the drained noodles with half the toasted sesame oil and toss together to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Meanwhile mix together all the ingredients for the sauce, along with 100ml of water and set aside.

Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke and then add the groundnut oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the chilli and fry for a few seconds more.

Add the prawns, pak choi and the sauce, the bring to the boil. Tip in the cooked noodles and toss together, then drizzle with the remaining toasted sesame oil and serve immediately.

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Refried Bean Quesadillas

I'm still on that Mexican kick with one more recipe to come! These Quesadillas were ok, not the best thing I've ever eaten but pretty good and I made my own refried beans for the first time!



Refried Bean Quesadillas (from Good Food Magazine September 2010)
(Serves 4)

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
400g can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp smoked paprika
8 flour tortillas
100g cheddar, coarsely grated
handful coriander leaves
200g tub fresh tomato salsa

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for 2 mins. Add the cumin and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the beans, paprika and a splash of water. Using a potato masher, break the beans down as they warm through to make a rough purée. Season generously.



Spread the refried beans onto 4 of the tortillas and scatter over the cheese and coriander. Spoon over the salsa, then top with the remaining tortillas to make 4 sandwiches. Wipe the frying pan with kitchen paper and return to the heat or heat a griddle pan. Cook each sandwich for 1-2 mins on each side until the tortillas are crisp and golden and the cheese is melting. Serve warm, cut into wedges, with extra salsa and soured cream for dipping.

Monday 16 April 2012

Buttermilk Pancakes with Spiced Apple Compote

I was on my own for Easter, so I started Easter Sunday with buttermilk pancakes! I was looking for something to do with the rest of the tub of buttermilk I used for the chicken and came up with these pancakes. I think that these are more typically American pancakes than the very thin ones I'm used to here, but they were delicious! I made so many that I had them three days running and I couldn't get enough! I had some cooking apples that needed using and thought that apple compote would go fantastically with the pancakes. So good!



Buttermilk Pancakes (from Good Food Magazine December 2011)
(Makes 15)

300g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 medium eggs
284ml carton buttermilk
4 tbsp milk
85g melted butter

For the Spiced Apple Compote

75g butter
100g demerara sugar
4 Bramley apples, peeled and diced
¼tsp ground ginger
¼tsp ground cinnamon
¼tsp nutmeg

Place a saucepan onto a medium heat and add the butter and sugar.

Add the apples and spices and stir to combine.

Bring to a simmer and cook until the apples have softened but still retain some texture. This takes about 20-30 mins.

Mix the flour, bicarb and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then gradually whisk in the eggs, followed by the buttermilk, milk and melted butter.

Melt a little more butter in a non-stick pan or wipe with sunflower oil. When hot, add 1-3 small ladles of batter to the pan to make 1-3 small pancakes (depending on the size of your pan). Cook for 2-3 mins until bubbles appear and the underneaths are set and golden. Flip and cook for a few mins more. Transfer pancakes to a plate, cover with baking parchment and keep warm in a low oven. Cook the remaining pancakes.

To serve, place pancakes on a plate and top with a dollop of apple compote and maple syrup.

Saturday 14 April 2012

Daring Cooks April 2012: Maple Glazed Salmon with Cauliflower and Goats Cheese Mash

Our April 2012 Daring Cooks hosts were David & Karen from Twenty-Fingered Cooking. They presented us with a very daring and unique challenge of forming our own recipes by using a set list of ingredients!

The three ingredients I chose were: Cauliflower, Goats Cheese and Maple Syrup, an unlikely combination, and it took me a little while to figure out what to make with them. In the end I made Maple Glazed Salmon and Cauliflower Puree with Goats Cheese. I served it with broccoli and green beans.



Maple Glazed Salmon with Cauliflower and Goats Cheese Mash
(Serves 1)

1 salmon fillet
1 tsp old bay seasoning
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 small cauliflower
2 tsp soft goat cheese
1 tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Put the salmon fillet on a baking tray and pour over the old bay and then the maple syrup.

Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets; cover and steam in steamer until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile bake the salmon for about 10 mins.

With immersion blender or potato masher, puree the cauliflower until almost texture of mashed potatoes.

Add goat cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper and puree until combined. Stir in chives. Serve with veg.

Friday 13 April 2012

Soy Poached Chicken

I have had a lovely week getting the garden ready for the summer. I went to lots of garden centres with my Mum and bought fuschias and geraniums and surfinas for the tubs and also tomato plants, fennel and herbs. I can't wait for the summer and for all the veg to grow!

I made this delicious soy poached chicken the other day, again a really simple recipe but so tasty.



Soy Poached Chicken (from Everyday Gourmet)
(Serves 2)

2 chicken breasts
500ml chicken stock
200ml water
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 chilli, roughly chopped
2 knobs ginger, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 star anise
juice of a lime

In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients except the chicken. Bring to the boil.

Turn the heat down and add the chicken. Allow to gently simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the chicken to infuse in the stock.

Remove and slice each into four even pieces. Serve with rice and steamed bok choi and a little of the cooking liquor.

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Leek, Potato and Cheese Tortilla

I have been trying out lots of new recipes and weirdly I've never made a tortilla before. I had some leeks from my Uncle Stan's allotment so I found this potato, leek and cheese tortilla recipe. Simple but delicious and great with brown sauce!



Leek, Potato and Cheese Tortilla (from Good Food Magazine May 2008)
(Serves 4)

butter, for frying
1 leek, thinly sliced
225g potatoes cooked and cooled (about 1-2 medium size ones)
6 eggs
85g cheddar
1tbsp chives, finely chopped
1/2tsp smoked paprika

Melt a knob of butter in a medium, nonstick frying pan, then cook the leek for about 5 mins until softened. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes in half, then into slices about ½cm thick. Beat the eggs, season, then stir in the cheese and sage.

Add a little extra butter to the pan if needed, tip in the potatoes, then the egg mixture. Turn the heat to low, then cook for 10 mins until nearly set. Place under a hot grill, then cook for a couple of mins more until the top is set and golden. Slice into wedges and serve with a green salad.



I used the tortilla to make a bento, my first one for ages. I served it with the potato and okra salad from the day before, coleslaw, cherry tomatoes and cheddar. The blue pot has brown sauce in it to dip the tortilla in.

Monday 9 April 2012

Southern Baked Chicken with Roasted Potato and Okra Salad

I have a love of the cooking of the Deep South, I would love one day to go over there and eat proper barbecue, shrimp and grits, mac and cheese, collard greens, gumbo etc. I have been watching episode after episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives to pick up tips for the best places to go! I've also been watching Cooking For Real and although I find Sunny Anderson really really annoying the food looks so good!

I thought I would have a go at making something vaguely Southern in my own kitchen. Now we all know how terrified I am of deep fat frying so I looked for an alternative to Southern Fried Chicken and it seems you can bake pretty much anything. This chicken is cornflake crumbed, ew right? Nope, it was delicious and crunchy, totally worked. I then served this with a roast potato and okra salad and an old bay and sour cream dip and it was fantastic. Will definitely be making the chicken again.



Southern Baked Chicken (from www.simply-delicious.co.za)
Serves 4

4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
500ml (16.91 fluid ounces) buttermilk
1tsp salt
2tsp paprika
1tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups cornflake crumbs (process the cornflakes in your food processor or place in a Ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin)
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp paprika

Coat the chicken with the buttermilk and spices and cover the bowl with cling-wrap. Allow to marinade in the fridge for up to 3 hours but no less than 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 220°c.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture but don’t take off all the buttermilk, leave enough on so that the crumbs have something to stick to.

Combine the crumbs with the salt and paprika and coat the chicken.

Place the chicken on a wire rack over a roasting tray and place in the oven.

Because the heat of the oven is so high, you’ll have to check on the chicken every 7-10 minutes to make sure it’s not burning. If the chicken is browning too much in the first 10 minutes, turn your oven down to 180°c. The chicken should be cooked after approximately 25 minutes, just cut into a piece and make sure the flesh closest to the bone is not pink.

Serve immediately.


Roasted Potato and Okra Salad (from Gourmet Magazine July 2005)
(Serves 6 as a side dish)

2lb small potatoes such as fingerling, red, or yellow-fleshed
1 large bunch scallions, white parts halved lengthwise and remainder reserved for another use
2 large fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1/2 teaspoon chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3/4lb small (2- to 3-inch) okra
2 cups shelled fresh broad beans (2 1/2 lb in pods) or shelled fresh or frozen edamame
1 cup fresh corn (from 1 to 2 ears)
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot

Roast potatoes and okra:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

Halve potatoes lengthwise and toss with scallion pieces, rosemary sprigs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread potato mixture in a large roasting pan and roast, stirring once, 20 minutes. Stir potatoes and add okra to pan, tossing to coat. Continue to roast until okra and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Cook beans and corn while potatoes roast:

Cook beans in 1 quart (unsalted) boiling water in a 3- to 4-quart pot 3 minutes, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Gently peel off skins.

Return water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt, then cook corn until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain corn in a sieve and immediately transfer to bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain corn again.

Make dressing and assemble salad:

Whisk together lemon juice, shallot, chopped rosemary, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined. Discard rosemary sprigs, then add hot potatoes and okra to dressing along with beans, corn, and salt to taste, tossing to combine. Cool salad to warm before serving.

Saturday 7 April 2012

Egg Drop Noodle Soup

Now, as well all know, I love noodle soup. It is one of my most comforting foods, but this was such a disappointment. I found it really bland and I really couldn't get the hang of swirling, pouring and holding the fork, so I just ended up with lumps of egg in it! It really needed something else, but I'm not sure what!


Egg Drop Noodle Soup (adapted from Good Food Magazine March 2011)
(Serves 4)

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
1.2l low-salt chicken stock
140g wholewheat noodles
4 heads pak choi, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
squeeze lemon juice
½ tsp sherry vinegar
2 spring onions, finely chopped

Place the chicken and stock in a large pan and bring to a simmer for 5 mins. Meanwhile, cook the noodles following pack instructions.

Add the pak choi to the stock and cook for 2 mins. Stir the broth vigorously, then while it's still swirling, hold a fork over the pan. Pour the eggs over the prongs in a slow stream. Stir again in the same direction then turn off the heat. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the vinegar.

Drain the noodles and divide between four bowls. Ladle over the egg drop broth, scatter with onions and serve.

Thursday 5 April 2012

Mock Duck and Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry

I have wanted to try mock duck for ages but never really got round to it. I'm always curious as to how good vegetarian substitutes for meat are and this is pretty good. I couldn't really tell the difference between this and real duck, but I suspect that it would only really work in Chinese dishes. Nevertheless definitely worth a go.



Mock Duck and Tenderstem Broccoli Stir-fry (from Ching's Fast Food - Ching He Huang)
(Serves 2-4 to share)

2 tbsp groundnut oil
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 tbsp peeled and grated root ginger
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
4 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 190g tin mock duck, drained, rinsed and sliced
100g tenderstem broccoli, sliced on the diagonal
100g french beans, topped and tailed
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
pinch soft light brown sugar
pinch ground white pepper
dash toasted sesame oil

Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke and then add the groundnut oil.

Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and mushrooms and stir fry for 1 min, then add the mock duck and stir fry for just under a minute.

Tip in the broccoli and beans and stir fry for another minute.

Season with the remaining ingredients, then remove from the heat and serve immediately with boiled rice.

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Chicken and Pesto Quesadillas

So I am going to use my holiday to try out lots of new recipes, the stack of print outs of recipes from the Internet is now huge and I really need to start trying them! The first one I came across was this Chicken and Pesto Quesadilla recipe. Now I love a Mexican quesadilla, and I love pesto so I thought they'd make a great combination. However, I'm not really sure they do. These ended up being a bit bland. I did fiddle with the recipe a bit, I used ordinary cooked chicken rather than wafer thin and slow roasted peppers rather than tomatoes but that shouldn't have made that might difference. So these are ok but not brilliant.



Chicken and Pesto Quesadillas (from www.weightwatchers.co.uk)
(8 ProPoints per serving)
(Serves 4)

4 Tortillas
4 tbsp pesto
100g Reduced Fat Grated Mature Cheese
120g Wafer Thin Cooked Chicken
2 tomatoes

Place 2 Tortillas on your work surface and spread with 1 tbsp pesto each.

Top with 50g cheese each, then 60g cooked chicken each.

Divide 2 tomatoes, sliced, between the tortillas.

Spread 2 more tortillas with 1 tbsp pesto each and place on top of the tomatoes.



Place a frying pan over a medium heat and once warm, slide in the first quesadilla.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, then carefully flip using a spatula and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

Slide out of the pan and keep warm while you cook the second quesadilla.

Slice each quesadilla into 6 and serve 3 wedges per plate.

Sunday 1 April 2012

Salmon and Watercress Lasagne

So I am officially on holiday! However, instead of having a nice lie in on Saturday morning I got up at 7.30am and headed off to Borough Market! I bought a few things there, but couldn't find what I was looking for, which was something for lunch for myself and my sister. I then went to Chapel Market in Islington to buy my vegetables and whilst I was there I had a pang of nostalgia and for lunch decided we would regress to childhood. So I bought a carton of Carrot and Coriander Soup and some poppy seed knot rolls which we duly had for lunch!

I have had a very productive weekend, I have been out to the garden centre and bought my compost and a few plants and I spent today getting the garden ready for planting as well as doing the housework. Hopefully the rest of my holiday will be more relaxing!

On Friday night I cooked for myself and Ben and tried this Salmon and Watercress Lasagne recipe. It was ok, I quite liked the mustard flavour, but it needed to be a bit more creamy, maybe the cream of leek soup would have been a better bet. I served it with garlic bread and then proceeded to try and slice the top of my thumb off whilst cutting it! Lots of blood but not too much damage done!



Salmon and Watercress Lasagne (from www.goodfoodchannel.com)
(Serves 4)

450g thick salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 3cm cubes
4tbsp wholegrain mustard
8cooked lasagne sheets
60g watercress
1tsp fresh thyme
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
200ml double cream, or cream of leek soup
100g cheddar cheese, grated, or 50g Cheddar plus 50g mozzarella

Set the oven to 180C/gas 4 and lightly grease a rectangular ovenproof dish with butter or oil.

Put the salmon cubes in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the mustard and stir well to coat the salmon.

Lay half the lasagne sheets in the bottom of the prepared dish. Scatter over all the salmon pieces and the watercress.

Top with the remaining pasta sheets. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and dot evenly with the butter. Pour over the double cream and scatter with grated cheese.

Cook for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling, then serve immediately, accompanied by a salad of watercress dressed with extra virgin olive oil.