A Wee Pinch of Sugar

My Ideas, My inspirations, My food

Seafood Week 2017

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Seafood is very popular in the Wee Pinch of Sugar Kitchen and Seafood Week has been a great opportunity for sharing new ideas about cooking with fish. The Fish is the Dish website has been a hive of activity with tips on how to cook fish, recipes and some fantastic competitions.

Seafood Week 2017

On days when I don’t have fresh fish available, one of my favourite go to dishes is a sardine pasta made with tinned sardines. And, although fresh fish would be my first choice; tinned fish is certainly not inferior, the quality is as good as fresh fish, and its just as healthy and also very economical. Depending on your budget, you’ll find a good variety in the shops, including some very good sustainable brands.

I find canned seafood great for making quick and healthy meals. There’s a great selection to chose from including, salmon, tuna sardines and mackerel and you’ll also find these with with added sauces including tomato, lemon, mustard or BBQ. Tinned fish is packed full of health giving  nutrients, especially  omega 3 (except tuna as the omega 3 is lost in the canning process), which has been shown to have so many health benefits. These healthy fats are good for our brain, our heart and can also have a role in maintaining a normal blood pressure.  Health experts currently recommend we eat two serving of fish a week, one of which should be an oily rich fish.  So, given that a tin of sardines with soft bones provides around half of an adults daily calcium requirements,  it’s definitely worth considering tinned fish as part of your weekly diet.

Seafood Week Day six  ‘Fish of the Day’ was sardines and although fresh sardines are in season, this recipe is an healthy and economical dish for packing in some essential omega 3. It’s also ideal as an easy dinner for one or a quick midweek meal for a busy family.

Seafood Week 2017

This is one of my go to recipes when I need a quick meal and its one of my favourites for an easy midweek meal.

Sardine Pasta
Print Recipe
Tinned sardines are a great standby to have in the storecupboard and are ideal for whipping up a quick healthy meal. This pasta dish cooks in the time it takes the pasta to cook; ideal after a busy day and so economical, much better than a takeaway. Have the sauce ingredients prepped first and in no time you'll be sitting down to a tasty meal.
Servings
4 People
Servings
4 People
Sardine Pasta
Print Recipe
Tinned sardines are a great standby to have in the storecupboard and are ideal for whipping up a quick healthy meal. This pasta dish cooks in the time it takes the pasta to cook; ideal after a busy day and so economical, much better than a takeaway. Have the sauce ingredients prepped first and in no time you'll be sitting down to a tasty meal.
Servings
4 People
Servings
4 People
Ingredients
Servings: People
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the tomatoes and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
  3. Add a splash of wine or water, oregano and 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley. Keep the remaining parsley for scattering over the dish before serving. Continue cooking over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add the sardines and gently fold through the sauce. Turn the heat off.
  5. Add the drained pasta to the sauce, season and gently toss to combine. Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve.
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Seafood Week 2017

 

I’ve also been guest blogging on the Judge Cookware site this week. Pop over to read my tips on buying, cooking and storing fish. https://judgekitchentable.squarespace.com/blog/2017/10/9/fish-tips-from-a-wee-pinch-of-sugar

The sauce for the recipe was cooked in a saute pan from the Stellar Cookware Rocktanium range. The pan was supplied by Stellar and will be part of a future review.

 

Scotch Lamb Campaign

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Scotch Lamb Campaign backed by TV presenter Andrea McLean

Scotch Lamb Campaig

TV presenter Andrea McLean was set loose on a top Scottish sheep farm this week to learn more about Scotch Lamb PGI production and lend her support to a major campaign to encourage more Scots to eat lamb.

During a day of “lambassador” activities with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Andrea visited a flock near Galashiels and spent time with Graham and Kathleen Lofthouse at Bankhouse Farm, the current Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year.

She then joined a group of top Scottish bloggers for a session in Edinburgh cooking some of her favourite Scotch Lamb dishes to help raise the profile of quality assured Scotch Lamb and highlight QMS’s on-going “Wham Bam Lamb” campaign.

During the interactive session at The Edinburgh Cook School, busy mum-of-two Andrea – who is a huge fan of lamb – shared her top tips on creating nutritionally balanced meals which are tasty enough to appeal to the whole family.

She confessed: “Juggling appearances on Loose Women and the hectic social lives of two kids means, as a family, we can’t always dedicate the time we’d like to creating laborious meals in the kitchen so it’s great to have a go-to ingredient which is quick and easy to cook.

“Scotch Lamb is perfect for ensuring we can rustle up great, versatile mid-week meals and, as it’s packed with protein, iron and vitamins, it keeps our family’s diet balanced and my mind at ease.”

During her visit to Bankhouse Farm Andrea also learned more about the quality assurance, traceability and animal welfare standards which underpin the iconic Scotch Lamb brand.

The Lofthouse family run 439 ewes and 72 calving suckler cows on around 300 acres of land in the Scottish Borders and, during her visit, Andrea also tried her hand at rounding-up sheep, with help from the farm’s working collie, Kip.

“Andrea is a great ambassador for healthy eating and as she’s already a fan of Scotch Lamb, it’s been fantastic to be able to give her a better understanding of the commitment involved in the production, from farm to for,” said Carol McLaren, QMS Head of Communications.

“Scottish farmers are justifiably proud of the Scotch Lamb they produce and QMS is working hard with the industry to communicate just how quick and easy lamb is to cook. Andrea did a great job of helping us to share that message with the influential foodie mums who took part in the cooking session with her,” she added.

Research from IGD found that 70% of the target shoppers agreed that Scotch Lamb PGI is ‘produced to a higher standard’ and 60% agreed it is ‘the best available’ after the 2016 “Wham Bam Lamb” campaign.

Last year’s successful campaign also saw identified Scottish origin sales of lamb in Scotland increase by 10.5% in value and command a retail price premium of 11%.

Now in its fifth year, QMS’s campaign hopes to further establish lamb’s credentials as an ideal staple for the weekly shopping list.

For more information and recipe inspiration, visit www.whambamlamb.com.

Herbs, Parsley, Sage and Rosemary

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Herbs and Gardening

In a change from my usual food and recipe posts, I’m writing about herbs and my garden this week. The garden plays a big part in what happenes in the kitchen throughout the year and particularly over the summer and autumn months.
As long as I’ve had a garden, it’s always been a case of work in progress, and I think that’s probably the case for most people if they have a sizeable garden. I’ve had this garden for 26 years and although over that time we’ve put our own stamp on it, we’ve also made lots of mistakes.

Vegetable garden

Vegetable garden

Some plants failed to thrive, others just didn’t survive and my ambitions for a Mediterranean style garden in the West of Scotland saw the demise of plants that really weren’t suited to the garden.

Gardening

Some area’s suffered from too much shade, others from bad drainage, and then there was the flock of free range chickens whose love of my herbs and salads led to the name ‘peck and come again.

Herbs

The recent spell of warm weather has been a real boost for the plants and this year the herbs have got off to a particularly good start.
Fennel

This fennel plant is well established and every year produces a healthy crop which is well used in many of the fish dishes I cook and is a delicious addition in salads. Apart from cutting back and removing the old woody stems it seems to take care of itself. Fennel is drought resistant but as you can imagine, that’s not a problem in my Scottish garden.

Sage

Sage is a herb I’m never short of and this plant will need to be cut back next spring. It started off as a small plant and has completely taken over the top of one of the beds. I tend to use sage with chicken and pork; it’s always in my Christmas sage and onion stuffing and fried leaves pair beautifully with butternut squash, particularly if it’s with ravioli and melted butter. It also dries well and leaves can be frozen. Parsley

This bed has a bit of a mixed bunch of herbs – parsley, lemon verbena, red veined sorrel and there’s a new cornflower plant peeping through in the background.  Parsley is a herb I can never have enough of and try to grow as much as possible throughout the year. It’s so versatile and makes its way into soups, sauces and casseroles, sometimes on a daily basis and always on a weekly basis. It’s great with many fish dishes and can also be found in many of my pasta dishes.

The red veined sorrel is new to the garden this year and will most likely be used in salads. The sharp tangy flavour makes it useful addition to fish dishes and sauces. I’ll report back on how I use it although if you have any ideas, please leave me your comments at the bottom of this post.

Lemon balm is a herb I’ve always grown, mainly for the aroma rather than for culinary use. The leaves have a very uplifting smell and on a summers day it’s nice to run your hands through and inhale. As it’s part of the mint family I’ve been thinking of adding it to iced water to make a refreshing drink. Perhaps it’s time to make more of an effort to use lemon balm in the kitchen as it will add a delicious lemon flavour, particularly in sweet dishes.

Rosemary

As a family of lamb lovers, one herb I’m never without is rosemary and this picture shows a small rosemary hedge I had grown along the edge of one of the beds. Unfortunately it was attacked by a pest last year and the entire hedge and the curry plant growing along side had to be dug up.  Since then, I’ve planted several plants in containers and most of them seem to flourishing this year. Rosemary and garlic are essential partners with roast lamb and I regularly chop rosemary sprigs to add to roast potatoes.

I’m not growing as many vegetables this year but have set myself a challenge to be completely self sufficient in salads.

Grow your own salads

To ensure success I’m doing this in 3 ways. I’ve been making regular sowings of mixed cut and come again salads, both indoors and outdoors and I bought a few established plants that have already been planted into the beds.

Check back next week to see how the salad project is growing.

 

Chicken Biryani with Roasted Cauliflower

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Chicken Biryani.

Every other week I roast a chicken either for a meal or to keep the family going in lunches and sandwiches.

Roast chicken

 

Nothing goes to waste, right down to the carcass which is either used immediately to make stock or it goes into the freezer to be used later.

Chicken stock

Occasionally, there’s enough leftover meat for a meal and when that happens one of my favourite ‘go to’ recipes is this easy chicken biryani. If you’re really well organised you can use the homemade stock from the carcass and add to the biryani!

Chicken and Biryani cauliflower 3

This is a much simpler version than some of the elaborate Indian and Persian recipes for biryani which is very often served as a special dish at celebrations. Being simple doesn’t mean it’s less tasty and the addition of the roasted cauliflower adds an extra layer of delicious flavour and also packs in some extra health giving goodness. Traditionally chilli is not part of a biryani and the flavours in this recipe are not overly hot. For an extra kick, feel free to add some fresh chilli.

There’s very little prep involved and don’t forget if you’re short of time, get the veg prepped the night before to save time later.

Chicken and Cauliflower Biryani

Chicken and Cauliflower Biryani

Roasted Cauliflower

This is the kind of dish I like for a quick mid week meal although I would also be happy to serve this up as part of a more special or elaborate meal. Elevate it to another level by sprinkling with toasted almonds and serving with mango or hot banana chutney and a raita.

Chicken Biryani with Roasted Cauliflower
Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower Biryani
Print Recipe
There's more to leftover chicken than sandwiches and this biryani with roasted spiced cauliflower is a great way to use it up in a family meal. This is a simplified version of a traditional biryani; it's not too spicy but it's just as tasty, and, with the addition of the roasted cauliflower it's very healthy too.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Chicken Biryani with Roasted Cauliflower
Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower Biryani
Print Recipe
There's more to leftover chicken than sandwiches and this biryani with roasted spiced cauliflower is a great way to use it up in a family meal. This is a simplified version of a traditional biryani; it's not too spicy but it's just as tasty, and, with the addition of the roasted cauliflower it's very healthy too.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Biryani
Roasted Spiced Cauliflower
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C/gas 7. Wash the rice in several changes of water the put the rice in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Season with salt and set aside. Meanwhile, start cooking the cauliflower. Mix the cauliflower, onion, oil, spices and seasoning together and place on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until al dente and starting to colour.
  2. Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan and cook the onions for 4-5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, pepper, spices and bay leaf and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add a splash of water if the ingredients start to dry out.
  3. Drain the rice into a sieve and run under cold water then add to the pan along with the stock and dried barberries. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Scatter the cooked chicken over the top of the rice and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the stock has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, add half the coriander to the pan and using a fork, mix the chicken and coriander through the rice.
  5. Pile the roasted cauliflower and onions on top, sprinkle with the remainder of the coriander and serve.
Roast Cauliflower
  1. Mix the cauliflower, onion, oil, spices and seasoning together and place on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until al dente and starting to colour.
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Smoked Mackerel and Gnocchi Hotpot

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Busy family lifestyles need quick options for healthy and quick meals and this smoked mackerel hotpot is one of my go to dishes. It’s definitely a dinner in a dash – it doesn’t take long to cook and that’s a bonus after a long day at work, particularly if there’s the added energy draining task of taking and collecting kids from after school school activities.

Smoked Mackerel

A pack of the smoked mackerel fillets from the supermarket is ideal for this recipe although it’s a versatile dish and can be made with other types of smoked fish, including tinned fish. Varying the vegetables also adds to the versatility and if you’re trying to get the kids to pack in the 5 a day fruit and veg for a healthier diet, it works well with celery, courgettes, spring onions, peas and green beans.

I normally use pre made gnocchi as it cooks so quickly, normally 2-3 minutes, and, as a standby by for last minute meals I usually keep a pack of the long life gnocchi in the store cupboard. It makes a nice change from pasta or potatoes and with its quick cooking time, what’s not to like.

Smoked Mackerel

Smoked Mackerel
Smoked Mackerel Hotpot
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Smoked Mackerel
Smoked Mackerel Hotpot
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Remove the skin from the mackerel - it should peel away easily - flake the flesh into bite size pieces and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and leek and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. Add the peppers and tomatoes and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.
  3. Mix the cream cheese, milk and lemon juice together, add to the pan along with the herbs, stir to mix well and until thick and creamy.
  4. Cook the gnocchi according to the instructions on the packet. This normally takes 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, add to the pan along with mackerel and gently fold through the sauce. Tip the mixture into a shallow oven proof dish.
  5. Optional. sprinkle over the breadcrumb and cheese mixture and brown under a hot grill for 5 minutes or until golden brown
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Smoked Mackerel

The cheese and breadcrumb topping is optional but I think it gives a nice texture to the dish and contrasts well with the soft gnocchi and creamy sauce.

Blue Cod in the Galley Kitchen

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Blue cod in the galley kitchen. Another tale from our recent trip to New Zealand.

Kitchens have a certain magnetism for me and wherever I go it’s a given that I’ll end up in the kitchen. Even on holiday, I can’t drag myself away from the pull of a sharp knife and a stove. Holiday cooking, particularly if it’s in another country, has the added interest of new ingredients and local fresh food. Our current trip to New Zealand is taking in some sailing and that is giving me the opportunity to cook in the galley kitchen of the yacht, SV Defiant.

img_1691It’s much smaller than I’m used to at home and with space at a premium,  our host Lisa has organised it perfectly and that makes it a very cook friendly space. Everything you need to cook a meal is included – a two ring gas burner, an oven and a microwave.

Galley kitchen

There’s a fantastic range of kitchen utensils, pots and pans, including extremely sharp knives – essential for dealing with the fresh fish we’re catching. Lisa has a tremendously well stocked larder of dry and tinned ingredients; along with a treasure trove of herbs and spices, and it’s the first port of call when a fresh fish lands in the kitchen. I love that kind of cooking – rather than having a recipe in mind, looking at the main ingredients and building the dish with what’s in store.

We’ve eaten really well and with limited space; one pot dishes have made the cooking more manageable and of course there’s the added bonus of fewer dishes to be washed.

New Zealand has a fantastic coast line for fishing and is blessed with a natural bounty of great fish. Kia Morna – Food of the ocean – is plentiful here.

Blue cod are endemic to New Zealand and we found them in plentiful supply although restrictions are in place to control the numbers caught and all had to be over 33cm. Our catch of four was within the legal limits in the Marlborough sounds.  Restrictions are also in place regarding the transportation of filleted blue cod in this area and it’s not unusual for fisheries officers to board pleasure boats to check the size of the catch. Filleting blue cod in advance of cooking means the officers are unable to tell if the whole fish was of legal size.

This recipe came from the ingredients we had in stock in the board pantry and the freshly caught blue cod provided by our eager hunter gatherers.

Blue Cod

Blue cod

New Zealand Fishing

The hunter gatherers go off in search of fish.

Blue cod

Blue cod
Blue Cod Hotpot
Print Recipe
This is a healthy and robust dish using fish, potatoes and vegetables. I used what I had the hand along with the freshly caught fish - the dish can be easily varied using different vegetables & fish.
Servings Prep Time
4 People 15 Minutes
Cook Time
35 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 People 15 Minutes
Cook Time
35 Minutes
Blue cod
Blue Cod Hotpot
Print Recipe
This is a healthy and robust dish using fish, potatoes and vegetables. I used what I had the hand along with the freshly caught fish - the dish can be easily varied using different vegetables & fish.
Servings Prep Time
4 People 15 Minutes
Cook Time
35 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 People 15 Minutes
Cook Time
35 Minutes
Ingredients
Servings: People
Instructions
  1. Season the fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Optional - I marinated the blue cod fillets with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a chopped garlic clove and set aside before cooking the veg.
  2. Heat the oil and butter in a large sauté pan - deep enough to hold all the ingredients.
  3. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the potatoes and sauté, stirring occasionally until they start to colour and soften. Add extra oil and butter as required.
  5. Add the leek and red pepper and cook, stirring gently for a further 5 minutes. Add the herbs and chilli flakes.
  6. Stir in the wine and water, bring to a simmer, season and continue cooking until the potatoes and vegetables are almost cooked.
  7. Add the fish, cover and reduce the heat to low. The cooking time will depend on the type and thickness of the fish. The small blue cod fillets cooked in approximately 10 minutes. The fish can also be browned in a separate pan before adding to the main dish.
  8. Once cooked, check season, add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with the remaining lemon wedges on the side.
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Blue Cod

 

 

Link up.

I’ve also added this recipe to the #recipeoftheweek link up at Emily Leary’s, A Mummy Too blog.

Blue Cod

Maori Culture

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Getting to know Māori culture

I’m having a break from the kitchen for the next few weeks to experience a relaxing life down under in New Zealand – and in my mind, there’s really no better way to get to know a country than through it’s people, it’s culture and it’s local food.  This is our second trip to the country and top of my list was to find out more about the Māori culture and to visit a traditional Wharenui or meeting house. With family living in New Zealand, I was familiar with some aspects of the culture – probably the most well known is the haka, the ancient Māori war dance performed by the All Blacks at rugby matches. There’s also the intricate carvings and artwork but I’d never experienced the rich and diverse cultural traditions of the people.

Maori carving

The timing of our trip was perfect as February 6th is Waitangi Day – the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi -the founding document of New Zealand. Signed in 1840, this is an agreement entered into by representatives of the British Crown and of Māori iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-tribes). It’s named after the place in the Bay of Islands where the Treaty was first signed.

We didn’t have to travel far; close to where we were staying is the Waikawa Marae – a  Marae is a fenced-in complex of carved buildings and grounds and it’s central to Māori Culture. Each marae belongs to a particular iwi, hapū or whānau – a Māori family and is used for meetings, celebrations, funerals, educational workshops and other important tribal events.

Being Waitangi Day, the Waikawa Marae along with Māoris throughout New Zealand were taking the opportunity to share their culture during the day of celebrations.

Waikawa Marae

Visitors to New Zealand are encouraged to respect Tikanga Māori, the traditional Māori culture and customs that have been handed down through time. These remain as relevant today as they did in historical times and an example of this is the formal welcoming ceremony at the Marae. It’s traditional for visitors to respect the sacredness of the Marae and remain outside until officially welcomed onto the meeting grounds.

Those who have never set foot on a Marae are known as waewae tapu or sacred feet and must take part in a what’s known as a pōwhiri – a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony to remove the tapu – sacredness and make them one with the local people.

Maori welcome

The pōwhiri began with a powerful challenge – this is known as a wero and it was performed by a Māori warrior from the marae. The challenge is to to check whether the guests are friend or foe and of course, we had come in peace.  During the challenge the warrior laid a small bunch of greenery on the ground and this was graciously accepted by our Māori guide to show our peaceful intentions.

Maori welcome The  Māori women standing outside the meeting house sang a song of welcome and this signalled that it was acceptable for us to start moving onto the marae.

Our female Māori guide responded with her own call and very slowly and solemnly we began our short journey onto the marae. In keeping with the Māori tradition, the women stepped onto marae first; flanked by the men for protection, but, on reaching the wharenui,  everyone removed their shoes and the men entered first. It’s a further symbolic act of protection to ensure it’s safe for the women to enter. Our hosts greeted us with the ceremonial hongi, the traditional Māori touching of noses and the welcoming Māori greeting ‘Kia Ora.’

A number of speeches, all in the Māori language were made by the men and each of these was followed by a song in support of the speech. There was no translation but a short explanation of some parts was given by Māori woman – there had been some quiet laughter during the speeches and she was keen to tell us that they were not laughing at the guests but at a joke about the New Zealand cricket teams recent victory over Australia!

She also explained that Māori’s believe that everyone should have a say and talked about ‘wake eke noa,’ – a Māori proverb meaning ‘a canoe which we are all in with no exception. Simply meaning, ‘we are all in this together.’

Maori

Like many cultures, food is central to celebrations and in keeping with the Māori tradition of hospitality, simple food was shared at the end of the pōwhiri. It’s traditional for visitors to present a koha, a gift to the marae hosts – on this occasion it was money; and was seen, not as a donation from the pocket, but rather a gift from the heart.

Māori people see their marae as tūrangawaewae – their place to stand and belong and we felt honoured to have visited and shared their Waitangi Day celebrations.