Sue’s Cook Book

This a a great way to make salmon more interesting and to make a little salmon go further (it’s very expensive here in Australia!) It’s also quick and easy and full of flavour. Ideally you will need a large saute pan with a lid.

Serves 4

2 salmon steaks sliced in half lengthways

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 red chilli finely sliced

2 cm piece of ginger finely grated 

 a good handful of finely sliced carrot (julienne)

1/2 red pepper finely sliced (julienne)

1/2 yellow pepper finely sliced (julienne)

a good handful of mange tout (snow peas) trimmed and sliced in half diagonally

1 tablespoon curry paste 

1 can reduced fat coconut milk

1 handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped

Lightly spray pan with oil and then add all vegetables and stir.  Let the vegetables cook for a few minutes and then add the curry paste and the coconut milk. 

Give it a good stir and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Allow the sauce to bubble and then place the salmon steaks on top of the sauce and put lid on.  The salmon will only take about 5 minutes to cook.

When the salmon has turned pale add the coriander and stir. 

Taste again and add more curry paste/salt and pepper if needed.

Serve on a bed of basmati rice with a wedge of lime – heavenly!

This is a great meal with only one pan to wash up, it looks very colourful and has so much flavour – fab for entertaining as it just takes care of itself in the oven.  It is also very easy to adapt to more than 4 people.

Serves 4

2 large orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 red, 1 green and 1 yellow pepper cut into chunks

2 courgettes, sliced 1cm thick

1 large red onion, cut into chunks

4 skinless chicken breasts

4 teaspoons red pesto

4 slices parma ham

Pre-heat oven to 200/180 fan forced. 

Pour a little olive oil or spray a little olive oil spray into a large roasting dish and place in the oven.  Prepare all vegetables as above. 

Place the sweet potato into the tray and cook alone for 15 mins.  Take out of the oven and give it a shake – then add the other vegetables and shake in the pan.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In the meantime, spread each chicken breast with pesto and then wrap a slice of parma ham around each breast.

Place the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables and bake for a further 30 mins or until juices run clear in the chicken and the vegetables are cooked.

To serve, remove chicken and place to one side.  Divide the vegetables evenly onto 4 plates, place chicken on top and serve with sauce on the side if desired (see below).

Easy Tomato Sauce:

1/2 pint passata

1 oxo vegetable stock cube

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place passata in a small pan and crumble in oxo cube and add salt and pepper.  Heat up gently and have a taste – add a little sugar if needed (makes a real difference!) Serve in a sauce boat.

This is a fantastic budget meal that can last for days!  I normally make this and have it as a meal with rice or couscous on the night and then eat the rest as soup for lunches for the next couple of days – pretty good for one chicken I think and it’s low in fat and high in taste – what more could you ask for?

1 whole chicken – you choose how big

1 tin chickpeas

1 onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed

1/2 red pepper diced

1/2 green pepper diced

1 or 2 fresh or dried chilli sliced – to taste

1 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 bottle of passata (700g bottle)

1.5 litres veg stock

1 heaped tablespoon curry paste – I use Patak’s lemon and coriander masala paste

1 heaped tablespoon tomato puree

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with a little water

You will need a large stock pot for this.  Spray a little oil on in the pot and turn on the heat.  Add the onion, garlic peppers and sweet potato, put the lid on and let them sweat for 5 mins or so. 

In the meantime, get your chicken and peel off all the skin – the only bits that will be tricky is the wings – I normally just leave the skin on those. 

When the onion, garlic, sweet potato and peppers has softened a little, add the tomatoes, passata, curry paste, chilli, tomato puree and stock and give it a good stir.  Then add the whole chicken to the pan, turn up the heat and let it come to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour.

After 1 hour have a taste and then add salt and pepper.  It may need a little more curry paste or chilli – depending on your taste.

Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate.  Take all the meat off the bones and cut up into bite-size pieces. Put all meat back into the pot and stir.

Add the cornflour mix into the pot and stir until it thickens.

Serve in deep bowls with rice or couscous as a warming winter meal or serve as a soup with crusty bread.  This dish will serve many people or if there’s only two of you will last a few days if stored in the fridge and will also freeze well.

Variation:

Lentils work well instead of chickpeas – just add 6oz red lentils to the stock.