Scott's Soup plus a Trouser Joke!

Yesterday we visited friends and their son, Scott (actually he’s one of our friends too!) aged 9, had cooked a most wonderful Butternut Squash and Leek Soup.  It was about 4 in the afternoon and we only popped in for a coffee but I just had to eat a whole bowl full of the stuff.  It was seriously good, the sort of thing I would be happy to have on a restaurant menu.  Chaps like Scott surely gives hope for the future of eating in Britain – perhaps it won’t all be bought in stuff after all.

I didn’t take a picture but it was this colour!

So, today's lunch …

~  Menu  ~

Smoked Haddock and Leek Fishcake

Honey Mustard Drizzle

White Wine Spritzer

A few strawberries, surprisingly enough

We have bought our tickets and in about 10 days are off on the next stage of our seasonal wandering – to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands (we lived there for 16 years and still have our old live-aboard boat anchored in Trellis Bay) for a couple of months of sorting out said boat, catching up with friends and maybe taking in a few rays (and rum).

Before we go I am stocking up my father-in-law's freezer for him and today I have made Chicken Casserole, Red Wine Braised Beef and Smoked Haddock in Creamy Leek Sauce. Whilst doing it I had a few bits and pieces over and made myself a well deserved lunch using up a modicum of mashed potato I had in the fridge. 

I munged together a good spoonful of buttery tender cooked leeks, a handful of mashed potato and all the little pieces and flakes of smoked haddock that fell off, or were encouraged to leave, the main pieces of fish.  Formed into a cake, coated in seasoned flour, shallow fried till crispy and drizzled with bought in Honey Mustard Dressing from my store cupboard and with lots of freshly ground black pepper it was delicious. 

We bought some very cheap strawberries in Tesco yesterday  (we're not always in there - honest!); 59p a punnet.  They are a little different from British strawberries, pointy and on the firm side.  I halved and sugared them for dinner tonight and ate just a few whilst I was doing it.

I have to say that my Up a Day, Down a Day Diet is not going as well as expected.  This is through no fault of the diet but seems to be some strange failing in myself!

As an excuse I am using the fact that I am testing a lot of dishes for a couple of articles I am writing and am naturally greedy thorough and have to try everything.
  
Oh - before I go I just want to pass on a joke I saw on Twitter ... 

MEN. Show your wife that YOU wear the trousers by wearing trousers and shouting "Look at my trousers!"

... it was posted by Twop Twips so now I'm following them in case they are often this funny.

Leftover Fishcakes? Eat them on Toast!

Doubly frugal, I made my lunch today out of leftovers from a meal I had last night which, in its turn, was also made of leftovers. I had a selection of fishy odds and ends (many of them made of fish!) cluttering up the freezer so yesterday I had some spicy fish cakes for dinner.

Spicy Fishcakes Recipe

250g cooked fish and/or shellfish flaked or diced
2 heaped tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 finely chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon of finely grated lime zest
2 teaspoons Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce – or to taste
salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons soft fresh breadcrumbs - maybe more!

~  Mix together the first 5 ingredients, taste and season.
~  Add the breadcrumbs and work together lightly by hand till the mixture holds together. You might need more breadcrumbs or more mayonnaise but it's not the end of the world!
~  Cover chill for an hour or more to firm up a little.
~  Form into lots of little cakes for appetisers or a 4 big ones as a main course for 2.
~  Shallow fry till crisp and golden on both sides and hot in the middle.

There was too much for me to eat and my guy likes Proper English Food so I put the last fishcake in the fridge where I was pleased to find it again this morning. 

I didn’t want to have an exact repeat of last night’s dinner, lovely though it was, so I broke the leftover fish cake up into a bowl and mixed in various chopped saladings (spring onion, cherry tomatoes and sweet pepper), mayonnaise and a healthy squeeze of lime juice. All the same ingredients over again, really, but it worked, especially when served on toasted sourdough with a small white wine on the side.

This reminds me of one of the more bizarre dishes I have made ...

Leftover Soup Cakes!

When working in the Caribbean in a very busy restaurant we had a group of customers who over a period of days seemed unsure whether they were having a celebration or not. 

One Sunday afternoon at the tail end of a very busy brunch with lots to prep ahead for the evening they decided to go for it there and then. They suddenly needed Champagne and lots of delicious and interesting nibbles to make the party go with a swing. 

Much to my own surprise I managed to make some very popular fish cakes out of the dregs of the seafood chowder. I bunged it in a bowl and added enough breadcrumbs to make a heavy goo, stuck it in the freezer for a short while and then deep fried it by the spoonful. Weeks later people were still talking about them – in a good way – but I refused to give them the recipe!

I fancy myself as quite good with leftovers which I why I wrote my book Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.