Lettuce Gratin with Bacon and Chorizo

Can you spot it?  The lettuce that is?  In this gratin theres about 500grams of it!  Who would have thought it!  Or maybe I should say 'Hugh' would have thought it!  I found this recipe at the weekend whilst looking for something to do with two rather large heads of lettuce.
Its another classic from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a Lettuce Gratin. 


Time to prepare and cook: 35 minutes
Cost of ingredients approx: £6
Changes to recipe:  Added Chorizo and Red Peppers
Tricky bits:  None!
The full recipe is after the break......serves 4

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

I love this pizza dough recipe - it never fails and you can find it here on the Allrecipes website by Gudny Bjorg Kjaerbo.

I normally use this to make a large rectangular pizza to share, the dough easily covers a 14 by 15 inch baking tray and makes about 15 squares, I then:

Spread on a full tube of tomato puree
Sprinkle on some low fat grated cheese.....and then whatever takes your fancy.
I used mushrooms, onions, radishes, peppers, tomatoes, ham and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

Bake at 190 C / Gas mark 5 for 20 to 25 minutes or until crispy.

Cut up and serve!

Bruschetta with Broad Beans and Asparagus

Even though Bruschetta can be the simplest recipe in the world it feels rather decadent having it for dinner rather than just as a starter but I couldnt resist making Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls Bruschetta with Broad Beans and Asparagus for our main meal.  It comes from his new book River Cottage Veg Every Day! (River Cottage Every Day).  Have a go, its quick and oh so yummy and definitely make double and eat it as your main!

Check out the recipe after the break

Mashed Up Healthy Chicken Pie

Shepards pie has mash on it, fish pie too, so why not bring mash to the humble chicken pie too.  I am a lover of pastry in its many different forms - but sometimes its nicer to have something a little lighter on your pie.  I took a recipe by Angela Nilsen, original recipe is here on the BBC Good Food website and used her pie filling - and not having filo pastry at the time added some mash.  You will need about 3 good sized potatoes (any kind) and some creme fraiche - not too much just enough to make it a little creamy.

Layer the mash on top of the filling when ready and cook for about 20-25 minutes at 200C/180C fan/gas 6.  I then popped on a little cheese (low fat mature cheddar) on the top and popped it under the grill for a couple of minutes until crispy.


We popped this into individual pie dishes and it was for two so I reduced down by a quarter Angelas original recipe measurements - well its always nice to go back for seconds!!

Baked Giant Fish Cakes with a Chilli Shot

Some people dream of Brad Pitt (or George Clooney \ Justin Bieber) insert whichever takes your fancy!, some dream of Jeanie and I dream of Fish Cakes!

At least thats what happened on Wednesday night!  Now I'm one to take this as a omen, which meant that fish cakes had to be on the menu for Thursday night....and here they are (well one of them at least!).

Inspired by a recipe called Fish Cakes with Chilli Cream in Good Food: 101 Fish & Seafood Dishes: Tried-and-tested Recipes (Good Food 101).  I ditched the cream, added some leeks, changed the fish and baked rather than fryed!  The original recipe online is here.

My amended recipe is after the jump - the result was lovely and crispy on the outside, moist and tasty in the middle - bliss!

Butternut Squash Casserole

With Halloween and Bonfire Night having just passed, this time of year calls very much for the orange and yellows of butternut squash and sweet potatoes, this casserole from the BBC Good Food website (you can reach the recipe from the link) perfectly fits the bill.  The sweetness of the squash and potatoes runs though it, and the hearty cous cous makes it perfect comfort food for a winter evening (are we in winter yet? or the last dregs of autumn?).  This is obviously vegetarian but it would go perfectly with some spicy sausages chopped up into it.  It does go very nicely with a sprinkle of grated cheese on top and a splodge of natural yogurt.

Changes I made to the recipe:  I didnt have Bulgar Wheat and so I used giant Cous Cous instead, you could just as easily use its smaller cousin too though!

Potato & Leek Gratin

We bought some cute little individual casserole \ pie dishes and what better way to use them then with an oven bake.  I found this recipe on the BBC Good Food website (the link goes through to the actual recipe).

The recipe is for 4 but it easily reduces down.  Really nice to do something with leeks and the combination with the bits of bacon is lovely.

Changes from recipe:  Instead of using ham I used bacon lardons which were super flavoursome.

Chilli Prawn Noodles

I have had total disasters with noodle dishes, but this one is always a winner, its super refreshing and rather healthy too!!  The chilli gives just the right amount of heat and the prawns are really refreshing.

I got it from the BBC Good Food website (you can reach the recipe from the link).

Changes to recipe:  I used small prawns rather than the larger king prawns.

Enjoy!