Smoked Mackerel Quiche

Summer is drawing to a close, but warm weather still finds its way up North every now and then, teasing us with sunshine and the ability to put the cardigans away for a few days. It's the one time when a filling, hearty, warm meal just won't do; enter the quiche.

We probably have quiche at least once a month in the spring and summer months. The produce in season right now lends itself really well to these toss-it-all-in meals, it's light yet filling, and can be eaten hot or cold (leftovers for breakfast are amaaaaazing). It's the all-purpose meal of champions, with an "anything goes" ease.

I know I'm a bit late posting this recipe but one thing leads to another and *poof* time to catch up on photo editing and recipe posting. Chloe's first tooth came in last week and it has been the most sleepless time in my life since she was a newborn. What a trooper, though. And thank God for those homeopathic chamomile teething crystals (when we finally found out about them and bought some) - worked a charm and I didn't have to resort to using some chemical/painkiller-filled gel in my baby's mouth. Win-win-win all day long.

They say our bodies tell us what they need by the food cravings we have; I was craving oily fish and wanted mackerel, so I must have needed vitamin D and Omega 3's. If you're not a mackerel fan, smoked trout or salmon would also be delicious! And since the fresh pea season has since ended, trust me, frozen will do just fine.

Leftover Rescue: BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

We love a Sunday roast dinner in our house, but the leftovers can get a little monotonous. This week, I completely transformed some leftover roast chicken into a flavorful barbecue dish that is sure to please the whole family.

My husband and I both love dark meat, so we usually eat the legs/thighs when I roast a chicken. So, for this recipe, I used the leftover breast meat. If you have leftover leg or thigh meat, it works just as well, and you might even be able to trick chicken breast lovers into eating some dark leg meat for once!

I whipped up a batch of quick homemade coleslaw to go on the side - 1/2 head of shredded cabbage, 2 tbsp free range mayo, 1/2 tsp organic honey, 2 tbsp white vinegar (I used rice vinegar, but that's just my personal preference), and a dash of white pepper. If you're whipping some coleslaw up to go along with your meal, I recommend doing it before you begin cooking the potatoes, so that it has plenty of time to sit, marinate & mingle in the fridge.

So there you have it! An easy Monday recipe that mixes up some leftover chicken. Enjoy!

Spiced Lamb Burgers & Greek Veggies

I always look forward to our local farmers' market at the end of the month, because we have a fantastic local lamb farm that I buy meat from. Ground lamb is one of those things that you usually associate with the classic heavy meals; ie, shepherd's pie, moussaka, and other heavy wintry dishes. I think it's just as versatile as beef, though, and these lightly spiced lamb burgers are the perfect example of how good it can be on the grill!

Now, when I say "spiced," I don't mean spicy, I mean spiced. Cumin and coriander both pair fantastically with lamb, and a cool yogurt mint sauce on top can whisk your palate away to the Mediterranean. I didn't put mine on buns simply because it's hot out and I didn't feel like eating heavy bread, but by all means pop yours on a whole grain roll - the flavor of this burger can really stand up to whole wheat buns.

The veggie skewers are another flavorful summer side dish that kicks your basic sides to the curb; I recommend fresh oregano, but if you don't have any in the garden, dried will work just fine. Actually, after making this recipe, I went and planted some oregano so I can have the fresh stuff next time!

Green Machine Quinoa Salad

Have you ever had one of those days where your body was literally begging for you to eat a really big, really green salad? I have felt super sluggish lately, which I'll chalk up to having a few sleepless nights with a fussy (suspected teething) baby, and I know I've needed to up my green veg game. Leafy green salads don't tend to fill me up and leave me feeling really satisfied, though, so I turned to the nutritional powerhouse that is quinoa for this job.

Not only is quinoa a gluten-free grain, which is what it's most often marketed as, but it's a complete protein - meaning, it contains all of the essential amino acids that our bodies require but cannot make on their own. Because it's packed with protein, it will help to make you feel full and give you plenty of energy.  I've had an aversion to it's trademark nutty/earthy flavor in the past, but with the dressing on this salad, you don't need to worry about that at all! It's a great starter recipe if you're trying quinoa for the first time. Just cook it according to the package directions, and mix it all up. This salad is best refrigerated for a few hours or overnight, so that all of the flavors can mingle and do their thing, but I ate a bowl straight away and it tasted great too.

Roasted Fennel & Broccoli Soup

In honor of the No Food Waste challenge, I've come up with a recipe that uses one of the most frequently discarded edible foods (broccoli stem) and a seasonal delight (fennel). Broccoli stem has just as many nutrients as the florets - in fact, it has more calcium, iron, and vitamin C, and it's definitely just as delicious. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and flavors of both of these veggies, so don't toss those stems!

Have some leftover bread laying around? I baked a loaf two days ago made from fantastic flour from a local mill, so when it began to go stale, I knew I couldn't let it go to waste. Croutons can be saved in a plastic bag and will keep their crunch for soups and salads, so make a batch up instead of wasting your stale bread! You can season them up with garlic (fresh, salt, or powder), or any spices you like. They add great crunch to this creamy soup. 

Weeknight Dinners: Grilled Balsamic Lamb Chops

Summer is barbecue season, but sometimes we get so caught up on the same old burgers and hot dogs that we forget how versatile our grills can be! Don't save it just for a sunny weekend; here's a quick weeknight dinner that you can cook up (and eat) al fresco in just 30 minutes: Grilled roasted new potatoes with thyme, grilled courgette (zucchini) spears, and balsamic marinated grilled lamb chops. 

For the lamb marinade, mix together 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 sprig of fresh thyme (stem removed, leaves crushed between your hands), 1 clove of garlic (grated, finely minced, or popped in a garlic press) and salt and pepper. Put in a plastic bag or covered container and allow to marinate. I recommend marinating an hour in advance, or even overnight, but if you're pressed for time, simply marinate while you prep your veggies. 

New potatoes are in season, so what better way to bring out their natural sweetness than by roasting. Grilling potatoes in a foil packet gives them both the direct heat from the flames below, for crispy skins, as well as indirect heat as they steam in the foil packet and get nice and soft inside. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and some fresh thyme (leftover from the lamb marinade). Seal up the foil packet well - leave a little breathing room inside - and put on the grill ASAP over a medium flame. They need to cook the longest, so put the potatoes on first. 

Next, cut the courgettes (zucchini) into spears. Toss with a tiny bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, and sprinkle with your favourite grilling spice. I found this fish and seafood seasoning grinder at Aldi, and it has a lot of great flavours like lemon, fennel, chili flakes, dill and turmeric, and I thought it would work wonderfully for these veggies. 

The courgettes should go on the grill at medium heat with about 20 minutes to spare, turning regularly so that they cook evenly. When they are about halfway cooked (beginning to get colour and starting to get more tender), put the lamb chops over a high flame and sear both sides. Baste with the leftover marinade and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Happy grilling!

Summer Veggie Pizza (I'm back!)

It's hot out. Like, uncharacteristically hot for the North of England. I have no idea why it's sunny and sweltering for the past two weeks, but I'm not going to question it because once it starts raining, I don't know when we'll see the sun again.

I apologise for the hiatus whilst we were moving, and then when we had to wait a week and a half to have wifi installed in the new house. But I'm super excited to be cooking with a gas stove and oven again for the first time in 2 years!!

If you can stand to turn on your oven, this simple weeknight recipe uses all of the veggies that are so plentiful this time of year and turns them into a fabulous feast. It's a guilt-free, no hassle dinner that basically only requires chopping up veggies, and possibly making pizza dough, if you can't buy it. If you're fortunate enough to live near a Trader Joe's (American readers only, sorry), I do recall that they had fresh pizza dough in the fridge. Shop the line - if it's there, you'll see it. But I digress...

I cheated. I did not make my pesto for the pizza sauce. Nope, straight out of a jar. But it's good quality pesto, no added nonsense, and its so yummy. Now, below are my ingredients in the order that I assembled them, since I can't really call this a "recipe" because its so easy. Remember, it's totally fun to improvise! Clean out the fridge and chuck it all on there. I used three cheeses to amp up the flavour, so that you don't need much at all. One ball of mozzarella spread evenly over three (personal-sized) pizzas, along with some grated Parmesan and a little bit of mature cheddar (trust me). Get creative! But remember, the better the quality of the ingredients, the less you need to do to them, so get out to the farmer's market and shop for what's in season.

Pizza dough 

*par bake the dough for 3-5 minutes, then remove from the oven, add toppings, and finish cooking*

Pesto

Courgette (zucchini)

Red onion

Spinach 

Tomato

Orange bell pepper

Spinach 

Mozzarella

Cheddar

Parmesan

Freshly ground pepper

Garlic powder

Italian dried herbs 

Bake until the edges of the crust are golden brown (you can use a spatula to lift the edge of the crust up and check the colour of the underside).

It's pizza time!!