A WEEK at my TABLE

People from home often ask if we eat Chinese every day, and there will be some weeks when we pretty much do. However, as you know I love to cook, and I do cook Chinese on occasion, but this week we pretty much worked our way around the world.

MONDAY: Cauliflower cheese soup with Cauliflower Pakora. English/Indian I think I'd call it.

This came about as I had just started cooking cauliflower for cauliflower cheese when my hubby called and said he would be late. I poured out half of the water, added hot milk to make up. When cooked blitzed it and added grated cheese. I also rescued a few florets to make pakora. Just dipped them in a batter with some curry powder added and deep fried just before serving. My husband loved it, and there was leftovers for his lunch the following day. Time in kitchen, just as long as cauliflower took to cook and blitz, about 25 mins. Another 10 before serving to cook pakora.

TUESDAY: Chicken Paprikas with boiled rice. Definitely Hungarian. A favourite when I spent time living there.

A really quick and easy meal. Chicken strips, onion, chopped garlic and mushrooms fried off with S&P and a heaped teaspoon of paprika. When its cooked through add a cup of sour cream and stir through. Boil rice. couldn't be easier. Time in kitchen is about as long as the rice takes to cook. While it's cooking you can stir fry the chicken etc.

WEDNESDAY: Nasi Goreng. We're now in Indonesia. No reason except I love this dish and I'm using leftover rice from yesterday and some chicken strips I'd held back.

Ok I always make too much rice! So a Nasi is often on the menu the day after we have rice. I had held back some chicken strips and defrosted some prawns. I think 3 prawns and maybe 4 pieces of chicken per portion works. I chopped and onion and red pepper. I did make my own Nasi Paste, but it is easy, and quick, which is important.  I hate all these half empty jars that litter the fridge and I can never remember how long the should last, or when the were bought. I'll put Nasi recipe at end of blog. It's just a case of stir frying everything together with the paste. I add the rice last. I serve with a fried egg and a few slithers of spring onion. Again maybe 15 minutes cooking, and the paste takes all of 10 minutes to make. I served some ribs with this but the were taken from the freezer, already in marinade, I find this way it really penetrates and gives plenty of flavour. In the oven for 30 mins. So these are cooking while I get on with the rest of supper.

Thursday: Thai  Fish Curry. Thailand!

I use the extra prawns I'd defrosted yesterday a piece of salmon and this time I am using a pre made spice paste. I can buy this in packets and it's a one time use, so no waste. Coconut milk, green beans and noodles are the main ingredients. I fry off the paste until oil starts to separate, add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. I add the fish and beans (sometimes I use mange tout) you can use whatever you have.If I have lemon grass I will pop one in. The noodles are soaking in boiling water to be added at the end. At this point I usually add a splash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. Not necessary but it can lift the flavour a bit. 

I put noodles in bottom of bowls add the curry mixture and scatter over some coriander. Once again quick and easy and maybe 20 minutes in total. I like to serve with some naan bread to mop up the sauce.

FRIDAY: Fish, of course. Harks back to when I was a child and the fish van would come around on a Friday. Everyone ate fish.

However these days it's not going to be breaded haddock in bright orange breadcrumbs. What made them that colour ?

Sichuan Squid, followed by Fish Pie. An East meets West I guess!

Squid dredged in flour mixed with Sichuan pepper. Simply deep fry. Easy and delicious. Just don't overcook........  It can get tough if cooked too long. A couple of minutes is fine. A piece of lemon on the side to squeeze over and some, in this case, sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Fish Pie was a mix of salmon, cod and prawns all poached in milk, with a few frozen peas thrown in towards the end. I thicken the poaching liquid to make a sauce, first removing some to use in the mashed potato topping. This is completed in the time it take to boil and mash potatoes and assemble the pie. It can be done ahead and reheated. 30 minutes should see this dish completed. Fish cooking, the sauce made while potatoes are boiling. I always add an egg yolk to my mash as it helps it puff up and brown when in oven, or under the grill.

So that's a look at what was on my dinner table last week. No more than 30 minutes spent in the kitchen for any of these meals, and I hope you'll agree they all look very nice. As for the taste, you'll just have to take my word for it, delicious. Hubby left clean plates every night so I must be doing something right. 

You don't have to spend hours in the kitchen to produce good home cooked meals. It's all down to organisation. Making best of leftovers and having a good selection of ingredients in your store cupboard.

HAPPY COOKING.

NASI PASTE RECIPE:

3 tbsp oil, 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1small onion(or 2 shallots) chopped, 15g rasted salted peanuts, 6 red chillies chopped, 1tbsp tomato puree, 1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste, 1 tbsp ketchap manis (sweet soy sauce)

Put everything into a food processor and blend.

I actually did it in my mortar and pestle. Less washing up!