Wok ‘n’ Roll

I haven’t posted a recipe here for aaaages.  I find that now I’m single and living alone(apart from the sprog, that is), cooking has become a bit of a challenge. I end up eating with my son at ridiculous times (11am and 6pm), and often just make very child-friendly food. I miss having someone around to dine with, especially as I am yet to master the art of cooking for one.

This here is probably my favourite new invention, and it’s dead easy to make it just for myself, or increase the size for more people. I decided I wanted to try and make a Vietnamese-y inspired noodle soup because I miss going up to Kingsland Road and gorging on Far Eastern flavours. I’m sure there’s nothing authentically Vietnamese about it at all, but be easy on me. I am just a single mum in South London, for crying out loud. The quantities below make enough for one very hungry person or two not very hungry people. Don’t you just love my precision?

Sexy Salmon with Basil and Red Pepper Lingerie

First of all, apologies for the ludicrous recipe name, but this is a juicy little number… Another quick sensation to render your guests speechless as their tastebuds decide to throw their own party in their mouths. BEST OF ALL, its quick, easy, and looks almost as gorgeous as it tastes. Even if you’re peeling the peppers yourself(which is slightly nicer, but if you don’t it doesn’t compromise too much of the flavour) you can do it the night before, and when you get back from work you can just pop it into the oven and unwind on your settee with a nice glass of plonk.

Ingredients:

1 Salmon Fillet per head

1 Loaded teaspoon of cream cheese per fillet

1/2 a peeled red pepper per fillet(or you can get peeled peppers in a jar from the supermarket)

Handful of Basil, chopped coarsely

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

TO PEEL RED PEPPERS:

Halve and core the peppers, putting them under a hot grill with the skin side up. Wait until the skin gets charred black(around 10 mins, maybe less). Remove them and put them in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and wait until peppers have cooled down entirely, when the skin will come off easily.

METHOD:

Pre-heat oven to 200c or gas mark 6

Place the salmon fillets in a baking tray

Season the cream cheese with salt and pepper

Spread the cream cheese over the surface of the Salmon fillets

Chop the peppers into thin strips

Lay the peppers carefully over the fillets

 

Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes—Try not to overcook or the Salmon will dry out! It should be opaque in the centre

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chopped basil, then drizzle each fillet with a teaspoon or so of Balsamic vinegar…

 

…et voila!!!

I like to serve this with steamed green vegetables or a green salad with avocado, plus some nice roast potatoes.

 

Lime Cheesecake

I am having some friends over for dinner tonight and this is the dessert I will be serving. It is a very simple and delicious cheesecake, one that even the most woeful cook could rustle up to the sound of rapturous applause. It is lovely and tangy and light, and, as cheesecakes go, it doesn’t make you feel like your arteries are tightening up by the nanosecond. Seeing as it can be prepared the night before it is ideal for a mid-week dinner party, when you just want to have it all ready for you as you drag yourself home from work through rush hour.

You will need a 20cm loose bottom flan tin.

Ingredients:

175g Digestive Biscuits, crushed into crumbs

75g Butter, melted

Grated zest and juice of half a lemon

Grated zest and juice of 3 limes

115g sugar (that’s roughly just under half a teacup, if you don’t have scales!)

350g Cream Cheese(I almost used mascarpone, then i realised it’s got twice the kcals of Philadelphia)

150ml Creme Fraiche

Method:

1. Mix the digestive biscuit crumbs and melted butter, pressing them into the bottom of the flan tin to make a crust.

2. Put Cream Cheese in a bowl, adding the sugar, and the lemon and lime zest and juice, mixing thoroughly.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the Creme Fraiche until soft peaks form, fold into Cream Cheese mixture, then pour over the biscuit crust.

4. Chill for several hours. Serve with raspberries and/or blueberries.

Piece of cake!