Every afternoon towards the end of the day I get an email from Robert the Husband asking if he needs to bring anything in for supper. He passes a Marks & Spencer Food on his way to the train so it’s easy for him to pop in and grab something. However, he always grabs the same thing. When asking what I fancy for tea I always request the same – Fishcakes. M&S do some lovely Salmon fishcakes and some delicious Thai fishcakes. We have one of each and enjoy them but it’s also possible to spend quite a bit of money on them over time and seeing as I am such a fan of fishcakes I had to perfect a recipe for myself that would keep us in the little buggers for some time without getting bored.

And here is the recipe I came up with. Not only do these quantities make eight fishcakes which is essentially four meals at two fishcakes each but if you don’t want to cook the whole lot in one go you can freeze the ingredients before making them in to patties and frying them later.

Ah, now don’t worry about the frying part. All you need is a small amount of Groundnut / Olive oil in a pan to brown them. You can bake them in the oven too, the are very amenable these fishcakes, but they take a little longer.

I served mine with a salad and Aioli one day and my homemade french fries the next day. I’m still obsessed with fishcakes and you will be too after trying these babies!

Makes 8 fishcakes

• 250g Salmon fillets (skin on and boneless)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 5 whole Peppercorns
• 3 Maris piper potatoes (medium in size) or any other floury potato
• 100g Shallots (I used the pre-chopped ones from the freezer that you can buy in the supermarket)
• 2 tblsp Capers
• 20g fresh Coriander
• 1 free range egg (medium)
• 2 slices of white bread for whizzing up into breadcrumbs (you can also buy ready prepared breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne
• Salt & Pepper

Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them up into small pieces, add them to some salted boiling water and boil on a medium heat until the potatoes are soft, then drain.

To poach the salmon fillets, pour enough hot water into a saucepan so that the fillets are totally covered; add the two bay leaves and the peppercorns. Poach the fillets for approx 10 minutes or until the salmon is tender and starts to flake away from the skin.

Remove the fillets from the water and remove the skin from the underside of the fillets.

Use a fork to separate the salmon into flakes, then set to one side on a plate to cool enough to handle in a moment.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots for approx 5 minutes, or until soft; then on a chopping board, finely chop the coriander.

In a large bowl, add the fish, boiled potatoes, capers, shallots, coriander and cayenne and using a potato masher (or fork), mash all the ingredients together. (Don’t worry too much about getting all the lumps in the potatoes out, a few lumps will actually give the fish cakes a better consistency once they are cooked.)

Whisk an egg in a separate bowl and then add to the fish cake mix along with the breadcrumbs and some Salt & Pepper

Use your hands to form the fish cake patties.

These fish cakes can be cooked one of two ways:

For Frying: Add a little groundnut oil to a frying pan and fry for approximately 10 minutes until, flipping once (and until browned on each side.)

To oven bake: Place onto a lined baking tray (parchment paper or Bacoglide is good for this) and bake in a preheated (220c) oven for 15-20 minutes, turning once (and until browned on each side.)

Serve with rocket salad and Aioli sauce or my homemade french fries.

Have a fantastic day everyone. It’s a good day here in West Sussex today, I can feel it in my bones…

I love you,

Cherry x

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I’m always trying to eat more fish and more vegetables. I love fish if it is cooked for me, at a restaurant for example. But more often than not me thinking that I’m ordering fish is actually me ordering the Chili Calamari at Wagamama. Not quite the same thing. So I figured that I would find a way to incorporate more fish in to our meals at home. Starting with an easy option, like the Cod of today’s recipe, and progressing on to fish that I wouldn’t normally choose such as the fabulously healthy Mackerel. I have only ever craved Mackerel once and that was when I was heavily pregnant. Robert stared at me as I reached across the table and loaded my plate up. It only happened the once but I think it’s time for it to happen again. At least then I’ll be able to stop taking those awful Cod Liver Oil tablets the size of doormats.

So, on with the supper that Robert & I had last night.

• Serves two
• Peel and boil 4 large Maris Piper potatoes in water with a pinch of salt
• Trim and rinse 140g of green beans
• Chop 50g of chorizo in to thin slices and then cut those slices in half
• Peel and chop 2 shallots
• Add all of this to a pan with some olive oil, 6 heaped teaspoons of capers and sauté on a fairly low heat – you don’t want the shallots or chorizo to burn
• Put two line caught cod fillets in to a pan and cover with milk
• Add two bay leaves and ten peppercorns
• Gently poach the cod – you can tell when it is done as it will flake beautifully
• When the potatoes are soft mash vigorously with a knob of butter, some milk and ground black pepper
• Serve the mash on to a warmed dinner plate
• Remove the poached cod gently from the milk and place on top of the mash
• Add the green beans, chorizo, capers and shallots to the plate. Placing on top of the cod
• Serve immediately and enjoy

This supper didn’t actually take that long and Robert and I wolfed it down. It would appear that we have both come down with hideous colds and were ravenously hungry yesterday evening. What I liked about it, apart from the speed of its preparation, was not only the use of fish but the fact that the green bean concoction would also be fabulous with salmon and haddock of the un-smoked variety. I may also try it with Monkfish.

So there you have it. The end of another week. I can’t believe it’s February already. I’m not usually a fan of Jan, Feb or March but this year January was one of the most eventful and fabulous months of my entire life and February, although we’re only four days in, is also shaping up to be pretty good too!

Have a wonderful weekend folks. I love you for your kindness and for thinking of stopping by during your busy day. I hope that you try this recipe and that it is of some use to you. I also hope that you enjoy it as much as Robert and I did last night. Simple supper for a low key evening in front of the telly. I expect more of the same tonight and can’t wait!

Cherry x
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Yesterday we all went for a walk in Petworth Park. It was a delicious day and we walked for ages. By the time we got back to the house I made a deal with Robert the Husband and my Mum that if they would keep an eye on the babies I would rustle them up something tasty to eat.

I went in to the kitchen as they sat and sipped a dry red wine from Israel and started to rummage through the cupboards, the pantry and the fridge. Now I have to tell you that this happens a lot. I do a lot of rummaging. Having volunteered myself for the role of cook I then have to come up with something on the spot. These recipes are just as tasty as all of the other recipes that I put up on to my website but they never find their way here. Why? Because when I’m in the middle of an impromptu cook-off I never write the quantities down. Therefore I think that I can’t possibly put it up on to the site as folk will email me asking for quantities that I just don’t have. But I’m starting to think that you guys are missing out on some really delicious stuff. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll start to add these quick and easy meals and hope that you can do what I do and simply use your instincts when it comes to quantities. I am a self-taught cook and the best stuff I ever learnt was when I was on my own, in my kitchen, using my instincts.

I have to say at this point that all I write by way of ingredients and method is literally all I can remember but this is my absolute favourite way to cook, and although it may seem a little rough around the edges, I hope the fun and the joy of preparing meals such as this comes through.

Go for it!

Linguine with Garlic Prawns & Caper Sauce

• Begin to boil enough Linguine for the amount of people you are cooking for (See? I told you it was rough!!)
• While the pasta is cooking gently fry 2 cloves of chopped garlic, a teaspoon of lazy chilies, approx ten cherry tomatoes, and a tablespoon of capers in olive oil
• When the garlic has softened add some uncooked, peeled King Prawns and cook for a few moments until pink. Tossing the ingredients  the whole time
• Add a huge handful of chopped, fresh parsley and continue to stir.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss everything together so that the pasta is coated in the sauce and prawns
• Serve immediately with some more fresh chopped parsley on top!

And good luck!

I feel like I’m abandoning you somewhat by being slightly vague but if you throw yourself in to this recipe, it’s not that hard and is very, very delicious.

Have a wonderful start to the week. My twins are sleeping very well at the moment and we have them in a very nice, gentle routine which allows us to retain a certain amount of sanity. This means that we are feeling a lot more positive about life in general as sleep deprivation catches up with you eventually. But when you get just a couple more hours than you have been used to the whole world seems fresher, brighter and full of possibilities. Even if those possibilities are nothing more than a walk in the park and a bowl of linguine. Life is good when you have sleep. Oh so good!

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Sue Sylvester, Glee ‘The Madonna Episode’

This morning was what Robert the Husband and I describe as a ‘toughie’. It was an early start as things are busy around here and it was tough to get out of bed and get going.

As I hoisted fifty extra pounds of weight out of bed and wandered downstairs to start the day I wasn’t quite sure if I would make it past the sofa. I grabbed a bowl of cereal and a hot mug of tea (I’m back on tea, YAY, one or two cups a day) and shuffled in to the living room to eat and drink. With the bowl resting very securely on top of my bump and my hands wrapped around the mug of tea I powered up my Sky+ box and decided to watch last night’s episode of Glee.

Last night was the night that the already infamous Madonna episode aired and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. When so much hype surrounds something often it falls short of all the expectations. This episode had me actually laughing out loud and rewinding bits. Mostly Sue Sylvester put downs but even Will Schuester was looking hot last night.

As the Madonna songs played throughout and I sat there laughing my ever expanding bottom off I was reminded of how many GREAT songs there are by Madonna. Almost every one an anthem and when you couple that with Sue Sylvester in a tracksuit and a conical bra, I knew I had the makings of a great morning despite feeling so heavy.

Granted, I had to wait for the caffeine from the tea to kick in a little bit but after that I was ready to go. And seeing as this feeling will probably only last until early afternoon I had better get on with what I have for you today.

I’m dedicating today’s recipe to Sue Sylvester and Madonna for no other reason than they both gave me the ability to take a shower and get dressed without having to find a corner to curl up in and take a nap beforehand.

Cheers, my lovelies!

Dedicated to Sue Sylvester and Madonna – My Singapore Noodles with Chicken, Shrimp and Vegetables

Serves two people as a main dish and four as an accompaniment

Click here for our cooking and baking conversion chart

When working on a dish with as many ingredients as this I find it always works best if you chop and prepare all the food and equipment/utensils in advance. This cuts down on cooking and stress time. It also makes the dish taste better as you are going to be able to cook it correctly.

• Boil the chicken thighs for 15 minutes in a pan of boiling water.
• Set them aside on a plate and then shred the thighs in to pieces when they have cooled
• Peel and finely chop the shallots
• Fry them in a small amount of oil until they are crispy and brown but not burnt. Keep them moving and keep an eye on them
• Blot the oil from the shallots in some kitchen towel and place to one side

Now make the stir fry -

• Add the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper and 5 tablespoons of water to a small bowl and keep to one side
• Heat three tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frying pan until very hot
• Place the spring onions, garlic, chili and ginger in to the hot wok
• Soften for a minute or two, not allowing to colour or burn. Keep it moving in there!
• Add the shredded chicken, shrimp, spinach, and  pak choi
• Stir fry for a further minute
• Add the bowl of stir fry sauce to the wok and stir fry for another two minutes

• Add the egg noodles and the bean sprouts. Stir fry for a further two minutes or however long it says to cook the noodles for on your packet as they differ. Should not be longer than four minutes

• When the dish has been stir fried sufficiently and is cooked, place the entire wok of food on to a large platter
• Sprinkle the top of the noodle dish with the hazelnuts, sauteed shallots and roughly chopped coriander

Serve immediately with small bowls and chopsticks as shown. Robert and I actually ended up eating most of this dish straight from the platter while sitting across from each other at the kitchen table on Saturday night. It was divine and very, very tasty.

Try not to be put off by all of these ingredients. I guarantee you’ll want to make this again very soon and you’ll have most of the cupboard items already in stock, so to speak. Cooking with the best fresh ingredients is a wonderful thing to do and to eat and if you want to stick around then I promise you a whole summer full of this type of cooking and even more besides.

Hey, we haven’t even reached soft fruit season yet!!!

Have a ‘Gleeful’ day!

Lots of love,
Cherry

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When you are pregnant all of the foods that you are supposedly not ‘allowed’ to eat suddenly become irresistible. Take this Crab Salad for instance. Shellfish is not encouraged during pregnancy and so I had to make myself a tiny wee portion of this salad ‘sans crab’. It was important that I had at least tasted it so that I would know it was good enough to go on to my site as a recipe. I can only imagine what it was like fully loaded, so to speak, as it was utterly divine without the meat.

Crab is tasting great right now so do try making this little beauty when you get the chance. It’s best eaten outside in the sun at lunchtime when you’re surrounded by folk you love. If there are people there you don’t love then serve them a portion with no crab. They will then know and understand what I had to endure and it will serve them right for not being more lovable.

• Chop the iceberg lettuce into strips and place in a large serving bowl
• Grate the carrot in to the bowl
• Add the bean sprouts
• Finely chop the spring onions / scallions and add to the bowl
• Add the peanuts and sprinkle in the sesame seeds
• Gently fold all the ingredients together with salad spoons
• Spoon the crab meat over the top of the salad and then top with a generous sprinkle of fresh coriander

For the dressing -

• Finely chop and de-seed a red chill
• Grate the fresh ginger into smallish bowl and sprinkle the chopped chili pieces over the top
• Pour in the Japanese rice vinegar and a tablespoon of caster sugar
• Add the oil and mix well
• Decant into your favourite oil pourer or small jug

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy.

It feels great to be heading out of a glut of heavy foods that are designed for keeping us warm. Soon we’ll be indulging in soft fruits, smoothies and salads galore. The outside grill will be on permanently and I’ll constantly have corn -on -the -cob kernels in my teeth.

Hopefully this lighter, super tasty salad will act as a vibrant segue in to welcoming Summer food back on the menu and back on to Cherry Menlove.com

I’ve missed it!

Ah, before I go let me remind you of another beautiful and easy Crab recipe that I developed last year. Click the picture below and you’ll be taken right to it…….

Lots of love,

Cherry oxoxox

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I don’t like broccoli. Really, I can’t stand it. I’m talking about the common green variety here. When I seriously began to learn about food and its benefits years ago broccoli seemed to be the ONLY vegetable that would be talked about and that’s enough to send me straight back to McDonald’s.

What nobody told me at the time was that there was a very, very short window of time, right about now, when a different variety of broccoli would appear that tasted totally different to normal broccoli and that I would one day end up eating by the spear load.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli. Otherwise known as P.S.B. in our house.

• Buy enough for as many people as you want to feed it to
• Steam it until it has wilted slightly but not turned in to a dip for chips
• Add a knob of butter and some salt
• DO NOTHING MORE THAN THIS

As an accompaniment you may want to place salmon fillets in to a baking tray along with a drizzle of olive oil, some baby leeks and a rather haphazard walnut crust.

As the walnuts bake the oil in them is released and further bakes the salmon in the most divine way.

Serve with a portion of brown rice and of course the P.S.B.

You may want to add some soy sauce to your rice, you may not want to.

But I promise you, you’ll eat this supper, push the plate away from you when you’re done and exclaim to anyone who’ll listen “My word that was gooooooddddd. Simple, but soooooo good”

And you’ll be right.

And your body will be singing a happy song and doing a happy dance. Even though I used a knob of butter!

Shhhhhh!

Tomorrow I’ve got something rather exciting to show you. If you’ve been following my ‘Let’s Get Growing 2010′ project you’ll be amazed to see how all my new children are doing. Yep, Broad Beans are my new kids and I love them.

In fact it’s the name I’ve chosen for the twins.

Me – “Come on Broad, come on Bean, it’s time for dinner. This is the last time I’ll call you…..”

Robert the Husband – *drops dead*

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Whenever I look at scallops they remind me of long hot summery days spent on the beach. But in actual fact they are great right now too!

When buying scallops it’s always best to buy hand-caught as the dredged variety causes more damage to the environment. Hand-caught will be a bit pricier but I think it’s worth it and it’s a more sustainable way of fishing for scallops.

When I used to live in London I was a regular at Borough Market and would regularly buy scallops in their shells and prepared in the way you see above. I’ve included the recipe today as it’s one of my most favourite ways to eat fresh scallops and it’s very easy to prepare.

• Using a very hot griddle pan or grill – griddle the scallops for approximately 5 mins on each side.
• In another pan fry the bacon until it is nice and crispy.
• When the bacon is cooked chop it up in to small pieces for sprinkling.
• Place equal amounts of bean sprouts in to each scallop shell
• Top with equal amounts of the grated carrot
• Place two griddled scallops on to the carrot and beans sprouts
• Top with a sprinkling of crispy bacon
• Eat immediately

And there you have it!

A fabulous starter dish if you have guests and an equally as wonderful light lunch for a Saturday….or a Sunday if you feel like it but make sure you eat those scallops FRESH!

Have a wonderful day one and all. We’ve had a few problems with the website over the past week so I’d like to thank you for your patience. It’s almost all sorted so functions like the feed and the categories will be back to normal very soon.

I’m off to channel my inner Sue Sylvester and Emma Pillsbury in equal measure and am expecting a rather wonderful day to come of it. Although I feel that Sue’s tracksuits are better suited to my current shape as Emma’s pencil skirts probably wouldn’t make it over my left ankle and her lovely blouses would be better off being used as a hanky due to my ever expanding chesticles!

Hey ho!
There’s always NEXT Spring!
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It’s Tuesday, which means I’m in the kitchen.

Crab & Sweet Chili Spring Rolls

I find the thought of doing anything with Crab rather intimidating. How do you buy it? What do you ask for? Does it come in its shell? What’s the difference between dressed and soft shell?
I’m all for deconstructing the myth and discovering that something I thought was tricky, and therefore stayed away from, is actually very easy and tastes delicious.

Supermarkets and fishmongers have helped with this particular dish as they now readily sell fresh, prepared crab meat, which is all you have to ask for when you go to make this recipe. Crab is coming into season right now, you don’t need a lot of it to make these wonderful rolls and the rest of the ingredients are fresh, raw vegetables and herbs. Apart from a small amount of rice they haven’t even been steamed. So, in my humble opinion, this is one of THE BEST ways to get vitamins and minerals from veggies into your system. Enjoy them, they are deeeeelish!!!

Makes 12 cut rolls and you can find a weight conversion chart here!

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Cherry’s King Prawn Linguine in Chilli & White Wine

Its absolutely true that some people have a hard time cooking sea food. Its not that they are afraid of it, its just that it can be hard to pluck up the courage to cook and eat something that can be quite mysterious. What are these creatures form the deep all about and why are they grey to start with, I thought they were pink?

I’m going to try to de-mystify all of this and give you a recipe which is not only one of the most tasty linguine dishes you will taste but one which is also very, very simple when it comes to the preparation of the seafood – there is none!

Serves 2 and you can find a weight conversion chart here!

• Cook the pasta according to the instructions but while it is cooking you’ll need to….
• Sautee the pancetta until it begins to turn golden pink, don’t let it steam.
• Then add the garlic, chilli & shallots and LOWER the heat – there is nothing worse than burnt garlic.
• Tip the un-cooked prawns in to the pan and sautee, tossing occasionally, until pink in colour and cooked – approx 3 mins.
• Pour the white wine in to the pan and simmer for a few mins allowing the wine to reduce.
• Then add the drained linguine, the chopped parsley and salt & pepper to the pan and mix it up!

Get all of the chilli, garlic and pancetta mixed in with the pasta.  Serve straight away with bread to soak up the juices.

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