Ok so this is the third fish recipe in a row. I’m not turning into a fish blogger or anything, just going through a phase. This recipe is an entry for this months Royal Foodie Joust run by Jenn. The ingredients to use this time were seafood, coconut and lime, a classic combo. I love making fish cakes, especially since I discovered the secret to the ultimate crunchy coating. I originally thought of adding more coconut milk to the cakes but then I decided to add just a little and use dried, unsweetened coconut in the crust. It worked really well because the flavour of the crab isn’t overpowered at all. I used white and brown meat because, although I love the texture and flavour of the white meat, I adore the strong-flavoured brown meat too.

I served the cakes with my favourite avocado and mango salsa (recipe here), keeping everything light and bursting with tropical flavours. If you’re feeling the chill here in the UK at the moment, this recipe will bring a little sunshine into your life!

This makes six large cakes but I think next time I will make them smaller so they are easier to handle and will look nicer on the plate. Although I enjoyed my big cakes, they didn’t exactly look great (apologies for the poor photo). We saved some for the following evening but when I returned home they had been eaten by hungry men! I picked up an answer phone message on my way back, ‘I’m just letting you know that we’re eating those crab cakes and there’s nothing you can do about it!‘ I let it go as our friend described them as the best crab cakes he’s ever eaten! His comment made me very happy and reminded me of the reason I love cooking so much.

Coconut Crusted Crab Cakes

500g crab meat, roughly equal amounts of white and brown meat, with an emphasis on the brown
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes
1 small bunch coriander, chopped
1 inch ginger, grated
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons coconut milk
Juice of half a lime
Polenta and dried, unsweetened coconut, for crusting the cakes
Beaten egg, for dipping
Oil, for frying

- Boil the potatoes, drain and mash.
- Add the crab meat to a large bowl along with all the other ingredients except the polenta and dried coconut. Season.
- Shape the mixture into cakes and chill for at least half an hour.
- spread some of the polenta on a plate and add enough coconut so that you have a mix of two thirds polenta to one third coconut.
- Dip each cake in the beaten egg first and then coat really well in the polenta mix.
- Shallow fry the crab cakes until golden brown and crispy on both sides.
- Serve with the mango and avocado salsa.

For me, this is the greatest egg recipe of all time. Why not make eggs the star of the show? I usually think of them as an ingredient that can tie things together; ‘make a meal out of anything’ as the advert goes. Today I wanted to make something more dramatic, with some luxurious fillings as a celebration of the long weekend.

Thin, herby omelettes sandwiching unctuous, soft layers of smoked salmon and shredded greens mixed with creamy ricotta. To cut through the richness, a lemony-caper dressing and a crisp-fresh fennel and kohlrabi salad. I’ve tried fennel and kohlrabi together before, with great results and I’m now a huge fan of the combination.

I originally thought of alternating layers of smoked salmon and ricotta mixed with spinach but considering spinach wasn’t available and I had a beautiful savoy cabbage instead……I sauted the cabbage really gently with some chopped shallots and a clove of garlic before mixing it with the cheese. It worked incredibly well and I’m sure it’s better than spinach ever would have been. Of course, the possiblities are endless and the temptation to make a ‘rainbow’ version with red and yellow peppers, greens, mushrooms, artichokes etc. etc. is too much. And how badly do I want a goat cheese and kalamata olive layer?!

So, this is my Easter offering. I don’t actually celebrate Easter, but it sure did get me thinking about eggs.

Luxurious Omelette Cake

5 medium shallots, chopped as finely as you can
1 medium savoy cabbage, chopped as finely as you can
1 fat clove garlic
15 large eggs
Salt and pepper
Small bunch chives
Small bunch parsley
Butter
Olive oil
Splash of white wine (optional)
500g ricotta cheese
350g smoked salmon

Fennel and Kohlrabi Salad

1 medium kohlrabi
1 medium fennel bulb
Small handful rocket (optional)

Lemon-Caper Dressing

1 large handful small capers
The juice of 1 large lemon + more for crisping the fennel.
Twice the amount of extra virgin olive oil (as lemon juice)
Black pepper
Sea salt
1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C/300 degrees F/Gas 2
You will need a 9 inch cake tin (I used spring form), greased well.

- Heat a heavy-based pan until hot, add a small knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil and fry shallots for 2-3 minutes, before adding garlic and then the cabbage. Fry again for 2-3 minutes, add a splash of white wine (if using) and then reduce the heat. Add a lid (I use a saucepan lid on top of a cast iron skillet) and cook on the lowest heat until soft. When cooked, set aside and allow to cool before stirring in the ricotta.
- To make the omelettes, whisk together all the eggs, salt and pepper and finely chopped herbs in a large bowl. Divide the egg mixture between five bowls.
-Heat a heavy based pan such as a cast iron skillet until hot and then add a small knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Add the first bowl of egg mixture to the pan and allow to cook, without stirring. Use a spatula to loosen the edges while cooking. When the omelette is set, slide onto a plate and set aside. Repeat with the following four omelettes (adding more butter and oil each time – naughty!).
- To make the fennel and kohlrabi salad: Slice the fennel as thinly as you can and add to a bowl of cold water and the lemon juice. Slice the kohlrabi and then pare strips off each slice with a vegetable peeler (this is to get wafer thin slices). Add to the bowl with the fennel.
- To make the lemon-caper dressing: Crush the garlic with a generous pinch of sea salt in a pestle and mortar. Add some black pepper and a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard. Stir together.
- Add the juice of 1 large lemon, the capers and twice the amount of olive oil. Whisk to emulsify.
- Add the first omelette to the cake tin. Spread a layer of ricotta mixture on top and add another omelette. Follow with a layer of salmon, an omelette, ricotta, omelette, another layer of salmon, before placing the final omelette on top and baking for 20-30 minutes.
- Drain the water from the salad and place in a bowl with the rocket if using. Add half the dressing and stir to coat. Serve a wedge of the cake with some salad and some of the leftover dressing drizzled on top.

I shouldn’t really be calling this a pate. For a start it’s incredibly nutritious and low fat and we all know that pate well, isn’t. As much as I love rich, meaty pates, rillets and the like, sometimes, I crave something a bit lighter. This is probably one of only a handful of meals that we eat regularly. Being so obsessed with food and cooking means that we don’t often eat the same thing twice from week to week. This is a favourite because it’s fast, super healthy and totally delicious.

I’ve made two flavours here, a smoked mackerel and a hot smoked salmon. The flaked fish is simply mixed with some natural yoghurt, capers, spring onions, herbs and a squeeze of lemon. If you are in the mood for something a little richer, just use crème fraiche in place of the yoghurt, it’s really good.

I used dill in these fishy pots today but I have used tarragon in the past, which makes a nice variation. The combinations are endless really. You could add some finely chopped cornichons for example, a spoonful of horseradish, some wholegrain mustard………

We like to eat the pate with some toasted sunflower seed bread - it has a great texture and contains rye flour which stands up well to the mackerel. Perfect with a green side salad and pickles.

Smoked Fish Pate
I’m not giving amounts here as it’s all down to personal taste.

Smoked mackerel fillets
Hot smoked salmon fillets
Dill, chopped (or tarragon or other herbs)
Pepper
Lemon juice
Spring onions, finely chopped
Capers
Natural yoghurt or crème fraiche
Bread, to serve

-Flake the fish in separate bowls and add capers, spring onions, dill, a good grind of pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Some of the lemon zest is nice too.
-Mix everything together and then add enough yoghurt to bind it together.
-Serve in ramekins with hot toast.

I’ve been using this smoked Maldon sea salt in everything recently. The smoky flavour is just right, strong without being overpowering. I wanted to make some crackers but not fat laden ones. I also wanted a robust flavour and some nutritional benefit so I mixed half stone ground wholemeal flour and half white plain flour. The extra virgin olive oil (Greek) also gives the crackers a nice grassy flavour and the combination of fennel seeds and the smoky salt is actually really really good. We ate the crackers with some houmous as a healthy snack (we’ll forget about the salt content…). I think next time I will experiment with different flours such as spelt, my new favourite ingredient (except smoked sea salt of course). I have some spelt spaghetti which is really good and a colleague has promised me her spelt bread recipe.

The first time I made these, I brushed the tops with beaten egg white. It seemed a bit unnecessary, so the second batch I didn’t bother and they were actually better, more golden on top. It’s a shame then that I didn’t roll the second batch thin enough and they weren’t quite crispy enough in the middle.The possible spice combinations for the crackers are endless, cumin, ras el hanout, smoked paprika. I really like seeds on there rather than ground spices, it’s just a bit more interesting. They would be nice dipped into sour cream too or tzatziki, baba ganoush, guacamole……Moreish just doesn’t even cover it.

Smoked Sea Salt and Fennel Seed Crackers

(Makes approx 30 crackers)

4oz plain white flour
4oz wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
35ml olive oil
Smoked salt (or regular)
Fennel seeds
Water

-Mix the flour, baking powder and fine salt in a bowl. Add the oil and then enough water for the dough to come together. It shouldn’t be too sticky.
-On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for around 5 minutes then cover and allow to rest (at room temp) for around 30 minutes.
-Roll out the dough as thin as you can manage without it tearing and cut into desired shapes.
-Sprinkle each cracker with smoked sea salt and fennel seeds to your taste.
-Transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 150C/300F/Gas2 for 20-30 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your crackers but they are ready when golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool on a rack or stuff them into your face right away like I did.

(Edit: Before you put the crackers in the oven, make indents in the top with a fork to prevent them puffing).

We couldn’t believe how deeply satisfying this soup was, especially considering that it is so healthy. Something wonderful happens to red peppers when they are roasted. I love the way the skins turn blackened, charred and wrinkly while the flesh within is super sweet and soft. For this soup, I went full steam ahead with the roasting as I wanted a really intense flavour. I cooked the garlic, tomatoes, peppers and chilli in a high oven until everything was juicy sweet. The smell filling the house at this point was incredible. I added a little smoked paprika for an extra depth and it turned the soup into something really delicious. To cut through all that spice and smoke I crumbled some tangy feta into each bowl and combined some fresh chopped mint with extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top. I also added some lemon thyme as I have a big bunch at the moment but it will be totally delicious without it.

This is my entry for ‘No Croutons Required‘, hosted by Holler at Tinned Tomatoes. This months challenge is to create, ‘a spicy soup that will tingle on the tongue’. My soup can tingle more or less depending on the amount of chillies and smoked paprika you use…..I used two chillies (de-seeded) and a teaspoon of smoked paprika but you could leave one of the chillies out if you prefer a milder spice.

Smoky and Spicy Red Pepper Soup with Feta and Mint

3 red peppers, cut in half and de-seeded
6 tomatoes (I originally used 6 but I think 4-5 will do)
1-2 red chillies de-seeded and halved
5-6 fat cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
900ml vegetable stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

To Serve

Feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to gas 7/220 C/425 F

-Put the peppers, tomatoes and garlic in a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for around half an hour or so until everything is starting to look charred and wrinkly.
-Add the chilli/s to the tray and roast for a further 20 minutes. Everything should be nicely roasted by now.
-Tease any skin away from the tomatoes and add to a pan along with the peppers and chillies. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their jackets and add these also.
-Add the stock and smoked paprika and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 25-30 minutes.
-Meanwhile, add the chopped mint to a bowl and loosen with a little extra virgin olive oil.
-When the soup is ready, transfer to a blender in batches until smooth. Check the seasoning.
-To serve, crumble in the feta and drizzle with the minty oil.