TUNA AND PEA FISHCAKES WITH CAPER AND LEMON MAYONNAISE
When you’ve a really bare cupboard and fridge , and can’t face a supermarket trip, you’ll be surprised at what you can create with just a few ingredients.
400g tinned tuna, drained and flaked
400g mashed potato (made from approx. 800g unpeeled potatoes)
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
200g frozen peas, defrosted
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
8-10tbsp semolina
3tbsp olive oil
Lemon wedges and green salad or vegetables, to serve
FOR THE MAYONNAISE
6 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
In a large bowl, mix together the flaked tuna, mashed potato, spring onions, peas, chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper until well combined.
Using wet hands (this will stop the mixture sticking to you) shape into fish cakes - big or small, it’s up to you - and then lightly coat each one all over with the semolina.
Heat the olive oil in large frying pan over a low-medium heat and cook the fishcakes for just a few minutes each side until golden. You may need to do this in a couple of batches, depending on the size of your frying pan. Take care not to have the heat too high, as you want to ensure they are heated all the way through without burning.
While the fishcakes are cooking, mix together all of the ingredients for the mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the hot fishcakes with the caper and lemon mayonnaise and a green salad or vegetables.
PS… For Asian-flavoured fishcakes, replace the lemon zest with lime zest and swap the parsley for coriander
Photograph: Gareth Morgans
Mum’s Treat
LIME AND PASSIONFRUIT TRAY-BAKE
Treat your Mum, or in fact just treat yourself to this delicious teatime delight on Mothering Sunday. It is easy enough for the kids to get involved in making which is a real bonus. With that in mind, I think I’ll subtly leave the recipe out for my husband to make with my kids for me to eat on Sunday!
350g caster sugar
350g butter, softened
Grated zest and juice of 4 large limes
1tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
350g self-raising flour
3 ripe passion fruit
6tbsp granulated sugar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease and line a rectangular cake tray measuring about 30cm x 20cm x 4cm with baking paper.
Place the caster sugar, butter, lime zest and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat together until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, with a tablespoon of flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Mix in the remaining flour and the passion fruit pulp. Spoon into the prepared tin and level off the surface.
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the sponge is a golden colour and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
While the cake is cooking, place the lime juice in a bowl and stir in the granulated sugar, so it just starts to dissolve.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick several times with a skewer or fork, and then slowly spoon the lime sugar all over the top, letting it soak into the cake. leave to cool completely in the tin before turning out and cutting into pieces to serve.
PS…
For a tangy lemon traybake, replace the limes with 2 lemons, omit the passion fruit and add a drop or two of milk to the sponge mixture
photograph: garethmorgans.com
