5 Add the lamb mince and stir until it begins to brown. Allow to brown a little more than usual, then add the tomato purée, spinach, pine nuts, dried apricots (or cranberries) and the parsley, Worcestershire sauce and a little seasoning. Stir together and allow to continue frying gently for a couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted, then put aside to cool.
6 Break the potato dough into 12 small balls and sprinkle a little flour over your hands and your work surface. Flatten one of the pieces into a circle shape using the palm of your hand. Put approximately 2 tablespoons of the lamb mince mix into the centre, then bring up the edges to enclose and mould into a nice neat cake shape. Knead together any cracks with your hands and generally make into a smooth surface with floury hands. Each cake should be about 2cm thick and 5cm wide. Repeat this with the other dough balls, keeping flour on the surface and your hands.
7 Using a large and fairly deep frying pan, heat up 3–4mm of oil until it is just lightly smoking. Put the potato cakes in one by one, taking care not to splash the oil or damage the cakes. Leave them to fry until golden in colour then turn carefully.
8 Once they are golden all over, place onto kitchen roll to absorb excess oil.
Tip
• Best eaten warm, but my kids enjoy them when they are cold, especially with the dip! A great addition to any lunch box!
All these fillers keep well if you make them the night before.
salmon and cream cheese with lemon
100g/4oz salmon fillet, cooked
100g/4oz smoked salmon trimmings
200g/8oz cream cheese
1 lemon, juiced
pepper
Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes: 2 rounds of sandwiches
1 Put all the Ingredients In the bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth.
coronation chicken
200g/8oz cooked chicken (preferably the leftovers from a roast chicken)
1 tbsp mild curry paste
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ lemon, juiced
salt and pepper
Prep time: 10 minutes
Make1s: 2 rounds of sandwiches
1 Cut the chicken into small, child-friendly pieces. In a small saucepan gently cook the curry paste for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Allow to cool completely.
2 In a bowl combine the chicken, mayonnaise, cooled curry paste and lemon juice. Check seasoning.
smoked mackerel and cream
250g/10oz smoked mackerel fillets, skin and bones removed
2 tsp horseradish
100g/4oz cream cheese
pepper
Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes: 2 rounds of sandwiches
1 Put all ingredients in the mixer and pulse until mixed together but maintaining an interesting texture.
200g/8oz sausage meat
25g/1oz onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried sage
salt and pepper
½ x 500g/1lb pack puff pastry
1 tbsp flour for dusting
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 egg, beaten
Makes: 12
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20–25 minutes
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4.
2 Combine the sausage meat, onion, sage, salt and pepper.
3 Roll out the pastry into a rectangle that is about 3mm thick. Cut in half lengthwise. Lightly dust the inside of the pastry with flour, adding the mustard powder for a little kick! Sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
4 Using wet hands, divide the sausage meat into two equal portions. Take each portion and roll into two long sausages. Place one down the centre of each pastry strip.
5 Dampen one long edge of each pastry length and bring the pastry over the sausage mixture, pressing the edges together and then carefully rolling the entire sausage until the join is underneath the roll.
6 Brush with the beaten egg and cut into 3cm lengths.
7 Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and carefully stab each sausage roll a couple of times with the point of a sharp knife.
8 Bake for about 20–25 minutes or until golden.
9 Allow to cool before wrapping individually and freezing in a plastic box.
This chive omelette served with a tangy tomato salad is a perfect lunch bite for one! The tomato salad is very simple – the acidic vinaigrette cuts beautifully through the richness of the omelette.
2–3 very fresh eggs (depending on hunger level!)
2 tbsp freshly chopped chives
salt and pepper
4 ripe tomatoes
½ tsp grapeseed oil and a similar quantity of butter
For the vinaigrette
4 tbsp light