2 Roll out the pastry into a rectangle approximately ½ cm¼ inch thick. Sprinkle over the grated cheese, covering the whole area. Layer over the strips of ham and sliced tomatoes.
3 Roll the pastry rectangle from the long edge into a sausage shape.
4 Bake for 15–20 minutes, until nicely golden.
5 Slice into 5cm/2 inch pieces. Be careful to allow to cool a little before eating as the cheese becomes very hot!
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
TIP
These delicious fishcakes taste great cold and can be made from store cupboard ingredients, so there’s no excuse for not packing something more interesting than a cheese sandwich in a lunchbox! When I make this recipe, I always freeze half the mixture before shaping the rest into cakes. It’s also a great way to use up leftover mashed potato.
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
450g/1lb tinned salmon
25g/1oz parsley, chopped
400g/14oz mashed potato
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp white breadcrumbs
25g/1oz butter for frying
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 Finely chop the anchovy fillets before combining with the tinned salmon, parsley, mashed potato and mayonnaise. Try not to break the salmon up too much – I always think a chunky texture tastes better.
2 Pour in the egg and gently mix through.
3 Divide the mixture in 2 and put 1 half into a freezer bag to freeze for future use.
4 Shape into either 12 large balls or 24 small ones (smaller ones are ideal for lunchboxes).
5 Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs and squash flat.
6 Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When you think it’s hot enough, throw a couple of breadcrumbs into the pan – if they immediately sizzle and colour, carefully place the fishcakes in the hot fat. Fry carefully for about 8 minutes, turning regularly to make sure both sides are cooked evenly and are nicely golden without being burnt.
Makes: 12 large or 24 small fishcakes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
These samosas are brilliant in a lunchbox or as an after-school snack.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
500g/18oz minced lamb
2 tsp dried oregano
75g/3oz feta cheese, cut into 1cm/½ inch cubes
200g/7oz pack filo pastry
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4.
2 Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onion until soft. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a further minute.
3 Increase the heat and add the lamb. As it begins to brown, break it up with a wooden spoon and fry until the juices have evaporated or you will have horrible, soggy samosas!
4 When the meat and onions are dry, cook for a few more minutes to allow the meat to brown slightly but watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Tip it into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the dried oregano and feta cheese, allowing the cheese to break down a bit while you mix.
5 Each sheet of filo pastry makes 1 samosa. Carefully brush each sheet with the tiniest glimmer of olive oil before folding in half lengthways. Brush the pastry with oil again.
6 With the pastry sheet stretched out in front of you, carefully place about 1 dessertspoon of mince at the bottom of the pastry sheet, closest to you. Very gingerly, bring the bottom corner of the pastry up to form the beginning of a triangle over the mince. Continue to fold the pastry into triangles until there is no more left and the mince is completely cocooned in a triangular filo parcel.
7 Place the finished triangle on a greased baking tray and brush the top with a little more oil. Continue folding the filo sheets until you have used up all the mince mixture.
8 Bake a preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden.
Makes: approximately 18 samosas
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
mackerel salad with beetroot and horseradish dressing
Mackerel is cheap, very nutritious and quick to cook. This recipe is for fresh mackerel but I have cooked it with smoked mackerel fillets (which can be bought in any supermarket) and it has tasted delicious too. Beetroot can be bought ready-cooked but be careful not to buy the type doused in malt vinegar.
100g/4oz cooked beetroot
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
50ml/1¾fl oz half-fat crème fraîche
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 mackerel, filleted
oakleaf lettuce mixed with Swiss chard (or other similar reddish salad leaves)
1 Put the beetroot, horseradish and crème fraîche into the food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the olive oil and pulse again. Season with pepper and a little salt and put to one side.
2 Preheat the grill to hot.
3 Take the mackerel fillets and slash the skin side 3 or 4 times with a sharp knife. Lay on a lightly greased baking tray, skin side up. Put under the grill for 2–3 minutes until cooked through.