Smoked Fish and Greens Pie

A change from the usual fish pie with mash and chock a block filled with healthy green veges, its a pie using half the amount of pastry. It also requires NO milk or cream. Its great to keep the tins of smoked fish fillets in the cupboard for a tasty and economical lunch or dinner. The little one (3 years) loved it!

Important - if using smoked fish, the liquid is quite salty so you DON'T need any salt. 


Changes you could make...
Use milk instead of stock
Use smoked chicken instead of fish
Add curry powder or wholegrain mustard


Ingredients
1 onion
1 courgette
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
400ml - 500mls chicken stock
450g tin of smoked fish fillets (NZ - Sealord chunky style )
Splash of white wine (optional)
Greens - I used frozen spinach, broccoli and peas
Store bought frozen puff pastry


Method
Pre heat the oven at 200 degrees
Saute the chopped onion and courgette until soft in the olive oil
Add the butter and melt
Take off the heat and add the flour and mix into a paste (roux)
Add the liquid from the smoked fish fillets - stir until smooth
When thickening add the wine and or the stock. Keep adding and stirring until you get a thick but smooth consistency.
Add the vegetables and fish and cook for a few minutes.
At any time you can add more liquid to keep the consistency thick and smooth


Put the pie filling into an oven proof dish
Roll out the de-frosted pastry and place over the top, pierce holes or take out a small circle from the center. (I used a wine lid to do this and it worked a treat!)
Seal the edges with a fork and bake until golden (about 20 minutes)


Enjoy with a fresh green salad, a dollop of tomato sauce and a nice cold beer.

Breakfast Granola

Who would have thought there was such history behind the names Granola and Muesli?

Initially I thought the name Granola just sounded better however as it turns out the Australian Sanitarium company trademarked the name Muesli as a contemporary invention! Granula was invented by Dr. James Caleb Jackson in 1894 at a prominent health spa, Mr Kellogg got on the band wagon and to avoid legal ramifications changed the name to Granola.


Meanwhile...
In 1900 Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner introduced it for patients in his hospital. He was also inspired by a similar dish his wife was served up in a hike in the Swiss Alps. Today most Muesli comes in a box and is full of fat and sugar to mention expensive. Making your own is so easy and you can add what ever you want!


Seriously get stuck in and give it ago, it also makes a lovely gift.





Breakfast Granola
You will need...
Approximately
4 cups jumbo oats
3 tablespoons of coconut
3 tablespoons of pumpkin seed
3 tablespoons linseed's
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup syrup such as maple, golden, butterscotch
3 tablespoons dried fruit (optional) IMPORTANT - Add dried fruit after baking


All you do is mix everything together and put into a baking dish and bake at 200 degrees for about 15 mins. Keep checking and re-mixing but stop when you have the colour you like - I like it a bit burnt and crunchier.


It crisps up on cooling. Serve with yoghurt or steamed milk and stewed fruit.
You can change the grains and seeds as you please and you can also add brown sugar instead of syrup or even butter instead of oil.
Healthy or decadent - the choice is yours...

Lentils really are delicious!!!

I never thought I would be promoting lentils but this dish is really satisfying, tasty and moreish!

PS - the photo isnt with pumpkin seads!

WOW your co-workers with your healthy and delicious creation!

Lentil and white bean quick and healthy lunch
You will need...

1 can white beans - cannellini or butter
1 can brown lentils
1 onion
1 courgette
A few cloves of garlic
A splash of olive oil
A bunch of torn basil
A handful of pumpkin seeds


Pan fry in olive oil an onions, a few garlic cloves and a courgette until soft.
Add a tin of brown lentils - drained
Add a tin of cannellini or butter beans  - drained
Heat through until hot.
Mix through fresh basil and season with salt and pepper
Toss through a hand full of pumpkin or sesame seeds.


Eat whilst hot! This makes two generous portions so great for two healthy people of save the second portion for the following days lunch. Great healthy and cheap lunch to take to work!