Caramelised Beetroot Tartlets with Salmon Trout and Lentil Stacks

So what would you make with a bunch of fresh beetroot, brown lentils, puff pastry, cream cheese, cucumber and smoked salmon trout? This was my final challenge in the Freshly Blogged campaign. 

Pan Fried Pilchards with Veggie Timbales and Brown Rice Salad

Week 4 of the Freshly Blogged challenge saw us presented with a rather interesting, and I'll admit, challenging list of ingredients. The shopping list looked a little something like this: cabbage, tinned pilchards, feta cheese, green beans and brown rice. We were not allowed to omit anything on the list and the dish had to be cooked on the stove top, so grilled pilchards was not an option! We were also not allowed to include any grocery items - just 2 fresh ingredients (fruit, veg or herbs) as well as the approved pantry items. 

This was not going to be easy! I considered various options including cabbage rolls and paella... but with so many different and dominant flavours on the ingredients list I decided that throwing them all together and hoping for the best was not the best way forward. Instead, I opted to keep things simple - combining the flavours that worked well together. 

I chose to add cherry tomatoes and carrots as my fresh ingredients. Tomatoes to add flavour to and compliment the feta in the brown rice salad. Carrots to add colour contrast and a touch of sweetness to the vegetable timbales. Added to that a selection of aromatic spices and suddenly a seemingly odd collection of ingredients became an incredibly tasty meal! 

There was yet another first for me this week. I love a fresh piece of fish but have never cooked with tinned pilchards before. I was pleasantly surprised and urge you to try them if you haven't done so. 

This is not a traditional timbale recipe, which usually includes cream. I wasn't able to include this so had to improvise a little and decided to add a basic white sauce instead - luckily it worked out! You don't have to stick to the same vegetables as me when it comes to making the timbales. Try butternut, chickpeas and red peppers - the more colourful the better!

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PAN FRIED PILCHARDS WITH VEGGIE TIMBALES & BROWN RICE SALAD

Serves 4

For the vegetable timbales:

250g peeled carrots, thinly sliced

220g cabbage leaves, shredded

250g green beans

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 egg yolks

For the brown rice salad:

pinch of saffron

1 tablespoon warm water

1 cup brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 tablespoons for dressing

pinch of salt
3 cups water

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

pepper

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

120g plain feta

For the pilchards:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1/4 teaspoon medium curry powder

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 x 400g tin Lucky Star pilchards in tomato sauce

salt and pepper

To prepare the vegetable timbales:

Step 1.) Steam the carrot slices and cabbage until tender.

Step 2.) Top, tail and slice the green beans. Boil in salted water for 6 minutes or until soft.

Step 3.) Use a food processor or stick blender to purée the vegetable seperately. Set them aside while you make the white sauce.

Step 4.) Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute.

Step 5.) Take the saucepan off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Add a pinch of a salt and the nutmeg. Whisk over a medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens.

Step 6.) Divide the white sauce between the three puréed vegetables and mix in. Mix an egg yolk into each purée.

Step 7.) Return the green bean purée to the stove and heat for a few minutes to thicken slightly.

Step 8.) Divide the cabbage purée between four well greased dariole moulds. Smooth the top with a teaspoon so you have an even layer.

Step 9.) Next add a layer of carrot purée, remembering to smooth the top.

Step 10.) Add the green bean purée next. Smooth the top so that the purée goes right to the edges of the mould.

Step 11.) Cover each mould with a piece of tin foil. Place the moulds in a deep saucepan and carefully add hot water to the pan. The water should come halfway up the sides of the moulds. Cover the saucepan and allow to simmer for an hour, or until the timbales have set.

Step 12.) To serve: invert a dariole mould onto a plate. Give the plate a good shake, carefully lift the mould and the timbale should come out easily.

To prepare the brown rice salad:

Step 1.) Soak the saffron in a tablespoon of warm water for a few minutes.

Step 2.) Put the rice, a tablespoon of olive oil, saffron and a pinch of salt in a pot. Add the water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes or until cooked. 

Step 3.) Whisk the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Step 4.) Stir the cherry tomatoes and olive oil dressing through the hot rice. Crumble in the feta.

To prepare the pilchards:

Step 1.) Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan. Add the curry powder and paprika and cook for a minute.

Step 2.) Drain the pilchards, reserving the tomato sauce. Add the pilchards to the saucepan and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully turn them over and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Step 3.) Add the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is heated through.

Angelfish with Steamed Asparagus and Lime Beurre Blanc

Bonjour! We're getting ever so slightly posh this week with a little help from our French friends. This is the kind of meal usually reserved for those occasions when I have an evening out and can enjoy my dinner at a restaurant, but it's surprisingly simple and perfect for when you want to prepare something extra special at home.

Beurre blanc if you didn't know is a creamy, butter sauce. It is extremely versatile and can be prepared in many ways - you could add herbs, stock or even red wine. The variations are almost endless, and this is my version.

Beurre blanc is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and green veg, and I paired it with what I had in the fridge at the time - angelfish and asparagus on this occasion  You could enjoy it with tuna or salmon (my favourite) and other green veggies like green beans and broccoli.  You could also serve it with crushed baby potatoes or mash if you like. 

Although the components of this dish are fairly straightforward it's the timing that can be tricky. You'll want to have everything ready to be plated at the same time, especially the sauce which should be served immediately. 

If you follow the instructions below you shouldn't have any problems making the beurre blanc, but please take note of a few things:  you should make sure that your butter is cold as this will help prevent the sauce from splitting. Once it has been cubed return it to the fridge until you're ready to use it. If the sauce does split remove it from the heat immediately and beat a tablespoon of the sauce in a cold bowl. Gradually add the rest of the sauce beating continuously until it is creamy again. Be sure to taste the sauce before serving. The acid and the butter should be balanced with neither overpowering the overall flavour.

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ANGELFISH WITH STEAMED ASPARAGUS       

and LIME BEURRE BLANC

Serves 4

40ml white wine vinegar

40ml dry white wine
2 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon lime juice

2 teaspoons sliced spring onion
400g asparagus
4 angelfish fish fillets
olive oil 
salt
pepper

120g butter, cubed

Step 1.) Place the white wine vinegar, white wine, peppercorns, lime juice and spring onions in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Allow the mixture to boil until it has reduced to approximately 10ml (2 teaspoons).

Step 2.) While the vinegar mixture is boiling wash and trim the asparagus and steam until bright green and tender. This will take 5-6 minutes.

Step 3.) Drizzle the fish fillets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill or pan fry for a few minutes on each side until just cooked and flaky.

Step 4.)  Finishing the sauce: once the liquid has reduced in step 1, take it off the heat and remove the spring onion pieces. Whisk in 2 cubes of chilled butter, and once melted return the saucepan to the stove on a very low heat. Gradually whisk the remaining butter into the sauce, one or two pieces at a time, only adding new pieces once the previous ones have almost melted. Be sure to whisk the sauce continuously and don't allow it to get too hot or the sauce will liquefy. Remove from the heat as soon as all the butter has been added. Season to taste with salt. Note: if the sauce is too tart for your liking you can always add more butter.

Step 5.) Season the steamed asparagus with some salt and plate along with the fish and beurre blanc. Serve immediately.