Simple Salad Nicoise

Sometimes my meals come from what I have in my cupboards and fridge, other times I just get an idea and I have to make it before it leaves me alone. This Salad Nicoise was one of the latter. It just came into my head during a morning work shift that all I wanted to eat for dinner was a Salad Nicoise, now I'm not a salad person at all. When I finished my shift, I cycled home passed the supermarket, bought the ingredients and arrived home to tell my wife what we were having for dinner.

Salad Nicoise, like all things with Nicoise attached to them, come from the region around Nice (In France). The typical ingredients in these dishes are garlic, anchovies, tomatoes, olive and French beans (also known as Green beans) and some kind of fish. This salad also has dozens of variations, some places use only fresh, seared tuna, others tinned, some will add cook vegetables, others won't, some won't even use lettuce. All are still Salad Nicoise and all taste fantastic.

This is my take upon this classic Southern French salad, so for 4 people you will need:-

1 medium sized Iceberg lettuce, washed and shredded
2 tins of Tuna chucks, drained
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow pepper, sliced
8 new potatoes, boiled, cooled and cut into fours
4 eggs, cooked, peeled and cut into fours
6tbsp olive oil
2tbsp red wine vinegar
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper

Start with making the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Leave to one side to infuse.

On your plates lay the lettcue first and the start adding the other ingredients. Leave the Tuna till last but besides that it does not really matter what order you have them in or how they look. Finish by topping it with the tuna and drizzling that dressing over it, about 2 tablespoons will do but you can always add more if you want.

That's it, very simple. The whole thing from start to finish shouldn't take more than 30 minutes including cooking of the potatoes and eggs.

So no more excuses about salads not being tasty.

Corned Beef Hash

Corned Beef Hash has been part of British home cooking since the early 20th century. It became very popular during the second world war, mainly because rationing made it hard to get fresh meat. This dish comes in many different varieties from frying cubes of corned beef with par boiled cubes of potato to cooking the beef with onions and layering mash on top. The one Hash I remember from my childhood was one where the corned beef was fried, added to some mash potato, salted and buttered and then topped with cheese. It was almost always served with baked beans, fried onions and bread. It was a family favourite. This version is a casserole that is simple, can be made up before hand (up to a day) and  nutritious.

So for this you will want to have:-

340g Corned beef (1 tin)
400g Potatoes (Maris Pipers or King Edwards work best)
75g Butter, melted
100ml double cream, warm
salt and pepper
75g Cheese, grated (I used a mix of Edam and Cheddar)

Optionals: Baked beans and one medium onion

So start off by rough cutting your potatoes and putting them into a pan of water to boil. I like to keep the skin on them as this is where most of the nutrients are held. A trick to getting the right mashed potato is not to over boil, so around 20 minutes, where they are soft but not breaking up.

While your potatoes are boiling take the corned beef out of the tin and slice. In a frying pan, add a teaspoon of oil and heat. Add your corned beef slices and brown on both sides. Take out and put to one side. You can use the same pan now to fry your onions if you are choosing to add onions.

Drain your potatoes and add back to the pan. Add the corned beef, cream, butter and seasoning and mash. I like to mash mine until they are all mixed together, not really caring if there are chunks.

If you are making for cooking later, let cool down and put into the fridge. About an hour before you want to serve, preheat oven to 175'C and put the hash inside. Cook for 20 minutes and then add the cheese. Turn up to 225'C and leave for another 15-20 minutes and the cheese has browned.

If wanting to make right away, preheat oven to 225'C, top with cheese and cook for 15-20 minutes and the cheese has browned.

Serve with your baked beans and onions if you want. Then watch as all the contents disappear into the mouths of your family and guests.

Mars Bar 'Cake'

Sometimes you just need something sweet, something you know is unhealthy but just makes you feel good. This is one of mine. It is so simple that you can make it with the children.

For a nice trays worth of these delicious things you will need:-
6 mars bars (or their cheaper equivalent)
2 cupfuls of rice krispies (or their cheaper equivalent)
200g milk chocolate


First melt your mars bars in a bowl suspended over boiling water. Then add the rice krispies and mix until all coated. Put into a greased pyrex tray and put to one side. Then melt the chocolate and add to the top. Put in fridge and leave to cool. Cut and serve,

Such a simple recipe, such delicious taste.