Another week has flown by, I have been working on an assignment and was ueber-happy to be spending some time in the kitchen rather than at my desk. This time was awarded with a real feeling of spring, the birds were singing, the light was just that little bit brighter and I definitely noticed the day being longer – amazing!!!
It didn’t take long to decide what to make, I had some leftover roast vegetables from the weekend, so I made fishcakes- such a good way to use up any leftover spuds and root veggies. Fish is a good source of omega oils which are great for your skin, so I thought I’d add an extra top up of omegas using ground linseeds and chia seeds to seal them, we need to work on that spring glow after all, right ? Baking instead of frying not only means less washing up, but also is a much healthier way of preparing them.
Of course no fishcake without protein and mineral rich mushy peas- although not in season right now, you can get frozen British peas all year round- they are super delicious and have a lovely color. I like to add mint to my mushy peas, it gives them a nice twist. I usually have a mint plant on my window sill as I use it to make soothing teas and to flavour water. Mint also goes well on salads and in dressings- such a versatile bright green herb.
Given we are in the height of the kale season, a salad of the green and red variety with a lemon & honey dressing works really well as a side- it’s quickly made and adds a lovely freshness to the dish.
Fishcakes with linseed and chia crust -serves 2-3
Fishcakes
250g of leftover roast vegetables ( e.g. potatoes, carrots, parsnip, onions etc)
150g of mackerel ( tinned or fresh) – other fish works too
4-6 tbsp of ground linseeds
2-3 tbsp of ground chia seeds ( chia & linseeds can be ground together)
1 medium sized egg
1 tsp of Dijon mustard ( English mustard works fine too, but use slightly less as it is hotter)
2 shallots (finely chopped- only add if there are no onions in your roast vegetables)
Himalayan Salt & pepper to taste
honey&mustard sauce ( just mix one tbsp of mustard, 1 tsp of honey- done)
Capers to garnish ( you can add a table spoon to the fish mix if you like , its quite delicious)
Mushy peas with mint
200-300 g of frozen peas
1-2 handful of fresh mint
1-2 tbsp of ghee or butter
Himalayan salt & pepper
Kale Salad
350 g of green and red kale ( washed and torn into smaller pieces)
Lemon dressing
Juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp of cold pressed olive oil
2 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp of Dijon or English mustard
1/2 tsp of honey
Himalayan salt&pepper to taste
Method:
Mash the left over roast vegetables, add shallots, salt, pepper, beaten egg and mix well. Then add the fish , this is best done in flaking it on top of the mashed ingredients and then carefully folding the fish into the mix, at this point fold in the capers if you are adding them .
Pre-heat the oven at 160c and lay out parchment paper on a roasting tray. Place the ground chia and linseed on a plate- season with salt and pepper. Use a large spoon to divide the mix and make equally sized balls , then one by one flatten with the palm of your hand and coat with the chia and linseed mix before placing them on the baking tray. Do this very carefully as the fishcakes are quite fragile at this point. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
Prepare the kale salad by just adding the dressing to the washed and dried leaves, best to mix in a glass bowl. Massaging the dressing in well and leave until the fishcakes are ready to be served.
A few minutes before the cakes are done, put the frozen peas in boiling water, simmer for 2-3 minutes and drain well. Add ghee or butter to the peas, salt & pepper and blend using a hand blender. You can also just mash them manually. Finely chop mint and fold under the mash and serve hot together with the fishcakes and kale salad. Garnish the fishcakes with honey & mustard sauce and capers –
Enjoy !!
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