Scallops and mashed potatoes

This is a simple, light dinner and a good way of sneaking some vegetables into your daily diet.

Scallops and mashed potatoes

For two people:

200g potatoes

a knob of butter and a dribble of milk

100g lardons

one leek, sliced into thin rounds

one chopped onion

100g scallops (fresh or frozen)

Peel and chop the potatoes into chunks, and boil them until they are tender enough to mash. In the meantime, fry the lardons, with the onions and the leeks over a medium heat, until the vegetables soften. The fat from the lardons should be enough to lubricate the pan, so you don't need to use oil. 

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water off them, add the butter and the dribble of milk and mash them. Add your vegetables and the lardons (keep the residual fat in the pan for cooking the scallops in a moment), with a little salt and pepper and mix them well.

In your frying pan again, fry the scallops for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second.

Switch your grill on. Put your cooked scallops into an individual, shallow dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Pop these under the hot grill until the top crisps up, so about 3-4 minutes.

If you don’t have leeks, you could add some carrots or other vegetable to the potatoes. If you have some cheese lingering in the fridge you could also add that to the mash. 

Delicious chicken and tarragon dish

Stuck for a mid-week, fast and easy supper?  I made this with chicken and tarragon last week. So simple so yummy. And mashed potatoes always hits the spot. If you’re trying to cut the calories, try substituting the crème fraiche for fromage frais and adding a root vegetable instead of a potato or two.

Pan-fried fish

ok, ok, I've been a bit remiss on filling in my blog recently. Part of this is due to not taking photos of my food. My new month resolution is to take more photos of my food.


Last night I made a super low-fat pan-fried fish. I don't have any other name for it. Its a 365things original dish. Maybe.


For two people, you'll need:
120g white fish per person - I use monkfish or pangasius (catfish)
150g potatoes per person (or less potato and more root veg)
1 pepper (any colour)
2 large tomatoes or several smaller ones
1 onion
salt n pepper
various herbs


Peel and cut the potatoes (and the other veg if you're using) into pieces. Boil in some water for about 20 mins until soft. Drain and add about 50ml milk and 10g butter and mash until smooth.


While your potatoes are cooking, chop the onion into 8ths, the pepper into strips and the tomatoes into chunks. Cook these in a frying pan (I do this without oil) in a bit of water. Add whatever herbs and spices you like, and a little salt and pepper. These should take about 15 minutes to become soft and cooked through.


When your veg are all cooked, remove them from the pan and add your fish. Cook for about 4 minutes on the first side and about 3 on the other. Fish varies in thickness so use your judgement - it's cooked when it becomes opaque.


To plate up, put some of the vegetable mixture on first and the fish on top. The mash can be served on the side. Or, if you're otherwise inclined, pop the fish onto the mash and serve the vegetables on the side.