The end of summer, marked by back-to-school blues and sports teams restarting, comes coupled with an increasingly hectic schedule for parents trying to juggle work, kids and healthy lifestyles.
That’s why there is nothing like preparing for the week ahead especially when it comes to mealtimes. This week’s dishes can be easily assembled and refrigerated, making them great midweek dinners. On top of that, they are the perfect dish for suppers with friends - and a well-deserved bottle of wine...
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Chorizo Meatball and Ricotta Lasagne
Ingredients
(Serves 6)
- 6 fresh chorizos, removed from skin
- 800g cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 250ml tomato passata
- 800g ricotta
- 80g pecorino, grated
- 375g fresh lasagne sheets
- 100g mozzarella, grated
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch oregano leaves
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Start by removing the chorizo sausage from its casing and moulding the sausage meat into balls.
- In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil on a medium heat and cook off the chorizo until golden on all sides.
- Next, add in the garlic, half of the oregano and cook for a further minute. Now, add in the passata, tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes. Set aside.
- In a clean bowl, combine mix with the pecorino and ricotta.
- To construct the lasagne, line the base of a roasting tray with a lasagne sheet, top with a third of the chorizo and tomato mix, add another lasagne sheet, then half of the ricotta mix and spread evenly. Repeat. To finish, sprinkle over the mozzarella and top with the remaining spoonful of meatballs. Place in oven and cook until golden.
- Finally, remove and garnish with the remaining oregano and olive oil then place back in oven for five more minutes and serve bubbling.
Fish Pie
Ingredients
- 100g pale smoked haddock, skinned and cubed
- 100g salmon, and cubed
- 100g coley, skinned and cubed
- 100g monkfish, skinned and cubed
- 75ml whipping cream
- 30g butter, unsalted
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 20g flour
- 200ml fish stock
- ½ lemon juiced and the zest
- 25g flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
For the topping
- 8 large Maris Piper potatoes, halved
- 100g butter
- 100g cheddar cheese, grated
- 100ml milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 120C.
- Start by melting your butter in a pot on a medium heat and adding in the onions until soft. Next, add in the flour and cook for a further five minutes. Now, add the stock in slowly and cook for a further 15 minutes on a medium heat.
- Next, add in the cream, lemon juice and fish. Mix in the flat leaf parsley and leave to the side.
- Remove from the stove and place in an oven proof dish.
- At this stage you want to have your potatoes boiled and cooked through, remove all excess water and leave aside for 5 minutes. Using a stick blender, add your butter, milk and cheese and mix until it comes together to form a smooth mash. For the restaurants we pipe our mashed potatoes on, and you can do the same at home using a piping bag. Cover the top of the fish with the potato and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- This is the perfect dish in which to hide some vegetables - you can add sweetcorn, peas or finely sliced leeks.
