Spring Green Patties with Salmon and Ribboned Carrot Salad

Day 2 on the consciously low carb, low cal plan - I wanted to do something a bit more exciting than just salmon and veggies. A really fresh tasting meal, the patties complimented the salmon really well and the carrot salad added crisp sweetness.

Ingredients:

2 large salmon fillets

For the patties...

200g shredded spring greens

1/2 large leek, sliced

1 egg

Salt & pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard

2 Tbs chickpea flour (or any kind you want to use)

For the carrot salad...

2 large carrots, trimmed and peeled

Small handful of fresh corriander, finely chopped

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/4 lemon

To make:

1) Season the salmon as per the salmon and roast vegetables recipe and wrap in tin foil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes on gas mark 6, making sure the foil is folded together to seal.

2) Cook the spring greens in a pot of boiling water and drain. Sautee the leeks with a small amount of low fat cooking spray and add the vinegar when just about done. Turn out on a chopping board and chop into small pieces.

3) Mix the spring greens with the leeks in a small bowl, add the egg, salt and pepper, nutmeg, mustard and chickpea flour. Mix well and put into the fridge while you make the carrot salad.

4) Use a vegetable peeler to 'ribbon' the carrots (run the peeler down the length of the carrot) into a medium sized bowl. Toss in the corriander, lemon zest and lemon juice.

5) Shape the spring greens mix into patties and fry over a medium high heat for 4 minutes each side.

6) Place the salmon on the patties and pour some of the juices from the foil over it. Serve the carrot salad on the side.

Serves 2.

Virtuous Veggie Stir Fry

After a weekend in Barcelona, a birthday to celebrate and general summer socialising, this week calls for a low carb, low cal dinner menu.

Starting as I mean to go on, Mnday's meal was this vege packed stir fry. It has a light but tasty flavour, with the added health benefits of miso. Miso has a fairly strong flavour but is a really delicious addition to soups, stir fries, stews etc. The thing to remember with Miso is that it contains good bacteria, so it needs to be added at the end of cooking when it won't be heated for too long - or you'll kill said bacteria.

I've not been too specific on times for this one, as it does depend on how well done you like your vegetables.

Ingredients:

Low fat cooking spray

1 large onion, sliced

6 vegetarian sausages, cut into strips

1 large carrot, sliced into thin batons

1 medium head of broccoli, cut into small florets

1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced

1 large courgette, cut into rounds

Handful of green beans

4 medium mushrooms, sliced

Handful of mangetout

Small handful coriander, chopped

For the sauce..

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp honey

2 Tbs water

1/2 Tbs lemon juice

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 Tbs chopped fresh ginger

For the miso mix...

1 Tbs miso paste

1 Tbs water

To make:

1) Start by mixing the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and the miso and water in another bowl.

1) Heat a few sprays of cooking spray in a wok over a medium heat and add the onions. Stir fry for about 2 minutes and then add the vege sausages. Stir fry this for about 2-3 minutes until everything begins to colour.

2) Add the carrots and stir for about 2 minutes, then add the broccoli and capsicum, cook for 2 minutes. Add the courgette and sauce and stir well.

3) Add the green beans and mushrooms to the pan and stir until the mushrooms begin to soften.

4) Turn the heat up to high and add the mangetout and coriander with the miso mix. Stir quickly until the liquid reduces (only about 1 minute).

Serves 3 (or 2, including 1 hungry, post-gym boy).

Carrot, Coriander and Chickpea Koftas

Our flat happens to be situated above an exceptionally good Indian takeaway shop. Sometimes the scent is just too much when coming home from a long day at work. Today was one such day, so I set about creating an Indian inspired feast of my own. These koftas have been forming in my mind for a while, so I was more than happy to put them into practice.

Ingredients:

Low fat cooking spray

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 onion, finely sliced

1 tsp garam masala

1 clove garlic

4 medium carrots, grated

1/2 tin of chickpeas, lightly mashed

A good handful of fresh coriander, chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

3 Tbs chickpea flour, plus extra for rolling

To make:

1) Turn the oven to 200°c and line and oven tray with foil. Spray with cooking spray.

2) In a mortar and pestle, grind the cumin and coriander seeds. Warm a small pan over a medium heat, spray some cooking spray and then add the ground seeds. Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.

3) Add the onion and stir for 2 minutes before mixing in the garlic and the rest of the spices. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft.

4) Add the grated carrot and stir well to combine, then cover and leave to cook for about 5-10 minutes until the carrot is very soft.

5) Tip into a bowl and add the chick peas, coriander, lemon juice and salt to taste. Then stir in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

6) Shape into balls and roll in some flour. Place on the baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, turning once at about 12 minutes. Serve as part of an Indian meal with chutney and plain soy yoghurt.

Makes 6.

Zingy Wild Rice and Roast Veg Salad

My very first foray into cooking wild rice.

Not only does it look amazing, but the taste and texture add another dimension to your standard image of rice. The flavour is somewhat nutty and the texture is slightly crunchy/chewy on the outside, yet soft in the middle. Very different from you standard rice and this is probably because wild rice is actually an aquatic grass. It is packed full of nutrients and contains folic acid, B vitamins and protein.

Wild rice freezes well once cooked, so cook up the whole packet and freeze in single portions for easy lunches.

This recipe was a bit of an experiment and I took the flavour ideas from the many grain salads that I have cooked over the years. Black rice would also work exceptionally well with seafood and oriental flavours.

Ingredients:

125g wild rice

low fat cooking spray

1/4 butternut, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into batons

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 red capsicum, sliced

1 courgette, sliced

Salt and pepper

1/2 bunch of corriander, roughly chopped

1 satsuma, chopped into small pieces

1 Tbs each of pumpkin and sesame seeds

For the dressing...

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 Tbs tahini

2 Tbs lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp crushed hot chilli

Juice and zest of 1 satsuma

Some water to thin the dressing as you go

Salt

1) Cook the rice according to the packet instructions - it will generally take 50-60 minutes.

2) Turn the oven to 200°c, or gas mark 6. Spray the cooking spray into a foil lined tin and add all the vegetables, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for about 45-50 minutes until tender, stirring around a couple of times.

3) To make the dressing, mix the garlic, tahini and lemon juice together with a fork. Add the chilli and a good pinch of salt and then add a little warm water (about a Tbs at a time) until you get a dressing like consistency. Don't add to much at a time because it quickly goes from too thick to too thin. Stir in the zests and set aside.

4) In a small, oil free pan, toast the seeds over a low heat and stir every few minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they'll burn easily. They'll take about 15 minutes and the pumpkin seeds will start to burst their little green skins when done. Again, set these aside.

5) When cooked, drain the rice and allow it to cool a little. Take the orast veggies out of the oven. Put the cooled rice in a large bowl with the corriander and satsuma flesh and pour half the dressing in, mixing well. Add the roast vegetables, mix well together and then pour over the rest of the dressing and mix everything again.

6) Serve scattered with the toasted seeds.

Serves 2-3.

Minty Lebanese Salad

A wonderful friend gave me a recipe book from her favourite cafe in NZ for my birthday. She knows me too well! This recipe is adapted from that book - Ripe Recipes by Angela Redfern. There are so many different flavours and textures, it was declared 'a taste sensation' when I tested it.

I usually use tinned beans, but this time I thought I'd give dried ones a go. Not sure if they are worth the effort to be honest, but it was gratifying seeing the hard little beans turn into something edible. You can easily use tinned chickpeas here though, just add them into the salad at the end - in this case use about a cup.

Ingredients:

100g bulgur wheat

1/3 c dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

1/2 c fresh mint, chopped

1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 c whole almonds

12 Kalamata olives, chopped into big pieces

zest of 1 lemon

100g fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 Tbs pumpkin seeds

1 Tbs sunflower seeds

Salt and black pepper

For the dressing...

1/4c white wine vinegar

3/4 Tbs soft brown sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c chopped, fresh mint

1 Tbs wholegrain mustard

To make:

1) Cover the beans in plenty of water and bring to the boil. Turn them down after about 10 minutes and cook rapidly for a further 50 minutes or until tender.

2)Put the bulgur Wheat in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for about half an hour.

3)Toast the almonds and seeds in the oven on about 180°c for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they'll quickly go from toasted to too-toasted.

4) Mix all the dressing ingredients in another bowl and use a stick blender to get a smooth(ish) consistency.

5) Chop the almonds roughly, but so they are still in large chunks.

6) Combine all of the ingredients, except the seeds, in a big bowl and carefully mix. Seaon with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over and again, mix carefully.

7) Sprinkle with seeds to serve. Goes really well served with roast veggies.

Serves 2 for dinner with leftovers.

Spinach, Potato and Mushroom Curry

Easy to make and very healthy, this curry is a lovely Sunday night supper. It's got some great earthy flavours, which contrast really well with a nice sweet chutney. It's a distant relative of a Nigel Slater potato and spinach dish.

Ingredients:

500g potatoes

1 tsp hazelnut oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp chili paste

1cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp crushed cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

salt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

200g mushrooms

300g baby spinach

To serve...

Nigella seeds

Basmati Rice

Chutney

To make:

1) Peel and chop the potatoes, cook them in a large pot of water until tender. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

2) Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Fry for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and start to colour.

3) Add the garlic, chili and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring. Then add all the spices and mustard seeds. Cook for another 1 minute, stirring.

4) Tip in the potatoes and a cup of water and bring to the boil. Stir well to get the potatoes coated then add the mushrooms and turn down to a simmer.

5) When the liquid has reduced, add the lemon juice and salt, followed by the spinach. Cook 3-4 minutes until the spinach is well wilted. Sprinkle with Nigella seeds and serve with Basmati rice (or naan if you prefer) and chutney.

Serves 2 very well for a main.

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

A tasty veggie curry with lots of aromatic, earthy flavours. The sweetness of the potato really compliments the rest of the flavours. You could easily use butternut squash if you wanted to.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (cook for 3 min on high in the microwave to speed up cooking time)

1 Tbs tahini

2 Tbs tomato paste

2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp curry powder (use whichever heat you prefer, I used medium)

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp brown sugar

6 Tbs hot water

50g green beans, trimmed and chopped

6 mushrooms, chopped

1 cup water

150g fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 tin chickpeas, drained

2 Tbs fresh coriander, chopped

1 tsp Nigella seeds

To serve...

Rice

Pita or naan bread

Chutney

Plain soy yoghurt

To make:

1) Spray a large saucepan with low fat cooking spray and put over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the sweet potato and cover, cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

2) In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, tomato paste, lemon juice, curry powder, garam masala, salt, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, and brown sugar. Gradually add the hot water, stirring.

3) Add the mix to the sweet potato and onion mix, recover and cook for another 10 minutes, checking every few minutes and stirring in the water gradually as the sauce reduces.

4) Add the beans and mushrooms and cover again, cooking for 3 minutes. Then add the chickpeas and spinach and cook for 3 minutes, until the spinach is well wilted.

5) Mix in the coriander and turn off the heat. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with the Nigella seeds. Serve with rice, breads, yoghurt and chutney.

Serves 4.

Smoked Salmon Pasta for One

I feel a bit wrong calling this a recipe - it's more a mixture of flavours that work deliciously together - but I guess that's a recipe, isn't it?

This is my ultimate dinner for one indulgence. It's something that the boy wouldn't be fussed on, so when I'm home alone and want to treat myself, this is it. Plus it takes almost no time to make.

My mum has always loved the pasta and smoked salmon combo, and would probably eat it every night if she had her way, so this is really inspired by her. Right down to the angel hair pasta which she favours with salmon.

Ingredients:

8 spears of asparagus

80g angel hair pasta

80g cold smoked salmon flakes

2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped

1/4 red onion, very finely diced

1 tsp capers

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Freshly ground salt and black pepper

Lemon wedge to serve

1) Trim the thicker ends from the asparagus and place in a small pot. Pour over about 2cm of boiling water and cook for about 3-4 minutes until tender.

2) While the asparagus is cooking, bring another pot of water to the boil, add salt and the pasta. Cook according to the packet (normally only 2-4 minutes - be careful not to overcook).

3) Use this time to prepare the rest of the ingredients.

4) Drain the pasta and toss a little olive oil through to stop it sticking. Add the smoked salmon flakes and gently mix them through the pasta with a spaghetti server to get the flavour throughout. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine well - make especially sure that the dill is mixed throughout.

5) Squeeze lemon juice over the asparagus spears and season generously with salt and pepper.

6) Serve the pasta with asparagus on the side and a lemon wedge.

Serves 1 blissfully.

Tofu, Quinoa and Mango salad

This dish takes its inspiration from a Marks and Spencer crayfish salad that really isn't similar in any way, except for the use of mango. I used to think that mixing fruit with savoury dishes was an abomination, but done with the right flavours, it can be a match made in heaven.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an exceptionally nutritious grain and contains all 9 amino acids to make it a complete protein. The tofu adds an extra proteinous boost.

This would be great as a summer meal; there are lots of flavours and textures working together here, and they do get on rather nicely.

Ingredients:

For the tofu...

400g block tofu, diced

soy sauce

juice of 1/4 lemon

heaped teaspoon of crushed garlic

1cm grated ginger

For the dressing...

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp crushed hot chili

1/2 tsp tamari soy sauce

1/2 Tbs rice vinegar

1 Tbs sweet chili sauce

1/2 Tbs water

2 Tbs fresh, chopped coriander

1/8 tsp brown sugar

And the rest...

1/2 c quinoa

50g mangetout, cut in half

1/2 small head of broccoli, cut into small florets

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 small iceberg lettuce, shredded

1/2 mango, cut into small pieces

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 bunch fresh coriander

To serve:

Fresh coriander, chopped

Lemon wedges

To make:

1) Put all the tofu into a shallow bowl and drizzle with soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and ginger. Cover and refrigerate to marinate overnight or for at least an hour.

2) Turn the oven to gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Put it into the oven to heat up for a couple of minutes, then lay the tofu evenly out on it. Put in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, turning once.

3) Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together and set aside.

4) Put the quinoa in a small pot with 1 and a half cups of water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa is cooked and the water absorbed.

5) Put the hot quinoa into a large bowl and mix in half the dressing. Leave it to sit while you blanch the broccoli for 3 minutes and the the mangetout for 1 minute.

6) To the quinoa, add the red onion, lettuce and coriander. Mix well. Next add the mango and slightly cooled broccoli and mangetout. Add the avocado last, gently stirring through with the remaining dressing.

7) Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with lemon wedges if desired.

Serves 2.

Salmon and Roast Vegetables

Salmon is bursting with health properties. It's high in omega 3 which is good for brain development, healthy skin and hair, and studies have shown anti cancer properties and reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease. Plus it tastes delicious.

This is a dish I have been making for years and it never fails to please. The richness of the salmon goes especially well with sweet roast vegetables, like sweet potato, carrot, red onion and butternut. You can use whichever veggies you like, the below is simply a suggestion. I do try to aim for a spectrum of different colours to keep it visually interesting as well as delicious. All the vegetables have different cooking times, so it's a matter of just adding them in at different points. Remember - the vegetables will shrink while cooking, so don't be overwhelmed by the quantities (and they always taste delicious the next day if they last that long!). Generally I allow an hour to cook and prepare this meal.

Ingredients:

For the salmon

2 fillets fresh salmon, skinned and boned

1 Tbs soy sauce (s)

1 tsp crushed garlic (s)

Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp) (s)

1 tsp clear honey (s)

1 cm fresh ginger, grated (s)

1/2 tsp dried dill (s)

Ground black pepper (s)

For the vegetables

1 tsp celery salt

Freshly ground back pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced lengthways ten cut into 2-3cm cubes

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 2 cm cubes

1 red or yellow capsicum, thickly sliced

a small head of broccoli, cut into small florets and precooked for 1 minutes in the microwave

1 large courgette, sliced thickly

6 mushrooms, quartered

To serve

capers

lemon wedges

To make:

1) Marinate the salmon with all of the ingredients listed under 'for the salmon'. Rather than mixing them all first, I just place the fillets in a shallow, flat based bowl and pour each one over the salmon one by one, diving the application evenly among the two. Leave in the fridge to marinate until needed, turning once.

2) Turn the oven to 200 °c or gas mark 6. Line 2 oven trays with tin foil and a drizzle of olive oil. Start by putting the carrots on a tray on their own in the oven for 10 minutes, then add the onion, capsicum and sweet potato across both trays, making sure they are evenly spread. Sprinkle over celery salt, pepper, dried rosemary and another drizzle of olive oil. Toss everthing together and return to the oven. Leave to cook for about 10 minutes before adding the broccoli and courgette and turning everything again.

3) After another 25 minutes, add the mushrooms and toss everything really well.

4) Make a space on the tray with the mushrooms for the salmon and add the fillets, pouring any left over marinate over the fillets (this will cook nicely into the vegetables). After 10 minutes of cooking, put the salmon under the grill for 5 minutes, or until cooked through and the edges are charring.

5) Serve on a platter with lemon wedges and capers.

Serves 2 with leftover veggies.

Pure pesto with pasta

A result of having broccoli, courgettes and not much else in the fridge - this pesto is so easy to throw together and still has an intense, pesto-ey flavour without the masses of oil. You could sprinkle with toasted pinenuts before serving for a tasty final touch.

Ingredients:

Low fat cooking spray

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Salt & pepper

2 courgettes, grated

1 tsp crushed chili

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 c soy milk

Handful fresh basil, torn

Cooked, drained spaghetti of your choice (I used wholewheat)

To make:

1) Spray some cooking spray to a pan over a medium heat and cook onions for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and cook onions until translucent.

2) Add the broccoli and cover, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the broccoli is very soft. Mix in the lemon juice and seasoning.

3) Put this all into a food processor and blend until smooth. Put aside.

4) Rinse the pan, put it over a medium heat and use a little more cooking spray. Tip in the courgettes and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until soft.

5) Scrape the blended mix into the courgettes and stir in chilli and nutritional yeast, then gradually add milk, stirring until you achieve a smooth consistency.

6) Just before turning off the heat, stir in the basil.

7)Pour over drained pasta and mix through until all strands are coated. Garnish each serving with a few basil leaves.

Makes enough for pasta for about 4 people.

NB. As this isn't made with oil like normal pesto, it won't keep for longer than a few days.

Comfort Stew

Today was the first seriously Autumn day in London. It rained, was getting dark as I walked home from the station and I even wore tights. So it was the perfect evening for a filling stew; hearty, warming, tasty and packed with veges. This stew is the dinner equivalent of slipping on a giant knitted jumper, tracksuit trousers and ugg boots. Cosy.

You can play around with the variety of veg in this. It's nice to have different colours and cut them in a range of ways (cubes, strips, rounds etc).

I am very much a cook-by-sight and then taste person, not so much a stickler for measuring. But I have, for the sake of my blog, tried to measure everything out. The ingredients list looks hideously long, but it's really just this and that from the spice cupboard. The time is all in the prep - once it is in the oven, the time is yours!

Ingredients:

For the stew's sauce

2 tsp vegetarian gravy powder

1 c boiling water

2 Tbs flour

1 Tbs tomato paste

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp balsamic vingar

The body of the stew

1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise

1 small / medium leek, sliced

3 vegetarian sausages, cut into chunks on the diagonal

A splash of soy sauce

1 large garlic clove

1/2 tin of any beans you like (I used borlotti for the stew pictured, but mixed beans, chickpeas or any white bean are also perfect)

1 red capsicum, sliced lengthwise

1/3 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1/3 head of broccoli, cut into florets

1 large carrot, cut into rounds

1 medium sweet potato, cubed

3 mushrooms, sliced

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

A large handful of basil

For the cous cous

1 cup cous cous

About 1 1/2 cups of boiling water

Salt

Pepper

Lemon juice

A big handful of parsley, chopped

To make:

1) Mix sauce ingredients together - first the gravy granules and water, then add flour and mix well. Add the the rest of the ingredients and combine.

2) Lightly fry the leek, onions and sausages with the first measure of soy sauce.

3) Cut all veges and add them to a casserole dish with a lid. Add the cooked onions, leek and sausages.

4) Pour the sauce over the veges along with the tomatoes.

5) Cook at gas mark 6 for about an hour, taking out to stir occasionally (about 3 times).

6) Make the cous cous when the stew is almost ready. Put cous cous in a bowl, add boiling water, cover and leave for about 10 minutes. Taste it to make sure it's cooked through, and if not, add a touch more water and leave to stand again. Be really careful not to add to much. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley and combine with a fork.

7) serve the meal sprinkled with parsley.

Serves about 4 or tastes great the next day if you have left overs.

Lemon and Dill Salmon Fishcakes

These fishcakes are real comfort food. Great in either summer or winter, they play host to a range of different flavours that all centre around the salmon. The addition of the boiled egg makes them more than a little reminiscent of a fish pie.

The crunch of crumbs and the creaminess of potato makes for a delicious meal that skips the added fat of many potato based recipes. These can be fried or baked, but I find the best(not to mention lowest fat) results from grilling.

Salmon is so, so good for you, both inside and out. Because this recipe flakes the fish, you can buy the cheaper off cuts from supermarket like Sainsbury's. If you eat fish, I'd really encourage you to encorporate it in your weekly menus.

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes (about 250g each)

4 Tbs soy yoghurt

2 Tbs soy milk

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp dried dill

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 1/2 tsp sweet chilli sauce

2 spring onions, finely chopped

low fat cooking spray

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 egg

200g salmon, chopped into chunks

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey

A handful of parsley, chopped

To make:

1) Peel and chop the potatoes and bring to the boil in a pan of salted water. Turn the heat down to a rapid simmer and cook about 15 min or until tender.

2) When cooked, drain potatoes, transfer to a large bowl and mash. Add the soy yoghurt and milk, 1 Tbs at a time, mashing in between until you get a smooth, creamy texture - but not too sloppy. Add salt, pepper, dill, first measure of lemon juice, wholegrain mustard, sweet chilli sauce and spring onions. Mix well.

3) Use the potato pot to boil your egg, about 8 minutes for a hard boiled egg. When it's ready, cool in a bowl of cold water and then peel and chop.

4) While your egg cooks, gently fry onions and garlic in a little low fat spray in a small pan, making sure they turn translucent and don't burn. Add to the potatoes and mix.

5) Pan fry the salmon with the honey, soy sauce and 2nd measure of lemon juice. Cook on a high heat so all liquid thickens and the fish is well coated and cooked. Flake the salmon gently with a fork. Add to the potatoes with the parsley and egg and mix well.

6) Prepare a baking tray with low fat spray to prevent sticking. Pour some crumbs into a bowl and shape handfuls of the mixture into patties. Cover in the crumbs and pat gently in between your hands to make the crumbs adhere. Place each cake on the baking tray.

7) If you have time, leave the cakes in the fridge to solidify a little, if not, go straight to step 8 (which is exactly what I did for the ones pictured).

8)Grill about 15 minutes on the first side, or until golden. Turn and grill 10 mins on the other side.

Serve with salad, lemon wedges and a choice of condiments like sweet chilli sauce, tomato sauce, or tartar sauce.

This made 8 fish cakes and served 2, one hungry boy and one not quite so hungry girl.