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.

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.

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.

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.