Yoga Bear

 Ploughman's

 I woke up this morning like a bear with a sore head; the reason for this, quite frankly, out of character behaviour guffaw, I hear you cry was sleeping in.   I slept in for the first time in a long while and it did me no good at all.   "Sleeping in is overrated!" I cried from the side of the bed, quickly followed by "It's someone else's fault!" and "Where is my TEA?!?".

I grumped down the stairs and was greeted with the essential cuppa and no breakfast to speak off.   "Sleeping in is definitely overrated" I grumbled from underneath my hot cup.   When coffee was offered, the family ever hopeful that the caffeine would enter my system quickly, a brownie was proffered as an apology to the mum god for the lack of sustenance earlier.   The brownie was accepted and, combined with the coffee, a new dawn broke and a wavering smile began at the corner of my mouth.   All was well with the world once again.

But still: brownie for breakfast? YUM!

No sleeping in for me this week, even if I wanted to; this morning, I head off to a yoga course which continues throughout the week.   I'm a wee bit nervous but really looking forward to it.   It has me focusing on what I eat yes, Helen, because you certainly don't focus enough on what you eat........ and portion sizes as my main goal is to have enough energy without being too full, to retain momentum throughout the day without being floored by early morning yoga i.e. having to retire to my bed mid-afternoon... I have been known or without the horrendous possibility of sleeping in...we know where that takes me see above.   My yoga week lunch although there may be a few eaten in Peckhams and dinner menu, using ingredients in the pantry and leftovers from the past week's shopping and cooking  is as follows:

Farfalle with Spinach & Watercress Pesto

Lentil Soup with Ham

Shredded Ham & Potato Cakes with Risotto

Pea & Ham Soup (from a chicken...?   Now that's clever!...aye, the old adverts were the best 'uns) 

Stirfry 

Spinach & Watercress Pesto Muffins

Ham, Mustard & Homemade Chutney Sandwich with Potato & Leek Soup

Red Onion & Cheddar Omelette with Crispy Salad and Toasted Linseeds 

Pesto & Goat's Cheese Tart Slice with Roasted Tomatoes

 
 The kids and husband will have a few wee additions to this.  This week's shopping won't be until Friday which will mean last weeks shop has lasted at least 10 days.   Woohoo!

We had Ploughman's for dinner on Saturday which consisted of Ham cooked in Coke, Homemade Bread & Chutney made with ginger, apples and raisins, Cheddar Cheese, Pickled Onions and Cucumber Slices.   It was delicious!

 Coked Ham...bet you thought it was a spelling mistake!

Quick and Easy Homemade Spicy Chutney (recipe to follow)

The Fish Pie last week was a hit:

Fish Pie with Mashed Potato Topping

Ingredients:

2 x lightly smoked salmon fillets (or non-smoked fillets)

1 x coley/cod or haddock fillet

Dash of olive oil or knob of butter

2 hard boiled eggs

Cooked petit pois or garden peas of choice

Half chopped onion

Half lemon

White sauce or light cheese sauce (follow the recipe but put in only a small handful of the cheese with some Parmesan or with no cheese at all)

Mashed potatoes

* Wrap fish in foil with a squeeze of lemon juice and the remains of the lemon and a sprinkling of pepper.   Bake in a medium heat for 8-10 minutes.   When cooked, leave to one side.

 * Boil eggs.

* Make white or cheese sauce

* Heat oil or butter and saute chopped onion for a few minutes until softened but not browned.

*Cook peas in salted boiling water until just tender

* Boil potatoes and mash with butter, cream or milk and mash again with fork

Flake fish, removing any skin or bones and add to sauce.   Add any liquid.   Stir and check for seasoning.  You may want to add some nutmeg.   Roughly chop up boiled eggs and add to pan with sauce and fish.   Stir in cooked, drained peas and sauted onions.   Pour into dish of choice, making sure the fish and sauce do not come up past half way; if it does,  the sauce will leak out when you place the potato on top.

Top with mashed potatoes; use a spoon and place the potato at the edge of the dish, working round until there is only a hole left in the middle.  Top this with more potatoes and smooth over with the back of the spoon.   Using a teaspoon, mark the potato topping to resemble fish scales.

Place in a medium oven for 20-30 minutes.

The cod was delicious:

Cod topped with spicy couscous served with rice and salad