Winter menu – options 3 and 4

 A mid week fast fix and a veggie treat!

For the mid week fast fix – option 3

A cheese muffin, split in half, toasted and buttered - top each

half with warmed smoked salmon flakes (140g) and

complete with two poached eggs

Cheese muffins freeze well, so a welcome addition to your shopping list for your freezer stash - smoked salmon flakes too (I took advantage of a 3 for £10 deal in M&S – 140g of honey roasted salmon flakes and two 100g packets of smoked salmon slices for my freezer) with eggs from the store cupboard.

For the veggie treat

Tarragon Quorn fillets with roast potatoes – option 4

Serves 4

4 frozen Quorn fillets

Quorn fillets cook from frozen and take 12 minutes on the hob. They are ideal for this dish since the sauce can be made ahead and so it takes 12 minutes to complete.

For the tarragon sauce

Bunch of spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon – chopped – approx 2 tbsp

160ml/¼ pt/5 fl oz approx Vermouth or dry white wine

½ tsp of sea salt flakes or celery salt if you prefer

120ml/4fl oz double cream

a generous pinch of white pepper

drop of Rapeseed oil/Canola and a knob of butter

**optional variation in sauce see below

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan, add the onions and then dried tarragon. **Add the mashed garlic and stock paste at this stage. Add the Vermouth, let it bubble up, add salt and bring the liquid to the boil, add the cream and fresh tarragon and finally white pepper. The sauce can be made ahead to suit you.

Re-heat the sauce until a gentle simmer then add the Quorn fillets and cook for 12 minutes.

**You can vary your sauce by adding 2 cloves of roasted garlic paste, mashed into a Knorr chicken stock pot – it's delicious – if you like garlic!

Like I've said many times, roast more potatoes than you need – if your family love them as much as mine, they'll never be wasted! Part roast your potatoes ahead so that you only need 20 minutes or so to finish off in a pre-heated oven of course – 180fan/200c/Gas 6. Take out the part roasted potatoes that you don't need, wrap in foil and fridge for another supper.

Option 5 next ...