The fishcakes, a sauce and a side

If you're cooking and you're using your oven baking the salmon wrapped in foil is another way of making the best of all the space. If you're waiting for a dish to come out of the oven you could peel and cook your potatoes too. Let them cool before putting through the ricer.

I can hear you saying I don't need eight fishcakes – I know - you could halve the recipe if you wish but I see no point – think of your treasure trove! I can also hear you saying I'm not that fond of fishcakes. All I can say is try them - you might be pleasantly surprised.

If there's one thing I love it's a flexible recipe, here's what I mean :

There can be three sizes of fishcake :

You could serve a 50g version as an appetiser – you may think a humble fishcake isn't posh enough – I would disagree. Serve with a raita dip.

How about a 100g version as a supper/dinner party starter with a winter slaw – use the raw slaw principle – check out Veggie label, “Then there's the slaw” April 2018 – dress with raita or warmed mango chutney drizzled over the slaw.

Finally, a size of your choice as a main course – to suit the appetites of your guests, this time with the rendang sauce mentioned in Some like it with a drizzle and again with sides of raita and mango chutney.

Fishcake fotos follow!

Your recipe reservoir

After the birthday bowl and the sweet treat it's back to reality!

Everyone has their own favourite recipes, for me the success of any recipe is the frequency I use it and its versatility. I'm sure you've already got your own reservoir but there's always room for more!

It's the working week suppers that are the most tedious, so here are a few more ideas that will give you back your evenings. My next addition to your collection is a “fish supper dish” and lends itself to prep ahead whilst you're in the kitchen cooking and your oven is on.

Spiced Asian Fishcakes … with a sauce and a side

The Ivy fishcake recipe is the best I've ever used. This is my version - Spiced Asian Fishcakes with some added bits and pieces.

(makes 8 – freeze what you don't use)

800g dry mashed potato, no cream or butter added

650g salmon fillets

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp anchovy essence

3 tsp English mustard

salt and black pepper

1 medium onion, finely chopped – use a

sweet variety if possible a Spanish if not

1 tsp each of ground coriander, curry powder

and garam masala

drop of rapeseed oil

Plain flour for coating

This is one recipe where I'd recommend using a ricer to give you a lump free mashed potato. It's definitely worth the effort. It can be made ahead, boxed or bagged and fridged.

I bake my salmon fillets, tightly wrapped in foil on a baking tray – 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 15 minutes. Leave wrapped to cool then flake the salmon then box and fridge until ready for use.

Sauté the onion in a drop of rapeseed oil and add 1 tsp each of coriander, curry and garam masala – 2/3 minutes on a medium heat. Cool and set aside, box and fridge until ready for use.

When you're ready to roll gently mix together the potato, salmon, ketchup, anchovy essence, mustard, onions and seasoning. Mould the mixture into 8 round cakes and refrigerate.

When you're ready to serve preheat the oven 180fan/200c/gas 6. Lightly flour the fishcakes and fry them until they are coloured on both sides. Bake for 10/15 minutes.

The fishcakes, a sauce and a side up next!

Trove for your treasure chest

I've mentioned more than once that the aim is to make life easier for you and to begin stocking your freezer with your home-made food that you can use whenever it suits you. You may have already begun by freezing some of the chicken that you slow cooked whilst you were cooking Sunday lunch.

Since then you could have added banana timbales and the compote.

Freeze the compote in small pots, they take up less room in your freezer and you won't waste it. You can always take out two pots!

To illustrate the many and varied uses of the compote :

cherries and chocolate – another marriage made

in heaven - add the compote to a rich chocolate cake or fondant

add a layer of compote to a lemon pot – check out the

Traffic Lights versions 2 and 3

and Traffic Light photos for the recipe and

photos

pour the compote over vanilla ice cream and seasonal

fresh fruit – check out On location in S.C. - Dessert – a

light bulb moment and the Verdict – Dec 2017 for the ice cream recipe

and a photo

pour the compote over your breakfast granola or any

cereal - add a spoonful of plain yogurt too

I have another use for the compote but I'm keeping that up my sleeve for the moment – all will be revealed.

More trove for your treasure chest on its way.

What to serve with …

Cherries are perfect partners for bananas so it makes sense to serve the timbales with a cherry compote – the recipe that follows is the best I've ever used :

Cherry and Raspberry Compote

350g cherries, stoned – can use frozen

150g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon

150g raspberries – can use frozen

4 tbsp water or juice from defrosted fruit

Pour the water into a pan and add the cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Place on a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cook the cherries over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until they have released some juice but are not overcooked. If you are using frozen cherries you will have the fruit juices when defrosted – use this juice instead of the water and reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes.

Add the raspberries to the pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool, then chill it well before serving.

You can keep the compote as is or blitz in a processor and pass through a sieve – purely a matter of personal preference – some people aren't fond of raspberry pips.

I topped the timbale and compote with clotted cream – here it is :

If you're a lover of custard omit the clotted cream – anything goes!

Go bananas – the photo guide

The butter and sugar, creamed together

The ingredients, mixed

The disposable piping bag

In the dariole moulds, ready to bake

Just out of the oven

Out of the dariole mould, into a timbale! X 2 photos

As a guide the moulds measure 6cms/2½” in diameter x

6cms/2½” deep and you'll get 10 or 12 from the recipe

10 if ¾ full, 12 if ½ full

Now all I have to decide is what to serve with!

Go bananas!

After the birthday bowl I thought it only right that I follow with a sweet treat. Can someone explain how come I always seem to finish up with at least two or three bananas past their best even though they have come from the same bunch – it's one of the great mysteries of life.

Since the emphasis recently has been on regaining control after our holiday excesses this is the perfect recipe to use up those over-ripe bananas hanging from the tree.

You may think that bananas are too lowly in the fruit chain to qualify for a supper/dinner party dessert – I hope I'm about to change your mind.

This recipe is the epitome of versatility :

as a traditional sandwich cake, filled with whipped cream

and dusted with icing sugar – 2 x sandwich tins, greased

20.5cms/8”

as a tray bake, cut into squares and served with vanilla

custard or ice cream – or both

Today it's timbales but before we go any further I should explain, a timbale is anything you make in a dariole mould, so perfect for individual servings. If you're not sure what to look for I've included a photo in the guide that follows - here's the basic recipe:

250g/9oz self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

150g/5oz unsalted butter

250g/9oz caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3 bananas puréed, mixed with 1 tbsp

milk

Sift the dry ingredients together.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs gradually. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the bananas and milk. To make life easier I transfer the mixture to a disposable piping bag – less messy – fill the moulds half to three quarters full. Bake for 25 minutes 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

This recipe is perfect for freezing, stating the obvious I know, but if you make the sandwich cake freeze it unfilled!

I make my timbales ahead and freeze – they take one minute to microwave (on high).

Photos coming next.

The birthday bowl photo guide

Heat the butter and the cream

together

Add the Parmesan and heaps of

black pepper

The bowl

The bowl with petit pois

I didn't have any fettuccine in my pantry but I did have spaghetti – if you're not fond of “ribbony” types of pasta just choose your favourite.

Happy Birthday to me!