-pops-

Pan fried mackerel fillets with a jacket potato and, I think, a few frozen peas. I'll put some sweet chilli sauce on the fish.

Give it a go!

I made this to use up a packet of supermarket salad leaves which had passed their sell-by date and were a bit wilted. I refreshed them in water first. Didn't really know what to call this but it is delicious, easy and cheap. It requires: 1 large potato peeled and chopped 1 medium to large onion peeled and chopped 1 - 2 cloves of garlic (optional) 2 stalks of celery, destringed if necessary and chopped 750ml (or thereabouts) chicken or vegetable stock 1 pack of supermarket watercress, rocket and spinach salad leaves. Seasoning as required Place the potato, onion, garlic (if using), celery and stock into a soupmaker or saucepan and process to make a smooth soup or, if in a saucepan, cook until tender and then liquidise. Separately, and just before serving, process or liquidise the salad leaves in an extra 250ml or so of stock or water until well blended. Add the comminuted leaves to the soup base and simmer for a couple of minutes to cook the leaves, season and serve. Don't overcook the leaves as it may turn an unappetising grey or yellow colour. The soup can be made thicker by increasing the quantity of potato.

Tonight will be Sainsbury's mini-chorizo sausages in my tomato sauce with noodles.

The word 'Labial' should be a cause for concern, especially in conjunction with 'Red'.

Yesterday was lamb chops with pointy cabbage and sauté potatoes. Today will be very light, comprising green salad soup and a sandwich. Green salad soup is made from a potato, onion, garlic and stock base into which is liquidised a packet of supermarket watercress, rocket and spinach salad. The green stuff is added at the last few moments before serving, this is for two reasons - to maintain the fresh flavour of the green stuff and to avoid the soup turning dull or grey which can happen if it's overcooked. Sandwich is yet to be decided, possibly toasted cheese & ham.

I live in a tiny village quite near the South Coast (Chichester etc.) where there is a small but very active fishing industry. There is also a small (artisan) smokehouse just outside the village which smokes some of the locally caught fish as well as various items of meat. As a bit of a favour to us locals, the owner of the smokehouse delivers fresh fish as well as his own smoked offerings - he also runs a trout farm and his smoked trout is superb. Today it's mussels in a garlicky tomato sauce with couscous - written about this previously.

Waiting for the fishmonger to deliver his "catch of the day". It will be, most likely, cod or haddock. Edit: It's just arrived. Nice piece of cod plus some cooked mussels and a fish pie mix for the freezer.

I assume there was fat in the frying pan that made the omelette. Not the most balanced of meals, lacking in carbohydrate or is there a component you are not telling us about - like chips? Today I'm having fish in parsley & onion sauce with new potatoes and sugar snap peas. Not sure what the fish is yet, awaiting its arrival.

Cheese & potato pie with San Marzano tomatoes and fried Chestnut wood smoked bacon.

Yesterday's soup was really good and there's enough for today as well.

Alan, double up the garlic and blanch in boiling water before slicing/chopping. Its true character will then reveal itself.

^^^^Again (apart from the red wine) this seems like the perfect burger. Today is beef & vegetable soup - a sort of liquidised stew. I found some ancient pieces of stewing beef in the freezer so, into the pressure cooker with suitable vegetables, a quick blast at 130 Celcius, into the liquidiser, another quick blast and it's done. Vegetables used were all oddments and leftover bits and bobs: carrot, leek, celery, parsnip, onion, swede and a few wrinkled tomatoes.

I am also a garlic fan. The problem most people have with garlic is that they bash it, slice it, scrape it or otherwise assault it and in response, the garlic fights back and produces the powerful pungency. By cooking garlic as whole cloves or even whole bulbs prevents this fighting back and the result is a mild sweetness which is not in the least objectionable.

Sainsbury's mini chorizo sausages in tomato sauce with couscous.