Serves 4 or 1 then freeze
Preheat oven to 180 fan, 200 c. Use a fork to prick 2 large baking potatoes and 2 same size sweet potatoes then brush with with a little oil. Use a deep baking tin and place 1tsp salt in each corner area. Place a potato on each pile of salt. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool.
20 mins before end of cooking time prepare 1 shallot sliced, 2 leeks sliced, 4 garlic cloves fine diced. Melt 25g (1oz) butter in a frypan over medium heat and fry the garlic and shallot for 2 mins, add 2tsp mustard and the leeks and cook 2mins. Pour in 300ml single cream and cook a further 3 mins. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Meantime in another pan fry til crisp 250g cooking bacon cut into small pieces (or 8 slices bacon).
Cut the baked potatoes into quarters and rearrange so there is 2 quarter pieces of regular potatoes and 2 quarter pieces of sweet potatoes in each corner of the baking dish. Pour the leek mixture over all of this.
Using large thin sliced Gouda or Edam cheese squares place a slice on top of each. Then evenly spoon the crisped bacon over that. Return dish to oven and cook a further 10 minutes. Omit the cream for a slimmer version but it's well worth using it because you're worth it!
2 red and 2 green peppers, halved, 2 tsp oil, 15g (½ oz) butter, 1 courgette, finely diced, 110g (4oz) couscous, 85g (3oz) tomatoes, chopped, 3tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves or 1tsp dried basil, 125g (4½ oz) pack mozzarella Green salad, to serve 4.
- Brush the peppers with a little oil.
- Place on a baking sheet cut side down and grill under a medium heat for 5 mins.
- Turn and grill for a further 5 mins or until the peppers are tender but not collapsed.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan and cook the courgette until golden. Add the couscous and cook for 1 min.
- Add 200ml (7fl oz) boiling water, stir and remove from the heat.
- Cover and leave to stand for 5 mins.
- Stir the tomatoes and basil into the couscous and use this mixture to fill the peppers.
- Top each one with a slice of mozzarella.
- Place the stuffed peppers under the grill for 2-3 mins until the mozzarella has melted.
- Serve your stuffed peppers, warm or cold, with a green salad.
It's a good idea to make a large batch of this soup as the caramelising of the onions takes a while so you can serve 1 for several days, or 8 at once. Freezes well, but obviously prepare the toast/cheese topping on the serving day.
75g butter and olive oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 good handful fresh sage leaves or 2 tbsp dried sage, 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, 5 red onions, peeled and sliced 3 large white onions, peeled and sliced 3 banana shallots, peeled and sliced 3 leeks trimmed, washed and sliced, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 large baking potato, 2 litres (3.5pts) organic beef, vegetable or chicken stock, hot 8 slices good-quality thick sliced stale bread, 200g Cheddar cheese, freshly grated, Worcestershire sauce
Put the butter, olive oil, sugar, balsamic vinegar, the sage and garlic into a thick-bottomed, non-stick pan on medium heat to melt. Stir everything round and add the onions, shallots and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, lower heat and cook slowly for 50 minutes, without colouring the vegetables too much. If it gets too dry add 1 tbsp water and oil. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes until onions become soft and golden. Stir occasionally so that nothing catches on the bottom. Having the patience to cook the onions slowly, for a lovely sweetness and great flavour.
Add the stock and 1 large diced baking potato. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. You can skim any fat off the surface if you like, or just leave it for flavour.
Preheat the oven or grill to maximum. Toast your bread on both sides. Correct the seasoning of the soup. Ladle it into individual heatproof serving bowls and place them on a baking tray. Add a slice of toasted bread over each bowl. Sprinkle with some grated Cheddar and drizzle over a little Worcestershire sauce.
Put the baking tray into the preheated oven or under the grill to melt the cheese then serve.
Sardines are a good source of omega 3 (good fat) but apart from sardines on toast and enriching a tomato pasta sauce that's all I've done with them but they can be combined into a tasty omlette. Spinach is a good source of iodine keeping the thyroid gland well sourced.
Prepare:
Use 4 potatoes from a drained tin, 1 cherry tomato, 1 shallot and slice all thinly. Place all in a single layer on a plate and sprinkle on a generous amount of white pepper, set aside.
Rinse a handful of baby spinach and leave to drain.
In a another small dish place 2 tbsp cut frozen green beans and 2 tbsp frozen peas.
In another dish mash 1 tin of sardines in their tomato sauce to combine and place 2 crushed garlic cloves in the same dish.
Beat 2 large eggs lightly.
Heat a 10" frypan brushing the bottom and sides with a fine layer of oil.
Use medium heat and begin the layers with potatoes, tomato and shallot on the first layer. Cook for 2 mins with lid on. Layer the spinach over this and cook 2 mins with lid on.
Evenly place the green beans and peas over the spinach then put on spoonfulls of the sardine mix evenly pressing down to flatten slightly.
Finally pour the eggs over mostly around the outer couple of inches with a smaller amount in the middle. Place the lid on, turn off the heat and heat the grill to highest setting. When this is reached remove the lid and place the frypan under the grill to set the egg mixture (about 2 mins).
Place a large plate which will fit into the frypan, and holding with one hand in the middle of the plate flip the frypan so your meal is on the plate to serve.
