Rhubarb and Vanilla Jam

The rhubarb plant in the garden is growing very enthusiastically! It looks like it now has 5 or 6 budding points on the crown, so it probably will need lifting and splitting into 2 or more plants in the autumn. I pulled a load of stalks from it, and pulled up a couple of raspberry shoots that were trying to invade its patch.

Rhubarb jam is easy to make and tends to set up very well. Rhubarb and Vanilla jam tastes like a fruitier version of the Rhubarb and Custard boiled sweets that we used to eat as kids.

As you can see from the jam colour, my rhubarb is one of the green and pink varieties that loses its colour when cooked. For a brighter pinker jam, try to get hold of one of the more strongly coloured varieties.

Pan-fried White Fish

I've mostly gotten over the 'orrible cold I had for the first half of this week, but things still taste slightly weird to me. I'm still finding that I don't fancy the usual foods. I am still drinking gallons of hot mint tea all day to keep my throat moist, even if I am no longer coughing and drowning in snot between cups.

I can't face my usual salad for lunch, and have been craving natural yoghurt for breakfast.

Naturally, this all wreaks havoc with trying to decide what to make for tea, and I've resorted to comfort food and easy stuff that can be thrown in the oven and forgotten about for the last few days. Stuff like Cheesy Potatoes (boil some potatoes, melt some cheese over them - it's raclette without the machine) hardly rate as a recipe.

Today was another can't decide want something easy quick type of evening, and having used up all the packets of sausages in the freezer, it fell to the frozen white fish fillets to provide.

I sort-of wanted fish and chips, but didn't have breadcrumbs to bread the frozen fish, so I ended up with pan-fried fish to accompany potato wedges baked in the oven.

With only 10 minutes left until the potato wedges were baked, I pan-fried the still frozen white fish fillets in melted butter. Seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, and sprinkled over some bottled lemon juice. Popped the lid on the pan and let them cook through over a low heat.

After dishing up the fillets, I then boiled down the lemony-buttery-fishy juices until they thickened into a syrupy consistency, and spooned this sauce over the fish.

This was quick, easy, and delicious. And now noted here so that I remember to consider it next time I am tired and looking for something simple to do with frozen fish.

Sweet and Sour Mussels

So I decided to try something different for tea tonight, and bought some pre-cooked pre-shelled mussel meat.

I adapted a recipe for Sweet and Sour White Fish from my copy of Wei Chuan Chinese Seafood to cook them.

This is a bit involved, so cook the rice in a rice cooker, or use pre-cooked rice to accompany it rather than try to juggle cooking rice in a pan as well.



First mix the following in a bowl and let marinate in the fridge whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

• 250g cooked shelled mussels
• 1 tbsp sherry
• 1/2 tsp salt

Measure rice and water into the rice cooker and switch on to cook.

Next, mix the following in another bowl to form the batter, and set on one side to rest.

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1/4 cup water

Now, mix the following in a mug to form the sauce mixture.

• 5 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 5 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp cornflour

Prepare the vegetables.

• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 green pepper
• a few broccoli florets

Peel and coarsely chop onion.
Peel and slice carrot.
De-seed pepper and cut into pieces.
Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water and drain.
 
Drain the marinated mussels and mix into the batter.
Heat a deep fat fryer and deep fry the battered mussels until golden, then drain on absorbent paper.

Now to assemble the final dish.

Heat a couple of tbsp of oil in a wok and stir-fry the vegetables for a few minutes until lightly cooked.
Stir the mug of sauce mix and then pour it over the vegetables in the wok.
Continue to stir-fry it all as the sauce mixture boils and thickens.
Add the fried mussels and toss to coat evenly in the sauce.

Serve immediately with boiled rice.


My daughter said that the mussels weren't completely horrible but she didn't like them. Hohum.

Garlic, Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

I catered for a family get-together this weekend. This marinade on roast chicken drumsticks worked well on the buffet. The rosemary was a last-minute flash of inspiration.