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Smoked Haddock with poached egg

12/1/2019

Try alternative green vegetables

Smoked Haddock with poached egg is a reasonably priced traditional English dish packed with healthy options. It will not break the bank but it will provide healthy nourishment. Best of all it is easy to cook.

There are various ways to cook the fish and the egg but here is how I cook this meal adding new potatoes and peas. It offers perfectly cooked fish and lovely poached eggs with soft runny yolks.

The Potatoes

Wash and halve the amount of new potatoes desired. There is no need to peel the potatoes simply pop them into a pan of slighted salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for around ten minutes so the potatoes are par boiled.

The Smoked Haddock

While the potatoes are cooking put your oven onto a medium heat. Take a baking tray and some kitchen foil placing each fillet of smoked haddock in a generous sized piece of kitchen foil, big enough to cover the fish and a portion of potatoes. Add a generous knob of butter onto each piece of fish. You can use a low fat option spread including a margarine as long as you ensure it is suitable for cooking.

Combine the two

When the potatoes are slightly softened drain and add to the fish. Divide the potatoes between each piece of fish - into portion size. Sprinkle with black pepper and seal each packet. Add the packets to the baking tray and cook in the centre of a medium heat oven for about 15 minutes. When the fish parcels are ready there should be a lovely aroma coming from the oven and the fish should be translucent and flake easily.

While the fish is cooking

Put two pans of water on the hob to boil. One will be to add frozen garden peas to for just a few minutes before serving the dish. If you are using fresh garden peas cook in your usual way. They will take a little longer.

The other pan is for the eggs

One egg per person is usually sufficient but you can serve two each if preferred. Crack the eggs onto a small plate ensuring they are separate and that the yolks do not break.

The water in the egg pan should be a couple of inches deep. When the water is boiling gently slide the eggs, one at a time into the hot water. Reduce the heat slightly and after two minutes turn it off. If you want poached eggs with soft runny yolks remove the pan from the heat and then the eggs from the pan after one to two further minutes.

Gently remove the eggs using a slatted spoon utensil draining thoroughly.

Serving this meal

While the eggs are quickly cooking take the baking tray from the oven and place each fish and potato parcel on each plate. This means the eggs can be placed straight on top of the cooked fish.

Place the peas at the side of each plate and serve with bread and butter also if you prefer. You can cut out the peas and potatoes if you want to.

I like a splash of apple cider vinegar and ground sea salt on my meal while my husband likes brown sauce.

The butter however means sauces are unnecessary and simply down to individual taste.

This meal is easily sourced and is a light healthy non-meat option.

Once you have mastered the basics of this meal get adventurous and mix it up.

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Daffodil Easter cake

12/1/2019

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Full list of Ingredients

225g self-raising flour
2 level tsp baking powder
300g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
2 lemons, zest of
150g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk
100g Asda Lemon Curd
50g butter, for the daffodils
25g caster sugar, for the daffodils
75g plain flour, for the daffodils
500g pack Ready to Roll Coloured Icing, for the daffodils
Lolly sticks, for the daffodils
Asda Green Natural Food Colouring (optional), for the daffodils
Small jellied sweets, for the daffodils

How to make the cake

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Grease and base-line two 20cm cake tins with baking paper. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Beat together the flour, baking powder, 225g of the softened butter, caster sugar, eggs and lemon zest until creamy and evenly mixed.
Divide between the tins, level the tops and bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Cool on a wire rack.
Gradually beat the icing sugar into the remaining 75g butter. Add the vanilla and milk, and beat until light and creamy. Set aside 1 tbsp of this icing.
Use the rest to sandwich the cakes with the lemon curd. Dust with icing sugar.

For the daffodils and icing you will need

50g butter, for the daffodils
25g caster sugar, for the daffodils
75g plain flour, for the daffodils
500g pack Ready to Roll Coloured Icing, for the daffodils
Lolly sticks, for the daffodils
Asda Green Natural Food Colouring (optional), for the daffodils
Small jellied sweets, for the daffodils

How to make the daffodils

For the daffodils, make a biscuit dough by creaming the butter and sugar together. Mix in the flour. Chill for 30 minutes, wrapped in clingfilm.
Roll out between two sheets of clingfilm until 1cm thick.
Cut into stars using a cutter and put on the baking tray. Trim the lolly sticks to different lengths and stick into the biscuits, about one-third of the way.
Brush the lolly sticks with the green food colouring and leave to dry. Or simply leave them white.
Roll out the yellow coloured icing and cut out stars. Stick on top of biscuits using the reserved butter-cream.
Press jellied sweets into the centre of each daffodil and score lines on the petals with the back of a knife. Stick the daffodils into the cake.

The daffodil looks fab and will be a great addition at a special Easter lunch or afternoon tea. As you can see from the nutritional information below the cake is not a healthy option but will be fine for a luxury treat. Substitute a low fat vegetable oil or margarine for the butter to reduce the fat and calories. Make sure you use a fat that is suitable for baking though.

Serves 12
Ready in 1 Hour(s) 10 Minutes
Each serving of this recipe contains 633 calories
The sugar is rated HIGH
The fat is rated HIGH
The saturated fat is rated HIGH
Salt is rated at MED

Source:
Asda recipes

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Easter biscuits

11/1/2019

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We have some great recipes for the Easter festivities. Asda in the U.K. also has some great Easter recipes and here are our favourites. Bear in mind the recipes may include products sold at Asda that are available under a generic name elsewhere.

Egg shaped Easter Biscuits
You will need:

125g salted butter, softened
50g caster sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 level tbsp cornflour
1 level tbsp cocoa powder
500g royal icing sugar
500g Home2Bake Concentrated Gel Colouring, to decorate

How to make

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Beat the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract together.
Divide equally between 2 bowls.
Sift half of the flour with the cornflour and the other half with the cocoa.
Add the cornflour mix to one bowl of butter and the cocoa mix to the other, then mix both to form two separate doughs.
Put on a sheet of clingfilm and flatten each one to 1cm thick.

Wrap clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of clingfilm, to 4mm thick.
Remove the top layer of clingfilm. Use a stencil to cut out egg-shaped biscuits.
Put on the baking trays and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
Make up the royal icing to pack instructions and add the gel colouring.
Ice the biscuits and leave for 20 minutes to set, then pipe on more icing to finish of.
150g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

More Easter Recipes:
Classic Easter Simnel Cake
Daffodil Easter cake
Hot Cross Buns

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Smoked Haddock with poached egg

Daffodil Easter cake

Easter biscuits

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