Simple suppers

Four tasty midweek meals, on the table in minutes

  • Mustard pork with red onions and tarragon cream
  • Crunchy smoked mackerel salad
  • Speedy jacket potatoes with crispy bacon and salmon
  • Courgette macaroni cheese
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Mustard pork with red onions and tarragon cream

Serves 4
2 red onions; 1tbsp olive oil; 4 pork shoulder steaks, about 580g altogether; 4 tbsp crème fraîche; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 2 tbsp chopped tarragon

  1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/gas 7. Thinly slice the onions and put in a large roasting tin. Season, drizzle lightly with some of the oil and bake for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the grill to medium-high. Sit the pork steaks on the onions and season. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and grill for 8-10 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, combine the crème fraîche, mustard and tarragon. Serve the pork steaks with a dollop of crème fraîche and some steamed green beans.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Per serving: 308 cals, 18g fat, 7g saturated fat

Crunchy smoked mackerel salad

Serves 4
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 6 tomatoes cut into wedges; 100g crusty bread, broken into chunks; cucumber; 10 radishes; 1 pack hot smoked mackerel fillets, about 330g

  1. Combine the olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and season well, being generous with the black pepper.
  2. Stir in the bread and set aside while you thinly sliced the cucumber and radishes. Toss them into the salad and leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  3. Skin and flake the mackerel fillets. Mix them into the salad just before serving.

Preparation time: 10 mins, plus 15 mins marinating
Per serving: 485 cals, 37g fat, 7g saturated fat

Speedy jacket potatoes with crispy bacon and salmon

Serves 4
4 baking potatoes; 1 tbsp olive oil; 3 smoked streaky bacon rashers; 400g natural cottage cheese; 1 tbsp chopped; flat-leaf parsley; 1 tbsp chopped chives; 100g smoked salmon flakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/gas 7. Prick the potatoes with a fork, place on a plate and microwave on high (900W) for 3 minutes. Turn them over and microwave for a further 3 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and brush with the oil. Season and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, place the bacon on a separate baking sheet and cook with the potatoes in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
  3. Crumble the bacon, mix into the cottage cheese with the remaining ingredients; and season. Once the potatoes are cooked, cut them open, add the topping and serve.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Per serving: 369 cals, 13g fat, 4.5g saturated fat

Courgette macaroni cheese

Serves 4
400g macaroni; 2 courgettes, coarsely grated; 200ml crème fraîche; a large pinch freshly grated nutmeg; 125g mozzarella, drained and roughly chopped; 25g parmesan, grated; 3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs

  1. Preheat the grill to high. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, according to the packet instructions.
  2. Drain quickly, allowing some water to cling to the pasta, and return to the hot pan. Stir in the grated courgette, crème fraîche, nutmeg, mozzarella and half the parmesan; season.
  3. Tip into an ovenproof dish and scatter with the breadcrumbs and remaining parmesan. Grill for 5 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Per serving: 692 cals, 30g fat, 19g saturated fat

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