I love the IDEA of cooking and I love the OUTPUT of cooking, but when it comes to the process I rarely have the patience.
I could blame it on the tiny amount of work surface we have in the galley or the difficulties of working on just two temperamental hobs and a small oven which can't be on at the same time as the grill (our trusty Dometic Starlight Oven) but really - I'm just a lazy cook.
We also all have a variety of dietary quirks which mean I can never stick to a recipe... well, to be fair, I never stuck to a recipe before those quirks either but hey, you never know you've tried it!
Tonight was a bit of hack - we were meant to be having a Thai Prawn Curry - but we've both had tummy bugs over the past week and curry definitely wasn't at the top of mind. Also, the kids ate all the prawns earlier and we had some smoked haddock which needed using up. So, inspired by a recent trip to the Scottish Highlands I set about making my idea of the ultimate comfort food - Cullen Skink and THICK Oatcakes.
~1 tbsp of oil or butter
1-2 onions, depending on size and taste, chopped
3-4 potatoes, cubed
1 tsp veg stock (we use gluten free, vegan stock - Marigold)
500ml water
100ml soya cream
4 pieces of smoked haddock
Stick the oil in a saucepan, sweat the onions over a low/medium heat for 5 mins, but don't brown. Cook until soft and translucent. Add the cubed potato. Add the veg stock. Pour the water over. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the potato is pretty much cooked. Add soya cream. Add the pieces of haddock (I prefer to keep the pieces whole to serve rather than chunk it up - but however you like). Cook for another 10mins until the fish is cooked. Done - quick, easy, little prep room required - especially if you don't chop the haddock - and only one pot!
THICK Oatcakes
(Gluten Free)
225g oats
120g buckwheat flour
80g dary free spread (we prefer vitalite)
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarb
100ml hot water from the kettle
Put everything apart from the hot water in a bowl, mix and crumb in the honey and spread. When well mixed, add the hot water, mix to a dough. Add a bit more water or flour depending on texture. Split into 12 balls, roll and flatten (not too thin - I prefer my oatcakes nice and thick) into kind of round things, bake for ~30mins on 180 degrees Celsius or until brown. Done. Serve with more spread and with your Cullen Skink!
Delicious - easy. One dirty pot, one dirty mixing bowl, one dirty baking tray. Make the oatcakes whilst the Cullen Skink is cooking and its only about 40mins until you're eating yummy, easy food.
Perfect!
I could blame it on the tiny amount of work surface we have in the galley or the difficulties of working on just two temperamental hobs and a small oven which can't be on at the same time as the grill (our trusty Dometic Starlight Oven) but really - I'm just a lazy cook.
We also all have a variety of dietary quirks which mean I can never stick to a recipe... well, to be fair, I never stuck to a recipe before those quirks either but hey, you never know you've tried it!
Tonight was a bit of hack - we were meant to be having a Thai Prawn Curry - but we've both had tummy bugs over the past week and curry definitely wasn't at the top of mind. Also, the kids ate all the prawns earlier and we had some smoked haddock which needed using up. So, inspired by a recent trip to the Scottish Highlands I set about making my idea of the ultimate comfort food - Cullen Skink and THICK Oatcakes.
Cullen Skink
(Dairy Free and Gluten Free)
~1 tbsp of oil or butter
1-2 onions, depending on size and taste, chopped
3-4 potatoes, cubed
1 tsp veg stock (we use gluten free, vegan stock - Marigold)
500ml water
100ml soya cream
4 pieces of smoked haddock
Stick the oil in a saucepan, sweat the onions over a low/medium heat for 5 mins, but don't brown. Cook until soft and translucent. Add the cubed potato. Add the veg stock. Pour the water over. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the potato is pretty much cooked. Add soya cream. Add the pieces of haddock (I prefer to keep the pieces whole to serve rather than chunk it up - but however you like). Cook for another 10mins until the fish is cooked. Done - quick, easy, little prep room required - especially if you don't chop the haddock - and only one pot!
THICK Oatcakes
(Gluten Free)
225g oats
120g buckwheat flour
80g dary free spread (we prefer vitalite)
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarb
100ml hot water from the kettle
Put everything apart from the hot water in a bowl, mix and crumb in the honey and spread. When well mixed, add the hot water, mix to a dough. Add a bit more water or flour depending on texture. Split into 12 balls, roll and flatten (not too thin - I prefer my oatcakes nice and thick) into kind of round things, bake for ~30mins on 180 degrees Celsius or until brown. Done. Serve with more spread and with your Cullen Skink!
Delicious - easy. One dirty pot, one dirty mixing bowl, one dirty baking tray. Make the oatcakes whilst the Cullen Skink is cooking and its only about 40mins until you're eating yummy, easy food.
Perfect!