Homemade Fish and Chips Recipe

Is there anything better than fish and chips! I don't think so, I absolutely love my homemade version of this classic sea side take-away. Nothing beats being able to make a supper that everyone will love.

Cheats Luxury Fish Pie

This homemade pie uses a really quick all-in-one white wine sauce and shop bought frozen mashed potatoes! I'm all for home made dinners but I am also practical and if time is against you then this "cheats" luxury fish pie should meet all your requirements. I think it is practical to regularly buy frozen mash for this pie or any potato topped pie, because I think that you've the done enough hard work making the filling. I regularly stock my freezer with cooked chicken strips, frozen mash, tortilla wraps and naan bread for evenings when a really quick meal is needed. My personal favourite quick meals are Chicken Fajita Wraps or Speedy Naan Pizza, these are quicker than ordering out or the frozen alternative.

Serves 4

Ingredients
230ml Cream
180ml White Wine
3g Salt
15g Plain flour
1tbsp Dried parsley
200g-250g Large cooked prawns
500g White Fish (Cod, whiting or haddock), cut into bite sized pieces.
4 Hard boiled eggs, shelled and quartered
600g - 700g Bag mashed potatoes, defrosted
75g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Place the cream, wine, salt, flour and parsley in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

Whisk until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens, reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add the prawns and fish into the sauce and return to the boil, continue stirring so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Cook for 5-6 minutes, remove from the heat. Place half of the quartered hard boiled eggs into a 22cm x 22cm ovenproof deep dish, pour over the fish mixture and top with the remaining eggs.

 Arrange the defrosted potatoes over the top of the pie.

I imagine that frozen mashed potatoes come in different forms so plenty of grated cheese will cover your cheating!

Use your favourite cheese and grate coarsely.

Bake for 30 minutes until piping hot and golden.

Bubbly and delicious.

Healthy and Quick Cod Curry

Now I am by no means a healthy eating guru but this is one of my favourite meals, I have no problem using my favourite curry from a jar to achieve it and into the bargain a really quick and healthy meal. My healthy eating advice for what it's worth is, I bought smaller dinner plates! That simple, the logic being that I can eat what I want but I am eating less of it. You'd be surprised the difference it makes, I still eat a full plate of food, my eyes know no difference but my weighing scales certainly do. If you are thinking of making the change, the diameter of my dinner plate now is 23cm, whereas my old plates were 26cms. So loose a couple of centimetres off your plate and you'll loose a couple of inches off your waist!!

Serves 4

Ingredients

200g Long grain rice, uncooked

1 tsp Salt

450-500g Cod, cut into bite sized chunks

150g Green beans, washed, trimmed and halved

454g Jar curry sauce

1 tbsp Fat free natural yogurt (optional)

Method

Cook the rice according to the packet instruction adding the salt to the boiling water. In a medium sized saucepan, gently heat the curry sauce, bring to the boil, add the fish and green beans, return to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Try not to stir the sauce too much as it will break up the fish. Remove the curry from the heat and if using stir in the yogurt.

Drain the rice, set aside. Fill a ramekin or a small cup with the cooked rice and tip onto a warm plate (this helps with portion control) spoon the curry around the rice and serve immediately.