Salmon, Pak-Choi and Cherry Tomatoes Tart

Quiche and Tart are normally my way of cleaning up the fridge. This doesn't mean it can't be super rewarding. It helps when you have awesome leftover like Pak-choi from a previous Chinese dinner feast and some Scottish salmon.  The trick to make a good quiche is to be generous with the eggs and with the double cream/ or Milk.

Here are the ingredients: 

4 eggs 
Smoked Scottish Salmon
Pak-Choi or Chard 
Cherry Tomatoes
400ml of Double cream
Puff Pastry

Preheat the oven at 180 and roll the puff pastry over a tart tin.  
Cook the Pak-Choi in a non stick pan with a crushed garlic clove and season it to taste.

Tuck the Pak-Choi into the tart case in between the salmon pieces and the cherry tomatoes. Gently whisk the eggs and cream, pour into the case and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. 

Fettuccine with hot Spinach, Cream of Gorgonzola and a sprinkle of toasted almond

In the Kitchen there is one important rule: NO WASTE! As I entertained my beloved guest with a 4 courses menu, I had to play around with some interesting leftover the day after for lunch. So I image to be in the Masterchef's Mistery box challenge and this is what came out.

You'll need:

• Fettuccine
• Leftover Gorgonzola cream (made with Gorgonzola and single cream)
• Cooked and drained Spinach
• Almond
• Fresh Hot Pepper
• a Clove of Garlic
• Salt pepper and olive oil

How to make it

In a frying pan add some extra virgin olive oil, some chopped fresh hot pepper and a clove of garlic and then add the spinach. The spinach is already cooked and they only need to absorb the other flavors.
 Start toasting the finely chopped almond in a pan with no oil until they start coloring. At this stage you can cook the fettuccini in abundant salty water for few minutes and when they are done,  mix them with the spinach.

Serve them with the cream of Gorgonzola over and a sprinkle of toasted almond.

Stuffed Tomatoes

It is so sunny in Glasgow today, that I feel like I should celebrate with a very colorful and even Vegan dish.  I am not a fan of Vegan cuisine, not because I don’t support their life style but because I feel like Vegan can’t cook!...at least the one I have tried so far…. The inspiration comes of course from my mum’s kitchen. She makes them almost once a week. But because today I really feel inspired, I am going to try also my own interpretation of stuffed tomatoes. Remember the green peas puree and the grilled red pepper that I have used the other day with the salmon? I still have some leftovers in the fridge that are not going to be wasting it, Trust me!

Ingredients for my mum’s recipe:

·      8 medium size Tomatoes

·      100 g of Breadcrumbs

·      Parsley

·      2 cloves of Garlic

·      Salt, Pepper, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·      Parmesan cheese  (If you are Vegan you can discard it and the recipe is still delicious)

Ingredients to add for my own Interpretation:

·      Leftover Grilled Peppers and Green peas Pureè ( if you want don’t remember how to make it follow this link (http://acenadalpollo.blogspot.com/2011/11/salmon-steak-with-green-peas-puree-and.html)

·      Few chunks of goat cheese

How to make it:

Preheat the oven at 180 °C

Wash and dry the tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally and scoop out the flesh, being careful not to damage the tomato. Keep the flesh aside. Place the scooped tomatoes on a baking try.

Stuffing: In a mixing bowl add breadcrumb, finely chopped garlic, chopped parsley, salt, pepper (Parmesan if you are not Vegan) and enough olive oil to make the mix moist.

Fill the tomatoes with the stuffing. Remember to place the flesh of the tomatoes in the baking tray, between the stuffed tomatoes and make sure you have extra stuffing to sprinkle over the tomatoes and over the flesh before baking together with some extra olive oil.

Bake the tomatoes for at least 45 minutes to one hour, depending on your oven.

For my own Interpretation: Leave some of the tomatoes empty, sprinkle some drops of olive oil and some salt and chopped garlic and let them bake in the same baking tray so that they can still get some extra flavor. Once they are done stuffed them with little chunks of goat cheese, the green peas puree and some chopped grilled rep peppers.

This dish is to be served at room temperature so make sure you prepare it a bit ahead!