Tag Archives: Panko

May 14, 2013

Smoked Salmon Fishcakes

It seems like ages since I made fishcakes. In fact I know it is. Why exactly this is I’ve no idea when they’re always a huge hit with J & F, just as much as with us. Particularly with Master J who wolfed two down in breakneck speed. But then it appears, at newly three, he’s suddenly acquired a taste for smoked salmon, together with a near screaming obsession with olives….and Parmesan. The boy certainly appreciates the finer things in life and I have secret hopes he’ll be a fully fledged foodie one day. Maybe even a chef? Now how good would that be.

These fishcakes really are a cinch to make, and a fast cinch at that. And pretty frugal too if you use the considerably cheaper smoked salmon trimmings. They’re simply a matter of combining cold mashed potatoes (you could even use leftovers) with a generous amount of smoked salmon, plenty of parsley, capers, lemon zest, a couple of spring onions and a dollop or two of creamed horseradish. Then there’s the fun moulding into golf balls, dipping in beaten egg and rolling around in breadcrumbs and flattening into a fishcakey shape. So easy. You could even get the kids to make them. With their eyes shut (could be messy!). Then obviously there’s a brief shallow frying which is more grown up territory.

Smoked Salmon Fishcakes with Herby Mayo, Lemon Wedgies and Steamed PSB and Carrots.

Since there’s a handsome amount of parsley involved I’m entering my post to Lavender & Lovage’s monthly Herbs on Saturday event, this month hosted by the lovely Anneli of Delicieux. And as these work out as a particularly frugal, but nevertheless exceptionally tasty, munch to this month’s Credit Crunch Munch challenge!. Jointly held by Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All, and this month hosted by Farmersgirl Kitchen.

Smoked Salmon Fishcakes

Great for Toddlers & Young Children (omit the capers if they’re adverse to strong flavours), Bigger Kids, Cooking with Kids, Family Dinners, Mid-Week Suppers, Grown Ups too!

Makes 9 fishcakes (plenty for a family of 4!):

500g of Potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into large chunks

150g of Smoked Salmon trimmings, roughly chopped

2-3 Spring Onions, finely sliced

zest of a Lemon

2 heaped tablespoons of chopped Parsley

a heaped tablespoon of Capers, rinsed

2 teaspoons of Creamed Horseradish

Salt and Pepper

a free range Egg, lightly beaten and seasoned with Salt and Pepper

4 heaped tablespoons of dry Breadcrumbs or Panko or a mix of the two

Sunflower Oil for frying

Boil the potatoes in water until tender. Mash and set aside to cool.

Once cool stir in the smoked salmon, spring onions, lemon zest, parsley, capers, horseradish and a generous amount of black pepper. Taste and season with additional pepper if needed. You may want to add salt but it’s unlikely you’ll need it with the salty capers and smoked salmon.

Place the beaten egg in a bowl and the breadcrumbs or Panko in another.

Form the fishcake mix into nine evenly sized golf balls. Dip each into the egg so it’s coated all over, then the breadcrumbs, flattening to a patty as you do so. Refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them.

Heat a very fine layer of sunflower oil in a frying pan until medium hot. Carefully place however many fishcakes will fit in your pan and allow them to crisp up and golden on each side. This will only take two to three minutes on each side. Add a little more oil to the pan and continue until all the fishcakes are cooked.

Serve hot. With lemon wedges and Herby Mayo on the side, and a salad or streamed veggies. Bliss.

You might also like:

Smoked Salmon & Broccoli Penne

Cheese & Tuna Veggie Bombs!

16 Comments | tags: Breadcrumbs, Capers, Credit Crunch Munch, Fishcakes, Herbs on Saturday, Horseradish, Lemon, Panko, Parsley, Potato, Smoked Salmon | posted in Bigger Kids, Family Dinners, Grown Up Dinners, Mains, Mid-Week Suppers, Toddlers & Pre-schoolers

January 31, 2013

Cheese and Tuna Veggie Bombs!

By Eat Your Veg

One for the littlies in your life today. After the popularity of my Sunday Dinner Leftover Cakes, my kids are equally as crazy about these little shallow-fried patties (AKA bombs!) of Leftover Mashed Potato and Veggies, Tuna and Cheese. It’s a flavour combination that works for most little people and happens to be a fine way of sneaking into their tummies a multitude of Hidden Veggies. If your little people are particularly veggie adverse then I advise chopping the veggies very finely, but because the overall flavour is such a pleasing one I doubt they’ll even notice the sneaky good stuff.

Whenever I make any dinners involving mash and veggies, which happens to be pretty often in our house, I always cook a little extra so I can make these tasty little bombs the next day. It’s then a matter of simply mixing the cold mash with any cooked veggies, a little cheddar and a can of tuna. Shaping into patties and coating in breadcrumbs, polenta or panko (or a mixture of any of these) and shallow frying in a little sunflower oil. They can then be served with yet more veggies or baked beans. And there you have it, a generally pretty wholesome dinner easily made in minutes.

And they taste really really good. I really should admit I do make the odd extra for us big people too!

I’m entering my frugal dinner time treat to a couple of challenges. Firstly to the first ever Credit Crunch Munch, a new event co-hosted by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla at Fab Food 4 All.

And secondly for my first ever time to the No Waste Food Challenge held by Kate from Turquoise Lemons, and this month hosted by Elizabeth’s Kitchen. The theme this month handily happens to be Mashed Potatoes!.

And so on to this cinch of a recipe:

Cheese & Tuna Veggie Bombs

Perfect for Toddlers and Young Children, Bigger Kids, Family Dinners, Mid-Week Suppers, The Veggie Adverse. And the leftover ‘leftovers’ can be frozen for a later, even quicker, dinner.

Makes 8 to 10 small patties:

300g of cold Mashed Potato

200g of cold cooked Veggies (if you don’t have enough leftover veggies then you can always top up with defrosted frozen peas or sweetcorn), finely diced

185g tin of Tuna, drained

75g of Cheddar Cheese or similar, grated

3 heaped tablespoons of dry Breadcrumbs, Polenta or Panko (or a mix of any of these)

Sunflower Oil

Simply combine all the ingredients bar the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Shape into even patties. Place the breadcrumbs/polenta/panko in a flat bottomed bowl.

Now coat the patties in a fine layer of the crumbs and set aside on a plate until you’re ready to fry.

Take a frying pan and pour in enough sunflower oil to make a very fine layer on the bottom. Heat on a low to medium heat. When the oil is hot carefully place your bombs in the oil. You’ll probably have to fry them in a couple of batches.

Fry on both sides until golden brown all over. Drain on kitchen roll and serve.

You might also like:

Chicken Goujons: Kids Fish Pie:

11 Comments | tags: Breadcrumbs, Cheddar Cheese, Hidden Veggies, Leftovers, Oogaa, Panko, Polenta, Potato, Tuna, Veggies | posted in Bigger Kids, Family Dinners, Mid-Week Suppers, Toddlers & Pre-schoolers

August 17, 2012

Chicken Goujons for Kids (and Growns Ups too!)

By Eat Your Veg

Finger Foods, Toddlers & Young Children, Bigger Kids, Grown Ups too

I should start with an apology for my lack of so called ‘kid’s food’ lately. It’s not that my monsters haven’t been eating, it’s just with so many guests and so much going on these days they’ve been eating more often with the grown ups or I’ve been sticking with my old faithfuls.

I have however been making Chicken Goujons for the kids and their friends all summer and they’re a huge hit, and more often than not I make more than a few extra as we can’t resist joining them for a chicken & chips supper!. Some kids food is just too hard to pass by and these are no exception. Just in case you weren’t around in 80s Britain ‘goujons’ are breadcrumbed and fried strips of fish or chicken, very popular then but less so now, not that there’s any reason at all they shouldn’t be. These goujons are dipped in flour, then egg, before coating in a mixture of Parmesan cheese (or Grana Padano), polenta and dried breadcrumbs.

Incredibly quick and simple to make and I almost guarantee your kids (and you) will love them. Don’t be put off by the breadcrumbing bit, it’s a cinch, albeit a messy cinch, and fun to do. If I manage it with a terrifying toddler at bay anyone can!. If your kids are a little older than mine get them involved, I’m sure they’d love to do it themselves. It’s always worthwhile making a huge batch and storing them in the freezer at the post-crumbed pre-fried stage.

I serve mine up with homemade potato wedges and some veggies or baked beans on the side.

The pre-fried Goujons

Enough for 8 to 10 Goujons:

2 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon of plain flour

1 egg

1 heaped teaspoon of dijon mustard

25g of finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese

20g of dried breadcrumbs, homemade or shop bought

20g of polenta

sunflower oil

Slice the chicken breasts into 4 or 5 thin strips or ‘goujons’.

Place the flour in a flat bottomed bowl or plate. Lightly beat the egg with the mustard and place in another bowl. And then finally in a third bowl mix up the Parmesan or Grana Padano, breadcrumbs and polenta.

Now for the messy stuff! With well washed hands, dip each chicken strip in the flour bowl, ensuring it’s fully coated. Then dip it into the egg, again ensuring it’s coated. Then finally the breadcrumb mix. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining strips.

When they’re all done cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge until you’re ready to fry.

Pour enough sunflower oil into a frying pan to just cover it’s base. Heat on a medium heat until very hot. Carefully place the goujons in the hot oil and cook for about 3 minutes before turning it over. You want a golden crispy crumb. When they’re cooked on both sides remove from the pan and drain on kitchen roll.

Serve with homemade potato wedgies and veggies or beans. Yuuuummm. Bet you can’t resist at least one?