Okonomiyaki for one

I get so excited about saying and making okonomiyaki that you’d think I invented them. I didn’t, and this is in no way authentic.

You'll need:

About half a pointed cabbage, sliced as finely as you can
Three spring onions, washed, sliced, green bits and all
One egg
Tablespoon of plain flour
Two tablespoons of soy sauce
Okonomiyaki sauce, I like Otafuku
Japanese mayonnaise, try Kenko
About 10cm square of a nori sheet, finely chopped

Method:

Add the sliced cabbage and about two thirds of the sliced spring onions to a large bowl. Sprinkle over the flour, then stir together.

In another bowl, beat the egg, then add in the soy sauce. Pour this mix over the cabbage and stir well. Like, really well. You’ll find that the batter goes to the bottom of the bowl, more on that in a minute.

Heat up some veg oil in a small (very non-stick) frying pan. Use a medium to low heat to help stop things sticking. Once hot, pour over the cabbage mixture. Pour over any remaining batter to fill any obvious gaps.

Shake the pan once in a while to help prevent sticking (there’s a theme here). Have a peep underneath to see if the okonomiyaki is ‘solid’ enough to turn - ie, when the batter has set.

Very carefully flip the okonomiyaki over. I’ve variously used plates, large flat lids and chopping boards for this precarious moment.

Cook for about another five minutes. Turn it out onto a serving plate. Decorate with entwined swirls of the okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. Top with chopped nori, the rest of the spring onions and anything else you want, like pickled ginger, bonito (tuna flakes) or sesame seeds.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
5:9

Verdict:
It’s all in the flip. Be prepared for disappointment, but it’ll taste great either way.

Pesto penne (with bacon!)

You'll need:

Four handfuls of penne pasta
Two rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped into 2cmish squares
”Green things from your fridge” I used a few florets of broccoli and a handful of frozen peas
Half handful of fresh basil leaves
Two cloves of garlic
A good chunk of parmesan
Olive oil, very good glug of
Parmesan cheese, to grate over

Method:

Chuck the penne into a big pan of already boiling water. Add salt if you want. While that’s cooking, fry the bacon and make the pesto. I add the bacon neat to the pan, no oil. Whizz up all the remaining ingredients to make the pesto - keep tasting until you like it. I don’t add pine nuts, because I don’t love them. Add this mix to the bacon, and cook through a little in the warm pan (turn the heat back on if needed). Chuck some of the pasta water in to loosen it a bit. Drain the pasta after 11 or so minutes, then toss into the bacon, to properly coat it. Serve it up, with extra parmesan shavings.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
5:9

Verdict:
Involves using a mini chopper, which is quite a lot for a lunch, imho. But unbeatable on the rammed with flavour front, and also rates highly for using up odds and ends of veg.

Cheese & chive omelette

It's those eggs again. And using up bits of things from the fridge. Anyway, raw peas are way nicer than cooked.

You'll need:

For the omelette
2 eggs, I like Burford Brown
Big chunk of cheese, grated
A few chives, snipped

And the salad
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Green leaves, I had spinach, rocket and watercress
A few peas in their pods
Dressing, if you like

Method:

Mix up your salad leaves, tomatoes and podded peas on a plate, add some dressing if you have it. I squeezed over a bit of lemon juice and olive oil.

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the chopped chives and salt and pepper if you want. Chilli flakes would be good, too. Give it a stir.

Melt a blob of butter in a non-stick frying pan. Pour in the egg mixture, cook for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle the grated cheese over. Leave for a few seconds, then fold your omelette in half in the pan, and 'roll' it out as best you can, onto the plate.

Et voilà. An authentic Grimshaw omelette.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
3:6

Verdict:
Absolutely average, if I'm honest. I'll branch out with chilli flakes instead of chives next time. At least I managed to eat in the garden.

Cacio e pepe

Sometimes only a bowl of spaghetti cheesy stodge will do. I suppose in some ways this is the equivalent of a eating a slice of buttered white Warburtons bread. Although I expect the average Roman wouldn't agree. There are many, many different ways to make this dish, even correct ones, but this one seems to work for me.

You'll need:

In an ideal world, some pici. I used spaghetti
In an ideal world, pecorino cheese. I only had Parmesan (sorry purists)
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Big blob of butter - about a forkful
Some basil leaves for the top, if you prefer some greenery

Method:

Cook the pasta according to the instructions - usually about 10-11 minutes. While that's boiling away, grind the pepper and finely grate the cheese into a bowl.

Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the pasta water, then drain the pasta when it's done. Keep that to one side in a sieve (or whatever you've drained into). Plop the butter into the pan, melt it. Tip in the pepper and cheese and give it a good stir. Put the pasta back in, and stir. Add some of the pasta water if it's looking a bit dry or claggy.

Tip into a bowl, throw on a few basil leaves. Add more cheese if you like.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
2:6

Verdict:
Definitely better with pecorino, but the Parmesan needed using up. 

Vaguely Mediterranean couscous

This was originally just the couscous bit. But then I realised, of course, it needed an egg. Not the prettiest poached egg I've ever done, but I was hungry, so I rushed it. Never rush a poached egg, may that be my eggy advice to you.

You'll need:

Couscous, about 4 heaped tablespoons
Boiling water (or chicken or veggie stock) to cover the couscous
Handful of tomatoes
Half an avocado
1 egg
1 spring onion
5-6 black olives
Basil leaves
 

Method:

Put the couscous in a bowl, pour the boiling water or stock over it, then cover with a plate. Leave for about five mins, while you slice up the tomatoes, olives, spring onions and avocado.

Poach the egg as best you can (I crack the egg into a cup first, to make it easier to tip smoothly into the simmering water).

Gently mix the couscous into your chopped stuff, and stir in a few torn basil leaves. Pop your poached egg on top, and add a crunch of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil all over the whole thing.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
4:4

Verdict:
Would've been better with feta. Not bad for a 6 minute lunch tho.

Mushroom omelette jumble

Eggs are truly a freelancer's friend. Thanks, chicks.

You'll need:

Cupped hands of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced into rounds
Good chunk of butter, size of your thumb
2 large eggs
Fresh herbs, I used chives, parsley and thyme from the garden
Some manner of side-salad, I used avocado and tomato

Method:

Fry the chestnut mushrooms and spring onions in the butter, until they're soft, browning and reduced down. Maybe 5 or 6 minutes.

Whisk the eggs together with a pinch of salt and pepper, plus the chopped herbs. Pour into the frying pan. This isn't a 'proper' omelette, so it doesn't matter if it goes a bit frittata-like. Stir the eggiest bits a little, so it cooks through as evenly as you can. Fold over in half or thirds, depending on how the mushroom filling is sitting.

Serve with your side salad. Throw on some more chopped herbs if you have them.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
3:6

Verdict:
Easy, eggy, filling. Feels like a nice way to use up bits of salad and herbs.

Sort-of shakshuka

I wanted a very lazy one-pot lunch option that used up tomatoes and chorizo. Ta dah.

You'll need:

Vine tomatoes, enough to fill both your cupped hands
Red pepper, about a quarter, sliced
Garlic, sliced (ideally, although we'd run out, so I used 1/4 teaspoon granules instead)
Smoked paprika, about 1/4 teaspoon
Olive oil, about a tablespoon
Chorizo, about 7-8 slices
1 egg
Chives, chopped

Method:

Start heating your oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Cut the tomatoes in half, and put those and the pepper in the bottom of a small roasting or pie tin. Sprinkle over the garlic and paprika. Pour over the oil, then stir well, so everything is covered. Because I don't like waiting, I put this in the oven while it was still heating up. So, don't leave it hanging around in there for too long.

After 20 minutes, remove the tin from the oven - the tomatoes should be squidgy and browning at the edges by now.

Make a well in the centre of the tomatoes, and crack your egg directly in. Put the chorizo slices on the tomato, around the egg. Put it back in the oven - you could cover with foil, but I put a pan lid over it rather than waste the foil.

Cook until the egg is how you like it - about 5-6 mins for me, for a slightly soft-centred egg.

Scatter with the chives.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
4:7

Verdict:

One-tin cooking = less washing up, and feels healthy. (Tho I don't like heating up the oven for just one dish for me.) Needed some crusty bread, but the high street was a step too far today.

Fish fingers & chips

When I was home on Fridays with my pre-schooler, we always had Fish Finger Fridays. With the oven already hot from the Yummy scrummy carrot cake I made this morning, it seemed like a fine time to resurrect our ritual.

Note the vaguely healthy roasted chips and generous portion of veg, please.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
6:6

Verdict:
Nursery lunches rock.

Cheesy leek & potato fritatta

Our fridge has been throwing a wobbly of late. This recipe uses up some half-frozen leek and new potatoes that I found in there.

You'll need:

Half a leek, cleaned very well - no gritty bits now!, and thinly sliced
About four new (waxy) potatoes
Two eggs, beaten with some salt and pepper
A chunk of strong cheese, I used mature Cheddar, grated
Knob of butter

Also, a frying pan that you're happy to put under a hot grill.

Method:

Put a pan of water on to boil. Clean the potatoes, half if they're large, and pop in the boiling water. While they're boiling away, gently fry the leeks in the butter, in the pan you're ultimately going to put under the grill. The potatoes should take about 12-15 minutes, depending on their size. By the time they're done, the leeks should also be soft and going more translucent. Take the frying pan off the heat while you drain and deal with the spuds.

Tip the spuds out onto a chopping board, slice into thick rounds (about the width of two £1 coins) as soon as they're cool enough to handle. Add these to the frying pan, so they're evenly distributed among the leeks. Pour over the beaten eggs, and return the pan to the heat. Cook for about 5 mins or so, while you get the grill on.

Take the frying pan off the heat. Add the grated cheese over the frittata, and bung under the grill for around 5 mins - until the top is bubbling and brown. Mine looked a bit too yellow, so I chucked on a few parsley leaves to brighten things up. Serve from the pan, or, put a plate over the frying pan, and turn out so that it's cheesy side up.

Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
6:6

Verdict:
This was cheesy yum, on an unseasonably grey, windy day in June. Honestly tho? A few too many pans, graters and bowls for a lunchtime...

Nearly tuna Niçoise

You'll need:

Tuna, I used a tin of Fish 4 Ever tuna in spring water
Green beans, I used English bobby beans
An egg
A couple of new potatoes, halved
Black olives
Cherry tomatoes, a handful
Olive oil, a bit of lemon, black pepper to dress

Method:

OK, salad purists look away now, this may offend.

Put some water in a pan, turn on the heat. Put your whole egg into the water, along with the new potatoes. Bring to the boil, and after about 6-7 minutes, remove the egg with a spoon. Add the green beans to the boiling water, and cook 'til both they and the potatoes are tender - another 5-6 minutes. Drain. While the spuds and beans are cooking, peel the shell off the egg (I do this under running cold water), and halve it.

Halve your tomatoes. Put them, the drained tuna, and olives onto your plate or bowl, tip in the potatoes, green beans and egg, then give it a gentle mix up. Drizzle over some olive oil, a squish of lemon juice and a grind of black pepper.

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Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
3:6

Verdict:
It's a cheat's method of boiling things together, and saves on washing up. Definitely needed some leaves tho. And probably capers.

Summer omelette with a scarlet salad

This omelette is based on one from BBC Good Food, where it's called From-the-fridge omelette. In addition to the ingredients you can see there, I used a small clove of garlic to, you know, garlic it up a bit, and a mix of strong cheddar and Parmesan cheese.

I like a scarlet salad. This one has my favourite super-sweety-sour-umami Datterini tomatoes, with red pepper and radishes. And a squeeze of lemon, which you can't see here. 

That's some homemade elderflower cordial too, using a River Cottage recipe.

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Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
2:6

Verdict:
Needs the garlic for my taste. Good smug feelings about the amount of veg.

Pasta with purple sprouting broccoli

You'll need:

Four handfuls of penne pasta
A good handful of purple sprouting broccoli, remove any woodier stalks
Garlic (I used fresh garlic leaves from my garden. Well washed. We have a cat with a peeing problem)
Chilli flakes, a few, to your taste
Olive oil, glug of
Parmesan cheese, to grate over

Method:

Chuck the penne into a big pan of already boiling water. Add salt if you want. After about 8 mins, lob in the broccoli. Cook for a further 3-4 mins. Drain. Throw the garlic leaves, chilli and olive oil into the hot pan. Give it a good swish round, then return the pasta and broccoli to the pan. Turf out into a bowl, grate over the Parmesan and a scrunch of black pepper if you like.

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Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
3:5

Verdict:
Needed more oomph, should've used more chilli.

 

Red & green sardines

You'll need:

1 tin of sardines. I used Waitrose in olive oil
Green leaves, bowlful
Large handful of small plum tomatoes, halved. I used Datterini
Quarter of a red pepper, cut into small chunks
Slice of lemon

Method:

Put the washed leaves into a bowl. Tip on the tomatoes and red peppers. Drain and discard some of the oil from the sardines. Place the sardines on the salad, then pour over any remaining olive oil. A grind of black pepper plus a slice of lemon, and you're done.
 

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Effort to taste ratio (both out of 10):
1:8

Verdict:
I'd forgotten about sardines, 'til I saw a tin in the supermarket. Fishy loveliness. Those omega 3s definitely made me write better.

They’re great with rhubarb too.