Blog – Page 3 – The Food Wife

Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad with a Lemon & Dijon…

18th June 202518th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 2 for lunch or 1 hungry person

Here is a summery idea for what to do with a packet of smoked salmon trimmings. Arrange the bare salad leaves on the serving dish and then add the dressed pasta salad on top. Itâ€™ll stop the leaves becoming soggy with dressing but theyâ€™ll get a light coating from the pasta on top.

I enjoyed this in the sunshine. Highly recommend.

Ingredients:

100g pasta shells cooked, according to the packet instructions and then drained and immediately cooled by running cold water through the pasta

100g smoked salmon trimmings

4 small tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 spring onion, sliced

2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves

10 basil leaves, torn

For the dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil (ideally half being a lemon infused oil)

1 tbsp cider/white wine vinegar

1/2 lemon, juice only (if not using lemon infused oil also use the zest)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Black pepper to taste

Step 1: Place the dressing ingredients in a lidded jar and shake until combined (alternatively whisk in a bowl until emulsified).

Step 2: Combine the pasta, tomatoes, red pepper, spring onion, basil and salmon in a bowl. Drizzle over the dressing and toss together.

Step 2: Spread the salad leaves on the serving plate and then add the pasta salad on top. Serve immediately.

Chilli Tofu with Chard

17th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

Another haul of chard from the allotment, honestly it all brings me such joy!

Despite picking what felt like a generous bunch for two people, once cooked it wilts down to practically nothing, but still it provided an excellent addition to our meal.

A vegan fare of tofu, onion and chard, fried with soy, sugar and crispy chilli oil. Served on top of coconut rice. Honestly it was so good. Make it even if you donâ€™t have a bunch of chard!

Ingredients:

Oil

Firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 White onion, halved and sliced

A bunch of chard (or a pak choi) shredded

2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

2 heaped tbsp crispy chilli oil (or just one if you donâ€™t like it too spicy)

2 tsp sugar

Step 1: Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add a tbsp oil, and then the tofu.

Step 2: Once the tofu has cooked for a couple of minutes, add the sliced onion and chard and start moving it around the wok.

Step 3: add the soy, crispy chilli oil and sugar and cook for a couple of minutes until everything is soft, the tofu is hot and coated in the wonderful flavours, the chard (or pak choi) is wilted and the onions are translucent.

Serve immediately, over rice.

Stuffed Peppers

11th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 3-4

As we get into summer, the allotment is finally starting to give me something back! Today I picked my first few chard leaves. Last year I didnâ€™t even get that, the old allotment didnâ€™t do well with months of rain and little sunshine! The slugs loved it though.

Today, my dinner plan was for a veggie rice stuffed roasted pepper and a side salad. The chard leaves were a welcome addition to the finally chopped veg that created the filling for the peppers. As the summer goes on, courgettes and grated beetroot will also work well as part of the filling.

This is a loose recipe, change your vegetable filling based on what you have or what needs using up. Just keep everything chopped or grated small.

Ingredients:

3 large peppers or 4 medium (slice the top off and discard the seeds and stem then finely chop the top to add to the veg filling)

Olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

6 chard leaves and their fine stems (discard the stems if they are tough), finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

Herbs, finely chopped (I used fresh basil and a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs)

Salt and Pepper

3 heaped tbsp creme fraiche (half fat if you like)

1 inch of parmesan, finely grated

250g pouch of microwave rice (I used a whole grain and wild rice mix)

Cheese (I used sliced Gouda)

Step 1: Heat the oven to 180c (fan). Rub a little oil over the peppers and stand them up on a baking tray as best you can, roast for 25 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, sweat the onion in a little olive oil. Once softened add the garlic followed by the rest of your finely chopped veg. Sweat down while the peppers are roasting. Season with the salt and pepper and herbs and then stir through the creme fraiche and the grated Parmesan.

Step 3: Microwave the rice as instructed on the packet and stir through the creamy vegetable mix.

Step 4: Once the peppers have roasted, remove them from the oven and carefully fill with the rice mixture. Top with some cheese and return to the oven for 20 minutes until everything is hot and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with a salad.

Harissa Salmon with Giant Couscous and Watercress

31st May 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 1

One pan and your dinner is ready in 20 minutes, yes please! This recipe is for one person but easily scales up. You will want to use a deep baking dish (ideally metal otherwise the timings might not work) and a suitable size for the portion.

Ingredients:

100g giant couscous

200ml hot vegetable stock

1 salmon fillet

1 tsp rose harissa paste

1 lemon (juice)

2 handfuls of watercress, roughly chopped

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 180c fan.

Step 2: Put the giant couscous in an even layer in the baking dish. Carefully lay the salmon skin side down on top of the couscous and spread the harissa paste on the top. Next, gently pour the hot stock around the salmon to cover the couscous but not over the salmon.

Step 3: Tightly cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Remove from the oven, carefully take the salmon out of the dish and then stir the lemon juice and watercress through the hot couscous. Spoon onto your plate and top with the salmon. Serve immediately.

Ginger and White Chocolate Flapjacks

25th May 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 16

I love a flap jack. A real crowd pleaser plus itâ€™s an easy bake with kids. Very portable (hello lunchbox ideas!) and adaptable. Need it gluten-free, simple. Need it dairy-free or vegan, an easy swap and youâ€™ve got the perfect bake.

The combination of ginger and white chocolate here is a winner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

165g butter/vegan butter

125g soft light brown sugar

60g golden syrup

Pinch of salt (leave out if butter is salted)

250g porridge oats (gluten-free if required)

50g white chocolate, melted (dairy free if required)

Step 1: Line a 9×9 inch tin with baking parchment. Preheat your oven to 180c (fan).

Step 2: Measure the butter, sugar, syrup and salt into a small saucepan. Place on a medium-low heat and stir occasionally until the butter has melted and everything is combined when stirred. Stir through the glacÃ© ginger.

Step 3: Measure the oats into a large bowl and carefully add the molten mixture (avoid getting this on your skin as it will burn). Stir everything together.

Step 4: Pour into your lined tin, use the back of the spoon to delicately spread the mix into all the corners and level out the mix. Donâ€™t press too hard.

Step 5: Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool, cut into 16 squares. Then drizzle (you can use a piping bag if if you like) the white chocolate over the top and allow to set. Break into the 16 cut pieces. Store in an airtight container.