Savoury pancakes

Do you need a quick cooked breakfast (or supper) with limited eggs in the store cupboard?

With just three small eggs, some ground almonds (four heaped dessert spoons), some finely chopped spring onions, two dessert spoons of fat (melted butter or oil) and your regular amount of seasoning, whipped to smooth batter, makes four good sized, thick pancakes.

I used a ladle to gently pour into a small non-stick frying pan (with just a little olive oil).

Takes no time at all, but remember to turn down your heat after the first one as your pan will be hot and you may burn the batter.

Served here with baked sausages and mushrooms.

Cod Loin with Sage & Celery Crunch

A mid-week simple supper paid a relatively healthy homage to the traditional fish supper.

A good sized cod loin is needed for this, ideally about 200 grams plus per person.  The loin should be evenly shaped if possible with a good thickness so that the cooking time - just under 20 minutes in a hot oven in its foil parcel - provides just enough residual heat to complete the task whilst it's resting on the side for a few minutes.

For two people:

• Four dessert spoons of good extra virgin olive oil
• 12 grams of sage, chopped finely
• Two small sticks of celery, approximately 15 cms in length, chopped finely
• Two generous pinches of sea salt
• One lime, topped and tailed and using the middle for three slices to set on top of the fish and the juice of the top and tail.

On an oven sheet, place a piece of baking foil, dull side facing you and use one dessert spoon of oil over this this.

Mix the sage, celery and salt together with a further spoonful of oil and lime juice and place a third of the mixture on the foil.

Place the loin on top of this and spread the remaining sage mixture as evenly as possible over the top.  Add the lime slices and then create a foil parcel.  Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with a fresh salad or vegetable of choice.

Salted black olives and tomato salad

A great accompaniment to many a main course, but especially served with risotto or grilled fish, this salad is more of salsa with its smaller pieces and with its mint, lemon and capers has more than just nod to Malta and North Africa.

For two generous portions:

• 150 grams of tomatoes, deseeded, cored and chopped into one centimetre cubes
• 100 grams of cucumber, deseeded, peeled and chopped, again into roughly one centimetre cubes
• A good handful, approximately a dozen, large black salted olives, chopped roughly (do not rinse)
• Six to eight large caper berries, thinly sliced
• 20 grams of fresh mint, chopped coarsely
• A half teaspoon of dried mint
• A half teaspoon of dried cumin
• Two dessert spoons of good extra virgin oil
• The juice and zest of half a lemon

Mix all but the lemon juice/zest in a bowl and allow to stand, covered, for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Just before serving, add the lemon juice and zest, combine thoroughly.