Salmon Rolls, Spanish Seafood with Lentils & Ginger Bread Cake

Starter: Salmon Rolls

You will need:

8 slices of brown bread, crust sides removed

200ml Philadelphia cream cheese

1 cucumber

Smoked salmon or trout

Rocket leaves

Method:

1. Place the bread slices in in a row, over lapping each other a little. Press the overlapping parts with a rolling pin until they stick together. Slightly press down the rest of the bread.
2. Spread with the cream cheese and shaved cucumber slices rocket and ending off with the smoked salmon.
3. Roll neatly and tightly until it’s a long tube and then cut into neat mini rolls and place on a serving platter. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice if you desire and enjoy.

Main: Spanish Seafood with Lentils

You will need:

1 chorizo sausage, chopped

125 g bacon rashes, chopped finely

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated

5 ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika (optional)

15 ml (1 tbsp) harissa or chilli paste

410 g (1 can) peeled and chopped tomatoes

2 x 410 g (2 cans) brown lentils, rinsed, drained or 500 ml (2 cups) dry lentils, soaked overnight

220 g jar (1 jar) roasted red capsicums, drained, sliced

250 (1 cup) chicken stock or water

500 g peeled green prawns (tails intact)

1 tub calamari rings and tennicles

60 ml (¼ cup) chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Serve with

Beautiful crusty long bread, sliced and toasted to top of the stew

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and chorizo, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the onion softens and the chorizo starts to crisp.
2. Stir in harissa and cook for further minutes. Add tomatoes, lentils, capsicum and stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly.
3. Season the prawns, calamari and tennicles with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add to the pan. Cover and cook for further 5 minutes or until the prawns are just cooked through. Stir the parsley, then top with the crusty bread slices on top and serve with a mixed salad.

Dessert: Ginger bread cake

You will need:

500 ml (2 cups) cake flour

5 ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

7 ml (1 ½ tsp) ground cinnamon

5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger

Pinch of cloves

125 g butter at room temperature

125 ml (½ cup) brown sugar

2 extra-large eggs

Rind of 1 lemon

125 ml (½ cup) unsulphured molasses (spray the cup with cooking spray before pouring it in to prevent it from sticking)

250 ml (1 cup) milk

Lemon frosting

Cream cheese

Icing sugar

15 – 30 ml (1-2 tbsp) lemon juice

Rind of 1 lemon (optional)

Method:

1. Cake: Preheat the oven to 180 C and place the rack in the centre. Grease and lightly flour a round or square 23 cm cake tin. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon rind, molasses and beat until combined – scraping down the sides if needed.
2. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves on top. Fold and mix until combined, alternating with milk – being careful not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the centre is cooked. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until cook.
3. Frosting: Mix the frosting ingredients together until combined. Spread on top of the cake and spread the icing on top. Serve.