Mushrooms and anchovies (pictured above)
Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2
1 large onion (red or white)
1 x 90g tin or jar anchovies in oil
400g fresh mushrooms (the meatier, the better)
1 tsp thyme, rosemary or dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp butter (or 1 tbsp extra oil)
1 tsp vinegar (white- or red-wine, or cider, are best, but any will do at a pinch)
Black pepper, to taste
First, peel and finely slice the onion. Toss it into a wide, shallow, nonstick pan. Open the anchovies carefully and pour their oil into the pan over the onions, then put the anchovies to one side. Set the pan over medium heat and gently cook the onions for seven to eight minutes, stirring intermittently to disturb them, so they cook evenly and do not stick.
Meanwhile, cut the mushrooms into roughly 3mm-thick slices. Add these to the pan and stir. Tip in the anchovies and break them up roughly with a wooden spoon, then stir in the herbs. Add the butter or oil, and cook for a further 10 minutes, turning the heat down to low when the mushrooms start to soften.
Finish with the vinegar, stirring it through. Season to taste with black pepper – it will be salty enough with the residual anchovy – and serve over your carb of choice: mashed potato and pasta both work well.
This is one of those dishes that is even better the next day, so if you have any left over, leave it to cool, then chill in the fridge; warm back through thoroughly to serve. It doesn’t freeze particularly well because it isn’t very saucy, but it will keep for 48 hours in the fridge.
Quick and spicy salmon noodles
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 1-2
100g onion, peeled and sliced (or frozen sliced onions)
1 tbsp fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
400ml full-fat coconut milk
1 stock cube
1 tbsp curry powder
1 pinch chilli, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 x 170g tin salmon (or jarred salmon paste)
100g dried noodles
70g frozen peas (or edamame beans)
1 dash lime or lemon juice
Put the onion in a large, heavy-based saucepan, add the ginger and garlic, and pour over the coconut milk. Crumble in the stock cube, then add the curry powder, chilli and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Drain the salmon and tip into the saucepan (or stir in the salmon paste, if that’s what you’re using). Stir well to combine, then cover and cook on a vigorous simmer for four minutes.
Add the noodles and the peas (or edamame), replace the lid and continue to cook for six minutes at a slightly less vigorous simmer. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for a few minutes, for the sauce to thicken as it cools and the noodles continue to cook in the residual steam.
Serve with a dash of lemon or lime juice and extra black pepper, to taste.
Fish crumble
Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 2-4
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp plain flour
350ml milk
4 tbsp grated cheese
1 tsp mustard (any)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 x 125g tin mackerel, preferably in brine
1 x 145g tin tuna, preferably in brine
1 x 290g tin peas
1 x 300g tin sliced carrots
2 slices bread
1 tbsp lemon juice
First, make a cheese sauce. Heat a little oil in a medium saucepan over a low heat, and quickly stir in the flour to form a thick paste. Add a splash of the milk to loosen it, beating quickly. Repeat until all the milk has been worked into the sauce and is smooth and lump-free. Add the cheese and mustard and, still stirring, turn the heat up slightly to melt it. Season and set to one side to cool and thicken.
Open and drain the tins of mackerel, tuna, peas and carrots. (If either of the fish are in oil instead of brine, strain this into a small jar and pop it in the fridge to use for cooking.) Add the fish and vegetables to the cheese sauce and fold through gently.
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Grate the bread into crumbs (or pulse in a small blender). Spoon the fish, veg and sauce into a small ovenproof tin – a 450g loaf tin or 20cm cake tin is perfect. Top with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle lemon juice on top. Finish with a very generous scattering of black pepper. Bake for 15 minutes to warm through and toast the top, and serve hot.
The pie will keep in the fridge for two days, covered, or freeze in portions in freezer-proof containers for up to three months. Defrost completely in the fridge overnight, then microwave to piping hot throughout to serve.
Crabby nora
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 1
80g spaghetti or other pasta
1 fat garlic clove, peeled, or 1 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp butter or light cooking oil
1 large egg
60ml whole milk
30g hard strong cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 x 170g tin crab meat
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for eight to 10 minutes.
Peel and chop the garlic clove into fine pieces and add this (or the garlic paste, if using) to a nonstick frying pan with the butter or oil and a pinch of salt. Cook on a gentle heat so as not to burn the garlic.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and milk, and grate in the cheese. Season generously with black pepper.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and return to the pan. Add the cooked garlic, then drain the crab meat and quickly stir it through the pasta. Add the egg and cheese mixture and stir briskly and thoroughly; the heat from the pasta will lightly cook the egg and melt the cheese.
Serve immediately. It will keep in the fridge for 24 hours, but it is not recommended for freezing.
These recipes are edited extracts from Good Food for Bad Days: What to Make When You’re Feeling Blue, by Jack Monroe, published by Pan Macmillan on 28 May at £7.99. To pre-order a copy for £6.87, go to guardianbookshop.com
