Mint and Wasabi Potato Salad

Back in days of yore I was an actor. In one, rather good, production we had an actors nightmare of dinner on stage. Eating on stage is no fun at all. The challenge is attempting to look natural while also trying to avoid having a mouthful of food at the same time as a line. Oh and just to make life fun you will have a maximum of five minutes in which to eat the full meal and you do have to eat enough to look like you meant it. Oh and you rarely get food to practice with until the dress rehearsal.

This particular play had dinner in the pre-interval scene. Our lovely stage manger provided this potato salad for us to eat. It was so good that all the actors would wait in the wings listening for the audience to be ushered out before descending on the table to polish off the remains in a frankly unladylike manner.

Having got the recipe out of the stage manager this is a staple for just about every party I hold. Incredibly easy and quick to make with just a very little kick from the wasabi.

Ingredients
Potatoes! I like to use really small baby new potatoes so I don't have to chop them in half. As the photo indicates this rarely happens.
Mayonnaise
Chopped mint
Wasabi
Salt and pepper

Method
1. Boil the potatoes till they are cooked and leave to cool.

Top Tip: Wait till they are really cool. The mayonnaise goes a bit weird if the potatoes are warm. You can speed the process up a bit by running the cold tap over them.

2. Put a dollop of mayonnaise and a small squeeze of wasabi in with the potatoes and mix it in gently with your hand. You are aiming for a light coverage. Have a taste to see if it needs more wasabi and add if needed/wanted.
3. Add the chopped mint, salt and pepper and mix in thoroughly.

Put in a pretty bowl and wash your mayonnaisey hands.

Summery Lemony Pasta with Smoked Salmon

It may be tempting fate but it looks like summer is actually here at last. I have worn a pretty summer frock all day without getting a bit chilly and the thick black tights which cover my milk bottle white legs are being dragged out less and less.

We barely used the garden last year but this year we really are getting out there and enjoying it. This is probably down to the fact that last year it was a plantless yard but this year we have greenery and things are actually growing pretty nicely.  All of which leads to my Matey and I using the barbeque more and more. Unfortunately on Monday night a slight mistake led to the the barbeque being destroyed. It was a £2-bought-at-the-end-of-summer-two-years-ago barbeque so hardly the end of the world. Time to dig out recipes that have that summery feel without being made up of slightly charred meat and veg.

This originates from a Jamie Oliver recipe that has been used and abused according to what we have in the fridge and the utensils we actually have. This version came about because we had some left over smoked salmon last night.

Ingredients
1 egg yolk
60g Parmesan cheese
2 small lemons (or one big one)
Fresh basil
Pasta - Yes fresh is best but I used dried and found it tasty!
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
Smoked Salmon (optional and you don't need too much as it is a strong flavour.)

Method
1. Grate the parmesan and put aside.
2. Zest one lemon and juice them both. (This is for a really lemony dish, adjust to your taste)
3. Separate the egg and put the yolk into a bowl.
4. Mix in the parmesan, olive oil, zest and lemon juice. Season to taste. (It looks horrible at this stage!)
5. Boil a saucepan of water and add the pasta. Chop some basil and shed some smoked salmon while you are waiting.
6. When the pasta is cooked drain it thoroughly and quickly add to the mix. The heat from the pasta will cook the small amount of egg and the sauce will suddenly turn smooth and yummy looking.
7. Quickly stir in the chopped basil and smoked salmon (if using) and serve.

Eat with a crunchy salad in the garden or with the windows wide open.