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1 packet of smoked mackerel fillets
1 and a half pints (750ml) milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
Potatoes (say 4 medium-sized or 6 small)
2 leeks
1 onion
2 serving spoons of frozen sweetcorn
A quarter of a pint (125ml) single cream
1 tbsp flour
Dried parsley, roughly 2 tsps
Butter
Oil

Method

Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks; wash and finely chop the onions and leeks.
Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan and gently brown the potatoes for a few minutes. Add the onions and leeks and fry for a few more minutes until the onion has softened, then stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
Add the frozen sweetcorn, pour in the milk with the cream and bring to the boil while you remove the skin from the mackerel and flake the fish, making sure there arenâ€™t any bones.
Turn the heat right down and add the mackerel to the pan with the parsley, stir well and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just soft.
If you want to thicken the chowder at the end, add a little corn flour or 1 tbsp plain flour to another 2 tbsp cream. For a thinner consistency, just add more milk.

Cheshire Tart
For the base
8 large digestive biscuits
4 ginger biscuits
Half tsp ginger
3oz (75g) butter
1 tbsp golden syrup

For the filling
Half lb (300g) tub of soft cream cheese
4oz (100g) Cheshire Cheese, finely grated
3 eggs, separated
2 tbsp natural yoghurt or crÃ¨me fraiche
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Make the biscuit base in the usual way, crushing the biscuits by hand, then mixing thoroughly with the melted butter and golden syrup.
Lightly grease and base-line a loose bottomed 6/7 inch (12cm) cake tin and press the biscuit mixture into the tin.
Separate the eggs into two large mixing bowls and add the grated Cheshire cheese, cream cheese, yoghurt or crÃ¨me fraiche, sugar and lemon juice to the bowl with the egg yolks.
First whisk the egg whites (with an electric hand whisk) until they stand up in peaks and all the bubbles have disappeared; then whisk together the ingredients in the second bowl.
Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture until the ingredients are combined, then pour the mixture onto the biscuit base and bake in a cool oven, Gas Mark 2 (150 degrees) for 45 minutes â€“ 1 hour, until the top is firm and set and slightly golden.
Allow the cheesecake to cool in the tin for about an hour, then run a sharp knife around the edge and carefully lift it out.
Dust the top of the cheesecake with icing sugar and serve with fresh fruit and single cream.

Serves 6-8

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes, plus standing
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

4 salmon steaks, halved (or any firm white fish - we used Tilapia)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Â¼-Â½ teaspoon chilli powder
Â½ teaspoon ground tumeric
175g (6oz) canned chopped tomatoes with their juice
or fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped
15g (Â½oz) fresh coriander leaves and stalks
1-2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2.5cm (1in) cube of fresh root ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
30g (1oz) desiccated coconut

Method

Lay the pieces of fish on a large plate and sprinkle with half the salt, the lemon juice, chilli powder and turmeric. Rub gently with your fingertips and set aside for 15-20 minutes.

PurÃ©e the remaining ingredients, except the coconut, in a blender. Grind the coconut in spice or coffee mill until smooth.

Put the purÃ©ed ingredients in a non-stick saucepan, about 30cm (12in) in diameter, and add the coconut and remaining salt. Heat over low heat, stirring, until heated through.

Add the fish to the pan in a single layer on the sauce. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes. Shake the pan from side to side two or three times and spoon some of the hot sauce over the fish.

Remove from the heat and serve with boiled basmati rice.

Reproduced by kind permission of Mridula Baljekar, from the book 'Fat Free Indian Cookery', published by Metro Books; ISBN: 1-84358-001-2

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