Random Recipes #36 - New year, new (to me) book
This monthly cooking challenge is hosted at Belleau Kitchen, and the theme for January is New Year, New Book - to randomly select one of the cookbooks we received at Christmas, and then to randomly select a recipe a recipe from within that!
I was given one new cookbook - a retro copy of "Cooking the Scandinavian Way" by Elna Adlerbert. So the book selection was easy!
I opened the book at a random page and so Baked Mackerel With Leeks was chosen. Here's the recipe - although I halved it since there were only the 3 of us, and Mini-M is only little.
Here's what the finished dish looks like straight out of the oven - the mackerel well hidden under plenty of leeks and onions. Mini-M left all of her leeks. The conversation went…
Mini-M: "I left these vegetable bits at the side"
Me: "OK - they are leeks. Did you not like them"
Mini-M: (very honestly) "I didn't try them. I could just see that I didn't like them"
Me - speaking: "Ok, well it's really good to try things - maybe next time you might try some"
Me - thinking: "Fair point - I hated leeks as a kid. Still not a huge fan. Pretty much only eating mine to set a good example!"
Served up toddler style - with tomatoes and celery, a piece of sun-dried tomato and onion scone - on a princess plate with pink cutlery.
Served up for the adults… it would appear that the only difference is the boring plate and cutlery!
Huge credit has to go to Mr E, for taking up the fish gauntlet just before going out, and ending up at the cinema smelling distinctly mackerel-y, after I suddenly baulked at the last minute at the thought of beheading them.
And a special mention to Mini-M who very carefully carried the said mackerel around the supermarket in their paper bag, after we got them from the fish counter, talking to them and cuddling them, and asking if she could look at them, then being so excited about having fish for tea. It was going to be her 'happy thing' to share at nursery yesterday morning, until 3 fire engines with sirens and flashing lights drove past on the walk there and eclipsed the mackerel on the toddler scale of cool!
