Griddled Salmon with Sweet Potatoe Tax Mash

If like me, you've got to fill in your tax return online before the end of January and your activation code has deactivated - then you'll need a double whammy fix of brain and comfort food to help you face your demons.

This my friend will do the trick...


you will need:

2 Salmon fillets
4 Sweet Potatoes
handful of pine nuts
small handful of black olives
Bag of spinach
half a red pepper
olive oil
butter/margerine/olive oil for mash

optional yums:
chilli sauce
creme freche
two teaspoons of bought or made yourself pesto

ready set go!

• Boil a kettle of water, and put your grill pan on to heat up good.
• Brush your salmon with a little oil (and add a little chilli oil/tobasco if you like).
• Chop the sweet spuddies small, deseed and cut the red pepper into chunky strips.
• When the kettle is boiled, pour into a saucepan and add the sweet potatoe. Put your steamer on top and pop in the strips of red pepper (add any other veggies you like - according to how you like them cooked). Bring to a lively simmer.
• Put the salmon into the really hot pan - and turn on the cooker hood, open the windows and shut the kitchen door (just sayin'!).  While this is all going off,  heat another small frying pan and sling in the pinenuts to toast. Keep you eye on these little suckers they look all innocent for ages and then shazam! they're burnt...
• Turn over your salmon - I like mine pink in the middle, you must use your own judgement. Griddling is the best way to cook this dish - it's quick, healthy and makes the fish taste wonderful.
• After about 10 minutes - you can test your spuds are cooked. Drain, and mash them with butter, or margerine or oil - leave the skins on. (Pesto goes in here if you fancy it).

Time to plate up...

Dollop your mash onto the plate, sprinkle over the pine nuts and lay the fish over the top. Then add the raw spinach on the side and scatter with the red pepper and any other cooked veggies.

I also add olives and drizzle the lot with olive oil infused with basil - or mixed with pesto.

If you don't fancy pesto mash then you can always finish with a bit of pesto over the fish.

Finally dollop a whopping big spoonful of creme freche over the fish - ooh or you could mix the pesto with the creme freche - or use fromage frais...

Your brain will thank you - you'll feel very happy and tommorrow you can tackle your tax return.


No-no - don't thank me xx