5 Easy recipes to cook on board

When it comes to cooking on board, keep it simple!

Think of meals that can be made using one or two pots/pans as you will have limited space on the hob. The same applies to the oven, it will be much smaller than you might be used to in your home so don’t ‘overload’ it, one dish is best.

Each of these recipes contains measurements for 8 people so please adapt accordingly if you have more or less people onboard. Unless of course, you’re just 4 but love leftovers!

Remember, your family/friends will be delighted to have food cooked for them and will not be expecting a meal to rival Master Chef, so don’t stress over the small stuff: replace ingredients where necessary and aim for taste over presentation. No one is expecting parmesan tweels and edible flowers!

One-tray Chicken & Potato Bake

This is a super simple but really tasty one-pot meal with little preparation!

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas mark 6.
2. Scrub the potatoes (no need to peel them) and cut them into thin slices
3. Peel the skin of the lemon and set it aside
4. Add the sliced potatoes to a large roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil, salt & pepper (dried rosemary if using), make sure all of the potatoes are coated with the oil
5. Lightly squash the unpeeled garlic cloves and toss them into the tray with the potatoes
6. Season the hindquarters with salt & pepper and sit them on top of the potatoes (skin side up)
7. Bake for 40 minutes
8. Remove from the oven to ‘loosen’ the potatoes from the bottom of the tray
9. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes (or until the potatoes are browned and the chicken is cooked through (the juice runs clear when you pierce the flesh)

Enjoy with a fresh leafy salad or green vegetables 😊

Bacon & Mushroom Oven Risotto

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6
2. Add risotto rice and 1L of the vegetable stock to a large oven-proof dish or pan, stir
3. Cover with foil or a pan lid and place in the oven for 45 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente
4. After 30 minutes of the risotto cooking, fry the bacon lardons in a frying pan over a medium to high heat & add the sliced mushrooms until browned, set aside
5. Remove the risotto from the oven, put over low to medium heat and add the remaining 250ml of stock, parmesan, wine, butter, salt and pepper as required – stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy
6. Add the bacon lardons and mushrooms and stir until combined
7. Serve immediately with cracked black pepper and chopped parsley leaves

Notes:

*Ideal wines for cooking risotto are dry, crisp white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Choose a bottle that you enjoy drinking and that way there’s no wastage.

** Consider purchasing pre-grated parmesan for your boat trips in case there is not a fine cheese grater onboard. Parsley adds decorative colour and a slight bitterness that perfectly complements the creaminess of the dish and the saltiness of the bacon

3 Pan Fried Tomato & Feta Couscous

1. Tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl and pour over the stock, add a tablespoon of olive oil, mix quickly and then cover and leave for 5 to 10 minutes to cook/soften
2. Fluff-up /separate the couscous with a fork and set it aside while you prepare the other ingredients
3. Dice the red onion and crush/dice the garlic cloves, halve the tomatoes and crumble the feta cheese
4. Heat a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat
5. Drizzle olive oil
6. Add onions, when they become translucent, add the garlic, and the cherry tomatoes
7. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes have wilted
8. Add the couscous to the pan, along with the crumbled feta cheese and mix until well combined, serve immediately and enjoy!

Note:

This salad will save in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and can be eaten warm or cold.

Serve with lamb cutlets

Tip: Remove the lamb from the refrigerator so that it is almost room temperature before cooking

1. Place your cooking tray in the oven and heat to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7.
2. Pat the cutlets dry with kitchen paper, and place on a plate or tray for seasoning
3. Drizzle with Olive oil and season with the salt, pepper & thyme, flip the cutlets over and repeat the process
4. Transfer the cutlets to a hot tray, and cook in the oven for 10 mins
5. Flip the cutlets and cook for a further 10 mins or until the lamb is tender and lightly charred.

Serve hot with your Tomato & Feta Couscous 😊

4 Zingy Linguine pasta with Courgette

1. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water for approximately 8 minutes (according to the packet instructions)
2. Slice the courgettes lengthways and then horizontally into 3 pieces. Create ‘matchsticks’ (finely chopped sticks or slices)
3. Place a pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When warm toss in the courgette-sticks and lightly cook for approximately 3/4 minutes until they begin to wilt but are not browned, toss the pan or turn the courgettes so that they do not burn
4. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the pan. Add the lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper and then stir in the parmesan cheese – keeping a little aside to dress the pasta on the plate.

Too veggie for you? Why not slice up some pancetta ham and add it to the pan with the courgettes – this will add a distinctly porky flavour without the saltiness of bacon.

5 Chopped Quinoa Salad & Salmon

1. Pour the quinoa in a sieve and rinse well under fresh water
2. Place the quinoa in a medium/large sauce pan and add 1L of water
3. Bring to the boil, then decrease the heat to a gentle simmer. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, approximately  15 minutes
4. Remove from the heat, stir and then cover (the residual heat will continue to cook the quinoa and make it ‘fluffy’)
5. Stir/whisk the sugar into the lemon juice to dissolve slightly then add the olive oil, salt & pepper
6. Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to a serving bowl with your chopped vegetables and poor over the lemon dressing. Mix well until all of the ingredients are combined. Add salt and pepper to taste
7. The salad can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days and will taste great!

Serve with Salmon fillets

Tip: Remove the Salmon from the refrigerator so that it is almost room temperature before cooking

1. Place a large frying pan over a medium to high heat, once it’s warm add a tablespoon of olive oil, wait for the oil to heat up
2. Place the salmon fillets into the pan skin side down, do this slowly, as soon as the flesh of the fish touches the pan you should hear the sizzle, if you don’t, your pan is not hot enough – leave it 10-20 seconds more and try again
3. Cook the salmon skin-side down for approximately 5 minutes (until the skin is very crisp), you will see the heat rising through the fillet and the colour/texture of the fish changing. Using tongs, or two spoons, carefully flip the fillets over and continue to cook for approximately 3 minutes – until the salmon is just cooked
4. Lightly squash the unpeeled garlic and toss it into the pan with the butter. As the butter melts, spoon over the salmon – this will elevate the taste of salmon and make it more luxurious!
5. Serve immediately with a slice of lemon and your quinoa salad

Having said this, if you’re looking to impress your guests, here’s some simple ‘plate dressing’ tips:

• centre the food in the middle of the plate
• ‘stack’ elements of the meal to create height and interest
• think about colours and shapes
• simple dressings such as a drizzle of olive oil/pesto; sprinkle of black pepper; parmesan shavings; parsley leaves; grated lemon rind; all add colour, texture and taste to your dishes.