Plan your week's food

Magnetic notepad, £7.50, Anthropologie

This magnetic notepad has CHANGED MY LIFE. We tend to buy food week by week so we only buy fresh and never waste food. By filling this in day by day, it means we know exactly what we need to buy and know what we are making for dinner as soon as we get in. We also fill in all lunches so we know what we need to make for the next day too (but usually we make leftovers from dinner).

RECIPE:

'Just Five Ingredients', £9.09, Amazon

I must admit, even I was dubious about buying this book. However, as a beginner in the kitchen, every recipe is achievable and when trying to save money, only ever needing five ingredients is a huge relief. I made this recipe last week; it was delicious and I already had almost all the ingredients, I just bought salmon for £5.

Simple succulent salmon fish pie (serves 4)

Ingredients

• 675g potatoes (Maris Piper best), peeled and cut into chunks
• 600ml milk
• 550g salmon fillet, skinned and boned
• 75g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 40g plain flour
• Salt and freshly gound pepper
• OPTIONAL EXTRAS - I added around 300g broccoli, chopped into small florets, a sprinkling of dill, handful of grated cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water, cover and simmer for 15-20 mins or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, place the milk in a saute pan. Add the salmon fillet, ensuring it is fully covered, then poach for 3-5 minutes or until just tender, depending on its thickness. Transfer the fish to a plate until cool enough to handle. Flake into bite-sized chunks, checking for any stray bones. Strain the poaching liquid through a sieve into a jug.
3. (At this point, I cooked the broccoli in a saucepan and when ready, left aside until later).
4. Melt half the butter in a large non-stick pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in the reserved poaching liquid, a little at a time, whisking continuously after each addition.
5. Once all the liquid has been added to the sauce, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened. Season to taste. I added some dill (as it was in the cupboard!).
6. Drain the cooked potatoes and mash them, beat in the remaining butter and season to taste.
7. Lightly butter a deep ovenproof pie dish and add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce. Scatter over the flaked salmon (and the broccoli), then spoon the remaining sauce on top. Allow a light skin to form, then carefully spread over the mashed potatoes to cover completely. I then sprinkled over some grated cheese (just because I love it). Bake for 25-30 minutes until the fish pie is completely heated through and bubbling at the edges.

Enjoy!