One Pan Tuscan Salmon

This incredibly easy but insanely delicious one pan salmon dish is a midweek winner. Ready in under 20 minutes, it’s creamy but has a light freshness that I think you all will love. It’s hearty enough with the butterbeans but feel free to pair with rice or grain of your choice.


You will need to serve 2

2 salmon fillets
1 tin butterbeans
Fresh basil
200g cherry tomatoes
8 sun dried tomatoes, drained from oil and chopped
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
Few handfuls of spinach
2 tbsp half fat crème fraiche
Smoked paprika
Chicken stock cube
1 lemon
Parmesan

  • Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan on all sides until coloured. Remove and set to one side.
  • In the same pan, sweat the shallot and garlic with a pinch of salt. Mix in the whole cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and chopped basil stems.
  • Sauté for a few minutes, then add in a stock cube and 200ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer, tip in the butterbeans and leave for 10 minutes.
  • Turn the heat right down, add in 2 tbsp crème fraiche, the zest of a lemon, 15g grated Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. Stir then mix in the spinach and some chopped basil. Allow to wilt.
  • Place the salmon fillets into the dish and allow to warm through until they are cooked.
  • Serve with extra basil sprinkled over the top and grating of parmesan.

One Pan Tuscan Salmon – PDF

23 June 2024 – Amusements

An Australian tour guide was showing a group of American tourists the Top End. On their way to Kakadu he was describing the abilities of the Australian Aborigine to track man or beast over land, through the air or beneath the sea. The Americans were incredulous.

Then later in the day, the tour rounded a bend on the highway and discovered, lying in the middle of the road, an Aborigine. He had one ear pressed to the white line whilst his left leg was held high in the air. The tour stopped and the guide and the tourists gathered around the prostrate Aborigine.

“Jacky,” said the tour guide, “what are you tracking and what are you listening for?”

The aborigine replied, “Down the road about 25 miles is a 1971 Valiant Ute. It’s red. The left front tire is bald. The front end is out of whack and it has dents in every panel. There are 9 fellas in the back, all drinking warm beer. There are 3 kangaroos on the roof rack and 6 dogs on the front seat.”

The American tourists moved forward, astounded by this precise and detailed knowledge.

“Wow, man! How do you know all that?” asked one American.

The Aborigine replied, “I fell out of the thing about half an hour ago.”

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16 June 2024 – Amusements

A woman is in her ninth month of pregnancy and feeling very uncomfortable. On top of everything, her pleas for sympathy seemed to go unnoticed by her husband.

One day she told him, “I hope in your next life you get to be pregnant!”

He replied, “I hope in your next life you get to be married to someone who’s pregnant!”

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9 June 2024 – Amusements

Billy-Bob and Bubba were sitting in back of their trailers shooting the breeze.

Billy-Bob asked Bubba, “If I snuck ovah to yore house while you wuz out fishin an’ slept with your wife, an’ she got pregnant, would dat make us kin?”

Bubba scratched his head for a bit then said, “I don’t think so…. but it sho would make us even.”

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2 June 2024

More rain interspersed with the odd bit of sunshine and not very warm temperatures. I had thought that the central heating had been retired for the remainder of this season but, alas, I was mistaken. Ms Playchute requested a re-igniting and a fire in the wood burner in the lounge! Here it is June, for goodness sakes!

Having said all that, this morning is absolutely glorious with bright sunshine under a clear, cloudless sky.

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