Kai with soul

In Spotswood College's food and nutrition classes, Katy Power teaches her students that the key to cooking great-tasting, nutritious meals day after day is to keep it simple. In Kai with Soul, Katy and her students let you in on how easy cooking for a family can be.
Taranaki Daily News
Last updated 12:17 04/08/2009

MARK DWYER
Sam Askew, 17, and Lauren Yule, 17, cook up Surfcaster Fish Pie.
KAI2
MARK DWYER
Surfcaster Fish Pie.
KAI3
MARK DWYER
Lunchbox Lemon Muffins
KAI4
MARK DWYER
Home-Made Lemon Juice
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The talk in the food industry last week was about pies, after the annual national pie contest was fiercely contested. We decided to take on the challenge of making the perfect fish pie. This one has no pastry or red meat, but has survived the test of time to become an ever-popular family lunch or dinner dish.

A base of mashed potato and cheesy breadcrumb topping replaces the pastry, while the filling is a mixture of fish, boiled eggs and white sauce.

The fish can be fresh, smoked or canned and all are suitable. Since we used smoked cod, which has a strong flavour, only 300g was needed. The selection and availability of fish is varied and plentiful from local supermarkets and fish suppliers, so choose a variety that looks and smells fresh and suits your taste and budget. A 425-gram can of tuna from the pantry is also great to make into a pie when unexpected visitors turn up at mealtimes.

A pie with fresh fish will need to bake for 10 minutes longer than smoked or canned fish and some will need to have skin and bones removed first. Fresh fish needs to be cut into bite-size chunks while smoked fish needs to be flaked because of its strong flavour.

Fish pie is great for using leftover vegetables and mashed potatoes sitting in the fridge.

We mashed our potatoes with olive oil and some potato stock water (the water that the potatoes were cooked in). This adds extra vitamin C to the mash and the olive oil is an unsaturated fat and better for you than the saturated fat found in butter and other dairy products.

Layer the base of the oven dish with mashed potato, then the pre-cooked peas and chopped, hard-boiled eggs. Pour the white sauce and flaked fish over and lastly the cheese and breadcrumb topping.

Serve the fish pie for lunch or dinner and with salad or extra vegetables, such as pumpkin and broccoli. For hungry teenagers, you may wish to include a fresh bread bun or slice of wholemeal bread to soak up the tasty sauce.

Next on our list are Lunchbox Lemon Muffins and Homemade Lemon Juice. Both are great recipes to boost vitamin C in the diet the natural way - through food and drink. They are simple and quick to prepare and make excellent use of backyard lemon trees that are loaded at this time of the year. Make the muffins in paper cases so they can be easily packed in lunchboxes and look appealing to hungry students.
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The lemon drink can be served both hot or cold. Add more or less lemon juice and sugar to suit your family's tastebuds. No additives or preservatives have been added to this drink, so it needs to be refrigerated if not consumed on the day. Keep in a covered jug to prevent fridge odours from tainting the juice.

Enjoy these recipes and remember that fish is a valuable source of protein, vitamins, minerals and omega 3 fats. If the weather is fine and calm this weekend, teach your children and teenagers how to fish. Take a stroll along the port and observe the experts (some are very young). It is a peaceful and rewarding family activity.

Breathe in the fresh air, take in the vitamin D from the sun and maybe catch a fish. Life is great in the 'Naki!

* By Katy Power and the Year 13 Food and Nutrition class.

Surfcaster Fish Pie

Serves 4-6

3 cups mashed potato

40g butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups milk

pinch of salt

shake of black pepper

1-2 Tbsp parsley - finely chopped

3 hard-boiled eggs - chopped

400-500g smoked fish, flaked into small pieces, or 400g fresh fish, cut into small chunks, or a 425g can of fish, drained and flaked

1 cup peas precooked in microwave or a saucepan

2 Tbsp breadcrumbs

1/2 cup cheese - grated

1/ Prepare approximately 3 cups of mashed potato (see separate recipe).

2/ Place the eggs into a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, peel and chop into pieces.

4/ Melt the butter on low heat in a medium-size saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes on low heat until the mixture becomes frothy.

5/ Remove from the heat and add the milk slowly while stirring. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.

6/ Remove the white sauce from the heat and stir in the flaked fish and chopped parsley. Season with a pinch of salt and shake of black pepper.

7/ Line the bottom of a 20cm oven dish with the mashed potato.

8/ Place the chopped boiled eggs and pre-cooked peas over the potato layer.

9/ Pour the fish sauce evenly over the top.

10/ Mix the breadcrumbs and grated cheese together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Sprinkle over the fish sauce.

11/ Place into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked and the topping is lightly golden.

12/ Remove from the oven and serve with vegetables or salad and a few wedges of tomato.

Healthy Mashed Potatoes

Makes 3 cups

1kg potatoes (4-5)

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp - 1/4 cup milk

1/ Scrub or peel the potatoes. Cut into 2cm chunks and add to a large saucepan of boiling water. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 12 minutes until the potatoes are soft. (Check with a paring knife.)

2/ Drain most of the liquid from the potatoes. Add the olive oil and a pinch of salt and shake of pepper.

3/ Mash until smooth and creamy. Add a little extra milk if the potato mash is too dry.

Lunchbox Lemon Muffins

Makes 12

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

lemon rind - grated - from 1 large or 2 medium-sized lemons

75g butter - melted

1 large egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/ Preheat the oven to 200[Degree] bake function.

2/ Place 12 medium-size paper cases into a muffin tray and lightly spray each one or spray the muffin tray if not using paper cases.

3/ Sift the flour, baking powder and first measure of sugar into a large bowl.

4/ Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat.

5/ Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl.

6/ Wash the lemon and grate the rind (outer skin) using the fine side on the grater. Stir into the flour mixture.

7/ Add the melted butter and egg/ milk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don't over mix.

8/ Spoon the mixture evenly into the 12 muffin cases.

9/ Bake at 200[Degree] for 10-12 minutes until they are lightly golden and cooked. Test by pressing lightly down on a muffin and it should spring back up.

10/ While the muffins are baking, mix the lemon juice and second measure of sugar together in a cup.

11/ Remove muffins from the oven when done and immediately spoon the syrup over the hot muffins. Leave to cool.

Home- Made Lemon Juice

Makes about 1 1/2 litres

3-4 medium size lemons

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 litres water

1/ Dissolve the sugar in 2 cups of warm water in a large jug. Replace some of the sugar with honey if preferred.

2/ Cut the lemons in half and use a lemon juicer to squeeze the juice from the lemons.

3/ Pour juice into the jug, straining out any seeds, and add remainder of water (hot or cold).

4/ Stir for 1 minute to combine flavours.

5/ Drink warm or chill juice in the fridge before serving.