Easter Tea with the family!? :/

So, my dad decides as I am visiting Shropshire for Easter, we should all go for a meal in The Gingerbread Man, Market Drayton.  Not averse to a nice family meal we decided to book a table (there were going to be 9 adults and 3 children so best to be prepared).

We arrived a few minutes before the table was booked and went inside.  The staff looked terrified of the large group of people who had just entered their pub and were not expecting us at all.  The Manager came over and said that as soon as there was a table for us we could have it.  Erm, we've booked.  Why is the table not ready for us already?  45 minutes later, no table, no attempt to arrange a table, new people arriving and being seated all the time - my step mother snapped and we started looking for our own damn table.

We found ourselves a corner where there was a large table for about 8 and a smaller table for 4 next to each other, so we grabbed them.  The Manager came over again to apologise and to offer us free sweets and coffee.  Apparently the booking had not been written in the diary and so they were not aware we were coming.  Fine.  Not an issue.  Why not tell us that 45 minutes ago?  Why not be a little more pro-active and find/create a space for us ... there were plenty of tables empty that could have easily been moved together.

The kids were hungry and fed up and so were us adults so we quickly chose what we wanted to eat and sent Doozr to order it.  They had a special Easter menu and we all wanted the mixed grill - 2 main meals for £15 ... bargain.  Sadly, the special offer mixed grill was out - apparently we could have the normal mixed grill (which cost £13 each) instead.  Erm, no!!  Doozr insisted we have the mixed grill at the Easter menu price and, not wanting to annoy us any further, the manager agreed.

The meal itself was very nice, steak was even cooked perfectly which usually never happens on a mixed grill.  The complimentary sweets and coffee were a lovely treat that would have probably been missed under normal circumstances.

Everyone left the pub, very full and very content.  The mess up with the booking had been all but forgotten.   All in all, it was an interesting experience.  I am not sure it was a good experience, but the reduced cost main meal, free pudding and free coffee certainly helped sweeten it a lot! Where can a party of 9 adults and 3 kids eat a 2 course meal with drinks and coffee for £123??  :D

Tomato and Basil Salmon with Mediterranean salad

A light, simple salmon dish for bright summer or cozy winter evenings.

Ingredients

Salmon

• 2x skinned salmon fillets, approx. 120g each
• Fresh basil leaves
• Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• Garlic (fresh, pre-chopped or paste)
• Olives (optional)

Salad

• Mixed leaves
• Red pepper
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Assorted nuts & seeds
• Garlic & herb salad dressing

Method

Place the salmon on a lightly greased baking tray. Make three small holes in each, along the length, using an apple corer. If you don’t have an apple corer, a knife and a (clean) finger will do.

Press 6 sun-dried tomatoes and take 6 basil leaves (or 3 of each, cut in half, if they are large). Place one tomato on each basil leave with a small amount of garlic. Optionally put on olive on top, then fold each into a small parcel. Put one parcel in each of the holes previously made in the salmon.

Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes over the salmon. Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for between 8 and 15 minutes according to taste.

Tear the mixed leaves into a salad bowl and add chopped red pepper and sun-dried tomatoes. Again, olives can be added but are optional. Toss the salad and sprinkle a assortment of nuts and seeds on top. I used pistachio nuts, pine nuts, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and almonds. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad.

Serve the salmon and salad with thick sliced crusty bread and butter. I used a crusty loaf with poppy seeds, but any will do.

Spicy Tomato Pork

A tasty pork marinade to brighten up an otherwise boring tea.

Ingredients

• 2x Pork steaks
• 1 tbsp tomato chutney
• 1 tsp Raydale Preserves’ Hellish Relish (or suitable spice relish)
• Finely chopped parsley
• Henderson’s Relish
• Salt and pepper

Method

Place the pork steaks in a suitable container and sprinkle parsley and Henderson’s relish on the top. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Mix the tomato chutney, the Hellish Relish, a sprinkle of Henderson’s to taste and some chopped parsley in a jug. After 2 hours, remove the pork from the fridge, turn it over and spread the mixture over the pork. Refrigerate again for 2 hours.

Place the pork marinade-side down on a grill pan and add a fresh layer of marinade to the top of the pork. Grill for a few minutes before turning to grill both sides. Grill to taste and serve with a salad potatoes, fresh veg, rice or even a salad. It’s entirely up to you.