Yesterday was Mother’s Day. If you do not know what that is then I daresay you would not have the ability to read this as you must have evolved from amoebas, or something similar, into a slug like person. So I am not going to bother about explaining it as I don’t care too much for amoeba slug people… too needy.

Jennee awoke to gifts bought with money as an indication of love from our children. Alas though, I was not there to cook her breakfast in bed (re: my job as a chef required that I feed all of the other mums out there on the busiest day of my working year). So she did what any self respecting mother would do on such an occasion; she got her ass into my place of work so I could cook breakfast for her there. Well done Jennee, that’s showing them you got brains I reckon…

I cooked for the hordes of hungry mothers that day, while Jennee played in the garden and marveled at her new butter dish and cock and hen salt and pepper shakers.

Upon returning home I cooked some more… for it was still Mother’s Day where I come from and I had a duty to perform… not that duty. Keep your mind out of the gutter for a bit please children. I needed to cook that girl some dinner. She wanted salmon so I got me some salmon as this seemed to be the smart thing to do at the time. I cooked that salmon with king prawns (on the faves list) and served it on a Greek-ish quinoa salad (another one of her faves) with a herby caper dressing (again, embracing the “Jennee’s Faves” theme).

All in all I did I pretty damn good job. For proof of good-ness of said job please check the following paragraph which I tore straight from the pages of Jennee’s diary… which I happen to know is hidden in her sock drawer just behind the bottle of 47% “mothers little helper”…

“Aaaaaah Mother’s Day… Or as I like to call it no arguments day! As this is the day that no child of mine shall incorporate me into any disputes between siblings. Granted it has ended in a mad max type “Thunder Dome” battle on the trampoline, but they still didn’t come crying to me, as they know the rules! I am the only human girl in the household (the dog is female but alas not human .. I do paint her nails from time to time though!), so needless to say, I don’t have a lot of sisterhood happening at Chateaux le Stockdale.. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t know what to do with a girl if I had one, I am at home with boys! On Mother’s Day though I feel they really shine, mainly because I spend the rest if the year explaining to them all the sacrifices I made to put them onto this earth, and how they had better be paying me back by lavishing me with gifts at every occasion!!! I should have been Catholic with the amount of guilt I can dish out!)

And lavish me they did… It started with gifts a plenty followed by a bang up, out of this world breakfast that saw me not eat at all until dinner!!? We had the VIP table at Lilianas for breaky… It was booked out but, although there are many cons to having a husband who is obsessed with food and cooking (some of which include not seeing him at any major hallmark event!), the pros totally outweigh the cons when we waltz into a full restaurant and can STILL get a seat!!!! The breakfast was divine. I gardened all day and then, after pulling a group of rag tag misfits together to cook on the busiest day of the year at the restaurant, Gray then came home and cooked me salmon for dinner – and it wasn’t even out of a can!!!! He is a keeper I tell you, but you can’t have him, he’s too good to me! Happy no arguments day ladies… Surround yourselves with boys and teach them the virtues of the treatment of mothers.” Jennee.

SALMON & PRAWNS, GREEK-ISH QUINOA SALAD, HERBY CAPER DRESSING (for 4)
4x 150g fillets salmon, pin boned (show your fish monger a cheeky photo of your sister and I’m sure he will do it for you)
12 king prawns, peeled and de-veined (your fish monger will probably tell you to do this yourself… no matter how many cheeky pics you show him)
• Season the salmon and cook, skin side down, over medium heat in an oiled pan. 3-4 minutes on the skin side (let it get nice and brown and crispy. Just remember brown is different from burnt) and then turn pan off, flip it over and let it finish cooking with the residual heat… 3-4 minutes should do the trick for med-rare. Take it out of the pan and set aside in a warm place
• Crank the pan up and sauté the prawns. 2 minutes should do the trick for those puppies
• Plate it up with the salad, a bit of fresh rocket from the garden and the dressing smattered (might be a word) over the fish and prawns

Greek-ish quinoa salad
2 cups cooked quinoa
½ red onion, bruniose
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 continental/telegraph cucumber, halved through the middle, de-seeded and chopped
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
100g soft feta, crumbled
1 handful parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
• Mixy mixy

Herby caper dressing
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
½ red onion, bruniose
½ cup chopped dill
A few leaves of parsley and mint, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
• Mixy mixy

And Happy Mother’s Day Ma xx