The hurricane season is here and promises to be very active. Don't despair: Chef Noel Cunningham is here to help you prepare fresh and tasty meals made from disaster essentials in the comfort of home. Gusting wind and rain roaring on the outdoors? Not a problem! Weather the storm in the kitchen and declare the zone 'category gourmet', comforting the family with mouth-watering corned beef shepherd's pie, scrumptious sausage pasta, delicious category 3 easy tuna melt and last but not least, Chef Noel's innovative sweet and sour tin mackerel.

So, can you cook up this culinary challenge? Yes, you 'canned'! See recipes below for more details.

 

Corned Beef Shepherd's Pie

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 tin corned beef

Ketchup

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 medium tomatoes, diced

1 stalk scallion

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup water or beef stock

2lb Irish potatoes, peel and cut into cubes

1 tin corn

1/2 cup milk

 

Direction

 

Set oven to 350? F. In a large pot of boiling cook potato until tender. Drain then mash with butter, milk, salt and pepper until creamy.

For the corned beef: In a heated frying pan saute onion and tomato then add corned beef, season with salt, pepper and ketchup. Stir to combine then add water or stock to loosen up.

For layer: In a baking dish add corned beef mixture, then add corn and top with mashed potato, then put to bake until golden for 15 to 20 minutes.

 

Sausage Pasta

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 pack Farfalle pasta or pasta of choice

2 tins Vienna sausage, sliced

Oil for frying

Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups tomato sauce

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

 

Direction

 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a frying pan fry the sausages until crispy, then add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then add tomato sauce and cooked pasta, add crushed pepper flakes then stir. Serve while it's hot; top with cheese for more flavour, and enjoy.

 

Chef Noel's Sweet and Sour Tin Mackerel

 

 

Ingredients

 

For the sauce

6 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp vinegar

4 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp lime juice

1/2 cup water or pineapple juice

1 small onion, small diced

Ginger, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

Pineapples cubes fresh or canned

1 tbsp cornstarch

For the fish

1 tin jack mackerel

Flour

1/2 tsp sea salt & pepper

Oil, for shallow frying

 

Direction

 

In a medium saucepan, saute onion, garlic and ginger, then add water or pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and leave to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Mix together cornstarch with water to thicken sauce. Lower flame and allow sauce to reduce. For the fish, carefully open and cut each mackerel in two. mix flour with salt and pepper and use to coat the mackerel. Dust off any excess flour and shallow fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from oil and place on a plate with paper towel to drain. Add mackerel to sauce and enjoy. I served mine on a bed of Ramen noodle stir-fried with carrot, cauliflower, and onion tossed with soya sauce and ginger.

 

Category 3 Easy Tuna Melt

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 tin tuna

2 tsp butter, for spread

2 slices of bread

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup

1 cheese slice or 1/3 cup shredded cheese

 

Direction

 

On a slice of bread, add butter and put aside. Season tuna with salt and pepper, ketchup or tomato sauce. Add tuna mixture on bread top with cheese and put to bake.