Herb trout with spinach and potato gratin
Good fish doesn't need a lot of fancy dressing. This simple herby trout goes very well with nutmeg infused, creamy spinach and potato gratin. Serves 2 (40 minutes)
Ingredients
2 trout filets
Bunch of parsley and basil, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme and dry oregano
2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
Squeeze lemon juice
salt and pepper
Red potatoes, sliced to 2 cm and boiled with skin on, until almost cooked
100ml double cream
100ml milk
200 grams spinach
1/2 nutmeg, ground
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
1. Layer the potatoes with spinach in a ceramic dish, with plenty of seasoning and nutmeg at every layer. Two layers is enough, depending on the depth of the dish.
2.Pour over cream and milk and bake for 30 mins at 180 degrees centigrade. You can also keep the grill on for the last ten minutes to slightly brown the top.
3. While the potatoes are in the oven, prepare the fish. Coat the filets with the herbs, garlic and plenty of seasoning. Drizzle some oil and lemon over them and place under the potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes.
Pan seared mackeral with pesto and potato salad
Since I got a hand blender for christmas, it has changed my life. This recipe has home-made mayonnaise and pesto, using the whisk and blender. Serves 2.
Ingredients
2 filets mackeral
Handful plain flour
Handful grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Squeeze lemon to serve
Large bunch fresh basil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Fresh ground pepper, pinch of salt
New potatoes, boiled with skin on
Mayonnaise
3 spring onions, chopped
1 cos lettuce, roughly chopped
1. Blend the pesto ingredients together until it's not quite a paste, and still a little rough
2. Coat the mackerel with flour, parmesan and plenty of salt and pepper
3. Pan fry skin side down until brown and crispy, then flip over so fish is completely cooked
4. Mix salad ingredients together for potato salad
5. Serve together, with a squeeze of lemon over the fish
Green thai tuna steaks with rice noodles
I've recently discovered that green thai curry can be quite versatile. Searing tuna steaks and adding them to a green thai sauce (with plenty of coconut milk) is delicious when served with stir fried vegetables with ginger, garlic and chilli over a bed of rice noodles. Drizzled with lime and sprinkled with fresh coriander, this meal can double up as a weekday quickie or a heavier sunday lunch.
Spanish style mussels
These have a slight twist to the traditional french recipe
1 kilo mussles, debearded and washed
250 ml cream (single)
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 spanish chorizo sausage, chopped into bitesize chunks with skin removed
1/2 bottle sweet white wine
1/2 teaspoon paprika
small bunch of flat leaf parsely, finely chopped
250 ml vegetable / chicken / fish stock
1. Gently fry the onions, garlic, chilli and chorizo
2. Add the mussles and stirring well add the stock. Cover and leave for 4-5 minutes or until most of the mussles are opened. Remove any that do not open.
3. Add wine and simmer with the lid off, so the liquid reduces and some of the alcohol boils off.
4. Turn the heat down and stir in the cream and parsely.
Serve with bread or home-made chips
Katie Salmon
Good fish doesn't need a lot of fancy dressing. This simple herby trout goes very well with nutmeg infused, creamy spinach and potato gratin. Serves 2 (40 minutes)
Ingredients
2 trout filets
Bunch of parsley and basil, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme and dry oregano
2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
Squeeze lemon juice
salt and pepper
Red potatoes, sliced to 2 cm and boiled with skin on, until almost cooked
100ml double cream
100ml milk
200 grams spinach
1/2 nutmeg, ground
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
1. Layer the potatoes with spinach in a ceramic dish, with plenty of seasoning and nutmeg at every layer. Two layers is enough, depending on the depth of the dish.
2.Pour over cream and milk and bake for 30 mins at 180 degrees centigrade. You can also keep the grill on for the last ten minutes to slightly brown the top.
3. While the potatoes are in the oven, prepare the fish. Coat the filets with the herbs, garlic and plenty of seasoning. Drizzle some oil and lemon over them and place under the potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes.
Pan seared mackeral with pesto and potato salad
Since I got a hand blender for christmas, it has changed my life. This recipe has home-made mayonnaise and pesto, using the whisk and blender. Serves 2.
Ingredients
2 filets mackeral
Handful plain flour
Handful grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Squeeze lemon to serve
Large bunch fresh basil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Fresh ground pepper, pinch of salt
New potatoes, boiled with skin on
Mayonnaise
3 spring onions, chopped
1 cos lettuce, roughly chopped
1. Blend the pesto ingredients together until it's not quite a paste, and still a little rough
2. Coat the mackerel with flour, parmesan and plenty of salt and pepper
3. Pan fry skin side down until brown and crispy, then flip over so fish is completely cooked
4. Mix salad ingredients together for potato salad
5. Serve together, with a squeeze of lemon over the fish
Green thai tuna steaks with rice noodles
I've recently discovered that green thai curry can be quite versatile. Searing tuna steaks and adding them to a green thai sauce (with plenty of coconut milk) is delicious when served with stir fried vegetables with ginger, garlic and chilli over a bed of rice noodles. Drizzled with lime and sprinkled with fresh coriander, this meal can double up as a weekday quickie or a heavier sunday lunch.
Spanish style mussels
These have a slight twist to the traditional french recipe
1 kilo mussles, debearded and washed
250 ml cream (single)
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 spanish chorizo sausage, chopped into bitesize chunks with skin removed
1/2 bottle sweet white wine
1/2 teaspoon paprika
small bunch of flat leaf parsely, finely chopped
250 ml vegetable / chicken / fish stock
1. Gently fry the onions, garlic, chilli and chorizo
2. Add the mussles and stirring well add the stock. Cover and leave for 4-5 minutes or until most of the mussles are opened. Remove any that do not open.
3. Add wine and simmer with the lid off, so the liquid reduces and some of the alcohol boils off.
4. Turn the heat down and stir in the cream and parsely.
Serve with bread or home-made chips
Katie Salmon
This is dedicated to my friend Katie who loves salmon! I made this in Newcastle where salmon is relatively cheap, just before exams for some brain food. serves 2
Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Handful of chives, finely chopped
250 g cream cheese
2 tablespoons of milk
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 fillets of pink salmon
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Boil the potato with salt
2. In a bowl mix half the chives, half the cream cheese and all the garlic
3. Spread this over the top of the salmon fillets and place in a preheated oven, at medium temperature (about 200 degrees centigrade. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes or until you can see the salmon has turned a lighter pink colour
4. When the potato has boiled, drain the water and mashed well. Add the milk and seasoning.5. To tie in the flavours add the rest of the chives and cream cheese to the mashed potato
6. Serve the salmon and mash together for some wonderfully comforting brain food!
Haddock Fish cakes
These are slightly time consuming but they can be frozen and eaten hot and tasty at any time. Makes 6.
Ingredients:
Handful of chives, finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
500 grams of haddock, cut into bit size pieces
200 grams of cream cheese
Salt and pepper
150 grams of white flour
4 tablespoons of cooking oil
Method:
1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft
2. Mix the fish, cream cheese and chives, and season well.
3. Take a handful of this mixture and mould into a ball and press down into a pattie shape. Use plenty of flour to make sure it doesn't stick to your hands or the plate.
4. Heat the oil and fry the cakes for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until slightly browned.
5. Leave to cool on kitchen roll to drain the oil.
6. Serve with lemon or with a sauce of cream cheese, lemon, pepper and chopped chives.
These can be a meal in themselves or serve with salad.
