Green Tea Salmon

Salmon has to be one of THE most delicious and popular fresh water fish around.  Did you know it is classified as an 'oily fish' which makes it a healthy choice due to its high protein and omega 3-fatty acids - not forgetting high levels of vitamin D?

This is a really simple and easy recipe.  It is all about soft flavours that come from the green tea meeting the lovely smoky taste of the paprika.  This is a definite winner at any dinner party.

I usually work on 200g per person as the fish is rich, especially if you serve it with some oriental noodles or lemon and coconut milk rice on the side.

Suitable for 4 foodie lovers

RECIPE
400g salmon fillet, skin on
Olive oil
2 lemon green tea, tea bags
1 pinch smoked paprika (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Remove salmon from packing and pat dry with some kitchen  town
Cut open tea bags and mix tea with paprika, salt and pepper and mix well
Drizzle a little oil over the fish to coat
Add 1 tsp of herb mix to each fillet, flesh side and lightly rub to coat
Stand salmon at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour to draw
Pre heat oven to 180'c
Heat a skillet on the stove to hot

Add fish, meat side down and cook for 1 minute

Carefully flip and cook on the other side for 1 min

Pop into the pre heated oven and cook for a further 3 - 4 minutes - no longer!

Remove from oven, cover with aluminium foil and stand for 5 min before serving

Smoked Salmon & Blank Ink Pasta

This sounds far more glamorous that what it actually is.  It is all about simple, fresh ingredients and if you don't have black ink pasta, normal pasta is just as good.  The liquorice pasta colour is a great contrast to the salmon but carries little flavour actually.  

  
250g pasta of your choice

8 Tbsp milk

2 tsp fresh dill, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

200g light Philadelphia cheese

180g smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Splash of hot sauce / Tabasco sauce

Cook pasta as per instructions on the packet

Warm milk in a saucepan on medium heat

Add dill, mustard and cheese and stir until melted

Stir in slithers of salmon, lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

Strain pasta and whilst still hot, pour sauce over and toss to coat

Serve with fresh dill and shaved Parmesan cheese

Bon appetite! and enjoy the Sunday evening movie ... wherever you are!

          ~ Michelle ~ 

Baked Lemon & Parsley Fishcakes

There are only so many ways you can cook fish and they all seems pretty much the same.  If I even try and use the word 'fishcake' in my house, eyes start to roll. But not anymore.  Why you ask?  Here is my take on, fishcakes that are BAKED as opposed to fried, and I don't use any potato in them.  This makes them rather attractive for the waste-line, which is where my current focus is - and they have an awesome, delicious crunch to them.

You can use any kind of firm white fish for this, I like Cod or Hake. If you don't know anything about fish or want to be a little more adventurous in your choice, here is a great site to visit to get fish-educated www.fooduniversity.com/foodu/seafood_c/resources/composition/firm_white_fish.htm

Okay, so this is rich coming from me the 'non-mayo' lover.  There are 2 reasons I smear a little light mayonnaise on the top of each fishcake.  Firstly it keeps it moist when baking and secondly, it allows the crunchy topping to stay exactly where it should be.

This recipe is suitable for 4 foodie lovers

RECIPE
500g Cod, skin removed
500ml fish stock
3 Tbsp breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp spring onions, chopped
2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 Tbsp chutney (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp lemon rind, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp LIGHT mayonnaise
2 slices brown bread, stale
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
Zest 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Add fish and stock to a saucepan and bring to the boil until fish is tender
Drain liquid and transfer fish to a food processor
Add breadcrumbs, spring onions, chilli sauce, chutney, coriander, paprika, rind, garlic salt & pepper and process using the pulse action
Divide the mix into 8 portions and mould with wet hands into fishcakes
Top each with mayonnaise evenly spread on one side
For the topping crunch: Mix bread, parsley, lemon zest and juice  to the processor and whizz until mixed
Add generous amounts of topping to each fishcake and pat lightly into the mayonnaise
Bake at 180'C until top is lightly brown and crispy

Enjoy ... as we will be doing shortly to end a lovely weekend.
     
             ~ Michelle ~

Salmon en Croute (in pastry)

There is no need for a festive offering this season to be pricey.  This is a classic, easy and very affordable for a small group of 4 or even 6.  It is a crowd pleaser and looks very impressive.  Here we go ...

2 medium potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced and pre cooked
25g butter
120g spinach, washed, coarsely chopped
1 red onion, chopped
60ml cream
60ml natural yoghurt
2 tsp dill, finely chopped
2 x rolls puff pastry
800g fresh Salmon fillet, skinned
2tsp store bought pesto

1 egg, beaten

Sauce
150ml lite cream
Juice 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 200'C
Heat large baking tray in oven
Melt butter in pan and add spinach, cook quickly until wilted and transfer to a cooling dish
Season to taste with salt & pepper and leave to cool, squeeze out excess moisture
Add onions to pan and gently fry for 6 - 7 min
Stir in cream, yoghurt and dill for 1 min
Add cooked potatoes and gently stir for 1 min
Roll out pastry thin to a long rectangle on baking paper
Line with potato mix leaving a 5cm border
Place salmon onto the centre of the pastry and potato mix
Smear pesto over fish and add spinach
Season  to taste with salt & pepper
Brush edge of pastry with egg
Roll out 2nd layer of pastry and carefully place over salmon, trim excess and seal edges
Brush pastry with egg
Place on pre heated baking tray
Bake 30 - 40 min until brown, allow to rest for 10 min

Sauce
Heat cream, add lemon juice and pesto.  Season to taste.  Add basil just before serving

Enjoy!

Easy homemade pizza with 2 toppings

I have never made pizza before as it looks like a lot of hard work, you might as well just go buy one. However, today was the day, I rolled my sleeves to give it a bash and it was surprisingly easy.  Don't be afraid, try it ... here we go:

Making Weekends Count

250g all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
110 warm water
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
1 1/2 tsp oil
Salt, generous pinch

Add all of the above into an electric mixer with a hook attachment and mix well until dough pulls away from the edges.
Drop in a lightly greased bowl, cover with cling warp and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 min.
Knead a little with floured hand before rolling out on a floured surface.
Add your favourite topping.
Bake on a pizza tray or baking sheet lined with baking paper, lightly dusted with flour at 220'c for 20-25 min until golden brown.

My favourite 2 toppings:
Spread base with tomato sauce
Add lots of grated mozzarella on top

1. Serrano Spanish ham, black pepper, minced garlic, blocks of Camembert cheese
2. Slithers of smoked salmon, fresh chopped dill, black pepper, dollops of cream cheese

Yummy, your family will love this one!

Mustard and Parmesan Baked Fish

How simple it this.  Tasty, easy, very healthy and just perfect for me, myself and I as my hubby is travelling.

300g white fish of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste
100g smooth cream cheese
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tbsp French Tarragon
1/4 cup grate Parmesan cheese
Paprika for dusting

Preheat oven to 200'c
Generously season one side of the fish with salt and pepper
In a bowl mix cream cheese, mustard, tarragon and Parmesan until well mixed
Spread evenly over fish
Sprinkle with a little paprika
Bake for 20 min until just done

Serve with some healthy stir fry veg ....

Pepper Grilled Salmon

My absolute all-time-favourite, healthy and oh, so easy!  Definitely a weekend dinner winner.  Did you know that Salmon is a highly nutritious food that is high in protein and the 'good fats'.  For every 4 z serving,  it provides a full day's requirements of vitamin D?  Here we go ...

Making Weekends Count: Peppered Grilled Salmon

500g Salmon, skin off

Olive oil

10ml pepper garlic seasoning

5ml coriander, crushed

5ml Cajun spice

Preheat over to 200'C

Place salmon on a plate and drizzle with oil 

Season with all the spices rubbing them in well

Leave for 20 min at room temperature to draw

Heat skillet on the stove to hot

Add fish, meat side down and cook for 1 minute

Carefully flip and cook on the other side for 1 min

Pop into the pre heated oven and cook for a further 3 minutes - no longer!

Remove from oven, cover with aluminium foil and stand for 5 min before serving

Serve with a little white rice sprinkled with parsley and a squirt of fresh lemon

Bon appetite!

Smoked Salmon Cheesy Wraps

Don't feel like cooking today to be honest with you.  So it is a case of opening the fridge and seeing what is in there for dinner tonight.  Now here is something simple, quick and supa dupa easy. It doesn't seem like much, but it is very rich with the cheese and salmon. Here we go ...

2 large store-bought wraps
English cucumber, thinly sliced
125g herb cottage cheese
Mixed salad green leaves
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
250g smoked salmon

Pop the wraps on a plate and microwave for 20 seconds until soft
On one side evenly smear cottage cheese over the entire surface of both wraps
Add cucumber in a single layer down the centre on each
Generously place salad greens on top of the cucumber
Lightly with a fork mix Panko, lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper
Sprinkle evenly over salad greens
Place smoked salmon on top

To fold wrap:
Turn both side in to almost touch
Fold bottom upwards to halfway
Carefully tucking the filling as you roll, roll bottom up towards the top
Tuck all in tightly
Cut diagonally once or twice, pending size of the wrap

Enjoy!

Spicy Sausage and Prawn Jambalaya

Playing in the kitchen today I had so much fun with this one.  I felt like something tummy warming with a good kick.  Jambalaya is traditionally a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence and is also a close cousin to the well- known saffron coloured paella, also of Spain origin.  This is my easy and affordable take on it ...

3 good spicy sausages (Chorizo)
Olive oil for frying
2 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1 tbsp Paprika
1 red Chilli (optional)
250g long grain rice
1 can tomatoes with garlic & herbs
1 tsp sugar
400ml chicken stock
200g cooked prawns, shells off

Fry sausages for 3 - 4 min in a little oil in a deep frying pan, remove from pan.
Cook onions for 5 min or until soft (add a little oil if needed)
Add red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and chilli and cook for a few minutes.
Stir in the uncooked rice to coat grains well.
Add tomatoes, sugar and enough stock to cover rice.
Pop on the lid and simmer for about 12-14 minutes until rice is tender.
5 min before cooking time ends, add Chorizo sausage and stir in well.
Cover and continue to cook for the balance of the 5 min.
Stir in prawns and heat through, lid on.

Serve straight away


Can't wait to do this again in winter when the snow is falling with a good bottle of red.
Hope you had a super weekend!