Italian Style Salmon and Cannellini Beans

Italian Style Salmon and Cannellini Beans

This is a fantastic, healthy dinner which goes marvelously with a glass of sauvignon blanc.

It is really easy to pull together and is a nice taste to zing up winter.

Ingredients

fish
300g salmon fillet
salt and pepper
juice of half a lemon

beans
tin of Cannellini Beans
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 cloves of garlic
100ml water
juices of half a lemon
olive oil
chopped parsley
3 chopped spring onions

tomatoes
200g cherry tomatoes
a finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
12 torn basil leaves
salt, pepper
olive oil


Method

Start by putting the beans, rosemary and whole, peeled cloves of garlic and water in a saucepan and very gently heat until just starting to reach a boil then remove from the heat. The purpose of this is to infuse the flavors.

For the cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and place in a bowl with the shallot (finely chopped). Add the red wine vinegar and a glug of olive oil and stir and let stand whilst you prepare the rest of the meal.

Skin the salmon, cut into healthy size chunks (about the width of 2 fingers), season with salt and paper and coat in olive oil and place in a searing hot pan until just cooked through, squeeze over the lemon juice 30 seconds before removing from the pan.

Whilst the salmon is cooking drain the beans and remove the garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary. Discard the sprigs of rosemary (don't worry if a few leaves stay with the beans) and mash the garlic in the lemon juice. Add the chopped parsley and spring onion to the beans and lemon juice and garlic. Mix well with a glug of olive oil.

Just before serving, season the tomatoes with salt and vinegar then add the ripped basil leaves mix well with a little more olive oil.

Serve and enjoy.

Salmon Fishcakes

Salmon Fishcakes

Ingredients

600g skinned and boned salmon
generous handful of coriander
100ml goats milk
good knob of goats butter
salt and pepper
2 tsp chillie chutney (see previous post)
egg
flour
dried breadcrumbs
500g mashed potatoes (I used King Edwards)
sunflower oil

Method

Poach the salmon in the milk with the stems of the coriander and some salt and pepper for 10 mins. Set aside to cool and flake.

Boil the potatoes and then mash in a little of the poaching milk and a good knob of goats butter. Let cool

Chop the coriander leaves and mix with the mashed potato, flaked salmon and chillie chutney.

Shape into patties using a small fist of the fishcake mix.

Cool in the fridge for an hour then dip in the beaten egg, then the flour and then the dried bread.crumbs. Shallow fry in sunflower oil. Dry on kitchen towel and serve.

I served with grilled peppers in olive oil and garlic.

Seafood Paella

Seafood Paella

A loin of cod (skinned)
12 king prawns (cooked)
4 baby octopus
6 asparagus spears
an onion
a clove of smoked garlic
safron (soaked in 200ml boiling water)
6 chestnut mushrooms
12 fresh basil leaves ripped
250ml vegetable stock
salt and pepper
paella rice
glass of white wine
ounce of goats butter

Chop and fry the onion in a big glug of olive oil until clear.

Add the paella rice and stir until the grains are starting to look clear.

Add the glass of white wine until absorbed by the rice

Then add the safron and its stock and the vegetable stock.

boil for 25 mins or until the rice is cooked

add the cod cut into chunks and the vegetables. After 2-3 minutes add the prawns and the squid cut into rings/tentacles (remember to remove the spine).

After 2-3 minutes stir in the butter and basil then serve.

Cod in Lemon and Garlic

In a dish layer slices of lemon and a sliced clove of garlic.

Place a fillet of cod on top and season the flesh of the cod with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the cod with a good glug of olive oil, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and then layer a sliced clove of garlic and some lemon slices.

Place in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Ideal served with french beans and boiled new potatoes.

Thai Tuna Stir Fry with Coconut Milk

Thai Tuna Stir Fry with Coconut Milk

1/2 an inch of fresh ginger
1/2 a star anis
1/4 tsp astofedia
2 birds eye chillies
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tin of light coconut milk
250g fresh beansprouts
2 bok choi
2 kafir lime leaves
6 shitake mushrooms
6 button mushrooms
chopped coriander
2 Fresh Tuna steaks
250g wild rice

Grind the ginger, star anis, half the chili, black pepper, astofedia and garlic in a mortar and pestle.

Add to a hot wok with a dash of groundnut oil heated until just short of smoking. Fry for a minute and the add the beansprouts.

Stir fry for 3 minutes and add the kafir lime leaves, add the two types of mushrooms (sliced). After a minute add the bok choi (chopped)and the rest of the chili.

Add the coconut milk and heat until boiling. Then add the tuna (cut into strips)for 3 minutes.

Add half the chopped coriander.

Serve on the wild rice and sprinkle with the rest of the corriander

Thai Tuna Stir Fry with Coconut Milk

Thai Tuna Stir Fry with Coconut Milk

1/2 an inch of fresh ginger
1/2 a star anis
1/4 tsp astofedia
2 birds eye chillies
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tin of light coconut milk
250g fresh beansprouts
2 bok choi
2 kafir lime leaves
6 shitake mushrooms
6 button mushrooms
chopped coriander
2 Fresh Tuna steaks
250g wild rice

Grind the ginger, star anis, half the chili, black pepper, astofedia and garlic in a mortar and pestle.

Add to a hot wok with a dash of groundnut oil heated until just short of smoking. Fry for a minute and the add the beansprouts.

Stir fry for 3 minutes and add the kafir lime leaves, add the two types of mushrooms (sliced). After a minute add the bok choi (chopped)and the rest of the chili.

Add the coconut milk and heat until boiling. Then add the tuna (cut into strips)for 3 minutes.

Add half the chopped coriander.

Serve on the wild rice and sprinkle with the rest of the corriander

Seared scallops on watercress salad

Seared scallops on watercress salad

Heat olive oil and butter in skillet
Sear seasoned scallops in pan add strips of serano ham
Serve on watercress (nice and peppery) with a pesto dressing (tsp of pesto, olive oil and white wine vinegar)

Seared scallops on watercress salad

Seared scallops on watercress salad

Heat olive oil and butter in skillet
Sear seasoned scallops in pan add strips of serano ham
Serve on watercress (nice and peppery) with a pesto dressing (tsp of pesto, olive oil and white wine vinegar)

Roast monkfish in serano ham

Roast monkfish in serano ham

Wrap seasoned monkfish tail (light on the salt because of the ham) in serano ham inside the wrap add a teaspoon of garlic jelly then sprinkle with smoked paprika. Roast in the oven for 30 mins

Serve with pan seared broccoli with capers

Roast monkfish in serano ham

Roast monkfish in serano ham

Wrap seasoned monkfish tail (light on the salt because of the ham) in serano ham inside the wrap add a teaspoon of garlic jelly then sprinkle with smoked paprika. Roast in the oven for 30 mins

Serve with pan seared broccoli with capers

Pan fried tuna with mango cous cous

Pan fried tuna with mango cous cous

Sauté onion, mushrooms and courgette in olive oil
Add tuna and sear making sure to leave the middle pink
Serve on cous cous – soak in boiling water and add 3 tsp of mango chutney
Serve with watercress

Pan fried tuna with mango cous cous

Pan fried tuna with mango cous cous

Sauté onion, mushrooms and courgette in olive oil
Add tuna and sear making sure to leave the middle pink
Serve on cous cous – soak in boiling water and add 3 tsp of mango chutney
Serve with watercress

Fillet of Plaice with a spiced Peanut crust

Fillet of Plaice with a spiced Peanut crust

For the spiced peanut crust fry a chopped clove of garlic and a pinch of curry leaves in olive oil. Add pinch of cumin seeds and some crushed chillies then add a handful of salted peanuts. Blend the fried off spices and peanuts in a food processor with a tablespoon of houmus and a teaspoon of cumin powder and a teaspoon of tumeric, add olive oil to make consistency become creamy.

Grill the plaice (seasoned with salt and pepper) then smear the peanut paste over the fish and grill till crisped
Serve with salad (lettuce and tomatoes) dressed in a balsamic and honey dressing

Fillet of Plaice with a spiced Peanut crust

Fillet of Plaice with a spiced Peanut crust

For the spiced peanut crust fry a chopped clove of garlic and a pinch of curry leaves in olive oil. Add pinch of cumin seeds and some crushed chillies then add a handful of salted peanuts. Blend the fried off spices and peanuts in a food processor with a tablespoon of houmus and a teaspoon of cumin powder and a teaspoon of tumeric, add olive oil to make consistency become creamy.

Grill the plaice (seasoned with salt and pepper) then smear the peanut paste over the fish and grill till crisped
Serve with salad (lettuce and tomatoes) dressed in a balsamic and honey dressing

Grilled red mullet with vegetables

Grilled red mullet with vegetables


Sprinkle the mullet with lemon and sea salt and grill for 5 mins each side
Served with boiled new potatoes, lemon chard, green beans and some daikon radish marinated in white wine vinegar

Salad with Anchovies

Salad with Anchovies

Salad made of 3 tomatoes, handful of green beans, basil leaves, olives, red onion, anchovies, capers, boiled egg dressed in vinaigrette made of the olive oil in the anchovies tin, white wine vinegar (ration 3:1) and Dijon mustard.

Tea smoked salmon

Tea smoked salmon
Fillet of salmon skinned and pin boned, seasoned with salt
Smoked over assam tea in a steamer (place tea on a piece of foil in a steamer pan and put the salmon on the steamer level – turn up the heat and let the smoke infuse into the fish). A better method would be to mix the tea with sugar and rice mine was a bit too overpoweringly smokey.
Served with an avocado, tomato and dill salad dressed in lemon juice and olive oil.