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Archive for the ‘Healthy’ Category

Braised Chicken & Flageolet Beans

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 23 March 2011| Leave a Comment »

Yes it’s another chicken recipe but we’ve made a pact not to cook anymore chicken for a while. We got all over-excited when we realised M&S had skinless, boneless chicken thighs and bought tonnes of them and now we’re sick of chicken. Still, this was quite nice with a nice tang from the wine and as we’d opened the bottle we felt we had to have a glass to drink too. Another healthy one and quick to make after work.

The healthy mid-week recipes are going to be non-chicken for the forseeable future.

Braised chicken & flageolet beans – serves 2, but easily doubled

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 300ml white wine
  • 400g can flageolet beans, rinsed & drained
  • handful of flat parsley

Heat the oil in a wide pan with a lid, add the chicken and brown it all over. Tip in the onion, garlic and thyme, then fry for 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine, 150ml water and season with salt & pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, covering half way through, until the chicken is cooked.

Stir in the beans and warm through briefly. Roughly chop the parsley and stir it in to serve.

Wine suggestion: We used a Chilean Chardonnay in the dish which tasted good to drink with it too. Chardonnay and chicken are nice together.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Healthy Lemony Chicken and Courgette Couscous

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 15 March 2011| Leave a Comment »

This is a good everyday recipe and a really nice way to cook boring old skinless boneless chicken breasts.  We’re hoping the leftovers will make nice lunch boxes for tomorrow too.

Chicken with lemon and courgette couscous – to serve 4

  • 200g couscous
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 courgettes, grated
  • 2 lemons, 1 halved, 1 cut in wedges
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Put the couscous into a large bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and leave for 10 minutes, until the stock has been absorbed.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry the courgettes until softened and starting to crisp at the edges. We used very big courgettes which gave out loads of water – it this happens just drain the water off in a colander and put the courgettes back in the pan to crisp up a little.

Tip the courgettes into the couscous and stir in plenty of seasoning and a good squeeze of lemon juice from one of the halves.

Halve the chicken breasts horizontally and put them on sheets of cling film. Cover with another sheet and beat them out with a rolling pin to make them thinner. We had escalopes in the freezer which worked well without bashing. Season.

Heat the other tbsp of oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Squeeze over the juice from the other half lemon and serve with couscous and lemon wedges.

Hardly any fat or calories which can’t be bad either.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Super-healthy, Italian Chicken & Rosemary Stew

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 9 March 2011| 7 Comments »

As well as being super-healthy this dish is bursting with great flavour; and it achieves this without the use of salt or pepper. We are usually very generous with seasoning (we take our inspiration for the pros) but this has more than enough delicious flavour without any: we were impressed and helped ourselves to seconds after scoffing the initial bowl.
Serves 4
  • 6 Chicken Thighs, skinless, boneless and quartered
  • olive oil
  • 2 Onions, sliced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
  • 2 sprigs of Rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Pearled Spelt (or Pearled Barley if you can’t find this)
  • 500ml Chicken Stock
  • 250g waxy potatoes like Charlotte, peeled and quartered
  • small bunch of Parsley, chopped
Heat oven to 190C / fan 170C / Gas 5.
Fry the chicken thighs in a little olive oil until browned. Remove and then add the onions and cook until softened.
Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a minute, add the balsamic and cook for a further minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including the chicken, bring to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven for one hour.
When cooked stir in the parsley and serve in bowls with crusty bread.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Easy Lemon & Pea Risotto

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 7 March 2011| 2 Comments »

An easy and healthy after-work dish done in under half an hour and using things you probably have in the cupboard. We had to buy a lemon, and only because the one on the shelf looked a bit past it.

Serves 2, but easily doubled

  • 200g risotto rice
  • 850ml hot vegetable stock
  • 50g frozen peas
  • 50g Parmesan, grated, plus a bit more for over the top at the end
  • juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon

Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat, then toast the rice, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add one ladle of hot stock and keep stirring until absorbed. The first ladle will be really quick.

Add the rest of the stock, a ladle at a time, until the rice is almost cooked, keep stirring it all the time. It will take about 20 minutes for you to stir in all your stock.

Stir in the peas and cook for 3-5 minutes and remove the pan from the heat.

Add the cheese, lemon juice, seasoning and then stir. Stick the lid on and let it rest for a minute.

Serve in bowls with the zest and a bit more Parmesan over the top.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Wine suggestion: Have a glass of something white if you have some leftover from the weekend.

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Easy Prawn & Curly Kale Linguine

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , on 3 March 2011| Leave a Comment »

We debated whether this could actually be called a recipe as it is so simple; it’s more of an assembly job.

To serve 2:

  • 200g linguine
  • 200g curly kale or spring greens
  • olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced
  • 200g raw prawns

Cook the linguine following the instructions on the pack and add your greens for the last 3 minutes.

Heat a little olive oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the garlic and chilli until soft.

Add the prawns and stir around until they are pink and then season well.

Put the linguine and greens in some bowls and serve the prawns etc over the top.

Drizzle a bit of oil over and you’re done.

Wine suggestion: something light and white and a little aromatic like a Cote de Gascogne. We had a Marsanne/Viognier blend from the Languedoc which was also good.

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20 Minute Pork & Mushrooms

Posted in Food, Healthy, Pork, tagged , , , , , , on 2 March 2011| Leave a Comment »

This literally takes 20 minutes and you will probably have everything you need except the pork fillet and mushrooms. Cheap, tasty, healthy, and perfect for a Wednesday. We had some potatoes and cabbage in the cupboard which complimented nicely.

20-minute pork pan-fry – to serve 4

  • 500g pork fillet, cut on the diagonal into finger-thick slices
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms
  • a big clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 300ml vegetable stock

Tip the flour and rosemary into a plastic food bag and add salt, pepper and the pork slices. Give it a good shake to coat the meat.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a big frying pan, add the pork and fry for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned, turning once. Remove it from the pan.

Add the rest of the oil and fry the mushrooms for a couple of minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and pork to the pan along with any flour left in your plastic bag. Stir in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

You could add a splash of wine if you like or just drink a glass with it.

Serve with some mash and cabbage or something else green.

Find the original recipe on BBC Good Food.

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Italian Vegetable Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Pasta, Soup, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 21 February 2011| 1 Comment »

We had this every day last week for lunch and it was so tasty we didn’t get sick of it one bit. The pasta makes it really filling and the beans add a creamy texture, add Parmesan and sugar and you get a touch of tomatoey sweetness but really savoury at the same time. Sound strange? You’ll have to trust us and try it for yourselves.

Italian Vegetable Soup – serves 8

  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 4 sticks of celery, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 bay leaves
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • 3 courgettes, chopped
  • 400g can of butter beans, drained
  • 400g can of chopped tomatoes
  • 1.2 litres vegetable stock
  • 100g Parmesan, grated
  • 140g small pasta shapes – we used orecchiette
  • small bunch of basil

Gently cook the onions, carrots and celery in oil in a large saucepan for 20 minutes or until soft. Splash in a bit of water if they start to stick.

Add sugar, garlic, tomato puree, herbs and courgettes. Cook for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat.

Add beans, tomatoes and stock and simmer for 20 minutes (you can freeze it at this stage if you want).

Add half the Parmesan and all the pasta and simmer until your pasta is cooked.

Sprinkle basil and the rest of the Parmesan over to serve.

Tasty!

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Chinese side dish: Broccoli with Cashews & Oyster Sauce

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 15 February 2011| 4 Comments »

Stir-fried broccoli with cashews & oyster sauce – serves 6

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 100g unsalted cashews
  • 2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets (we cut up the stalks too)
  • 3 tbsp oyster sauce, or more if you like

Heat a little bit of the oil in a wok and toast the cashew nuts until they start to turn golden. Tip them out of the pan, then add the rest of the oil.

Stir-fry the broccoli for a couple of minutes until it turns bright green. Add a splash of water, then cover with a lid and steam for about 4 minutes or until the stems are tender – watch that it doesn’t dry out!

Push the broccoli to the side of the pan and pour the oyster sauce into the other side. Bring to the boil and stir into the broccoli. Toss in the cashews and serve with Chinese food (we had spring rolls and prawn toast).

Original recipe from BBC Good Food.

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Healthy Egg and Chips

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 2 February 2011| 4 Comments »

We realise that we’ve been cooking lots of healthy stuff lately, but please don’t think that what we post is tasteless – if it doesn’t work, or IS tasteless, we don’t post it. This was really good and just as satisfying as the fried version. Only 5 ingredients in this one and we had all of them in the cupboard already.

Oven egg and chips (to serve 2)

  • 450g floury potatoes, cut into thick chips – we used Roosters
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 eggs (or 3 if you have a greedy person)

Preheat oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C.

Tip the chips into a roasting tin (non-stick if you have it) and scatter the garlic and rosemary leaves over. Drizzle with oil, season well and toss to coat.

Roast for 35-40 minutes until just cooked and golden – give the tin a shake every now and again.

Make gaps in the chips and break your eggs into the gaps.

Put back in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until your eggs are cooked.

Wine suggestion: we mention below that eggs can be hard to pair with wine. I think we’d go for a glass of cold beer with this instead.

 

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Smoked fish cakes with poached eggs

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, Wine, tagged , , , , , on 1 February 2011| Leave a Comment »

It’s another healthy one but not lacking in flavour at all. Haven’t had eggs for ages so poached eggs were a nice treat on the top. Don’t think we’ve ever had mushrooms in a fish cake but they definitely added good flavour and texture so we’ll throw a few in next time too.

Smoked fish cakes with poached eggs (serves 4)

  • 250g potatoes, peeled (and halved if big)
  • 300g smoked haddock
  • 100g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1-2 tbsp plain flour
  • 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 4 medium eggs
  • cooked frozen peas, to serve

Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until tender but firm. Put the haddock on top, flesh side down, then cover and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes.

Remove the fish, roughly flake and get rid of any skin and bones.

Drain and roughly mash the potatoes, and season.

Dry-fry the mushrooms in a non-stick pan until golden.

Mix the mash, mushrooms, fish and parsley together in a bowl and leave to cool.

Shape the mixture into four fish cakes with floured hands.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and gently fry the cakes for 6-8 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, poach the eggs and cook your peas.

Top the fish cakes with the eggs and serve the peas on the side.

Original recipe from BBC Good Food.

Wine Suggestion: eggs can be difficult to pair with wine but we had a glass of easy-drinking lemony sauvignon blanc from Bordeaux which did the trick nicely.

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Healthy satay stir-fry

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 26 January 2011| Leave a Comment »

This tasted way too good to be this healthy but it’s true and we have the calorie count to prove it (286 if anyone’s interested). Can all be thrown together in 15 minutes tops which is great on a week night.

Satay stir-fry to serve 4

  • 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 300g pack straight-to-wok noodles
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • thumb of fresh root ginger, finely chopped
  • 300g pack stir-fry vegetables (we used M&S aromatic mix and added some sugar snap peas and sliced red chilli)
  • handful of basil leaves
  • 25g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Mix the peanut butter, chilli sauce, 100ml water and soy sauce to make a smooth satay sauce (it will look a bit gross but don’t panic it works in the end).

Put the noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, stir to separate and drain.

Heat the oil in a wok, then stir-fry ginger and the harder bits of veg for 2 minutes. Add the noodles and the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry on a high heat for another minute or two or until just cooked.

Push the veg and noodles to one side of the pan and pour the sauce into the other side, tilting the wok. Bring the sauce to boil and then mix everything together. Sprinkle basil and peanuts over to serve.

Eat and then lick the bowl.

Original recipe from BBC Good Food.

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The last Turkey recipe … for a while!

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on 24 January 2011| Leave a Comment »

The turkey in the freezer is finally finished. We actually feel a bit sad… no more free food! So once again, if you have any leftover turkey from Christmas, here’s something else to do with it.

Inspired by Vietnamese Pho broth, which is usually made with beef. The recipe comes from BBC Good Food.

Asian noodle & turkey soup (feeds 4)

  • 1.5 litres turkey or chicken stock
  • a thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • 200g dried rice noodles, any sort
  • 2 limes, one juiced, one in wedges to serve
  • 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 400g roast turkey, shredded
  • 100g bag of bean sprouts (we used a bit more than this)
  • bunch of coriander
  • bunch of mint
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 red chillies, sliced (seeds in or out whatever you prefer)

Heat the stock in a large pan and add the ginger and spices, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Soak or cook your noodles according to what it says on the pack, then drain and rinse.

Add the fish sauce and lime juice to the stock and taste for seasoning – add more fish sauce if you think it needs it.

Divide the noodles between 4 bowls, then top with the shredded turkey, beansprouts, herbs, scallions and chillies. Ladle the hot stock over the bowls and serve with the lime wedges.

Hey presto!

Wine suggestion: Go for a simple, fruity Sauvignon Blanc. We had a leftover glass from Trentino in Italy, which is better known for its Pinot Grigio, and it went perfectly.

 

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Hands up who still has Turkey in their freezer!

Posted in Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , on 19 January 2011| Leave a Comment »

We still have some even after this – so expect another turkey post next week. We were finding it hard to get excited about cooking more turkey until we caught a whiff of this cooking. It tasted so good that Jono had to restrain himself from having two dinners (he just had one and a half in the end). It’s another healthy one too.

Turkey, tomato and coriander curry to serve 3-4 (or less if Jono is over)

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • small knob of ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp of balti curry paste (we like Pataks)
  • 400g of leftover turkey, shredded
  • 310ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 tbsp natural yogurt
  • 25g fresh coriander, chopped

Heat oil in a medium pan and cook the onion until softened. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds before adding curry paste; stir for another 30 seconds.

Add turkey, stock, tomatoes, cinnamon and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt and coriander.

Serve with steamed basmati if you want it to look like our pic.

Wine suggestion: we actually had an off-dry Pinot Gris from New Zealand and it went perfectly (Te Mara from Central Otago) or you could have any off-dry aromatic white like Riesling.

 

 

 

 

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White Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , on 18 January 2011| 2 Comments »

This takes no time at all and is a really wholesome weeknight side dish. We paired it with barbecued chipolata sausages and sautéed savoy cabbage and it really hit the spot.

Serves 6 (officially: though we had a portion each for dinner and then a little each for lunch the next day with slices of Pesto Chicken)

  • 2 Shallots, finely chopped
  • Olive Oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic, finely sliced
  • 250g Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 sprig Thyme, leaves picked
  • 2 x 400g tines of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 bunch Basil, torn

Cook the shallots gently in a little olive oil. After a bit add the garlic and cook until both are soft.

Add the tomatoes and thyme and turn the heat up; fry until the tomatoes are heated through and just starting to collapse. Add the beans and balsamic and season. Heat the beans through for a few minutes and then stir in the basil.

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Garlic, Thyme & Lemon Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , on 12 January 2011| 2 Comments »

Super easy and quick: this was on the table in under 15 minutes and tasted great! It’s also another healthy recipe for all of you January dieters (us included!). This serves two people.

  • 2 skinless Chicken breast fillets
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • Thyme leaves from 2 sprigs
  • Olive oil
  • 1.5 lemons – 1 juiced and half cut into wedges
  • 2 slices of crusty bread, toasted (we used ciabatta)
  • rocket to serve

Make a cut in the side of each chicken and open them up like a book. Cover in cling film and flatten out evenly with your hands.

Mix garlic and thyme with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and spread over the chicken.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the chicken for 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the other. We needed to do them separately as our frying pan wasn’t big enough for two (and the pan is big). Put both chicken breasts back in the pan when done, pour over the lemon juice and season well. Make sure you turn them over to pick up the pan juices and tasty bits.

Serve each chicken breast on a slice of toast and top with the rocket and a wedge of lemon.

Wine suggestion: something lemony like an unoaked Semillon or a Gavi di Gavi (unfortunately we just had a glass of water)

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Super Healthy Veggie Balti

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 11 January 2011| 7 Comments »

This is exceptionally filling, very tasty and virtuous to boot. The recipe below says it is to feed four but we reckon it’d feed six; and we’re greedy!

Vegetable Balti – serves 4-6 (takes about an hour and a half to make).

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, thickly sliced
  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 eating apple, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
  • 3 tbsp balti curry paste (we like Patak’s)
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 large carrots, thickly sliced
  • 200g turnips, cut into chunks
  • 1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 425ml hot vegetable stock
  • 4 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra to serve
  • 150g pot low-fat natural yoghurt

Heat the oil in a big pan, add the onion, garlic and apple and cook gently, stirring now and again, for about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the curry paste.

Throw in the vegetables and add the tomatoes and stock. Stir in 3 tbsp of the coriander. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to low, and cook with a lid on for half an hour.

Take off the lid and cook for another 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduced a bit. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix 1tbsp coriander into the yoghurt. Serve the curry in bowls, drizzle over some yoghurt and sprinkle on a bit of coriander. Serve with the rest of the yoghurt and warm naan breads. Enjoy.

Wine suggestion: Have a beer instead.

Find the original recipe on BBC Good Food.

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Tropical fruit salad

Posted in Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 10 January 2011| Leave a Comment »

This beats munching your way through a load of apples any day. We’ve been having it for breakfast with some natural yoghurt over the top and it’s fabulous.

Tropical fruit salad in lemongrass syrup – makes a big bowl full

  • 425g tin lychees in syrup
  • 2 stems lemongrass, halved and bashed with a rolling pin
  • 85g golden caster sugar
  • About 800g of supermarket fresh mixed tropical fruits – we got ours in M&S
  • 100g seedless red grapes

Drain the lychee juice into a pan and put the lychees in a big bowl. Add the lemongrass and sugar to the pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 1 minute. Turn the heat off and set aside to infuse.

Strain the syrup over the lychees and tip in the fruits. Chill and enjoy for breakfast or whenever.

Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine January 2004.

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Coriander Halibut and Carrot Pilaff

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 5 January 2011| 5 Comments »

To be honest we thought this would be a little bland (mostly as the look is a little light in the magazine photo – bland colours = bland flavour). We were wrong and we felt even more virtuous as it is a total diet dish; the flavours burst in every morsel.

To serve 4 (easily halved):

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 skinless halibut fillets, about 175g each (or cod)
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 large carrots grated
  • 200g basmati rice
  • 600ml vegetable stock
  • a handful of frozen peas

The rice and fish cooks at the same time so get everything ready first.

Heat the grill to high, then line with double thick foil and curl up at the edges so you don’t lose all the juice. Brush lightly with oil and put the fish on top. Sprinkle over the coriander, lemon zest and juice and drizzle with a bit more oil. Season with salt and pepper, then grill for about 10 minutes or until the fish flakes (keep an eye on it as it might cook quicker than this depending on how thick your fish is).

Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a pan, add onion and cumin and fry for a few minutes. Stir in the carrots and then the rice until glistening. Add stock and bring to the boil. Cover and cook gently for 5 minutes, then add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve the fish on top of the rice. Enjoy.

Original recipe is on BBC Good Food.


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Asian-spiced fish with mushrooms

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , on 13 December 2010| Leave a Comment »

Believe it or not … this is actually a delicate, white fish (hake) and not a badly burnt chop as the picture might imply. We blame a wonderfully rich and dark soy sauce (yum scrum) but if you use a lighter soy sauce like Kikkoman it may be more pleasing to the eye!

We made this because we haven’t had proper fish (ie. not shellfish) for a while and we’re trying to cook healthily  for a few days before Christmas takes over.

Asian-spiced fish with mushrooms (serves 4 – we halved the fish and mushrooms but not the sauce and served with rice for 2)

  • 25g butter
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • finely grated zest of a lime
  • 1 mild red chilli, thinly sliced in rings
  • 4 x 175g firm white fish fillets, skinned and boned (we used hake)
  • 200g mixed mushrooms, trimmed but left whole or at least chunky
  • coriander leaves to serve
  1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Melt the butter in a little pan, then stir in the soy sauce, lime zest and chilli. Tip this into a shallow (non-metallic) dish and add the fish, splashing it well in the marinade. Set aside for about 10 minutes.
  2. Take the fish out of the marinade and put it on a baking tray. Toss the mushrooms in the marinade and scatter them around the fish, drizzling the rest of the marinade over the top. Roast for 6-8 minutes, until the fish is cooked and the mushrooms are sizzling. Scatter with coriander and serve with rice or noodles.

(Original recipe from Ainsley Harriot – not someone we often cook from).

If you are serving rice you could try Jono’s foolproof rice cooking method which he got from Madhur Jaffrey:

For 4 people:

Combine 300ml long-grain/basmati rice with 500ml water. Add 10g butter and bring to the boil. Cover tightly (we use tinfoil and a lid), turn heat to very very low, and leave it be for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Perfectly cooked rice!

Jono and Julie

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Vietnamese Prawn and Rice Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Shellfish, Soup, tagged , , , , , , on 11 December 2010| Leave a Comment »

WOO-HA! This is a fandabidozi soup!

Jono and me sold lots of wine today and got home late. If I’d have had my way we would have stopped in the pub for grub on the way home. I’m so glad he persuaded me to stick with the plan for Vietnamese soup.

If you like prawns and asian-style you will love this!! Super tasty and super healthy too.

Serves two tired people with very little effort:

  • 75g basmati rice
  • 750ml  chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • a finger of fresh ginger, cut into little matchsticks
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 150g raw, peeled prawns
  • 15g chopped dill
  • coriander to serve (but don’t go buying any just for this)
  1. Cook the rice until al dente and drain.
  2. Boil the stock, add the fish sauce, ginger, rice, lime juice, tomatoes, prawns and dill.
  3. Simmer until the prawns are pink and cooked.
  4. Serve with a bit of coriander over the top if you have some.
  5. Slurp.

Check out the original recipe here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/889668/vietnamese-prawn-rice-and-dill-soup

Julie

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