Steamed Salmon and Lemongrass Pilaff

This was really delicious. Perfectly cooked. I added the veggies in at the same time as the salmon. Yum!

Steamed Salmon and Lemongrass Pilaff (from The Times)
(Serves 4)

1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, sliced
40g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp oil
salt
300g long-grain rice
750ml chicken stock
4 200g skinless salmon fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
handful coriander leaves
handful thai basil leaves
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
soy sauce, to serve

Place the lemongrass, ginger and garlic in a small food processor and process until the mixture is finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the lemongrass mixture and salt and cook, stirring, for 4 mins.

Add the rice and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12 mins.

Place the salmon on top of the rice mixture, cover and remove the pan from the heat. Allow to stand for 6 mins. Top the pilaf with coriander and basil leaves, spring onions, chilli and soy sauce to serve.

Thai Chicken Wrap

This is one of the best wraps I've had in a while, put in more or less chilli as your tolerance allows! It was so fresh and zingy tasting.

Thai Chicken Wrap (from WeightWatchers Magazine)
(Serves 2)

1 chicken breast, sliced into strips
1/4 cucumber, deseeded and sliced
1/2 small carrot, grated
juice 1/2 lime
lettuce leaves
2 tortilla wraps
1 tsp mayonnaise

for the marinade
1 green chilli, deseeded
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, roughly chopped
small bunch coriander
juice and zest 1 lime
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
2 tsp oil

Place all the marinade ingredients in a small food processor and blitz until you have a thick paste. Combine with the chicken and mix well. Cover and set aside for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, combine the cucumber and grated carrot with the lime juice. Preheat the grill.

Spread the marinated chicken pieces on the baking tray and place it under the grill. Cook for 10-15 mins or until firm but still tender and moist. Set aside to cool for a few mins.

Smear half the mayonnaise over each tortilla. Place a few lettuce leaves in the middle. Add the grated carrot and cucumber and top with the chicken. Wrap up the tortilla and serve or pack into a lunchbox.

Thai Squash Soup

With the first of my large squash haul I made soup. I used 2 onion squash, which made enough for 3 servings. It lovely and lightly spicy this soup.

Thai Squash Soup (from Veg Hog)
(Serves 4)

1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 cm fresh ginger, chopped
1 small red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 small pumpkin or 2 small squashes, cut into chunks
1l vegetable stock
1 lemongrass stick
3 kaffir lime leaves
160ml coconut cream
2 tsp miso
juice 1 lime
2 tsp brown sugar
handful coriander leaves, chopped

Heat a large saucepan with a tbsp of oil, add the onion and fry until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for about 1 min more. Add the cumin and coriander and stir well. 

Add the squash or pumpkin to the pan. Fry for a couple of mins and then add the vegetable stock.

Pour the coconut cream into the soup. Add the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves cover and leave to simmer for 25-30 mins over a medium heat.

Add the lime juice, miso, sugar and coriander. Remove the kaffir lime leaves and the lemongrass from the soup.

Once the squash is soft, puree the soup and serve.

Shellfish Laksa

My second laksa in a month and this one was super too. It felt a bit more like a yellow Thai curry but was really very tasty and full of fish.

Shellfish Laksa (from Fish by Joanna Farrow)
(Serves 4)

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 onion, roughly chopped
50g root ginger, roughly chopped
50g unsalted roasted peanuts
4 tsp fish sauce
3 tbsp oil
8 shelled scallops, halved if large
1/2 tsp tumeric
600ml fish stock
1 400ml can coconut milk
150g dried egg noodles
200g raw peeled prawns
150g white crabmeat
150g bean sprouts
bunch coriander, chopped

Put the chilli, lemongrass, onion, ginger, peanuts and fish sauce in a blender and blend to a thick paste.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the scallops until they are seared on all sides. Drain with a slotted spoon. Add the paste to the pan and fry gently, stirring for 5 mins. Add the tumeric, stock and coconut milk and bring slowly to simmer.

Cook the noodles in a separate saucepan until they are tender, following the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, stir the prawns and scallops into the broth and cook gently for 3 mins or until the prawns have turned pink. Stir in the crabmeat, bean sprouts and coriander and cook for 1 min. Drain the noodles, pile them into serving bowls, top with the laksa and serve.

Daring Cooks June 2015: Lemongrass and Lime Herby Chicken Kebabs

With summer just around the corner, ML Spell from Dry Spell invited us to play with fire! She challenged us to make some mouthwatering eats on the grill for the June daring cooks challenge.

Ok, so, I haven't done a Daring Cooks in ages, in fact in over a year, for a lot of reasons, so this is my first one back and it fitted right in with WeightWatchers as grilling (in the English sense of the word) is a good way to cook without adding oil. I wasn't going to fire up a barbecue just for me so I cooked them under the grill/broiler. I made Lemongrass and Lime Herby Chicken Kebabs. They were fabulously tasty and reminded me that I should definitely make kebabs more often, the meat was lovely and tender and the peppers soft but crisp.

Lemongrass and Lime Herby Chicken Kebabs (from WW Seasonally Sensational)

(Serves 4)

(6 WW ProPoints per serving)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 lemongrass stalk, very finely chopped

grated zest and juice 1 lime

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tbsp coriander

600g chicken breast, cut into chunks

salt and pepper

2 peppers, cut into chunks

For the tzatziki

4 tbsp 0% yoghurt

juice 1/4 lemon 

handful chopped mint

1/2 cucumber, deseeded and chopped

In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, lemongrass, lime zest and juice, garlic and coriander. Add the chicken and season. Mix well, cover and marinate for at least 30 mins in the fridge.

Meanwhile, make the tzatziki. Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl, then set aside.

Preheat the grill to high. Thread the chicken pieces onto kebab sticks alternating with the peppers.

Grill the kebabs for 8-10 mins turning often. Make sure that the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Serve with the tzatziki with either rice or in a pitta bread with some lettuce.

Eastern Cod Skewers

This was lunch on Tuesday. I found them fairly easy to make, although I only made enough for two portions and you can't halve an egg so I think they were maybe a little sloppy. I succeeded in turning two of the skewers over under the grill but the third broke apart, so be careful when turning them! I served them in a wholemeal wrap (5) and 1 tsp sweet chilli sauce (0) and a packet of M&S Salt and Vinegar Curls (2) and a Coke Zero (0).

I have discovered that M&S now do a range called guilt free snacking and that the Salt and Vinegar Curls and the Moroccan Chickpea Shells are only 2PP per packet. The other ones I've tried, the Tortilla Chips are 3PP per packet, but you get a lot in the packet for all of them.

Eastern Cod Skewers (from WW Fresh and Easy Everyday)
(Serves 4)
(3 WW ProPoints per serving)

50g wholemeal bread
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cm ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 small chilli, deseeded and chopped
300g cod, cut into small pieces
1 tsp light brown sugar
15g coriander
1 egg
6 lemon grass stalks, halved lengthways
cooking spray

Using a food processor, whizz the bread into breadcrumbs. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and whizz again. Then add the cod, sugar and coriander and whizz until everything is finely minced. Add the egg and whizz once more until it comes together.

Divide the mixture into 12 portions, then shap each portion around half a lemongrass stalk, squeezing it into shape.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Spray the kebabs with the cooking sprsy and cook for 5-7 mins until cooked through, turning occasionally. Remove from the lemon grass stalks and serve.