Mediterranean Garlicky Fish Stew

This is a wonderful garlicky fish stew. Really flavourful and tasty.

Mediterranean Garlicky Fish Stew (from The Times)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 leek, halved and sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs of thyme
½ tsp fennel seeds
50ml white wine
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
50ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest
pinch saffron strands, finely ground and soaked in 1 tbsp hot water
pinch chilli powder or dried chilli flakes
500ml fish stock
salt and pepper
handful chopped parsley, plus extra to serve
500g fish fillet, skinned and chopped into chunks
200g raw prawns
150g squid rings

Heat the oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the shallots and fry gently, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned. Add the leek, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and fennel seeds and fry, stirring continuously, for about 2 mins until fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and fry, stirring, until the liquid is largely reduced. Mix in the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until thickened and reduced. Stir in the orange juice and zest, saffron and soaking water and chilli powder or flakes. Add the fish stock. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the parsley.

Bring to the boil and cook for about 5 mins. Add the fish, prawns and squid rings and simmer until they are just cooked through – this will take only a matter of mins. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Squid with Shaved Courgette and Sweetcorn Salad

This was a really simple fresh salad. The squid was very tasty and the courgette, corn and tomato salad was lovely and fresh. I'm still trying to use all those veggies from the garden!

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Squid with Shaved Courgette and Sweetcorn Salad

(adapted from The Perfectly Tossed Salad by Mindy Fox)

(Serves 4)

225g white crab meat
2 tbsp mayonnaise
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
8 cleaned squid bodies with tentacles
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 corn on the cob, kernels removed
1 shallot, chopped
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large courgette, peeled into strips
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
handful basil leaves, large ones torn

Mix together the crab, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stuff the squid with the crab mixture, leaving a 1cm space at the top. Seal the squid with toothpicks.

Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the sweetcorn, shallot, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 3 mins, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the tomatoes, toss and cook for 1 min. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.

Put the courgette ribbons into a bowl, add the olive oil, basil and salt and pepper and toss together.

Heat a griddle pan over a medium high heat. Drizzle the squid with the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and season. Lightly brush the griddle pan with oil, then grill the squid bodies for 13-15 mins, turning frequently until golden in spots. Cook the tentacles for 2-3 mins.

Mix the courgette and sweetcorn together and put into bowls. Top with the squid. Serve.

Spicy Grilled Squid with Hummus and Pine Nuts

This is deceptively easy to make and so so tasty. It would be really good as an appetizer at a dinner party or just a light lunch or supper.

Spicy Grilled Squid with Hummus and Pine Nuts
(From The Times Eat!)
(Serves 4)

8 baby squid
2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted
1 tsp black peppercorns
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
Sea salt
zest 1 lemon, grated
1 tbsp dried sage
2-3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
1-2 tbsp pine nuts
paprika
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
hummus

Make the marinade. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the cumin and coriander seeds with the peppercorns. Beat in the crushed garlic, salt, lemon zest and sage. Bind with the oil.

Using a sharp knife, score the squid in a criss-cross pattern and rub them and the tentacles with the spicy marinade. Set aside for 30 mins.

Heat a griddle pan and dry roast the pine nuts. Tip them onto a plate, return the pan to the heat and brush it with a little oil. Place the marinated squid in the pan and cook for a min on each side – they will curl up.

Spoon some hummus into the bottom of each dish and top with the squid. Scatter over the pine nuts, dust with paprika and  sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Meal Planning Monday

My Mum has been staying for the weekend and on Saturday morning we got up bright and early and went to Borough Market. We came home with lots of goodies including three different sorts of bread, lots of dips, some Croatian chorizo, some skate, squid, samphire and smoked mackerel from a lovely man who fishes off the coast of Suffolk, and a delicious selection of mushrooms. It has been in my head for years to buy an exotic selection of mushrooms cook them simply with pasta and devour and last night we finally did it. It was delicious. The mushroom you can see on top is a cepe or porcini mushroom and it was definitely the star of the show with an amazing melt in your mouth texture.

In the afternoon we went to the In Fine Style exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, which  was fascinating, it really made you look at the details of the dress in the paintings in a way I never have before. For dinner I cooked the skate,Having never cooked skate before I asked the  man on the stall the best way of cooking it he suggested, pan frying it for a few mins on each side until golden and then chuck over some capers and a squeeze of lemon. So that's what I did! I served it with potatoes en papillote, green and runner beans and samphire.

Sunday, we spent the morning shopping and for lunch I made a squid salad from the River Cottage Fish book. The squid was marinated in a simple mixture of oil, lemon zest, chilli and garlic and then cooked on the griddle. It was delicious, really soft and tender.

In the afternoon I made about a million gingerbread people and 12 cupcakes for my book group to decorate on Tuesday. Busy but awesome weekend!

This week is busy at work also with two sets of inductions to do to two different year groups. I'm also going to a talk about Audrey Hepburn at the V&A on Tuesday night and tonight sees my first pilates session to help with my back. So simple meals this week and I'm still trying to think of something to cook for my father on Saturday lunchtime!

 

Monday
Sausage, Potato and Green Bean Salad

Cheese, Tomato and Corn Pie with Salad

Tuesday

Cauliflower and Broccoli Macaroni Cheese with Salad

Chorizo and Cheese Sandwich with Crisps

Wednesday

Courgette, Tomato and Corn Rice Salad

Herring with Gooseberry Sauce, New Potatoes and Veg (Leiths Fish Bible)

Thursday

Tuna and Garlic Mayo Wrap with Crisps

Sri Lankan Runner Bean Curry with Rice

Friday

Prawn and Egg Salad

Steak and Chips with Roasted Veg

Saturday

Sorrel Omelette with Salad

Italian Bread and Cheese Soup with Spinach

Sunday

Sweet Potato Burgers (Waitrose Magazine)

Courgette Crust Pizza

Salt and Pepper Squid

I am eating a lot more fish now than I was previously, not really sure why, I think its the summer weather which makes me want lighter foods. Anyway I had some squid left over from our trip to Borough Market, and one of my favourite dishes in a Chinese restaurant is Salt and Pepper Squid. However, this is usually deep fried and I wanted a healthier version. This delicious and simple recipe ticked all the boxes. Instead of drizzling over sesame oil and sweet chilli sauce, I had some mango and chilli salad dressing so I doused it in that instead.

Salt and Pepper Squid (from Good Food Magazine July 2005)
(Serves 4)
(3WW ProPoints per serving)

240g squid
2-3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp Chinese five spice powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
little sesame oil, to serve
few coriander sprigs, to serve
sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Ask the fishmonger to clean the squid; little ones often come ready-cleaned. Using kitchen scissors, cut open the body and open out. Wash well, then pat dry. If you have a large squid, cut the body into four portions, roughly square. Small squid can just be opened up.

Using the tip of a very sharp knife, score the top in a neat criss-cross. Brush with oil and set aside while you heat the barbecue or griddle until ready to cook.

Mix together the salt, Chinese five-spice and pepper. Sprinkle on both sides of the squid just before cooking, according to taste. You may not need it all. Heat the griddle pan to hot and cook about 1 min each side, until it starts to curl. Remove with tongs to a serving plate and drizzle with a little sesame oil. To serve, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with small bowls of sweet chilli sauce to dip into.

Squid and Chorizo Pasta

I have finally been able to get out in the garden and put all my veg in! My mum came down earlier this week and brought all the seedlings for the garden with her. This year I am growing, tomatoes (plum, yellow, black cherry, black russian), sweetcorn, broad beans, french beans, spinach, swiss chard, strawberries, tomatillo, lettuce, spring onions, prickly cucumbers, pak choi, purple carrots, aubergines, peppers, chillis, sea kale, sorrel, potatoes, courgettes, spaghetti squash and probably more that I've forgotten, so come summer I should have a veritable feast of veg! One of my fruit trees flowered too so maybe I'll have some fruit too! It is a bit of a pig watering it all though as I am in a hosepipe ban area and have to lug watering cans up and down the garden! It'll be worth it in the end though!

This pasta used nothing home grown but was delicious nonetheless, the chorizo and squid work really well together.

Squid and Chorizo Pasta (from WeightWatchers Complete Cook Book)
(Serves 2)
(10 WW ProPoints per serving)

125g dried pasta
60g sliced chorizo
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
125g sliced squid, rinsed
1/2 red chilli, deseeded and diced
2 tomatoes, chopped roughly
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat a non stick frying pan, add the chorizo and pepper and fry for 5 mins over a high heat, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown at the edges.

Add the squid and chilli to the pan and cook for 1 min before adding the tomatoes, lemon zest and 4 tbsp of the pasta water. Cook for 2 mins more or until the squid is cooked through but still tender.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce and the parsley. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Fisherman's Stew

I spent a rainy Bank Holiday weekend catching up on shopping and menu planning for the week. I find this makes it much easier to track the points that I'm eating. I had this lovely fish stew one evening last week and it was quick and easy to make, delicious and proves that healthy food doesn't have to be boring. Weigh in tonight!

Fisherman's Stew (adapted from WeightWatchers The Complete Kitchen)
(Serves 2)
(5 WW ProPoints Per Serving)

1/2 orange
pinch of saffron
cooking spray
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
400g can cherry tomatoes
1 tsp caster sugar
125ml veg stock
175g new potatoes, sliced 5mm thick
200g frozen seafood, defrosted
1/2 tsp paprika

Pare three strips of zest from the orange using a vegetable peeler, and squeeze out the juice. Add the saffron to the orange juice and leave to soak.

Heat a large lidded saucepan over a medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the pepper and garlic and stir fry for 3 mins.

Add the saffron and orange juice, the cherry tomatoes, caster sugar, stock and new potatoes, plus the pared orange zest. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 mins or until the potatoes are tender.

Add the seafood mix and simmer for 5-8 mins or until the seafood is piping hot.

Ladle into bowls to serve.

Squid Salad

Last weekend my Mum can to stay for a couple of days and we went to Borough Market on the Saturday morning. We found a lovely fishmonger there and we got a huge squid from him for supper. Flicking through my recipe books we found this Squid Salad recipe and had it as a starter. Originally the recipe calls for cooking the squid in stock but I suspect this is a sure fire way to making it rubbery, so we griddled it instead and it was delicious and not rubbery at all.

Squid Salad (adapted from WeightWatchers Soups and Salads)

(Serves 4)
(2 WW ProPoints per serving)

300g fresh squid, sliced, keeping the tentacles whole
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthways and sliced thinly
1 tbsp sesame seeds
100g lettuce leaves, chopped

For the dressing
juice of a lemon
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
salt and pepper

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together. Lay the lettuce leaves and cucumber out on the plate.

Heat a griddle pan and griddle the squid for about a minute on each side. Lay the squid on top of the salad and pour over the dressing. Serve.

Presto Pasta Nights #180

This week I am privileged to be hosting Presto Pasta Nights, the brain child of Ruth at Once Upon a Feast. So if you have a pasta or noodle dish, of any type or cuisine, just email me the link at feglet98 (at) hotmail (dot) com by Thursday evening and I will add it to the round up, which will be here on Friday.

My submission to this week's round up is Tagliatelle with Mixed Seafood and Courgette.

I have to confess that I forgot to check whether I had any dill before I started cooking, so I had to use basil instead, but dill would definitely be better! I also came back from holiday to some enormous courgettes, the biggest was 2 foot, and I have slowly but surely been putting them into everything, as well as making lots and lots of soup, so feel free to leave them out if you don' t have any, this dish would be just as delicious without them.

Tagliatelle with Mixed Seafood and Courgette
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp unsalted butter
400g pack frozen mixed seafood, defrosted

1 courgette, grated
100ml vermouth or white wine
250g tagliatelle
150ml crème fraîche
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper

Cook the tagliatelle according to pack instructions, then drain and return to the pan.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Add the mixed seafood and cook for 2-3 mins over a medium to high heat, stirring occasionally, add in the grated courgette and cook for 2-3 more mins.

Pour in the vermouth or wine and cook for 3-4 mins until the liquid has reduced by half and the prawns have turned pink.

Stir the crème fraîche and the dill into the seafood, heat through for 2 minutes then stir into the pasta. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Daring Cooks August 2009: Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish and Artichokes

Just before I went on holiday I made the Daring Cooks dish for this month Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes, this month picked by Olga from Las Cosas de Olga. I love eating paella but have never attempted cooking anything like it myself, so this was a bit of a challenge, plus when I leave things on the hob I feel the need to stir them every so often and this one I had to leave alone!

I couldn't find cuttlefish anywhere so I used squid instead, and I used the red peppers from my garden, which were delicious. All in all this recipe was really tasty, the allioli really complemented the dish and it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be to make. I will definitely be trying to make some more Spanish dishes.



The recipe was as follows:

Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Equipment:
1 Chopping Board
1 knife
1 medium saucepan
1 Paella pan (30 cm/11” is enough for 4 people. If not available, you may use a simple pan that size)
1 Saucepan

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 Artichokes (you can use jarred or freezed if fresh are not available)
12 Mushrooms (button or Portobello)
1 or 2 Bay leaves (optional but highly recommended)
1 glass of white wine
2 Cuttlefish (you can use freezed cuttlefish or squid if you don’t find it fresh)
“Sofregit” (see recipe below)
300 gr (2 cups) Short grain rice (Spanish types Calasparra or Montsant are preferred, but you can choose any other short grain. This kind of rice absorbs flavor very well) – about 75 gr per person ( ½ cup per person) Please read this for more info on suitable rices.
Water or Fish Stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)
Saffron thread (if you can’t find it or afford to buy it, you can substitute it for turmeric or yellow coloring powder)
Allioli (olive oil and garlic sauce, similar to mayonnaise sauce) - optional

Directions:
Cut the cuttlefish in little strips.
Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan.
If you use fresh artichokes, clean them first. Cut artichokes in eights.
Clean the mushrooms and cut them in fourths.
Add a bay leaf to the cuttlefish and add also the artichokes and the mushrooms.
Sauté until we get a golden color in the artichokes.
Put a touch of white wine so all the solids in the bottom of the get mixed, getting a more flavorful dish.
Add a couple or three tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit.
Add all the liquid and bring it to boil.
Add all the rice. Let boil for about 5 minutes in heavy heat.
Add some saffron thread to enrich the dish with its flavor and color. Stir a little bit so the rice and the other ingredients get the entire flavor. If you’re using turmeric or yellow coloring, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)
Put the pan away from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.



Sofregit
Cooking time: aprox. 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 Bay leaf
Salt
Touch of ground cumin
Touch of dried oregano
Directions:
Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)

Before the rice went in:



With the rice:

Allioli a la moderna (Modern recipe)

Cooking time: 3-4 minutes

Ingredients:
1 small egg
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (as above, Spanish oil is highly recommended)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 Tbs. Spanish Sherry vinegar or lemon juice (if Sherry vinegar is not available, use can use cider or white vinegar)
Salt to taste

Directions:
Break the egg into a mixing bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic cloves, along with the vinegar or lemon juice.
Using a hand blender, start mixing at high speed until the garlic is fully pureed into a loose paste.
Little by little, add what's left of the olive oil as you continue blending.
If the mixture appears too thick as you begin pouring the oil, add 1 teaspoon of water to loosen the sauce.
Continue adding the oil and blending until you have a rich, creamy allioli.
The sauce will be a lovely yellow color.
Add salt to taste.