Salmon with Black Bean and Garlic

Salmon with Black Bean and Garlic

This is the sauce I use.  Its a thick sauce and very savoury.  You only need a small amount so a jar lasts ages.  Use it in stir fry or for this recipe.

Basically, it's stretching it to call this a recipe but whatever, its delicious.

Get a piece of salmon per person.  I take the skin off but that's up to you.  I put a bit of baking parchment onto a baking tray, (just to save the washing up, not for any clever culinary reason).  Put the salmon on the tray, put 1 - 2 tsp of the sauce on top of the salmon and spread it out on top.

Cook the salmon for 10-15 mins in a hot oven 200ºC/Gas 6 until it is cooked through or to your liking if you like it pink in the middle.

In the picture I've had it with veg, but it's nice sat on top of stir fried veg and noodles.

You can do the same thing with chicken breast or a pork steak.  Just cook it a bit longer until the meat is properly cooked through.

Curried Cod Loin

Curried Cod Loin

This is a version of a recipe in the Hairy Bikers "Mum Knows Best" cookbook. The original recipe is for Curried Salmon and it is delicious but on this occasion I've used cod loins and it was equally good.

The original recipe serves 6 and this is the quantities I'm giving here with notes about what I used.  The spice mix will keep in a jar or sealed bag if you want to make the full amount.

Quantities for 6 (I made for 3)

1kg salmon steaks, descaled   (I used 3 cod loins, they were frozen ones)
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped ( I used 2)
4cm piece of fresh ginger finely chopped ( I used 2cm)
1 or 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped (optional) I used about ½ tsp red chilli flakes
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes (I used the same here)
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced (I used about 6 cherry tomatoes, halved)
fresh coriander, chopped

Spice Mix
2½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground peppercorns
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp lovage seeds (Ajwain seeds)
½ tsp dried red chilli flakes (use more or less to taste)
2 tsp turmeric

This is the spice mix for 6 servings.  Use half for 3 and put the rest in a jar or bag marked up for the next time you cook it.

Tarka Mix
3 tbsp veg oil
1 tsp lovage seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

When I made the Tarka mix I only used ½ tbsp oil and 2 garlic cloves but probably the same amount of seeds 

Wash the salmon, rinse and dry well, cut into chunks and place in a bowl.  (I kept the cod loins whole.

Add the spice mix and gently toss with the fish to cover. Add the garlic, ginger and chillis and gently mix again to cover.  Set aside for 10 minutes.

Prepare the tarka mix. Heat the oil and add the lovage seeds, fry gently until almost black then add the cumin seeds and fry for 5 seconds. Add the garlic and cook gently until just golden then add the fish to the pan.

Cook on a medium heat, moving the fish very gently to avoid breaking it up. Once the salmon is sealed and brown (I didn't go this far with the cod, just cooked it gently for a few minutes), add 225ml hot water and the canned and fresh tomatoes.  I didn't add so much water as I used the whole can of tomatoes for just 3 of us).  Bring to a boil and simmer gently for a few minutes until the fish is cooked through.  

Sprinkle with coriander and serve.

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom and Mustard Sauce

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom and Mustard Sauce

This is a meal I made up as I went along. 

Making this for 3.  Turned out as ½ syn per serving for SW

Oven 200ºC/Gas 6

I put 3 chicken breasts into a casserole dish with chopped mushrooms and a little chicken stock. Cover with foil and cook for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Take the chicken breasts out of the dish and keep warm.

I put the mushrooms and stock into a pan, stirred in 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (1½syns) into it.  Let it reduce slightly then remove from the heat and stir in Quark soft cheese to give a creamy consistency.  Serve over the chicken with veg.

One Tray Roast Chicken Dinner

 One Tray Roast Chicken Dinner

From Slimming World Magazine Jan/Feb 2016 

Serves 4

600g Charlotte potatoes, halved if large
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
300g banana shallots, peeled and halved (or use red onion cut into wedges)
1 whole garlic bulb, cloves separated and left unpeeled
200ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
2 lemons
low cal cooking spray
a few sprigs fresh rosemary
8 large skinless chicken thighs on the bone
2 courgettes cut into chunks
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 200ºC/Gas 6.  Put the potatoes, carrots, peppers, shallots or onion, garlic cloves and stock into a large roasting tin and season.  Squeeze over the juice of 1 lemon.  Lightly spray with low cal spray, toss together and cover with foil.  Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and scatter over the rosemary. Season the chicken thighs and arrange over the dish with the courgettes.  Slice the remaining lemon and tuck into the gaps.  Spray with a little low cal spray and roast for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned.

Scatter with parsley and serve.

Free on SW Extra Easy

Mincemeat, Pecan and Cinnamon Crumble Bars

Mincemeat, Pecan and Cinnamon Crumble Bars

All the flavours of Christmas as a tray bake.  Yummy and simple.

A Sainsbury magazine recipe, pictured centre below.



Makes 12 bars

225g cold unsalted butter, diced plus extra for greasing
225g plain flour
100g semolina (dried)
100g caster sugar plus 2 tbsp
½ tsp vanilla extract
75g pecans, coarsely chopped
icing sugar and cinnamon for dusting

Mincemeat mixture
450g good quality mincemeat
1 dessert apple, peeled, cored and cut into tiny pieces
1 tbsp brandy or other spirit (optional)
1 tsp mixed spice
finely grated zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to Gas 3/170ºC.  Grease a rectangular, shallow baking tin (18cm x 28cm) well with butter.  Put the minccemeat into a bowl and stir in the apple, brandy, spice and orange zest.

Put plain flour, semolina and 100g sugar into the bowl of a food processor, add the butter, vanilla and a pinch of salt.  Process  briefly until the mixture just begins to stick together into pea sized lumps to form a crumble mixture.  Tip half into the tin and press firmly over the base in an even layer.

Spread the mincemeat mixture over in an even layer.  Stir the chopped pecans and remaining 2 tbsp sugar into the remaining crumble mixture and sprinkle evenly over the mincemeat,

Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the tin to loosen then cut into 12 bar and remove from the tin.

Dust with icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Serve warm or cool. Store in an airtight tin and eat within a couple of days (not difficult)

To Freeze: Place bars side by side in a lidded rigid container, layering with baking paper inbetween.  Freeze for up to 2 months.

To Thaw: Remove bars from freezer and thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours.

To crisp them back up: Place bars on a baking tray and pop into a hot oven, Gas 6/200ºC for 5-6 minutes. 

Shakshuka

Shakshuka

A great recipe, easy and quick and you can easily bulk it up with added meat of your choice. Here's mine ready for the lid



Serves 4

large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
olive oil
roasted red peppers from a jar, diced
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp mild chilli powder or chilli flakes
400g tin tomatoes
pinch of sugar
4 eggs
flat leaf parsley

Heat a large frying pan with a lid.  Cook the onion in a little oil until soft, add the garlic and cook for a minute more.  Stir in the peppers, paprika, cumin, chilli powder, tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 10 minutes.

Make 4 dips in the mixture and break an egg into each dip.  Put the lid of the pan on and cook gently until the whites are set and the yolks cooked to your liking.  Scatter with parsley and serve.

Swede, Kale and Sweet Potato Gratin

Swede, Kale and Sweet Potato Gratin

An Olive magazine Dec 2015 recipe.  We had this on Christmas day.



olive oil
butter
1 onion, finely sliced
1 swede, peeled and cut into batons
500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into batons
200g kale, washed thoroughly and finely chopped
200ml whipping cream
100ml milk
nutmeg for grating
1 bay leaf

Heat the oven to Gas 4/180ºC.  Heat a little oil and a knob of butter and gently fry the onion until iit is very tender but not coloured. Add the swede and sweet potato, mix really well, cook gently for about 5 minutes then season and add the kale.  Mix and then tip into a large buttered baking dish about 1½ litres in capacity.

Bring the milk and cream to a simmer and pour over the veg.  Grate over some nutmeg and add the bay leaf.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the veg are tender and the top is browned.