A taste of Persia – Yoghurt and Spice Roasted Salmon

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine and taken from Simply written by British-Iranian cook and author Sabrina Ghayour.

Serves : 4

These oven-baked salmon bites are roasted quickly for slight charring on the outside and delicate flesh on the inside. Pop leftovers into your lunch box for the following day.

Ingredients :

500g skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4cm cubes

For the marinade :

4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp garlic granules
1 heaped tbsp rose harissa
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
Grated zest of 1 lime and its juice
1 tsp olive oil
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

To serve :

Tortilla wraps
Sliced tomatoes
Finely sliced onion
Coriander leaves
Greek yoghurt

Method :

Preheat your oven to its highest setting (with fan if it has one). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the salmon and turn until well coated in the marinade.
Spread the salmon out on the prepared baking tray and roast for 10 minutes until cooked through.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately with tortilla wraps, tomatoes, finely sliced onion, coriander leaves and Greek yoghurt.

Lunch box salmon couscous

Recipe taken from Balance Magazine, published by Diabetes.org

On the pulse – Pulses contain protein and fibre and, compared to other carb-containing foods, don’t give sharp rises to blood glucose levels. So if you have diabetes, there’s never ‘bean’ a better time to cook with them …

Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins

Per Serving 567g:

Carbs: 56.2g Cals: 663 Sugars: 21.8g Fat: 28.4g Sat Fat: 5.7g Salt: 0.41g
Protein: 40.1g Fibre: 11.1g

2 portions of fruit and veg

Ingredients:
80g wholewheat gian couscous
400ml low-salt vegetable stock
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
100g frozen edamame or peas
30g dried apricots, chopped
75g grated carrot
2 x 125g skinless salmon fillets
1 tsp runny honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
15g chopped pistachios
2 spring onions, finely sliced, or a little coriander

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 6. In a small roasting tin, stir the couscous, veg stock, red onion, edamame or peas, and apricots. Bake for 18 mins.
Stir in the carrot, sit the salmon on top, drizzle the fish with the honey and sesame oil, sprinkle over the seeds and roast for 12 mins.
Scatter with pistachios and spring onions. Enjoy hot or chilled.

Open Sardine Sandwich with Chilli

Recipe taken from Balance magazine published by Diabetes.org.

4-Ingredient Lunches – simple, delicious meal you can throw together in minutes

Per Serving 190g

Carbs: 16.4g Cals: 326 Sugars: 1.5g Fat: 15.3g Sat Fat: 3.5g Salt: 1.43g Protein: 29g Fibre: 3.5g

1 portion of oily fish

Serves: 1 Prep time: 3 mins

Ingredients:
1/2 small red chilli
2 small slices wholemeal bread
120g tin sardines in olive oil
Handful of rocket (40g)

Method:
1. Deseed and finely slice the chilli.

2. Drain a can of sardines, reserving some of the oil.

3. Add a handful of rocket over the bread and arrange the sardines on top.

4. Scatter with the chilli slices and drizzle over a little of the reserved oil.

White Fish with Butternut & Ginger Mash

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (April 2021) and taken from The Right Carb by Nicola Graimes.

Mash doesn’t have to mean potatoes. Try carrot, sweet potato, parsnip, celeriac or beans. This recipe celebrates Asian flavours of coconut, ginger, chilli and coriander.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
4 thick hake fillets, or other sustainable firm white fish, such as haddock
20g butter
Sea salt and black pepper
Steamed long-stem broccoli and lime wedges, to serve

For the mash :

1kg butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 red jalapeno chillies, deseeded and diced
115ml unsweetened drinking coconut milk
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 handfuls of chopped coriander

First make the mash. Put the squash in a saucepan with the garlic and ginger, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender. Drain and pick out the ginger. Return the squash to the pan and add half the chilli, most of the coconut milk and the lime juice.
Mash until smooth, adding coconut milk as needed. Season with salt and pepper and stir in three quarters of the coriander leaves. Taste and add more lime juice, if needed.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the ginger and fry for 2 minutes until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add the remaining oil and the butter to the pan and heat over a high heat. Place the fish in the pan, skin-side down, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh has cooked two thirds of the way up. Turn the fish, baste and cook for a further 2 minutes until just done.
Spoon the mash onto plates. Top with the broccoli and fish and scatter over the ginger, chilli and coriander leaves.

Spiced Salmon Pilaf

Recipe taken from the Lidl Easter Brochure – April 2021.

Serves : 4; Prep Time : 10 mins; Cook Time : 35 mins

Ingredients :

1 tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets
2 onions, finely chopped
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp cumin
300g basmati rice
800ml vegetable stock
300g baby spinach
200g frozen peas
Small bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, juice only
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Onion and garlic dip

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (one with a lid) and add the salmon fillets skin-side down. Fry over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning to cook each side, until just cooked through. Remove the fillets from the pan onto a plate, instead adding the onion to fry for 8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, discard the salmon skin and gently flake the fillets into large chunks.
Add the garlic to the pan and stir in the ginger for kick, cooking for a further minute, then stir in the cumin and rice. Stir well, then pour in the stock to give the rice added richness. Season and cover the pan with its lid, cooking for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Add the spinach to the pan and cover with the lid, allowing it to wilt for 2 minutes, then stir through the peas, coriander stalks and most of the leaves.
Gently fold through the salmon flakes, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve scattered with the toasted almonds for crunch. Add a contrasting creaminess with some generous spoons of the garlic dip, garnishing with a final pinch of coriander.

Monkfish with Bubble and Squeak cake, garlic spinach, poached egg and cream sauce

Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine many years ago.

Monkfish with Bubble and Squeak

Serves : 4

Ingredients – Bubble and Squeak :
6 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
6 small shallots, blanched in boiling water until softened
1 parsnip, blanched and chopped
6 Brussels sprouts, blanched and chopped
450g (1 lb) green cabbage, blanched and chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Ingredients – Spinach :
A large bunch of spinach leaves, stalks removed
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

Ingredients – Cream Sauce :
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
15g (1/2 oz) clarified butter
150ml (1/4 pt) double cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp crème fraiche

Other Ingredients :
4 x 150g (5oz) pieces of monkfish tail fillet
4 poached eggs

Step One : Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400oF / Gas Mark 6. Mix together the potato, shallots, parsnip, sprouts, cabbage and seasoning with a dash of olive oil and spread out in a roasting tin. Roast for approximately 40 minutes until golden.

Step Two : Rinse the spinach and cook in a pan with the garlic and the rinsing water on the heat for a few minutes until wilted.

Step Three : For the sauce, saute the shallots in the butter until softened. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Stir in the mustard and whisk for 3 minutes before adding the crème fraiche.

Step Four : Fry the monkfish in a hot pan in a little olive oil, searing over a high heat on all sides to begin with and then lowering the heat or transferring to the oven to finish cooking.

Step Five : To serve, cut four round cakes from the bubble and speak and top with the spinach and monkfish. Place the eggs alongside and spoon around the sauce.

Wild Salmon Sashimi, Spring Onion, Shiso Leaf and Yuzzo dressing

Recipe taken from Hello Magazine many years ago.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
700g (1 1/2 lb) salmon fillet, any bones removed
100ml (4 fl oz) yuzzo
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
100ml (4 fl oz) olive oil
100ml (4 fl oz) Japanese soy sauce

To garnish :
Finely sliced spring onion
Japanese pickled ginger
Shiso leaves

To serve :
Wasabi paste
Soy sauce

Step One : Slice the salmon as thinly as possible and arrange on four serving plates.

Step Two : Whisk together the yuzzo, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, ginger, olive oil and soy sauce and spoon 2-3 tablespoons over each serving.

Step Three : Scatter the sliced spring onion, ginger and shiso leaves over the top and serve with wasabi paste and soy sauce for dipping.

Pan-fried Diver Scallops, baby fennel, tomato, lemon and coriander

Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine many years ago.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
50ml (2 fl oz) lemon juice, plus an extra squeee
150ml (1/4 pt) olive oil, plus a little extra for frying
1 tblsp crushed coriander seeds
4 bulbs of baby fennel
A handful of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
8 plum tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
Rock salt and black pepper
12-16 diver-caught scallops, depending on size, roes removed

Salad :
1 bag of rocket
A handful of chervil sprigs
6 tblsp vinaigrette dressing

Step One : Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil and coriander and leave for several hours.

Step Two : Blanch the baby fennel in a pan of salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until just tender but still with a little bit of crunch.

Step Three : Pour the lemon, oil and coriander mixture into a pan and heat until it comes to the boil. Add the basil, tomatoes, fennel and seasoning. Keep over a gentle heat while you fry the scallops.

Step Four : Heat a heavy non-stick frying pan, add a little olive oil and when very hot fry the scallops until coloured on one side. Turn over, season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and colour on the other side, taking care not to overcook them.

Step Five : Spoon the vegetables and cooking liquid on to serving plates. Toss the rocket and chervil with the vinaigrette. Arrange the scallops on the plates and pile the rocket salad in the centre. Serve at once.

Citrus Prawn Ceviche Tostadas with Charred Sweetcorn and mashed avocado

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (October 2018) and taken from “Salad Feasts: How to assemble the perfect meal” by Jessica Elliott Dennison.

Serves : 4

Preparation time : 35 mins

Ingredients :
8 small shop-bought corn tortillas
1 tblsp vegetable oil
60g tinned sweetcorn in water (drained weight)
250g peeled raw king prawns
Juice of 3 limes
2 baby shallots or 1 banana shallot, peeled
3/4 tsp chilli flakes
1 grapefruit
4 radishes, finely sliced
2 avocados, halved and stones removed

Step One : First, preheat the oven to 180oC / Gas Mark 4. Divide the tortillas between a few baking trays, brush with the oil, then bake for 5-8 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.

Step Two : Meanwhile, heat a medium frying pan, until smoking. Rinse the sweetcorn, drain completely, then add to the pan (you don’t need any oil). Cook for 3-5 minutes or until nicely charred with little black marks. Transfer to a place to cool.

Step Three : Next, if not already deveined, make a small incision along the back of the prawns and remove the dark black line (the digestive tract). Place the prawns in a medium dish or bowl, then squeeze in the limes. Slice the shallots into rounds as finely as you can and add to the bowl along with the chilli flakes. Leave for 7 minutes, then turn the prawns over and leave for another 7 minutes. By this point, they should be pink and ‘cooked’.

Step Four : Next, cut away the top and bottom of the grapefruit, then carefully slice away the peel and white pith. Slice out each segment, then finely chop the flesh (discard the membranes). Add to the prawns along with any grapefruit juice. Gently stir in the radishes.

Step Five : Scoop out the avocado flesh and roughly mash with a fork.

Step Six : Take the crispy tortillas, ceviche mixture charred sweetcorn and mashed avocado to the table in attractive serving dishes. Allow everyone to build their own tostadas.

Step Seven : You can also shallow fry the tortillas in a pan of hot vegetable oil until golden. Be sure to drain on kitchen paper, seasoned with salt.

Feast from the East – Steamed Hake with Garlic Oil and Oyster Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (February 2017) and taken from “Malaysia : Recipes from a Family Kitchen” written by MasterChef 2014 winner, Ping Coombes.

Steaming fish is a great way to cook it as it stays moist and it locks in all the nutrients. This recipe also works well with seabass and salmon. Bear in mind, cooking time will vary with different fish.

Serves : 2

Ingredients :
1 spring onion, finely sliced lengthways into strips
small handful of coriander leaves, torn
2 hake fillets (about 150g each), skin on
2 tblsp Garlic oil
2 tblsp oyster sauce

Step One : Place the steamer ring at the bottom of a wok. Boil some water and pour it into the wok, up to the level of the ring. Place the wok over a medium heat, and bring it to the boil, then lower the heat a little.

Step Two : Place the spring onion strips in a bowl of ice-cold water with the coriander: this will keep them fresh while the fish steams.

Step Three : Place the hake fillets, skin-side up, in a shallow, heat-proof bowl, making sure they are not overlapping, then add the Garlic oil and oyster sauce.

Step Four : Transfer the bowl to the steam ring, cover the wok and steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and add three-quarters of the spring onion and coriander leaves to the bowl. Recover and steam for a further 8 minutes.

Step Five : Carefully remove the bowl from the wok, sprinkle the rest of the spring onion and coriander leaves over the fish and serve immediately.