THEGAYUK

Tag: Fish Recipes

  • RECIPE | Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Cups

    Makes around 40 |  Prep 20 mins | No Cook

    When I think of a canapé, I immediately think of smoked salmon in some form, and my favourite form is its most simple. Blended with cream cheese, dill and lemon- really classical (and easy!), but topped with toasted pine nuts for an interesting added texture and flavour, their natural buttery-ness works wonderfully.

    The smoked salmon spread can keep in the fridge for a couple of days in advance but assembling is best up to an hour before serving.

     

    Ingredients.

    100g smoked salmon

    135g soft cream cheese

    10g dill, washed

    1/2 lemon, juice only

    50g pine nuts

    2 cucumbers, skin peeled, cut in half lengthways, seeds removed with a teaspoon

     

    Method.

    1. Dry fry the pine nuts in a pan to toast them, keep your eye on them as their high oil content means they can catch fast. Once sufficiently toasty and golden, remove and set aside.
    2. In a food processor, blend the smoked salmon until smooth.
    3. Add the cream cheese, washed dill, and lemon juice and blend once more.
    4. Spread the smoked salmon mix into the cavity of the cucumbers where the seeds were. (I save some of the spread to go on a bit of toasted rye in the morning!)
    5. Scatter over the pine nuts, evenly distributing. And slice into bitesize pieces. Serve.

  • RECIPE | Celeriac Amaze-Puffs (topped with king prawn or wasabi peas)

    Makes 36 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 15 mins

    Seasonal and sensational. Puff pastry is the stage for a creamy zingy celeriac slaw topped with plump king prawn or wasabi peas as a vegetarian option. These look really pretty and paired with their deliciousness will disappear rather quickly!

    If you don’t want to make as many as 36 canapés, then the celeriac mix itself will keep in the fridge for a few days and would go wonderfully with leftover meats on Boxing day.

    Ingredients.

    1 celeriac (you’ll want around 350g of celeriac once you have removed the tough skin via peeler/knife)

    3 tbsp full fat greek yoghurt

    3 tbsp olive oil mayonnaise

    2 tsp dijon mustard

    1 garlic clove, finely chopped

    1 lemon, juice of

    1 pack cooked and peeled king prawns

    1 pack wasabi peas

    36 frozen vol-au-vent pastry cases

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 220c / 200c (fan) / Gas mark 7

     

    1. Cook the vol-au-vent cases as per packet instructions and leave to cool.
    2. Before removing the celeriac’s tough outer skin, make the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yoghurt, mayo, mustard, garlic clove, and half of the lemon juice. Add a bit of pepper and salt to taste.
    3. Now remove the outside of the celeriac, I try and use a peeler for the majority of this task but you will need a knife for its hard root.
    4. Give the prepared celeriac a little rinse in water and begin to grate it.
    5. Add the grated celeriac quickly to its sauce in the mixing bowl, otherwise it will turn brown.
    6. Add the remaining lemon juice and stir it all together to combine. Cover and refrigerate until required.
    7. Spoon the celeriac mixture onto the cooled vol-au-vent cases and top with either king prawns or wasabi peas. Serve.

  • RECIPE: Tuna Gruyère Tomatoes

    Tuna Gruyère Tomatoes

    Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins |  Cook 20 mins

    A simple but triumphant mid-week meal. Tuna, melted Gruyère and rosemary fuse together cased in beef tomatoes for a light, tasty dish. The red onion in the filling also gives you a nice crunchy texture against the tuna, cheese, and supple tomato.

    Serving Suggestion:

    If you take my serving suggestion of having black rice with carrots, green beans, and red cabbage alongside- you are about to chow down on some serious anti-oxidant action. A tablespoon of black rice has more antioxidants in it than that of blueberries. Carrots rich in Vitamin A is great for our skin and helping the liver flush out toxins.

    CARROTS

    also have studies showing reduced risk in lung, breast, and colon cancer when consumed regularly. We will also get antioxidants from green beans, rich in vitamin C, and beta-carotene, and the antioxidant mineral, manganese. 150g of cooked red cabbage will give you 79% vitamin K & 68% vitamin C of your daily requirements.

    TOMATOES

    Tomatoes are full of beta carotenes which is really beneficial to our skin.

    Tomatoes contain high vitamin C, and also vitamins A & K. They are helpful when needing to boost your immune system and also have anti-cancer properties. They also have a good supply of copper (good for immune system), and potassium (protects heart, blood pressure, and brain).

    RED ONION

    Any dark fruit or vegetable is going to be anti-oxidant rich, but with the red onion, it also contains a bioflavanoid called Quercetin. Quercetin has been found to contain anti : fungal / bacterial / inflammatory, and cancer fighting properties. One study suggests that half an onion a day could reduce the risk of stomach cancer by 50%. (SOURCE: http://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/eating-red-onions.php)

    Ingredients.

    4 Beef tomatoes, tops removed and insides scooped out and discarded

    1 Tin tuna in spring water

    1 red onion, finely chopped

    1 large sprig rosemary, finely chopped

    60g Gruyère, grated

    20g light mayo

    Pinch of pepper

    Method.

    Heat your grill to a medium heat

    1. Combine all the ingredients (except the tomatoes), in a bowl and mix well.

    1.  Stuff the de-seeded tomatoes with even amounts of filling.

    2.  Wrap each tomato loosely in an individual piece of foil. You want the top to still be exposed for when you put it under the grill.

  • RECIPE | Posh Cod & Chips

    Serves 4 | Prep 20 minutes | Cook 20 minutes

    B12 BOOSTER / Anti-Oxidant Rich

    I am not normally one to go for fish, I have a strange fear of the sea that extends to fish being on plates. However, this is not fishy in the slightest and I found myself sharing the last fish parcel with a friend the first time I made it. I served mine with sweet potato chips, and had a pot of the left over pesto on the side (like a more refined version of mushy peas, perhaps), and had a posh fish and chips night.

    COD- For every 113g of cod you eat, you are receiving the following of the recommended daily intake; 109% B12, 88% iodine (great anti-oxidant stimulant, thus boosting the immune system), 57% selenium (HIV can deplete someone’s antioxidant / selenium resources so Cod makes a great natural way of boosting levels back up), 55% phosphorous, 42% protein, 21% choline (liver protector)- to name the highest. (SOURCE : http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=133 ).

    INGREDIENTS.

    One batch of artichoke & pistachio pesto

    4 pieces of cod (either fillet or tail-end will work)

    12 slices of pancetta

    few springs of thyme, leaves removed

    Olive oil
    METHOD.

    Preheat your oven to 220c / 200c (fan) / Gas Mark 7

     

    1. If you are using a fillet, then using a sharp knife make an incision in it’s thickest part and slice horizontally to create a pocket (just as if you were stuffing a chicken breast), and stuff with a tablespoon or so of the pesto.
    2. If you are using the tail end (this is what I used) then have where the skin used to be side up, place a tablespoon or so of the pesto on the fish and fold one half of the fish on top of itself sandwiching the pesto.
    3. Wrap each now stuffed fish in 2-3 slices of pancetta (depends how big your slices are) and place in an oven-proof baking dish.
    4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a few thyme leaves on top.
    5. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
    6. Remove from the oven, at this point you could choose to pan fry the fish parcels in order to get a bit of crisp on the outside.
    7. Serve with a pot of remaining pesto on the side, or alternatively keep leftover pesto in the fridge to use with pasta the following day.