Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Friday, January 11, 2013

Crunchy crust Hake

VERY EASY
LUNCH, DINNER
Hands on & cook time 25 mins

It doesn´t get any easier than this. Quick,easy and cheap, perfect ! Great weekday dinner.


I did this last week for my dad when he came to visit, he loved it! my daughter always clears her plate and it even pleases the non-fish lover...Daddy.
I buy a full Fresh Hake (lluç) most weeks in fillets, it´s a cheap fish and nice and lean which makes it easy to digest. I serve my daughter the tail end of the fish which normally means no bones.

INGREDIENTS

4 Hake Fillets (with of without skin)
60g (2 1/2oz) melted butter
zest of 1 small lemon, finely grated
1 clove of garlic, crushed
100g (3 1/2 oz) breadcrumbs ( I use fresh which I keep frozen)
Mayonnaise

METHOD

**Tip** This dish works well with any white fish fillets.
Heat the oven to 180·C. Place the Hake fillets on foil on a large baking tray (skin side down).
Spread a thin layer of  mayonnaise over each fillet. Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic and lemon zest, pour in the butter and mix with a fork.  Cover the fillets with the crumbs.  Transfer to the oven and roast for about 18 -20 minutes, or until the crust is golden. (don´t over cook the fish it becomes dry).
When the fish is cooked it´s easy to remove from the baking tray, leaving the skin on the foil.



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Easy Cheesy Fish Pie

Easy Cheesy Fish Pie
EASY
LUNCH, DINNER

Hands on time & cook time 45

This is a great dish for fussy fish eaters (like husbands!) It's very easy to make, my daughter prefers individual pies with veg served on the side, but you can opt for a large pie with chopped carrots or peas inside.  Poaching the fish is so quick and the cheesy creamy sauce  is always a winner in my house.  I sometimes make these in advance and freeze the fish pie but without the mash potato. You could also top them with a mix of potato and sweet potato for extra vitamin C.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Fishy Footballs

Fishy Footballs
EASY
LUNCH, DINNER, PICNIC

Hands on & cook time 40 mins











 
Finger foods are great for young kids especially if you are introducing new foods - it just makes it more interesting.  Here in Cataluna croquetas are really popular and I love the fact that fish cakes are now back in fashion in England so these are a  mixture of the two.  My daughter started to eat these when she was 9 months, they are lovely and soft, the salmon is not too strong and they are very nutritious. I love parsley, capers and spring onions in my footballs but Aina and Daddy don´t do green bits so I leave them out.  My daughter also says she doesn´t like onion but these need a little which is why I grate it to hide it !!


Fresh Breadcrumbs
I always use fresh breadcrumbs from fresh
granary, wholemeal or rye bread - a lot healthier than the shop bought breadcrumbs.  When you have crusts or a few slices of bread leftover whizz them up and keep them in the freezer so you always have them to hand which can be used directly frozen when cooking.
You can always add Parmesan to the breadcrumbs which adds a great cheesy crunch to the footballs !





The essential flavours and juices are retained in the parcel, leaving the fish moist and juicy.












Ingredients

300 gms  potatoes
100 gms fresh salmon fillet
half an onion (grated)
1 large  free range egg (beaten)
2 tbsp of mayonnaise
half a lemon
fresh breadcrumbs with Rye bread (centeno / espelta) I used 2 slices of bread
plain flour
olive oil

Method 

Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 mins, they need to be nice and soft - lumpy mash is not good!
Wrap the salmon in a parcel of parchment paper or foil with a squeeze of lemon and a little ground pepper. Cook in the oven 180 ·C for about 15 -18 mins. Grate the onion and cook in a little oil.  Drain the potatoes leave to cool a little, mash with 2 tbsp of mayonnaise and mix in the grated onion.  Flake the cooked salmon into the potatoes and be sure to remove any bones, mix it up really well.
Dusting your hands with flour shape into small footballs (I made 16). cover each with flour, dip into the beaten egg and roll into fresh breadcrumbs. Pop them into the fridge for an hour before cooking - this allows them to firm up slightly.  I´m not a big fan of frying food so I place the footballs on a lined baking sheet , spray with a little oil and grill for a couple of minutes until crisp.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and sour chicken
EASY
LUNCH, DINNER
Prep & Cook time 25 mins

Sweet & sour chicken (or Pork) is a great way to combine veg, fruit, protein and carbs. I serve it with rice or egg noodles.  My daughter is not crazy about bean sprouts but I love them and she always is willing to try them. It´s also nice to put bamboo shoots which are rich in nutrients you can buy these in a jar or tin.  It´s a really quick dish and with the vitamin A & C from the pineapple and also vitamin C from the orange juice it´s perfect for the whole family.  Don´t be afraid to cook the veg quick in this recipe - more nutrients and nice and crunchy.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Pita pockets

Wholemeal Pitta bread with cumin chicken and yogurt dressing.
EASY
LUNCH, DINNER

Prep & Cooking time 20 minutes











Pita breads are so versatile. It´s also a lot more fun for kids to explore new foods and prepare there own pitta pocket.  I buy wholemeal pitta breads, look for ones that don´t contain E numbers. We use pita breads for dipping, toasting and pockets. This recipe we all love in our family, everyone fills their own pitta at the table.

Butifarra Scotch eggs

Butifarra Scotch eggs
A LITTLE EFFORT - but worth it! 
LUNCH, DINNER,PICNIC

Prep & Cooking time 30-40 mins

Scotch eggs are pretty rectro and very English. I love to try and combine Catalan cuisine with British (to please everyone in the family !!) These are a perfect alternative way to use Butifarras - the typical Catalan sausage.  I buy the best quality meat I can directly from the Butchers in our local market. I serve these for a light dinner with salad, when made with quails eggs they are the perfect size and also ideal for picnics.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Grilled Tuna Steaks

Tune Marinade
EASY
LUNCH,DINNER

Tuna is a strongly flavoured fish, so I like to marinate it for my daughter.  She prefers fresh tuna to tinned tuna which is great.  It´s packed with Omega 3, quick and easy to cook.





This marinade is also good with chicken.





Ingredients

100 g Fresh Tuna steak
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cm freshly grated ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
**Sesame seeds to sprinkle**

Method

Mix the above ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and leave the tuna steak for 30 -45 mins in the fridge covered with clingfilm.
Grill  the tuna for 3 mins on each side (depending on steak size)

I serve the tuna with cous -cous,matchstick steamed carrots and green beans. We also love it with rice noodles and courgette.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Carrot and orange soup

Carrot and orange soup with granary bread

EASY
LUNCH , DINNER

Prep & cooking time 1 hour
Serves 4-6
Can be Frozen












Cooking with fruit is a perfect way to make sure your child is eating correctly. Making soup is so easy and quick it's ideal for a light supper. This recipe is perfect for the autumn, full of vitamin C & A. This was originally a BBC Food recipe with coriander, which I love! but my husband and daughter don´t like coriander so I´ve left it out.



Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
900 g/2lb carrots, scrubbed and chopped
1L /1 3/4 pt vegetable stock
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika
Rind and juice of 1 large orange
Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, then cover the pan and sweat them for 3 mins.
Peel and chop the carrots finely and add these to the pan. Cover again and sweat the vegetables for 10 mins.
Add stock, spices, rind and juice of an orange. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 mins.
Let the soup cool and liquidise. Season and re- heat.
Serve with wholemeal or granary bread to dip.






Monday, September 10, 2012

Paprika patatas

Paprika patatas

EASY
LUNCH, DINNER

Prep & Cooking time 50 mins














Potato wedges are a great alternative to "chips". Baked in the oven these are a lot healthier than frying chips and a lot tastier than bland oven chips. I love these, I prefer mine with crispier skins. These are a real hit with my in-laws and my parents too! Forget the ketchup these are delicious dipped in a Greek yogurt with garlic and cumin.

Ingredients

900g (2lbs) Medium-sized roasting potatoes,washed skins left on 
3tbsp olive oil 
1tsp paprika 
2tsp of fresh finely chopped rosemary or dried
Freshly ground black pepper and salt 


Method

Heat the oven to 200´C. Cut the potatoes length ways into wedges, place in a bowl. Drizzle with oil sprinkle with paprika and rosemary, then season with salt and pepper. Mix well and tip out onto a large roasting tin. Bake them on the middle shelf for 25-30 min, (or longer if you like them crispier like me) turning halfway, until tender,crisp and golden.

This original recipe was from Schwartz.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Quick and Cool Summer Soup


VERY EASY
LUNCH DINNER
SERVES 4








My daughter really doesn't do Gazapcho, so this is an alternative for something light and refreshing perfect on a hot day as a starter or a light supper.  Most kids love all types of melon this is just another way of eating it. My father in-law makes it a little different with cream instead of cream cheese.  I've played around with this a little by adding lime juice or lemon juice but Aina just loves it really simple.  I like to top it with crispy iberic pernil to give it some texture!  Must be served really chilled - enjoy!

Ingredients
  • half a melon
  • 1 tsp soft cheese (Philadelphia)
  • 3 leaves of mint (or more if preferred)
  • to garnish crispy iberic ham
Method
Cut melon into small chunks, add the cheese and mint and whiz with a hand mixer (or blender)and puree until smooth. Put the soup in the fridge it´s much nicer really chilled.