Fish Pie

Ingredients:

Fish - I prefer to use 3 different kinds, any fish can be used but I have used; Salmon, Monkfish & Cod
2 Celery Sticks
1 Carrot
1 Fennel
Half an oinion (Optional)
Handful Parsley
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
Half Nutmeg
Milk
8-10 Peppercorns
1 Tbsp Flour
1 knob of butter
1 Courgette / Zucchini
Potatoes
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Method: 

Put the whole fish fillets, pieces of celery, carrot, bay leaves, nutmeg, peppercorns, a couple of sprig of parsley into a pan & add around 1 pint or 500ml of milk into the pan.  If you are using onions add to the pan at this stage.  Bring to the boil, add the lid & simmer for about 5 minutes. 

While the fish is cooking peel the potatoes, & julienne the courgette / zucchini.

Remove the fish from the pan, cut into large chunks & add to an oven proof dish.  Also remove the large pieces of vegetables from the milk with a slotted spoon.

Drain the rest of the liquid to remove the smaller items from the milk.

Boil the potatoes until soft enough to mash, add butter, milk & some ground nutmeg & mash.

Sautee the courgette / zucchini in butter until soft & add to the cooked fish.

Time to make the roux, melt the knob of butter into the pan & add the flour.  There is no need to way the pan between stages as the sauce is soaking up the flavors.  Mix into a paste.

Gradually add the sieved cooking juices from the fish, until you have a white sauce.  Taste, then add salt & pepper.  Add a handful of chopped parsley.

Poor the sauce over the fish & vegetable in the oven proof dish, mix together gently.

 Add the mashed potatoes to the top of the fish, use a fork to create a stripe effect to the top & bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

I like to serve with roasted carrots & peas but these can be substituted with vegetable of your choice. You can make the fish base in bulk & freeze but add the mashed potato on the day of cooking.

Enjoy.

Homemade Ginger Ale

Ingredients:

Root Ginger
Agave
Water
Soda Water

Method:

Wash the ginger & cut into 5mm wide slices, make them as long as possible.

Place the slices into a large saucepan.  Add 2 - 3 tbsp agave to taste & fill the pan with water.

Cover & bring to the boil.  Then simmer for 1-2 hours or until the water has reduced by half & the ginger is tender.

Scoop out the ginger slices & place in a container.  Use a hand held blender & create a paste.  Transfer to a sieve & squeeze out the juice.

Throw the dry paste away & rinse the sieve.  Run the remaining liquid through the sieve & bottle.

When in need of refreshment pour between 1-2cm into a glass with ice then top up with soda water.  With just a few ingredients you can make a delicious drink that will also work well in cocktails.

Green Curry with Salmon

Ingredients:

Curry Paste:
5 Celery Sticks
1 Large Bunch of Coriander / Cilantro
1 Large bunch of Basil or Thai Basil
6-10 Green Serrano Chili Peppers
4 Thai or Birds Eye Chilies
2 Cloves Garlic
1" Chunk of Ginger
1 bunch Spring Onions / Scallions (Optional)
1 tbsp Curry powder
3 tbsp Water or Coconut Water

Method:

Cut all the ingredients into chunks.  Depending on your spice preference remove the seeds from some or all of the chilies.

Place all the ingredients into the food processor.  Wash the herbs & use scissors to cut into 1cm wide sections including the storks but not the roots.  Add the curry powder & liquid.

Mix for 30 seconds & then use a spatula to clean the sides & pile any solid pieces into the middle.  Close the lid & mix again for 30 seconds.

Once mixed split the mixture between 4 Ziploc bags.  These can be frozen ready to use for up to 3 months.  In our house I tend to make a batch every month.

Curry:
1 Large Salmon Steak (Preferably similar thickness all the way through)
1 Fennel Bulb or 1 Onion
1 Sweet Potato
Handful of Green Beans
1 Tin Light Coconut Milk
Coconut Oil or Substitute
3 Thai Chilies (Optional)
1 tsp curry powder
Bunch of Coriander / Cilantro
Naan bread (Optional)

Chop the sweet potato into cubes. Put 1 tbsp coconut oil with the curry powder, mix together then add the sweet potato & shake the pan to coat each cube with curry powder.  Cover & leave to cook while you chop the remaining vegetables remembering to stir occasionally.

Remove the skin from the salmon & cut into even sized 2cm cubes.  The best / easiest way to chop the fennel is to remove the rough stalks & chop into quarters.  Then remove the hard centre, each quarter can then be sliced into strips no more than 5mm wide.  Top & tail the beans & cut in half.  Leave the chilies whole just remove the top of the stalk.

Place the vegetables into the pan & add the curry paste & stir making sure everything is coated.  Then add the entire tin of coconut milk & the chilies.

Cover & cook for 10 minutes.  Then add the salmon cubes & cook for a further 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat & add the chopped coriander / cilantro to the top & cover.

While the curry rests put the naan bread into the toaster.  While the bread is cooking stir the curry to mix all the ingredients together & serve.  The Salmon has continued to cook in the residual heat, it can be slightly pink in the middle but should be moist & melt in the mouth.  If over cooked it will become dry.  Serve & enjoy.

Swordfish & Spicy Soba Noodles

Ingredients:

The below quantities are for 3 or 4 people:

Swordfish (8oz - 10oz per person)
2 Thai Chillies
1 Clove Garlic
1 Inch Piece of Root Ginger
Pinch of Salt

Soba Noodles (2oz per person)
- I prefer 100% Buckwheat Noodles as they are Gluten Free
1/2 Red Cabbage
3 Carrots
Handful of Green Beans or Snow Peas
1 Container of Mushrooms
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Penut Oil
Chili Flakes - To Taste
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Inch Piece of Root Ginger
2 Thai Chilies
2 Tbsp Mirin
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 bunch of Corriander / Cilantro
Handful Shelled Pistachios (Optional)
Sesame Seeds

* I like spicy food, so make sure to adjust above spice measurements to taste


Method:

Wash & dry the Swordfish thoroughly, then cut off the dark areas of fish.
In a pestle & mortar place the peeled garlic glove, the sliced ginger & chili plus the salt, then pound to a fine pulp.  You can also add a splash of oil at this stage, but this is optional.

Then lay the Swordfish onto a foil covered grill or broil tray.
Put about half a tsp of the chili mix onto each of the Swordfish pieces.

Wash the vegetables.
Chop the cabbage in half, remove the outer layers & the hard centre, then finely slice.
Chop the carrots into sticks about 5mm wide & 50mm long.
Top & tail the beans & cut in half.  If you are using Snow Peas just top & tail them.
Slice the mushrooms into 4.
Finely slice 1 clove of garlic, the chilies & ginger.

Now put the Soba Noodles into a saucepan of boiling water.  They tend to stick together so I drop them in a small handful at a time, fanning them out into the boiling water.
Boil the noodles for 5 minutes, then rinse immediately in cold water.  You'll need to do this 2 or 3 times, till the water runs clear.  Then cover the noodles in cold water & set aside till later.

Get a large frying pan & set it on a high heat.  Put both the oils into the pan with the chili flakes & 2 whole peeled garlic cloves.  Let the flavors merge on the heat until the garlic cloves are brown.  Then remove them from the oil, as they are only used to flavor the oil.

Turn on the Grill / Broiler & put the Swordfish steaks into cook.
Put all the vegetables & spices into the frying pan & splash over the Mirin & Soy Sauce.  Stir to mix all the ingredients together.

Cover the vegetables & cook for 5 minutes.
Chop the washed Corriander/Cilantro & wheeled Pistachio nuts.

Turn over the Swordfish steaks & put the remaining chili paste onto the other side of the fish.  Place back under the grill/broiler.
Stir the vegetables, then cover & continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Now move the vegetables to one side of the pan & put the drained Soba noodles into the other side of the pan to heat them through.
Mix the vegetables & noodles together gently making sure not to break the noodles.
Get the Swordfish steaks from the Grill & put them onto the plate along with the noodles & vegetables.
Sprinkle the Corriander / Cilantro onto the noodles followed by the nuts & sesame seeds.

Enjoy! This has become one of our favorite meals.  All the vegetables can be changed depending on preference but it looks good to have lots of different colours on the plate.

Apple & Blackerry Crumble

Ingredients:

3 Granny Smith or Cooking Apples
1 punnet Blackberries
8oz All Purpose or Plain Flour
4oz Butter
4oz Sugar
12 Ameretti Biscuits
5 slices Crystalised Ginger (Optional)

Method:

Peel, core & chop apple into quarters, then slice each quarter into 4 pieces.
Add apple chunks, finely sliced ginger, (optional), approx 2 tablespoons of water & sugar to a saucepan.  Cover & cook on a mid temperature while you prepare the crust.

For the Crumble Crust put the flour, butter & sugar into a bowl.  The butter should be cold & cut into cubes.

Now it's time to get your hands dirty.... so make sure you've washed them properly. Mix all the crumble ingredients together & start squeezing the butter cubes between your fingers, while combining it with the butter & sugar until you have something that looks like breadcrumbs. Then crush the Ameretti biscuits roughly in your hand & mix with the rest of the crumble mix.

The apples should now be cooked.  Put the apples into your oven proof crumble bowl & add the washed blackberries.  

You can complete the above stages earlier in the day.  If you are doing this, cover the fruit mix & the crumble top separately & store in a cool place.  When you are ready to cook the crumble, combine the elements & sprinkle sugar on the top.  Then place towards the top of a pre-heated oven on 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit & cook for 30 minutes.  Serve with Birds custard, I know it's wrong but it's such a nostalgic taste that I have to have it.

Enjoy!  The review of this particular crumble was, 'I've never tasked better!"