Tag Archive for: fish

Healthy Speedy Suppers, by food writer and Leith’s trained chef Katriona MacGregor, is a collection of fresh and vibrant recipes that don’t take long to rustle up. With nutritious veggie, seafood and meat offerings throughout the book, most recipes take less than 30 minutes with some 15 minute gems in there too.

The philosophy is ‘healthy eating for the time poor’, so as a young professional couple who start cooking after 6pm this sounded perfect. We’re a foodie couple too and love to cook everything from scratch, so that ticked yet another box.

I was drawn to the Lime and Coriander Crusted Tuna with Bean Salsa, which promised a zesty lime crust, refreshing bean salsa and fresh but spicy seasoning in under 15 minutes. Yes please! With tuna steaks in the freezer, avocado ripening at home and a stock cupboard of tinned beans, garlic and onions, I just had to grab some fresh tomatoes and coriander to make this dish.

You begin by simply seasoning the tuna with crushed peppercorns and coriander seeds and then throwing together the chopped salsa ingredients. Lastly you sear the tuna steaks (I did 3-4 minutes a side rather than the suggested 1) and bring together with the colourful salsa. With the tuna, black eyed beans and avocado having the most calories (all good fats of course) I estimated this dish at just under 500. So it would be great for the 5:2 or low GI diets too. Suffice to say, we ate it up just as fast as it was made.

Next up we want to try the Moroccan Fish Tagine, Spicy Prawn & Tomato Spaghetti and Mushroom and Wild Rice Pilaf.

 

Seared Tuna Steak - Emily CoatesEmily Coates

 

Emily Coates is a food blogger at recipesandreviews.co.uk. Emily is a food writer and online copywriter from the East Midlands. She loves nothing more than creating new recipes, making macarons and trying her hand at homemade pasta. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @emily_etc.
 

HealthySpeedySuppers_WEL_Cover

Katriona MacGregor
Healthy Speedy Suppers
£16.99, available from May 2016

Blackened sea bream recipe

Blackened Sea Bream or masgouf, as Iraq’s national dish is known, is much revered as a food for the mind as well as the body

 

author of The Jewelled Kitchen Bethany Kehdy“The infamous masgouf, as Iraq’s national dish is known, is a much-revered dish for Iraqis, reserved for special occasions. Considered to be food for the mind as well as the body, this Baghdad speciality sprang up along the banks of the Tigris, where the day’s catch would be served to Arak-sozzled patrons in cafés”, explains author of The Jewelled Kitchen. “It’s traditionally prepared with freshwater fish, similar to carp, butterflied and hung on skewers over brushwood fires. Mango chutney was introduced via Indian traders, and Iraqis made it their own with the inclusion of spices such as fenugreek.”

 

Blackened Sea Bream Recipe

 

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 10 minutes, plus time for marinating
Cooking time: 45 minutes

 

4 whole sea bream, pollock or haddock, about 1.25kg/2lb 12oz in total, cleaned and gutted, then butterflied (head and tail intact)

2 tbsp smoked sea salt flakes

1 tbsp tamarind paste or lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ground dried lime (optional)

chopped coriander leaves, to sprinkle

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Green Mango Chutney

2 green mangoes, sliced into 1cm/½in cubes

3cm/1¼in piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

½ garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp ground fenugreek

small pinch of crushed chilli flakes

4 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp clear honey

a small pinch of sea salt

 

1. Put all the fish in a grill pan and season the interiors and exteriors generously with the smoked salt.

2. Put the tamarind paste in a mixing bowl, add 3 tablespoons water and mix well. Add the olive oil and dried lime, if using, and whisk well. Season to taste with black pepper. Baste each of the fish liberally all over with the tamarind marinade. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the mango chutney. Put the mangoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek, chilli flakes, cider vinegar, honey, salt and 350ml/12fl oz/1½ cups water in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the mango is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. The chutney should be slightly runny.

4. Depending on your choice, preheat a grill to high, preheat a charcoal barbecue until the charcoal is burning white or turn on a gas barbecue. Secure the fish by flattening them between the wire racks of large fish-grilling baskets, 2 fish per basket, then cook for 7 minutes on each side or until charred, crispy and flaky. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and bake the fish on wire racks placed above baking trays for 10–15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish (the general rule is 7 minutes cooking time per 2.5cm/1in measured at the thickest part of the fish).

5. If using fillets, then heat a shallow, nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and sear the fish for 5 minutes on each side, carefully turning them.

6. Sprinkle coriander over the fish and serve with Chelow Rice, along with some of the green mango chutney and some Burnt Tomato and Chilli Jam, if you like.

 

Bethany Kehdy is a pioneer of today’s new Middle Eastern cuisine.The Jewelled Kitchen takes you on an unforgettable adventure of Middle Eastern and North African cuisines. From Tuna Tartare with Chermoula and Sumac-Scented Chicken Parcels, to Cardamom-Scented Profiteroles and Ma’amoul Shortbread Cookies – mouth-watering dishes for you to try. Find Bethany at her inspiring food blog dirtykitchesecrets.com.

 

    “Original and delicious” –  Yotam Ottolenghi

     The Jewelled Kitchen by Bethany Kehdy

      224 pages • Illustrated • £20.00

      AUS $32.99 NZ $42.00

      £20.00 l Buy the book now!