Prawns With Asparagus

Prawns With Asparagus

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 175 g/ 6 oz fresh asparagus, cut into  2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
• salt
• 4 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 500 g/ 1 lb peeled prawns
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp finely chopped root ginger
• 4 spring onions, chopped

Method:

• Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2 minutes; drain well and set aside.
• Mix the sherry and soy sauce together in a  large bowl. Stir in the prawns and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a wok and quickly stir-fry the garlic, ginger and half the spring onions. Add the prawns and marinade, and the asparagus and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the ingredients are hot.
• Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining spring onions. Serve immediately.

Enjoy your meal!

Source: Sainsbury’s Stand-Up Cookbook: Wok Dishes”, 1985 by Caroline Ellwood

Elena G

Plaice in Polish Sauce

Hi! Today is about fish again. It is a recipe followed from “The Practical Encyclopedia of East European Cooking” 1999, by  Lesley Chamberlain as are these many other recipes, in case you feel like cooking more:

• Mixed Vegetable Casserole
• Bavarian Cream
• Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup/ Tarator
• Baklava
• Layered Pancake Gâteau
• Beef Stroganov
• Baked Peaches

The recipe mentions Polish sauce and also that it is only in name not in origin, so don’t get fooled. It is an easy recipe and for this time of year when Orthodox are fasting for Christmas, there are lots of days when you can have fish. In case you don’t know how to cook it, here is another idea.

Plaice in Polish Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 plaice fillets, about 225g/ 8 oz each
• 75 g/ 3 oz/ 6 tbsp butter
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled and finely chopped
• 30 ml/ 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 15 ml/ 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• lemon slices, to garnish
• boiled baby carrots, to serve

Method:

• Put the fish, skin down, on a sheet of greased foil or baking paper (healthier option) on a grill rack. Melt the butter in a small pan and brush a little over the fish. Season with salt and pepper. (If you don’t have a grilled oved, you can fry the fish in a pan)
• Grill the fish under a  moderate heat for 8-10 minutes, or until just cooked. Transfer to a warmed plate.
• Add the eggs, dill and lemon juice to the melted butter in the pan. Heat gently for 1 minute. Pour over the fish just before serving. Garnish with lemon slices and serve with boiled baby carrots.

Enjoy your meal!

Elena G

Salmon With Sizzling Coriander

As the author says, it is a superb salmon dish from America. And in case you did not know, coriander is known as cilantro there. The recipe is from the book “Coriander – A Book of Recipes”, 1997, written by Hellen Sudell. I followed it years and years ago and it was good. You can check another recipe from this book, fragrant coriander rice and hopefully will tempt you to follow it too.

Salmon With Sizzling Coriander

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon steaks, about 175/ 6 oz each
• 4 tbsp/ 60 ml chopped fresh coriander
• 3 tbsp/ 45 ml grated fresh root ginger
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp/ 60 ml soy sauce, plus extra to serve
• 5 tbsp/ 75 ml olive oil (or cold-pressed sunflower oil if you don’t have olive oil, like me ;)) )
• salt and ground black pepper
• lettuce and coriander sprigs, to garnish

Method:

• Season the salmon steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Prepare a steamer, add the salmon steaks, cover and steam for 7-8 minutes until the fish is opaque throughout. Imho, if the steaks are too thick, may be you should check the salmon after that time and leave it a few more minutes.
• Place the steamed salmon steaks on warmed plates. Divide the chopped coriander among them, mounding it on top of the fish. Sprinkle with the ginger and then the spring onions. Drizzle 15 ml/ 1 tbsp of soy sauce over each salmon steak.
• Heat the oil in a small heavy-based saucepan until very hot. Spoon the hot oil over each salmon steak and serve immediately, with more soy sauce, if you like. Garnish with lettuce and coriander sprigs.

Cook’s Tip: If you don’t own a steamer, cook the fish steaks on a lightly buttered plate over a pan of simmering water. Cover the fish with greaseproof paper or invert a second plate on top.

Enjoy your meal!

Elena G

 

Crisp Pan-fried Fish With Anchovy Butter

Another fish recipe! Borrring! ;)) Followed from “Cooking for Two”, 1996 de Richard Olney and Simon Wheeler. The good thing is that is the last one from this book. The rest are from other sources. :))

Crisp Pan-fried Fish With Anchovy Butter

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 small fish fillets
• plain flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp cream
• 2 tbsp oil

Anchovy Butter

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 50 g soft butter (please go with at least 80% fat butter)
• 3 anchovy fillets, drained
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp chopped fresh basil

Method:

• Toss fish in flour, shake away excess flour, dip fish in combined egg and cream.
• Heat oil in pan, add fish, cook until browned and crisp; drain on absorbent paper.
• Serve with anchovy butter and green salad, if desired. Serve with shoestring potatoes.

Method for anchovy butter:

• Combine butter, anchovies, garlic and basil in bowl; mixx well. Spoon mixture onto foil, shape into a log, roll up firmly. Refrigerate until firm.

Enjoy your meal!

• Butter can be made a day ahead.
• Storage: Covered, in refrigerator.
• Freeze: Butter suitable.
• Microwave: Not suitable.

Elena G

Spicy Stew Fish

It is a wonderful and sunny day today. It is a day that works very well with a stew…a fish stew. So in today’s menu there will be a light, spicy and easy recipe folllowed from “Cooking for Two”, 1996 by Richard Olney and Simon Wheeler. In a few minutes it is ready. If you cook a side dish, a little longer but not too long. 🙂

Spicy Stew Fish

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 (about 650 g) firm white thick fish cutlets or fillets
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp oil (cold-pressed suitable for cooking, preferable)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tso garam masala
• 410 g can tomatoes
• 1/3 cup tomato puree
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method:

• Cut fish into 3 cm cubes; toss fish in turmeric. Heat oil in pan, add fish; cook until lightly browned; remove from pan.
• Add onion and spices to pan, cook, stiring, until onion is soft. Stir in undrained crushed tomatoes and puree, simmer, uncovered, about 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Stir in fish; cook, uncovered, until fish is tender; remove from heat, stir in sour cream and fresh coriander. Serve with nutty rice (or basmati rice).

Enjoy your meal!

• Freeze: Not suitable.
• Microwave: Not suitable.

Elena G

Lemon Pepper Grilled Fish

As I am on my way to finish all the fish recipes, here it is another one. I followed it from the already well-known book “Cooking for Two” , 1996,  writen by Richard Olney and Simon Wheeler. ;)) Is is an easy and fun recipe and I am sure you will like it too.

Lemon Pepper Grilled Fish

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 1 (about 700 g) whole firm white fish
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp oyster sauce (you can replace it with fish or soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (you can replace it with any cold-pressed high-temperature friendly oil)
• 2 tsp seasoned pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 red pepper, finely chiopped

Method:

• Using vegetable peeler, peel lemon rind very thinly, cut rind into thin strips (imo, you can also grate lemon rind and use it as such); you need 1 tbsp rind.
• Make 3 cuts on each side of fish. Combine the 1 tbsp rind, juice, sauce, oil, seasoned pepper, garlic, sugar, mint and red pepper in bowl; mix well. Rub pepper mixture into both sides of fish, cover, refrigerate 2 hours.
• Drain fish from marinade, reserve marinade. Place fish on wire rack in flameproof dish, grill until browned and tender. If your cooker doesn’t have a grill, you can always use a grill pan. Heat reserved marinade in pan, bring to boil, remove from heat, pour over fish. Serve with risoni and wild rice salad.

Enjoy your meal!

• Recipe can be prepared 3 hours ahead.
• Storage: Covered, in refrigerator.
• Freeze: Not suitable.
• Microwave: Not suitable.

Elena G

Cheesy Fish Cakes with Spring Onions

Hi! Here is another recipe I discovered and followed, while abroad. I like to share my experiences with food, more as an enthusiast, and also to make them available to Romanian people, that is why you will find them translated too. Sharing is caring they say. I care, I guess. 🙂 I can talk about food so that it will make you heart melt and make you hungry instantly. :)) Let’s proceed and dive into a delicious recipe from Josceline Dimbleby’s “Marvellous Meals with Mince”, 1982. It’s very easy as you will discover and goes very well with a salad, a bit of mayonnaise or Greek yoghurt as a lighter and healthier choice. Your pick.

Cheesy Fish Cakes with Spring Onions

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 350 g/ 12 oz  cod fillets, fresh or thawed from frozen
• 75 g/ 3 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• a bunch of spring onions
• 100 g/ 4 oz grated cheese
• 1 tsp/ 5 ml capers, chopped finely (optional) (you can replace them with green olives if you like)
• 4-5 pinches of cayenne pepper
• 1 egg (size 2) and 1 egg yolk
• butter for frying (the original recipe from the book mentions margarine too, but you already know my opinion about margarine, NOOOOO)
• salt

Method:

• If necessary skin the cod fillets  (if using frozen fresh fish this is much easier done before thawing) and mince or chop in a food processor. Put in a bowl with the breadcrumbs. Chop the spring onions finely, using as much of the green stalk as possible, and add them to the fish and breadcrumbs, together wiht the grated cheese and the capers.
• Season with salt and the cayenne pepper and mix all together thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Whisk the egg and egg yolk and stir into the mixture. With well-floured hands, shape the mixture into fairly small fish cakes.
• Heat a good blob of butter in a large frying pan. Fry the fish cakes (you will probably have to do them in two batches) over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes on each side until golden brown, turning carefully once with a fish slice. Transfer to a dish, pour over any extra butter from the pan and serve. (If necessary they will keep hot in a low oven perfectly well for an hour or so).

Enjoy your meal!

Elena G