Dieters Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Avocado Salsa

Nom nom.

Avocado Salsa

• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 seedless chilli, minced
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 avocado cut into little cubes
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs
• Pinch of cayenne

Chop all into little bits and stir lightly together. Leave to 'set'.

Healthy Tartare Sauce

• Greek Yogurt
• Dill
• Gerkhin or capers
• Lemon Juice
• Salt/pepper
  

A little bit of everything to taste.

Beer Battered Fish

• 6 tablespoons flour
• Few more tablespoons of flour
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 cup beer
• 500ish gm fishie fishie, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 teaspoons canola oil

Mix the 6 tbsp flour, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper then added the beer using a whisk. Voila, you have batter!

Give your fish a quick shower under the cold tap to get the smelly icki sticky fishy juices off the outside. Then dunk each piece into the 'few more tablespoons of flour' to coat them.

Warm the two teaspoons of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat, then drunk each piece of fish into the batter, letting the excess drip off into the bowl before laying into the pan. Cook for approx 2-3 minutes on each side.

For people who are being naughty: have with warmed soft tortillas (though these are not that bad for you).

For people who are being good: have the fish with some lemon, salsa and a big salad.

Janets Diet Curry

This curry has jack all in it but tastes awesome -loads and loads of flavour - and fills the gap without any lard at all. It is quite carbo though, its good for slimmers world type diets.

300 ml of vegetable stock
750gm sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size wedges
1 onion thinly sliced
225g fresh baby spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 red chilli sliced thinnly
1 TBSP medium or hot curry powder
4 Ripe plum tomatoes chopped or canned tomatoes drained)
salt and pepper
1 can of chickpeas (optional)

Pop the stock into a pot adding sweet potatoes and onions. The liquid will not cover the potatoes but go with it. Bring to the boil reducing the heat, covering and simmering for 4-5 minutes.

Add the spinach, garlic, chilli, curry powder, tomatoes and chick peas. Stir well and cook over a medim heat for ten minutes until spinach has wilted and the potatoes are soft. Serve without rice or anything.

Chicken Salad for dieters

1 skinless boneless chicken breast per person
Paprika
Sugar
Salt/pepper
Flour

Crunchy lettuce/rocket/salad/baby gem
Cherry/baby plum tomatoes
Red onion
Avocado
Boiled egg
Lemon
Spray balsamic
Sugarsnap peas

Put 1TBSP paprika into a bowl
Add 2 TBSP flour
Add 1 tsp Sugar
Add 1 tsp Salt

Stir well.

Slice chicken into smaller pieces, then throw into flour mixture and coat completely. Place coated chicken into George Foreman for approx 5 minutes, or until cooked through. This will dispense of any fat and also make the coat crispy and the inside tender. I am in love with my George Foreman.

Toss into salad with other ingredients. Add baby or new potatoes if required. Squeeze lemon over the top and spray with balsamic.

Optional add on for boys: Make a dressing using mustard, mayo and lemon juice for a naughtier ceasar type dressing.

Baby Gem Boats

This is a GREAT diet lunch -

A fresh, washed baby gem lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Red onion
Avocado

Cress

Can tuna/salmon
Capers
Dill
Lemon juice
Dollop of low fat mayo
Salt/pepper

Mix the tuna (salmon), capers, dill, lemon juice and mayo into a tasty paste. Place a tablespoon of the mixture into the bowl of a baby gem leaf. Chop tomatoes finely and sprinkle over the top, same with avocado and red onion. Squeeze a lemon over the lot and top with cress, salt and pepper. So easy but so tasty!!

Heres mine from today :)

Gravy (red or white meats)

Remove roasted meat from roasting dish and place on a chopping board for carving.

Add a couple of cups of boiling water to the crusty dish and leave to sit for a moment, attacking with a fork to help the deliciousness dissolve into the water. Pop dish over element on a medium heat and add a good splash or white wine (if cooking white meat) or red wine (if cooking red meat) (optional).

If you dont have a lot of tasty crusty stuff in the pan you might want to add a stock cube (depending on the type of meat) as well.

Add milk until you get a nice creamy colour (use cream if you are being super naughty!). Add a tablespoon or so of flour (any kind) and whisk lumps out with a fork or whisk and continue to heat until it begins to thicken. Make sure it gets a good cookn to ensure the flour dissolves fully. If it doesnt thicken add a wee bit more flour until you get a good consistency.

Season if necessary - you can use a bit of soy if you want rich colour too but be careful not to add salt if you do.

Tip: If you throw a rough cut onion and some whole unpeeled garlic cloves into the base of the roasting dish before you roast the meat you'll get lots of flavour in the juices (as per the roast chicken recipe).

Green Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

If you're feeling like something a little lighter but delicious and filling.. or if you have a cold like Simon!!

4 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
Two cooked chicken breasts, shredded (or a ready cooked chicken from the supermarket)
Green curry paste
Milk/cream/coconut milk - about 100ml
Approx 1lt hot water
2 chicken stock cubes (added to hot water)
Fresh basil
Fresh corriander
Rice noodles (or those pre cooked in a vacuum pack - avoid dry egg noodles)

Gently saute the finely chopped shallots in a pan with oil until soft, add garlic and fry for a further minute. Add a big table spoon and a bit of green curry paste and fry for a further minute. Add chicken stock and water and stir.
Add noodles until soft and noodle-like. Add cream/milk/coconut cream, chicken, and a couple of tablespoons of each herb and cook until chicken is heated through. Taste for seasoning and balance ingredients until perfect.

Serve with a sprinkle of the fresh herbs on the top.

Fail-Safe Roast Potatoes

8 tablespoons olive oil (or tub of goose fat)
6 massive potatoes - peeled, halved
1.5 tablespoons flour

Place potatoes in pot of cold water, put on heat, bring to boil and leave for 5 minutes. Strain, let steam rise and potatoes cool and dry a little. Put oil in roasting dish and pop in oven for 7-8 minutes.

Throw flour in to potato pot, put lid on and shake pot to muss up the edges of the potatoes. Empty pan into very hot oil (or one by one with spoon to prevent splashes).

Roast at whatever temp oven is at for roast (180-200c) for about 40 minutes or until super crispy and yum.

Wild Rocket and Chilli Spaghetti

This is Cams (Jamie Olivers) recipe, he says its super yummy and makes it all of the time. Looks delish and cant wait to try it!

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 dried red chilli, crumbled
• 4 anchovy fillets in olive oil
• 3 handfuls of wild rocket
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 500g dried spaghetti
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat a wide saucepan or frying pan over a medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic, chilli and the anchovy fillets and fry gently for a minute or so. Add 2 handfuls of the wild rocket with the lemon zest and juice and then remove from the heat. The rocket will wilt from the heat – mix it well with the garlic, chilli and anchovies.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water, according to the packet instructions, and drain. Tip into the saucepan and toss together with the rocket and chilli sauce. Season well with salt and pepper and serve with some of the reserved fresh rocket and the grated Parmesan on top

Butternut, pecan, ricotta and sage pasties

Ingredients
800 g puff pastry
8oo g pumpkin, seeds and skin removed and chopped into 2 cm chunks
1 red onion, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 sage leaves, finely chopped
100 g toasted pinenuts
350 g ricotta
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly whisked

Method
Roll pastry out until approximately 3mm thick. Cut into 10 cm circles for finger food size or 16 cm for lunch size. Refrigerate and leave to rest for 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 180 CPlace pumpkin and red onion in a baking dish, season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.Bake until pumpkin is tender, sprinkle with sage for the last 10 minutes of cooking.Once pumpkin has cooled place in a bowl and gently mix with pine nuts, ricotta and parmesan.Increase oven heat to 200 C.Spoon filling into the centre of each pastry disc, fold in half to form a pastie shape making sure filling is enclosed. Press around edges with a fork, place on an oven tray and brush with egg. Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

Fishcakes

This is quite yummy for a change - pretty easy too.

• Some fish (350-450gm-ish)
• 150ml milk
• 150ml water
• 350gm-ish potatoes
• tablespoon of something creamy - bestfoods, sour cream, creme fraise, cream (any'll do)
• whatever herbs take your fancy (parsley, dill, basil, mixed, dry (a bit of chilli powder is good), fresh blah).
• lemon juice or zest
  
• an egg (beaten in a bowl)
  
• some flour
• some bread crumbs (I didnt have any so toasted bread in oven at 60-odd degrees while I prepared the rest, then smashed with a bacardi bottle when I was ready for it)

Put fish, milk, water in to pan. Bring to boil, lower heat then simmer for 4 minutes. Take off heat, put the lid on and leave to sit for ten minutes.

Extract fish with a holey spoon and leave in a bowl.

Boil potatoes. When soft, drain, leave for a few minutes to let moisture evaporate then moosh in pot. Add spoon of creamy yum. Add herbs, lemon juice and a good dose of salt and pepper. Taste (this is the bit you want to be yummy). Flake in fish with your fingers then fold into potato. Just once or twice - don't stir!

Roll patties with floury hands, dip in the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Fry 5 minutes each side.

Serve with watercress salad and a slice of lemon. Yum!

Mammas Roast Chicken

Mammas roast chicken is super easy and ALWAYS a winner.

She melts some butter, fires it on top of the chicken with lots of salt, places in pan with a cup or two or water in the base to stop it sticking and roasts it on fan bake at 175 degrees for about 2 hours. Delish!

Lately, I've tried a couple of variations. Cooking roasts every sunday with the neighbours means constant competition so here is my favourite;

Preheat oven to 240 degrees

2 Large carrots - not peeled
2 large onions - peeled
Rough chop both in really large bits

1 whole bulb of garlic, broken to cloves - outer shell peeled but cloves DEFINATELY left in shell

Chuck all in roasting dish, drizzle olive oil generously

Place chook on top of all of the veges (so resting off the base of the dish), follow mammas chicken recipe (minus the water as the veges make their own water) - throwing the salt all over the chick and the veges.

As soon as you put it in the oven, reduce heat to 200 degrees. Leave it for about 1 hour 20 minutes.

The veges taste amazing and the gravy is wicked with lots of flavours.

Enjoy!

Oarsome Roast Lamb! Nom!

Hi guys, here is a great recipe for roast lamb, we have just this minute finished sunday night roast and this was really, well and truely delish!

This is for a 1.5kg leg.

Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

On the bench or a board spread a couple of tbsp of flour and roll your lamb leg through, covering completely. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally.

Take the roasting dish and pour a good wallop of olive oil into it. Put it over the element until its nice and hot then throw a whole bulb of chopped rough garlic.

Chuck in the lamb leg and seal for about 10 minutes - tanning all surfaces.

Take off the heat, throw in a glass of white wine or water until there is about 1cm of liquid at the bottom.

Put into the oven for about 2 hours, uncovered. Baste two or three times while cooking, top up liquids if they dry up too much. Check for pink juices - if clear its ready.

Nom nom.

Roast Pork

I don't know what recipe mum and dad use for their roast pork, but this is a good 'un and we use this one for Sunday roasts with friends - awesome crackling every time! xx

A big pork lump (1.5kg-ish) WITH crackling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions, halved
2 carrots chopped in big bits1 bulb of garlic worth of unpeeled cloves

Preheat your oven to full whack, it needs to be at least 220°C.

Place your pork on a clean work surface, skin-side upwards. Score the skin cutting through the tough bit but not all of the way through to the meat.

Rub salt right into scores, give it a good old massage to get the flavour in there. Brush any excess salt off the surface of the skin and turn it over. Season the pork all over the underside and sides. Place skin side-up in a roasting tray and place in the hot oven.

Roast for about half an hour until the skin of the pork has started to puff up and you can see it turning into crackling. Turn the heat down to 180°C and roast for another hour. Take out of the oven and baste with the fat in the bottom of the tray.

Lift the pork up and transfer to a chopping board. Add all the veg, garlic and thyme to the tray and stir them into the fat. Place the pork on top of everything and whack back into the tray. Roast for another hour. By this time the meat should be meltingly soft and tender. Move the meat to a serving dish, cover with tin foil and leave to rest.

Make gravy as per gravy recipe, but if there is lots of fat on the top of the liquid in the pan, spoon it off before you get started.

Nom Nom Hokey Pokey

5 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

Put sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Boil for two minutes. Stir occasionally, if necessary, to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Add baking soda. Stir quickly until mixture froths up. Pour onto a nonstick surface (or any surface sprayed with oil spray). Leave until cold and hard. Break into pieces.

Triumphant Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

1 Big vanilla bean
3 cups of cream
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs

With a knife, slice the vanilla bean in half, length-ways. Scrape the seeds into a large heavy saucepan and add cream, milk and sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.

In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs. Add hot cream mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking. Return to pot. Cook custard over moderate heat until a film appears on the back of a spoon.

Pour custard through a sieve into a bowl and chill.

When cool, place in ice cream churn - you'll probably need to do two batches as this recipe is rather large.

We made this for dinner at Z and R's last night, and threw in some hokey pokey after the churn had finished. In another batch we threw in 4 fresh passionfruit. Both were what dad describes as triumphant. So super gooood!