Moroccan Fish Stew

It’s easy to make your own spice mix for this recipe but “Raz El Hanout” can also be bought from the supermarkets. I can understand you wanting to shop for the spice as it’s easier, but making your own gives you the opportunity to adapt it to your taste. Blend all the ingredients together and store in a dark, air tight container. It will last a long time. I’m sure you will make this again. I give it 9 out of 10.

The spice mix (be precise)

·         2 teaspoons (10ml) ground ginger

·         2 teaspoons ground cardamom

·         2 teaspoons ground mace

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1 teaspoon ground allspice

·         1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

·         1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         1 teaspoon turmeric

·         ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

·         ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

·         ½ teaspoon ground anaise seeds

·         ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

The Stew

Once all the ingredients are prepared cooking the stew is easy

·         1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil - or a mix of spray oil and olive oil

·         550g of your favorite fish, cut into large chunks, can be frozen or fresh

·         Salt & pepper

·         1 tablespoon ras el hanut - see recipe to make this

·         1 onion, chopped

·         3 birds eye chilies, chopped and no more as it gets too hot. If it is too hot cool down with fat free yogurt.

·         3 large, ripe tomatoes, grated - yes I said grated

·         1 x tin chopped tomatoes

·         1 tablespoon tomato purée

·         1 heaped tablespoon ground cumin

·         Pinch of saffron

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         2 teaspoons ground ginger

·         2 bay leaves

·         1-2 teaspoons fennel seeds

·         3 garlic cloves, crushed

·         1 fish stock cube

·         1 cup water

·         2 tablespoons harissa paste - can be bought from large supermarkets

·         1 leek, thinly sliced (optional) can use cabbage cut into strips

·         Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

·         Zest of 1 lemon

·         Handful of white beans, pulses or similar

Method

Clean and cut the fish into chunks - chunky rather than small as fish can easily break into small bits when cooking. Season with ras el hanut and a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat the oil mix and gently fry the onion in it until it’s soft and translucent. Add the grated tomatoes, tinned tomatoes and tomato purée and simmer for a few minutes.

Stir in the spices and garlic and allow the flavours to infuse. Season with salt & pepper, add the stock cube, water and harissa paste and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the leek, cooked or tinned beans, fish, and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Sprinkle the herbs and lemon zest over the top and serve , great on its own,  it’s great and even better the following day if there is any left.

This will serve about 4-5 people easily.

Recipe for Chicken Soup

This is a traditional soup of Bulgaria. It’s the poor man’s food because its good value for money.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped small

1 tablespoon of oil (to fry onions, but may be spray oil.)

1 potato, diced small (into pieces a little bigger than the size of a pea).

1 carrot, diced.

1 garlic clove, crushed.

1 chicken leg (this will feed 2 people).  Take the skin off.

2 bay leaves.

1 tablespoon oregano.

1 tablespoon basil.

1 teaspoon chilli flakes (to taste).

2 stock cubes dissolved in water (about 300 ml per person)

Small amount of spaghetti

1 egg yolk

Milk

Vinaigrette for dressing on top of soup

1-2 teaspoons of vinegar

A good pinch of chilli flakes

One crushed garlic clove

Mix these three ingredients together.

Preparation

Sweat the onion in a pan with the oil (spray oil can be used)

Heat the water with the dissolved stock cubes then add it to the pan.

Add the skinless chicken leg (leave the bone in).

Add bay leaves, carrot, potato, oregano, basil, garlic and chilli flakes.

Break the spaghetti into 1 inch pieces and add this to the stock.

Boil for about 20 minutes, then take the chicken out and with 2 forks and shred the meat off the bone.  Be careful, its hot!

Then add the chicken meat back to the stock and boil for about 2 minutes more.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolk with a little milk to make a watery liquid.

Allow the stock to cool slightly then add the egg mixture to this.

When it’s cooling down, it’s the best time to eat.

Sprinkle the vinaigrette on the soup before eating.

Healthy “Dauphinoise” Potatoes

A Tasty potato dish that can be served for lunch all on its own.

Ingredients

Washed Potatoes - leave skins on.

Onions

Butter (only for greasing the dish).

1 pint of chicken stock.

Salt and pepper.

Cup of milk.

Parmesan cheese.

Preparation

Slice about 3 potatoes as finely as possible; a mandolin will make short work of this..

2 onions also sliced.

Grease the bowl with the butter and layer the onions.  Then add a layer of potatoes.  Add salt and pepper as you go.

Fill your bowl, layer after layer.

Warm the stock and then add one cup of semi skimmed milk.  Pour this over your potatoes and onions to no more than half the depth of the bowl.

Grate the parmesan over the top of the potatoes and onions, and cook for about 1 hr.30min at 200 degrees C or gas no 6.

(Check after one hour to allow for different oven characteristics.)

Trallaaaa!  A great, tasty dish that is cheap and filling. (Watch your portions here as you will want more.)

My Adaptation of a Cauliflower Pizza Base Recipe

(Yes, you read it correctly; I said “cauliflower base”)

Put the oven on at 400˚F (Reg 6 or 204˚C)

Ingredients

300g of cauliflower florets, grated to be like the texture of rice. (Use centre and stems for a soup later.)

25g of garlic powder (I prefer powder to fresh garlic here as this is a very wet mixture).

140g of mozzarella cheese, shredded.

25g of finely chopped nuts (optional).

1-2 teaspoons (5-10ml) of oregano, depending on taste (1 teaspoon for normal taste).

1 teaspoon of paprika.

1 teaspoon turmeric.

Tomato purée.

Grated parmesan cheese.

And, a selection of your favourite toppings (peppers, tomatoes, spring onions, chicken, lean bacon, sweet corn, etc.),

First, you have to take the moisture out of the cauliflower.  Coat a wok (or large frying pan) with spray-light oil.

Put the grated cauliflower into the wok and place on a low light.  Stir and cook for at least 8 minutes; it should just be turning brown when ready.  Alternatively, microwave for 8 minutes stirring from time to time to release the steam.

Mix together the garlic, mozzarella cheese, nuts and all the spices.

Reserve the tomato purée, vegetables and parmesan cheese until the pizza is cooked .

Add the mixed ingredients to the cauliflower and bind it together.  This will be a sloppy mixture, so don’t worry.  You need to line a pizza tray with foil or greaseproof paper and spray it well with fry-light.  (It will stick regardless, but spraying will give you some damage control later.  I use a baking stone - and it’s worth investing in one of these - but even then it will stick.)

Spread the dough evenly over the base of the tray and bake for 40-45 minutes to dry out then loosen the base with a palette knife or similar.

When ready, and while still hot, spread the tomato purée over the base and add your vegetables (these can be pre-cooked if you wish) cover with grated parmesan and eat while warm.  I have reheated this and found it was acceptable.

Six Ingredient Tasty Fish Soup

Ever seen the watery soups that they say are full of flavour?  Well this is one of those - and it’s so easy to make.

I like fish but never knew how to make it tasty.

Ingredients (to serve three people).

300 grams of white fish.

2 bunches of spring onions, chopped.  Use almost all of the onion.

1 clam stock cube (you can buy this from your local Chinese supermarket or online costing around £1.00 for 6 cubes.)

1 litre of cold water.

Splash of Sesame oil.

4 slices of ginger (each about as big as a 50p piece.  Discard these afterwards.)

Black pepper

Preparation

Put the cold water in a pan and place the 4 pieces of ginger in it.  Bring it to the boil.

If your fish is frozen, add it now.  If fresh, leave it until later.  I personally can’t tell the difference.

Put the chopped spring onions in a separate bowl.  Sprinkle the sesame oil over the onions and mix.  Add a sprinkle of black pepper.

Crumble your clam stock cube into the boiled liquid.  (Now, add the fish if using fresh.)

Add all of the chopped spring onion mix.  

Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave.

Remove the ginger unless you like it

You can add peas, sugar snaps, mangetout, red peppers, sweet corn - in fact any small vegetable will help the taste.

Serve.

Note: The Chinese clam stock cube contains salt so don't add any more.  Also, if you find that half a cube is acceptable, use only the half in order to reduce the salt in the soup.