Baked Salmon with Herbs - Fish, Feed our Future
Salmon isn't just for summer, it's one of the easiest fish to cook and very popular with the whole family all year round.
Omega-3 is a type of fat found in oil-rich fish like salmon, trout, mackerel sardines and herring- it's a 'good' fat that's not only beneficial for health but, essential in the diet (as it cannot be made by the body)
Omega-3 also helps to significantly reduce the chances of cancer and heart disease and boosts sporting performance and concentration. Seafood has long been recognised as the best dietary source of Omega-3.
It's also a myth that fish is expensive, there are some really good deals in fish if you look out for them, I got this side of salmon for £10 and you could feed 6 adults generously which I think is a bit of a bargain.
Baked Salmon with Herbs
Serves 6
A side of salmon (or 6 fillets)
half a lemon
2 tsp olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Wash and the salmon and dry with kitchen paper.
2. Line a baking tray with foil and place the salmon on top, brush the salmon with oil an sprinkle over the herbs, top with slices from half a lemon.
3. Lightly season, then cover with another sheet of foil and crimp around the edges so that the salmon is sealed in a foil parcel.
4. Bake in the oven at 160C for about 30 minutes until the salmon is opaque.
5. Serve with new potatoes and a green vegetable.
This is a good recipe to prepare in the morning, stick in the fridge all parcelled up and then simply pre-heat the oven and pop it in. It will be ready in the time you have cooked the vegetables.
I'll be posting more fish recipes over the next four weeks as part
of a campaign by Fish is the Dish to encourage the people of Britain to each more fish, watch out for them.
I'm entering this dish into the Cooking with Herbs challenge run by Karen at Lavender and Lovage, the theme this month is 'Scarborough Fair' as I have parsley and thyme in this dish it should fit the bill!
Labels: Fish is the Dish, herbs, Omega 3, salmon
Pan Fried Salmon and a Syrian Potato Salad
So, apparently, Spring is here! Here in Scotland it still feels like winter with rain, wind and even some flurries of snow further north. We did have a few days of more spring -like weather and I wanted to make something fresh and light.
The salmon fillets were simply seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper and pan fried skin side down first until the salmon goes opaque about 2/3 of the way up the side of the fish. Then turn over and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side.
Syria is not a country I know much about and I wasn't aware that it also had its own cuisine. The book, Almond Bar, is named for the restaurant in Sydney, started by Sharon Salloum and her sister, Carol, to bring to life their mother's love of food. Sharon feared she might not be able to emulate the passion her mother puts into food but, after much blood, sweat and tears, she likes to believe that she has done her parents and family proud.
Almond Bar starts with a look into The Syrian Pantry, some ingredients are familiar, like chickpeas, Bulgar wheat and Haloumi. Others such as Baladieh, a semi-soft cheese, Freekeh, a green dried wheat grain and grey courgettes. There are also a couple of pages of Middle Eastern Food Suppliers to ensure you can make the recipes in the book.
Spice Blends are crucial to capturing Middle Eastern flavours and there are the instructions for four different blends. We then move on to a chapter of Sauces and Dips, I liked the Smoked Aubergine Dip, Mint and Walnut Sauce, a vibrant Beetroot Dip and the classic Labne, a dried yoghurt dip.
Finger food is a speciality of The Almond Bar and this chapter if full of tempting bites from Za'atar Pizzas to Scallops and Basturma Drizzled with Pomegranate Butter.
Learn how to make Arish Cheese and Shanklish in a step by step guide.
I think the Sharing Platters look amazing and are one of my favourite ways of eating. There were some delicious recipes like Lemony Lentil Soup, Crushed Chickpeas with Yoghurt Almonds and Pine nuts, Za'atar Prawns with Pumpkin Mash and a step by step photo guide to making Falafel.
On to Salads and Sides including one of my favourite salads, Fatoush or Toasted Bread Salad, Tabouli, Haloumi, Lentil and Watercress Salad and Salatet batata- a Syrian Potato Salad which Sharon's mother's recipe, a light fresh, well balanced salad.
Salatet batata (Potato Salad) serves 4
4 main crop or Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 brown onion, thinly sliced
Large handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Small handful of mint, roughly chopped
Dressing
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt flakes
1 tsp sweet paprika
60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
Rinse the potato cubes to remove any excess start, then place in a medium saucepan and cover with enough cold water to come 2cm (3/4in) above the level of the potato. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 min until tender but not soft enough to fall apart. Drain and leave to cool to room temperature.
To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix together well.
Combine the potato, tomato, onion, parsley and mint in a bowl, pour over the dressing and gently toss to coat. This salad is best served while the potato is still lukewarm bu it can be made ahead of time, refrigerated and served cold as well.
We are not finished with Almond Bar by any means, it's time for the 'Mains'. There are some really luscious dishes such as Middle Eastern Lamb Dumplings, Stuffed Small Aubergines, Minced Lamb, Parsley and Onion Skewers, Chilli Fish, Spaghetti Cooked in Milk and Cannellini Bean, Tomato and Beef Stew to name just a few.
Syrian Desserts bring a delicious Middle Eastern twist to the usual favourites, I was taken with Rosewater Ice-cream, Fig Sorbet, Sweet Semolina and Coconut Slice, Turkish Delight with Pistachio and a number of recipes using 'Middle Eastern Clotted Cream'.
Who is it for?
This is a book for the adventurous cook, someone who likes big flavours and likes to create food for sharing.
Pros
This is a beautiful book, the photographs, the styling and the graphics are stunning. There are over 100 classic and contemporary recipes with many suitable for vegetarians and plenty for meat eaters too. I loved the huge variety of small dishes in the sauces and dips section, finger food, shared plates, salads and sides. These reflect the Middle Eastern way of eating, the importance of celebrating food and sharing.
Cons
Some of the ingredients could be a little difficult to source, most of the suppliers are in London and the South East although there are some online suppliers.
The Verdict
This is an excellent book to add to your collection, even if you already own some books of Middle Eastern cookery. I will definitely be returning to make more of the recipes.
Book: Almond Bar
Author: Sharon Salloum
ISBN: 978-1-909342-57-6
Published by Jacqui Small Publishing
Cover: Hardback
RRP: £25.99
Many thanks to Jacqui Small Publishing for providing me with a copy of Almond Bar, I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.
Labels: Almond Bar, Family Foodies, Four Seasons Food, mint, No Croutons Required, onion, parsley, potoato salad, salmon, Syria, tomatoes
A Salmon and Nettle Tart - Dish of the Month
As Nigel Slater says:
"there is something deeply satisfying about taking a huge, golden tart to the table, a tart we have made ourselves. A tart we can give to others knowing it will give as much pleasure to them as making it did to us" There is something even more satisfying in making a tart that includes foraged ingredients such as wild garlic and nettles, free food!
Look at this lovely tweet I got from himself! He is very generous with his tweets to Dish of the Month participants. Thanks Nigel, you made my day.
When I went to the freezer, I discovered I only had one salmon fillet left, so used a couple of haddock fillets to bulk out the tart, you would never have been able to tell. I topped it with some of the Wild Garlic butter I made and froze last month.
I baked the fish in the oven for about 15 minutes and then left it to cool.
I'd read in
The Foragers Kitchen that you could substitute young nettle tops for spinach, so I donned my rubber gloves and headed round into the back garden to collect some nettles. Living on a farm means that the fields and hedgerows tend to invade the garden and while this is not great for gardening, it is rather handy for foraging!
I made
my usual shortcrust pastry recipe chilled it then baked it blind. I then added the cooled fish and blanched nettles. I used 3 eggs, one egg yolk and 300ml of double cream for the custard (Nigel uses 4 eggs and more cream) and then baked the tart for about 25 minutes until the custard had set and was turning golden brown.
I didn't tell anyone about the nettles until they had oohed and ahhed and told me how delicious this tart was. My mother-in-law surprised me by telling me that she and her step-mother had once gathered nettles and made a nettle broth which she remembered was delicious.
My husband also proclaimed that the tart was even better when we had it cold the next day. Another success from Nigel Slater's The kitchen diaries II and my entry for
Dish of the Month.
If you would like to take part, then please:
- Make a Dish of the Month from ANY recipe by Nigel Slater
- Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen or A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate
- Use the Dish of the Month logo in your post
- If you use twitter, tweet your post with @serialcrafter or
@Heavenona_plate and #DishoftheMonth and we will re-tweet it to our
followers.
Rules:
- If you own The kitchen diaries II please do not publish the recipes on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
- If you are using recipes from the BBC Food website, please link to
the recipe on BBC Food rather than publishing the recipe. Likewise
recipes on the Guardian Lifestyle website.
- One entry per blog.
- Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.
Labels: Dish of the Month, flan, foraging, Nettles, Nigel Slater, quiche, salmon, tart
Fish Pie with Scallops
I can't remember when Fish Pie became our Good Friday tradition, well that's the thing about traditions, isn't it? You don't really plan them, they just grow from good ideas. Over the years I've made a variety of different versions and, as I am taking part in the the
Fish is the Dish,
Healthy Happy Hearts campaign, eating two portions of fish for six weeks, it was an ideal way to get one of my fish portions.
Fish Pie with Scallops (Serves 6)
Printable Recipe
1 fillet of Haddock
1 fillet of Salmon
1 fillet of Saithe
12 scallops
Fish can be varied according to availability and personal preference2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and sliced
Fish stock powder (I used Essential Cuisine)
optional
For the sauce:
500ml milk
2 tsp cornflour
seasoning
For the topping:
6 large potatoes, peeled, quartered, boiled and mashed with a little milk and butter
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Poach the fish in 300ml milk with a tsp of fish stock powder. Poach for 15
mins until fish is cooked.
3. Lift out the fish and place on a plate to cool a little.
4. Flake the fish removing any bones.
5. Measure the warm milk used to poach the fish and top up to 500ml.
6. Mix cornflour with a little cold milk and add the cornflour mixture to the warm milk.
7. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken, season to taste.
8. Place the flaked fish in an ovenproof dish add the sliced hard
boiled eggs and top with the raw scallops.
As they don't take long to
cook its better to put them in raw and they will be cooked in the oven.
9. Pour over the white sauce.
10. Cover the sauce with the mashed potatoes and fork up the potato to create crispy bits.
11. Place the dish on an oven tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes
until the sauce is bubbling and the potato topping is golden brown and
crisp.
I served the Fish Pie with Asparagus, sauted in butter with a little water to create some steam.
The fish was tender with the delicious, plump scallops adding a touch of luxury to this comforting fish dish.
Find out more about the Healthy Happy Hearts 6 week plan.
Labels: aspargus, fish, Fish is the Dish, haddock, mashed potato, saithe, salmon, scallops
Seafood Risotto for a Healthy Happy Heart
I love seafood, it is probably the thing I would choose when eating out over any other type of food. While I cook and eat prawns and fish quite frequently I have never actually prepared mussels from scratch before, it was a bit more time consuming but the mussels were much tastier.
I'm taking part in an initiative organised by
Fish is the Dish called
Healthy Happy Hearts Eating seafood gives great health benefits, in fact there is a whole section of the Fish is the Dish website dedicated to them
http://www.fishisthedish.co.uk/health Health benefits include better heart, brain development, muscle repair, good skin and hair and so much more.
The Food Standards Agency and experts throughout the world recommend
we eat two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish. So I've signed up to do just that and tell you about how I get on.
My first dish is a
Seafood Risotto containing, mussels, prawns and salmon fillet. The risotto was delicious, adding coconut milk to the mussel liquor and fish stock made the rice rich and creamy. If you buy mussels already cooked and shelled, they are generally a bit rubbery and tasteless. These were soft and sweet and adding the salmon at the end so it just cooks in the heat of the risotto makes it soft and flaky.
Seafood Risotto (serves 6)
450g mussels in shells, cleaned
50g butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2tsp jerk spices
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
225g arborio rice
300ml fish stock (I used
Essential Cuisine)
400g coconut milk
2 tomatoes peeled, deseeded and diced
225g raw prawns, peeled
225g salmon fillet, cut into small cubes
125g frozen peas
25bsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
1. Put the mussels in a large pan with a dash of water over a high heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 4-5 minutes until cooked; discard any mussels that remain closed. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Refresh mussels under cold running water and reserve.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion with the garlic and spices for 10 minutes until softened. Add the rice and stir-fry fr 1 minute until glossy.
3. Add the stock and coconut milk to the mussel liquor; bring to a simmer.
4. Add the tomatoes to the rice, then start adding the coconut liquid, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. Continue in this way, allowing each addition of the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next, for about 20 minutes.
5. Add the prawns, squid, tomato and peas with the remaining liquid; cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the mussels, coriander and lemon juice. Cover the pan and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Check the seasoning before serving.
FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE PLEASE CLICK
HERE
More Healthy Happy Heart Dishes
Labels: coconut milk, Fish is the Dish, Healthy Happy Hearts, mussels, prawns, rice, risotto, salmon
Salmon with Watercress Sauce - a review
I was asked to review this recipe pack from
The Saucy Fish Co. I have to say I was a little sceptical of the value when I saw that it was basically just two salmon fillets and a packet of watercress sauce for £4.00 (Tesco). However, I do enjoy salmon and it's something I often have for a quick supper.
I followed the instructions and baked the salmon in the oven for 25 minutes, alternatives of pan frying or grilling were provided. I added some white wine and salt and pepper to my oven dish and covered it with foil. The sauce can be served hot or cold and you simple dip the little sachet into a mug of boiling water to heat it. Couldn't be easier and no extra pot to wash up.
I served my salmon with Jersey Royal potatoes and the lovely green beans and fresh peas from my
Farmison hamper. The fish was excellent, much better than the usual salmon fillets from the supermarket, it had a firm flesh and tasted very fresh. The watercress sauce was also of a high quality without any additives or processed aftertaste, although I would have liked more of it. My scepticism was unfounded and I would recommend
The Saucy Fish Co. fish packs as a great way to produce a first class meal without any hassle. Let's face it, we all have days when we need that.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I was not required to write a positive review and any opinion expressed is my own. Prices are correct at time of posting.Labels: Farmison, fish, fresh peas, green beans, Jersey Royals, salmon, The saucy fish co, watercress sauce
Seafood Pancakes
I had defrosted some salmon fillets and prawns with the intention of making a pasta dish, however when I saw Karen's Luxury Seafood Pancakes at Lavender and Lovage, I decided to recreate it as best I could.
Pancakes need few ingredients to make and as long as you have a good non-stick pan, pretty easy to make too.
Basic Pancake Batter
4oz (1 cup) plain flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2 pint (1 1/4 cups milk)
Seive the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and half the liquid. Stir, gradually incorporating some of the flour. As soon as the batter becomes thick, add the remaining milk . Beat with a whisk to form a smooth batter of thin pouring consistencey. Leave to stand for half an hour, then adjust the consistency by adding more liquid if necessary.
Heat a non stick pan, grease the surface lightly and pour in on tablespoon of batter. Tilt the pan to evenly spread the batter (you will get an idea of how much batter you need after the first pancake) and cook for about a minute and half until the underside is brown. Loosen the pancake with a palette knife and flip over to cook the other side. Turn onto a plate lined with a tea towel and keep warm in the oven. This mix made 6 pancakes.
My seafood filling is less luxurious, and more everyday, than the one that Karen made, I didn't have any herb cream cheese, so cooked the fish in some milk, then used that to make a white sauce and flaked the fish back into the sauce. Seasoned with fennel salt, pepper and nutmeg and spooned onto the pancakes.
Roll the pancakes around the sauce and place in a baking dish, cover with the remaining sauce and cover with a cruncy topping, I used crushed oatcakes mixed with cheese, but you could use breadcrumbs or crushed salted crisps (chips).
I'm always horrified when I see ready made pancakes in the supermarket when they are so simple and so much more delicious to make yourself. The thicker the batter, the fatter the pancake, add a bit of sugar and you can have a sweet pancake, fill it with whatever you fancy, sweet or savoury. Pancakes are really very versatile, so thanks to Karen for inspiring me to make pancakes!
Labels: Karen Burns Booth, Lavender and Lovage, pancakes, prawns., salmon, Seafood
Salmon Steaks with Basil and Balsamic Vinegar
Farmed salmon is something we eat regularly, it can be a little bland, so it's nice to dress it up with some punchy flavours. This recipe exceeded both our expectations and is definitely going on my summer favourites list!
Salmon Steaks with Basil and Balsamic Vinegar
from Good Housekeeping Cookery Book (The Cook's Classic Companion)
Serves 4
4 salmon fillets
30ml (2tbsp) balsamic vinegar
10ml (2tsp) soy sauce
90ml (6tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
40g (1 1/2 oz) fresh basil, stalks removed
8 ripe plum tomatoes (or other flavourful tomatoes) diced
30ml (2tbsp) chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper
basil sprigs to garnish
1. Place the salmon steaks in a shallow non-metallic dish. Mix the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce together and pour over the salmon, turning to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the olive oil and basil in a food processor or blender and work until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and leave to infuse. (do not make this too far in advance)
3. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes with the chives and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside
4. Lift the salmon out of the marinade and place skin side down in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Cook for 4 minutes each side, once cooked add the rest of the marinade to the pan and reduce to a syrupy sauce.
5. Whisk the basil oil briefly at this stage to re-combine.
6. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the warmed serving plates and place a salmon fillet on top. Drizzle with the basil oil and spoon on the reduced marinade. Serve immediately, garnished with basil.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that there are also some courgettes on the plate. They came straight from the garden, chopped into small dice and cooked in a little olive oil in a pan with lemon zest and a teaspoon of lemon juice, seasoned with rosemary salt and pepper.
And finally some boiled new potatoes to soak up the juices.Labels: balsamic vinegar, basil, courgettes, Good Housekeeping, lemon, salmon, soy sauce, Tinned Tomatoes
Forever Nigella #6 Sea Fish & Eat it!
This month's,
Maison Cupcake, Forever Nigella challenge is being hosted by
Housewife Confidential and today is the last day to get your 'fishy in a dishy' cooked a la Nigella into the pot!
I had some salmon marked out for our supper tonight, so had a flick through the index of Forever Summer and found this easy peasy recipe for Seared Mustard-Coated Salmon.
The flavour of this coating is subtle but there is a nice combination of sweetness and savoury heat contained in the sugar and mustard rub.Labels: Forever Nigella, Forever Summer, salmon
The Abel & Cole Cookbook
I was contacted by Emma Healey of Abel & Cole to review some products for them. Unfortunately, Abel & Cole don't deliver to the wilds of south west Scotland yet. So I wasn't able to review their lovely organic veggie boxesm, but I Emma was able to send me the Abel & Cole Cookbook. It arrived on Thursday but I didn't have much chance to look at it until today.
As a cookbook it is written in a very relaxed style. I enjoyed the introductions and finding out about the history of the company. The book is set out by the seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and the idea is that you should cook by the seasons. Even though I have only had a superficial look through the book so far, I can see that I generally don't cook seasonal produce, and how restrictive seasonal cooking would be unless you have access to the likes of Abel & Cole. Certainly the south of Scotland is not the place for growing vegetables, it is dairy, beef and lamb country. A few potatoes but the ground just isn't suitable for vegetables other than for potatoes.
So what did I make?
Not a Spring recipe at all, but a Summer recipe for Honey Glazed Salmon Steaks.
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard ( I used 1 tsp as I have had encounteres with Dijon mustard before!)
1 tbsp runny honey
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 salmon steaks ( you will note that I had three salmon steaks!)
Mix together the vinegar, musard, honey, garlic and seasoning in a bowl. Brush over both sides of the salmon and leave in the fridge for about an hour.
Heat a ridged fying pan to a very high heat, then rub it with a little oil. Sear the steaks for about 3 minutes on each side, turning only once. The fish is cooked if it flakes easily when lightly prised with a fork. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the salmon steaks and how you like them cooked. Remove from the girll, bursh with any remianin glaze and serve.
I served the salmon with roasted cherry tomatoes ( oops imported) and a Leek and Potato bake - YES, seasonal cooking at last. There isn't a recipe in the book for a Leek and Potato Bake, but there is one on the Abel and Cole website HERE.
and the finished plate....
The salmon was moist and delicious and the leek & potato bake went very well with it, as did the tomatoes.
I'll be back with more recipes from the Abel & Cole Cookbook very soon.Labels: Abel and Cole, Leeks, potato, salmon, tomatoes
I'm entering this dish into the Cooking with Herbs challenge run by Karen at Lavender and Lovage, the theme this month is 'Scarborough Fair' as I have parsley and thyme in this dish it should fit the bill!
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