Spanish Seafood Rice

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This is another gorgeous heart warming meal that is perfect for Mediterranean Mondays.  It's tempting to fill up on high fat foods that taste good and warm the belly, but don't forget that a greasy number isn't going to make the 'A' list for a heart friendly meal.

My simple rule with foods is always consider how does it score on a scale of 1 to 10 for the health factor?  Do this before you commit to a meal that you would not usually eat but feel tempted just because it looks 'oh so good'.  Are there any vitamins?  Minerals?  Is it high in heart friendly fats?   

Did you just justify your love based on 20 minutes of happiness only to regret your choice for days later?  A healthy meal on the other hand is truly a joy laster.  Not only will you be pleased with your choice, your heart, skin and hair will also thank you for your nutritious choices.

For that extra edge when selecting your Sunday meal or something to satisfy that hot spot why not aim to meet your weekly quota of fish with this delightful gluten and wheat free meal?

Fish is also your easiest source of essential fatty acids.  For more information refer to my article  A Fishy Bite - Eat It For Youthful Skin.


INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, sliced finely
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
1 large courgette, cut into rings
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Large pinch of red saffron threads
2 large fillets of firm white fish, cut into pieces 
2 large squid tubes, cut into rings
220g (1 cup) paella rice
500ml fish stock
8 raw jumbo prawns
150g raw king prawns
1 small bunch of spring onions, chopped
Parsley or coriander to garnish


DIRECTIONS

1. In a large heavy non-stick pan, heat the olive oil then add the red onions.  Cook until softened.
2. Add the garlic cloves and tomatoes and cook until you very soft, almost a paste.  Now add the fish sauce if using.
3. Slice each courgette ring into 8 triangles and add to the pan.  Cook for a few minutes then add the cayenne pepper and saffron thread, following swiftly with the white fish and squid tubes.
4. Give it a few minutes, stir, then add the paella rice.
5. Gradually add the fish stock, stirring often over very low heat.  Once you have poured all of the hot stock into the pan, add the jumbo prawns only.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes but check half-way through to ensure that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. If you need to add extra liquid, consider adding up to half a cup of extra boiling hot water.
7. When the rice is almost ready, throw in the king prawns.  Your seafood rice is ready when the prawns have changed colour to a gorgeous pink.
8. Garnish with herbs of your choice.

Tip - this is also a low fat recipe and will easily serve at least four people.  I love extra vegetables thus I had a plate of baby spinach ready on the side to eat alongside this delicious wheat and gluten free meal.

Happy Monday!

How do you like to prepare seafood rice?  

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Mediterranean Smoked Haddock & Gammon Steak With Sweet Potato

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Boost your anti-aging potential with this gorgeous Mediterranean inspired smoked haddock dish.  This heart healthy meal is so good for you because it combines lovely monounsaturated fats from olive oil, whilst boasting a modest amount of omega-3 fatty acids from the delicately flavoured haddock.  For further information on the benefits of fish read A Fishy Bite - Eat It For Youthful Skin.

I was keen to dress this recipe up so that you also had the option of using this for a saturday lunch party.  This is perfect for such occasions as the recipe is quick and easy, which means that besides being a 'healthy' host, you also get to be the perfect host by actually engaging with your guests in conversation instead of lathering up a mountain of dishes.

After last night's post Are You A Sugar Addict? I was keen to advocate carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index and hence why I chose both sweet potato and basmati rice for this dish.  By using smoked fish and ham, there was no need to use stock for this recipe.


INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small red onions, cut into thin wedges
650g sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
1 large courgette, sliced then cut into quarters
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 cup Italian wine
2 cups water
350g smoked haddock fillets
120g smoked gammon steak, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon spring onions, sliced into fine rings


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the red onions.  Cook over a low flame and allow the onions to soften.
2. Add the sweet potato and courgettes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Now add the rice and allow to be coated in the oil.
4. Next add 1 cup of water and allow to simmer.  As the water begins to get absorbed, pour in the wine.
5. Add the gammon pieces and add the haddock fillets on top of the rice.
6. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
7. If you need further water to cook the rice, add the final cup of water.
8. The meal is ready when all of the water has been absorbed by the rice.
9. This is optional, but if you are not requiring a milk free meal, stir in 1 - 2 tablespoons of mascarpone before serving.  

This meal is delicious with a salad inclusive of tomatoes, cucumbers and salad leaves.

Recommended reading:

• How To Beat The Monday Blues And More On A Mediterranean Diet
• Weekend Party Food & Cocktails

Enjoy this Meditarranean themed Monday dinner meal idea.  What do you enjoy eating on Monday nights in?  Do comment below, I love hearing from you!

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A Busy Mum's Guide To Supper

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Would you rather hit the couch and dream of holidays than cook supper?  Tempting thought yes, but the kids are screaming and they need feeding.  Read these recipe suggestions below and before you even have the time to say 'takeaway' you will have dinner ready whether it be made by you or the kids!  Simply get them involved to speed up the process and plan your menu the week ahead.  

For year round easy recipes, pizzas are always a great place to start.  You can purchase pizza bases in advance or prepare your dough ahead of time during the weekend.  A girlfriend prepared her pizza dough two days in advance and the base was crispy and delicious.  To view see How To Host An Italian Themed Dinner Party.  I am not a fan of takeaways it's true  and you probably know this from my outrageous post Naming And Shaming The BurgerPizza, but when prepared at home you can truly have a lot of fun with a very nutritious outcome.

For recipe ideas see DIY: Are You Up For The Health Food Challenge?  What I love about pizzas are that the whole family can get involved.  Toppings can range from lean meat, poultry or seafood with plenty of favourite vegetables that the children can choose.  Don't forget that pita breads can make an excellent pizza base for individual pizzas.  This is a great 'norecipe' way of cooking!

Stuffed vegetables are another fantastic supper idea that the kids will also enjoy preparing.  Think of it as dinner chic presented in the most simple way and yet oh so delicious.  Why not try Seafood Stuffed Peppers With Garlic & Basil Squid.  Once the peppers have been halved you can just about throw in anything you want from cous cous, roasted vegetables, feta cheese, stir fried vegetables or lean mince.  Combine with fresh herbs for flavour and enjoy a well deserved cuppa whilst this cooks in the oven.

I really enjoy reading recipe ideas from An Edible Mosaic.  Faith's Cabbage, Carrot & Chicken Stir Fry sound flavoursome, quick and tasty.  It's totally desirable and perhaps the brave step you need for increasing vegetable intake for your family.

Curries may look scary with their large ingredient list but let me tell you a secret.  Once the ingredients are measured and set aside, it's essentially dinner in a pot as all you really need to do is throw in all the ingredients in a large pot then cover and simmer.  You'll see what I mean when you try Flavoursome Chicken Curry or Sushila's Paneer Explosion.  In fact, dhal or lentils really are the easiest and quickest things in the world to make.  Very appropriate for meatless Monday nights too, don't you think?  See Parippu (lentils) and you'll quickly see that  you will save time whilst preparing nutritious healthy meals for your family.

Are you a fan of rice?  This naturally wheat and gluten free alternative to pasta is done in about 10 minutes so why not combine rice with your favourite ingredients.  Try Prawn and Wild Mushroom Rice.

If you have a little bit more time up your sleeve, the extra effort that goes into preparing risottos are worth it as you will be rewarded with satisfied bellies all around the dinner table.  I especially enjoy eating Creamy Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto With Sundried Tomatoes.  Again these are recipe suggestions only so vary the ingredients to suit what you've got going in your vegetable drawer.

Stay tuned for more quick and easy recipe ideas.  I will be sure to touch on this again in the near future.

In summary quick dinner ideas could range from home made pizzas using pita breads, stir fried dishes, risottos, alternative rice based dishes or curry type dishes if you fancy a bit of heat in your kitchen.  Whatever you choose to make, have fun and involve the kids.  They will appreciate the meal and the quality time that they get to spend with you in the kitchen.

And so my lovely readers, what are you favourite quick and easy family recipe ideas?  

Mine at the moment is this Satay Tofu Recipe but I like to change the base ingredients to salmon, spring onions and broccoli.  Absolutely delicious!


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Seafood Stuffed Peppers with Garlic & Basil Squid

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I was initially going to keep this naturally gluten, wheat and soy free recipe to myself, but judging from the excitement on twitter chat this evening, I figured that it would be selfish to not share.

This recipe is not milk free due to the addition of cheese at the final stage prior to baking.  You could try using tofu but I am not entirely sure if this will work (only if you are allowed soy in your diet).

This could be a really easy after work recipe for busy mums that even the kids might enjoy!

Ingredients

4 red and yellow capsicums (bell peppers)

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 small deep red tomatoes

Handful of basil, roughly shopped

3 medium mushrooms, sliced

230g mixed seafood (mussels, prawns, squid)

1 tube of squid, cleaned and sliced

75g smoked mackerel, torn apart into pieces

Parmesan or mature cheddar cheese

Methods

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

2. Cut capsicums in half and remove the seeds.  Place on an oven tray (I wrapped mine in foil).

3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then add crushed garlic, chopped tomatoes and the basil.

4. Cook for a few minutes, then add mushrooms and all of the seafood.

5. Cook for a further 10 minutes then spoon your mixture into the capsicum halves.

6. Top the capsicum halves with a small sprinkling of Parmesan or Cheddar.

7. Bake in the oven for up to 40-45 minutes or until the capsicums appear cooked.

A Party Tart With Goats Cheese, Parmesan & Tomato

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I had the most amazing weekend with friends.  I celebrated my recent birthday with my annual cocktail party.  So we may have had a cocktail or two, or three, or four......gulp, was there really so many?  I can't remember the last time I let my hair down and painted the 'house' red.  I had so much fun, ate too much, drank too much and got a bit of a dance on the 'dance floor' too!  Fun times!  

It's true, the most simple things in life bring you the most happiness.  So if you do only one thing this week, have fun, laugh a little and most of all, smile!  It will transform you and the people around you instantly.


Here's something else to bring a smile to your face.  Tomatoes are a natural source of antioxidants such as vitamin C and lycopene.  For more information on vitamin A, see Vitamin A - Bending The Rules In Anti-Aging.


Tomatoes are actually one of the world's most commonly eaten fruit.  It is classified as a fruit as it contains seeds.  Tomato seedlings have apparently also been grown in space!


This party tart as I call it, is inspired by Delia's tart.  It is unfortunately not wheat free.  I hope to experiment again with a wheat and gluten free pastry base and I when I do, I'll be sure to share the pastry recipe with you.  




Ingredients
375g ready to roll puff pastry

125g soft goats cheese
25g parmesan cheese, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon herbs de provence

2-3 large deep red tomatoes, thinly sliced

Methods
1. Pre-heat the oven to 190ºC.
2. Unroll the pastry and place this on a round pastry dish.
3. In a bowl, mix the goats cheese, parmesan, garlic and herbs de provence.  I brought some back with me from France which are absolutely pungent and aromatic.  
4. Spread the cheese mixture evenly all over the pastry base.
5. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top and finish with a generous grating of black pepper and a tiny sprinkling of herbs de provence.
6. Bake in the oven for 55 minutes or until the pastry is a gorgeous brown.


Although this is a delicious vegetarian tart, it is rather high in fat.  The pastry I used consisted of around 24g of fat per 100g.  The addition of the cheese increases the fat content of this tart considerably.  Enjoy this with friends during special occasions.  It was perfect with cocktails once cut up into long thin pieces.

Salmon And Prawn Soup With Red Onion And Shrimp Paste

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You'll either love it or hate it.  The frenchman say's it's too fishy for his delicate French nose but I simply adore shrimp.  This is one opportunity to catch up on omega fatty acids that I am not going to let pass by.  Besides salmon on prawn guarantees a quick and a tasty meal.  

This is one steamy goodness that you'll look forward to after a hard day of work at the end of the week.  A well deserved home cooked meal.

This is another milk, egg, wheat, gluten and soy free meal.  Always triple check labels.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons rapeseed oil
3 large garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 large red onion, sliced
2 salmon fillets, cut into thick chunks
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
1 - 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
2 tablespoons Waitrose Thai Mix (a blend of lemongrass, garlic, coriander and chilli)
200g raw king prawns
3 spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh coriander
Salt to taste

Methods

1. Heat the oil in a pot.  Add garlic and onions and saute until softened.
2. Add salmon pieces and cook over high heat to seal the edges.
3. Add tomatoes.  If you have plenty of tomatoes at home, then skip the can and add another 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes.
3. Add 400ml of water and bring to boil.
4. Stir in the shrimp paste and Thai Mix.  A tablespoon can be plenty so always taste before you add more.
5. Allow to cook for 10 minutes then add the prawns.  Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the prawns have changed to a pink colour.
6. Add spring onions and serve with fresh corriander.
7. Season with salt if desired.

This is great as a starter or as a main over a bed of sticky rice.  I sometimes add dill and lemon juice to enhance the flavour.  It is friday so use what you've fot left in the fridge.  Best of all, we didn't use any stock for this recipe, so it's relatively low in salt.

If you have kidney disease and have a fluid restriction to adhere to, then remember, you must count the liquid part of this soup as part of your fluid allowance.  

Purple Tip - Skip the salt and add extra coriander, dill and lemon juice to boost flavour.

Lovely readers, what's your favourite way to prepare fish and prawn soup?  I love hearing from you!

Kiss Away Wrinkles With Bad Breath (Parippu)

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If you’re thinking that I’ve gone slightly mad, then you are possibly right, except that if you recall this article Glutathione - The Master Antioxidant, garlic, onions and turmeric contain sulphur rich amino acids and polyphenols.  These are considered to work alongside the antioxidant glutathione in fighting against aging.  

To reap the benefits of antioxidants, I decided to prepare dhal, which is a dish that includes lentils.  It is referred to as parippu in South India and Sri Lanka and it really is very easy to make.  This is a perfect vegetarian meal as lentils are a source of protein and some carbohydrates.

You don't need to use two different types of lentils.  This dish will work well with red lentils alone if you wished, but I really love the nutty texture that chana dal provides in this recipe.  Simply delicious!  

A very experienced cook also once told me to store cumin seeds in the fridge, keeps it fresh for slightly longer.

Ingredients

125g red split lentils

100g chana dal

1 onion, roughly chopped

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped or 1 tablespoon tomato puree

100ml coconut milk, mixed with 150ml water

2 green chillies, chopped (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 red onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 sprig of curry leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt, to taste

Methods

Wash lentils thoroughly in cold water.  Put them in a non-stick pan and bring to boil with 500ml of water.  Add roughly chopped onion, chopped garlic cloves, tomato and coconut milk, green chilli, turmeric, ground cumin, coriander and curry leaves and bring to boil.

Simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked and ‘mushy’.  This will take approximately 25 minutes. 

Next heat oil in a saucepan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red onion, crushed garlic and curry leaves.  Fry over a low heat until the onions are softened and the mustard seeds have popped.  Add to the lentil dish. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Note – if you prefer, you can substitute the coconut milk with semi-skimmed milk.

Serve with boiled rice.  I also love this meal with a chickpea curry and salad.