Spinach & Strawberry Salad

With some many tasty strawberries in store, this is a great salad for spring!

Or add some cooked chicken breast and feta cheese for a more substantial meal!

INGREDIENTS

Salad:
1/4 Cup of Sliced Almonds (or your favorite nut)
1/2 Cucumber, sliced thinly
200g Baby Spinach
1 1/2 Cups Strawberries, topped and quartered
1 Small Red Onion, sliced thinly

Optional
Chicken Breast, coked and sliced
Feta Cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 Tsp Lemon Zest
2 Tbsps Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Sugar (or sweetener replacement)
1 Tsp of Poppy Seeds
1 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil


METHOD

Wash and drain spinach and set aside. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsuis.

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Spread almonds in a single layer over the bottom of an oven tray and bake for approximate 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted, remove from oven and cool.

Place spinach in a large serving bowl, add strawberries, cucumber and onion. Whisk dressing and pour over salad. Sprinkle almonds and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Oven Baked Chips

We are still on our health kick, but we really felt like

eating one of our old favourites, fish & chips.

They taste delicious and have a lower GI than potatoes.

They're so tasty you might even prefer them to French fries.

INGREDIENTS (2 to 3 as a side dish)

1 Extra Large Sweet Potato, peeled

Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil


METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius.

Cut the sweet potato into 1.5cm slices. Then cut the slices into chips.

Place the chips into a mixing bowl, add a drizzle of oil, enough to coat all chips, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until well coated.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the chips onto the tray. Make sure they're all evenly spaced and not touching. Otherwise they will go soggy,

Now bake for 30 minutes, turn after 15 minutes.

When cooked both sides should now be dark brown, crispy and delicious.

Serve immediately.

Baked Shell Pasta with Sausage

This is a really simple pasta dish which is great on a cold winter night.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

1 Packet of Chevup European Skinless Sausages, cut into 1cm segments
1 White Onion, diced
2-4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
150g - 200g Baby Spinach
300g Shell - type Pasta (I used Conchiglie)
250g Low Fat Roctta Cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes (optional)
Olive Oil

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Refer to packet instructions. Drain.

Heat some oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the chilli and fennel and fry for 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook for a further minutes until browned. Remove from the heat.

Add the spinach to the sausage mixture in a fry pan, and stir to combine well.

Add the sausage mixture and the pasta together in a oven proof dish.

Spoon the ricotta over the top of the pasta dish. Scatter over parmesan cheese.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with Garlic Bread and a Simple Rocket Salad.

Lamb Cutlet Curry

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2 to 3)
Olive Oil Spray 
12 Frenched Lamb Cutlets
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Onion, finely sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Tsp Ground Turmeric
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Mild Curry Powder (for a hotter version, use madras curry powder)
1 Tbsp Ginger, grated 
400g Can Diced Tomatoes
200ml Water
80g Baby Spinach

To Serve:
2 Cups Cooked Basmati Rice
Pappadums
Raita or Tzatziki

METHOD
Heat a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Spray with oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Cook the lamb in batches, for 1 minute each side or until golden. Set aside.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden.

Add the turmeric, cumin, curry powder and ginger and stir for 30 seconds until aromatic.

Return the lamb to the pan along with the tomatoes and water.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for 20-25 minutes or until lamb is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir the spinach into the curry. Simmer for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve with rice, pappadums and raita.

Chicken & Soba Noodle Stir Fry

A wonderful soba noodle recipe that is slightly punchy and tangy. 

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

Olive Oil Spray

200g Chicken Breast, cut into strips

1 Capsicum, seeded and thinly sliced

1 Tbsp Ginger, crushed

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Red Chilli, seeded and thinly sliced

2 Cups Pak Choy, leaves only, coarsely chopped

3 Shallots, finely sliced

150g Soba Noodles

1 Tbsps Lime Juice

2 Tbsps Fish Sauce

METHOD

Cook the noodle for in a large saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain.

Place a wok on high heat. Spray the wok with oil.

Add the chilli, garlic, ginger, chicken and shallots. Stir fry the chicken until browned.

Add the pak choy. Stir Fry until just tender.

Add the cooked noodles, lime juice and fish sauce. Gently combine.

Serve immediately.

 



Dukkah Rubbed Fish

A scrumptious way to liven up your fish is to coat it in dukkah and then sear it.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

4 x 180g Skinless Snapper Fillets
3 Tbsps Dukkah (I love Thistle Be Good Egyptian Dukkah)  
Olive Oil Spray

To Serve:
Fennel Salad
http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/fennel-salad.html

Tzatziki


METHOD

Rub the fish all over with the dukkah.

Heat a large fry pan over a medium-high heat.

When hot, spray pan with oil, add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until fish is just cooked and dukkah crust is toasted.

Serve immediately, with fennel salad and tzatziki.




Fennel Salad

This is an elegant winter salad, which I serve regularly with fish or chicken.

We have also enjoyed this salad as a light lunch with tomato and basil bruschetta.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

Salt

1 Fennel Bulb

150g Green Beans, top, tailed and blanched.

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shaved 

1/4 Cup Continental Parsley, coarsely chopped

METHOD

Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, oil, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.

Cut off the fennel stalks and fronds.

Cut the bulb in half length ways and thinly slice cross ways, or alternatively use a mandolin to slice thinly. 

Cut the blanched beans into 2cm pieces.

Add the fennel, beans, parmesan and parsley to the bowl and toss well to combine.

Serve in a salad dish with serving tongs.

Couscous Salad

This was the couscous I served with my chermoula prawn skewers.

This salad takes 15 to 20 minutes to make,  which is ideal,

as it can be made while the prawns are marinading.



INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

200g Couscous

200ml Water
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lebanese Cucumber, seeds removed, diced
1/2 Red Onion, finely sliced
2 Tbsps Mint, chopped
2 Tbsps Lemon Juice 
Salt & Pepper, to season

Optional Extras:
1 Capsicum, seeds removed, diced
2 Tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
200g Canned Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

METHOD

Place the couscous in a large bowl.

Place the water and  olive oil in a saucepan, bring to just boiling point, then pour over the couscous.
Add the lemon juice, stir until combined. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

Fluff couscous with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the cucumber, onion, and mint.

Serve.

I served this with my Chermoula Prawn Skewers and Tzatziki.
http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/chermoula-prawns-skewers.html

Chermoula Prawns Skewers

Chermoula is a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking.

This marinade is usually used with fish or seafood.

You can make the chermoula way in advance

and it’ll stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days

This recipe is also great on the BBQ.

INGREDIENTS

600g Green Prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact

Chermoula
1 Bunch Coriander
1 Bunch Flat-leaf Parsley
6 Garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Sea Salt , to taste
2 Tbsps Ground Cumin
2 Tbsps Paprika
1/2 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
4 Saffron Threads
3 Tbsps Lemon Juice
2 Tbsps Olive Oil

Bamboo Skewers
Olive Oil Spray

To Serve:
Tzatziki
Coucous Salad
http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/couscous-salad.html
METHOD

To make the chermoula: finely chop coriander and parsley leaves together in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Spread Chermoula generously over the prawns, cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Soak the skewers for 20-30 minutes in cold water, while the prawns are marinating.

To Cook:
Thread prawns onto the soaked bamboo skewers approx 3 to 4 on each skewer.

Heat a fry pan on high. Spray oil. Cook the prawns for 2 to 3 minutes each side until pink and lightly charred.

Serve with Tzatziki and Coucous.

Asian Snapper Stir Fry

We have started a little health kick at our house!

So the recipes over the next few weeks will be very calorie controlled!!!

Feel free to add steamed rice or cooked soba noodles to this

dish to boost your carbohydrates. We will be in envy of you!!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

Marinade
1/4 Cup Mirin
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Ginger, grated
1 Tbsp Garlic, crushed
1/2 Long Red Chilli, finely sliced
1 Tbsp Miso
1 Tsp Lemon Juice

400g Snapper Fillets, cut into 3cm chunks
100g Shitake Mushrooms, quartered
1 Bunch of Asparagus, cut into 3cm lengths
4 Shallots, cut into 3 cm lengths
300g Wombok, finely shredded
Olive Oil Spray

To Serve (Optional)
Steamed Jasmine Rice or
Cooked Soba Noodles


METHOD

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large mixing bowl. Add the snapper and place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes.

Spray a non-stick wok with the oil. Add the fish and the marinade and stir fry for a few minutes. Remove the fish from the wok, and cover.

Add the asparagus to the wok and cook for 2 minutes.

Next add the mushrooms and shallots, stir fry until tender. Approx 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the wombok and stir fry until just wilted. Wombok releases a lot of liquid when it cooks, so only stir fry until it has just started to wilt. The heat amongst the stir fry will continue to cook it.

Return the fish to the wok and gently toss through until well combined.

Serve the snapper stir fry immediately. (on a bed of rice or soba noodles if you are not on a health kick like us!)

Salmon with Warm Soba Noodle Salad

A light, clean, healthy bowl of soba noodles topped with grilled

salmon is the perfect weeknight dish, quick to do and easy to digest.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade
1/3 Cup Mirin
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tbsps Ginger, grated
2 Tbsps Miso
2 Tsps Sugar
2 Tsps Lemon Juice

4 Salmon Fillets, skin on
Oil

Noodle Salad
1 Capsicum, julienned
Shallots, finely chopped
Soba Noodles for 4 people


METHOD
To make the marinade, combine mirin, soy, ginger, miso, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl.
Place the salmon fillets in a shallow bowl, pour marinade over the top and place in the fridge for 15 to 60 minutes.

Just before you are about to cook the salmon, Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil for the noodles. As well as, turning the grill on to cook the salmon.

Heat oil in a large fry pan over a medium to high heat. Sprinkle a 1 Tsp of salt on the surface of the fry pan. This will stop the salmon from sticking to the pan and crisp the skin.

Cook noodles according to packet instructions in the large saucepan. Drain.

Place salmon skin side down in the fry pan, for 2 minutes. Reserve marinade for noodle salad dressing.

Now, turn the salmon onto a lined oven tray skin side down and grill for a further 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.

Transfer to a plate and drain on paper towels. Cover and stand.

Noodle Salad
Add capsicum and shallots to the drained noodles.

Heat the reserved marinade in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss well.

To Serve:
Divide the noodle salad between four serving plates. Top with salmon fillets. Serve immediately.

Breaded Baked Chicken

This recipe for Breaded Baked Chicken is quick, easy, loved by all!

Another one of my adaptations from my favourite chef, Bill Granger.

INGREDIENTS

8 Chicken Thighs

6 Garlic Cloves, minced

4 Tbsps Dijon Mustard

1 Cup Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs

1/4 Cup Continental Parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp Dried Chilli Flakes (optional)

Salt & Pepper to season

25g Butter

To Serve:

Boiled Baby Potatoes

Watercress & Tomato Salad

http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/watercress-tomato-salad.html

METHOD

Preheat the oven for 180 C.

Lie the chicken thigh flat, skin side down. Spread the minced garlic on each of the chicken thighs.

Now fold the chicken thighs, so they are doubled over with the skin on the outside. Place them a lined oven tray.

Spread the top of each chicken thigh with the dijon mustard.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley, chilli flakes, salt and pepper in the bowl.

Sprinkle the breadcrumb mix evenly over the chicken.

Dot with butter and bake for 40 minutes.

Serve with boiled potatoes and salad.





Watercress & Tomato Salad

Watercress is readily available year-round and
is a perfect way to sharpen up a salad.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups of Watercress, trimmed

8 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

1 Salad Onion, thinly sliced

1/2 Cup Italian Parsley, coarsely chopped

1/3 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsps Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper to Season

METHOD

Put the watercress, tomatoes, onion and parsley in a bowl and toss together gently.

Add the oil, juice, salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients gently.

Place the salad in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with feta and Serve.

Ginger Fish - Stir Fried

This is a light, refreshing and full flavor fish dish.

On the table in 15 minutes (including marinating time).

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

400g Firm White Fish, I used Snapper 

Marinade:

1 Tbsp White Wine

a few drops Sesame Oil

 Sal;t & Pepper to Taste

1 Egg White

1 - 2 Tsp Cornstarch

1 Tbsp Oil, I used Canola

1/4 Cup Julienned Fresh Ginger (see below)

6 Shallots, cut into 3 cm length pieces

1 Bunch of Broccolini, cut into 4 cm length pieces

2 Tbsps Fish Sauce

2 Tsps Sugar

1 Tsp Sea Salt

2 Tbsps Lime Juice

To Serve:

Steamed Rice

METHOD

Start cooking your steamed rice.

Cut fish into bite size pieces, approximately 3cm by 2cm (be sure the pieces aren't too small).

To make the marinade, mix the wine, salt, pepper, egg white and oil together. Add the cornstarch last. Mix well and let the fish marinate for 10 minutes.

Blanch broccolini in boiling water 2 minutes. Remove and rinse with cold water.

Heat the oil in a wok over a medium to high heat.

When the oil is hot, add the ginger, and stir fry for 1 minute.

Add the fish and stir fry for 3 minutes, or until slightly browned and just cooked through.

Next add the shallots, blanched broccolini, fish sauce, sugar, salt and lime juice, stir fry for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve with steamed rice.

Note: To julienne ginger, choose a large piece of fresh ginger. Trim it to make a rectangle. Slice the ginger thinly and then cut the thin rectangles into matchsticks.