Bream with sourdough breadcrumbs, lemon, parsley and pine nuts

My clients Christina and Rob surprised me with this fresh caught bream in their fridge I kept it simple with what I had in my produce box. This dish reminds me of my childhood, my late father had boat's and I would go fishing with him when I was around 8 we would go far out to sea and I remember seeing breaching whales and in his family my uncle is a commercial fisherman so I have a close connection with the ocean and it's edible creatures....

If you don't have any fresh caught fish of course that is ok you can go to your fish monger and buy some.



1 bunch parsley
2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons sourdough breadcrumbs (I use demeter) or make fresh ones in the food processor
1 lemon, grated
Sea salt and pepper

Throw all these ingredients into a mortar and pestle and then stuff the fish, bake for 30 minutes

Harissa chickpea burgers with alaskan salmon, coriander and mint

These burgers came about after a conversation with my friend Michal as I was explaining my dilemma in creating a menu for a bunch of childcare centres here in Sydney. She asked me what about fish balls ? Michal is Israeli Jewish and has the special culinary skills to to turn anything into a tasty ball of some kind. So here is my creation on a budget potentially for a child but definitely for an adult. I threw together a salad of mixed greens, mung beans and cherry tomatoes from my garden and just simply dressed with red wine vinegar and bio dynamic olive oil.


1 tin of chickpeas (for quickness)
1 tablespoon harissa (recipe on this blog)
1 tablespoon Celtic sea salt (the special ingredient they are quiet salty)
1 tin paramount Alaskan red salmon
2 eggs
1/2 cup sourdough organic breadcrumbs
handfuls of fresh coriander and mint

Throw all these ingredients except the eggs into a food processor
Pulse so that the ingredients are mixed well but not mush (very important)
Transfer the mixture from the bowl into a larger bowl and add the 2 beaten eggs
The mixture should be wet but not sloppy
now mould into patties and fry in a little organic ghee or coconut oil or if you prefer bake in the oven for 20 minutes on 170 degrees.

Ocean trout with smashed new potatoes, salty chickpeas, garlic, kale and green beans

Once again everything remaining in the fridge find's it way into a recipe for a late lunch, I love the different flavours and minimal fuss it took to prepare this meal, high in essential fatty acids the ocean trout comes from Hooked in greenwich a family run fish shop that also is a cafe and makes great salads, I have this habit of shopping for my client there and arriving just as they are carving up the trout or seconds after. It's a very oily fish (much oily than salmon) and also has much more flavour.
The kale came straight from my garden and the sun-dried tomatoes from Sonia's lebanese shop in Northbridge, bless you Sonia for your culinary advice and also recipes and delightful warmth.


1 piece ocean trout
sea salt and pepper to season
clarified butter or ghee to cook in
handful green beans trimmed
6 new potatoes, cut in half and boiled until al dente
handful sun dried tomatoes
kale
1 clove garlic
cumin powder
1 cup chickpeas

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the potatoes, cook for 8 minutes
Rub the salt and pepper into the skin of the trout
In a saute pan heat the butter or ghee gently and put the fish in skin down
When the potatoes are a minute off done throw in the beans for a quick blanch
Once the skin is crispy on the fish turn over (around 3 minutes) and cook until medium rare
Set the fish aside and add the garlic and cumin the the pan and gently fry, add the potatoes and press down with the back of a spoon or potato mash until flat and so they can soak up the flavour, add the kale, beans and sun-dried tomatoes and stir well.

Serve on a bed of salty chickpeas and put the fish on the top of the chickpeas

Spinach zucchini potato and fish brown rice red curry hotpot

When it's cold I love to get a one pot dish happening, it's quick and very nutritious and keeps me warm and nourished.
This hot pot is using a bunch of left over ingredients you can substitute the fish for tofu or chickpea's if your vegetarian.
1/2 brown onion, diced small
1 tablespoon red curry paste ( I like west country spice company available at always organics
small amount organic ghee or extra virgin olive oil
1/4 red capsicum, cut into julienne or sliced
1 zucchini , sliced diagonally
4 small potatoes, sliced thinly
5 spinach leaves, cut very fine
2 pieces blue eyed cod
1 cup brown rice
1 litre vegetable stock (I use marigold organic swiss vegetable bouillon when no time for homemade)

In a saucepan gently saute the onion in ghee or oil and add red curry paste stir around add potatoes and rice and stock cook for 20 minutes with lid on the saucepan and once rice is soft add he remaining ingredients and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve steaming in a a bowl

Saturday lunch

I love to use left overs it makes me feel thrifty and economical.
For lunch today I use left over basmati rice from dinner and also a cooked salmon fillet
This sure is a tasty and super quick recipe, if you ever have left over brown rice or basmati you can whip up a stirfry in not time.

Salmon, basmati stirfry with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and fresh rocket with a hint of harissa

2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 salmon cooked fillet
6 cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon harissa paste (refer to recipe finder on this blog)
handful rocket
handful mushrooms

Slice the mushrooms and put in a a skillet with the harissa paste a little olive oil or ghee and cook until golden, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to skillet finally add the salmon and rocket and stir for 2 minutes.

Be as creative as you can and use this recipe as a template for your own rice stirfry

Green salad with broccoli and salmon gluten free

A cheerful green and easy salad for a rainy day.

1/2 can wild alaskan red salmon
3 slices lebanese soft fetta cheese
1/4 small cos lettuce chopped into small pieces
1/2 lebanese cucumber cut into half moons
5 baby tomatoes cut in half
7 small florets broccoli
1 ear corn pieces
1 tablespoon home made pesto mixed with 1 tablespoon olive oil as a salad dressing add a dass or red wine vingear
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado sliced thinly

Cook the broccoli and corn until bright and crunchy set aside
On a plate put the lettuce and build layers with remaining ingredients adding colour and beauty to the salad.
Serves 2

Braised octopus in tomato, garlic, chilli and paprika broth

I picked up some octopus from my fishmonger, it is rich in zinc and very nutritional and I love it.
I planned on making a salad but instead opted for a braise with a rich red paprika salty and spicy broth.
This recipe is full in body, rich in flavour and tender to eat. I love to use the paprika paste from turkey, it is used to replace tomato paste in many of my recipes.

1 kg fresh octopus cut tentacles into 3 cm pieces
3 garlic cloves
3 small red chillies
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
black pepper to season
1 can tined tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 bunch oregano
2 tablespoons paprika paste (available from middle eastern supermarkets and made in turkey)

Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan keep the oil on a low heat, in a mortar and pestle pound the garlic and chilli to a paste, add to oil and gently saute, add octopus and stir, add stock and tomatoes, paprika and oregano.
Cook on low heat for 40 minutes the octopus will be be very tender serve alone or with quinoa or basmati rice

Enjoy.

Asparagus with blue eyed cod, tomatoes, eggplant and tomato ragu

2 bunches asparagus, washed and trimmed
1kg blue eyed cod
½ red onion, sliced finely
2 cloves garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 eggplant, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small red capsicum, deseeded and chopped into small cubes
1 small red chilled, deseeded and diced
2 anchovies, washed and cut small
1 cup vegetable stock
Sea salt and black pepper to season
Pecorino cheese, shaved to serve


Method

Preheat oven to 170 degrees
Line a baking tray with baking paper and baste either side of eggplant with extra virgin olive oil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes turning half way through
Fill a saucepan with boiling hot water almost to the top and blanch asparagus for 2 minutes.
Cut the fish pieces into 3 and poach in water in frypan for 15 minutes or until cooked set aside
Remove when cooked and drain and refresh with cold water. Set aside
In a frypan heat the oil and add the garlic and red onion cook until translucent
Add the red capsicum, chilli and two tablespoons water and cook for 5 minutes
add the canned tomatoes, vegetable stock and anchovies and when eggplant has cooled cut into small squares and add as well season with sea salt and pepper and reduce tomatoes cooking on simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the fish and asparagus, serve with pecorino