Author: bridgete

Categories
Fish

Monkfish satay, roast carrots, peanuts and lime

For the monkfish satay

For the roast carrots

  1. To make the satay, whisk the lime juice, honey, soy sauce, curry powder, peanut butter and coconut milk together in a bowl until combined. Put the monkfish in a dish and spoon over a little of the satay, making sure it is covered in the sauce. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
  2. Put the rest of the satay sauce in a small pan and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and smooth. Set aside to cool.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
  4. Mix together the carrots, sugar, and white wine vinegar on a baking tray until the carrots are well coated and dot over the butter. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft and sticky, turning frequently to prevent them burning.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot. Lightly oil the monkfish and place in the pan. Cook until the fish gets a nice, charred colour, then turn and fry for 6-7 minutes more, until cooked through. Move to a plate to rest.
  6. To serve, put the monkfish in the hot oven for a few minutes to heat through, then carve each piece into three slices and arrange on two plates. Dress the carrots in the chilli, lemongrass, coriander and peanuts, and place next to the fish. Spoon over the satay sauce and garnish with half a lime for squeezing over.
Categories
-appetizers Scallops

Scallops Cream garlic Lemon sauce

  • 1 pound scallops see note on size
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • Fresh parsley chopped, to taste

Pat scallops dry with paper towel. Trim off the tough side muscle that some of the scallops may still have (it looks whiter than the rest of the scallop). Season both sides of the scallops with salt & pepper.

Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the scallops and cook them for 2-3 minutes/side. Do not overcrowd the pan, and don’t move them around the pan.

Take the pan off the heat and remove the scallops from the pan and set them aside. You can cover them with foil to keep them warm if you wish.

Add in the garlic, wine, and lemon juice. Return the pan to the heat and let it bubble for about 30 seconds – 1 minute while stirring to scrape up the brown bits.

Stir in the cream and let it cook for a few minutes until it reduces to your liking. Add the scallops back into the pan and let them gently warm through. The middles should be somewhat translucent – scallops will become rubbery if they are overcooked. Give the sauce a taste and add more salt & pepper or lemon juice if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Categories
-appetizers Fish

Salmon Vol-au-Vents

  • 1 x 500g block puff pastry
  • 1 medium egg, to glaze
  • 5 tbsp soured cream
  • 3 tbsp fresh chopped chives, plus extra to garnish
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 100g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
  1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. 
  2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle measuring approx 25cm x 35cm and stamp out 12 x 7cm fluted rounds. Take a plain 4cm cutter and make a firm indentation into the centre of each pastry circle leaving a 1½ cm border around the edge, taking care not to cut the pastry all the way through.
  3. Place onto a baking sheet well spaced apart and bake for 10-12 mins until well risen and golden. Remove and carefully brush the pastry border, but not the centre, with the beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 mins until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven and gently remove the top of the centre circle of risen pastry and discard, leaving a hole in the centre ready to fill.
  4. Place the soured cream into a bowl and mix with the chives and mustard. Season well. Add the smoked salmon and fold through gently.
  5. Using a teaspoon, place spoonfuls of the mixture into the vol au vent cases. Serve scattered with extra chives to garnish.
Categories
Soup

Mushroom Soup

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened slightly. Add half the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the remaining mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, followed by the wine, broth, tamari, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool slightly, then transfer two-thirds to a blender and blend until smooth.

Stir the blended soup back into the pot with the chunky soup. If desired, add the cream and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the soup is warmed through and the raw cream taste has cooked off. Season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and/or cream, fresh parsley, and thyme.

Categories
Bakery Desserts

Lemon Cake

  • 200g (7oz) self raising flour
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 1/4tsp salt
  • 1/2tsp baking powder
  • 200ml (7fl oz) milk
  • 100ml (31/2fl oz) rapeseed oil
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 2tbsp golden syrup
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • For the drizzle
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 100g icing sugar

Pre heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Line and grease the base of a 1kg loaf tin with baking paper parchment paper. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. 

Using an electric mixer add the milk, oil, golden syrup, lemon juice and zest.

Beat until the mixture looks like a smooth batter. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until when a skewer is inserted into the middle of the cake and it comes out clean. 

While the cake is cooking heat the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan until all of the sugar has dissolved.

When you have removed the cake from the oven, whilst it’s still warm prick all over with a cocktail stick and drizzle half the syrup over the cake so that it soaks into the sponge. Reheat the remaining syrup to pour over the cake just before you are ready to serve.

    Categories
    Desserts

    Strawberry Shots

    • 75 g ginger cookies
    • 15 g butter, melted
    • 350 g firm tofu
    • Zest and juice of 1 lime
    • 90 g icing sugar
    • 100 g strawberries, sliced
    1. Put the cookies into a plastic bag and, using a rolling pin, crush until they are fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can whizz them in a food processor. Tip into a bowl with the melted spread, and mix together. Divide between 8 x 50ml shot glasses and press evenly into the base. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
    2. Whizz the tofu, lime zest and juice and icing sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a disposable piping bag and snip off the end.
    3. Pipe the mixture into the shot glasses, leaving 3mm clear at the top. Decorate with the strawberries and leave in the fridge until ready to serve.
    Categories
    -sides Vegetarian

    Salsa Verde

    • 1/2 lemon (with peel), seeded, chopped
    • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
    • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 cup olive oil
    • 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
    • Fresh lemon juice (optional)

    Combine lemon, shallot, and garlic in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir in oil, parsley, cilantro, and chives. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if desired.

    Categories
    Fish

    Furikake Salmon bowls

    • ———-Sauce
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or GF BRAGGS)
    • 3 tablespoons Mirin  (see notes for substitute)
    • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
    • ———-Bowl
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • one shallot, finely sliced
    • 2–3 extra-large handfuls of shredded cabbage
    • Pinch of salt, pepper and chili flakes
    • 8–10 ounces salmon (2 thick pieces)
    • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, de-stemmed, sliced (or use Smoked Mushrooms!)
    • ———-Options
    • 1  1/2 – 2 cups cooked quinoa or other grain (optional, or sub more veggies)
    • 1 avocado, sliced
    • Feel free to add additional roasted veggies or steamed veggies
    • Garnish: scallions, furikake, cucumber, chili flakes

    Set rice or grain to cook, if using.

    Make the Sauce: Mix soy sauce, mirin  and sesame oil in a small bowl.

    Saute Cabbage:  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add shallot and saute over medium heat until fragrant. Add the shredded cabbage, season with salt and pepper and saute until just wilted. Set aside in a bowl and drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of the Soy-Mirin–Sesame Oil Sauce.

    Sear the Salmon: Wipe out the pan and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the oil with a generous pinch of salt, pepper and chili flakes and swirl. Add the salmon and mushrooms, and sear both sides, until golden. Turn heat off, letting the pan cool slightly (otherwise sauce may burn).  Spoon sauce over top of the salmon and mushrooms, swirling the skillet.

    Assemble the bowls: Divide rice or grains between 2 bowls. Sprinkle with furikake. Arrange sauteed cabbage, avocado wedges and any other veggies in the bowl. Top with seared salmon and mushrooms, and sprinkle it with Furikake spooning the remaining sauce over the avocado and other veggies.

    Serve immediately.

    Categories
    -appetizers Scallops

    Scallops Lime Coriander

    • 6 scallops, removed from their shells and cleaned (shells cleaned and reserved for serving)
    • 1 lime, juiced and zested
    • 45ml of olive oil, plus extra to cook the scallops
    • 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
    • 1 handful of chopped coriander
    • salt
    • pepper

    Begin by making the dressing. Place the lime juice into a bowl and slowly drizzle in the oil whilst whisking to emulsify

    Add the finely chopped chilli and coriander then season with salt and pepper to taste

    Season the scallops with salt presentation-side up. Place a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place the scallops in the pan presentation-side down

    Leave to cook undisturbed for around 2–3 minutes until a nice golden crust forms, then flip over and cook for a final minute. The scallops should feel springy to the touch when ready

    Place the scallops back in their clean shells and spoon over some of the lime dressing. Sprinkle over the lime zest and serve

    Categories
    -appetizers Shrimp

    Prawn Lettuce Cups

    Place the baby gem leaves in a bowl of iced water whilst you prepare the rest of the canapés. This will crisp up the leaves, giving them more structure to hold the filling, as well as a pleasing crunch

    Mix the ingredients for the Marie Rose sauce together. Taste and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper

    Mix the prawns through the sauce to evenly coat them

    Dice the avocado into 1cm cubes and dress with a little lemon juice. This will lift the flavour and help prevent discolouration

    Pat dry the baby gem leaves and spoon on some diced avocado followed by a spoonful of prawns

    Finish with a light dusting of paprika and serve on a plate with some lemon wedges