Fish Pie - Always a Favourite

We had lovely fresh Gurnard for dinner on Thursday. I was very generous with my quantities and there was enough left over for another meal

When fish has been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days, it is not quite so good just pan fried, so I turned it into Fish Pie

With a Bechamel Sauce doctored with veggies and lemon and this is a delight to eat.

I topped it with a mix of Mashed Potato and Kumara Yum

This will feed 3 or a greedy 2 people

The beauty of this fish pie is with the addition of the veggies into the sauce, you have a complete meal

You have to be quick to take a photo of the completed pie

Very very tasty

So you will need

300 gms of Gurnard or any other white fish

50 gms butter

3 tablespoons Flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

50 gms butter

1/2 leek finely sliced

1 carrot grated

1 red onion peeled and diced

splash white wine

1 lemon  zested and juiced

300 mls milk

1 large potato peeled and diced

1 large Kumara peeled and diced

A big knob of butter and a splash of milk

Toss the gurnard in seasoned flour, shake excess flour off and reserve

in a pan melt 50 gms butter when med hot add the fish

Cook till just golden about 4 minutes

Remove from pan onto a plates and add milk to the pan to soak up those wonderful juices

Meanwhile Into a pot add butter 

Melt over med heat

Add red onion and saute till soft but not brown

Add leek and carrot, saute gently until soft

Add reserved flour and mix well, cook through for about 3-4 minutes

Add warmed milk and stir well and cook gently until thickened,

Add lemon zest and juice 

Taste and add more seasoning if needed

Grease a casserole dish and add cooked fish

Pour the sauce of the top and set aside

Meanwhile cook the potato and Kumera in salted water till tender

Remove from heat, drain

and mash with milk and butter

Spread over the fish sauce and fork it well to get a nice ridged pattern

Dot with butter and cook for approx 30 mins at 180C

There ya go Golden and so so good

Prawns in Lemon and Garlic Butter on Lemon Basmati Rice

There are so many recipes for Prawns and Rice on the Internet

The idea of using Lemon not only whilst cooking the prawns but also in the accompanying rice

is such a good plan

Preparation and Cooking Time 25 minutes

                                    

350 gms Prawns, cleaned                           

4 - 5 cloves garlic  peeled and finely chopped                                            

1/4 tsp paprika                                                  

2 tbs butter                                                        

2 Tbs fresh Lemon Juice                                   

3 Tbs Fresh Snipped Parsley                            

Clean shrimp if needed, if not just rinse and let drain.

Cut lemon in half and cut off 2 slices for garnish.

Squeeze the remaining lemon for juice.

Meanwhile mince garlic

Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.

Add paprika and sauté briefly. 

Add garlic and sauté until golden and tender, 5  7 minutes.

Turn heat up to medium and add shrimp. 

Sauté until prawns start to curl and turn opaque. 

Add lemon juice, parsley and heat through.

Very simple

And to accompany these juicy prawns

Just whip up this tasty lemon rice 

 

Lemon Basmati Rice

1/2 cup Basmati Rice 

1 clove Garlic

 2 tsp butter

1 cup, 250 mls Chicken Stock 

1 tbs fresh lemon thyme

1tbs lemon juice

Mince garlic.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. 

Add garlic and sauté briefly, 1  2 minutes.

Add rice and sauté, stirring for 1 minute. 

Add stock, thyme and lemon juice. 

Cover and cook for length of time on package. 

When done fluff with a fork

To serve: Arrange rice on a small platter. 

Spoon shrimp and sauce on rice, garnish with little extra parsley and serve with some lemon wedges on the side 

Enjoy 

Lamb Shanks-More Winter Fare

This time of the year people with Citrus trees are blessed with so much fruit.

So what to do with it?

I was given a bag of Oranges, we had Lemon on the tree and Grapefruit

So much colour

So I decided to use some of the orange juice in a casserole, along with some left over Rose Wine

Yes I did have some leftover wine!!!

We also had two Lamb Shanks and some vegetables in the fridge so I  improvised

These two shanks fed 4 of us

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Lamb Shanks

3 tablespoons Flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 onion peeled and chopped

1 carrot chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped

Piece of pumpkin peeled and chopped

1 oxo cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water

1 cup orange juice

1 cup rose wine

Heat the oven to 160C this is a long slow cook

Dry the lamb shanks in a paper towel

Dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper

Put the leftover flour to one side

In a pan drizzle the olive oil

Brown the shanks and place them in a casserole dish

Add more oil to the pan if necessary and add the chopped onions

Cook for about 4-5 minutes until soft but not brown

Add the carrot, celery, garlic and pumpkin

Continue to saute until softened

Add leftover flour and mix well, 

Add the orange juice, rose wine and oxo cube dissolved in water

Cook until thickened

Pour over the lamb shanks and pop into oven 

Cook for about 3 hours

When cooked take the meat off the bone

Return to casserole and best served with mashed potatoes and a green vege of your choice

Enjoy

Colourful Salad-Perfect for A Winters Day- Rocket and Beetroot

This was a Salad I served at lunch in the weekend

It was very popular and seriously so so easy

It consists of

Bag Rocket

Mozzarella Balls

Roasted Beetroot

French Dressing

Make the Dressing (Vinaigrette)

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of sugar

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Place all ingredients into a jar with a lid

Shake well

It's all ready to go

To feed 8 people

Take 6 medium beetroot

Wrap each one in foil and bake in a 200C oven till tender

Takes about an hour

Check with a skewer to make sure it is cooked right through

Remove from oven

Cool for about 15 mins

When the beetroot is able to be held in your hand

Peel and chop into wedges

Toss in 3 tablespoons of French Dressing, 

The beetroot absorbs the vinaigrette best when warm

Set aside

To assemble

In a flat salad bowl

Layout the rocket

Throw over the beetroot wedges and then the mozzarella broken into pieces

You can assemble this earlier if necessary

Just before serving 

Distribute another 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing over the salad and 

Toss lightly

Voila 

Salad is served

Huey's Steak Smothered with a Delicious Vege Sauce - Just right for these Chilly Days

I found this recipe lurking away on my iPad, obviously awaiting a day when it would just be the perfect dinner

Beautifully cooked Scotch Filet, smothered with a range of vegetables with gorgeous sweet and sour flavours

Well... yesterday was the day

I was staying down in Hawkes Bay and it was a chilly day, it rained...it was grey and miserable

What better but Huey's Steak to cheer us up AND it did

Hughey is an Australian TV Chef (Iain Hewitson) who I was very keen on, a few decades ago

I was very impressed with his recipes and there will be quite a few on this blog going back a few years

An excellent way to serve a piece of scotch filet, doused in a yummy sauce

Just some mashed potatoes plus a few extra vege on the side

Just perfect

Ingredients
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
olive oil
3x 200 gm scotch filet or sirloin steaks, trimmed of all fat & sinew
a good knob of butter
2-3 leeks, washed well & finely sliced
1 scant tbsp plain flour
½ cup lager, at room temperature
1 cup beef stock
1 tspn white or brown sugar
½ can diced tomatoes
a few sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Mix together the vinegar, 1 tspn salt and ½ tspn ground pepper with a splash of oil in a large bowl.

Add the steaks, toss well and set aside for up to 30 mins.

When ready, heat a little oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and just sear the steaks on both sides. Remove and set aside They will continue to cook in the next stage

Add a little fresh oil, if needed, with the butter to the pan and gently sauté the leeks until tender, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan now and again.

Then add the flour, mix well and briefly cook.

Pour in the beer and stock with any leftover marinade.

Then add the sugar, tomatoes, thyme and 1 tbsp chopped parsley.

Stir and cook until thick and fragrant.

Then return the steaks to the pan and cook to the desired degree, basting now and again.

Remove the steaks and set aside to rest for a few minutes, before thickly slicing, if you like.

Or just Pop the whole steak on the plate as below

Taste the sauce for seasoning.

And some extra vege on the side, Roasted Carrots and Cauli and some yummy mashed potato

Try this... this weekend...Guaranteed a success

Thank you Hughey I shall hunt for more of your gems to try as we get through this winter

It's Pie Time Spinach and Feta Pie on the Menu Tonight

Spinach and Feta Pie or Spanankopita

Such a easy way to get the green vege into your kids

Often children find it hard to eat those dark leafy vegetables 

But mix it up with cheese, onion and eggs

Turn that into a pie, with crispy Filo Pastry and you are onto a winner

I used a 23 cm square pan, this amount of filling was enough for this size

Don’t forget to work quickly with the filo pastry as it drives out quickly

In fact keep a damp towel to put over it if you have to walk away

Family couldn't wait for me to take the photograph 

You need 

Olive oil

400 gms frozen spinach thawed

1 large onion diced

2 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped

2 spring onions finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutmeg ground about 1/2 tsp

2 eggs lightly beaten

200 gms feta cheese crumbled

8 sheets Filo Pastry

Melted butter about 60 gms

Heat oven to 170C 

Put the thawed spinach in a tea towel 

and squeeze it to remove all the moisture  

Heat about 2 tablespoons Olive in in a pan

Medium heat

Add onion 

Sauté till tender

Add garlic and spring onions 

Continue over the heat about 2-3 minutes don’t let it brown

Add the spinach

and cook for about 4-5 minutes

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add a little freshly grated nutmeg

Cool 

Meanwhile lightly beat the eggs

Add feta cheese and mix well

Season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Add spinach mixture

Your filling is ready to go

Remove your filo from the wrapper and lay on a damp towel 

It’s important that the pastry doesn’t dry out 

Brush the first layer with melted butter 

Lay in buttered tin 

Butter the next sheet and repeat till you have 4 layers

Add your cooled spinach mixture 

Then butter another sheet and lay on top

and repeat with another 3 layers

Fold the edges in

Brush top with little more melted butter

Score the top with a sharp knife

Bake at 170C for about an hour

By then the pastry will be golden and crispy

Below The Cross section, sorry about the photo I need a proper camera ha ha

We had some ketchup on the side

Lunch is served

A little salad on the side to round it out perhaps, if you feel like it 

Winters Here - Soup's Up

I love making soup, just such an excellent way to boost your vege intake all in one bowl

So nourishing and tasty... It has to be good for you

In the fridge, we had what is considered to be winter vege but actually these days, they are available 

all year around

I was lacking in any stock, so I chopped up some salami and used that for the extra flavour

Look at those Brussels Sprouts, I love them and to think I hated them when I was a kid

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and 30 gms butter

8-10 slices of Pepperoni Salami chopped

1 Onion peeled and chopped

1/2 Cauliflower chopped

1/2 head Broccoli chopped

4 Brussels Sprouts sliced

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Water

In a pot add the oil and butter

Melt

Add the salami

Saute for a few minutes

Add the onion just a few more minutes

Then the rest of the vege

Saute till they soften and are well tossed in the oil

Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add enough water to cover

Bring to boil and simmer till soft about 30-40 minutes

Remove from heat

Into Blender

AND just like that...Lunch is ready 

Enjoy

Leeks and Fish An Excellent Blend

Leeks are such an excellent. vegetable, so pretty, sweet and tasty 

Sweat them down in some beautiful butter and a touch of Olive oil

I can guarantee you will love them

Served with mashed potatoes with some spinach leaves added and sweet carrots on the side

A Beautiful dinner

This recipe embraces the Leek and combines it with beautiful Fresh Fish

For 4 people

You will need

1 filet fish per person

Olive Oil

Butter

2 leeks cleaned and finely sliced

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

Chili Flakes

50 gms grated Parmesan Cheese

2 carrots washed and cut into half moons

Maple Syrup

Sea salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 filets of white fish e.g. Snapper or Hapuka

4 large Potatoes

60 gms Butter

1/3 cup Milk

1 Packet  200 gms Baby Spinach lightly chopped

Small bunch  of Parsley

Heat the Oven to 200C/ fan forced 180C

Line a baking sheet with baking paper

Toss the carrots with a good glug of Olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Into oven until tender about 25 minutes

Remove toss with 1 tbs of Maple syrup and 

return to the oven for about another 5 minutes

Remove from oven and set aside

Roughly chop the  Baby spinach

and finely chop the parsley

Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces,

Cook till tender

Remove from heat add milk put back on heat till milk bubbles

Remove again Mash potatoes

Add the butter and half the chopped parsley and the baby spinach

Mix well, the spinach will wilt 

Set aside

Meanwhile in a pan add a good slug of Olive oil and 30 gms butter

Add the sliced leeks and gently cook till softened

Add garlic then

Season with sea salt and a pinch of Chili Flakes 

plus the zest of the lemon

Cook gently for another 3-4 minutes till fragrant

add the Parmesan cheese and mix well

Set aside

Lightly oil the fish and season with sea salt and freshly ground Black pepper

Lay the fish on a baking sheet lined with baking paper

Cover with the leek mixture and return to the oven for another 6-8 minutes till the fish is cooked

Remove and serve with the sweet Carrots and Mashed Potato

Garnish with the remaining parsley

Guaranteed a winner for these cold winter night coming up