Essentially Healthy Food

Salmon with a Parsnip & Coconut Crust served with Creamed Spinach & Peas

 

I haven't entered the Royal Foodie Joust* for months now, purely because the ingredients haven't fitted in with any of the weekly recipes.  However, when I saw that the list of ingredients that must be included in this month's recipe were fish, nutmeg and coconut milk, I knew exactly what to make!  Nutmeg pairs beautifully with both spinach and parsnip, and they are both delicious with salmon.  So, I wanted to create a dish using salmon fillet topped with some sort of parsnip crust and a dairy free creamed spinach, using the coconut milk instead of milk or cream.

 

The idea was to make a rösti type of crust but as the salmon cooks fairly quickly, the parsnip wouldn't have time to cook properly.  By pan frying it first, using only a little oil and a non stick pan, you not only ensure that it is cooked but it also gives it a lovely golden colour and a more interesting texture.  When I first tested it for doneness, I immediately thought, Tyrell's parsnip crisps!  There's also a little desiccated coconut in the crust for additional texture and also to complement the coconut milk used in the dish.  The lemon zest and juice are there to give it a bit of a zing.

My original idea was to serve the salmon with creamed spinach but it just seemed to be lacking something both texturally and visually so along came some onions and the peas which also add a little sweetness in contrast to the earthy flavour of the spinach.

*The Royal Foodie Joust is a monthly competition, hosted by The Foodie Blogroll website.  The idea is to create a dish which includes the three designated ingredients chosen by the previous month's winner.

 

Salmon with a Parsnip & Coconut Crust served with Creamed Spinach & Peas

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Salmon Fillets (150-175g each), skinless and boneless

1 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil

150g Parsnip, coarsely grated

15g Desiccated Coconut

Zest of  ½ Lemon

Juice of ¼ Lemon

40ml Coconut Milk

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Creamed Spinach & Peas

60g Peas

1 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil

¼ Red Onion, finely sliced

150g Baby Leaf Spinach

1½ Tsp Cornflour

125ml Coconut Milk 

Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Sea Salt & Freshly Grated Black Pepper

Lemon Slices, to garnish

First of all make the parsnip and coconut crust.  Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan over a low heat and gently cook the grated parsnip until it has turned a light golden brown.  It should be crispy on the outside, cooked through but still with a slight bite to it.  Take off the heat and add the desiccated coconut, lemon zest and juice and coconut milk.  Mix well and then season with a little salt and pepper.

Gently press half of the mixture on top of one of the salmon fillets, keeping the top looking slightly craggy.  Repeat with the other piece of salmon and place both pieces in an ovenproof dish/tray, lined with non stick parchment.  This can be done up to a day in advance and refrigerated until you're ready to start cooking.

Preheat the oven to 200℃/Fan 180℃.

Before cooking the salmon, get the creamed spinach and peas underway.  The first thing to do is to cook the peas in boiling salted water until they are tender.  Drain well and set aside.  Then mix the cornflour with a little coconut milk to form a paste, add the rest of the coconut milk and mix well to combine.

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion on a low heat, without colouring, until it is cooked and has turned translucent.  If the pan starts to look dry and the onion starts to stick, add a little water instead of more oil.

When the onions are cooked put the salmon in the preheated oven and cook for 12-15 minutes or until it is cooked through.

Next, whilst the salmon is cooking, add the spinach to the pan containing the onions and  cook until it has wilted.  Keep stirring the spinach whilst it is cooking.  Add the peas and the cornflour and coconut milk mixture to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens.  Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper and a good grating of nutmeg.

Take a couple of large spoonfuls of the spinach and peas and transfer to a bowl.  Using a hand held (stick) blender, blend until a coarse green puree has formed.  Return the puree to the pan and stir through the vegetables.

To Serve

Spoon half of  the creamed spinach and peas onto the centres of two warmed plates and then carefully place the salmon fillets on top of the vegetables.  Garnish with slices of lemon.

 

Food Preparation & Food Presentation Guides

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Importance of the Visual Appeal of Food

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Baked Potatoes with Smoked Mackerel, Apple & Celery

Generally potatoes are not considered as particularly healthy vegetables because of their disruptive effects on blood sugar levels.  However, it appears that by combining them with a source of protein and/or fat then they have less of an impact.
 

The variety of potato used in the photograph is Vivaldi, known as the weight watcher's potato because it contains less carbohydrate and has fewer calories than other potato varieties.  It's other nickname is the 'butterless baker' as it has such a creamy texture and delicious flavour when it is baked that you don't need to add any butter.
 

Avoid the temptation to cook the potatoes in the microwave.  The result is a far cry from the authentic slow baked, crispy skinned, oven cooked potato.

Whilst the smoked mackerel filling helps to counteract the high glycemic value of the potato it also provides some crunch, in the form of the celery and apples which are a stark contrast to the creamy flesh of the potato, and some colour to what could otherwise be a dull looking dish.
 

Baked Potatoes with Smoked Mackerel, Apple & Celery

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Baking Potatoes

1½-2 Tsp Horseradish Sauce

1 Tbsp Mayonnaise

¼ Lemon, zest & juice

1-2 Tbsp Apple Juice or Water

150g Smoked Mackerel, skinned, boned & flaked

2 Sticks of Celery, sliced or diced

½ Crisp Red Skinned Eating Apple, diced

¼ Medium Red Onion, finely chopped

A Handful of Celery, Par-Cel or Parsley Leaves, roughly chopped

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

  

To cook the potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 220℃/Fan 200℃.


2. Scrub the potatoes and prick the skins with a skewer or fork and place in the oven.  You can also cook them on metal skewers - the heat is conducted quicker to the centre of the potatoes.


3. Bake for 1-1¼ hours or until the flesh is soft and the skins are crisp.

To make the filling

1. Mix together the horseradish sauce, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice and apple juice (or water).


2. Stir the mackerel, celery, apple, red onion and chopped celery leaves or herbs through the sauce.


3. Season to taste.

To serve

1. Cut open the baked potatoes, lengthways and spoon the filling down the centre.  Spoon any extra on the plate around the potatoes.

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Food Preparation & Food Presentation Guides

 

Colour ~ Texture ~ Shape/Form ~ Less is More ~ Garnishing

Serving Styles ~ Plating Techniques ~ Plating Styles

Importance of the Visual Appeal of Food

Why Attractive Presentation Makes Food More Enjoyable

 

 

Courgette Noodle Salad with Prawns & Green Beans

 

Courgette season means that it's time to get out the spiraliser!  The beauty of making vegetable noodles and linguine with courgettes is their neutral flavour and flexible texture - pretty much the same attributes as 'normal' pasta and noodles except that courgettes are by far the healthier option.

As well as the usual courgette linguine with pesto and other pasta type dishes, this year oriental style noodles have also crept into the repetoire.  Partly because of the lush row of coriander growing next to the courgette bed in the vegetable garden which is just begging to be used!

 

The noodles and sauce are both uncooked retaining the vibrancy and freshness of the ingredients and the sauce is thickened with ripe avocado which along with the coconut milk contributes to its creamy texture.  

Although you could easily make this recipe with rice or wheat noodles, part of its appeal is in the unconventional and unexpected use of the courgettes, making it altogether more enticing.

 

Courgette Noodles with Prawns & Green Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g Courgette Noodles (for preparation instructions click on the link)

25g Lemon Grass, finely chopped

10g Fresh Ginger, finely chopped

1 Lime, juice & zest

25g Fresh Coriander, roughly chopped

25g Spring Onion Tops, chopped

1/2 Tsp Agave Nectar

Fresh Green Chilli, to taste (optional)

200ml Coconut Milk

1/2 Ripe Avocado

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

200g French Beans, quartered lengthways & cut into long strips

350g Cooked Peeled Prawns

25g Spring Onions, finely sliced

A handful of Coriander, roughly chopped
 

1. Blend together the lemongrass, ginger, lime zest & juice, coriander, spring onion tops, chilli if using, agave and coconut milk until it forms a smooth green sauce.
2. Add the avocado and blend again.
3. Season to taste.
4. Briefly cook the sliced beans in salted boiling water and then drain and refresh in cold water.  Drain well when cold.
5. Mix together the sauce and courgette noodles.
6. Stir the green beans, spring onions, prawns and chopped coriander through the noodles.
7. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

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Food Preparation & Food Presentation Guides

Colour ~ Texture ~ Shape/Form ~ Less is More ~ Garnishing

Serving Styles ~ Plating Techniques ~ Plating Styles

Importance of the Visual Appeal of Food

Why Attractive Presentation Makes Food More Enjoyable

Salmon, Asparagus & Chickpea Salad

 

Texture Matters

 

One way of making food more interesting is by creating contrasts.  This may be by using contrasting colours, shapes, flavours or textures.

 

Why does this making eating more enjoyable?

We enjoy variety far more than monotony and eating a plate of food where all the textures are similar can be quite dull and unsatisfying.

There was a fascinating programme about weight loss on BBC1 this week, 10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight.  One of the things that the health journalist, Michael Mosely explained was that we are genetically programmed  to seek out variety.  The very same programming that ensured that our hunter-gatherer ancestors sought out a varied diet is still prominent today.  This explains why we often eat far more than we should at parties when there are lots of different dishes to choose from!

Michael tried an experiment where people were offered two different bowls of sweets.  One bowl contained a single colour and the other contained a variety of colours.  The sweets in both bowls were identical except for the colours but the majority of people opted for the different coloured sweets.

 

 

The following salad recipe combines the meltingly soft texture of the salmon with slightly floury chickpeas and crisp juicy asparagus.  Sorrel ribbons and a lemony dressing are added to bring the whole dish together.

The salad tastes best either warm or at room temperature, so if you make it in advance don't serve it straight from the fridge.

 

 

 

Salmon, Asparagus & Chickpea Salad

 

2 Generous Servings

Ingredients

 

350g Salmon Fillet

250g Asparagus, trimmed weight

215g Tin of Chickpeas (drained weight 130g)

1/2 Lemon, zest & juice

1 Tsp Honey

1/2 Tsp Dijon Mustard

1-2 Tbsp Rapeseed or Olive Oil

A good handful of Baby Sorrel or Spinach Leaves

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

 

 

To cook the salmon & asparagus

• Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC.

• Loosely wrap the salmon in a foil parcel and place on a baking tray.

• Cook the salmon for 10-15 minutes or until the flesh turns opaque but is still dark pink in the centre.

• Uncover and leave to cool slightly.

• Cut the asparagus into large pieces.

• Cook in boiling water until they are just tender.

• Strain and set aside.

 

 

To make the dressing

• Whisk together the honey, mustard, lemon juice and zest and a little salt.

• Gradually whisk in the oil.

• Season to taste.

• Strain the chickpeas and mix with the dressing in a large bowl.

To serve

• Add the asparagus to the chickpeas.

• Cut the sorrel into ribbons and add to the bowl.

• Flake the salmon and combine with the chickpeas, asparagus and sorrel.

• Place in a serving dish or divide between two plates.

 

 

 

Cauliflower & Quinoa Sushi

 

Get Creative with Cauliflower

 

Cauliflower is an underrated vegetable, frequently usurped in favour of its brighter superfood cousin, broccoli.  Yet like broccoli, it too contains phyto nutrients with anti cancer properties, selenium, vitamin C, folate, lecithin and soluble fibre yet it has something of a bad reputation.

Maybe it's due to bad memories of school dinners with the pungent smell of boiled cauliflower lingering in the air or pieces of mushy cauliflower languishing in a nondescript orangey coloured cheese  sauce.

But cauliflower really doesn't deserve this sort of  reputation and is far more versatile than you might think.  Yes it does lend itself to a well made cheese sauce but it is equally as good in rather more healthier dishes too!

It goes well with Indian spices, either in a curried coconut sauce or you could coat the cauliflower florets with ground cumin and coriander, drizzle with oil and roast in a hot oven.  It can even be mashed and used in place of potatoes - steam or boil until tender and then mash with a little olive oil or butter, salt, pepper and some grated nutmeg.

 

 

You can also blitz the cauliflower in  food processor and use it instead of couscous or rice.  Although it can be eaten raw, it does have quite a strong taste, so it is far better to cook it quickly in boiling salted water as the  mildness of its cooked flavour is far more palatable! 

The following recipe uses a mixture of cauliflower and quinoa in place of sushi rice.

 

 

Cauliflower & Quinoa Sushi

 

Makes 4 large rolls

Ingredients

 

250g Cauliflower Florets

75g Quinoa

225ml Boiling Salted Water

15g Agave Nectar

15ml Rice Wine Vinegar

60ml Water

2 Tbsp Rice Mirin

4 Sheets of Nori

6 Spears of Asparagus, cooked

120g Smoked Salmon

 

To serve - pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste

 

 

To make the filling

• Blitz the cauliflower in a food processor until it forms small grains, resembling cooked couscous.

• Tip the quinoa into a pan containing the boiling water and cook on a moderate heat for 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, mix together the agave nectar, rice wine vinegar and water.

• Add the cauliflower and vinegar mixture to the quinoa.

• Continue to cook until the cauliflower is just tender and the quinoa is cooked, adding a little more water if the mixture looks too dry.

• Add the rice mirin and mix well.

• Cover and remove from the heat.

• Leave to cool - the cauliflower and quinoa mixture can be made in advance and left in the fridge until needed.

 

 

To assemble the sushi

• Place a nori sheet shiny side down on a sushi rolling mat (or use a double sheet or baking paper or tin foil just a little large than the nori sheet).  You want the shorter side facing you - portrait not landscape!

• Spread a quarter of the filling onto the half of the nori sheet nearest to you, leaving about 1cm gap from the edge (the shortest edge, nearest to you).

• Lay strips of smoked salmon horizontally across the centre of the filling.

• Lay a single row of asparagus (about 1 1/2 spears) horizontally on top of the salmon.

• Moisten the far edge of the nori sheet with a little water.

• Using the sushi mat and your fingers carefully roll the nori sheet up and over the filling.

• Roll up as tight as possible - when you have made the roll, if you hold the sushi mat around the roll and pull out the bottom edge of the mat it will help to tighten the rolls.

• Repeat with the other 3 rolls.

 

 

To serve

• Wet a sharp serrated knife and cut each roll into 6-8 portions.

• Serve with Japanese pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste.