Fried Sea Bass with Rice and Salsa

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 small Sea Bass

1 green Plantain, cut into 1cm pieces

1 tsp Lemon Juice

2-3 tbsp Olive Oil

handful Plain Flour

Ingredients for the Salsa de Cebolla

1 red onion, sliced

3 Lemons, juice only

handful curly Parsley, chopped

1 Plum Tomato, sliced, seeds removed and juice reserved

1 Green Pepper, sliced

Olive Oil

To serve

2 cups of Long Grain Rice

1 avocado, sliced

Lettuce

Method

Sprinkle the sea bass with salt and pepper and leave to stand while you prepare the other ingredients.
Wash the rice 3 times under cold running water to remove the starch. Place in a small saucepan, add around 400ml of water, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.
For the plantain: in a small frying pan, pour in oil to a depth of 2cm and heat. Add the plantain slices and when golden but not completely cooked through, remove the slices from the frying pan, press down on them with a metal spatula and return to the pan until completely cooked and crisp. Keep warm.
Coat the seasoned fish in the flour.
In another frying pan, heat 1- 2 tablespoons of oil and add the sea bass. Cover and cook until tender. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
For the salsa de cebolla (onion salsa): sprinkle the onion slices with the lemon juice and a little salt and allow to stand.
Mix the parsley with the sliced onions, tomato and pepper. Add a little oil and reserved tomato juice to make a lush salsa.
To serve: place the rice in a dish, arrange a layer of lettuce over the rice and place the fish on top. Spoon on the salsa. Slice the avocado putting a few pieces on each dish, along with some of the plantain slices.

Red Onion and Thyme Foccacia

Ingredients

450g/1lb Plain Flour

1 teasp Salt

7g sachet Dried Yeast

110mls/4 fl oz Olive Oil

300mls/11 fl oz warm water

5-6 Sprigs of Thyme

4 Small Red Onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

Method

Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Add the thyme, half the oil and all the water.

Mix with a spoon to a very soft dough, then knead with a dough hook for 3 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth.

Oil a baking tin 30 x 18 cms/12 x 7” and spread the dough out in it, pressing it down evenly.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 90 minutes.

Heat oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

Press down all over the dough with your fingertips, making dimples in it.

Toss the onions in 1 tbs of oil and drizzle the remaining oil all over the dough.

Arrange the onions over the top and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Bake for 25 minutes, until golden.

Cool in the tin covered with a tea towel to keep it soft.

Beetroot, Onion and Goat's Cheese Wellington

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2ozs Raw Beetroot

2tbs Olive Oil

1 Red Onion, peeled and finely sliced

1½ Tbs Mustard Seeds

1 Tbs Sherry Vinegar

Large Pinch Caster Sugar

3 Sprigs Thyme, torn

500g/1lb 2oz Puff Pastry

Plain Flour, for dusting

1½ tbs Clear Honey

150g/5½ oz Soft Goat’s Cheese

1 Egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

Wash the beetroot and then place it in a roasting tin and cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 90 minutes.

Leave to cool, then slide skin off and cut into wedges.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and add the onion and mustard seeds.

Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until softened.

Add the vinegar, thyme and sugar.

Increase the heat to high and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir the contents into the beetroot.

Allow to cool and then cover and chill.

Then roll out the pastry into a rectangle about 3mm thick on a floured work surface.

Cut the rectangle into quarters and spread each quarter with the honey and goat’s cheese.

Put some of the beetroot mixture into the middle of each rectangle.

Join together the longer edges of the rectangles and pinch to seal.

Place the parcels on a non-stick baking sheet, seam side down.

Use any leftover pastry to decorate the tops of the parcels with leaves.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6.

Brush the parcels with the beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes until golden.

White Bean Bruschetta

Ingredients

1 x 420g can Butter Beans, drained
50g (20z) canned Red Peppers, drained and chopped
50g (2oz) canned Black Olives, drained and chopped
60ml (1/8 pint) Olive Oil
Juice of ½ a Lemon
1 tablespoon of Sunblush Tomato Paste
50g (2oz) Sunblush Tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Ciabatta bread
Olive Oil

Method

Mash the butter beans roughly with the garlic and add enough olive oil to make a paste.
Stir in the lemon juice, red peppers, tomato paste, sunblush tomatoes, black olives and seasonings.
Slice the ciabatta bread and toast under the grill.
Drizzle with olive oil and serve topped with the butter bean mixture

Goat's Chees and Cranberry Parcels

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 sheets filo pastry, 40 x 23cm
2 x 100g cylindrical goats’ cheeses
3–4 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp cranberry sauce

Method

Cut each piece of filo into 4 quarters.

Cut the goats cheeses in half width-ways.

To make a parcel, put one of the pieces of filo on a work surface and brush with olive oil.

Put another piece over it at right angles to make a cross and brush with olive oil again.

Lay a third piece diagonally, as if you were making a star shape, brush with oil, then top with the final piece, diagonally, to complete the ‘star’, and brush with oil.

Place one of the pieces of cheese, cut-side up, in the centre of the pastry and put a heaped teaspoon of cranberry sauce on top of it.

Fold up the sides of the filo and scrunch them at the top so they hold together. Brush all over with olive oil.

Make three more parcels in the same way.

Place all the parcels on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven, 200C 400F, Gas Mark 6, for 15–20 minutes, or until crisp and lightly browned.

Serve at once with a leafy salad dressed with vinaigrette.

Pine Nut and Carrot Roast with Mushroom Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the Roast

25g/1oz Butter
1 Onion, finely chopped
225g/8oz Carrots, finely grated
2 Celery sticks, finely chopped
225g/8oz Pine Nuts, grated
2 tbsp chopped Parsley
squeeze of Lemon Juice
2 free range Eggs
sea salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
freshly grated Nutmeg

For the sauce

7g/1/4 oz Dried Mushrooms, rinsed
600ml/1 pint Water
25g/1oz Butter
1 small Onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp Cornflour
2 tbsp vegetarian Madeira or fortified wine
2 tbsp Shoyu or Soy Sauce

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4
Grease and line a 500g/1lb loaf tin
Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion, without browning, for 5 minutes, then add the carrot and celery and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the pine nuts, parsley, lemon juice and eggs.
Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and firm in the centre.

To prepare the sauce:

1 Put the mushrooms and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then remove from heat and leave to soak for 40 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid and chop the mushrooms.
2 Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
3 Add the mushrooms and gently cook for 30 minutes until tender.
4 Mix the cornflour with the reserved liquid, Madeira and Shoyu/Soy, then add to the mushroom mixture. Bring to the boil, stirring until slightly thickened. Season to taste.

Turn the roast out onto a plate, slice thickly and drizzle with the mushroom sauce. Serve with roast potatoes, sprouts, carrots and all the trimmings for a classic vegetarian Christmas feast that will be a sure-fire hit year after year.

Beetroot Chutney

300g (10oz) of whole cooked beetroot cut into 5 - 6mm dice. · 150g (5oz) onions, peeled and chopped · 120g (9oz) cooking apples, peeled and chopped into approx. 5mm cubes · 40g (1.5oz) demerara sugar · 1 pinch of dried ginger, about 1/4 of a teaspoon. · 80ml of malt vinegar. Red wine vinegar may be used as an alternative with possible beneficial results. · 1 teaspoon (5ml) of salt Optional, these ingredients will give a slightly stronger and sourer flavour: · 1 large clove of garlic, extremely finely chopped or totally crushed. · 2 tablespoons (30ml) of lemon juice.

Method Mix all the ingredients together into the saucepan making sure that there is at least 1" (2.5cm) of space at the top for froth and/or bubbles. Bring to a strong boil whilst stirring regularly. Stir continually at first to dissolve the sugar. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally. Whilst simmering, prepare the jars. The lid and jar must be thoroughly washed and rinsed. Warm the jars in a cool oven. When the chutney is cooked, pour carefully into the jars, seal with the lid immediately and allow to cool. When cool, check that the lid seal is good. This chutney should keep well unopened for months but once opened, keep it in the fridge.