Roasted Sea Bass with Chorizo, Red Onion & Cherry Tomatoes

Had a little trip to see Gordon the Fishmonger on Saturday morning and he tempted me with some glorious fresh sea bass, I chose two that were not too big, not too small just perfect for serving one each.  Once home I trawled my cook books for a suitable recipe, I vaguely remembered trying one years ago served with honey and onions, but could not find it.  Thinking it may be a James Martin recipe I hit up Google and came across THIS recipe which made me forget all about my original search. 

We had it last night (with a bottle of wine, so excuse the poor photo!) It was so very tasty, a recipe that really lets every single ingredient shine through.  Will definitely be cooking this one again.  I have tinkered with the quantities to suit myself.

Roasted Sea Bass with Chorizo, Red Onion and Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 2

2 tsp oil
1 large red onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
100g cooking chorizo, chunky chopped
50g black olives, without stones
12 cherry tomatoes
bunch fresh thyme
2 medium sea bass, descaled and gutted.
glug of olive oil.

Heat the oven to 190oc

Heat the 2 tsp oil in a frying pan, and add the onion, garlic and chorizo.  Fry for 5 minutes until onions soft and the oil for the chorizo renders out.  Add 2-3 sprigs of thyme, roughly chopped, olives and tomatoes. cook for a couple of mins and then transfer into a ovenproof dish.

Take the sea bass and slash the skin in three places along the body of the fish on both sides, stuff with more sprigs of thyme, season well with S&P then lay the fish on top of the chorizo, tomato mixture and drizzle the fish with a glug of oil.

Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until fish is tender and cooked through, flaking from the bone.

Roasted Aubergine Stuffed with Curried Turkey

This is a hearty veg packed dish that is low on points and so delicious I made it for myself two nights in a row!

Roasted Aubergine Stuffed with Curried Turkey

Serves 1  Approx 9 WW Pro Points

125g turkey mince

1 red onion sliced

1 clove garlic chopped

1/2 red chilli, minced

1 red pepper chopped

handful of mushrooms, sliced

cherry tomatoes, however many you want

tenderstem broccoli, roughly chopped

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp oil
1 medium aubergine
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cal spray.

Pre heat the oven to 180oc w/fan. Halve the aubergine length ways and score the flesh, sprinkle over the cumin seeds and spray liberally with 1 cal spray S&P.  Place in oven for 30 mins or until soft. Remove from oven and cool.  Then scoop out the flesh leaving a 'boat'.

Blanche the broccoli for a couple of minutes in a pan of boiling water, drain and keep to one side.  Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onions garlic and turkey, cook for a few minutes then add the chilli, pepper curry powder, mushrooms and tomatoes.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the scooped out aubergine flesh and broccoli, heat though again, check seasoning and then, stuff the mixture back into the Aubergine boats.

Serve.

Baked Lamb Shanks - Jamie Oliver

The finished product!

Easter saw us in Holland with my Brother and his family.  It fell to my Bro and I to make Easter Sunday lunch for 10.  This we did by using a lovely Jamie Oliver recipe to be found HERE.

Lamb, in Holland is not the popular meat that it is in the UK, so Dan had specially order these Lamb Shanks and it turned out that they were the perfect choice.  It was great fun to individually parcel up these joints with their own herby butter and vegetables and a glug of wine, then wallop them in the oven for 3 hrs on 160oc w/fan and pretty much forget about them.  Which allowed us time to start on the fizz and dance along to the Bee Gee's

It made for quite an entrance to the dining room, 10 silver parcels, each shank was then unpacked and served with masses of mashed potato, boiled cabbage and their own juicy sauce.  Extremely simple to make, utterly delicious and quite a showstopper.

Packaging up the shanks in foil, on a bed of carrots, leeks & onions with a glug of white wine and stuffed with herby butter

Parcels, ready for the oven.

The Easter merrymakers!

Chilli Black Bean Stew

Picked this recipe off the back of a packet of black beans.  They intrigued me as I was ambling through Tesco so thought I would give them a go.  OK, it does require a little forethought to get the beans soaked but hey, its easy enough.  Despite so few ingredients this recipe packed a huge flavour punch and it was only after hubby had eaten it did he realise I have fed him a meat free dish! Very, very satisfying.

Chilli Black Bean Stew
Serves 4 with rice or 2 by itself.
Approx 14 pro points based on serving 2 with Greek yogurt (no rice)

150g dried black turtle beans
1 1/2 tbsp oil
2 red onions, diced
2 green chillies, deseeded and diced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 red pepper deseeded and quartered
2 cloves garlic
100g dried apricots, diced
2 x 400g chopped plum tomatoes
2 tbsp 0% Greek yogurt

Soak the beans overnight in cold water.  Drain and put onto boil in a pan of fresh water.  Boil for 10 minutes then simmer for 40 minutes and drain again.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions and chillies, fry gently until the onions are translucent.  Add the ginger and cook for a further 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Puree the red pepper and garlic in a food processor and add to the onion in the saucepan, add the dried apricot, tomatoes and drained black beans, return to the heat and cook for a further 5 minutes or more until piping hot.

Serve over rice or cous cous with Greek yogurt and some chopped coriander.

Spanish Style Chicken Bake

I went back to the Hairy Bikers Diet Cook Book to get this little recipe.  I have modified it slightly to suit 2 people rather than 4 and our spicy palates.

It was so simple and utterly tasty, one of the best tray bakes I have ever made, moist and tender and packed full of flavour.

The Hairy Bikers' Spanish Style Chicken Bake

Serves 2 Approx 14 Pro Points each

1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges (1 white and 1 red medium onions)
250g new potatoes, sliced into quarters lengthwise
4 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 green pepper, cut into strips
50g chorizo, sliced 2mm thick
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, approx 85g each, slashed with a knife a couple of times
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
sea salt and pepper

Pre heat the oven to 200oc w/o fan 180oc w/fan.  Put onions, potatoes, garlic and tomatoes in a roasting tin and season.  Toss together and roast for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the tin from the oven and scatter over the chorizo and mix.  Place the chicken on top of the veg and chorizo and sprinkle over the paprika, oregano and season with a little more S&P.  Po back into the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the tin fro the oven again and tilt it so all the juices gather to one side and spoon them back over the chicken.  Tuck the pepper in and around the veg, then return to the oven and up the heat to 220oc w/o fan and 200oc w/fan and roast again for a further 20 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the chicken is golden and crispy.  Pile on a plate and serve, not forgetting to squeeze the garlic out of their papery skins, delish!

Huevos Rancheros

Fancy a bit of a different breakfast? Then try baked eggs in tomato or Huevos Rancheros. Well this is my take on a Mexican classic. It is warming and spicy and sets you up for the day with minimal points.

Huevos Rancheros
Serves 2. Approx 3 Pro Points each

1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
Handful mushrooms, thinly sliced
2tsp oil
1 tsp chipotle & paprika paste (or use chili flakes and paprika)
2 eggs
Chopped coriander

Pre heat the oven to 200oc. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, fry till soft. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and stir through the chipotle paste. Bubble together for a couple of mins.

Take an ovenproof dish or two small cocotte, tip the tomatoes into the dish and make a little well into which you crack the eggs. Grind a bit of pepper over the top and place in the oven for 15 mins.

Take out and serve with a little chopped coriander. Spicy, fresh and warming.

Suet Treacle Sponge

For Mothers Day hubster came up trumps with this glorious Merry Berry recipe to be found HERE It was so comforting, just like a huge, warm, cuddly hug.  Served with lashings of custard it was just perfect to sit in front of the fire watching the rugby, utter contentment.

Treacle Sponge Pudding

Serves 4-6

6 big tbsp golden syrup

125g SR flour

125g veg suet

125g fresh white breadcrumbs

60g caster sugar

125ml milk

900ml pudding bowl and butter to grease it with.

Butter the bowl and spoon the syrup into the bottom.

Put flour, suet, sugar and breadcrumbs in a bowl and mix, stir in milk to combine to a thick batter consistency, you may not need all the milk.  Spoon it on top of the syrup.

Cover the bowl with buttered foil, pleated in the middle and tie with string around the bowl, making a handle to help lift the bowl out with later.

Put into a  large saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water comes halfway up the side of the bowl.  Cover and steam (do not boil the water) - topping up the water if necessary for about 3 hours.

Carefully remove, turn out then serve with lots of custard.

Heaven