Pippies wok-tossed with chilli & Asian basil

Recipe adapted from Luke Nguyen

Ingredients

1 ½ cups water
2 lemongrass stalks, bruised, finely sliced
1kg pippies/vongole
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon finely diced garlic
1 tablespoon finely diced red Asian shallots
1 tablespoon corn flour mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 long red chillies, finely sliced
1 handful Asian basil leaves
green shallots, to garnish

Method

In a large saucepan, bring water to the boil. Add lemongrass and pippies. Cover and cook until pippies open slightly (roughly 4 minutes).

In a bowl, add sugar, fish sauce & oyster sauce. Mix until sugar dissolves and set aside.

Strain the pippies, reserving its broth.

Heat a wok to high, add oil, garlic and red shallots, followed by the pippies, then wok toss for 1 minute.

Add the sauce and 6 tablespoons of the pippie broth, toss for a further minute, then add the dissolved corn flour.

Add chilli, pepper and Asian broth and toss to combine.

Salmon Nicoise

Recipe adapted from Masterchef- February 2012 issue, page 70

Serves 4

Ingredients

600g baby potatoes
200g green beans
4 eggs
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
4 x 150g skinless, boneless salmon pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
250g cherry tomatoes
1 butter lettuce
70g kalamata olives

White wine vinaigrette

1 eschalot
½ lemon
1 clove garlic
¼ bunch basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 anchovy fillets

Method

1. Scrub potatoes. Place in a saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Trim beans, add to pan, then cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander, then refresh under cold water. Add eggs to saucepan and cook for 7 minutes for almost hard-boiled.
3. To make vinaigrette, chop eschalot and place in the bowl of a food processor. Squeeze over 1 tablespoon lemon juice and crush over garlic. Pick basil leaves and add with mustard, vinegar, oil and anchovies. Process until smooth.
4. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Drizzle oil over fish. Roughly chop fennel seeds, scatter over fish, then season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until just cooked. Rest in pan for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into 1.5cm-thick rounds and place in a bowl. Halve tomatoes. Add to potatoes with beans and half the dressing, then toss to combine. Peel and slice eggs then add to bowl. Wash and dry lettuce, then toss in a separate bowl with remaining dressing.
6. Layer potato mixture, lettuce and salmon on a platter, flaking salmon as you go. Scatter with olives to serve.

Lemon Myrtle Salmon

I was inspired to recreate this Lemon Myrtle Salmon dish I had from Hog's Breath. Who would've thought that their fish would taste as delicious as their steaks?

Here's the recipe for my version:

Ingredients
4 salmon fillets approx. 150g each
2 teaspoons lemon myrtle, ground
¼ teaspoon chilli, ground
olive oil spray
¼ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
potato mash, salad leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Method
In a small bowl, mix together the lemon myrtle & chilli. 
Spray flesh side of salmon with a bit of olive oil spray then sprinkle and rub in the spices (only on the flesh side of the salmon).
Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add salmon, skin side down to pan and cook for 4-5 mins.
Flip and cook on the other side for another minute or so. 
Serve salmon on a bed of potato mash, with salad on the side.

for the potato mash
approx. 800g potato, peeled & chopped
1-2 cloves garlic (optional)
40g butter, chopped
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Cook potato and garlic in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

for the salad
120g mixed salad leaves
½ red capsicum, deseeded & sliced
½ cucumber, cut lengthways then sliced
125g mushrooms, sliced
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 carrot, julienned
1 ripe avocado, sliced

for the dressing
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine honey, vinegar and oil in a jug. Stir until well combined.
Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve.

Salmon & Spiced Quinoa

Recipe adapted from Woolworths Magazine, September 2013 issue, page 46

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
½ red capsicum, diced
1 carrot, diced
125g button mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon Moroccan spice seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 salmon fillets
olive oil spray
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Place quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, garlic and spice. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until carrot is just soft. Add to quinoa with parsley and lemon juice. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a pan over medium heat. Spray fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness, or until cooked through. Serve with quinoa and lemon.

Grilled Cajun Prawns Sweet Potato Mash & Holy Trinity Veg

Loving my Jamie Oliver cookbook at the moment! So many more recipes to try out! Here's another one of his yummy recipes.

Recipe adapted from Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, page 120

*Ingredients out *Kettle boiled *Oven grill on high *Food processor (thick slicer) *Large lidded pan, high heat *Large frying pan, medium heat

Serves 4
Ingredients
Mash

800g sweet potatoes

Prawns
20 large raw shell on tiger prawns
3 cloves of garlic
1½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ a bunch of fresh thyme
1 lemon

Vegetables
1 green capsicum
1 red capsicum
4 shallots
1 long red chilli, deseeded
310g tinned corn kernels
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice

Method

Wash the sweet potatoes and slice in the processor. Put into the lidded pan with a pinch of salt, then cover with boiling water and the lid. Put the prawns into a roasting tray, squash over the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher, then toss with the Cajun seasoning, olive oil and the thyme sprigs. Spread out in a single layer and pop on a high heat for a couple of minutes to crisp the bottoms of the prawns up, then place under the grill until the tops are sizzling, golden and crispy.

Deseed and roughly chop the capsicums and put into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Trim and slice the spring onions and chilli, and add to the pan along with the corn and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and keep things moving.

When cooked through, drain the sweet potatoes in a colander. Return to the pan and mash well. Scatter the veg and avocado over the mash and serve with the crispy prawns and lemon wedges.

Notes: 
I omitted the cheese in the sweet potato mash and added 1 ripe avocado to the vegetables. I also increased the number of prawns from 16 to 20 since I thought it'd be nice for each person to have an extra prawn :)

Salmon with Snow Peas & Soba Noodles

Coles Magazine, July 2013 issue page 19

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g skinless boneless salmon fillets
70ml teriyaki sauce
200g snow peas
270g pkt soba noodles
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch sugar
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan, and line an oven tray with baking paper. Brush the salmon with 2 tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to rest.
2. Meanwhile, place the snow peas in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 2 minutes, then drain and transfer to a bowl of iced water to refresh (this stops them cooking and preserves the colour). Drain, then spread over a clean tea towel and gently pat dry. Trim the tops and thinly slice lengthways.
3. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the soba noodles, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain well. Rinse under cold water. Drain well again. Combine the snow peas, noodles and spring onion in a bowl. Combine the rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and remaining teriyaki sauce. Drizzle over the noodle mixture. Toss to combine.
4. Break the salmon into pieces, and serve on the noodle mixture, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Indian Fish Curry

Recipe adapted from Coles Magazine, July 2013 page 55

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 brown onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon ginger, grated
2 bird's eye chillies, chopped
750g white fish fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
500g jar Patak's Korma simmer sauce
¼ cup water
200g Perino tomatoes
1 cup frozen baby peas
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted, to serve
¼ cup coriander leaves, to serve
Naan bread, to serve

Method

1. Cook rice following packet directions
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add almonds and toss or stir for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the oil to pan and increase heat to medium-high. Add the onion, garlic, chillies and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until onions are soft. Add fish, simmer sauce and water. Cook for 5 minutes or until fish is opaque. Add tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes or until soft.
4. Top curry with almonds and coriander and serve with rice and naan bread.

Salmon with Mediterranean Vegetables

Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Rules 2013, Season 4 

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, to rub
4 x 150g skinless salmon fillets

Herb sauce
¼ bunch parsley leaves
¼ bunch basil leaves
½ bunch mint leaves
10g pine nuts, toasted
1 garlic clove, peeled
juice of ½ lemon
25g parmesan, grated
75ml grape seed oil or rice bran oil

Mediterranean vegetables
1 small red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces
1 small yellow capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces
1 red onion, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 small zucchini, cut into 3cm pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to season

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. To make Mediterranean vegetables, combine all ingredients in a large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast, turning halfway through, for 30 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
3. To make herb sauce, place all ingredients, except oil, in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. With the motor still running, slowly pour in oil until combined. Refrigerate until required.
4. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Rub oil all over salmon and season with salt and pepper. Add salmon to pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm plate and set aside, lightly covered, for 3 minutes.
5. Divide vegetables among serving plates, then place 1 piece of salmon on top. Spoon a little herb sauce on top to serve.

Seared Salmon with Orange, Fennel & Beetroot Salad

Recipe adapted from Coles Magazine, April 2013 issue, page 44

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 oranges
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 fennel bulb, halved and very finely sliced
50g baby rocket
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 x 180g fresh salmon fillets
250g baby beetreet, cooked, quartered

Method

1. Using a small sharp knife, cut skin and white pith from oranges. Holding an orange in your hand over a bowl to catch the juice, cut between the membrane to release segments. Place orange segments on a plate and squeeze membrane to extract more juice. Repeat with the other orange.
2. Combine orange segments, onion, fennel and rocket in a bowl. Use a fork to whisk extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and mustard into orange juice, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook salmon over medium-high heat for 3 minutes each side, or until cooked to your liking.
4. Toss the salad with dressing and arrange on four plates. Add the beetroot and salmon and then serve immediately.

Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals Green Tea Salmon with Coconut Rice & Miso Greens

So I've been watching Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals on TV recently and have been quite impressed at what he has been able to achieve in such little time. So I've decided to give it a go. That's right. This week for every day of the week, I'm going to cook a Jamie Oliver recipe. I'm going to put it to the test and see if it really does take me 15 minutes to cook and whether it tastes nice.

Today is day 1 of my Jamie Oliver challenge.

I started off by making sure I was prepared- that all my ingredients and equipment were out on the kitchen bench and that I had read through the recipe. Then the kitchen timer was set- 15 minutes, Ready? Set. Go!

Found myself multi-tasking, whizzing and moving around the kitchen very quickly, which was something I wasn't quite used to since I generally like to take my time when I'm coking. I actually felt slightly stressed- it kinda felt like being in a Masterchef kitchen with the clock ticking down behind you. Don't know how Jamie did it with such breeze!

My first attempt at this 15 minute meal recipe actually took me about 25 minutes in total but I'm confident that next time I'll be able to cook it in 20 minutes.

This is such a quick and clever recipe, where the ingredients have been thoughtfully combined and it doesn't taste like something that takes 15-20 minutes to cook. I can see why Jamie's cookbooks have been so popular- they're great for all those time poor people out there that still want to eat healthy home cooked meals that are quick and easy to prepare.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, page 138

Ingredients

Salmon
4 x 120g salmon fillets, skin-on, scaled and pin-boned
2 green tea bags
olive oil

Rice
1x 400g tin of light coconut milk
300g basmati rice
½ a lemon

Greens
½ fresh red chilli
1 small thumb sized piece of ginger
1 heaped tsp miso powder or 1 tbsp miso paste
½ a bunch of fresh coriander
½ a lemon
2-3 tbsp low salt soy sauce
1 heaped tsp runny honey
200g sugar snap peas
200g tenderstem broccoli (broccolini)
1 bunch of asparagus (300g)
1 lime

Method

* Ingredients out *Kettle boiled *Large frying pan, medium-high heat * Large lidded pan, medium heat * Medium lidded pan, medium heat *Liquidizer/mini food processor

Place the salmon on a plate, rip open the green tea bags and scatter the contents over the fish, season with salt and pepper and rub in. Put into the frying pan, skin side down, with 1 teaspoon of oil, turning until golden on all sides. Pour the coconut milk, 1 tin's worth of rice and 1 tin of boiling water (use a tea towel) into the large pan. Add ½ a lemon, stir well, cover and cook for roughly 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat off.

Finely slice ½ the chilli for garnish and throw the rest into the liquidizer with the peeled ginger, the miso powder or paste, most of the coriander, the juice of ½ a lemon, the soy sauce, honey and a small splash of water (about 1 tablespoon), then whiz until smooth. Pour the rest of the kettle water into the medium pan. Add the sugar snaps, trimmed broccoli and asparagus and a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes, until just tender.

Remove the cooked salmon from the pan, gently pull the skins off and put back soft-side down to crisp up for 30 seconds. Pour the dressing into a bowl or on to a serving platter, then quickly drain the greens and place nicely on top. Fluff up the rice, then flake the salmon over the top, sprinkle with the chilli and the rest of the coriander leaves, then serve with the crispy salmon skin and lime wedges.

Notes & Tips

If sugar snap peas are unavailable, you can substitute with snow peas or green beans

Steamed Fish Parcels

A wok and a steamer is all you need to make this healthy dish. For a low-fat dinner that is ready in a flash, look no further than this delicious and easy-to-prepare steamed fish.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (Xiao Xing wine)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 (about 200g each) firm white fish fillets
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
2 shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
4 Kaffir lime leaves, shredded
1 long fresh red chilli, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
1 lemon grass stalk, thinly sliced
a few sprigs of coriander

Steamed Asian greens, to serve
Coconut rice, to serve

Method

1. Combine the wine, soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce and sesame oil in a shallow dish, add the fish and marinate for at least 20 minutes. 
2. Cut out four large squares of non-stick baking paper. Top with a piece of fish and sprinkle with ginger, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, chillies, lemon grass and coriander. Drizzle approx. 2 teaspoons of sauce over fish.
3. Fold the ends of each square around the fish to enclose and form a parcel (or use kitchen string to tie up the parcels).
4. Steam the fish in a bamboo or metal steamer for 10-12 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Arrange fish on serving plates and sprinkle with extra coriander, shallots and chilli, if desired. Serve with steamed Asian greens and coconut rice

Notes & Tips

Steam in banana leaves instead of baking paper to impart a beautiful fragrance

Panfried Salmon on Garlic Mash and Green Beans

Salmon is considered to be one of nature's superfoods as it is a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids. Just two serves per week provides the recommended intake of omega 3 which research has shown is beneficial for heart health and a range of diseases & conditions.

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon baby capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
4 salmon fillets
250g steamed green beans
extra virgin olive oil, for dressing
Garlic Mash, for serving

Method

Combine extra virgin olive oil together with lemon rind, juice, capers and season to taste. Season salmon fillets and pan fry in hot olive oil for 2 minutes on each side until golden on the outside but still slightly pink in the centre. Dress beans with extra virgin olive oil and season. Serve salmon on garlic mash drizzled with caper and lemon oil and accompanied with beans.

Garlic Mash

800g potatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup hot milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Place potatoes and garlic cloves in a large saucepan and cover with cold salty water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes for 20 minutes or until very tender but not falling apart. Drain and mash potatoes and garlic together with milk until smooth. Season to taste.

Notes & Tips

To heat milk, pour into a microwave-safe jug or cup. Heat, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes on HIGH (100%) power or until hot. Using milk instead of butter and cream makes this a healthier potato mash.

For really smooth potato mash, use an electric mixer to mix for a minute and then pass mash through a drum sieve, gently pushing with the back of a wooden spoon.

Pasta with Tuna, Chilli, Lemon and Thai Basil

Ingredients

300g dried ribbon pasta
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons
425g can of tuna in brine, drained
3 eschalots, finely chopped
2 long red chillies, halved lengthwise, seeded, finely chopped
1 bunch Thai basil, leaves picked

Method

1. Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. 
2. To make lemon oil: place oil in a large frying pan. Using a vegetable peeler, thinly peel rind from lemons over the pan. Place pan over low heat and wait for the mixture to sizzle. Cook for a further minute, then remove from the heat. Remove lemon rind from oil and chop finely.
3. Meanwhile reheat the lemon oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook eschalots for 5 minutes or until soft. 
4. Add the lemon rind, pasta, tuna, chillies, basil and the juice of 1 lemon to the pan. Toss gently to combine and warm through. Serve.

Salmon with mango & chilli salsa

This low-fat and easy recipe is bursting with omega 3 fatty acids and fuses sweet fruit with fresh vegies - perfect for a warm summer day or evening.

I normally add coriander to the salsa but since my husband doesn't like it I left it out. I also left in the chilli seeds since we both like a bit of heat :)

 
Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
4 (about 220g each) salmon fillets
2 ripe mangoes, cheeks removed, peeled, finely chopped
1 long fresh red chilli, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
2 tbs chopped fresh coriander
1 avocado, peeled, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1-2 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
Lime wedges, to serve
Salt and pepper, to taste


Method

1. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Season both sides of salmon fillet with salt and pepper.
2. Place the salmon, skin-side down in the pan. Cook until golden brown on 1 side, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the fish over with a spatula, and cook for another 3-4 minutes (for medium rare).
3. Meanwhile, combine the mango, chilli, coriander and lime juice in a bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.  
4. Cook the asparagus in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. 
5. Divide the salmon among serving plates. Top with asparagus and salsa and serve with lime wedges.

Whole Steamed Fish With Ginger And Shallots

Ingredients

500g silver perch or barramundi
3 shallots, finely shredded
4 whole shallots
1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 large knob of ginger finely julienned
a few sprigs of coriander (optional)
3 tablespoons peanut oil

Method

1. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and put it onto a chopping board. With a sharp knife, make three diagonal slits into the meatiest part of the fish, then turn the fish and repeat the process on the other side.
2. Place the whole shallots  on the bottom of a heatproof plate that will fit into the steamer and take the fish comfortably. Add the sesame oil to the shallots. Place fish on top of the shallots. Pour the soy sauce over the fish then top with the ginger.
3. Put the plate in the steamer over rapidly boiling water and steam for 10-15 minutes (the time will vary, depending on the circulation of the steam and size of the fish).
4. The fish should be just setting on the bone, which will be exposed by the diagonal cuts.
5. Be careful not to overcook the fish, as it will cook a little more when it is covered with hot oil.
6. Remove the plate from the steamer and scatter the shredded shallots over the fish.
7. Heat the peanut oil in a small pan until it is smoking, then douse the fish with the oil – be careful, it will spit!
8. Serve immediately 

Udon Noodle Soup with Crumbed Prawn Cutlets

Panko breadcrumbs make these prawns deliciously crunchy but if you don't have any just substitute with fresh breadcrumbs. Dried or long-life udon noodles are great to keep in the pantry, so you can turn out something as light and comforting as these soupy noodles on the spot.

Ingredients

20g instant dashi powder
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
6-8 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30mins and then thinly sliced
250g dried or 400g long-life udon noodles
10 medium green prawns, shelled (tail left on)
1 egg
3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths
200g silken tofu, cubed
1 bunch Chinese green leaf vegetables, trimmed (e.g. baby bok choy, baby choy sum, Chinese cabbage)

Serves 2-3


Method

1. For the broth, bring 800 millilitres of water to the boil, then add the dashi powder, mirin and soy sauce and simmer for two minutes. 
2. Add the mushrooms and simmer gently for five minutes. 
3. If using dried noodles, cook them in simmering water for 9 to 10 minutes until tender, then drain and rinse. If using longlife, cover with boiling water for 30 seconds, gently separate with chopsticks, then drain and rinse. 
4. Meanwhile, cut each prawn along the back and remove any intestinal tract. Open it out and run a rolling pin gently over it to flatten the meat and trim neatly. 
5. Beat the egg until light and frothy. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Dip each prawn in the egg, then the crumbs, and fry the prawns for one to two minutes each side until crisp and golden. 
6. Add the noodles, spring onions, Chinese vegetables and tofu to the soup and heat through for two minutes. 
7. Using tongs, divide the noodles between warm, shallow pasta bowls. Ladle the soup on top, add the prawns and serve.

Smoked Salmon with Creamy Asparagus and Zucchini Sauce

Here's another easy to make mid week dinner

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small leek or onion, thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, peeled to form ribbons
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 5cm lengths
375ml light evaporated milk or 400ml light thickened cream
¼ cup chopped dill
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon rind
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
150g-200g smoked salmon slices, torn into pieces, to serve

Method

1. Cook penne in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions or until al dente. Drain, return to pan and cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add leek and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add zucchini, asparagus, cream, dill and lemon rind. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened slightly.
3. Stir the smoked salmon through the zucchini mixture and cook for another minute.
4. To serve, divide pasta between serving bowls and top with salmon mixture. Serve with salad.

Thai Prawn & Pumpkin Curry

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas magazine, May 2008 edition, page 37

Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 large brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
1 tablespoon fish sauce
270ml can light coconut milk
1 long red chilli (or 2 Birdseye chilli), deseeded, thinly sliced
¾ cup cold water
800g medium green king prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact
100g green beans, trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths
1 small broccoli, cut into florets, steamed or microwaved
steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer, in a large roasting pan. Spray some olive oil and toss to coat. Bake in oven for approx. 8 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add curry paste. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add pumpkin, fish sauce, coconut milk, half the chilli and cold water. Simmer for a few minutes or until pumpkin is just tender and sauce has thickened slightly.
4. Add prawns, broccoli and beans. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until prawns are cooked through and beans tender. Top with remaining chilli. Serve with rice.

Pan Fried Salmon Cutlet with Tomatoes

This is a very home style dish that my mum used to make. It's super easy to cook and pretty healthy also!

Ingredients

1-2 salmon cutlets
4 tomatoes
3 tbs tomato sauce
1 ½ tbs sweet chilli sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
3-4 shallots, sliced
1-2 tbs oil

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce, sugar and salt. Set aside
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the fish for 3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add tomatoes, shallots and sauce to pan. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until all ingredients are warmed through and tomatoes are coated with the sauce.
4. Pour the tomatoes and sauce over the salmon cutlets. Serve hot with jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Fish Congee

Hubby wasn't feeling too well the other day so I thought I'd make him some comfort food. Fish congee was what came to mind.

Congee is basically just a lot of water and a little rice. The amount of water you add determines how thick or thin the congee will be. Hubby and I prefer our congee to be very smooth and thick. Soaking the rice for a couple of hours prior to boiling it ensures this texture is achieved but if you don't have the time, you can purchase 'broken rice' from Asian grocery shops and skip that step entirely.

I used basa fillets for this congee, but any white fleshed fish should be fine. I sliced the fish really thinly and marinated them in some Chinese rice wine, sesame oil and soy sauce - as the fish slices are only cooked for a short while in the congee, the marinade is important for a sweet and fragrant flavour.

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ cup rice (soaked for 1-2 hours)
5 cups of water (add or more less depending on consistency you'd like to achieve)
2 fish fillets, sliced thinly
2 inches fresh ginger, sliced thinly (use vegetable peeler for paper-thin slices)
4 stalks green onions, sliced

Marinade for the fish:

2 tsps Chinese Rice Wine (Shao Xing Wine)
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp light soy sauce

Method

1. Marinate the fish with the rice wine, sesame oil and light soy sauce in a bowl for at least 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Boil the soaked rice with water in a pot/saucepan.
3. Once the mixture is boiling, turn the heat to low, and add 3 ginger slices, let rice simmer for about 30-40 minutes, checking frequently and stirring the mixture occasionally.
4. Add fish slices to the congee and bring to boil again. Cook approximately 5-10 minutes (depending on thickness of your fish slices). Note that the congee will continue to boil on its own even after removing from heat, so don't boil it with the fish for too long as overcooked fish is not very tasty. 
5. Serve the congee in bowls and allow your guests to spoon desired amounts of green onion slices, ginger into their individual bowls. I usually add another dash of sesame oil and white pepper to my bowl before eating as well.