Tuna potato wedges

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
750gm baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut in wedges

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 x 170gm cans tuna in brine
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
80gm fat reduced mozzarella, finely grated
6 Tblsp low fat mayo

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºc.

Cook the potato wedges in lightly salted boiling water for about 15 minutes.
Drain.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, parsley, cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl.
Drain the tuna and gently fold in to the mayo/cheese mix.

Spray four individual oven proof bowls with non-stick cooking spray.
Divide the potato wedges between the bowls.
Spoon over the tuna mix.

Bake, uncovered, at 220ºc for 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serve with a large green salad on the side.

Fish with tomato and spinach sauce

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
4 large or 8 small hake fillets

1 ±400gm tin chopped tomatoes
200gm frozen spinach
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ onion, finely chopped
±10 large basil leaves, chopped

400gm potatoes
1 large aubergine
1 sm butternut
4 large courgettes

Method

Put the potatoes on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Once cooked, drain and keep warm.

Peel and cut the aubergine and butternut into large pieces.
Cut the courgettes into chunks.
Microwave or steam these vegetables – the aubergine and courgettes cook very quickly,
so watch you don’t overcook them.
Once all are tender, keep warm.

Meanwhile, spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Spray the fish fillets, too.
Cook the fish for about 3 – 4 minutes each side.
Remove from the pan and set on one side

Fry the onion and garlic gently until the onion begins to soften.
Add the tomatoes.
Simmer for about 10 mins.
Stir thru the spinach and basil.
Rest the fish back on top of the tomato mix.
Cover with a lid, and allow to simmer very gently to reheat the fish, while you:

Share the potatoes, aubergine, butternut and courgettes between the dinner plates.
Carefully remove the fish from the pan and place on the plates.
Spoon the sauce next to the fish and serve.

Quick fish 'n' pasta

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
400gm penne pasta

1 large tin pink salmon, in brine (or ‘keta’ salmon – it’s cheaper)
6-8 spring onions, sliced diagonally
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups broccoli florets
Juice and rind from 1 lemon
Method

Put the pasta on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Add the peas and broccoli for the last 10 minutes.
Drain once the pasta is al dente, keeping about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.

Put the pasta, veg and reserved cooking liquid back in the pan.
Stir through the lemon juice and rind.
Add the spring onions.

Add the drained salmon, which you have broken up slightly with a fork.
Stir gently to combine everything.

Serve with a large mixed salad.

Fruity fish and chunky chips

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
4 large hake fillets

1 small ripe mango
1 tsp chopped root ginger
1 Tblsp mint sauce
1 Tblsp mango chutney
2-3 slices bread
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 Tblsp lemon juice

400gm potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large chips

Method
Spray a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread the chips out on the baking tray.
Spray the chips with non-stick cooking spray and grind over a little salt and some pepper.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the chips are crisped on the outside and soft in the middle.

Peel the mango, cut the flesh off the stone and chop.
Grind the bread into crumbs.

Combine the mango, cumin, turmeric, ginger, chutney, mint sauce and lemon juice.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the hake in the casserole dish in a single layer.
Spoon the mango mix over the fish and press down.

Cover the casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes at 200ºC.
Remove the cover and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over.
Place the dish back in the oven without the lid/foil.
Bake for another 10 – 15 minutes until the fish flakes easily and the breadcrumbs have crisped.

Serve the fish with the chunky chips and a salad on the side.

You could use ‘oven chips’ if you prefer, but I don’t think they are any quicker to cook.
What you can do to save time is parboil the chips for 10 minutes before spraying, seasoning and baking.

Salmon with garlic-y bean salad

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
4 salmon steaks (±100gm each)
Ground cumin

1 cup green beans, cut and cooked
1 cup sugar snap peas, cut
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped cucumber
Juice and grated rind of a lemon
2 Tblsp white vinegar
6 spring onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tblsp chopped parsley

Large bunch of rocket

Method
Combine all the salad ingredients, except the rocket.

Spray a ridged pan or frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Place over a medium heat.
Spray the salmon with non-stick cooking spray.
Sprinkle the salmon steaks with cumin.
Dry-fry the fish, presentation side first, for 5 mins.
Turn and cook skin side for another 5 mins, or until done to your liking.

Serve the bean salad, on a bed of rocket, beside the salmon.

This bean salad keeps well in the fridge (IF there is any left over), and it is good enough to serve alone as a vegetarian meal.

Pilchard Fish cakes

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
300gm sweet potatoes
300gm potatoes
large tin pilchards in tomato sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
4 Tblsp chopped parsley
for the dressing
4 Tblsp low fat mayo
6 Tblsp fat free natural yoghurt
1 Tblsp chopped parsley
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method
Put the potatoes and sweet potatoes on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Drain once cooked and mash until smooth.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together and stir well to combine.

Drain the pilchards, and break up with a fork.
Mix in the parsley and onion.
Combine the fish mixture with the mashed potatoes.
Chill for 30 minutes, if you have time.

Divide into eight fish cakes; shape and dust lightly with the flour.
Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Dry-fry the fish cakes until nicely browned both sides, and heated through.

Serve with the dressing and a crispy mixed salad.

Fish continental

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
4 x 150gm white fish fillets
1 x ±400gm tin chopped tomato & onion mix
½ a large red bell pepper, sliced
2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1 small mild red chilli pepper, chopped
2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tblsp capers, rinsed and chopped
1 Tblsp chopped parsley
10 black olives, pitted and sliced

600gm new potatoes, scrubbed, and halved
240gm green beans

Method
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.
Spray an oven proof dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Lay the fish fillets in the dish, in a single layer.
Pour over the tomato and onion mix.
Scatter over the red pepper and fennel slices, the chopped chilli and capers.
Sprinkle with parsley and dried thyme.
Arrange the olive slices across the top.
Cover loosely with foil.
Bake for 15 mins, then remove foil and bake for a further 10 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the new potatoes in the usual way.
Steam the beans above the potatoes.

Serve.

Fishy Crumble

Serves 4 : Easy : Fairly quick
Ingredients
400gm haddock

1 x ±400gm can baked beans
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup fat free milk

60gm nutty wheat flour
40gm rolled oats
40gm lite margarine
2 tsp mixed herbs

1 large head of broccoli

Method
Spray an ovenproof dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Lay the fish in the dish.

Rub the fat into the flour, oats and mixed herbs.

Mix the milk, beans and peas together in a bowl.
Microwave until the mixture is hot.
Pour this mixture over the fish.
Season with black pepper – go easy on the salt, if you are using South African haddock.

Sprinkle the crumble mix over the fish.

Bake at 200ºC for 35 minutes.

Serve with generous portions of steamed broccoli.

Seafood laksa

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
500gm marinara mix
150gm egg or rice noodles
750ml chicken or fish stock
250ml lite evaporated milk
2-3Tblsp Patak’s tikka masala paste
2-3Tblsp chopped coriander
1 Tblsp maizena mixed with water
4Tblsp bean sprouts
4 spring onions, sliced diagonally
4Tblsp sweet chilli sauce

Method
Spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Fry the marinara mix until cooked (about 5 mins).
Remove the fish from the pan and set aside.

Add the curry paste to the saucepan and fry for 1 minute.
Add the stock and allow to simmer for 5minutes.
Add the noodles.
Continue simmering until the noodles are cooked.

Add the evaporated milk.
Add back the fish, and heat through.
Stir through the coriander and maizena.

Serve the laksa garnished with the spring onions, bean sprouts and sweet chilli sauce.

To help you get to your minimum 5-a-day, serve with a green salad.

Smoked trout potato cake

Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
280gm smoked trout fillets
500gm mashing potatoes
150gm spinach
1 Tblsp chopped dill
1 Tblsp chopped capers (optional)
4 slices stale bread, crumbed
Tartare sauce
1 Tblsp low fat mayo
1 Tblsp horseradish
1 Tblsp chopped capers

4 Sliced tomatoes

Method
To make the tartare sauce, combine the mayo, horseradish and chopped capers.
Mix well.

Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until soft.
(Cut the potatoes into small cubes so they cook faster.)
Add the spinach to the pan, cover with a lid and let the spinach wilt in the steam for 5 mins.

Drain the potatoes and spinach.
Add the dill and capers and mash the whole lot together.
Break up the smoked trout, and stir through the potato mixture.

Spread half the breadcrumbs on a dinner plate.
Gently tip the potato mix on top of the crumbed plate.
Press the potato down into a round.
Sprinkle over the remaining crumbs and press gently into the cake.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray, and place over a high heat.
Slide the potato into the pan.
Cook for about 5 minutes, until the underside browns nicely.
Grill the top for another 5 mins to finish off.

Slide the cake out of the pan onto a serving plate.
Cut into wedges and serve with sliced tomatoes and tartare sauce.

Yummy fish burgers

Serves 4 : Very easy
Ingredients
250gm hake fillets
250gm haddock fillets
300gm potato, cooked and mashed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 gherkins, finely chopped
1 Tblsp capers, finely chopped
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
2 Tblsp lemon juice
Tartare sauce
¼ cup low fat mayo
½ gherkin, finely chopped
1 tsp capers, finely chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 Tblsp chopped parsley

4 brown Hamburger buns
Lettuce, tomato slices

Method
First, cook and mash the potatoes, without any milk or butter.

Poach the fish in a little water for about 5 mins, or until cooked.
Drain the fish and pat dry with kitchen roll.
Flake the fish.

Add the fish, onion, gherkins, capers, chopped parsley and lemon juice to the potato.
Mix well to combine.

Divide the fish / potato mix into four portions.
Gently pat each portion into a burger shape, and dust with flour.
(The mixture is very soft at this stage).
Refrigerate on a board or plate for up to an hour, if you have time.

Make the tartare sauce by mixing all the ingredients together.
Season to taste.

Dry fry the fish burgers 5 mins each side, until they are browned and heated through.

Split the buns and toast lightly.
Place lettuce leaves and tomato slices on the base of each roll.
Top with a burger and ¼ of the tartare sauce.
Cover with the bun tops and serve.


You can use cold left-over mash for these, then they will be easier to handle. Divide the mixture into 8 for kiddy-size – kids seem to love these (easy on the sauce, though). They freeze well, too (the burgers, not the kids!).

Fish Stir Fry

Serves 4 : Very easy
Ingredients
4 skinless hake fillets (±750 gms)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
1 large celery stick, thinly sliced
1 tsp grated ginger
½ green pepper, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup fish stock OR water + stock cube (fish, veg or chicken)
½ Tblsp maizena

200gm egg noodles

Method
Put the egg noodles on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Simmer until tender.

Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks.
Mix the maizena to a thin paste with the fish stock or water.

Spray a frying pan or wok with cooking spray.
Put the onion, carrot sticks, celery and ginger into the pan and dry-fry
for a few minutes over a medium-to-high heat, stirring all the time.
Transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside.

Place the fish chunks in the pan.
Cook over high heat until the fish is cooked.
Keep stirring - this doesn’t take long.

Add back the vegetables.
Pour in the maizena and stock liquid.
Stir until the sauce thickens.

Serve the fish and sauce over the rice.

Fish cooks very quickly, and one of the reasons a lot of people don’t care for it is because it is
usually overcooked and mushy.

Fish with orange sauce

4 servings : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
4 fillets of hake (±500gm)
Marinade
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
Grated rind of ½ orange
2 tsp grated ginger
1 – 2 Tblsp teriyaki sauce
Thickening
1 Tblsp maizena
2 Tblsp water
Accompaniments
500 gm new potatoes, halved
4 large carrots
± 240 gm sugar snap peas

Method
In a large shallow dish, mix together the marinade ingredients.
Lay the fish fillets on top of the marinade, and turn to coat.

Scrub and halve the potatoes.
Cook in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes.

Tip the marinade and the fish fillets into a wide pan.
Place over a medium heat, and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat, and then simmer, covered, for about 5 mins until the fish flakes easily.
Remove the fish from the pan and keep warm

Mix the maizena and water to a paste.
Stir this into the pan juices, stirring until sauce thickens.
Place the fish back in the pan, cover and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, steam or microwave the carrots until tender, adding the peas for the last 4 mins.

Serve the fish alongside the vegetables.
Spoon sauce over the fish, and serve.

This makes quite a lot of sauce. (My husband loves sauces and gravy). You can use less water, if you want less sauce.

Smoked Trout Salad

4 servings : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
± 350gm smoked trout fillets
1 small yellow sweet pepper
2 medium zucchini
½ small cucumber
6 – 8 radishes
8 asparagus spears
2 spring onions
1 firm, ripe avocado
12 cocktail / cherry tomatoes
1 pillow pack baby leaf salad
Dressing
3 Tblsp fat free natural yoghurt
1 – 2 Tblsp horseradish sauce
2 Tblsp Lemon juice
Snipped chives
To Serve
500gm new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

Method
Start the new potatoes in lightly salted boiling water.
They will take 20 – 25 mins to cook.
Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, deseed and slice the pepper into thin strips.
Cut each zucchini into 1/8ths, lengthways.
Slice cucumber into rounds – at least 16 slices.
Scrub and top and tail the radishes, and slice into discs.
Microwave the asparagus, in a little water, on high for 2 mins. Cover with cold water and allow to cool.
When cool, slice each into four lengthways.
Slice the spring onions on the diagonal – green part, too.
Peel and cut the avocado into 1/8ths.

To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small bowl or jug, and whisk to combine.

Now spread the baby leaf salad on a large serving dish.
Top with all the prepared vegetables, except the cucumber.

Gently break up the trout fillets, and spread across the serving dish.
Top with the cucumber slices.
Pour a little of the dressing over the cucumber slices.

Serve with remaining dressing and the potatoes.

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. This is well worth making, and good enough for entertaining. Bulk up the protein by adding hardboiled egg slices.
I added asparagus and avo because I had them, they are not essential.
The dressing is perfect for smoked trout. I love horseradish.
 

Fish ‘n’ excellent salsa

4 servings : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
±800 gm hake fillets or other
similar firm white fish

500gm new potatoes, washed
and halved

Salsa
4 Tblsp chopped parsley
2 Tblsp chopped mint
2 Tblsp capers, chopped
2 – 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
½ tsp chopped garlic
2 Tblsp lemon juice
2 Tblsp olive oil
Good grind of black pepper

Method
Prepare all salsa ingredients, and combine in a small bowl.
Adjust for seasoning – more lemon juice, more garlic – but do not add salt.

Put the potatoes on to boil in lightly salted water.
Drain when done, and keep warm.

Spray a ridged pan with cooking spray.
Place pan on high heat.

Spray the fillets with cooking spray and then lightly season.
Place the fish in the hot pan, presentation side down.
Fry for about 4 mins before turning.
Continue cooking until fish flakes easily.

Serve fish with potatoes and a salad or veg of your choice.
Garnish with the salsa.

The salsa is really delicious; worth the effort of chopping those herbs.

Salmon with caper cream, spinach and new potatoes

4 servings : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
4 salmon steaks (about 100gm each)
Dressing
4 Tblsp fat-free smooth cottage cheese
1 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tblsp capers, drained and chopped
2-3 Tblsp chopped parsley
Accompaniments
500gm bag baby spinach, well washed
500gm new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

Method
Measure out the cottage cheese, lemon juice, capers and parsley into a small bowl.
Mix well to combine.

Place new potatoes in a pan with some water, and cook until tender.

Spray the salmon, both sides, with cooking spray (or brush with oil – your choice).
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a ridged pan (griddle pan) and dry-fry the fish for about 5 mins each side, until the steaks
are golden and the fish flakes easily.
Remove from the pan and allow the salmon to rest.

Place the spinach into the griddle pan, season well, add a splash of water.
Cover the pan, and allow the spinach to wilt.

Divide spinach and potatoes between four dinner plates.
Add 1 salmon steak to each plate.
Garnish with the caper cream and lemon wedges.

Linguine with fish poppets

4 servings : Very easy
Ingredients
Poppets
800gm skinless haddock fillets
2-3 slices bread, crumbed
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup chopped parsley
60gm strong cheese, grated
Sauce
400gm can chopped tomatoes
1 Tblsp tomato paste
½ cup wine

240gm (dry) linguine

Method
Chop the haddock, and squeeze out any excess moisture.
Place the haddock, egg, garlic, parsley and cheese in a mixing bowl.
Mix well. Add half the breadcrumbs and mix again.
Keep mixing in breadcrumbs until the mixture is firm.

Take large teaspoonfuls of the fish mixture and compress into balls.
Roll the balls in a little flour.

Start the linguine cooking, according to the instructions on the pack.

Heat a large frying pan with a tablespoon of oil.
Fry the poppets in the oil until they are nicely browned all over.
Remove the poppets from the pan.
Drain off any excess oil from the pan.

Tip the chopped tomatoes and paste into the frying pan, and boil until
the sauce is reduced.

Stir the wine into the sauce.
Add the poppets back into the pan.
Heat through.

Serve with linguine and a fresh salad.

The poppets can be made up to a day ahead. They make excellent party snacks.