Sweet potato fish pie

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm mashing potatoes
240gm pink sweet potatoes
150gm butternut

4 haddock fillets
2 cups fat free milk
1 cup frozen peas
1 Tblsp cornflour
½ tsp mustard powder
1 tsp dried dill

2 eggs, hard boiled and chopped

Method
Cook the potato, sweet potato and butternut in lightly salted boiling water.
Drain when cooked and mash well.

Mix the cornflour and mustard to a paste with a little water.

Poach the haddock in the milk until the fish flakes easily.
Remove the fish to a plate and break up into large flakes.
Thicken the milk with the cornflour paste.
Add the peas, chopped egg and dill.
Fold in the flaked fish.

Tip the fish mixture into an oven-proof dish.
Gently spread the potato and butternut mash over the top.
Grill for 10 - 15 minutes to brown and crisp the top.

Serve with a side salad of baby spinach and rocket.


Adding butternut in with the potatoes gives extra colour – and extra vegetables.

Tomato basil fish

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 x ±120gm hake fillets
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 x 400gm tins chopped tomatoes
2 Tblsp tomato paste
1 – 2 Tblsp fresh chopped basil
500gm baby spinach

480gm new potatoes, halved

Basil sprigs, to garnish

Method
Boil the new potatoes in lightly salted boiling water.
Once cooked, drain and keep warm.

Spray a wide pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Gently dry fry the onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and chopped basil
Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes to let the sauce reduce and thicken slightly.

Nestle the fish in the sauce.
Cover the pan and poach the fish for 10 minutes.

Remove the fish from the pan and keep warm.
Fold the spinach into the sauce and cook for a few minutes until it wilts.

Spoon the sauce onto 4 warmed plates and top with the fish.
Garnish with basil sprigs.
Serve with the potatoes.

Pasta with haddock cream sauce

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 smoked haddock fillets
500ml fat free milk
1-2 Tblsp cornflour

1 onion, sliced
2 leeks, sliced

300gm cauliflower florets
150gm green beans, chopped
½ cup water
2-3 Tblsp fresh chopped parsley

240gm pasta twirls

Method
Boil the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain and keep warm.

Poach the haddock in the milk until the fish flakes easily.
Remove the fish from the milk and flake.
Set aside.
Slacken the cornflour with a little water.
Pour the cornflour into the milk and allow to thicken to a sauce.
Set aside.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion and leeks for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add the cauliflower, beans and water.
Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Pour the milk sauce into the vegetables.
Stir to coat everything.
Fold through the flaked fish and most of the parsley.

Serve the fish and vegetables over the pasta and garnish with the remaining parsley.

Prawn noodles

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
2 large carrots, julienne
200gm broccoli florets
100gm mange tout, sliced diagonally
8 baby sweetcorn, quartered lengthways
100gm green beans, cut in 3cm lengths
24 medium prawns, cleaned and deveined
3 x 75gm packs 2 minute noodles, broken up
2 Tblsp dry sherry
3 Tblsp low salt soya sauce
1 tsp grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 spring onions, sliced
2 Tblsp sesame seeds

Method
In a small bowl, combine the sherry, ginger, soy and garlic.
Set aside.

Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil.
Cook the carrots, broccoli, sweetcorn, mange tout and green beans for 5 minutes.
Remove the veg from the saucepan to a plate using a slotted spoon.
Drop the prawns into the water and cook until they turn pink – about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the prawns to the veg plate using a slotted spoon.

Cook the noodles in the remaining water for 2 minutes.
Drain and return to the pan, adding the sherry/soy sauce.
Tip in the prawns and cooked veg.
Give everything a good stir and allow to heat through again.

Serve garnished with the sesame seeds and spring onions.

Salmon pesto pasta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm pasta shapes – penne, rigatoni, conchigli
1 x 340gm can pink salmon in brine
4 – 6 courgettes, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp chilli paste
2 Tblsp basil pesto
Grated rind of 1 lemon

125gm fat free smooth cottage cheese

Extra pesto to garnish

Method
Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain, retaining about 2 Tblsp of the cooking water.
Return to the pan with the reserved water and the grated courgettes.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir through the garlic, chilli paste, pesto and lemon rind.
Flake and fold in the salmon and about ½ of the brine.

Remove from the heat.
Stir in the cottage cheese.

Serve immediately, garnished with extra pesto if desired.


This is a great ‘stand-by store cupboard’ recipe. Very quick to prepare. Serve with a fresh salad, if you have the time, ingredients and energy!

Haddock rarebit

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
450gms smoked haddock fillets
400gm spinach, coarsely chopped
300gm cherry tomatoes, halved

500ml fat free milk
100gm fat reduced cheddar, grated
2 Tblsp cornflour
2 Tblsp wholegrain mustard

Method
Heat the oven to 180ºC.

Make a cheese sauce using the milk, cornflour and nearly all the cheese.
Stir in the mustard.

Spray a large oven-proof dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Cover the base of the dish with the tomato halves.
Next, distribute the spinach evenly over the tomatoes.
Lay the fish pieces on top of the spinach.
Pour over the cheese sauce, spreading with a spoon so that everything is covered.
Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until the fish flakes easily.
Brown under the grill if necessary.

Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Baked fennel fish

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quickish

Ingredients
4 hake fillets, skin on
Fish seasoning
2 Tblsp oil
4 fennel bulbs, trimmed &quartered lengthways
1 red pepper, cut in strips
1 yellow pepper, cut in strips
4 large tomatoes, chopped
6 anchovies, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed

480gm potatoes
300gm green beans
Fresh chopped parsley

Method
Heat the oven to 200ºC.

Spray a large oblong pyrex dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Boil the fennel in lightly salted boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Drain well, and arrange in the pyrex dish.

Combine the tomatoes, garlic and anchovies, and pour over the fennel.
Scatter the pepper strips into the pyrex dish.
Drizzle with 1 Tblsp of oil and season with freshly ground black pepper.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the fish with the seasoning and place on top of the veg, skin side up.
Drizzle with remaining oil and return to the oven for another 25 minutes.

While the fish is baking, boil the potatoes until soft.
Drain well, mash and keep warm.
Boil, steam or microwave the beans until cooked, but still crispy.
Drain and keep warm.

Serve the baked fish and vegetables alongside the mashed potatoes and beans.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Fish with tartare sauce

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 hake fillets, skin on
Fish seasoning
480gm new potatoes, quartered
12 cherry tomatoes
Mixed salad leaves
4 sprigs of fennel
4 lemon wedges

1 Tblsp tomato sauce
3 Tblsp low fat mayo
1 gherkin, finely chopped
1 Tblsp capers, chopped
1 Tblsp lemon juice

Method
Mix together the mayo, tomato sauce, gherkin, capers and lemon juice.
Set aside.

Cook the new potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until done.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Sprinkle the fish with the seasoning.
Dry fry the fish for about 5-8 minutes per side.

Serve the fish with the potatoes, tartare sauce and salad vegetables.

Crispy fishcakes

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
500gm potatoes
400gm skinless fish fillets
350ml fat free milk
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
3 Tblsp Helman’s low fat mayo
4 spring onions, finely chopped
Grated rind of 1 lemon
3 Tblsp chopped parsley

±60gm plain flour
1 egg, beaten
±80gm dry breadcrumbs

Method
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until soft.
Drain well and mash.

Poach the fish in the milk until the flesh flakes easily.
Drain and flake the fish.

Mix the mayo and mustard into the potato.
Stir through the parsley and lemon rind.
Gently fold in the flaked fish.
Shape the mixture into 8 fish cakes.

Dip the fish cakes first in the flour, then in the egg and lastly in the breadcrumbs.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the fish cakes for about 5 minutes each side until they are crispy and golden.

Serve 2 fish cakes per person with a fresh salad and lemon slices on the side.

Smoked salmon and sesame seeds

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
1 litre veg stock
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 x 75gm 2 minute noodles
2 Tblsp peanut butter
2 Tblsp Kikoman soy sauce
250gms smoked salmon
1 tsp sesame oil
1 cucumber, halved and sliced
Bunch spring onions, sliced
2 Tblsp sesame seeds

Method
Roll the strips of salmon lengthways and slice into pin wheels.

Combine the peanut butter and soy sauce.

In a small pan, heat the sesame oil.
Toss in the spring onions and cucumber slices.
Fry lightly while you:

Break the noodles into a saucepan.
Add the stock and ginger.
Cook for 2 minutes – or according to time given on package.
Drain and return to pan.

Tip the onions, cucumber and soy dressing into the noodle pan.
Stir well to combine.
Fold through the salmon pin wheels.

Serve scattered with the sesame seeds and extra soy, if desired.

Horseradish salmon

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 salmon steaks
1 Tblsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 Tblsp horseradish

400gm potatoes
200gm baby spinach, roughly chopped
12 cocktail tomatoes, halved

3 Tblsp low fat mayo
1 Tblsp horseradish
1 Tblsp lemon juice

Method
Combine the mayo and 1 Tblsp each of horseradish and lemon juice.
Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the honey and 1 Tblsp each of horseradish and lemon juice.
Brush this mixture all over the salmon steaks.

Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water.
Add the chopped spinach for the last 5 minutes.
Drain well.
Add a good grind of black pepper and crush* the potatoes and spinach together.
Keep warm.

Spray a frying or griddle pan with not stick cooking spray.
Cook the fish for about 5 minutes each side, or until it flakes easily.

Serve one salmon steak per person, with the potato/spinach crush and tomatoes.
Top the fish with a dollop of the mayo dressing.

*Crushing involves mashing slightly so that there are still whole pieces of potato in there.

Chilli prawn pasta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
300gm thin spaghetti
350gm deveined prawn meat
200gm spinach, roughly chopped
70gm peppadew peppers, drained and quartered
12 fresh basil leaves, shredded
400gm can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp chilli paste
1Tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tblsp corn flour

Method
Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Heat the pan and add the tomatoes.
Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Now add the prawns and peppers and continue cooking until the prawns start to turn pink.
Add the garlic and chilli paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the spinach, basil and vinegar.

Tip the pasta into a large serving dish and top with the prawn mixture.


(Photo shows 4 servings – lift pasta through the topping to mix as you serve.)

 

Griddled fish with potatoes and spring onions

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 large hake fillets, skin on
Fish seasoning
480gms new potatoes, quartered
Bunch spring onions, sliced
2 tsp butter

250gm green beans
2 large fennel bulbs, halved lengthways

3 Tblsp low fat mayo
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Method
Mix together the mayo, lemon rind and juice.
Set aside.

Boil, steam or microwave the green beans and fennel.
Drain and keep warm.

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until cooked.
Drain and leave in the colander.
In the same saucepan, melt the butter and gently fry the spring onions for 5 minutes.
Tip the potatoes back into the pan and turn to coat with the buttery onions.
Keep warm.

Spray a griddle pan and the fish fillets with non-stick cooking spray.
Sprinkle the fish seasoning over both sides of the fish.
Cook the fish about 8 minutes each side (skin side first), turning only once.

Serve the fish with the potatoes and vegetables, the mayo dressing separate on the side.

Cheese crust fish

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 skinless hake fillets ea ±120gm
1 egg, beaten
50gm stale breadcrumbs
40gm rolled oats
2 tsp grated lemon rind
20gm finely grated parmesan
2 Tblsp chopped parsley

250gm mixed broccoli & cauli
4 thick slices butternut
480gm oven chips

Method
Heat the oven to 200ºC.

Combine the oats, breadcrumbs, lemon rind, parsley and cheese.
Dip the fish fillets in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture.

Spray 2 baking trays with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the coated fish on one baking tray, and the oven chips on the other.
Bake the fish at 200ºC for 15 – 20 minutes, until it flakes easily.
(Follow the instructions on the oven chip packaging for cooking time.)

Meanwhile, steam, boil or microwave the broccoli, cauliflower and butternut slices until tender.

Serve the fish with the vegetables and oven chips.

The hake fillets I used were long, so I cut them in half to fit on the baking tray.