Curry-ander fish

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
8 small hake fillets
2 tsp chopped coriander
2 tsp curry paste

1 small avocado, sliced
±8 cm cucumber, julienne
1 small green pepper, sliced
2 handfuls lettuce, torn
2 tsp chopped coriander
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

240gm rice
Method
Put the rice on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Drain when tender, and keep warm.

Combine the avo, cucumber, green pepper and lettuce in a bowl.
For the dressing, combine the 2 tsp coriander with the lemon juice and rind.

Combine the other 2 tsp of coriander with the curry paste.
Spray a ridged pan with non-stick cooking spray and put on to heat up.
Dry fry the fish, presentation side down, for 4 – 5 minutes.
Brush the curry mix on the wrong side.
Turn the fish, and brush the presentation side with the rest of the curry mix.
Cook for a further 4-5 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Serve 2 fish fillets per person with the rice and salad.
Serve the salad dressing separately.


Depending on the curry paste you use (I used Patak’s Tikka Masala), this has a very mild flavor.

Tarragon mustard fish cakes

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quickish

Ingredients
1 x 350gm tin pink salmon, drained
350gm potatoes
250gm butternut
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 large tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 Tblsp Helman’s low-fat mayo
1 Tblsp tomato puree
4 Tblsp flour
1 egg, beaten
2-3 slices bread, crumbed
2 Tblsp olive oil

4-6 Tblsp fat free yoghurt
Snipped fresh chives

Method
Peel the potatoes and butternut and cut into small chunks.
Cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Drain and mash and allow to cool.

Mix the mustard, tarragon, mayo, tomato puree and anchovies together.
Add this and half the salmon to the mashed potatoes.
Beat well then gently stir through the remaining salmon.

Shape into 8 cakes.
Dip each in flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcumbs to coat.

Fry the fish cakes in a little oil, about 5 minutes each side until nicely browned.

For the dressing, mix together the yoghurt and snipped fresh chives.

Serve 2 fish cakes per person, accompanied by the dressing and a fresh salad.

The anchovy is not essential, but does give the fish cakes a little more depth. Without, they are a little bit bland.

Seafood pasta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm curly spaghetti

1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 x ±400gm can chopped tomatoes
1 Tblsp tomato puree
1 red chilli, finely chopped

400gm prawns, shelled and
de-veined

Chopped fresh parsley

Method
Cook the curly spaghetti in lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion until it starts to soften.
Add the garlic, chilli, tomatoes and puree.
Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the prawns and continue cooking for another five minutes.

Serve the sauce over the curly spaghetti and garnish with lots of fresh parsley.

Chilli lime fish

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
8 small hake fillets
4 Tblsp sweet chilli sauce
Grated rind and juice of 1 lime
Soy sauce

240gm rice
1 large carrot, chopped
4 courgettes, chopped
200gm frozen green beans

Method
Preheat oven to 200ºc.

Using a large saucepan, put the rice on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Add the carrots, courgettes and beans to the same pan and stir.
Drain and keep warm once cooked.

Meanwhile, cover a large baking sheet with foil (shiny side up).
Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the fish on the foil and brush with sweet chilli sauce.
Scatter over the grated lime rind.
Squeeze over the lime juice.
Drizzle on a little soy sauce.
Cover with another sheet of foil, and seal all round.
Bake at 200ºc for 20 – 25 minutes.

Remove fish from the oven and take off the top sheet of foil.
Serve 2 fish fillets per person, with the veg and rice on the side,
Spoon any juices from the baking tray over the rice.

Serve with extra soy sauce and lime wedges

I nearly always cook my fish from frozen: if you are using fresh or thawed fish, reduce the time in the oven to 15 minutes. Also bear in mind that I am cooking at altitude; my oven doesn’t get as hot as it would at sea-level, so food doesn’t cook as fast.

Sweet and sour fish

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick

Ingredients
500gm smoked haddock, skinless
1 onion, quartered and thickly sliced
150gm button mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into cubes
1 ±410gm tin chopped tomatoes
1 ±220gm tin pineapple pieces in fruit juice
60ml cider vinegar
3 Tblsp soy sauce
1 Tblsp tomato puree
2 Tblsp maizena
250ml water

240gm rice

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

Cut the haddock into chunks.
In a bowl, mix together the maizena, soy, vinegar, tomato puree and water.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Put the onion pieces, mushrooms and peppers into the pan.
Dry fry for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and pineapple pieces and juice.
Add the fish pieces.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the combined maizena and liquids.
Allow the sauce to thicken while stirring.

Serve the sweet and sour fish over the rice.

Honey-mustard hake

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients

2 Tblsp honey
2 Tblsp whole grain mustard
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
4 large skinless hake fillets

150gm baby carrots
150gm sugar snap peas
150gm green asparagus
500gm new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

Method

Put the potatoes on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Boil, steam or microwave the carrots, peas and asparagus.
Once cooked, drain and keep warm.

Mix together the honey, mustard, lemon juice and rind.
Brush onto the fish.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry-fry the hake, about 5 minutes per side.
Pour any remaining honey/mustard mix into the pan.

Make a bed of baby vegetables on each plate.
Place the fish on top of the veg.
Spoon any juices from the frying pan over the potatoes.

Salmon in lemon-butter sauce

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
4 salmon steaks each ±100gm

3 Tblsp low-fat spread
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
1 Tblsp capers, rinsed and chopped
2 – 3 Tblsp lemon juice
Grated rind of 1 lemon

500gm new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
8 courgettes, sliced
±20 baby carrots, scrubbed
±200gm asparagus stems

Method

Put the potatoes on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Drain and keep warm once cooked.
Steam or microwave the asparagus, carrots and courgette slices.

Meanwhile, spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray.
Spray the salmon with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook the fish in the frying pan, about 5 mins each side, or until the fish flakes easily.
Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Wipe the frying pan out with kitchen paper.
Place the pan back over a low heat.
Melt the spread.
Add the parsley, capers, lemon juice and rind.

Plate up the fish and vegetables.
Spoon the lemon-butter sauce over the fish.

You don’t have to use salmon; any firm white fish goes well with this dressing.

Smoked haddock in mushroom cheese sauce

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
±500gm smoked haddock, skinned and cut in chunks
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup fat free milk
250gm button mushrooms, sliced
400gm broccoli florets
400gm rice
1-2tsp maizena, mixed to a paste with a little milk or water
80gms strong cheese, grated

Chopped fresh parsley

Method
Put the rice on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Once tender, drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, spray a large pan with non-stick spray.
Put the fish, onion, mushrooms, broccoli and milk in the pan.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove everything from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the milk in the pan.
Thicken the milk with the maizena paste.
Add the cheese and stir well.

Put the fish and vegetables back into the sauce.
Turn gently to coat everything with the sauce, but be gentle so as not to break
up the fish any further.

Serve the fish in the sauce over rice. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

To get closer to your 5-a-day, you can serve peas with this. You can cook them in the rice.

Tuna Salad with avocado

Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients

2 x 170gm tins tuna in brine or spring water
1 small chilli, finely chopped
Juice and rind of 2 small lemons
1 large, firm mango, peeled and cubed

1 large, ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
±24 mini Italian tomatoes
½ medium cucumber, sliced
Small bag mixed lettuce

Method
Drain the tuna. Tip into a bowl and break up slightly with a fork.

Add the lemon rind and juice, the chopped chilli and the mango cubes.
Toss gently to combine.

Make a bed of mixed lettuce on each of four dinner plates.
Divide the tuna between the plates.
Garnish with avocado, cucumber slices and tomatoes.


The chillies in the photograph are from my garden.
We have had an absolute glut of them this year!

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!).