I spied some lovely sea bass fillets in Tesco this afternoon, and simply had to have them. I don't usually get sea bass these days - because it's more than I'd like to pay - but this was a really reasonable price, so I snatched them up.
Sea bass has such an amazingly delicate flavour that it doesn't need much. It's not like cod or haddock - it doesn't need a sauce, a crumb or a strong herb. It speaks for itself.
I've also been craving some really fresh flavours - mint and parsley, namely. So a tabbouleh (minus the bulgur) went on the plate, which was finished off by some steamed broccoli. Some rather beautiful strawberries (Moroccan, I admit) made a fantastic dessert.
Calories for 90 g sea bass, griddled; a generous portion of tabbouleh; steamed broccoli, and 150 g strawberries: about 360 calories. Bargain!
Showing posts with label strawberries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strawberries. Show all posts
Monday, 2 March 2009
Sunday, 1 June 2008
get the June bug
June = summer. It’s as simple as that really. Whether the weather is good or bad, deep down in your bones you know it’s true. The mornings start early, the evenings end late, the meals get lighter and more vibrant to match the days.
June makes me happy. It also makes my job a lot easier, as the produce stands for itself. There’s just no need to do anything but lightly cook the produce that June brings. Strawberries? Eat ‘em raw. (Or maybe with a bit of cream if you must.) Asparagus? Steam it. Jersey royals? Ditto. Tomatoes? They’re getting there. Here are some ideas for a selection of my favourite June produce.
Spinach
Spinach and potato cakes – this is actually an idea from the Asda magazine! It calls for bacon and leeks as well. Serve it alongside a fresh salad of spinach and tomato for a great light dinner. Plus: the cakes can be make ahead of time, and kept in the refrigerator until cooking.
Steamed or freshly wilted spinach makes a great side dish to fish. Just get as much water out of it as you can before serving.
Spinach makes a fantastic base for any salad - just add your favourite ingredients
Spinach, carrot and radish, chopped finely, make a lovely salad.
Swirl some clean spinach into a veggie soup or a curry to liven it up. (This especially works
Welsh lamb
It doesn’t have the same depth of flavour as its more mature counterparts, but nonetheless it’s ever so fresh and very local.
Try Nigel Slater’s lamb marinated with anchovy and mint (yum!). Serve with broad beans, perhaps?
Seared lamb chunks in tomatoes with feta, olives and spinach is really tasty. Cumin gives it a great Moroccan flavour.
Lamb burgers with harissa and tabbouleh tops my list of fabulous dinners. Go for lean lamb – otherwise, it’s a bit too greasy. And don’t forget that harissa’s got plenty of oil in it already.
Braised lamb with broad beans, peas, feta and thyme sounds like a perfect late spring/early summer dish. I imagine eating it on a late Sunday afternoon with the windows open.
Broad beans
Pasta salad with feta, mint, broad beans and peas – yet another Asda idea! I was impressed. However, I do recommend reducing the amount of oil called for in the recipe, as well as using reduced-fat feta.
Broad bean puree is one of my favourites – on its own or with mint, dill, thyme – take your pick really.
For a yummy Mexican tapas, toss broad beans with finely sliced shallots, some fresh chopped vine tomatoes, garlic and coriander.
Broad beans mixed with yogurt make great mezze.
Try just steaming fresh broad beans and serving with salmon.
Strawberries
These little babies are the star of the fruit world, in my opinion. Even early in the season, their juice just jumps off their skins and onto the tongue. It’s a shame they’re not as good all year-round.
They’re best on their own really. But if you must, a splash of cream wouldn’t hurt.
Sinking summer fruit into a jelly is a great way to up the fruit count. Though I wouldn’t do this until late summer really.
Another late summer treat is strawberry sorbet. Olive has a great recipe for it in this month’s issue. Like what you see? You can also browse a sample of the issue.
June makes me happy. It also makes my job a lot easier, as the produce stands for itself. There’s just no need to do anything but lightly cook the produce that June brings. Strawberries? Eat ‘em raw. (Or maybe with a bit of cream if you must.) Asparagus? Steam it. Jersey royals? Ditto. Tomatoes? They’re getting there. Here are some ideas for a selection of my favourite June produce.
Spinach
Spinach and potato cakes – this is actually an idea from the Asda magazine! It calls for bacon and leeks as well. Serve it alongside a fresh salad of spinach and tomato for a great light dinner. Plus: the cakes can be make ahead of time, and kept in the refrigerator until cooking.
Steamed or freshly wilted spinach makes a great side dish to fish. Just get as much water out of it as you can before serving.
Spinach makes a fantastic base for any salad - just add your favourite ingredients
Spinach, carrot and radish, chopped finely, make a lovely salad.
Swirl some clean spinach into a veggie soup or a curry to liven it up. (This especially works
Welsh lamb
It doesn’t have the same depth of flavour as its more mature counterparts, but nonetheless it’s ever so fresh and very local.
Try Nigel Slater’s lamb marinated with anchovy and mint (yum!). Serve with broad beans, perhaps?
Seared lamb chunks in tomatoes with feta, olives and spinach is really tasty. Cumin gives it a great Moroccan flavour.
Lamb burgers with harissa and tabbouleh tops my list of fabulous dinners. Go for lean lamb – otherwise, it’s a bit too greasy. And don’t forget that harissa’s got plenty of oil in it already.
Braised lamb with broad beans, peas, feta and thyme sounds like a perfect late spring/early summer dish. I imagine eating it on a late Sunday afternoon with the windows open.
Broad beans
Pasta salad with feta, mint, broad beans and peas – yet another Asda idea! I was impressed. However, I do recommend reducing the amount of oil called for in the recipe, as well as using reduced-fat feta.
Broad bean puree is one of my favourites – on its own or with mint, dill, thyme – take your pick really.
For a yummy Mexican tapas, toss broad beans with finely sliced shallots, some fresh chopped vine tomatoes, garlic and coriander.
Broad beans mixed with yogurt make great mezze.
Try just steaming fresh broad beans and serving with salmon.
Strawberries
These little babies are the star of the fruit world, in my opinion. Even early in the season, their juice just jumps off their skins and onto the tongue. It’s a shame they’re not as good all year-round.
They’re best on their own really. But if you must, a splash of cream wouldn’t hurt.
Sinking summer fruit into a jelly is a great way to up the fruit count. Though I wouldn’t do this until late summer really.
Another late summer treat is strawberry sorbet. Olive has a great recipe for it in this month’s issue. Like what you see? You can also browse a sample of the issue.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
whenever May it come...
It's a new month, it's a new day, it's a new life for me.... and I'm feeling good.
Okay, I'm no Nina Simone. But I am feeling good, because it's May! Hooray! Plenty of new and exciting produce will be available. We've had a few teasing tastes of asparagus, of strawberries, but now, even more is available. My tongue - and my stomach - can't wait. Here are a few ideas to whet the appetite.
Strawberries
Thus far, I'm still a fan of the "eat them on their own" team. The flavours are so new, so fledging, that to pair them with anything else might not work.
But if you must:
-put together a simple fruit salad for breakfast: strawberries, bananas, and some natural yogurt taste amazing together.
-add to some muesli. I'm loving Waitrose's apricot and fig muesli at the moment. Very fruity.
-pair with some dark chocolate - not too much, mind. Best to go with those mini Green and Blacks rather than the big 'uns.
Asparagus
I'm a little confused - one week Sainsbury's is overloaded with the stuff, and the next week it's all Peruvian produce. Asparagus eludes me once again. But when it is around, here are some lovely ideas:
Asparagus, pea and basil soup: ever so easy. Combine them all with some veggie stock, and simmer. Puree when it's ready. Don't fancy basil? Use mint instead. Or use watercress. Or leek. Any and every green vegetable will do. But the first three are my personal preference.
Keep it simple: poached egg, grilled bacon, steamed asparagus. The most beautiful triptych you'll ever come across. Museum-quality.
I love this idea - asparagus mimosa. Egg and asparagus, but classy-like. Just add champagne.
As a side dish, asparagus with hollandaise can't be beaten. But hollandaise isn't exactly low-calorie. I have never been let down by the South Beach Diet's mock hollandaise sauce. (Note: Smart Balance spread is a heart-healthy spread available in the US. In the UK, try a similar product.)
Welsh lamb
I know things are looking up when Waitrose stops stocking New Zealand lamb and starts stocking the Welsh variety. It's very young, and very new, but excellent in a variety of recipes. Try these:
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall offered up this excellent idea in a recent Guardian weekend column. Lamb, spelt and kale: It's part stew, part casserole - but all one-pot meal. You can't go wrong.
I got a bit creative in the kitchen earlier this week, combining diced leg of lamb, light feta cheese, black olives, onions, chopped tomatoes and spinach. Another fabulous one-pot meal: just sear the lamb, then allow to rest on the side. Saute the onions, and add the chopped tomatoes and simmer. Add chopped olives, spinach and black olives just before serving. Go crazy and add harissa too if you have it on hand, but it's not a requirement. I served it with green beans and carrots for myself, but with plenty of rice for those with larger appetities.
Grilled rump steak of lamb would taste lovely with steamed sweet potatoes and some sauteed courgettes.
New potatoes
Thanks to Jersey, the new season of potatoes is upon us. These little nutty nuggets are perfect, just lightly steamed. But with fresh herbs and a tiny bit of olive oil, they are even better. Just don't get too carried away!!
Radishes
On their own, they're not particularly exciting. (Though word is that Nicole Kidman considers them her pregnancy craving... how strange.) But combined with other veggies, they are a crunchy addition to a summer salad.
-In a food processor, combine radishes, carrot and oregano (or thyme). Serve as a side salad as part of a mezze or along side a fresh fish dish.
-Chopped salad: chop baby spinach, carrot, radish, capers and plenty of lemon juice. Makes a lovely and bright light lunch.
To be honest, spring has come quite late this year. Fingers crossed that June brings us our favourite produce in droves. In the meantime, keep eating!
Okay, I'm no Nina Simone. But I am feeling good, because it's May! Hooray! Plenty of new and exciting produce will be available. We've had a few teasing tastes of asparagus, of strawberries, but now, even more is available. My tongue - and my stomach - can't wait. Here are a few ideas to whet the appetite.
Strawberries
Thus far, I'm still a fan of the "eat them on their own" team. The flavours are so new, so fledging, that to pair them with anything else might not work.
But if you must:
-put together a simple fruit salad for breakfast: strawberries, bananas, and some natural yogurt taste amazing together.
-add to some muesli. I'm loving Waitrose's apricot and fig muesli at the moment. Very fruity.
-pair with some dark chocolate - not too much, mind. Best to go with those mini Green and Blacks rather than the big 'uns.
Asparagus
I'm a little confused - one week Sainsbury's is overloaded with the stuff, and the next week it's all Peruvian produce. Asparagus eludes me once again. But when it is around, here are some lovely ideas:
Asparagus, pea and basil soup: ever so easy. Combine them all with some veggie stock, and simmer. Puree when it's ready. Don't fancy basil? Use mint instead. Or use watercress. Or leek. Any and every green vegetable will do. But the first three are my personal preference.
Keep it simple: poached egg, grilled bacon, steamed asparagus. The most beautiful triptych you'll ever come across. Museum-quality.
I love this idea - asparagus mimosa. Egg and asparagus, but classy-like. Just add champagne.
As a side dish, asparagus with hollandaise can't be beaten. But hollandaise isn't exactly low-calorie. I have never been let down by the South Beach Diet's mock hollandaise sauce. (Note: Smart Balance spread is a heart-healthy spread available in the US. In the UK, try a similar product.)
Welsh lamb
I know things are looking up when Waitrose stops stocking New Zealand lamb and starts stocking the Welsh variety. It's very young, and very new, but excellent in a variety of recipes. Try these:
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall offered up this excellent idea in a recent Guardian weekend column. Lamb, spelt and kale: It's part stew, part casserole - but all one-pot meal. You can't go wrong.
I got a bit creative in the kitchen earlier this week, combining diced leg of lamb, light feta cheese, black olives, onions, chopped tomatoes and spinach. Another fabulous one-pot meal: just sear the lamb, then allow to rest on the side. Saute the onions, and add the chopped tomatoes and simmer. Add chopped olives, spinach and black olives just before serving. Go crazy and add harissa too if you have it on hand, but it's not a requirement. I served it with green beans and carrots for myself, but with plenty of rice for those with larger appetities.
Grilled rump steak of lamb would taste lovely with steamed sweet potatoes and some sauteed courgettes.
New potatoes
Thanks to Jersey, the new season of potatoes is upon us. These little nutty nuggets are perfect, just lightly steamed. But with fresh herbs and a tiny bit of olive oil, they are even better. Just don't get too carried away!!
Radishes
On their own, they're not particularly exciting. (Though word is that Nicole Kidman considers them her pregnancy craving... how strange.) But combined with other veggies, they are a crunchy addition to a summer salad.
-In a food processor, combine radishes, carrot and oregano (or thyme). Serve as a side salad as part of a mezze or along side a fresh fish dish.
-Chopped salad: chop baby spinach, carrot, radish, capers and plenty of lemon juice. Makes a lovely and bright light lunch.
To be honest, spring has come quite late this year. Fingers crossed that June brings us our favourite produce in droves. In the meantime, keep eating!
Saturday, 5 April 2008
april cometh
It’s spring. Has it sprung? Probably not if you live on my little island. But nonetheless, more brightly-coloured creatures are beginning to be born, be they Spanish strawberries or little pea shoots. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. I’m sick of root vegetables. They’re brilliant in November, but boring in April.
It’s not all new in April though. We’re still getting carrots and kale, though we can use them with newer ingredients to come up with something wholly seasonal. New herbs are popping up – we’ve been using mint, but rosemary’s coming now too – and there’s spring lamb. One of my springtime goals is to cook more lamb.
It’s about time to turn our heads away from apples as our monthly fruit. I stopped picking up English apples a month or two ago – I’m finding them too mealy and simply not enticing. Golden Delicious and Granny Smith from France have been good friends, but soon we’ll leave them to it while we hang out with the cool berry crowd. And I’m not mentioning rhubarb, simply because I don’t think I’ll ever truly fancy it.
spring lamb
A bit of a lamb novice, I haven't quite gotten my head around buying lamb that's travelled all the way from New Zealand, even if it is tasty. I'd rather go with what's nearby. It may need spicing up, though, as the meat is so new. Use strong flavours and lots of herbs.
Lamb with anchovy and mint is another Nigel Slater triumph. Anchovies are a great way of introducing strong flavours into your food - although they are an oily fish, it doesn't take much. And one fillet is something like 9 calories! So go crazy, use a handful if you like.
spring herbs
Rosemary, wild garlic, mint... these are all fabulous flavours to use this time of year. While wild garlic is really only sourced from a stroll through a field (or a farmer's market), rosemary and mint can be growth from the comfort of your own window box. It's really up to you how you use them. But I think they're best used with the root vegetables that we're still using - carrots, new potatoes, and so on.
spring greens
These first shoots remind us that warmer weather is on the way. Pea shoots and greens, and even the new season of spinach, can be eaten raw and don't need any cooking. In fact, they're probably best raw, in a salad with lemon juice and a dribble of olive oil. If you must cook them, just lightly steam them.
I'm really starting to crave salads again, after a winter of heavier meals. Try a salad of pea shoots, sliced beetroot, fresh French goats cheese and a drizzle of honey. It will taste just so fresh.
strawberries
Like I said, these strawberries aren't from England - yet. But the Spanish variety aren't so bad. I greedily downed a punnet of these a few days ago. And to be honest, I don't think anything should be done with them - save any strawberry recipes for the summer, when there's a glut of them. For now just enjoy biting into this juicy, tongue-pleasing fruit.
Jersey potatoes
The new season of Jersey new potatoes has arrived. Please, please, please don't buy any of those potatoes on the shelf from Israel when we've got these just off shore. Like all the other delicate produce we have in April, these potatoes benefit from less treatment rather than more. Steam them and crush with a fork, adding your favourite herb. Earlier this week I used chopped rosemary and salt - but mint would be amazing as well.
It’s not all new in April though. We’re still getting carrots and kale, though we can use them with newer ingredients to come up with something wholly seasonal. New herbs are popping up – we’ve been using mint, but rosemary’s coming now too – and there’s spring lamb. One of my springtime goals is to cook more lamb.
It’s about time to turn our heads away from apples as our monthly fruit. I stopped picking up English apples a month or two ago – I’m finding them too mealy and simply not enticing. Golden Delicious and Granny Smith from France have been good friends, but soon we’ll leave them to it while we hang out with the cool berry crowd. And I’m not mentioning rhubarb, simply because I don’t think I’ll ever truly fancy it.
spring lamb
A bit of a lamb novice, I haven't quite gotten my head around buying lamb that's travelled all the way from New Zealand, even if it is tasty. I'd rather go with what's nearby. It may need spicing up, though, as the meat is so new. Use strong flavours and lots of herbs.
Lamb with anchovy and mint is another Nigel Slater triumph. Anchovies are a great way of introducing strong flavours into your food - although they are an oily fish, it doesn't take much. And one fillet is something like 9 calories! So go crazy, use a handful if you like.
spring herbs
Rosemary, wild garlic, mint... these are all fabulous flavours to use this time of year. While wild garlic is really only sourced from a stroll through a field (or a farmer's market), rosemary and mint can be growth from the comfort of your own window box. It's really up to you how you use them. But I think they're best used with the root vegetables that we're still using - carrots, new potatoes, and so on.
spring greens
These first shoots remind us that warmer weather is on the way. Pea shoots and greens, and even the new season of spinach, can be eaten raw and don't need any cooking. In fact, they're probably best raw, in a salad with lemon juice and a dribble of olive oil. If you must cook them, just lightly steam them.
I'm really starting to crave salads again, after a winter of heavier meals. Try a salad of pea shoots, sliced beetroot, fresh French goats cheese and a drizzle of honey. It will taste just so fresh.
strawberries
Like I said, these strawberries aren't from England - yet. But the Spanish variety aren't so bad. I greedily downed a punnet of these a few days ago. And to be honest, I don't think anything should be done with them - save any strawberry recipes for the summer, when there's a glut of them. For now just enjoy biting into this juicy, tongue-pleasing fruit.
Jersey potatoes
The new season of Jersey new potatoes has arrived. Please, please, please don't buy any of those potatoes on the shelf from Israel when we've got these just off shore. Like all the other delicate produce we have in April, these potatoes benefit from less treatment rather than more. Steam them and crush with a fork, adding your favourite herb. Earlier this week I used chopped rosemary and salt - but mint would be amazing as well.
Thursday, 21 June 2007
dessert without guilt (and with strawberries!)
A low-fat option for dessert
I love going to new supermarkets. They may have exactly the same products on the shelves, but, for some reason, having them situated differently always inspires me with hope that I will find something new, exciting, amazing, life-altering…
Well, perhaps that’s going a bit far. But when I walked into the Sainsbury’s in Beckton (obviously newly built by the looks of things) I had hopes beyond those that I keep when I enter my local Sainsbury’s in Whitechapel.
I was rewarded handsomely. Whilst trawling the frozen section to top up the foundations of my own freezer - frozen fish and prawns, frozen green beans (until they finally, finally come into season later this summer), frozen tropical fruits – I noticed a product I hadn’t seen until yet. Yeo Valley’s Strawberry Frozen Yogurt.
Frozen yogurt is everywhere in the US, but, when I moved over here, I couldn’t find this equally tasty, yet healthier alternative to ice cream. I suppose it’s not surprising, as Brits still prefer cream and custard as accompiaments to their desserts.
But frozen yogurt, in my mind, stands all on its own. I only lament there weren’t more flavours to try.
1 serving (100 grams): 140 calories, 23.5 g carbohydrates (mostly sugars), 4.3 g protein, 3.0 g fat.
That’s not much more than it’s humble workhouse cousin, the average snack yogurt.
While I don’t normally like eating things with so much sugar, I’m beginning to come around to the fact that sometimes a little bit of sugar is better than a lot of sweetener. (However, I’m still not able to let go of my Diet Cokes.)
Yeo Valley’s Organic Strawberry Frozen Yogurt has inspired me. Thus, my summertime quest for the best frozen yogurt begins.
I love going to new supermarkets. They may have exactly the same products on the shelves, but, for some reason, having them situated differently always inspires me with hope that I will find something new, exciting, amazing, life-altering…
Well, perhaps that’s going a bit far. But when I walked into the Sainsbury’s in Beckton (obviously newly built by the looks of things) I had hopes beyond those that I keep when I enter my local Sainsbury’s in Whitechapel.
I was rewarded handsomely. Whilst trawling the frozen section to top up the foundations of my own freezer - frozen fish and prawns, frozen green beans (until they finally, finally come into season later this summer), frozen tropical fruits – I noticed a product I hadn’t seen until yet. Yeo Valley’s Strawberry Frozen Yogurt.
Frozen yogurt is everywhere in the US, but, when I moved over here, I couldn’t find this equally tasty, yet healthier alternative to ice cream. I suppose it’s not surprising, as Brits still prefer cream and custard as accompiaments to their desserts.
But frozen yogurt, in my mind, stands all on its own. I only lament there weren’t more flavours to try.
1 serving (100 grams): 140 calories, 23.5 g carbohydrates (mostly sugars), 4.3 g protein, 3.0 g fat.
That’s not much more than it’s humble workhouse cousin, the average snack yogurt.
While I don’t normally like eating things with so much sugar, I’m beginning to come around to the fact that sometimes a little bit of sugar is better than a lot of sweetener. (However, I’m still not able to let go of my Diet Cokes.)
Yeo Valley’s Organic Strawberry Frozen Yogurt has inspired me. Thus, my summertime quest for the best frozen yogurt begins.
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