Thai Fish Cakes - Version Two! (With Sweet Chilli Sauce and Fresh Pickled Vegetable Relish - includes Thermomix method)

 

One of my favourite Thai dishes, and so versatile - a dinner, a starter, a snack, a buffet dish... and now I've updated it as it has evolved over the years - 2014 was when I first posted this recipe!

Fish cakes are one of the iconic street food dishes of Thailand, and they're delicious dipped into a piquant sauce. I think my favourite thing about Thai fish cakes is the fact that there's no filler in there - no bread crumbs, or potato - they're just pure, delicious un-stodgy protein! If you want to, you can give them a little twist, by replacing some of the raw fish with crab meat, and lightly pan frying them and finishing off for a few minutes in the oven rather than deep-frying them - but you're welcome to deep-fry them if you prefer... I think they're really good cooked this way though, and somewhat healthier.

These ones have been shallow fried, which gives a more uniform browning

This recipe makes around 20 to 25 fish cakes, and although usually you'd probably have three for a starter, you could also serve four to five as a main course (there are four of us including two children, 10 and 11 with hearty appetites - I made twenty, and we had five left over).

Obviously it would serve far more as a starter (divide the mix into 24, and you'll have three each to serve eight people), and would make a great warm buffet dish. The secret is not to overcook them - you want a nice, light, dare-I-say-it almost slightly 'bouncy' texture. They really are deliciously tasty - no wonder they are so popular! They even freeze well, either raw or cooked (I prefer to freeze them lightly cooked, for ease) - just defrost and re-heat or cook lightly.

If you're counting calories, then the calories per serving if divided between five people are as follows:

Fish Cakes - 177; Pickled Vegetable Relish - 50; Sweet Chilli Sauce - 48; Total calories - 275. (You can take off 30 if you leave out the peanuts, and add on 76 for a 200g portion of cauliflower rice, or 149 calories per serving for a portion of Thai Jasmine rice (45g uncooked). 50g mixed leaves is around 10 calories). [Calories in square brackets next to ingredients]

Easy Battered Fish in a Tasty Lemon and Parsley Batter - Gluten Free (or normal)

Delicious, crispy, battered fish, in a gluten free batter that packs a flavour punch!

Once you've tasted this, you won't want to go back to 'normal' batter - the lemon zest and parsley give it a delicious lift, and the cornflour and sparkling water make the batter lovely and crispy and light.

When you like the crispy bits and drizzle over a bit more batter after the first turn...

What's more, you can have battered fish without the mess and inconvenience of having to fill up a deep fat fryer with litres of oil - this has been simply shallow fried with only 1/2cm of oil in a non-stick frying pan - so it's quick and easy to do too (and you can filter and re-use the oil afterwards if you like).

Well, what more do you need to have a go - just get a couple of fillets of your favourite white fish, and if you like curry sauce on the side, have a go at my delicious and easy (gluten free) curry sauce - it's better that the chip shop's too - not that we're biased!!

The quick version with dried parsley and oven chips to keep everyone happy!

Serves two, easily doubled. Let's not talk about calories, because a small minority of my recipes are just never going to have them, OK? This is for a day when you just don't care!!

Speedy Salmon, Broccoli and Leek Crustless Quiche (Syn Free)

With only a handful of ingredients you can easily make a healthy and tasty lunch, dinner or lunchbox treat.

Salmon and broccoli is a classic combination, and when I threw this together for dinner, everyone loved it and it was so simple I had to share it.

The irony is, when the other half went shopping tonight, I asked him to pick up a (gluten free) quiche, as I was tired and didn't want to faff about cooking anything too complicated - and while he was out, I was looking through the fridge and found a pack of smoked salmon and some broccoli and Greek yoghurt that needed using so... er.... I had made a crustless version by the time he got back!! (Good job too really, as they had ran out of GF quiches). It's not a classic quiche of course, but it's a very tasty alternative, which is much healthier, easier, and quicker to put together. Mere minutes of preparation before popping it into the oven to bake while you do other things.

Serves four, 210 calories per serving, Syn free.

Easy Cold-Smoked Mackerel Fillets

Got the cold smoker going? Why not pop on some quick-cured mackerel while you're at it!

I absolutely love smoked mackerel, although sometimes I find hot-smoked shop bought fillets a little chewy on top - if you cold smoke your own, you can avoid this part and have delicious, juicy smoked mackerel fillets ready to cook under the grill whenever you fancy! 

Just look how juicy it is inside when you flake some of the flesh away!

You can generally pick up fresh mackerel for very low prices, and once cured and smoked they will keep well in the fridge for several days if you vacuum pack them, or you can freeze them either raw or cooked. If you're using your cold smoker for something else (e.g. bacon... home made smoked bacon, mmm! See here for my home made bacon recipes) it makes perfect sense to utilise what space you have available in the smoker to smoke other things at the same time. Conveniently hard cheese (e.g. cheddar, gouda) and butter cold-smoke perfectly in 4-6 hours too (and you could also pop things like garlic, salt, paprika et. in there as well if you have any more space). 

You can of course just hot smoke or BBQ the mackerel once you've cured them, as it is quicker and then they're ready to eat; but I quite like the versatility of having them cold smoked, so I can cook them in whichever way I choose.

Spicy Prawn and Avocado Salad

The classic combination of prawns and avocado... with a kick!

Just a quick flash in the pan for the prawns, and you’ve got a tasty, spicy salad with a lovely lemony zing – fantastic fast food!

Serves one (easily doubled or quadrupled!), 272 calories per serving.

Szechuan Seafood Stirfry

A delicious stir-fry with just the right amount of subtle kick, and a delicately flavoured sauce which doesn’t overpower the squid.

If you're a fan of seafood, this is both delicious and healthy - plus it will use up some of those Szechuan peppercorns you've maybe got hiding in the back of the cupboard!

Serves three light portions (or two generous), 161 calories per serving for three (or 242 between two people).

Cumin-Spiced Salted Cod with Ackee, Red Pepper and Tomato

This is my fresh spin on 'Ackee and Saltfish', a traditional Caribbean dish made with ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica.

It has all of the traditional flavours - the main difference being that instead of using dried and reconstituted salt fish soaked overnight (which sometimes people can find a bit strong, who aren't used to it) then boiled and flaked into the dish, I use fresh cod given a brief salting, then brush it with a light cumin butter for an extra dimension and then grill it and serve on top of the ackee.

It really is delicious, and easy to make - you can prepare all your ingredients (and any side dishes) while the cod is salting, then it takes less than 15 minutes to cook. It makes a surprisingly filling and very healthy meal on its own if you're avoiding carbs or keeping the calories down; or you can serve it with your choice of 'rice and peas' (my recipe for Jamaican rice and peas is here), plain white rice, or even dumplings, fried plantain, hard dough bread or breadfruit if you want some Caribbean accompaniments, Plus it's a novel way to serve saltfish and ackee, particularly to guests!

Quick Thai Prawn and Pineapple Skewers

OK, so you have some plump and juicy delicious raw prawns (shrimp), and you want something quick and tasty to do with them?

Well, dig out that red Thai curry paste, and a few chunks of pineapple (you can even use tinned!) and a luscious treat is yours in minutes!

These are delicious cooked on the BBQ (and probably rather impressive too... little do your guests know how easy they are!), or just cook them under the grill, or on a griddle instead. It really doesn't matter as they will be full of flavour either way!

You can use a good quality ready-made Thai red curry paste, if you can't get hold of all the ingredients to make one yourself, or if you want to make your own, my recipe is here (includes Thermomix instructions).


Serves two as main with sides, or four as a starter or as a selection of dishes. Makes four skewers,  62 calories per skewer (124 calories for a portion of two skewers). Easily doubled, or more, for everyone.

Thai Spiced Salmon Fishcakes (includes Thermomix method)

Simple and tasty these make a great dinner dish or something a bit different to have on the barbecue.

They're delicious served with some crunchy Asian-style slaw, whether with rice, cauliflower rice or in a bun and maybe topped with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce, if you like!

Pop your cubed salmon into the freezer for half an hour first, to make for easy mincing/chopping in a food processor, and make the texture as smooth or chunky as you like - a slightly chunky texture will give you deliciously moist and tender fishcakes.

Makes five fishcakes, from 199 calories each.

Easy Butter Poached Sous Vide Lobster Tails (includes Thermomix method)

The most succulent and tender lobster tails cooked to perfection...

Cooking at a precise temperature means you will get the very best out of your lobster - and with this method, inspired by Thomas Keller's way of poaching lobster (à la French Laundry Restaurant) there's no chance of over-cooking it and ending up with rubbery or dry lobster.

          

This is best made using either a sous vide machine (or equivalent) or a Thermomix, to control the temperature - however, if you're patient, you can make it by heating up a very large pot of water until it reaches the correct temperature, and then stand and monitor it for 15 minutes while your lobster is in there and maintaining the temperature by turning the heat underneath off and on! (I've done this in the past with salmon and steak, when I didn't have so many gadgets in my kitchen!).

This will serve two people as a starter or light lunch - however you can easily increase the number of lobster tails and butter as appropriate (just keep them two to a bag - if cooking in a Thermomix, you may only be able to fit in three as a maximum). See my blog here for serving suggestion of lobster mayonnaise, buttered asparagus, watercress and grapefruit salad and crostini.

Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad (includes Thermomix method)

A modern take on salade niçoise, topped with a seared tuna steak and a delicious, chunky dressing packed with bursts of niçoise flavours.

Contrary to popular belief, tuna isn't actually one of the core ingredients of a nicoise salad - anchovies are more likely to frequent the more authentic presentations, and the two wouldn't usually be served together. Cooked vegetables (e.g. potatoes and green beans) are also not part of an authentic salade niçoise recipe - fresh and raw broad beans are the way to go. I remember thinking I'd been 'done' when I ordered a nicoise salad in France a couple of decades ago, because they'd 'missed out half the ingredients'. But, what is this? Next I'll be telling you there are no boiled eggs either!

       

No, don't worry there are. However, there are as many recipes for salad niçoise, as there are for chilli con carne no doubt, and it's just as contentious! Even the modern Niçois break the 'rules' and serve tuna and anchovies together. So, if they can, so can we, and while we're at it, let's break a few more and keep everybody happy and call it Nicoise Salad instead! (I doubt anyone Niçois would be reading a recipe for it in English anyway - especially if they saw a photo with potatoes and green beans on it - sacré bleu!!). With this recipe, you can choose whether to serve it warm or cold - I like to have my potatoes, beans and eggs warm, which makes it a great dish for winter or summer.

So after our first little harvest of French beans this year (lovingly grown by the good man), together with a motley collection of different tomatoes, hastily picked according to ripeness (rather than variety!), I was inspired to blog my version of Nicoise salad, which has evolved over the years. Mine involves serving a seared tuna steak over the warm steamed green beans and potatoes (optionally tossed in a little olive oil), with lettuce and cherry tomatoes on the side topped with a fresh a boiled egg (of course!), and a wonderfully piquant chunky dressing, with the olives, anchovies and basil within it, warmed through until the anchovies melt into the dressing and finished with capers and diced tomato then spooned over the top... fancy joining me?

You can play around with the salad ingredients (or the dressing), of course, according to what you have and love - add peppers, cucumbers, radishes or whatever you have to hand, use rocket leaves, and even try it with the fresh broad beans if you want to see what you're missing out on! I have a love of fresh tuna, just seared on the outside and rare in the middle - cook your tuna the way you like it, or if you prefer, use a good quality (dolphin-friendly) jarred or tinned tuna (in oil, if you're going to do it the more Gallic way).

Serves two people, easily doubled. 470 calories per serving (328 calories without the dressing, if you want to use a bought dressing, or just have a drizzle of balsamic for a few calories). Halve these quantities for a sophisticated starter at 235 calories [Calories in square brackets - it will of course be more if you add more extra virgin olive oil for tossing potatoes in and drizzles!]

Thai Crab Cakes or Fish Cakes with Sweet Chilli Sauce and Fresh Pickled Vegetable Relish - includes Thermomix method

One of my favourite Thai dishes, and so versatile - a dinner, a starter, a snack, a buffet dish...

Fish cakes are one of the iconic street food dishes of Thailand, and they're delicious dipped into a piquant sauce. I think my favourite thing about Thai fish cakes is the fact that there's no filler in there - no bread crumbs, or potato - they're just pure, delicious un-stodgy protein! Here I've given them a little twist, by replacing some of the raw fish with crab meat, and lightly pan frying them and finishing off for a few minutes in the oven rather than deep-frying them - but you're welcome to deep-fry them if you prefer... I think they're really good cooked this way though, and somewhat healthier.

This recipe makes around 20 to 25 fish cakes, and serves four to five as a main course (there are four of us including two children, 10 and 11 with hearty appetites - I made twenty, and we had five left over) - obviously it would serve far more as a starter (divide the mix into 24, and you'll have three each to serve eight people), and would make a great warm buffet dish. The secret is not to overcook them - you want a nice, light, dare-I-say-it almost slightly 'bouncy' texture. They really are deliciously tasty - no wonder they are so popular! They even freeze well, either raw or cooked (I prefer to freeze them lightly cooked, for ease) - just defrost and re-heat or cook lightly.

If you're counting calories, then the calories per serving if divided between five people are as follows:
Fish Cakes - 142; Pickled Vegetable Relish - 50; Sweet Chilli Sauce - 48; Total calories - 240. (You can take off 30 if you leave out the peanuts, and add on 76 for a 200g portion of cauliflower rice, or 149 calories per serving for a portion of Thai Jasmine rice (45g uncooked). 50g mixed leaves is around 10 calories). [Calories in square brackets next to ingredients]

Fragrant Thai Prawns with Sweet Chilli Sauce (with Thermomix method)

Quite simply *the* most succulent, delicious prawns - an absolute favourite here, and well worth treating yourself to some nice juicy big prawns for!

This is a fantastic way to cook prawns, and so good that the quantities given would suffice for a main course, if you served it with rice or noodles and a side dish, although it's presented here as a (generous!) starter (the photo shows a double portion for sharing).

The light egg and cornflour coating locks in the moisture - like the chinese technique of 'velveting' used with chicken to give moist and tender results - together with giving the prawns a really zesty and fragrant fresh flavour with the marinade ingredients, and the heat is in the dip.

Serves two (easily doubled) - 199 calories per serving for the prawns, and 60 calories per portion for my Sweet Chilli Sauce (see here for recipe, includes Thermomix instructions)

Ten-minute Trout, Asparagus and New Potato (Warm) Salad

Simple, quick and satisfying and ready in minutes - a delicious dish with minimal effort.

If you prefer, substitute salmon fillet(s) instead, from the tail end where they're flat and triangular, which will be equally delicious - ready-to-eat smoked trout fillets would work really well too, if you don't want to cook the trout yourself. A nice addition which combines perfectly with the other flavours is a boiled egg with a creamy yolk, quartered and nestling on top.

Serves two, 315 calories per serving - easily halved or doubled (calories in square brackets if you're counting). Add another 88 calories for a UK medium sized egg (58g).

Thermomix Teriyaki Chicken or Salmon Meal with Sesame-Miso Green Beans or Asparagus, Cucumber-Radish Pickles and Rice

Cooked in twenty minutes, with only a few minutes of preparation...

You choose whether you have chicken or salmon, and green beans or asparagus (I like green beans with chicken, and asparagus with salmon), and substitute as suggested to suit your diet. If you have time to marinade your chicken or salmon for half an hour first, that's great - but if not you could just steam it and toss it in the sauce at the end and it will still be tasty.

This serves two people, at 304 calories per serving for the teriyaki chicken (breast), green beans and cucumber-radish pickles, plus 76 calories if serving with 200g cauliflower rice per person (380 calories in total), or add on 175 calories for a 50g (raw weight) serving of rice (479 calories - although I find that I can only eat half of this quantity of rice with everything else on the plate, so it's 391 calories for me!). Oh and 3 calories a serving for the spring onion with the rice, if you're counting... ;)

For the teriyaki salmon, it's 409 calories for the salmon, pickles and vegetables, plus the rice as above.

Speedy Salmon, Asparagus and Cherry Tomato Sautée, with Lemon and Basil

Something quick, tasty, and packed with flavour, for an easy, healthy weeknight meal

Italian flavours give a new lease of life to salmon and asparagus.

A quick chop, heat up the pan and you're ready to go!

Serves two, 322 calories per serving

Quick Warm Potato, Green Bean, Lemon and Caper Salad (with Salmon) including Thermomix method

This quick, warm potato and green bean salad is the epitome of why simple is often delicious, with just six ingredients.

Absolutely perfect with salmon or trout (which you can cook all-in-one in the Thermomix), or for a vegetarian alternative toss with some quartered boiled eggs and a handful of olives and top with toasted pine nuts, or if you want to cut the carbs, replace the potatoes with thick chunks of sliced courgettes (zucchini).

After craving salmon for a few days, and dreaming up just how might be the very perfect way to cook it I also had to think what would be the perfect accompaniment to it as well. I thought about quite a few things, and then finally settled on making something light and lemony, warm and simple. Which also just so happened to cook in around the same time as my salmon took to cook to perfection.

Serves two, calories per serving: 145 each for the warm potato and bean salad (if you want to cut the calories and carbs substitute thickly sliced courgettes for the potatoes this reduces the salad to to 95 calories per serving), and 140 calories per serving for smoked trout or from 211 calories per serving for hot smoked salmon (see ingredients).

So, for a really light meal, the warm salad made with courgettes and served with smoked trout (see below) would come in at 145 calories per serving.

Feel free to substitute and add your favourite vegetables to the warm salad - asparagus, broccoli, mange tout, snow peas etc. would all be great.

Spicy Blackened Fish Tacos

So, it turns out 'Fish Tacos' were almost my nemesis!

Here we go, the saga of the fish taco, and other things. You can scroll past my bletherings to the recipe at the bottom, which I highly recommend now I'm happy with it!

This serves four people, calories per serving are as follows:

For the blackened salmon - 192 calories
2 'mini' flour tortillas - 174*
1 regular corn tortilla - 123*
Coriander (cilantro) and lime 'crema' - 21
Onions - 6
Roasted tomato, chipotle and jalapeno salsa - 33
Optional chayote/courgette (I've made it with both, and both are delicious in this!) salsa/slaw - 18

Total calories per serving: with one regular corn tortilla - 393 calories; with two 'mini' flour tortillas (as pictured) - 444 calories

*Different brands of tortillas will have different calorific values, which is why I've separated all of the different components of this dish, so you can work out the overall value of your meal if your tortillas are different to the ones I use.

Bengali-Style Salmon with Steamed Vegetables and a Spicy Yoghurt Sauce

A delicious and healthy way to cook salmon, packed with flavours

I've made this many times over the years, since I first discovered it - it's such a great way to cook salmon and keep it moist.

It has evolved a little over time, with technology and to my tastes, so I now cook it in my Thermomix as an all-in-one meal with vegetables and rice or cauliflower rice to boot, but you can steam it conventionally together with the vegetables, or bake it in the oven in parcels - whichever is your preference! (I'll include instructions to cover all bases, of course!).

If you're counting calories, they are as follows per portion:

Bengali salmon - 286 calories
Steamed green vegetables - 32 calories
Cauliflower rice - 76 calories
Total - 394 calories

Octopus, Chorizo and Red Peppers, with Cauliflower Two Ways

Also delightful with scallops, or fresh squid rings...

Finally, I've pulled together the blog for this relatively simple to make, but delicious dish, after three other blogs which were necessary for the components (honest, it is simple and quick once you've cooked the octopus)!

Slow-braised octopus is tossed in a pan with crispy chorizo and red peppers, and served with a silky-smooth, garlicky cauliflower puree, which contrasts with a scattering of sautéed mini-cauliflower florets, cumin and almond crunch.

Serves two as a light lunch, or generous starter, easily doubled.  351 calories per serving.