Ginger Fishcakes

Ingredients

4 fillets of firm white fish, skinless and boneless (720g)

• 30g dill, chopped
• 20g mint leaves, chopped
• 10g tarragon, chopped
• 15g ginger, peeled and finely grated
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 small garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 eggs
• 30g breadcrumbs
• 8 mild, long green peppers (280g net)
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 200C

Cut the fish into tiny dice – 1-2mm. Place in a bowl and add the fresh herbs, ginger, lemon zest, garlic, ground spices, eggs, breadcrumbs, 1½ teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Mix well and then form into round patties weighing about 55 grams each.
Place a heavy ovenproof iron or chargrill pan on a high heat. When red hot, put the peppers inside and grill for 15 minutes, turning once, until the skin is nicely charred and blistered. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe the pan clean and add the 2 teaspoons of oil. Sear the fish cakes for 4 minutes, turning once, then transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes, until the fish cakes are cooked through.

Fish Stew

Ingredients
Serves: 4
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
450g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
500ml fish or vegetable stock
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
225g frozen peas
175g frozen sweetcorn
600g skinless white fish fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh thyme leaves to garnish (optional)

Preparation method
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 30 mins
1. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are light gold.
2. Add the pepper and sweet potatoes, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the sweet potatoes begin to soften. Stir in the stock, thyme and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are just tender. Stir in the peas and sweetcorn.
3. Place the fish on top of the vegetables, cover and cook gently for 8–10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Season to taste with black pepper, then serve immediately sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves if you are using them.

From frozen vegetables to frozen fish

Last weekend, I went off to the frozen food section of my supermarket in search of broccoli and instead ended up looking at fish. Fresh fish is wonderful but very expensive. Over a year ago I bought frozen fish to make a fish pie. Obviously for pies and chowders you don't need fresh fish so since frozen is less expensive, it is the way to go. To my delight (and that of my wallet) I found 500 gram packages of individually vacuum packed pieces of haddock from Iceland for £1. I was expecting a lot more and still have no idea why it should be so inexpensive. Could it be the devaluation of the Icelandic currency? I don't know but we have been feasting on fish. The first night we had it oven cooked in foil. I put pesto sauce on mine and also included tomatoes, red pepper and snap peas. Tomorrow night we're having breaded fish and later in the week, either fish pie or a chowder. YUM. It pays to have a look in the freezers at the supermarket.

Chowder

I've just gotten back from 7 days at Othona at Burton Bradstock in Dorset, England, which is very much a centre of 'living more with less'! While I was there I racked my brain to come up with a meal that would reflect Canada when we celebrated the national day on July 1st. After too much time spent thinking about this, I decided to make a fish chowder and a strawberry pie. The chowder comes from the maritimes and the pie recipe is Mennonite, from Waterloo County in Ontario.

I have been having chowders quite a bit since I was reminded of them earlier in the year. The following is a recipe that we have enjoyed as a family for years but I've never really thought of it as money saving or nutritious. I suppose it is both. I served it with home made bread and the pie for dessert. However, it would be great to have a salad with it as well, or instead of the dessert. You could also use inexpensive fish from the freezer section. In this recipe I have used clams, which are a lot less expensive that I would have supposed.

New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients
1/4 cup of butter (2oz)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup flour (4 oz in a measuring cup)
1 litre of semi skimmed milk
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced and parboiled
1/4 t(easpoon) salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. thyme
2 - 5oz cans of baby clams (approx. 280 g.)

1. Melt butter. Sauté onion till translucent and fragrant. Don't brown. Add flour. cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Whisk in milk. Add parboiled potatoes and seasonings. Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or till potatoes are tender.

3. Add clams and juice. Reheat at serving time. Garnish with croutons, bacon pieces and/or chopped green onions.

(Serves 6)

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Choose your own favorite chowder -- Manhattan, made with tomatoes or New England, made with milk.

1/4 c(up) minced onion (2 oz in a measuring cup
2 cans clams, drained (reserve liquor)
2 c diced pared potatoes (parboil)
1 c water
1/3 c diced celery
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes
2 t snipped parsley
1 t salt
1/4 t thyme
1/8 t pepper

In large saucepan, cook and stir bacon and onion until bacon is crisp and onion is tender. Stir in reserved clam liquor, the potatoes, water and celery. Cook uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add clams, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. 6 servings.