5 Fish-Friday Meal Ideas

Fish is a great, protein-rich, ingredient for cooking with and when better to cook it than on "Fish Friday". Why is Friday a popular time to eat fish? It apparently stems back to Catholic and Christian tradition not to eat meat on Friday's for religious reasons. Instead, fish was eaten. I think, also, that the term "Fish Friday" has become popular because it has a nice, alliterative ring for marketing purposes!

I personally eat fish whenever I fancy it and have been reducing my meat-intake generally to have a more vegetarian diet. Fish will not be leaving my diet at any point soon, though, it's too fun to cook with. Since I enjoy it so much I am going to share 5 different meal ideas based around fish.
First up, we have a light-meal option: Tuna pitta bread "pizza"

1. Tuna pitta bread "pizza"

This is super simple to make and is great for lunch. Just toast a wholemeal pitta bread, spread on a layer of tomato puree, and top with cooked, flaked tuna. Serve with some refreshing chopped cucumber.

TIP: If you'd like to make it into dinner, use two pitta bread's and serve alongside a nice leafy salad with sweetcorn, cucumber, olives, and fresh tomatoes.

If you like this idea, why not check out this other pizza-style lunch option

Next up, is a delicious salmon dish

2. Balsamic-glazed salmon with roast veg

I just adore salmon, when cooked just right, it has such a lovely melt-in-the-mouth texture and tastes wonderful. To make this I baked the salmon in my usual way which is wrapping the salmon in a parcel of foil drizzled with olive oil and topped with freshly ground black pepper. To make the topping, simply drizzle ready made balsamic glaze over the fillet and sprinkle dried dill over the top. For a spicy kick, add some dried chilli flakes too. Add sliced baby plum tomatoes and strips of red pepper to at the sides of the fish fillet and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Gather the foil at either side and scrunch together at the top to construct a makeshift parcel. Cook the salmon in a pre-heated oven set at 180C for 18-20 minutes. For the roasted sweetheart cabbage, sliced the cabbage into 'rounds' and place onto a greaseproof paper-lined baking tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle on a little sea salt. Cook at the same time as the salmon but give the salmon a few minutes head start. Make sure everything is cooked through and piping hot before serving.

Thirdly, here is a tasty take on the classic seaside British food, fish n' chips

3. Breadcrumb-topped cod with sweet potato fries

The mixture of traditional fish and chips component, cod, with sweet potato fries is perhaps a bit like a British-American fusion! As well as the sweet potato fries, I served with a baked tomato and steamed garden peas for a colourful and nutrient-rich meal. There is little explanation needed for the cooking of this meal, just top the cod fillet with breadcrumbs (I use a grater and the heel of bread loaf for this) and dot some butter over the top before baking. Cod takes a little less time to cook than salmon so bake for around 15 minutes. It will be piping hot, firm to the touch and opaque when cooked.

TIP: Mix in some parsley with the breadcrumbs for additional flavour.

Another idea is this really satisfying meal I came up with the other day when I fancied curry but also fancied tuna and didn't have any rice. Enter, my quirky creation of tuna curry with spaghetti.

4. Tuna curry  

After tasting this experimental dish, I totally intended to jot down the recipe but in my enjoying of the food, it slipped my mind... Basically, I steamed 1 small onion, a handful of fresh tomatoes, and some garlic powder in a microwave steamer then added half a carton of tomato passata along with a generous sprinkling of turmeric, 1 tsp mild curry powder,  some cumin, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Finally, I added flaked tuna from a tin and microwaved on high till everything was hot throughout. I served with cooked pasta but rice would be the more traditional accompaniment to this. I have to admit, though, I did really like the curry-flavour with pasta.

Finally, here is a nice summery dish packed with goodness!

5. Steamed haddock on a bed of superfood grains 

Superfood grains are one of my store cupboard essentials since the ones I buy are ready to eat (or can be heated in just 1 minute) and are a properly nutritious food source being a good source of plant-based protein, carbs, and fibre. The combination I use most often is quinoa, pearl barley, and wild rice or lentils. For this meal, I combined the pre-cooked grains with a carton of chopped tomatoes, a touch of garlic, and herbs in a pan until heated through. Once heated through, add in some spinach which should wilt with the heat. Since white fish has a delicate flavour, you don't want the garlic to be overpowering so just add a little. For the fish, I placed a frozen fillet of haddock in a microwave steamer with a tablespoon of water and some black pepper and cooked for approx. 3/2-4 minutes on the high setting of my 900W microwave. All microwaves vary, though, so consult your microwave's user guide for reference. Timings will also vary depending on the size of the fillet; it is very easy to overcook a fish in a microwave!

TIP: Add some rocket for a peppery finish

(P.S I'm aware the picture is of salmon... I couldn't find the photo I took with haddock)

These ideas should have given you some fresh ideas as to what to do when cooking with fish. Feel free to use the ideas as a starting point and experiment on your own; see where your culinary creativity takes you! I'd love to see what you create, so it'd be great if you shared it using the hashtag #inspiredbyHLDCblog

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I also share tips on healthy living/wellbeing in general on my social feeds tying in with my psychology of mental health degree!

@HelenCRedman

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5 Mid-Week Meal Ideas

5 Mid-Week Meal Ideas

Many people get into a mid-week rut of not having enough time to cook and, as a consequence, their eating habits go somewhat downhill. With this in mind, I thought I'd curate a list of 5 mid-week meal ideas which all have 3 things in common. Each idea is:

• Healthy
• Can be prepared in 30 mins or less 
• Inexpensive 

I think these are particularly important factors for increasing the likelihood of cooking meals rather than resorting to the easily-tempting ready meals or takeaways! I've included both meat-eater meals as well as vegan and vegetarian options. I might do a completely meat-free list in future since I've lately been trying to eat more plant-based meals. For now, I'm still mainly eating a diet with a mix of foods so here's the list of meal suggestions:

1. Chicken and mango curry 

I love this fruity curry. I think I got the idea from a Jamaican curry that I made in a Home Economics class in High School. Growing up, I mainly ate traditional British foods as my Dad is a 'meat and veg' kind of guy and didn't like my mum experimenting with other foods! My mum and I, however, like different types of food so it was nice getting the chance to cook with different ingredients at school. 

Anyway, here's the basic 'how to make it' for the curry. 

Basic how to:

Fry chopped onions, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger in coconut oil (or other healthy oil) until softened. Add chicken breast pieces and curry powder, ground chilli pepper, crushed cumin seeds (or powder), crushed coriander seeds (or powder), and turmeric. 

Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through. 

Now, add chopped mango pieces, desiccated coconut and coconut milk. 

Let the coconut milk reduce down a bit and, make sure the desiccated coconut has softened, serve with rice.

2. Baked herb-topped salmon with new potatoes and roasted vegetables 

This is a satisfying meal full of a variety of nutrients and including omega 3 fatty acids in the fish. Why not make it on a Friday for #FishFriday? My recommendation of vegetables would be a selection from peppers, mini plum tomatoes, courgettes, green beans, and mushrooms. Asparagus is also great with salmon and is often paired with it in restaurant menus but it's a bit pricier. 

Basic how to:

Top a fresh salmon fillet topped with fresh dill and drizzled with a little olive oil and lemon juice in a foil parcel for 20-25mins at 180 degrees C. Make sure salmon is piping hot. 

Chop the vegetables and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables so they don't burn. Roast until softened. 

Serve with boiled new potatoes (or 'tatties' as we say in Scotland!)

Tip: Grow your own herb garden as a low-cost alternative to buying it

3. Quinoa and turkey salad 

Salads are great for summer dinners, or lunches, alike. They are also nice in winter, especially if served with some warm ingredients or with freshly baked warm bread. This salad is versatile in that you can choose what salad items you'd like to add, it can be a good way to use up ingredients in your fridge!

Basic how to:

Choose a selection of salad items for the salad base - I went with cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce. Arrange these on a plate or in a bowl and mix some cold, cooked quinoa through it. Top with cooled, cooked turkey breast slices or turkey steak. 
Optional: Add a dressing - I often eat salads without dressings, but a balsamic/extra virgin olive oil combo is always a good choice in my book. Honey and mustard dressings are also great. 

Tip: If making this in winter to use up roast turkey after Thanksgiving (for those in the US and Canada!) or Christmas, you could use pomegranate seeds as they're a nice festive fruit and it'd add some sweetness to the salad.

4. Omelette with baked potato and veggies

I’m sure some people consider omelettes to be boring, but I love them. They have eggs and cheese – what’s more to love?! (Note: I may have a slight obsession with both eggs and cheese…) The omelette can be filled with whatever you fancy so it’s a meal that can be served often but with a different take each time making it really adaptable.

Basic how to:

Decide what you want to fill your omelette with – cheese, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, peppers etc.

Bake the potato and steam a selection of vegetables

Cook the omelette with 2 or 3 eggs - add the filling when almost cooked and fold the omelette over

Serve with the baked potato and vegetables
Optional: Add a filling to the baked potato - I added cheese because I can't get enough of it! I used a traditionally made, Organic cheese which has a lower salt content than other cheeses. Using mozzarella would be a good option as it is naturally lower in salt and reduced fat versions are available too. 

Tip: Serve with a leafy salad and couscous for a quicker meal

5. Curried superfood grains  (Vegan)

I made this as an experiment one evening when I had a craving for certain ingredients, so I decided to throw them together in a pan! I sort of knew what meal I wanted to eat but didn't have a description for it resulting in experimentation and creating what I'd been craving. As an artist, I do that with art as well - I'll have visions in my mind of things I want to create before I create them. When I first made the Curried Grains, I noted down what I'd used to make the dish. You can find this recipe in an earlier post of mine. 

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©HLDCblog | Helen C Redman 2018

quick

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Vegan curried coconut, raisin, and almond grains

This comes from the weekend when after a day of painting, scanning, editing, and running test prints of art of mine, followed by housework,  I was more than ready for some good food. I was in one of those moods when I just wanted food to appear in front of me but did not know exactly what I wanted. After musing with a friend how it would be great if you could imagine food and it instantaneously appeared(!) I reluctantly went into the kitchen to cook. What I was going to cook, I wasn't sure of but knew I fancied something with spices and some fruit. I'm neither vegetarian nor vegan but on that day my fridge and storecupboards suggested otherwise... I was originally thinking of cooking a chickpea and apricot tagine, then a green lentil curry, but I found a packet of mixed grains that were close to their date so that made my decision for me; I'd experiment and make a mixed grain curry with raisins, almonds and coconut. 

The results was amazingly tasty vegan culinary experimentation. I'm sure this was helped by having vegan friends who have got me thinking of different ways to cook! This may not look that interesting but it tasted fab - Moroccan, South American, and Indian vibes going on here 👌 #roundtheworldinaplate 🌏🌍This is a powerhouse of goodness and super tasty!  It's full of plant-based protein, vitamins, minerals, and spices. 

Ingredients:

125g pack of ready to eat mixed grains (eg. quinoa, lentils) (or, instead of buying pre-cooked ones, pre-cook your own)

Raisins (2tbsp)

80g frozen peas 

2 small garlic cloves 

1tsp garam masala 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 

1/2 tsp ground coriander 

1 tbsp peach and grape juice 

3 tbsp desiccated coconut 

7 chopped almonds 

Water 

Coconut oil

Sea Salt 

Pepper 

Method:

Melt coconut oil in frying pan and add the spices 

Add chopped garlic cloves

Once softened add raisins and some water. This allows the raisins to become plump and juicy. Mmmm! 

Add frozen peas and quinoa 

Add a little more water 

Stir and simmer till all cooked and the water has been absorbed 

Add some coconut and some more water

Simmer for a couple of mins 

Repeat and add almonds too 

Add the fruit juice 

Add freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste 

Leave to simmer on low heat for about 10mins 

Serve with torn tortilla wrap or rice 

Enjoy! If you try this out for yourself, I'd love to see a pic - tag me (@HLDCblog) on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, or #HLDCblog on social media 

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Vegetable Hot Pot

This is a great, nutritious, filling low-cost midweek 

meal that is quick to prepare and is ready in less than 15mins. It's perfect for warming you up on cold January nights and is packed with vitamins to keep your defences up against winter colds! 

Ingredients:

1 drained can kidney beans

1 large courgette 

1-2 garlic cloves 

Salt

3/4 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want it spicier) 

2 handfuls baby plum tomatoes 

2 tbsp tomato purée 

Water 

1 red onion 

Method:

Chop all fresh vegetables (apart from tomatoes) and garlic and add to a microwave steamer with a couple tablespoons water. Cook for 3mins 30secs (900W). 

Remove from microwave and add the beans and fresh tomatoes. Add in the cumin and the tomato purée. 

Place back in the microwave for 3mins. 

Stir well. 

Serve with boiled rice 

Note: Alternatively you could cook it in a slow cooker on simmer in a pan on the hob. 

Variants: 

Add in red peppers 

Add some grated carrots 

Serve with rocket 

Serve with mixed leaf salad 

For more meal ideas and cooking tips, swing by @HLDCblog on Twitter and @HCRinstacam on Instagram 

vegetarian

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Vegetable rice in under 10mins

This is a dish I came up with last night when I realised I had just bought more carrots when in fact it was carrots I had plenty of and actually needed some other vegetables... Anyway, I was trying to use some of them up as well as a leftover half courgette so I came up with this. You can use whatever vegetables you have for this though using either carrots, celery or onion as one of your choice is worth considering as they all help to make good stock - which means better flavour. And we all like good flavour! 

I used whole grain rice and topped with a torn mozzarella ball but you could leave the cheese out and add nuts if you're vegan or add meat or a meat substitute if you'd like something a little more substantial. 

It would work well as lunch or dinner, just experiment with different combinations and see what you like best. All of my recipes are just what I come up with in my kitchen naturally with what I have and that is what I hope you as readers will do when you read my recipes. See them as ideas not something you have to completely stick to. I'm all about inspiring healthy eating, not saying this what you should eat! 

See below for the recipe

Ingredients: 

2 carrots

1/2 large courgette 

Handful of spinach 

1/2 pack whole grain rice 

Dried powdered garlic

dried sage

salt 

Pepper 

Water

Optional

Fresh buffalo mozzarella 

Method: 

1. Put the vegetables, garlic and herbs in a microwaveable container with 1tbsp water

2. Cook for 3mins on high (900W) 

3. Then out stir 

4. Then add the rice and spinach and cook for another 2 more minutes 

5. Leave it to stand for 1 min and it's ready to serve 

If you're vegan, stop here and add nuts, falafel or something similar. Or just leave it like this if you want it as a side dish for fish or chicken. 

If you fancy, then add some mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil to serve. 

For more foodie tips, photos and inspiration, visit my Twitter (@HLDCblog) or Instagram (@HCRinstacam). The blog can also be found on Facebook @hldcblog 

Have a great day,

Helen 

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6 Healthy Meal Ideas

Here are some ideas for quick and healthy meals which are relatively low cost and great for busy lives. They're all actual meals I've had over the past few weeks since commencing my MSc so I can vouch for the fact they're tasty and energy-filled! 

1.Baked Chicken breast with sweet potato mash and steamed vegetables 

2.  Tuna, mozzarella and sautéed veg

3. Tinned mackerel in sunflower oil with basmati rice and plenty of steamed vegetables. Protein and omega 3 rich. 

4. Vegetable rich pasta in a homemade tomato an mozzarella sauce (recipe coming soon - watch this space!) 

5. White fish of your choice (I used haddock), baked sweet potato fries, steamed great beans and peas  

6. Scrambled eggs mixed with herbs, mozzarella and tomatoes, pasta and spinach

Top tip: Serve spinach hot by boiling up some water and pouring it over a bowl of spinach. Leave for a few minutes. It will wilt the spinach perfectly, making it tender without losing any nutrients. It also makes it easier to digest. 

For more meal ideas, food pics, and tips: follow my blog on Twitter: @HLDCblog, Instagram: @HCRinstacam, and Facebook: @HLDCblog

Have a great day, 

I have studying to do! 

Helen xx

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