HEALTH RECIPE

Healthy Thai Style Steamed Fish Recipe

One snapper provides two generous fillets.
Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 1 good-sized snapper or red mullet, cleaned
• 500 ml light fish or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 sticks lemongrass, crushed with a rolling pin
• Peel and juice of 1 lime
• 1 small red finger chili, seeds discarded and cut lengthwise
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• Handful of fresh coriander, to garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Wash the cleaned fish and place in a baking dish. In a pan, gently heat the stock, fish sauce and soy sauce. Add the lemongrass, lime peel and juice, red chilli and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Pour the stock over the fish, cover and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Garnish with fresh coriander. Strain the remaining stock into a jug to use as a sauce.

 ............................................................................................................................

Healthy Pan Cooked Apples In Red Wine Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 eating apples
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 40 g low fat spread
• 60 g light muscovado sugar
• 1 small orange
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken
• 150 ml red wine
• 225 g raspberries, hulled and thawed if frozen
• sprigs of fresh mint, to decorate

1. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into thick wedges. Place the apples in a bowl and toss in the lemon juice to prevent the fruit from discoloring.
2. In a frying pan, gently melt the low fat spread over a low heat, add the sugar and stir to form a paste.
3. Stir the apple wedges into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes until well coated in the sugar paste.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, pare off a few strips of orange rind. Add the orange rind to the pan along with the cinnamon pieces. Extract the juice from the orange and pour into the pan with the red wine. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring.
5. Add the raspberries to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the apples are tender.
6. Discard the orange rind and cinnamon pieces. Transfer the apple and raspberry mixture to a serving plate together with the wine sauce. Decorate with a sprig of fresh mint and serve hot.

............................................................................................................................

Healthy Banana And Pecan Muffins

Once made, these tasty muffins will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.
Ingredients (Makes 20 mini or 6 large muffins)

• 50 g butter
• 40 g caster sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 100 ml milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 150 g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 100 g chopped banana (or fresh apricots or blueberries)
• 50 g pecan nuts, finely chopped
• demerara sugar, to coat

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F. Cream the butter and sugar until soft and then fold in the egg, milk and cinnamon.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mix and gently fold them in. Don’t beat or stir, as this will stop the muffins rising properly. Fold in the banana and pecan nuts.
3. Spoon into muffin cases and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

............................................................................................................................

Healthy Steamed Vegetables With Vermouth Recipe

Vermouth is a fortified white wine flavored with various herbs and spices. It’s available in both sweet and dry form.
Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 carrot, cut into batons
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced
• 100 g courgettes, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 4 small onions, halved
• 8 tbsp vermouth
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• zest of 1 lime
• pinch of paprika
• 4 sprigs tarragon
• salt and pepper
• fresh tarragon sprigs, to garnish

1. Place all the vegetables in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Cut 4 large squares of baking parchment and place a quarter of the vegetables in the center of each. Bring the sides of the paper up and pinch together to make an open parcel.
3. Mix together the vermouth, lime juice, lime zest and paprika and pour a quarter of the mixture into each parcel. Season with salt and pepper and add a tarragon sprig to each. Pinch the tops of the parcels together to seal.
4. Place the parcels in a steamer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Garnish and serve.

............................................................................................................................

Healthy Blackened Fish Recipe

 
Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 white fish steaks
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil

1. Rinse the fish steaks and pat them dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
2. Mix together the paprika, thyme, cayenne peppers, black and white peppers, salt and allspice in a shallow dish.
3. Place the butter and oil in a small saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts.
4. Brush the butter mixture liberally all over the fish steaks, on both sides.
5. Dip the fish into the spicy mix until well coated on both sides.
6. Barbecue the fish over hot coals for about 10 minutes on each sides, turning once. Continue to baste the blackened fish with the remaining butter mixture during the cooking time.