Lemon and Cilantro Crusted White Fish for #Random Recipe Challenge

This month’s Random Recipe Challenge has the same rules as always, it’s just gotten a little more high tech, with Dom over at +belleau kitchen creating a random number generator for us to use.  I have seen these, as I am sure you have, on blogs that do giveaways but I had never used one myself.

 Good fun and more probably more random than my usual method, which is to make someone give me a number.  :) Since Eat Your Books has my cookbooks all organized, it was easy enough to find book number 33 in the category of “Wherever Home is Now.”

So, this recipe was adapted from one by Bill Granger in Bills Food,  of which the cover, the endpaper and flyleaf have no apostrophe in Bills so I will cringingly omit it here.  Upon further research, I discovered that his restaurants and blog are also missing the apostrophe.  Why, Bill, why?  Is there a punctuation shortage in Australia?  Such a rich and wonderful country!  I’d be happy to send you some.  But I have to forgive Bill because this fish was delicious.  And he is such a cutie pie.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or about 40g fresh breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup or about 15g fresh cilantro or coriander leaves (or flat-leafed parsley if you are not a fan of cilantro)
1 small red chili (optional)
Zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Few grinds of black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 thick white fish fillets (about 6 oz or 175g each)

Method
Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Chop the garlic and cilantro roughly.  Mince the red chili, if using.

Put the breadcrumbs, garlic, chili and sea salt in the food processor.

Pour in the olive oil and grind in some black pepper and grate in the zest of the lemon. Process until you have lovely green breadcrumbs.

I almost forgot the lemon zest. You should put all the stuff in together, as per the
instructions.   But if you forget something, by all means, add it in.

Heap the mixture on top of your fish, trying to make sure it is all well covered.

Bake until cooked through.  I cooked mine for about 10 minutes and then put the oven on broil (or grill) for a few minutes more to brown the top.  If your fish is thicker or thinner you may have to adjust the time.

Bill says to serve this with garlic mashed potatoes and baby spinach, which I agree would be very lovely but I had some butternut squash that needed roasting so I did that and a small tomato salad instead.

All in all, a fabulous random recipe.  I would definitely make this again.

Enjoy!

Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup is light and flavorful with a kick of chili that clears your head and warms your body. Also, evidence may be merely anecdotal, I do believe that chicken soup is the best treatment for colds and coughs and general weariness of winter.

After last week’s indulgent recipes, #SundaySupper is focusing on healthy meals today!  Our host, the lovely Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz is all about good food, made healthier.  I chose to make chicken noodle soup because it’s one of the comfort foods of my childhood.

Make sure you scroll on down to the bottom of this post to see what other wonderful healthy dishes my fellow bloggers have cooked up for you this week.  There are even some fabulous, guilt-free desserts!

Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients to serve four

4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts – about 1 lb or 500g

Sea salt

Black pepper

8 cups or almost 2 lt chicken stock

One stalk lemon grass

6-7 stalks green onions

1-2 red chilies (depending on your heat tolerance)

Large thumb fresh ginger

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 medium carrot

5 1/4 oz or 150g (or more if you love them) snowpeas or mange-tout

200g fresh baby corn (about 12 little ears)

6 oz or 170g bean thread noodles

(Note: Feel free to substitute your preferred vegetables, sliced thinly.  Just about anything fresh would taste good in this soup.)

For serving:

Small bunch fresh cilantro or coriander leaves

1 lime

Method

Start by slicing your chicken breasts thinly, then sprinkle them with some flakey sea salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.  Put them into a bowl and give them a good stir.  Cover with cling film and pop the bowl in the refrigerator.

Put your chicken stock in a large pot.  Bring it to the boil and then turn the heat down to simmer.

Cut the root ends off of the lemon grass and the green onions and slice the white parts very thinly.  For the lemon grass discard the hard green part of the stalk or have a read here of some ideas to use it.  Cut the green part of the onions into 1 inch or 2cm lengths and set them aside to use later for garnish.

Chop your red chilies.  Peel and mince your ginger. 

Add the white parts of the lemon grass and green onions, the ginger and the chilies to the gently simmering stock.  Add in the two tablespoons of fish sauce.

The longer you simmer, the better the soup will taste, but ideally this step should take a minimum of 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, pull the tough threads off of both sides of your snowpeas and cut your baby corn into short lengths.

Cut your carrot into little matchsticks using a sharp knife, or if you have a handy tool like mine, (a gift from a dear friend who knows me very well – purchased at Lakeland) use that. (Update: Since a few people asked, I found a Google Affiliate ad for a similar julienne peeler from SurLaTable and I've added it at the bottom.  I think I earn a few cents if you buy through the link.)

Some recipes call for the chicken to be added to the stock a few minutes before the vegetables but I find that makes for a cloudy soup.  So, pan-fry your sliced chicken with a little drizzle of olive oil over a high heat until it is just cooked, possibly still a little pink inside.  It will finish cooking as it sits in the pan.  (If cloudy chicken soup doesn’t bother you, feel free to add the chicken straight into the pot.)

Cover the bean thread noodles with very hot water in a heatproof bowl and allow to soften.  This takes just a few minutes.  Drain in a colander and then cut the noodles with a pair of sharp, clean scissors.  This will make them way less messy to eat.  Set aside until ready for serving.

When you are almost ready to serve, chop your cilantro and slice the lime into wedges.

About five to 10 minutes before you want to eat, depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables, add the carrot, snowpeas and baby corn to the pot.  Turn the fire up slightly and cook until the vegetables are your desired doneness.

To serve, add some of the noodles and chicken (if it’s not already in the stock) to the bowl.  Fill the bowl with hot broth and a share of the cooked vegetables.  Top with a little cilantro and green onion.  Each person should get a lime wedge for squeezing into the soup.  

Enjoy!

Finish up that box of Valentines’ Day chocolates.  Go ahead.  We’ll wait.  *drums fingers and whistles*  Okay, now follow these links to make something delicious and healthy for your next meal!

Sizzling Skinny Appetizers & Soups

• Napa Cabbage wrapped Chinese Spring Rolls by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• #DairyFree Cream of Broccoli Soup by Galactosemia in PDX
• Easy Vegan Lentil Soup by NeighborFood
• Tomato Basil Soup by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Skinny Beef Chili by Webicurean

Healthy Skinny Mains & Sides

• Chicken with Herb Tomatoes and Pan Sauce by Hezzi D’s Books & Cooks
• Kale Salad with Pomegranates, Apples and Walnuts by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Skinny Salad Wraps by MamaMommyMom
• Mashed Cauliflower by Supper for a Steal
• Lamb Florentine Burger with Tzatziki by Country Girl in the Village
• Skinny Avocado Egg Salad Wraps by The Daily Dish Recipes
• Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad by Family Foodie
• Parchment-Poached Salmon by Simply Gourmet
• Maddy’s Arugula Salad by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cauliflower Pizza by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Light chicken enchiladas by My Cute Bride
• Pear Almond Arugula Salad with Honey Vinaigrette by Vintage Kitchen
• Pasta Primavera by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Cauliflower Fried Rice by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Ahi Tuna Salad by The Urban Mrs
• Soba Noodles with Edamame and Green Onions by Hip Foodie Mom
• Scallops Hong Kong Style by Magnolia Days
• Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew by Momma’s Meals
• Roasted Garlic, Chicken & Herb White Pizza by Dinners Dishes and Desserts
• Polynesian Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Herb Roasted Salmon with Steamed Cabbage & Peas by The Lovely Pantry
• Turkey and Black Bean Taco Burgers by In The Kitchen With K P
• Salmon Tikka Wraps with Cucumber Raita by Soni’s Food
• Whole wheat pasta with Spicy Roasted Cauliflower by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs by I Run For Wine
• Chipotle Black Bean Burgers with Baked Garlic Home Fries by Curious Cuisiniere
• The Ninja Baker’s Sake & Miso Salmon by Ninja Baking
• Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers with Parsnip Fries by Gourmet Drizzles
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Smoked Sausage Cassoulet by The Weekend Gourmet
• Cumin Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots by Mangoes and Chutney
• Italian Sub Salad by Diabetic Foodie
• Swiss Chard and Quinoa Croquettes by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Broccoli Patties with Arugula and Champagne Vinaigrette by Sustainable Dad
• Raw Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Salmon in Orange Dressing by Shockingly Delicious
• Greek Yogurt Egg Salad Sandwich by Damn Delicious
• Confetti Cabbage and Salmon Wraps by The Roxx Box
• Escarole and Beans by Midlife Roadtrip
• Cajun Black Beans by Ruffles and Truffles
• Caprese salad by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Skinny Wholegrain Fettuccine Alfredo with Greek Yogurt & Coconut Oil by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Guilt Free Skinny Desserts & Snacks

• Chocolate Avocado Cake by Gotta Get Baked
• Tiramisu Parfaits by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Sugar Free Banana Almond Muffins by What Smells So Good?
• Strawberry Coconut Cinnamon Buns by Juanita’s Cocina
• Warm Apple Crumble by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Dark Chocolate-Dipped Apricots by girlichef
• Homemade Protein Bar Recipe by Masala Herb
• Skinny Chocolate Almond Pudding by Basic N Delicious

• Wine Pairing Recommendations for Skinny Sunday Supper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Pin this Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup! 

Tabouli - Middle East Meal, Part 2

Bulgur wheat, fresh herbs and tomatoes in a garlicky vinaigrette, tabouli is the perfect salad to bring for potlucks or picnics because it can be made ahead and travels well.

I’ve mentioned before that we lived in Abu Dhabi for a couple of years, way back when.  And that is where we first ate shawarmas and falafel and hummus.  (A freshly fried falafel is a tender-inside, crispy-outside bite of toothsome heaven.  As we would wait for the shawarma guy to build our sandwiches, the falafel guy would hand us each one to eat while we waited – on the house.  As you can imagine we went back often!)  But I honestly don’t remember tabouli from those times.   I know that seems crazy and I must have eaten it – how could I not? – but I just don’t remember. My earliest memory of tabouli is from Macaé, Brazil.   

Anyone who has ever lived in a little oilfield town knows how close friends can get. We become like family. We are each others’ entertainment and we help raise each others’ children. This expat life is full of the joy of newcomers being welcomed into the family and the sadness of departing friends wrenched away from our tight circle.

In Macaé, one of the members of that circle was my friend, Jenny.  The mother of two daughters very close to the ages of my girls, we spent a lot of time together. She was raised in Jerusalem, in a family of Greek heritage so I believe she spoke Greek as well as Arabic, Portuguese and impeccable English. Possibly other languages. She is very smart.

Jenny taught me how to make tabouli and I am forever grateful. She said that back home, all the women in the family would get together and make massive amounts of tabouli together. It was a social event.Sounds like my kind of good time!  Now that I live only a two-hour flight from Jenny’s current home, I hope to get to see her again soon. Meanwhile I just think of her fondly whenever I make tabouli. Even after all these years.

 
Ingredients 

For the salad: 

3/4 cup or 130g bulgur wheat

1 bunch green onions

1 very large bunch of cilantro (coriander) or flat leafed parsley or a mixture of the two (If my memory serves, Jenny’s husband wasn’t fond of cilantro so she used all parsley.  Parsley is not my favorite so I tend to use all cilantro.  You can mix and match as you see fit.)

1 large bunch of fresh mint

About 13 oz or 375g tomatoes

For the dressing: 

3 tablespoons or 45ml fresh lime or lemon juice

1-2 cloves garlic

Sea salt

Black pepper

6 tablespoons or 90ml olive oil

Method

In metal or heatproof bowl, cover your bulgur wheat with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and cover the bowl with a bit of cling film.  Set aside.

Chop your green onions finely and set aside.

 

Pick the mint leaves off the stalks and cut most of the stalks off of the cilantro/parsley.  (The tender, narrow stalks near the leaves are fine to leave in.) Wash the herbs several times and dry in a salad spinner or a dry dishcloth. 

Chop them thoroughly, rocking your big knife back and forth on a cutting board. 

Cut the tomatoes in half and cut out and discard the inner core.  Squeeze out the seeds and discard them.  Chop the tomatoes into little pieces. 

Once the bulgur wheat has absorbed all of the water it can, drain it in a strainer and push down on the top to get rid of any excess water.   Put it in a big salad bowl with plenty of room to stir. 

Add in the green onions and squeeze them into the warm bulgur wheat with your hands.  Jenny said it helps the onions release their flavor into the wheat. Or something like that.  Just do it. You do not argue with the wisdom of Greek mothers.

Next add in the tomatoes and then the herbs.  Stir well. 

Mince your garlic cloves and add them to a bowl with the fresh lime juice and about a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or to taste) and a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper. 

 

Add in the olive oil and whisk until the dressing is thoroughly mixed. 

Pour this over your salad and stir well and you are ready to eat!  

This tabouli gets better and better as it sits so you can make it ahead without any problems.  It is the only salad I have been known to eat for a day or two after.  Sometimes three, if it lasts that long.

Enjoy!

Looking for parts one and three of the Middle East meal?

Part 1, Shish Tawook

Part 3, Hummus

Easy Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls

These easy fresh shrimp spring rolls made with rice paper wrapped around shrimp (or prawns) with glass noodles, fresh cilantro and cucumber are a delightful appetizer or snack.

When I left Asia, I knew I would be homesick. It was hitting me hard yesterday, so I made these spring rolls. Are they authentic? Who the heck knows. Did they make me feel better? You betcha. [With a big nod to the movie, Fargo. If you haven’t seen it (nothing to do with Asia, by the way) it’s a classic. Find a way to see it.]

Ingredients

For the spring rolls: 

12 rice papers or spring roll skins

4 1/2 oz or 125g bean thread noodles (sometimes called glass noodles)

1 cucumber

Big bunch of cilantro or fresh coriander

12 large shrimp or prawns

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup or 120ml rice vinegar

1/2 cup or 120ml water

1/3 cup or 75g sugar

3 hot red peppers

Pinch sea salt

 
Method 

Shell and clean your shrimp. Hold them down straight with one hand and then push a satay stick up their hinies. This will keep the shrimp from curling up as they cook.

 

Gently cook them with a little water for just a few minutes, with the lid on, until they are cooked through.

 

Rinse them in cool water and then remove the stick. Slice them in half lengthwise.

 

Cut your cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and then cut out the seedy part with a sharp knife. Cut the cucumber into skinny lengths. You are looking for 12 skinny bits ideally.

 

Soak your bean thread noodles in very warm water for about 10 minutes. Rinse them with cold tap water and set aside.

 

Wash your cilantro thoroughly and spin dry.

 

To make the sauce, chop your peppers finely and then put all the ingredients into a small pot.

 

Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until it is reduced by more than half. Turn the fire off. It will thicken even more as it cools. Meanwhile, you can get on with assembling the spring rolls.

 

Start soaking the rice papers one at a time in a large plate just deep enough to submerge the rice paper.

 

It's hard to see, but it's there!

Once it is soft enough to fold easily (do not oversoak or it will also rip easily) transfer the rice paper – dripping excess water back into the original plate - to another plate.

 
Add one twelfth of your bean thread noodles into the rice paper. Top it with one shrimp (two halves), a thin of cucumber and a goodly bunch of cilantro.

 

Roll up from the bottom halfway. Fold over the two sides. Then roll up the whole thing. Voila! One fresh healthy spring roll.

 

How we eat them: Bite off one end of the spring roll, and spoon the sauce into the open end. Repeat with each bite.

 

Enjoy!