Fish Chowder

This is a really delicious and hearty, thick and fragrant soup - or chowder as it is made with milk and cream. 

You can use a selection of fish here but I think a mixture of both smoked and unsmoked gives such good flavour and prawns are another great addition. I tend to portion up my 'mixed fish' and put into bags in the freezer which will include salmon, cod and smoked haddock - I then defrost and use for this Fish Chowder for my Healthy Fish Pie or even my Simple Fish Stew. 

With the herbs - you can use parsley, tarragon or chives - I like the oniony taste of chives personally but they all work and bring something else to this dish.

The below serves x4 - recommend serving with a ton of fresh, crusty, buttered bread.

Fish Chowder

Here's how:

• 1 salmon fillet 
• 1 cod fillet (approx 200g)
• 1 smoked haddock fillet (approx 200g)
• 1 pack frozen prawns (I use the Lidl Deluxe ones which can be cooked from frozen)
• 2 rashers smoked bacon
• 1 tbsp flour
• 250g potatoes (when peeled)
• 650ml fish stock 
• 300ml whole milk (you can use semi skimmed or skimmed but the final chowder will be thinner)
• 2 tbsp cream (single or double)
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• Black pepper
• 1 red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 5-6 chives
• Drizzle olive oil

Firstly drizzle the olive oil into a large saucepan and place on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan.

Chop the bacon into small squares and add to the pan.

Chop the peeled potatoes into small diced cubes of approximately 1cm2 and give a good rinse. 

Once the bacon is cooking away and you've turned over, add the potato to the pan and allow it to cook for a few minutes, moving around with a spatula. 

After a few minutes, add the plain flour and mix around - this will act to thicken the soup later on.

Pour over the fish stock, season with black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch or a little grating of nutmeg. Give a good stir and allow to cook for 15 minutes. 

In the meantime, chop the fish into small, bite-sized chunks and set aside. 

Chop the chives and set aside too. 

After fifteen minutes, test a potato cube, it should be just about cooked through. 

Now add the milk, stir through and leave to cook for a further five minutes. 

Now add the salmon, cod, smoked haddock and prawns and cook for 4 minutes, then stir through the cream and move off of the heat. 

Add half the chopped chives and stir through before ladling into four bowls and then finishing with a few more chives. Enjoy!

Healthy Fish Pie (Slimming World Friendly)

I have tweaked my usual fish pie recipe here to make it more appropriate for Slimming World and it went down so well I had to share this one. It still had the rich and creamy flavour that we love, was packed full of fish, and certainly didn't feel like 'diet food.' It has 1 syn which is for the half fat creme fraiche.

You can use any fish you want inside the pie, I like the combination of smoked and unsmoked fish for added flavour and frozen prawns are a great shout too. I have recently discovered how good frozen fish is too which also works well here.

Usually I would grate cheese over the buttered mash, but here, I just mashed with a few drops of milk (part of Healthy Option A Choice) and brushed the mash potato topping with egg to help it to brown in the oven. 

The below serves a family of four - or four portions. 

Healthy Fish Pie (Slimming World Friendly)

Here's how:

• 1 onion
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 cod fillet
• 1 smoked cod or haddock fillet
• 1 salmon fillet
• 1 pack frozen raw king prawns
• 1 fish stock cube
• x4 tbsp half fat creme fraiche 
• 1 tsp Colman's English Mustard Powder
• 200g frozen petit pois peas
• 400g white potatoes (any that mash well but I like Maris Pipers) 
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Fry Light Sunflower Oil

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and fill a large saucepan with water and a pinch of salt. 

Peel the potatoes and chop into small pieces and add to the water, bring to the boil on a medium heat, then turn down and simmer for twenty minutes or until the potatoes are cooked right through. Drain and then return the potatoes to the pan and place back on the heat for a few seconds, shaking, which will help to remove any leftover water in the potatoes so they don't turn to mush. 

Remove from the heat, mash with a little milk and season with salt and pepper to taste then set aside. 

For the fish pie sauce, add some Fry Light, just a couple of sprays, to a frying pan on a medium heat. Dice the onion and finely slice the celery and add to the pan to gently soften. Make up the fish stock cube in 150ml boiled water and add to the pan, keeping on a medium heat. Add the creme fraiche, the mustard powder and some black pepper and mix well until combined. Cook for a good ten minutes or until the sauce is quite thick and glossy. 

To prepare the fish, simply chop the cod, salmon and if you are using, haddock, into bite sized pieces. Remove the fish pie sauce from the heat, and add the chopped fish and whole prawns into the sauce alongside the frozen peas and stir well. 

Healthy Fish Pie (Slimming World Friendly)

Now place all of the contents of the pan into an oven proof dish and try to evenly distribute the fish all around. 

Spoon over the mash potato all over the dish, and use the back of the spoon, to spread it a little smoothly, you want the odd peak here and there. I like to season the potato again here with some white pepper. 

Now beat the egg in a small bowl, and use a pastry brush to rub all over the mash potato, which will help it to brown. 

Place into the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the mash has browned a little. Serve with your choice of vegetables. Enjoy!

Healthy Fish Pie (Slimming World friendly)

If you are after other Slimming World friendly family recipes I've included a few below.

• Chicken and Chorizo Penne
• Mini Turkey Koftes
• Simple Fish Stew
• Chilli Crab Noodles
• Adana Kebabs
• Slow Cooker Chinese Pork with Noodles
• Cajun Salmon Tortilla Bowls

Simple Fish Stew

This is a really great Mediterranean inspired family meal, that's delicious, healthy and easily adaptable according to the fish you have available; perfect for lock-down. You can also make the base ahead of time, and freeze or chill until you're ready to cook making it super convenient. 

For anyone following Slimming World, this is a completely syn-free meal. (Glen and I have just joined, so expect to see a few more Slimming World friendly recipes soon.)

Here I served this over pasta, but you could also add cooked rice, orzo or serve with a hunk of crusty bread. I use cherry tomatoes as they have a gorgeous sweetness to them; but you could also use any other tomatoes, even tinned if that's all you have available.

Simple Fish Stew

The below serves four-five.

Here's how:

For the base:

• 6 sprays of Fry Light Olive Oil Spray
• 600g cherry tomatoes
• 1 large white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 celery sticks
• 1 roasted red pepper
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp paprika
• 300ml fish stock

The fish:

• 2 fillets of cod (or any white, flaky fish)
• 2 fillets of smoked haddock (any smoked fish would work)
• 200g raw prawns

To garnish:

• Fresh parsley

To make the base of the stew, spray the Fry Light into a heavy bottomed saucepan and place on a low heat.

Now peel the onion and finely dice, peel and mince the garlic, and finely slice the celery and place all into the saucepan to gently sweat down.

Once the onions etc. are softened, add the cherry tomatoes, capers and tomato puree. Chop the roasted red pepper and add to the saucepan; season generously, add the paprika and allow to cook down for fifteen minutes or so, gently mixing with a wooden spoon every few minutes. You want most of the tomatoes to be smushed down a bit, but now completely mashed. 

Now add the fish stock and the pinch of saffron and cook for a further five minutes. 

Remove from the heat, and allow to cool a little, before taking out half of the stew, and blending until smooth. I use a Nutribullet for this, but a hand blender or food processor would be great too. Don't be tempted to blend all of the sauce, unless you have fussy eaters, it's nice to have a mixed texture throughout the stew.

When you're ready to cook the fish, bring the stew back up to heat on the hob, it should come almost up to boiling, before being put on a gentle simmer. 

Now cut the cod and haddock into large, bite sized pieces and place directly into the stew, and gently move around with the wooden spoon so each piece is completely immersed in the liquid. 

Cook for a few minutes, until the fish is almost cooked through, then add the raw prawns, and again push them right into the stew and allow to cook for about 3 minutes until they're cooked through (this is easy to tell, they will have turned pink). 

Ladle the fish stew into a serving bowl, and scatter over chopped parsley. Serve with some lemon wedges over your choice of pasta, orzo or rice. 

Here are 15 other fish recipes you may enjoy:

• Plaice with Mediterranean Vegetables and Lemon Parsley Butter
• Quick and Chunky Cod Tagine
• Jerk Salmon
• Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron and Chilli
• Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya
• Seafood Burger
• One Pot Coconut Fish Curry
• Pesto Topped Salmon with Half and Half Pasta
• Sea Bass with a Warm Jersey Royal Salad
• Thai Salmon Fishcakes with Quick Chilli Oil
• Quick Thai Salmon Noodle Soup
• Pesto Topped Haddock with Herby Couscous
• Paella Mixta
• Sticky Asian Salmon
• Tuna Fishcakes

Cod Fishcakes with Quick Tartare Sauce

Fishcakes are a great favourite in our home, my girls love eating them, but they also love getting involved with making them too; the joy of getting your hands messy is never boring for children and I love them getting cooking and teaching them basic cooking skills even aged 5 and 3. 

I've used smoked and unsmoked cod here, which is wonderful in fish cakes, and we had some leftover mash potato from the night before, which is invariably an invitation for us to make some fishcakes. 

Loads of different fish works well for different fishcakes - we love salmon, mackerel, tuna, crab and haddock but these cod ones are quite classic and appeal to a child's palate perfectly. 

The quick tartare is well worth the effort too and it's made from mostly store cupboard ingredients that you're likely to already have in stock.

Cod Fishcakes with Quick Tartare Sauce

Here's how:

Fishcakes:

• 200g mash potato 
• 400g cod
• 200g smoked cod
• 3 spring onions
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley 
• 1 tbsp creamed horseradish
• Zest of x1 lemon
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• Bowl full of breadcrumbs or panko

Quick Tartare:

• 150g mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp rinsed, capers
• 5 cornichons
• 1/2 tsp English mustard
• 1 tsp creamed horseradish
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Firstly, place the oven on to 180 degrees. 

Now in a large bowl place the mashed potato. 

Finely chop the chives and the parsley and add to the bowl.

Zest the lemon and add to the bowl.

Finely chop the spring onions and add to the bowl.

Now cut the fish into about 1cm pieces and add to the bowl. Season well with salt and black pepper.

Now prepare the bowls to pane the fishcakes once formed. In one bowl crack the eggs and beat.

In another bowl, add the flour and season again.

Finally place the breadcrumbs (I whizz up whatever bread I have indoors in my Nutribullet) into a third bowl.

Get a plate, tray or chopping board ready to place each of the fishcakes onto.

Now firstly mix all of the fishcake ingredients together gently with a wooden spoon.

Now get your hands in and grab a handful of the fishcake mixture. Squish it together and form a patty shape - like a burger. You don't want each fishcake to be much more than 2.5cm wide ideally and try to keep them as similar in size as you can so they cook at the same pace.

Once each fishcake is formed, firstly roll in the flour, then the egg, make sure the fishcake is wet all over and then roll in the breadcrumbs and place onto the plate or tray.

Repeat until all of the fishcake mixture has been used up and you have a set of 6-8 fishcakes.

Now add some vegetable oil to a large frying pan and place onto a medium heat. Grab an oven tray or dish and get it close by.

Place 2-3 fishcakes into the pan at once and allow to cook for about two minutes on each side until lightly golden and crisp, then turn over and do the same on the over side, then remove to the oven tray.

Repeat until all of the fishcakes have been fried and once they're all on the oven tray place that into the oven for ten minutes to ensure the fish is cooked through and the fishcakes are piping hot.

In the meantime, assemble the tartare sauce by adding the mayonnaise to a bowl, with the English mustard, creamed horseradish and lemon juice. Make sure the capers are thoroughly rinsed and add to the mayonnaise mixture, roughly chop the cornichons and the parsley and add to the mixture and stir through.

Once the fishcakes are cooked through serve with a simple salad and a spoonful of the tartare sauce. Enjoy!

Here are a few other fishcake recipes you might like:
Mexican Style Salmon Fishcakes
Thai Salmon Fishcakes with Quick Chilli Oil
Colcannon Mackerel Fishcakes
Spiced Tuna Fishcakes
Haddock Fishcakes
Lightly Spiced Salmon Fishcakes

Moroccan Fish Stew

As part of my 2019 resolve, I'm trying to step away from the same old meals and recipes that I cook time after time and instead focus on building up a more varied repertoire to stop us from feeling we are stuck in a food rut. 

I cooked this Moroccan inspired Fish Stew as a New Year's Day dinner for the four of us and just had to share. Whilst I leant on my Mum Vicky's Special Seafood Stew for technique in terms of the almonds and brandy which we know work so well together, this is a far more modest dish making the most of cod and flavoured quite heavily with saffron - a favourite for us. It's a really lovely, fragrant but light dish - perfect for January. You could also make with vegetable stock and a few veggies in place of the fish for a vegetarian or vegan meal if you're doing Veganuary. 

I served with toasted pitta, lemony couscous dotted with pomegranate seeds and a little garlic yoghurt dip - simple but tasty.

The below serves a family of 4-5. 

Moroccan Fish Stew

Here's how:

• Four fillets of cod or about 650g in smaller pieces
• Drizzle olive oil
• 1 white onion
• 1 green chilli
• 1 large clove garlic
• Thumb sized piece of ginger
• Generous pinch of saffron
• 12-14 Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 600ml fish stock
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 3 tbsp almonds
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 tsp dried cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• Natural yoghurt and fresh coriander to serve

Firstly finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and finely chop or grate the ginger and slice the chilli. Add to an oven-proof and stove-proof dish to gently saute in the olive oil and once softened add the spices (cumin, coriander, paprika) and the tomato puree, stir and allow to cook for a few minutes.

In the meanwhile make up the fish stock or gently heat it then add the saffron to the warm stock and allow to stand.

Now to the pot of onions, garlic, chilli and ginger add the tomatoes, ground almond, brandy, honey, cinnamon stick, orange juice, the cooked chickpeas and finally the stock - give a good stir and allow to gently cook for ten minutes or until the liquid has started to slowly thicken up a little.

Now add the cod fillets in all around the dish, pres down so they are immersed in the stew and cook for three to four minutes. Now very gently turn over each piece of cod, and cook for a further three minutes or until the cod is cooked through. 

Serve at the table with a few blobs of natural yoghurt and handfuls of coriander leaves alongside your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

Pesto Topped Haddock with Herby Couscous

This is another quick-fix that I can barely count as a recipe, and is more of an assembly of great things but it works wonders in the summer months for a fast-dinner that can be on the table in less than 20 minutes from start to finish.

I use my Walnut and Basil Pesto of which I can almost always be sure to have some in stock in the fridge or freezer over the summer, but you could equally use any jarred pesto or your own variety and I’ve used haddock here, but you could use any white fish and in fact in works well with salmon fillets too.

For the couscous, again another summer staple in this household due to how quick it can be turned around – play around with the herbs you like, I just particularly love the freshness of mint and parsley here.

The below serves my family of four.

Here’s how:

The fish:

• X4 haddock fillets
• 2 tbsp Walnut and Basil Pesto
• Handful breadcrumbs or panko
• 20g or so grated parmesan or other hard, strong cheese
• Salt and black pepper

The couscous:

• 150g couscous
• Juice of half a lemon
• 225ml boiling water
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 2 spring onions
• 1 yellow pepper
• Handful mint leaves
• Handful parsley leaves

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and fill and boil the kettle.

Once the kettle boiled pop the couscous into a heat-proof bowl and top with the 225ml boiled water. Place a plate or a lid over the bowl and set aside for ten minutes.

Now organise the haddock fillets onto a baking tray, flesh side up and season well. Spread over a generous heap of the pesto onto each fillet. Then scatter over breadcrumbs over each one and finally, grate over a little parmesan onto each – which will act as a great additional seasoning.

Place the topped haddock into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the fish. The fish should flake with ease when cooked through and be a pure white colour inside – not opaque.

Now prepare the bits and pieces that will make for a delicious couscous. Firstly finely slice the spring onion, and chop the yellow pepper into small pieces. Roughly chop the mint and parsley and halve the lemon.

Before the fish comes out the couscous will have absorbed the water and will need fluffing up and having some flavour popped into it. Use a fork to fluff the grains up and give a good mix then pour in a good drizzle of olive oil and squeeze over half the lemon and mix again. Now add all of the other things – the spring onions, pepper and herbs and mix well. Give a final seasoning of salt and black pepper and this is ready to dish up.

Serve with a side salad or some seasonal vegetables – I’ve used asparagus here. Enjoy!

Here are some other lovely fish recipes:

• Asian Wrapped Fish
• Plaice with Mediterranean Vegetables and Lemon & Parsley Butter
• Haddock Fishcakes
• Cod in a Mediterranean Tomato & Garlic Sauce
• Sea Bass with Warm Jersey Royal Salad and Garlic Asparagus
• Salmon and Jersey Royals Traybake
• Fish Pie
• Jerk Salmon
• Quick & Chunky Cod Tagine
• Carb Free Salmon Rissoto
• Mexican Style Salmon Fishcakes
• Pesto Topped Salmon with Half & Half Green Pasta
• Stuffed Plaice
• Colcannon Mackerel Fishcakes

Cod in a Mediterranean Tomato and Garlic Sauce

In a bid to shed some remaining baby weight, I have been trying to limit some of my carbohydrate intake and devised this lovely dish as a summery evening meal. My other half Glen, and my eldest, Bridget had the same with some crusty fresh bread to dip into the sauce.

You could use any white fish, such as haddock or coley, but I had some cod in the freezer and this worked perfectly. 

Equally, if you're trying to disguise some extra vegetables for your little ones, a tomato based sauce is an easy way of doing so - grate in some carrot, and the other vegetables below can be grated in too if it helps get more down them. Luckily Bridget is past her recent fussy phase - for now at least! If you're serving this to under 1's then please remember to omit from adding the salt - and it may be worth doing a separate batch without the olives - as these can be quite salty too.

This is a really quick and easy meal so is perfect for midweek when the pressures of work, school and extra curricular activities may take the brunt of your energy - it can be prepared in ten minutes, and on the table in 30. I served with some steamed sprouting broccoli topped with a little shaving of Parmesan. 

Cod in a Mediterranean Tomato and Garlic Sauce

The below serves 3

Here's how:

• 3 fillets of cod or other white fish
• 1 white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 large tomatoes
• Handful fresh green olives
• Jar passata
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Add the olive oil to a heavy bottomed pan and place on a low heat. 

Peel and dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan to saute.

Finely slice the celery and add to the pan. 

Dice the tomatoes, and once the onion, garlic and celery has softened add the tomatoes and olives to the pan and cook for five minutes. Add the paprika, oregano and seasonings to the pan and pour over the passata, stir well and cook for 25 minutes. 

Cut the raw cod into bite sized chunks and add to the pan for the last ten minutes of cooking. Stir with a wooden spoon to ensure each piece of cod is immersed in the sauce and allows for thorough cooking. 

Prepare the green vegetables and any other accompaniments of your choice and ladle the dish into bowls. Enjoy!

Family Fish Pie

This is a really delicious, wholesome and comforting dish, perfect for cold winter nights for all the family.

The below makes enough for x3 adult portions and two smaller toddler portions which I make in ramekins and for Bridget's smaller portions I add some frozen sweetcorn too for extra veg (Glen hates it so can't include it in the adult version).

Some people poach their fish first, but I chop it all up raw and allow it to cook inside the pie - 30 minutes is more than enough time for it to cook through.

This is a great, nutritious toddler meal and a good way of encouraging them to eat fish - Bridget absolutely loves fish pie. 

Family Fish Pie

Here's how:

For the mash topping:

• 800g white potatoes (I use Desiree) 
• Pinch salt
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp butter or margerine
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 50g hard cheese such as Grana Padano, Cheddar etc.) 

For the pie filling:

• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 400ml milk
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 heaped tsp mustard powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 100g frozen peas
• Handful fresh parsley leaves
• Handful fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 large salmon fillet
• 1 large cod fillet (or other white fish)
• 1 large smoked cod or haddock fillet (approx 200g) 

Firstly peel the potatoes and rinse well. Then coat in water and a pinch of salt and place onto boil. Once they've come to the boil simmer for a further 15-20 minutes, or until a fork easily goes through the potato. Drain, and return to the pan on the heat to absorb any retained moisture then remove.

Add the milk and butter and firstly mix a bit with the fork. Now mash well with a conventional masher and season well with white pepper. Remove enough mash for any child or toddler portions, then add another pinch of salt for the adults and set aside.

Now pre-heat the oven to 180.

It’s now time to make the fish pie sauce or roux. Place the butter in a non-stick pan on a medium heat and allow to gently melt.

In the meantime finely dice the onion and mince the garlic, then add to the melted butter for a minute or two.
Now add the flour using a wooden spoon to mix as you go so it all combines well.

Now add the wine and use a balloon whisk to gently mix which will avoid the sauce becoming lumpy. Add the bay leaf and mustard powder at this stage and season to taste.

Next add the milk a little at a time, mixing in with the balloon whisk as you go once all combined mix with the wooden spoon and allow to cook for ten minutes or so. Now add the frozen peas, and sweetcorn if you are using and stir through then remove from the heat.

Rough chop the parsley and tarragon and add to the sauce and stir. 

Family Fish Pie the Roux or Sauce

Now cut all of the fish fillets into fairly similarly sized cubes. Add to sauce mix and stir well, then spoon into the pie dish or dishes. 

Family Fish Pie pre-potato topping

Baby Bites Portion of Family Fish Pie

Now spoon over the mash potato to cover all, then use the back of the spoon to smooth it down a little. Now use the back of a fork to make a crimped finish and complete by grating over the cheese.

Place the dish onto a baking tray and pop into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the potato topping is golden brown. Enjoy!

Quick and Chunky Cod Tagine

Here is a lovely fish tagine recipe that uses aromatic spices and cod for a robust, delicious and delicately spiced stew perfect for cold winter nights. Serve with mixed lentils as I have here, or if unlike myself, you’re not avoiding complex carbohydrates, then serve with some rice or couscous as you might expect it to be served in North Africa where this dish originates.

Using a combination of both smoked and unsmoked cod, adds a delicious flavour layer here and you could of course use another white fish, such as coley, hake, monkfish or river cobbler if you prefer – I just prefer the way cod keeps its’ shape in the tagine.

This makes enough for two adults and one child’s portion.

Chunky Cod Tagine

Here's how:

• 100g unsmoked cod
• 100g smoked cod
• 100g black olives (preferably not pitted)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 courgette
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 thumbnail piece of fresh ginger
• Pinch saffron
• 1 red chilli
• 1 white onion
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 preserved lemons
• Splash white wine (sherry or brandy will suffice is no wine is open as you literally need a spoonful)
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp cloves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 200ml fish stock
• Handful coriander
• Handful parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and arrange the shelves so your tagine dish will easily fit in.

First things first in the tagine (or casserole dish) add the olive oil and all of the spices, cloves etc. and mix to a paste with a wooden spoon.

Peel the ginger and garlic and finely slice and add to the tagine. Dice the courgette and tomatoes and halve the preserved lemons and add to the dish. Pour over the wine (or sherry or brandy) and add the olives and cinnamon stick.Finely slice the chilli and add to the dish.

Now roughly chop the fish into about six pieces per fillet or bite-sized and add to the tagine then pour over the fish stock. Give a stir, place the lid on top and place into the oven.

Cook for 35 minutes, then remove from the oven and add the parsley and coriander just broken up with your hands and stir.

Serve with your choice of lentils, chickpeas, rice or couscous. Enjoy!

Chunky Cod Tagine

Baby Bites: Spiced Cod with Sweet Potato

This is a meal I made for Bridget when Glen and I had the grown up equivalent. I thought the flavours might be too strong for her so made her a small portion as an experiment but she absolutely loved it.

The cod has a delicately aromatic flavour from the yoghurt marinade and is another good introduction of bolder flavours in the weaning process. The light spicing is complemented by the sweet potato.


This freezes really well and the below makes enough for 3-4 portions. Allow to cool completely before placing into the freezer and simply remove and defrost on a plate on the morning of the day you need to - it will be defrosted in 3-4 hours. 

Spiced Cod with Sweet Potato

1 fillet of cod approx 150g
1 tbsp natural yoghurt
1 thumbnail of fresh ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 clove garlic
1/2 lime
1 sweet potato

Firstly pop the oven on at 180 and place the sweet potato in to bake.

Next try to remove any obvious bones from the cod.

Create the marinade by combining the yoghurt, garlic, ginger, lime and spices in a bowl and stirring to evenly distribute all of the flavours.

Pop the cod into the marinade and turn over a couple of times and spoon marinade onto the top to ensure the whole fillet is covered and absorbs the flavour. Leave for 15-20 minutes.

Towards the end of the squash cooking time, place the cod into an oven proof dish and loosely cover with some foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Mash the cooked potato and flake in the fish, portion up accordingly and then allow to cool enough before feeding.

Baby Bites - Cauliflower, Broccoli and Cod Cheese

This has become a favourite for Bridget - fish with cauliflower and broccoli in a cheese sauce and baked in the oven. I originally made this as a weaning dish, but have since prepared it as a meal for myself and my partner too with bigger quantities - it's delicious.

This amount makes for 6-8 portions, depending on how big your little one's appetite is and is very nutritious. It freezes well too which is a bonus, just pop into sealable pots and place into the freezer once completely cooled, them remove them 3-4 hours prior to needing them and ensure they are fully defrosted.

Cauliflower, Broccoli and Cod Cheese

1.5 tbsp unsalted butter
1.5 tbsp plain flour
300ml milk
50g Cheddar
Half a cauliflower
Half a broccoli
120g cod loin fillet


Firstly preheat the oven to 180ish.

In a pan, melt the butter and once fully melted, add in the plain flour stirring in with a wooden spoon or a whisk.

Once combined add the milk a little at a time and continue to stir constantly.

Grate the cheese into the sauce and keep stirring whilst also allowing to thicken. Once it resembles a sauce and seems thick and creamy, remove from the heat and set aside.

In the meantime, prepare the broccoli and cauliflower, cutting into small florets and removing the thick parts of the stalks.

Place the vegetables into a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for ten minutes, then drain.

While these are cooking, cut the cod loin into small, baby bite-sized pieces.

Place the drained broccoli and cauliflower into an ovenproof dish, scatter the cod all over and them pour over the cheese sauce. Use the wooden spoon to move the vegetables around to make sure each piece has a good coating of sauce.

Place into the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and remove. I tend to them mash with a normal potato masher to remove any larger lumps and portion up.

If you are serving this right away, of course allow to cool to a comfortable temperature for your little one.

A London Lunch No 12: George's Portobello Fish Bar

From July to October I had the pleasure of working with a lovely team over in Westbourne Park – an area that was completely alien to me in terms of food spots.

Being amongst fellow food-lovers, I was happily introduced to a number of great lunch spots whilst working there and George’s Portobello Fish Bar was one such venue.

A local chippie that has stood the test of time, having been open since 1961, George’s avoids the almost ‘yuppified’ version of what I think of as a chippie in central London and at any given lunch time you can find queues out of the door, which are alone testament to the food on offer.

Both Jamie Oliver and Victoria Beckham have been photographed/quoted as being fans of the food here, and I am happy to join them in their appraisal of this fish and chip mecca.

I have to say I must have picked up lunch time food from George’s at least six or seven times in the mere three months that I worked in the area – whether it be a hungover Friday, a miserably cold and wet Monday or just a bored Wednesday, I needed no excuse to partake in the deliciousness George’s has on offer.

Thick cut, crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside chips are a constant here and topped with a flurry of vinegar and salt, they are quite frankly perfection.

Now during my Westbourne Park stint I tried a number of accompaniments, from saveloys, sausages in batter and other, less traditional, fare, however, the crème de la crème here really is the fish. The cod is just fantastic, again perfectly cooked to flaky deliciousness, full of fresh flavour and coated in a crisp, light batter with just the right amount of grease. They claim to collect their fish daily from Billingsgate market, and this really does show.

Fish and chips will set you back around £7.00 which is reasonable, especially considering the quality of the fish and the decent size of the portion – so what are you waiting for?

Aside from George’s Portobello Fish Bar, here are three other chippies worth a try in London:

1.    Fryer’s Delight, Theobald Road, Holborn

2.    Golden Union, Poland Street, Soho

3.    Poppies, Hanbury Street, Spitalfields

Vicky's Special Seafood Stew

I have grown up with a love of food and drink that stems from my wonderful parents, Les and Vicky. Practically from birth, my two brothers and I were taken to different restaurants and were always encouraged to try absolutely everything. We were lucky enough to enjoy lots of holidays abroad in various parts of Europe and so all love experimenting with new dishes and styles of food.

We were never shy of seafood or shellfish, and with them both hailing from the East End of London, we often enjoyed ‘high tea’ on a Sunday afternoon – a feast of cockles, winkles, whelks, rollmops, prawns and an array of sandwiches, always, always cut into quarters or as my Mum calls them ‘dolly sandwiches.’

Both my Mum and Dad enjoy cooking and each have their signature dishes, which get brought out for special occasions, birthdays and the like, and on request when one of us has a craving. My Dad is known for his paella whereas my Mum’s seafood stew is her absolute signature – and it is legendary. 

The whole family enjoyed this dinner this afternoon for no other reason than it is a Sunday and we were all eating together. It occurred to me that in writing this blog since January 2010, I’ve never shared this wonderful recipe, which has been honed to perfection by my Mum over the years.

Originally found in a 1997 edition of ‘Best Ever Cook’s Collection, Farmhouse Cooking’ which incidentally has some fantastic recipes included, my Mum has experimented with lots of variations. For special occasions, this is made with lobster, but for a standard Sunday lunch, like today, we had langoustines in in place of the luxury crustacean. Monkfish works really well in this stew, being a little meatier than some white fish, it holds together better, but you really could use any fish. 

My mum’s addition to make this a little heartier is to serve over pasta. We’ve had linguine, spaghetti and vermicelli before but any would work, today we had pretty tripoline – the telephone wire looking ribbons.

So here is Vicky’s Special Seafood Stew:

·         12 Langoustines or a lobster if you’re feeling flush

·         24 fresh mussels

·         1 large monkfish tail or a cod fillet of about 300g

·         1 tbsp plain flour

·         225g squid

·         90ml olive oil

·         12 large raw prawns

·         450g tomatoes

·         2 large onions

·         4 garlic cloves

·         2 tbsp brandy

·         2 bay leaves

·         1 tbsp paprika

·         1 large red chilli

·         300ml fresh fish stock

·         3 tbsp ground almonds

·         2 tbsp parsley

·         Salt & Pepper

·         Pasta of your choice

Firstly scrub the mussels, and get rid of any that are open. Chop the monkfish into bite-size chunks..

Liberally season the flour and toss the monkfish and squid in it and then fry on a high heat in a drizzle of olive oil to sear for a minute or so and then set aside.

Fry the prawns and set aside with the squid and monkfish.

Peel the tomatoes (a tip is to put them into boiling water for 30 seconds-1 minute and then move into ice cold water to ease the skins off). Chop roughly. Chop the chilli (if you like a fiery kick leave the seeds in, but remove if you prefer a milder dish).

Dice the onions, crush the garlic and add to the pan (keeping back about 1 clove of crushed garlic). Allow to soften then add the brandy and set alight to flambé. When the flames have died down, add the tomatoes, chilli, bay leaves and paprika and pour over the fish stock. Gently bring to the boil, and then reduce and simmer for five minutes.

Add the mussels and langoustines to the sauce and cover, keeping on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Once the mussels have opened, remove them from the juice, and again get rid of any that haven’t opened.

Cook the pasta you’re using in a separate pot of water.

Make a flavourful paste to intensify the stew by blending the ground almonds, garlic and parsley with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir into the sauce.

Finally return all of the fish and seafood to the stew pot and cook on a low heat for a further five minutes until hot through.

We always serve this at the table, but pile in the pasta first into a soup bowl and then ladle in the stew. Make sure you have some fresh, preferably crusty bread to dip in and soak up all of the fantastic flavours – you won’t be disappointed. I advise a glass of Rioja or a jug of sangria to go alongside.