Two seafood recipes, very different to each other but nonetheless delicious.
Autumn is here.
It’s beginning to turn chilly, which means sinking deeper into the bed in the mornings with the blanket pulled up tight not wanting to wake up to another day’s work. Even though I am not a fan of the colder seasons, I must admit that autumn is breathtakingly beautiful in Australia, with the myriad shades of orange and red all around us.
You don’t have to travel anywhere far to experience this. Just driving through our tree lined suburbs is sometimes enough to experience this magical season.
Easter was a low key affair this year. I wanted a break from all the cooking, so spent the day at our friends’ homes. Adi has already started telling me that next year, he wants an Easter egg hunt at our home. Never organized one, so that should be interesting though it’s too early to even think about it. How did you spend the Easter holidays?
I had posted this Easter themed icecream cake on my Insta page and it always generates a lot of interest as it’s a super easy dessert to put together. The best part is that you can take the same idea and make a customized icecream cake for your next party, not matter what the theme.
My seafood recipes are always popular and something my friends look forward to. So there’s always a seafood dish whenever I am hosting a party.
This year, I didn’t prepare any but here are two of my favourite seafood recipes for you to try out. The Pan seared Cod is not just delicious but an extremely nutritious one too since it is paired with a dried beans salad…high on protein!
The second one is my take on a classic fried rice…I make this using both fish and prawns depending on what I have on hand.
Pan Seared Cod with Mixed Dried Beans Salad
Easy, delicious and super healthy, this is an excellent choice for weekday meals. The mixed beans salad is a great accompaniment to perfectly pan seared cod fillets but can be paired with any other white fish fillet too. And what’s best about this recipe is that the salad can be a dish in itself, as an accompaniment to any meal or perhaps with grilled tofu or paneer if you are looking at a vegetarian option.
Pan Seared Cod with Mixed Dried Beans Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cod fillets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika or use Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt to season
For the salad:
- 1 cup mixed dried beans or use only chickpeas; soaked overnight
- ½ cup black olives; sliced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- ½ tsp grated garlic
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes; halved
- 1 small Lebanese cucumber; finely sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves; finely chopped
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt to season
- A handful of mixed micro herbs
Instructions
- Cook the soaked dried beans with ½ tsp salt till done. Don’t overcook or it goes mushy in the salad.
- Make a marinade using grated garlic, paprika, Italian herbs, lemon juice, salt (add water only if necessary). Marinate the fish fillets using this spice paste and keep for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain the cooked beans and keep aside. To prepare the dressing, mix ginger, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice; shake well and keep aside.
- In a large bowl, add the beans and the remaining ingredients except the micro herbs. Season with salt and toss well to combine.
- Heat the oil in a pan and when medium hot, place the fish fillets. Cook on both sides till done. Remove to a serving plate.
- Add the dressing to the salad and mix well and then add the micro herbs.
- Serve the fish fillets with the salad to accompany.
Indo Chinese style Fish Fried Rice
Indo Chinese cuisine is a really interesting one, a unique fusion of Chinese and Indian flavours that’s a riot on your tastebuds. This fried rice is a delicious, easy to prepare one with onions, peppers and mildly spiced barramundi. Perfect for a quick yet decadent weeknight dinner that will be enjoyed by the young and old alike.
Indo Chinese style Fish Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 300 gms long grained rice; washed and soaked for atleast 30min
- 2 fresh barramundi fillets; cut into bite sized cubes
- 4-5 tbsp chilli sauce
- 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
- Salt to season
- Freshly crushed black pepper; to season
- Vegetable oil
- 2-3 large garlic cloves; finely chopped
- ½ inch ginger; finely chopped
- 1 large onion; finely sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper; finely sliced
- 1 small green bell pepper; finely sliced
- 2 celery sticks; finely sliced
Instructions
- Cook the rice in salted boiling water till just done, drain and keep aside.
- In a bowl, add the barramundi cubes, 2 tbsp chilli sauce and 1 tbsp soy sauce; mix well and keep aside for 15 minutes.
- Heat 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan; shallow fry the fish pieces and keep aside.
- In a large wok, heat 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil. When smoking hot, add the onions, celery, garlic and ginger. Stir fry for about a minute till the onions are lightly softened.
- Then add the bell peppers, 2 tbsp chilli sauce and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Stir fry for another 30 seconds and add the fried fish pieces. Toss well and season with salt and pepper after having a taste.
- Add the cooked rice and toss well to combine.
- Serve hot
Last week, I had posted this photograph on my IG page. It was a fun post, sharing five things that most of you might not know about me. But I also want to talk about the dress I am wearing. It’s from an Indian brand called Lila, a design lab that specializes in using “ pure and natural materials that are both locally sourced and fabricated – giving not only a laid back vibe but a sense of quiet sophistication.”
And now it’s time to share favourites from around the globe….
Now that school’s open, I must try baking some of these delicious chocolate chip cookies
Can’t wait to try out this caramelized onion dip.
Love Soba noodles; this soup should be worth a try for the colder months.
I remember having this Prawn Caldine while on holiday in Goa. Paired with steaming hot rice, it makes the most delicious experience. Here’s a great recipe if you wish to try.
Passionate about food photography? Then here’s a great account for you to follow…
Looking forward to the release of this cookbook.
Are you a fan of Calvin and Hobbes? I have a fun Pinterest board dedicated to this…
Fried rice looks very tasty.
Thanks so much Claudia