Can’t eat wheat? Don’t do dairy?
Shunning sugar? You can still indulge your inner foodie. These delicious
recipes are free from nutritional trouble-makers but full of flavor
Halibut with fennel, olives and tomato
Halibut
with fennel, olives and tomato
Serves 4
·
3 fennel bulbs
·
Extra virgin olive oil
·
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
·
1 lemon
·
250g plum tomatoes
·
Red wine vinegar
·
Bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
·
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
·
4 x 150g halibut fillets, skin on
·
2tbsp black and green olives, pitted
It’s good for you because.
Halibut is a high quality protein and a top
source of omega3 and vitamins B12 and B6. But, it’s endangered, so take care to
choose sustainably caught halibut
1.
Before you begin your prep, preheat the oven to
200°C/400° F/Gas Mark 6.
2.
Cut the base and tops off the fennel bulbs and
remove the tough outer layer. Cut into quarters, then toss with at least 2
tablespoons of oil in a bowl, until well coated. Season with a good pinch of
salt and transfer to a baking sheet. Peel the zest from 1 lemon into large
pieces and add it to the fennel. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven
for about 35 minutes (more for larger bulbs), until everything is quite soft. A
sharp knife should glide into the middle without any resistance. Remove the
foil and roast for a further 10 minutes or until they color a little bit.
Cut
the base and tops off the fennel bulbs and remove the tough outer layer.
3.
Toss the tomatoes in enough oil to coat them
liberally, season well with salt and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Roast the
tomatoes on a separate baking sheet in the oven with the fennel until the skins
start to pop open - this should take about 15 minutes. Try to time it so that
the fennel and tomatoes both finish cooking at around the same time.
4.
While the vegetables are roasting, combine the
parsley and the garlic with enough oil about 5 tablespoons to make a thick
parsley oil. Add the olives to the oil and season with a pinch of salt.
While
the vegetables are roasting, combine the parsley and the garlic with enough oil
5.
When the vegetables have finished roasting, turn
the oven off and let them sit and rest in the residual heat.
6.
Put 2 saucepans over medium heat and add 1
tablespoon of oil to each. Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper and
drizzle oil over both sides of the fillet. Once the pans are hot, place 2
halibut fillets in each pan, skin side down. Let them sizzle for about 2-3
minutes, then turn over and cook for another 2-3 minutes (depending on the
thickness of your fillet) until they are just cooked through.
7.
Serve the fennel with the tomatoes / around it.
Place a fillet on top, skin side up. Spoon the parsley oil over the fish and
serve.
Per serve:
428 cals, 19.9g fat, 28g saturated fat, 2.5g sugars, 43.6g protein
Aubergine, puy lentils and sun-dried tomatoes with mint
oil
Aubergine,
puy lentils and sun-dried tomatoes with mint oil
Serves 4
·
300g Puy lentils (or other green lentils)
·
Extra virgin olive oil
·
1 red onion, finely chopped
1
red onion, finely chopped
·
2 garlic cloves, crushed
·
450ml vegetable stock (or water with a carrot, ½
onion, celery stalk, dried bay leaf and thyme sprigs thrown into the lentils to
make your own stock as they are cooking)
·
3 aubergines, ends trimmed and cut into 5mm slices
·
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
·
Grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon
black
pepper
·
100g sun-dried tomatoes
·
1tbsp agave syrup
·
1tbsp red wine vinegar
·
1tbsp dark soya sauce
·
Large handful of fresh mint leaves
1.
Wash and drain the lentils, then heat 2
tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, lidded casserole dish over
medium heat.
2.
Turn down the heat a little, add the onion and
fry gently until it’s soft and translucent, but not colored. Add the garlic and
fry for about 1 minute. Add the lentils and stir well. Pour in the vegetable
stock or your water, veggies and herbs and bring the whole lot to the boil.
Reduce the heat, simmer, then cover with the lid and cook for 25 minutes or
until the lentils are tender and have absorbed most of the stock.
3.
Meanwhile, heat a large, dry stovetop grill pan
over a medium heat until hot. Using a pastry brush, coat the aubergine slices
with oil on both sides. Place them on the pan and fry for a few minutes. Check
they have turned a nice, golden brown and then flip over and fry for another
few minutes until golden on both sides. They should be soft to the touch.
Transfer to a plate and season with salt. Drizzle over the agave syrup and
plenty of oil. (The quality of the oil is key here, as the aubergine really
soaks it all up.)
4.
When the lentils are done, drain them of all but
a few tablespoons of liquid (discard the veg and herbs if you used them). While
the lentils are still hot, season with the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, soya
sauce and a few glugs of oil. Mix and allow to cool. Add the tomatoes and mix.
5.
Finely chop the mint leaves (reserving a few for
serving) and combine with enough oil to make a dense mint oil. To serve, nestle
the aubergine slices among the lentils, drizzle over the mint oil and scatter
with the remaining leaves.
Per serve:
299 cals, 8g fat, 1.1g saturated fat, 14.9g sugars, 14.9g protein
It’s good for you because...
Puy lentils have a wonderful ‘meaty’
texture, are high in protein and have a low glycaemic Index, so they release
energy at a slower rate. They’re also a good source of fiber, magnesium,
potassium and zinc
