Mid Week Meals

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Crispy Skin Salmon, Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Happy New Year to you!

I feel like I have blinked and we are already 2 weeks in to the new year. 

I had grand plans of blogging some beautiful Christmas recipes with gorgeous photos, but the season came and went in a blur and as a host for my extended family this year, I got so caught up in organising, cooking and serving that day that I did not take ONE photo of any of our Christmas day food. Truth be told, it was only a few days after Christmas that it occurred to me that I didn’t take any photos. Oh well, there’s always next year. 

This photo of my table, taken on my phone before the hordes arrived, was all I managed. 

With a little furniture re-arranging and chair borrowing, we managed to get 19 into our small dining room! Using fresh rosemary from my herb garden and stuff I had at home already, I only spent $20 on the table setting!

Blogging fail aside, we had a wonderful day. My brother-in-law Jeremy, does the best BBQ prawns which we enjoyed with a Raspberry , Mint & Prosecco Cocktail on the back deck. My sister Jo’s Fig, Halloumi and Pomegranate Salad was one of a few beautiful sides to the 6kg Turkey I stuffed and roasted. Boy, that bird was big!  My sister-in-law Sara’s Chocolate, Cranberry & Pistachio fudge was incredible and as always, Mum’s pudding was perfect. 

We caught up, swam, laughed, chatted, opened presents, did loads of dishes and reflected on our Saviour’s birth and what it means to us all. 

Our second Christmas celebration was held at my husband’s family farm and was a relaxed affair. Kids slip ‘n’ sliding down the grassy hill in between games of cricket while the adults caught up over cheese and champagne. 

Fast forward a few weeks and I am stealing a couple of minutes alone to write and catch my breath.

I love January – it’s the month of saying YES to everything. Puzzles, late night swims, spontaneous catch up’s, lazy mornings, adventures and day trips to the beach, midday movies, countless park visits, ice blocks and BBQ dinners eaten outside late into the night. 

Attempting to take a nice Christmas family photo. This was the best one 🙂
Quad biking fun for the boys at our friends farm.
Our eldest 2 boys are learning to sail their Dad’s old catamaran this summer.

My one dining table is covered most days with puzzles and activities, forcing us to eat every meal outside or on our laps in front of the TV.  The kitchen bench is covered in water bottles, cups and empty cracker packets. Active boys are hungry boys!

It’s fun, noisy, fast and a different kind of busy to the school term. 

I feel like I barely cook in January, there is just so much else to be doing. 

When I do, it’s quick salads, wraps and different meats on the BBQ each night. 

This quick mango salsa is fresh, has a nice crunch and is easy to throw together, making it a perfect accompaniment to a simple piece of salmon. Whether you BBQ it or cook it in a frying pan, the secret to a crispy skin is to rub oil on the skin of the salmon and season it with salt before cooking, skin side first. 

Crispy Skin Salmon, Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Serves 5
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 5 boneless salmon fillets
  2. Olive oil
  3. 1 cup basmati rice
  4. 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  5. zest of 1 lime
  6. Mango Salsa
  7. 1 mango, flesh finely diced
  8. 1/2 red capsicum, de-seeded and finely diced
  9. 1 cucumber, finely diced
  10. juice of 1 lime
  11. 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  12. a handful of fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Cook rice according to directions.
  2. Heat a non stick pan over medium heat.
  3. Add desiccated coconut and toast till golden and fragrant. This will only take minutes, so don't walk away from the pan.
  4. Fold coconut and lime zest through the rice and set aside, keeping warm.
  5. Lightly rub each side of the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Place the same pan back on a medium-high heat and cook salmon fillets, skin side first.
  7. After a few minutes, turn the salmon fillets and finish cooking to your liking.
  8. Combine all salsa ingredients in bowl and toss gently.
  9. To serve, layer the salmon on top of the rice and spoon over the salsa. Serve with extra wedges of lime.
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/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com 2 Comments

Salmon & Quinoa Salad with Lime Mint Dressing (gluten free)

I love a protein packed salad for lunch at this time of year. Especially one that is easy to prepare, or can be prepped in advance for you to take to work. 

This one uses a tin of pink salmon and some cooked quinoa for your midday protein hit. If you’re not in a habit of eating protein at lunch, give it a try and see how much it keeps your afternoon hunger and the 3pm slump at bay. 

Add some avocado and veggies for all round goodness and throw on a slurp of your favourite dressing, store-bought or homemade, whatever works for you. 

The quantity below made enough for my lunch for 2 days. I just added some more avocado and the dressing on the second day. 

Keeping tins of tuna or salmon in the pantry and cooking a few cups of quinoa at the beginning of the week, will mean you have your main ingredients ready to go each day. We all know that the secret to eating a good lunch or dinner is in a little advance thought and preparation. 

I am looking forward to making a huge bowl of the this the next time a friend pops in and perches at the bench for a quick lunch.

 

Salmon & Quinoa Salad with Lime Mint Dressing
Serves 2
A simple, fresh salad packed with protein, raw veg and a zesty dressing.
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup cooked tri-colour Quinoa
  2. 185 gram tin of salmon or tuna
  3. 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
  4. 1/2 avocado, flesh diced
  5. 1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
  6. Lime Mint Dressing
  7. 1/4 cup good quality extra virign olive oil
  8. 1/4 lime juice (approx 2 limes)
  9. 1 tablespoon honey
  10. 1 tablespoon of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix gently.
  2. For the dressing, combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid, and shake well to combine.
  3. If making in advance, leave the avocado and dressing out and add just before eating.
Notes
  1. Cooked quinoa will last in the fridge for 3 days, covered in an airtight container.
  2. The dressing will last in the fridge for about a week, but the mint will lose it's colour and flavour over time. It is best used on the day it's made, or alternatively, leave the mint out and add to the dressing just prior to using.
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Spanish Rice with Chorizo and Veg

I love this kind of recipe. You know the one that mostly uses ingredients you’ll find in the pantry. Rice, stock, tinned tomatoes – building blocks for so many simple dinners.

Throw in some spices for flavour, veggies, either fresh or frozen, for goodness, and top with golden chorizo – for no other reason that it tastes brilliant and always gets the kids over the line with any meal. 

“What is this green bit?” one child might say, staring at his fork. 

“Yum, isn’t this Chorizo amazing!” I will reply, hoping to distract the enquiring child from realising I did indeed put asparagus in AGAIN! 

The original recipe is a Bill Granger classic from Delicious Magazine October 2012. 

I have left out the marinated roasted red capsicum simply because that is a more expensive item that won’t always be in a normal pantry and I added more vegetables, of course. 

Once again, don’t be a slave to the recipe. If you hate beans or don’t have any asparagus, use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge or freezer. 

We are a family of Chorizo lovers, but if you don’t have any or don’t like it, just simply leave it out.  It will then become a fragrant vegetarian rice dish. 

Spanish Rice with Chorizo and Veg
Serves 5
A frangrant rice dish, with mixed vegetables and chorizo.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  2. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  3. 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, paprika and coriander
  4. 1 1/2 cups (300gm) basmati rice
  5. 400gm tin crushed tomatoes
  6. 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  7. 200gm green beans, cut into 3-4cm lengths (frozen works well too)
  8. 1 bunch of fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 3-4cm lengths
  9. 250gm (2) chorizo, cut into thin rounds
  10. fresh coriander or parsley, chopped to garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Stir in rice and mix well.
  4. Pour in the tomatoes and 3 cups chicken stock.
  5. Bring to the boil, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer.
  6. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
  7. You will need to check it a few times, and give it a stir to prevent it from sticking. If the stock is all absorbed and the rice isn't quite cooked, add more stock, 1/2 cup at a time.
  8. Add the beans and asparagus, and cook for a further 5 minutes until they are slightly soft, but still bright green.
  9. In another frying pan, over medium heat, cook the chorizo rounds until they are golden brown.
  10. Throw the chorizo and fresh herbs on top of the rice and serve straight from the pan.
Adapted from Delicious Magazine Oct 2012
Adapted from Delicious Magazine Oct 2012
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Penne with Sausage and Kale

Pasta is such a great ‘go to’ meal for those rushed mid-week nights. Most kids love it, it’s inexpensive and in most houses, a pantry staple.

For those watching their carbohydrate intake, keeping pasta meals to a minimum and using wholemeal varieties means you can enjoy pasta as a part of a balanced diet.  We also live in a time where there are many wheat-free pasta options available, so if you are steering clear of wheat, you can substitute brown rice pasta or gluten free pasta in this recipe. 

This recipe, from Curtis Stone’s cookbook Good Food Good Life, is quick to make and full of flavour. I love the way he has added Kale, (often disliked by children due to it’s bitter taste) and made it a part of a very tasty dish. This dish got the thumbs up from the whole family, even the kale part!

As a busy mum, I opted for the 500 grams of pork and veal mince in this recipe, even though Curtis suggests you use the meat from inside good quality sausages, removing and discarding their casings. That just felt a little too hard for me after arriving home late from soccer training on a Tuesday night and needing dinner on the table PRONTO.

As another school term begins and we hit the downward run to Christmas (did I just really type that?) you might be able to add this to your menu for something a little different. 

Penne with Sausage and Kale
Serves 5
A tomato-based pasta dish with sausage meat, kale and parmesan cheese.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 pork sausages, casings removed OR 500gm pork and veal mince
  2. 1/2 bunch Kale, trimmed and roughly chopped (approx 2 cups)
  3. 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  4. 1/2 cup dry white wine
  5. 1x 500gm jar pasta sauce (tomato based)
  6. 400gm penne, (wholemeal or gluten free pasta options work well too)
  7. Salt and pepper to taste
  8. shredded parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
  2. Add the penne and cook according to packet directions.
  3. While the penne is cooking, heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
  4. Add the sausage meat or mince, and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon as it cooks.
  5. Once it is golden brown, add the chopped kale and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the kale starts to wilt.
  6. Add the wine and jar of pasta sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes or the liquid is slightly reduced.
  7. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of it's cooking liquid.
  8. Toss the penne into the sauce and add a little of the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce.
  9. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately.
Adapted from Good Food Good Life
Adapted from Good Food Good Life
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Whole Roasted Cauliflower (vegetarian)

We all know variety is the spice of life and that is so very true when it comes to feeding vegetables to your children.

Coming up with alternative ways of preparing and serving veggies that your kids have been rejecting or are unwilling to try, can sometimes help get them over the line. 

My boys are not all that excited about cauliflower, but when they walked in the door from school and this was just coming out of the oven, they asked what smelt so good. When I mentioned the word cauliflower, they looked a little stunned, but willing, to give it a go. 

img_9071

Roasting a whole cauliflower is very similar to roasting a piece of meat. You massage it with olive oil, salt and pepper and flavour or spices of choice, and then bake for 1 1/2 hours in a moderate oven.

It can be eaten straight from the oven, or at room temperature. You can leave it as is, or dress it up with lemon zest, finely chopped fresh herbs and toasted almonds. You can squeeze lemon juice, olive oil or a dressing of choice over it before serving. 

I like to picture it in the middle of the table, with everyone carving their own pieces, as a side dish to some pan-fried meat or fish. I can also see it as a part of a tasting banquet, guests carving off warm florets and dipping them in hummus. 

If we have leftovers, I will thinly slice it and put it in the fridge in an airtight container to throw in salads or on top of a homemade pizza in the coming days.

The limit is your imagination friends. 

Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Serves 6
A whole cauliflower, rubbed with olive oil and cumin, roasted in the oven.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
1 hr 30 min
Total Time
1 hr 35 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
1 hr 30 min
Total Time
1 hr 35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 whole cauliflower, outer leaves removed
  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 1 tablespoon dried cumin
  4. salt
  5. pepper
  6. fresh herbs, lemon zest and toasted flaked almonds to serve (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  2. After removing the outer leaves of the cauliflower, turn the cauliflower upside down and cut through the base, slightly hollowing out the stem, so the cauliflower sits flat on a dish. Score a cross pattern into the remaining stem.
  3. Massage the oil, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, around the entire cauliflower.
  4. Place in a lightly greased baking dish.
  5. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
  6. Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more.
  7. Serve it straight from the oven just as it is, or garnish with fresh herbs, lemon zest and almonds.
Notes
  1. It can also be enjoyed at room temperature.
  2. If you are going to eat it at room temp, wait to put the garnish on right before you serve.
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