Mussels in tomato sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 kg of fresh mussels. Rinse and remove the tongues. Allow to sit on a bowl of water until time to cook

Olive oil for frying

1 leek, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tin tomatoes (or 4 fresh chopped tomatoes if you have them)

2 tbsp tomato passata

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsely

METHOD

In a large saucepan, fry the leeks until they start to soften. Then add in the garlic and fry for another minute. Next add in the tomatoes and the assata and bring to a simmer. Add 9n the stock a little at a time until you get the consistency of sauce you desire. 

Now drain the mussels and add to the sauce. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 mins or until the mussels have opened.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with baguette or other crusty bread.

Note, if at the end you have left over sauce, remove any mussels and put the sauce through a blender. Heat through and serve with pasta and the remaining mussels.

Salmon parcels

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing

1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into long matchsticks

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, peeled, cut into long matchsticks

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the marinade

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

For the parcels

1 cup cold cooked rice

4 skinless Salmon fillets

1 cup peeled edamame

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 220C

Combine the dressing ingredients 8n a small bowl and place in the fridge.

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to a sauce. Add in the salmon, making sure all the pieces are coated. Cover and place in the fridge for 30+ mins.

Using a small bowl, arrange 4 circles of rice on 4 pieces of baking paper. Place one piece of salmon on each of the rice circles. Arrange the edamame along one side of the rice. Drizzle a little of the remaining marinade over the fish pieces.

Fold each price of baking paper to enclose the fish and rice, then place each parcel on an individual piece of tin foil and fold that to hold the parcels together.

Arrange the parcels on a baking tray and place in the oven for 20 to 40ins depending on the size and thickness of the fish.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before placing each parcel on a plate.

To serve, open the parcel on the plate and top with the matchstick dressing.

Hasselback halloumi and potato bake

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sized potatoes, sliced hasselback (to do this, place the potatoes between two wooden spoons and cut in multiple thin slices down to the spoons, leaving the potatoes intact)

Olive oil 

Salt

1 red capsicum, roughly sliced

1 zucchini, roughly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tin tomatoes

1/2 cup passata

Splash of red wine

Drizzle of soy sauce

3 tbsp chopped basil

3 tbsp chopped thyme

1 tsp lemon juice

2 blocks of halloumi, cut into halves and sliced hasselback (see above)

handful of parsley, chopped

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C fan forced.

Line a large baking tray (we'll use this again) with baking paper. Place in the potatoes and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven and bake for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, add some olive oil to a large frying pan and fry the capsicum and the zucchini for 4 mins or so. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Now add the tomatoes, the passata, the wine and the soy sauce and cook for 3 mins. Then add theol9ves, capers, thyme, basil and lemon juice and cook over a low heat to combine and slightly thicken the sauce.

Remove the potatoes from the oven after 30 mins. Take out the potatoes and discard the baking paper. Add the sauce to the baking tray and push in the blocks of halloumi and potatoes. Return the tray to the oven and cook for 45 mins or until the halloumi begins to crispen.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4.