Oven Baked Basa Fillets With A Zesty Marinade....

Basa is a type of catfish native to the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam. It is becoming much more popular here in the UK and is available in most supermarkets. It’s a white fish with a firm, meaty texture and is sometimes used as a substitute for cod. What I love about basa is that it’s a very versatile fish and really easy to cook. Check out this great website for more inspiring basa recipes.

Another bonus I have discovered with basa – no bones! Or at least none that I have found and you know with fish – even the carefully filleted ones – there are always bound to be bones lurking somewhere. I do love fish but the bones really stress me out. A childhood incident where a fish bone became stuck in my throat resulted in me having to eat slice after slice of ‘wonderbread’ to help remove it. Wonderbread was never quite the same after that.

Ok no more trips down memory lane – let’s get on with the recipe!

Luna’s Recipe for Basa Fillets With A Zesty Marinade

Marinade:

Juice of 1/2 lemon.

1 clove of garlic, minced.

1 Tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.

1 Tablespoon of runny honey.

3 Tablespoons of light soy sauce.

Directions:

Put the basa fillets in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade.

Leave to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. I turned the fillets over twice during the marinating process just to make sure everything was covered.

Preheat oven to 180C

When the fillets have marinated long enough place them on tin foil, spooning any remaining marinade on top.
Fold the tin foil around them like a parcel and place them on a baking sheet.

The directions on the pack said to cook the fillets for 20 minutes – I actually cooked them for a lot longer – 45 minutes!

Note to self: Before you start cooking make sure husband is actually on his way home and not stopping off at the pub for a quick pint after work!

Fortunately the extra time in the oven did not impair the flavour at all. In fact the fish was incredibly moist and very VERY tasty! I think the lemon juice probably helped.

I served the fillets with my favourite Egg Fried Rice courtesy of Ken Hom and some lightly steamed broccoli.

This was a filling dinner but it felt very light. It’s perfect for a warm Spring evening with a glass (or two) of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Oven Baked Basa Fillets in a Zesty Marinade.

Sorry about the quality of the photograph – I must get a new camera and stop taking photos on my phone!

Maple Syrup Glazed New Potato Salad With Crispy Pa...

I love watching cooking shows and one of my favourites here in the UK, is Saturday Morning Kitchen hosted by James Martin. They always have a wonderful selection of chefs that demonstrate a broad range of delicious recipes you can easily try at home.

Just the other week I watched as chef Shaun Rankin prepared the most amazing salad of maple syrup glazed new potatoes with crispy pancetta and squid. This was a recipe I knew I had to try. On the show he actually used Jersey Royal New Potatoes. This lovely little potato has a firm texture and slightly nutty- sweet taste. What makes these potatoes so special is that to be a true Jersey Royal New Potato it has to come from the island of Jersey itself.

What really excited me about this recipe (aside from the fact that it involves one of my all time favourite food items: Maple Syrup!) is that it also uses squid; something I love to eat but have never tried to cook at home. I guess the idea of preparing and cooking squid always concerned me. Luckily our local fish monger did the deed as I didn’t think I was up to that particular task– I felt cooking it was enough of a challenge for one day! To my amazement I discovered squid is actually very easy to cook – the only real danger is in over cooking it. It really doesn’t take very long at all.

While the addition of maple syrup may seem odd, trust me when I say it really is the magic ingredient that brings all the beautiful flavours of this dish together. If you want a recipe that is perfect for an elegant Sunday brunch then this salad is for you! My husband and I were really impressed with the results and will absolutely be making this again. I’m glad I watched Saturday Morning Kitchen as it really inspired me to try something new!

Maple Syrup Glazed New Potato Salad with Crispy Pancetta and Squid

Chinese Style Chicken Thighs With Egg Fried Rice....

In these tough economic times many of us our counting our pennies and looking for bargains when we do our food shop. Using leftovers creatively is a great way to save money, as is using less expensive cuts of meat. I have become very fond of using chicken thighs which are much cheaper and more flavoursome then chicken breasts.

Tonight I tried a completely new recipe with some chicken thighs and served it alongside some egg fried rice. It was a hit and I will be making this again for sure!

Luna Raye’s Chinese Style Chicken Thighs.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs with skin and on the bone (I use organic free range chicken).

For the Marinade:

5 Tablespoons of Superior Dark Soy Sauce.
Juice of half a lemon.
2 Tablespoons of runny honey.
2 cloves of minced garlic.
1 Tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.
Drizzle of olive oil.

Directions

Mix all marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add chicken thighs to the bowl and mix thoroughly into the marinade so the thighs are completely covered.

Cover the bowl and allow the thighs to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Add to an ovenproof dish and cook at 200C turning the thighs at least twice during cooking. I like the skin on top to crisp up.

Cooking times may vary but I kept mine in the oven for an hour. Do make sure the chicken is cooked through before serving.

Egg Fried Rice

For the egg fried rice recipe I used Ken Hom’s recipe as a base but made a few changes. This is a great recipe top play around with. Follow the basic directions and try adding different things like bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and prawns. For my version I used:

• 1 cup of cold cooked white basmati rice.
• 2 salad onions (spring onions) chopped finely.
• ½ cup frozen peas (thawed).
• ½ cup frozen sweet corn (thawed).
• 2 eggs beaten with 1 Tablespoon of light soy sauce (I had run out of sesame oil).

Chinese Style Chicken Thighs With Egg Fried Rice

The Kent Coast: Fresh Sea Food By The Sea Side....

It’s been a long difficult winter for us here in the UK and this weekend when the sun finally came out many people like myself took advantage and headed for the sea side. The English sea side is truly an amazing place; pebbly beaches, penny arcades, ‘Mr Whippy’ ice cream cones and of course fish, chips and mushy peas.

One of the most wonderful stretches of coast line is the Kent coast. Although I haven’t had the opportunity to explore all of it, I do enjoy the walk from Herne Bay down to Whitstable. Just make sure to cover up with sun screen and a hat – the breeze coming in off the water easily takes away the heat of the sun and you don’t realize until too late that you are burning. It’s hard to believe the English sun can be so strong!

My walk began at Herne Bay, which has a pier full of penny arcades – a great place to get rid of a few 1p and 2p coins and maybe even win a prize! There are also plenty of fish and chip shops. Just the thought of a portion of chips wrapped in paper and generously covered with salt and vinegar is enough to get my mouth watering. Chips are actually pretty healthy (ok minus the generous sprinkling of salt) and they are a good way to fuel up for the long but scenic walk to Whitstable.

A pretty little town, Whitstable has a fantastic fish market where you can get all sorts of fresh fish and sea food. The market sells little tubs of cockles, winkles, prawns, crab claws and roll mops which you can tuck into right away. You can also buy freshly grilled mackerel in a whole wheat roll which is delicious, especially with the addition of tomato butter. Then of course there are the oysters. Served on paper plates with ice and fresh lemon wedges, you can pay a little bit extra to have them opened on the spot (I definitely recommend this option). Honestly I was never very sure about oysters, but once I tried them on the beach accompanied by a pint of local ale (raspberry wheat beer), I was well and truly hooked!

A big part of being a kitchen witch is making sure to take time and reconnect with nature on a daily basis. Usually I will go for a walk or potter around in my garden but when I get the chance, I love my trips to the sea side. The cool salty sea breeze, rolling waves and wide open spaces refresh and energize me. It’s a real joy to see excited dogs running into the water, kids with pails and shovels digging up treasure and sea gulls swooping and diving. Despite this abundance of activity the sea side is a great place to relax, unwind and really connect with nature.

For those of you in the UK I urge you to make time to appreciate the wonderful coast lines we have in this country – our sea side truly is a magical place. For those of you planning a trip to the UK, make sure you include a trip to the sea side, you won’t regret it!

Whitstable Oysters and Crab Claws

Whitstable Kent Beach Huts

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Onions...

Cooking really changed for me when I finally mastered the fine art of caramelizing onions. Although it may seem like a simple thing to do I usually ended up with charred bits of onion stuck to a heavily smoking pan and lots of little burns on my hands and arms. I think the main culprit in this was my love of cooking everything in butter (and lots of it!). Apparently the dairy solids in butter have a tendency to burn which I didn’t realize. You can use clarified butter but using olive oil seemed a much simpler (and healthier) solution. So I made the switch and the rest is history.

My onion of choice is the large yellow Spanish onion which has a beautifully sweet flavour when cooked. However I personally like to add a sprinkling of brown sugar or for a special treat, a drizzle of maple syrup, which gives the onions a deep rich colour and really brings out the smoky sweetness in flavour. By cutting the onion cross wise in large round slices you get lovely long strands of onion which look quite elegant. To caramelize them add to a pan with some olive oil and a sprinkling of brown sugar or maple syrup. Cook over a moderate heat until soft. It’s as easy as that!

I am very proud of the fact that I can now easily whip up this tasty delight adding a whole new dimension to a variety of dishes. No more charred onions or smoking pans for me, although I still burn my hands from time to time, but then again I can be a real klutz (I am an Aries after all)!

Caramelized onions are a fantastic condiment and can be added to:
• Burgers
• Hot Dogs
• Sausages
• Steaks
• Sandwiches (grilled cheese is especially good)
• Salads (they work really well with hummus or goats cheese)
• Mashed, Scalloped or Jacket Potatoes
• Salsas, chutneys and gravies

You can also add them to:
• Pasta sauces. (my favourites are tomato or carbonara)
• Quiches or vegetable tarts.
• Omelettes.
• Soups.

Here is my recipe for Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Onions.

Ingredients
1 large yellow Spanish onion, cut crosswise in large round slices.
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced.
2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil.
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes.
2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar or pure maple syrup.
3-4 Tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Directions
1. Add olive oil and chopped onions to a large skillet and stir to coat onions in the oil. Sprinkle the brown sugar or drizzle some maple syrup over the onions and continue to cook over a medium heat until the onions become soft.

2. Once the onions have been cooked set them aside on a plate. Don’t wash the skillet!

3. Add the tomatoes and minced garlic to the unwashed skillet (there will still be some lovely flavours from the onions lurking there). Cook over a low heat stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick.

4. While the tomatoes and garlic are cooking get a pan of salted water on the boil for the pasta. You can use any kind of pasta but I love using spaghetti or linguine for this dish.

5. Once the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, add the caramelized onions back into the skillet with the tomatoes and garlic. Gently stir to mix the onions, garlic and tomatoes together.

6. When pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to bowls.

7. Generously spoon the sauce and top and grate some Parmesan or Romano cheese on top.

8. Serve on its own or with garlic bread and enjoy!

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Onions

Caramelizing Onions

Please Sir, I Want Some More……..Porridge....

This past summer my husband and I had the pleasure of taking my sister on holiday to Edinburgh for a few days. It is a city we have been visiting for many years (usually for the famous fringe festival in August). I adore Scotland and for me, Edinburgh really is one of the most magical and beautiful cities in the world – yes even in the rain, although my sister might disagree with the rain part.

We stayed in a well located hostel and to our delight we noticed a small café just opposite. It looked relatively new and we didn’t remember it from any of our previous trips. For the life of me I can’t remember the name of the café but we could see it through the window of our room. In the mornings we would hover by the window watching eagerly for signs of the café opening its doors.

So what exactly made this café so special? Well aside from a cosy and friendly atmosphere, they served porridge. Now there are many restaurants and cafes serving porridge in Edinburgh but this was by far the best any of us had ever tasted. The consistency was perfectly smooth, rich and creamy. But the real crowning glory of this porridge was the addition of crème fraiche and fruit jam on top. It was absolutely amazing and we couldn’t get enough of it. We ate there everyday and always had the porridge. Not only was it delicious but it prepared us for a full day of drizzly weather conditions and fringe theatre.

I had always loved porridge as a child and I confess to actually eating Quaker Porridge Oats straight out of the little packets my mom used to buy. Maple and brown sugar being my all time favourite flavour! My great grandmother also used to make me porridge and I loved the way she prepared it. She would let it simmer away on the hob and as she served it up she would put some buttered saltine crackers on top with a little splash of milk. It was always a perfect bowl of comforting goodness.

Porridge is a funny thing and people can be very particular about how it’s made. I prefer mine to be made with full fat milk and no water. This makes for a very smooth rich creamy porridge, similar to the café’s. For some though it can be a little too intense so using half milk and half water is better. Of course there is nothing wrong with just using water, but the consistency is much thinner. Personally I feel the addition of milk makes the porridge a real treat and find it help keeps me fuller for longer.

There are all sorts of wonderful ingredients you can add to porridge to make it a healthy but decadent breakfast.

• Buttered and crumbled saltine crackers (my great grandmother’s way).
• Maple syrup with chopped nuts (walnuts and pecans are delicious).
• Brown sugar with cinnamon (you can also add raisins or dried apples and apricots).
• Assorted fresh fruit and berries (bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peach and apple. You can get a little more exotic and add mango or papaya and some desiccated coconut)
• Crème fraiche with a fruit jam (raspberry is especially tasty).

I won’t go on about the many health benefits of oats but they really are one of the best foods you can eat to start your day. They are good for your digestive health, they can help prevent heart disease and lower cholesterol levels, their slow release in the body can help control blood sugar levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer. You can use oats in many different ways but having porridge is one of the most delicious and magical!

Porridge with Creme Fraiche and Raspberry Jam

Horseradish: Where have you been all my life?...

I do know the answer to this question and shouldn’t really need to ask. Mainly because you are always there, generously dolloped on the side of my dad’s plate (or between slices of bread) every time he eats roast beef. I even remember, many years ago, the tiniest of portions being offered to me on a teaspoon so I could give it a try. Unfortunately, in giving it a cursory sniff, I foolishly stuck the spoon right up to my nose and promptly had my sinuses cleared for a year. That was enough for me to stay as far away as possible from horseradish for the next 30 odd years.

Well here we are in 2010 and for Valentine’s Day I wanted to prepare a really special and romantic starter. I looked through several recipes but kept coming back to the same one; Smoked Salmon with Prawns, Horseradish Cream and Lime Vinaigrette. The idea of covering beautiful salmon and prawns with horseradish cream filled me with dread, but I loved the look of this recipe so much that I decided it was time to confront my fear. I am so glad I did. This recipe from Mary Cadogan has been an absolute revelation to me.

• Firstly the use of smoked salmon that doesn’t rely on bagels laden with cream cheese.
• Secondly because it made me realize that even simple dishes can be stunningly elegant.
• Thirdly and most importantly for me, the use of horseradish, which I have discovered is….DELICIOUS!

The flavours of this dish are wonderful as the lime cuts through the heat of the horseradish cream bringing out the delicate flavours of the smoked salmon and prawns. It is refreshing and light with a subtle kick and it goes extremely well with a chilled white wine. Trust me this recipe is a keeper!

Since making this dish I have already worked my way through 3 jars of horseradish sauce and it is now something that is always in my fridge. This website offers some great tips for using horseradish in a variety of dishes. I have bookmarked quite a few to try. Top of my list for tonight is one of my favourite cocktails – a Bloody Mary! If you have a favourite recipe that uses horseradish I would love to hear about it.

Smoked Salmon with Prawns, Horseradish Cream and Lime Vinaigrette.

Fillet Steak with Frites and Caesar Salad. A Recip...

Last night my husband surprised me with a pre-Valentines romantic meal! He grilled 2 fillet steaks and served them with frites and a Caesar salad. It was wonderful and the Caesar salad made it extra special as he used my Grandfather’s recipe for Caesar dressing – which simply is the best Caesar dressing I have ever tasted.

Here is my Grandfather’s recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves (minced).
• 1 anchovy fillet (or 1 Tbsp of anchovy paste).
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
• 2 egg yolks slightly beaten.
• 3 Tbsp of “Maille a L’Ancienne” mustard. This is a type of Dijon mustard with seeds and is A VERY IMPORTANT INGREDIENT.
• Juice of ¼ lemon.
• ½ cup of olive oil (I do use slightly less)
• 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce.
• 2 dashes of Tabasco.
• 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.

Method:

Add all the ingredients together in the order they appear in this ingredients list. Combine each ingredient well before adding the next one. This will make the basic dressing.

Use 1 large head of Romaine lettuce (this should make enough for 4 servings).

Toss the Romaine with the dressing.

Add another ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and toss again till well mixed.

Just before serving you can add crushed bacon and/or croutons. Toss again just before serving and enjoy!

Tonight it’s MY turn to make the romantic meal. Wish me luck.

Fillet Steak with Caesar Salad and Frites

Raspberry Rose Pots De Crème: A Valentine Treat!...

As soon as I saw Giada De Laurentiis make this dish I knew it was the perfect dessert for the special Valentine day meal I am making my husband. I have been thinking about this recipe for months and am really excited to try it. I have already bought the pop rocks and today fortunately managed to find some lovely raspberries. Otherwise I would have had to use blackberries, and I really don’t know if they would have worked as well.

I will make the raspberry rose pots de crème today so they have plenty of time to set. The rest of my Valentine day menu includes a starter of Smoked Salmon with Prawns, Horseradish Cream and Lime Vinaigrette courtesy of Mary Cadogen. The main meal I am making is a classic French Canadian recipe for Tourtiere which is a meat pie. I haven’t had this dish in years and my husband has never even heard of it! I lived for many years in Quebec so thought it was about time I tried to make one of my favourite Canadian meals.

I better make my way into the kitchen to start cooking, but first I may open a bottle of wine!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I will let you know how the meal turns out! Please let me know what tasty treats you prepared for your loved ones.

How Will You Celebrate The Year Of The Tiger?...

Wild Tigers are now one of the most threatened species on the planet. This makes celebrating the Chinese New Year, which is the Year of the Tiger, an opportunity to increase our awareness of this beautiful animal and its plight. While this post may seem a departure from previous posts it is still very much a part of Kitchen Witchery and something that is dear to my heart.

A good friend of mine wrote the following article which I want to share with you. Lets celebrate the Chinese New year by finding ways to help the Wild Tigers before it is too late.