Crazy Busy Weeknights
by Eleanor Maidment
Published by Ryland Peters & Small (£20)
Photography by Carolyn Barber © Ryland Peters & Small
Three Quick Weeknight Dinners We Love
Delicious and made in a flash, these recipes need to be on rotation this week
Crazy Busy Weeknights: Genius Everyday Recipes is an inspirational collection of quick, flavour-packed and nutritious recipes to help you navigate the busiest of weeks.
Cod With Lemony Potatoes, Tomatoes & Olives
Slow-Roasted Potatoes In Garlic, Lemon Juice And Stock Are Pretty Hard To Beat. Aside From A Bit Of Prep At The Start, This Dish Practically Takes Care Of Itself. You Could Easily Double Up The Quantities To Serve Four People
SERVES
2
TAKES
1 HOUR
Ingredients
- 350g waxy potatoes (such as Charlotte or new potatoes)
- 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 150g tomatoes, sliced
- 50g stoned kalamata olives, halved
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 100 ml chicken stock
- 1 lemon, juice of 1/2 and the rest sliced
- 2 x 120g skinless cod fillets
- salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible, then toss in a large mixing bowl with two tablespoons of oil, the tomatoes, olives, garlic, salt and a grind of pepper. Arrange in a medium baking dish (about one litre in volume), then pour over the stock and squeeze over the lemon juice.
Bake for 20 minutes, then stir the vegetables carefully, spooning some of the liquid from the base over the top. Bake for another 20 minutes.
At this point take the cod out of the fridge, remove from the packaging, pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Sit the cod fillets on top of the potatoes and drizzle over the remaining half a tablespoon of oil. Arrange the sliced lemon over the top and bake for a final 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad, if you like.
Tamarind Fish Curry
Tamarind is not an ingredient I cook with very often. It’s a tropical fruit and the pulp, which is widely available to buy in jars, is sweet and sour and gives a lovely tang to this uncomplicated fish curry. Tamarind pastes vary in sourness,
so it’s best to start by adding a little and build up. You can also make the sauce in advance and reheat before adding the fish
SERVES
2
TAKES
25 MINUTES
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 15g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 8 curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 2 x 120g firm white fish fillets (such as cod, hake or haddock)
- 1–2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Steamed basmati rice, to serve
- Coriander leaves, to garnish
Method
Heat the oil over a medium-high heat in a large frying pan or shallow casserole for which you have a lid. Fry the onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and salt for eight minutes until turning golden. Stir in the garam masala and mustard seeds and fry for two minutes more.
Add the chopped tomatoes, then fill the empty can with 150ml water and add to the pan. Simmer gently for seven to eight minutes. Meanwhile, season the fish with a little salt and set aside.
Stir one tablespoon tamarind paste and the sugar into the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Taste and add more tamarind as desired.
Nestle the fish into the sauce, cover with a lid, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for seven to nine minutes until the fish is cooked through. Serve with basmati rice and coriander leaves to garnish.
Vietnamese-Style Monkfish Noodles With Green Beans & Dill
This is a sensational dish that requires a little effort, but is wholly worth it. I think it’s perfect for a dinner for two if you’re looking to impress. You will be amazed at how well the dill marries all the flavours together
SERVES
2
TAKES
30 MINUTES
Ingredients
- About 200g monkfish, cut into 3cm chunks
- 2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 large onion, halved and finely sliced
- 100g fine green beans, trimmed and halved
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 300g cooked vermicelli rice noodles
- 15g dill, roughly chopped
- Black pepper
- For the marinade
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- For the dressing
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 lime, juice
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 birds-eye red chilli, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp water
Method
First make the marinade. In a mixing bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, ginger and turmeric. Add the fish and a good grind of black pepper. Toss together and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. When it’s hot, fry the marinated fish for four minutes, stirring occasionally, but allowing the pieces to take on a little colour. Lift out of the pan and set aside on a plate.
Add the onion and green beans to the pan and fry for four minutes (you may need to lower the heat a touch if they brown too quickly). Add the garlic and fry, stirring regularly, for another four minutes until all the vegetables are tender and a little golden. Tip the fish back into the pan and stir for a minute or two to reheat.
Take the pan off the heat. Tip in the noodles and add most of the dressing and most of the dill to the pan then gently toss everything together. Divide between serving plates, spoon over the remaining dressing and scatter with the remaining dill to serve.
TIP: If you have time, ideally marinade the monkfish for 20 minutes prior to cooking.
