Cod with Tahini
A great dinner combining cod which is readily available fish and tahini, which most of us have in our store cupboards.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 onion
4 tomatoes
1 cod fillets of 150g each
1 red chilli
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
60ml tahini
75g rocket
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat an oven to 220°C. Finely slice the onion and cut the tomatoes into chunky pieces. Finely chop the red chilli (add as much as you want). Place the onion and tomatoes on to a roasting tray with 2 tablespoons olive oil and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
Grate the zest from the lemon. Season the cod fillets with salt, the chopped red chilli, lemon zest, fennel seeds and ground cumin.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning the fish gently when you do so. Place the cod in a roasting dish and spoon the roasted onion and tomato around.
Mix the tahini with 100 ml water, lemon juice to taste and salt. Pour over the fish and roast in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
Divide the fish and vegetables between 2 plates. Serve with the rocket salad dressed with a little olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
Hummus
Hummus is an amazing dish. It's cheap to make, full of protein, healthy, vegan and can be taken in all directions with the addition of different spices and herbs.
Here is the definitive basic recipe for hummus.
Serves 6
Ingredients
250g dried chickpeas
10g baking soda
2 cloves garlic, crushed
275g raw tahini
the juice of 1-1,5 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1 sprig flat leaf parsley
selection of toasted seeds -we used equal quantities pine nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
olive oil
Method
Soak the chickpeas for a minimum of 12 hours in water with 5g of the baking soda. Drain off the water and bring the chickpeas to a boil with fresh water and the remaining 5g baking soda. Ensure that the chickpeas are covered with at least a 3cm layer of water. Once boiling, cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat. The chickpeas are ready when they start to fall apart, about 45 minutes but don't be alarmed if it takes double the amount of time.
Drain the chickpeas but make sure you save all the cooking water. Allow to cool slightly and blend the chickpeas in a food processor. Add the garlic, raw tahini, and the juice of 1 lemon. Blend for at least 10 minutes in the food processor. Add small amounts of the reserved cooking liquid to thin the hummus. Make sure to leave it a little thicker than the creamy puree it will eventually become.
Season with about 1 teaspoon salt and a little extra lemon if necessary. Only when the hummus is perfectly seasoned, then you can thin it down for the last time with some of the reserved cooking liquid.
If you're not going to eat the hummus immediately, store covered in the refrigerator. Taste the hummus before your serve it. It will most likely need a little extra salt and lemon juice and a touch of the cooking liquid to get the right consistency.
Smear the hummus with the rounded part of a spoon neatly on to a plate. Make crator in the middle. The trick is to hold the spoon still while your turn the plate. Garnish the hummus with parsley leaves, the toasted seeds and olive oil.
You can also garnish with cooked chickpeas, parsley and paprika powder, slow cooked pulled beef or hard cooked eggs.