Fish

Good Food, Good Friends… and a Little More Patience

flidfit Eating Out, Fish, Maintenance, Salads, Salads, Wegovy, Weightloss Medication

Thank goodness this week has been a little cooler! The sunshine has been enjoyable again rather than unbearable.

On Monday I met some girlfriends for lunch at our regular venue – a lovely pub that serves really tasty, beautifully presented food. It’s a little more expensive than your average pub meal, but the chef there clearly knows what they’re doing. I chose a guilt-head bream fillet, served with a delicious potato terrine, samphire, and a courgette and asparagus side with heritage tomatoes and – rather unexpectedly – cubes of grilled feta. It seemed like a very odd combination, but it actually worked incredibly well!  The meal certainly didn’t disappoint!

Later in the week, I invited a friend over for lunch. We’ve known each other since primary school and also went to the same secondary school, so we’ve probably been friends since we were about nine years old! Although we don’t see each other very often because life gets busy, whenever we do meet up, we always have plenty to chat about as we catch up on family news and everything that’s happened since our last get-together.

With Sam’s support, I prepared a homemade pizza topped with mozzarella, olives, sliced courgette, peppers and grated cheese. The pizza base is made from a simple mixture of Greek yoghurt and self-raising flour – no oil or water required. Having shortened arms, rolling out dough is quite a challenge for me, and I usually end up wearing as much of it as actually makes it onto the baking tray.

My right-hand woman, Sam, is off on holiday for the next couple of weeks, so I plan to keep my meals a little simpler while she’s away. It will be a good opportunity to remind myself that healthy eating doesn’t have to involve complicated recipes or a lot of food prep.

Indeed, this weather certainly means plenty of salads, and as my other half (Mike) is harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes, and green beans from our garden at present, I’ve been making a regular delicious cucumber, red onion and tomato salad dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, as well as a green bean salad with a garlic mustard vinaigrette dressing.

There’s something very satisfying about growing your own fruit and vegetables. Picked fresh and eaten at their best, they’re packed with flavour in a way that supermarket produce rarely manages to match.

Wegovy update: I’ve now taken my fourth and final 0.25mg dose and… let’s just say I’m really looking forward to moving up to the next dose next week! At the moment, I’m still having to make a conscious effort to keep my appetite under control, so I’m hoping the increase will provide a little more support

As for my weight, the good news is that I’m still within my maintenance range.

I’m quietly hoping with Wegovy’s assistance, next week I hope to be moving back towards the middle of that range rather than teetering towards the top of it!

As always, one week at a time…

Weight this week: 55.95kg (8st 11.3lbs)
Weight last week: 56.1kg (8st 11.6lbs)

Weekly loss/gain: -0.15kg (-5.3ozs)
100% – 5 months 7 days in weight maintenance range (54 – 57kg or 8st 7lb – 8st 13lbs)

 

Mediterranean Seafood & Chorizo Rice – 552 calories

flidfit Fish, Recipes, Wegovy, Weightloss Medication

I made this dish using Arborio rice simply because I had some that needed using up. Although Arborio rice is traditionally associated with risotto rather than Spanish rice dishes, it worked brilliantly. The Arborio rice absorbed all the wonderful flavours while creating a deliciously creamy texture that complemented the smoky chorizo and tender seafood perfectly. It just goes to show that you don’t always need the “correct” ingredient to create something absolutely delicious!

My own Mediterranean-style one-pan rice dish is packed with colourful vegetables, succulent seafood and smoky chorizo.

One of the things I love most about cooking is creating meals that don’t feel like “diet food”. After losing a significant amount of weight and maintaining it, I’ve discovered that healthy eating doesn’t have to mean missing out. By filling the pan with plenty of vegetables, lean seafood and just enough chorizo to add a delicious smoky richness, this dish is hearty, satisfying and bursting with flavour.

Using Arborio rice makes it wonderfully creamy and forgiving to cook, while a squeeze of fresh lemon and a scattering of fresh parsley at the end bring everything to life. It’s a complete one-pan meal that’s simple enough for a weeknight but special enough to serve to family or friends. It certainly earned Mike’s seal of approval!

Arborio Risotto Rice, Tesco                      –  150g

Avocado Oil                                                  –  2 Tsps/10ml

Onions                                                            –  50g

Carrots                                                            –  35g

Garlic                                                              –  3 Cloves/9g

Tomato Puree                                                –  10g

Courgette                                                        –  60g

Green Beans                                                  –  40g

Red Pepper                                                    –  70g

Water (boiling)                                             –   600ml

White Wine Stock Pot                                –  1 Pot/28g

Chorizo, Spicy Spanish Ring                     –  45g

Seafood Selection, Cooked
(mussels, squid, prawns)                          –  1 Pack/250g

Paprika                                                         –  1 Tsp/2g

Parsley, Fresh, chopped                           –  1 Tbsp/3.8g

Lemon                                                          –   half – cut into wedges

Preparation

Peel and finely dice the carrot and onion. Slice the courgette into rounds. Top and tail the green beans, then cut them into approximately 3cm lengths. Core and deseed the red pepper before slicing into thin strips. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Slice the chorizo into rounds.

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook gently for around 5 minutes until softened and translucent.

Add the green beans, chorizo, garlic, paprika and red pepper. Cook for a further 2–3 minutes, allowing the chorizo to release its richly flavoured oils.

Stir in the courgette and tomato purée, followed by a splash of the water and the Arborio rice. Mix well so that the rice is coated in all the flavours.

Add the stock pot and the remaining water, stirring well until everything is thoroughly combined.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover with the lid and cook for around 15 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure there is sufficient liquid. If the rice begins to dry out before it is cooked, simply add a splash more hot water.

Once the rice is tender, remove the lid. If any excess liquid remains, increase the heat for a minute or two until it has reduced. The finished dish should be creamy with a slight oozy consistency rather than dry.

Finally, gently stir through the cooked seafood and fresh parsley, allowing the seafood to heat through without overcooking.

Serve immediately with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)        552.0

Protein (g)                28.7

Carbohydrate (g)    75.9

Fat (g)                       14.7

Fibre (g)                    4.2

Fruit & Veg                1.7

 

 

Cod with fennel, tomato and cannellini beans with a creamy tahini sauce – 476 calories

flidfit Fish, Recipes , , ,

I’ve never been too certain how or where to use tahini – but it really adds to the flavours of this recipe.  The lemon in the creamy sauce compliments the fish.  Fennel, tomato and fish are a match made in heaven!

This is a quick and simple recipe and contains plenty of vegetables and a portion of beans.

Ingredients

Cod, Loins, Skinless & Boneless                    2 Steaks/200g

Beans, Cannellini, Canned                              230g

Fennel, Bulb                                                       250g

Onions, Raw                                                       100g

Tomatoes, Fresh                                                370g

Olive Oil                                                              10ml

Butter, Salted                                                     1 Serving/10g

Tahini Paste                                                        2 Tbsps/30g

Lemon Juice, Fresh                                           15ml

Water, Mineral Or Tap                                      2 Tbsps/30ml

Freshly chopped parsley                                   2 Tbsps

 

Method

Peel and finely dice the onion. Trim the fennel and cut into fine slices. Chop the tomatoes into chunks. Chop the fresh parsley. Drain the beans in a colander and rinse with water.

In a large lidded frying pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.

Add the finely diced onion and fennel to the pan and saute until they become translucent- about 3-4 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

Add the tomatoes and the drained and rinsed cannellini beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the pan and bring to a simmer. Allow it to cook for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to soften.

Sprinkle over the fresh parsley. Place the fish fillets on top of the mixture in the pan.

Cover the pan again and let the fish cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your fish fillets. Ensure the fish flakes easily with a fork.

To make the tahini sauce, in a small bowl combine tahini with lemon juice and water. Stir vigorously until it becomes thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the fish on top of a pile of the bean and vegetables with and drizzle over the creamy tahini sauce.

NB. You can substitute a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes if you don’t have access to fresh.

Quick and easy fish, chorizo and bean stew – 505 calories

flidfit Fish, Recipes , , ,

This quick and easy and very tasty meal is likely to feature often as the nights draw in.  Something easy to make, minimal preparation and cooking time and best of all – just one pot to wash up.

Especially great if you are trying to increase your intake of beans!

 

Preparation Time:                  15 mins

Cooking Time:                        45 mins

Serves:                                      2

Calories per serving:             505

 

Olive Oil – 10ml

Garlic Puree  – 5g

Onion  -½ Med/90g

Celery  – 1 Stalk/40g

Carrots, Raw, Peeled – 1 Carrot/75g

Fresh Parsley  – 2 Tbsps/7.6g

Cod, Loins, Average-250g

Vegan Paste, ‘Nduja, Ve-Du-Ya, Vegan, Belazu – 1½ Tsps/7.5g

Chorizo sausage  – 50g

Tomatoes – 300g

Canned Butter Beans, Drained – 380g

Paprika, Smoked – 1 Tsp/5g

Ground Cumin – 1 Tsp/5g

Tomato Puree – 1 Tbsp/15g

 

 

Method

 

For the fish Marinade
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp vegan nduja paste
1 tsp olive oil

Preparation: Peel and finely chop the onion.  Peel and finely chop the carrot. Trim and finely dice the celery. Cut the tomato into chunks. Cut the chorizo into small 1cm chunks. Chop the parsley.

Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 180 C fan
While the oven is warming make the marinade for the fish and mix all the ingredients together to form a paste.

Rub the marinade over your fish fillets and leave to one side.

Next place the oil, carrots, onion, celery into a roasting tray and season well. Mix everything together and cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Stir thoroughly.

Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic puree, chorizo, cumin, chopped parsley and tomato puree on top, stir through and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add the (drained) beans. Place the fish fillets on top of the bean stew. Then return to the oven for a further 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Sprinkle with extra parsley and a squeeze of lemon to serve (if you have it), but it’s not essential.

Nice served with crusty ciabatta roll to mop up all the lovely sauce.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)                     505

Protein (g)                            42.8

Carbohydrate (g)                41.3

Fat (g)                                   19.3

Fibre (g)                               13.9

Fruit & Veg                           6.0

 

Fennel & Lemon Risotto (with added prawns) – 518 calories

flidfit Fish, Recipes, Uncategorized

IMG_5450Oh my this was good! My husband is the risotto maker in the house – he has patience!

This can be a vegetarian meal, or you can add prawns.

Fennel & Lemon Risotto (with added prawns) – 518 calories

Preparation Time:  10 mins

Cooking Time:  40 mins

Serves:  2

Calories per serving:  518.6

 

Ingredients

Fennel bulb – 160g

Butter, Salted – 5g

Oil, Olive, Average – 8ml

Onions – 125g

Garlic – 1 Clove/3g

Rice, Arborio, Dry – 140g

White Wine, Dry – 175ml

Stock Pot, Vegetable, As Sold – 1 Pot/28g

Water – 750ml

Lemon, Zest – 1 Av Lemon/5g

Cheese, Grana Padano or Parmesan – 25g

Prawns, King, Cooked & Peeled – 170g

Method

Chop any green leafy fennel fronds and set aside.

Cut off the stalk-like fennel top, remove the outer layers and finely chop. Slice remaining fennel. Heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and chopped fennel until soft but not coloured.

Add the rice and stir for 1 min. Pour over most of the wine and simmer until evaporated. Make the stock with the stock pot and boiling water. Add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition until it is absorbed.

When the rice is cooked, stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan and some seasoning. Take off the heat and set aside, covered, for 2 mins.

Serve in bowls, topped with the fennel fronds (stirring the prawns through if using).

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal)518.6

Protein (g) 24.9

Carbohydrate (g) 63.6

Fat (g) 11.7

Fruit & Veg 1.9

Fibre (g) 3.9

Alcohol 8.0

Oh, and dessert was caramelised banana with custard (slice banana, roll in sugar, fry in butter turning slices over once and being careful not to burn!)

IMG_5451