Hake with Tomatoes, Fennel & Olives

Cooking fish in an individual foil parcel is ideal for me coz I get to have the flavours I like without having to do two dinners coz dad doesn't like anything much. I got frozen hake fillets from waitrose (via ocado) and cooked them in tinfoil parcels (from frozen!).

Ingredients per portion:
Hake fillet.
1/4 fennel bulb, finely sliced.
5 or 6 cherry tomatoes.
Few marinated olives (depending on size, mine were fat ones stuffed with almonds)
Slice of lemon
Lovage leaves
Garlic oil

Preheat the oven to 200c & tear off a sheet of tinfoil that will be big enough to scrunch closed around the fish and lay flat. Drizzle some garlic oil on the foil then place the fish fillet on top. Scatter the lovage leaves over the top then lay the lemon slice on the fish. Get the foil lifted up around the fish a bit then pop the tomatoes, sliced fennel & olives on top. Scrunch the foil so it's sealed then put in the oven on s baking tray for 25 minutes (or a bit longer if you forget it; not saying you will or I did ;-) - there's so much liquid in the parcel it won't dry out).  

Belly Pork, Apple & Fennel Salad

Ok, this was a bit thrown together but the flavours were nice and I've not been blogging much lately so it gets one!

I did a mini bbq for me & dad yesterday on a disposable bbq that may well have been hotter than the sun. I precooked things in the oven first which was a good idea coz anything cooked from raw on it would've been cinders! As it was there was admittedly some charring.

Anyway - ad I always over cater there were a couple of bits of belly pork left over so I made a salad for lunch. Big nom. I had a tomato Pitta and some garlic mayo on the side. Quantity to serve one.

Handful of mixed salad leaves.
Chunk of cucumber, sliced in half moons.
Half an apple, sliced fairly thinly.
A baby fennel, sliced thinly.
Half a lemon.
Cooked belly pork.

Chuck everything except the belly pork in a bowl & squeeze the lemon over.
Add the pork.
Eat.

I didn't make a dressing for this coz the pork had been marinated well. 

Fennel & Lemon Risotto

A nice light meal or could be a good accompaniament to fish. You don't miss the cheese in this as the zesty fresh flavours keep your tongue tingling! Serves 3 as a meal or 4 as an accompaniament.


250g Fennel
Half an Onion
250g Arborio Risotto Rice
1-2 tsp Lemon Juice
1.25l of Vegetable Stock
The grated zest of 1 Lemon
1 tbsp chopped Mint &/or Parsley

• Slice the fennel and finely chop the onion, fry them gently until the fennel is soft.
• Add the rice and stir, followed by the lemon juice and s&p.
• Add the stock gradually stirring and allowing the rice to absorb the stock before adding the next bit.
• Keep adding and stirring until it is creamy but the rice is a little al dente.
• Add the lemon zest and stir, cover the pan and leave off the heat for a few minutes.
• Stir through the herbs before serving.

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