Grilled Scallops with Garlic Herb Butter

This is easy to make and oh so tasty. This serves 2 as a starter.

Butter
Chives
Parsley
1 x garlic clove
4 scallops and roe

Arrange the scallops on a tray. Finely chop the garlic and herbs and mix into the softened butter. Cover the scallops with the butter and grill for about 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Pescado a la Veracruzana

This is a recipe from Veracruz in Mexico. It is not what you might expect from Mexican food however, no chilli here - it has quite a mediterranean flavour.

olive oil
4 clove garlic
1 small onion
1kg tomatoes
1 red pepper
1/4 cup capers
12 olives
6 filets of white fish
salt, pepper to taste

Make a cut into the tomatoes skins and plunge them into boiling water to loosen the skins. Reemove skins and chop finely. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chopped tomatoes, season and cook for 5 mins. Chop the pepper and add to tomatoes. Cook for a further 8 minutes. Add capers and olives. Place filets in an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce. Place in an oven at 190 degrees C for about 30 minutes until fish is cooked. Serve with white rice or crusty bread.

Stuffed Mussels

This looks pretty - but is a lot of work! It is bascially steamed mussels with herb and garlic butter covered with breadcrumbs. Let me know if you want the full recipe.

Wild mushroom Sauce

This makes an easy, tasty sauce for pasta.

olive oil
1 red onion
selection of interesting mushrooms
1 small pot cream

Finely chop the onion and slice the mushrooms. Fry the onions. When they go soft add the mushrooms and fry until golden and soft. Add the cream, season and heat through. Serve with pasta such as linguine.

Tamarind Prawns with Stir Fried Brocolli

Tasty and tangy!

1 pack raw prawns
1 chilli
1 inch piece ginger
1 clove garlic
3 tsp tamarind paste
4 spring onions
1 brocolli
oil
soy sauce

Finely chop the chilli, ginger and garlic. Place in a bowl, add the tarmind paste and the raw prawns and mix well. Leave to marinate for at least 30 mins. Finely chop the spring onions and chop brocolli in bite-size pieces. Fry the spring onions for a few minutes on a high heat. Add the brocolli and a tablespoonful of water and place the lid on the wok. Once the prawns are ready, fry them in a seperate pan until pink and golden. Add the remaining marinade to the brocolli. When the brocolli is nearly ready, add the prawns and stir fry for a few minutes. Serve with rice noodles. Add soy sauce to taste.