The Recipe Room

Halibut is quite a versatile and relatively inexpensive fish. It has a non-oily, but firm and mild-flavoured flesh. It is capable of absorbing other flavours well, making it great for experimenting with in the kitchen! And it can be substituted for other kinds of fish and sometimes chicken in many recipes. If you don’t like fishy tasting seafood but want to include fish in your diet, halibut is a good choice.

My first experience with halibut was when I was a young girl. Of course, my mum made sure that my piece didn’t contain any bones. She mixed together a simple butter sauce to drizzle over the tender fish, and I loved it! She and I like to experiment together with various dressings, and I owe part of the credit for this recipe to her. We have a lot of fun, and I appreciate that she instilled in me the importance of fish in a healthy balanced diet.

Of course, some of my favourite creamy toppings are not necessarily low-calorie…. But overall, fish has a lot of health benefits.

This Baked Halibut with mixed herbs is just lovely. As it’s cooked in lemon juice, garlic, parsley, chives and thyme, all those different flavours soak into the fish, making a really tasty meal. But be careful not to overcook the halibut, or it will dry out because of its low oil content.

For a spicier dinner, try this yellow thai fish curry.

I try not to eat a lot of meat, but recently I have taken a shining to finding lamb dishes, and the other day I went on a splurge to a Moroccan restaurant searching for something new and interesting. There I realised that couscous is a rice substitute that I had overlooked. After seeing that I could combine lamb and couscous together, I thought I’d try this lamb with couscous and apricot salad, which is a really light and fresh lunch that won’t leave you feeling heavy in any way.

If you are a vegetarian, you could also try this pistachio and cranberry couscous with goat’s cheese. Either way, couscous makes a satisfying salad!

As it is equally delicious served warm or cold, it is also ideal for a spring picnic. Just put the lamb in one container and the couscous and apricot salad in another and combine them on arrival!

What we need:

• 600g lamb, cubed or cut into small pieces
• 400g of couscous
• 12 dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon of pressed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 dl of cashew nuts
• 30g raisins
• a handful of chopped almonds
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 pinches of ground pepper
• 2 pinches of salt
• 10 coriander leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick (to garnish)

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
2. Fry the lamb in a frying pan in the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place the meat in an oven-safe form and place in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes until ready.
4. In a sauce pan, boil the couscous according to the instructions on the package.
5. Meanwhile, chop the apricots into small pieces.
6. Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice and cinnamon.
7. Add the apricots, cashew nuts, raisins and almonds with the lemon juice/olive oil mixture.
8. Add the couscous when it is ready. Mix it all carefully. Add salt and pepper according to taste.
9. Serve the couscous salad as the base on a plate and place the lamb on top.
10. Sprinkle over the coriander leaves and garnish with the cinnamon stick.

Time needed: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Level: Easy

This dish of Tagliatelle with salmon, horseradish and dill is not only easy to make, it is also tasty and healthy. Horseradish is thought to have both antibiotic and anti-inflammatory effects and can help boost the immune system. And lo and behold, some say it even has aphrodisiacal properties.

The more I research the benefits of horseradish, the more I find. This ingredient is similar to mustard and is a cheap substitute for the Japanese wasabi used in sushi. It seems to be a superfood that not only adds punch to a dish, but also can help fight everything from the common cold and flu to urinary tract infections. In traditional folk medicine, it is thought to be one of the best treatments against sinus problems as it clears them when they are congested.

Forget chicken noodle soup – this is what I usually make when I am feeling a bit under the weather. Just a few weeks ago, I got caught in a rainstorm and had the sniffles for several days. This hearty recipe warmed my belly, and the next day I was feeling much better. Whether it was the horseradish, the hot creamy sauce that soothed my sore throat or the long nap I took afterwards, somehow this recipe got me feeling revived and much more energetic!

There are a number of products in which you can find horseradish; the basic prepared horseradish, cream-style prepared horseradish, specialty mustards, dips, spreads, relishes and dressings can all contain this flavourful ingredient.

Since I am a huge fan of pasta in all its varieties, I thought I´d try this dish with tagliatelle, a broad flat pasta. I hope you enjoy this dish!

What we need:

• 150g dried tagliatelle

• 200g of gravadlax (dry-cured salmon)

• 200ml of light creme fraiche

• 1/2 tablespoon of honey

• 1 teaspoon of horseradish

• 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped dill

How to make it:

1. Boil the pasta according to instructions on the package.
2. Cut the salmon into a saucepan and add the crème fraiche, honey, lemon and horseradish. Bring to the boil and let it simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add the dill.
5. When the pasta is ready, drain it and add to the crème fraiche and salmon sauce.
6. Mix carefully and serve immediately.

Serves: 4
Time needed: 20 minutes
Level: easy

Note: I also recommend this baked salmon with red pesto, red peppers and tomatoes.

When I have friends over for drinks before going out on the weekend, I always try to serve them some nibbles of something nice like an appetizer or canapés. There are a wide variety of options, but adding a little bread for carbohydrates gives you energy and helps prepare your system for a fun time out with friends!

Here is a recipe for courgette canapés with crayfish and avocado which is quick and easy, and helps avoid the laborious effort of making a full dinner. Needless to say, as a student, I can’t really afford to treat my friends to dinner every time we meet, but these snacks fill us up surprisingly fast and help me look like a fantastic hostess in front of my guests.

However, small “tapas-style” finger foods are great because they don’t cost me a fortune. They are good in social environments since we have to pass the plates around and eat with our fingers while chatting, drinking, and on the really rowdy nights, singing.

Put these on the table together with some other hot and cold nibbles, and your friends will leave the house happy for sure!

What we need:

• 1 large courgette
• 340g of crayfish tails
• 1 avocado
• 200ml of grated cheddar cheese
• 100ml of crème fraîche
• 100ml of chopped dill
• the juice and some finely grated peel of one lemon
• 4 pinches of pepper

How we make it:

1. Wash and chop the courgette into slices around 1/2 centimetre thick, about 24.
2. Pour the crème fraîche in a bowl and add the crayfish tails (peel and wash if needed).
3. Peel and chop the avocado into small pieces. Add to the crème fraîche.
4. Grate the cheese and add to the mixture.
5. Grate some of the lemon peel and add to the mixture and the juice from the lemon.
6. Chop the dill and add to the mixture.
7. Add the pepper.
8. Mix everything carefully.
9. Place a tablespoon of the mixture on top of the corgette canapés and place them on a place.

Enjoy!

Serves: 4-6 (24 canapés)
Time needed: 20 minutes
Level: easy