Category Archives: Fish and Seafood

Fideuá – Spanish Seafood noodle dish similar to Paella

Fideuá, is a Spanish dish very similar to Paella but uses “fideos” which is a tiny pasta (it looks like thin spaghetti cut into one inch pieces), instead of rice.

Fresh fish, squid, prawns, tomatoes, noodles all cooked together in a good home made fish stock.

Fideuá is similar to paella, mostly because it is cooked in a Paellera which is the large pan used for Paellas and Fideuás. You can buy them online, using a regular frying pan will only work if you are cooking for two people at the most, since the rice or the noodles need to be in a thin layer to get the perfect texture.

The best way to cook paella is outside on an open fire. But I make it on the stove all the time, when I’m using my 4 person paella pan. For larger amounts I cook it outside.

Serves : 4
INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (for cooking)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
400 gr. Cleaned Squid, cut into pieces
400 gr. Firm fish, Halibut, Monkfish , Seabass….
4-8 large Shrimp (optional)
400 gr. Fideos nr. 4, or thin spaghetti broken into one inch pieces
¼ cup canned tomato sauce (tomate frito)
2 tsp. smoked paprika (Pimentón de la vera)
A pinch of saffron
4 cups (good quality) fish stock, preferable home made
Salt to taste
Aioli to serve
Lemon wedges to serve
Parsley to serve
Lot’s of Sangria to serve (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

First bring your stock to a simmer and have a ladle ready.
Have your onion chopped, garlic chopped, fish cut into large-ish pieces and squid cut into bite size pieces too.
Everything happens rather quickly so have everything portioned out, a little bowl with your paprika powder, the tomato sauce etc…
Heat the Paellera, (the paella pan) on medium high heat. Add the olive oil, and add the onion and stir for a few minutes until it starts to color slightly, add the garlic and stir for one more minute. Add the squid, and fry for a minute or two, add the fish and stir around carefully for another few minutes.
Now add the paprika powder, stirring all the time but and add the tomato sauce and Saffron.
Now add the the noodles , making sure to coat all of them in the oil and sauce, add about half of the hot stock, adding more as needed. If you need more liquid, add hot water.
Cook on high heat for about 10 minutes, lower the temperature and taste the liquid to see if you need to add more salt. Cook for another ten to fifteen minutes until the noodles are cooked. There should still be some liquid in the pan and the noodles will have stuck to the bottom of the pan in the middle and is considered the best part. Enjoy!
Serve straight away with Aioli and lemon.

Fiery Garlic and Honey Shrimp.

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Spicy, garlicky, sweet, sticky skillet shrimp with fresh lime and baby Basil. This recipe is so good and super easy, it just take 10 minutes to make!

Hopefully you already have a pack of Shrimp in the freezer, and otherwise add it to your shopping list so you can make this delicious recipe this week. Having Shrimp in the freezer is probably one of the best ingredients to have on hand for a super fast last minute dinner. You can make so much with just a bag of Shrimp…
From Tacos to Paella, and from Curry to Sandwiches, the possibilities are endless. They cook in no-time and everybody loves Shrimp. All good reasons to have a good supply in your freezer. However when I’m in a hurry or just in the mood for Shrimp, I turn to this recipe, Fiery, Garlicky Shrimp!
I have made this recipe for two as a main course, but you can simply double as needed. Serve with plenty of French bread to mop up the juices.

This recipe comes together very quickly, so have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking.

The tiny basil I happened to find at the market, it looked so cute and it is really sweet (and pretty). So if you can find it, great. But if not regular basil is fine too.

Serves: 2 as a main or 4 as a starter
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 5 Minutes
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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. shrimp (I leave the shell on)*
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp. Sambal Oelek
• 1 tbsp. honey
• juice of half a lime
• a sprinkle of salt
• 1 small glass dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• a small handful of baby basil and lime/lemon wedges to serve

METHOD:

Rinse the shrimp with cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred), add the olive oil. When very hot add the shrimp and leave for two minutes without moving until you see the pink color coming thru.
Now turn them over and add the garlic slices and the Sambal. Leave for a minute and then toss the shrimp around by shaking the pan and flipping the shrimp if you can otherwise use a spoon.
Add the honey and then the lime juice and white wine and stir around to cover.
Finely add the sweet tiny basil and add the cold butter to bind the sauce.
Garnish with more baby basil and serve immediately with lime/lemon wedges.

*I leave the shell on because they add so much flavor and we love peeling them and eating with our hands, but if you prefer peeled shrimp, that’s fine too.

Enjoy!

Easy Unicorn Sushi

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How pretty are these Unicorn Sushi? All these beautiful pastel colors are made using only pure natural vegetable and fruit powders. It’s so much fun to make too!
The first thing you do is make the Sushi rice, then divide into smaller portions to color as your heart desires. In this recipe I have only used two colors to keep things “easy”, but you can go all out and use as many colors as you like.

The colors you can use are;

• Beet powder for red
• Turmeric for yellow
• Spirulina for green and blue
• Pitaya for pink
• Poppy seeds for an adorable speckled sushi.
• Pitaya plus blue spirulina = lilac/purple
• Beet plus Turmeric = orange
• Charcoal for grey or back

I like to add very finely grated fresh beet so the colors bleed into each other creating more depth. But you can let your imagination run free.
What I do recommend is that you blend the powders with some water first before mixing it in with the sushi rice. Add a few drops of lemon juice for brightness.

cooking time 20 minutes
prep time 20 minutes
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Sushi Rice
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 2 tbsp. Sugar
• 2 medium Carrots grated
• 1 Cucumber
• 1 avocado
• 1 small beet grated
• 2 medium cans of tuna drained, 2 x 5 oz. (120 gr)/ sub with Tofu for vegans.
• 4-5 tbsp. Mayonnaise
• 8 Nori sheets
• 1 tsp. Spirulina, use more as desired
• 1 tsp. Beet powder, use more as desires

a squeeze of lemon juice for brightening up the colors

METHOD:

1. Start by cooking the sushi rice according to the package instructions.
2. Mix the sushi vinegar, sugar and salt, stir to dissolve.
3. Mix through the cooked warm rice.
4. Let cool completely.
5. Mix your powder of choice with a few drops of water in a small bowl.
6. Divide rice in two and color each one with the powder blends.
7. Add more powder depending on how intense you want the color.
8. Peel the cucumber and cut into long strips, discarding the seeds.
9. Peel the avocado and cut into strips.
10. Mix the tuna with the mayonnaise and set aside. Leave out for vegans or sub with tofu.
11. Place a sheet of Nori on a bamboo rolling mat.
12. Place a few tablespoons of blue rice on the Nori sheet and then some pink rice.
13. Place the filling of choice over the length of the rice.
14. Roll up tight, brush the outer edge of the Nori sheet with a tiny bit of water to seal the roll.
15. Place the finished rolls on a plate covered with cling film until ready to use.
16. When ready to serve, cut the sushi rolls into slices with a very sharp knife and place on a platter or board.
17. Serve with wasabi and soy sauce.

Enjoy!

Salmon, Asparagus and baby Spinach White Pizza

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If you want to take Pizza Night to the next level, than stay with me. With this Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pizza you going to treat yourself to a gourmet dinner.
On this Pizza I’m skipping the tomato sauce and replacing it with Crème fraîche, giving it a much softer tasting base to enhance the flavor of the fresh green Asparagus and the Smoked Salmon. They’re so wonderful on their own that just some fresh Oregano a soft gooey Buffalo Mozzarella suffice for this outrageously delicious Pizza. The Pizza base is made with half whole grain spelt flour giving it more bite and nuttiness.

Makes: 2 large Pizzas, or 4 small ones

INGREDIENTS DOUGH:

• 1 C. white Spelt flour
• 3/4 C. whole Spelt flour
• 1 tsp. Active dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 3/4 C. lukewarm water

Or you can use one of the Freezer Pizza Bases

INGREDIENTS TOPPING:

• 1/2 C. Crème Fraîche
• 1 small ball Mozzarella
• A large handful thin green Asparagus (fresh or frozen, see note)
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Oregano leafs
• 1 C. baby spinach
• 4 oz. (Organic) smoked Salmon
• 1 tsp. dry chili flakes

If you prefer a meatier Pizza, why not try Shawarma Roasted Red Pepper Pizza or Whole Spelt Pizza with Chorizo, caramelized Onions and Basil

And for low carb lovers the Broccoli Pizza

METHOD:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment combine all the ingredients for the dough. Knead for a few minutes until it comes together but is still sticky. Add a little more flour if it seems too wet. Using your hands, on a floured surface, form the dough into a ball. Oil a bowl lightly and place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel or cling film and place in a warm place to rise for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.
Meanwhile fry the asparagus (fresh or frozen) in a hot pan with a tiny bit of olive oil, season with salt and pepper just to color them a bit, depending on the size cook until just tender making sure to not over-cook. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 230° C / 450° F position the baking tray upside down in the middle of the oven, this will make sliding the pizza in so much easier. Or if you have a pizza stone place it on a rack in the middle of the oven.
Once the pizza dough is ready, lightly flour a counter. Divide the dough in two. Use your hands or a rolling pin to roll the dough out until you have a thin flattened disk. Place the pizza on a piece of parchment paper and then use your hands to gently pull the dough into a free style round-ish shape.

Spread a generous amount of Crème Fraîche over the bottom, the one clove of garlic grated over each pizza (or finely chopped), spread out over the Crème Fraîche. Sprinkle with fresh Oregano and baby spinach.
Then top with Mozzarella, Asparagus and chili flakes.
Transfer the pizza by lifting the parchment paper onto a large cutting board or use a pizza peel if you have one and slide it on to the hot baking tray/pizza stone with the parchment paper still underneath.
Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and the crust golden and crispy.
Remove onto a large wooden board and divide the smoked Salmon over the pizzas. Sprinkle with some more Oregano and eat straight away.
Best served with White Wine or ice cold Beer.

Enjoy!

If you make this Salmon, Asparagus and baby Spinach White Pizza be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you and if you love it, pin it. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! @thecookingspoonblog or hashtag it #thecookingspoonblog