Salmon and Soba Noodles

2 Servings of Noodles (Soba or similar)

2 Salmon fillets (or white fish)

3 tbs Mirin

3 tbs Rice wine vinigar

2 tbs Soy sauce

1 tsp Brown sugar

2 tsp Sesame oil

Fresh Ginger - finely chopped

Red Capsicum - strips (coarse matchsticks)

Cucumber - ditto

Zucchini - ditto

Carrot - grated

2 Green Onions (Spring onions) - coarsely chopped

1 Avocado - diced

Cook noodles, drain and rinse in cold water.

Combine mirim, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and ginger in a large bowl. Mix in all the prepared vegetables.

Fry fish in a hot pan - DON'T over cook. When cooked tranfer onto a plate and flake into large pieces.

Put noodles into a bowl and place vegetables on top. Pour some mirin mixture over the vegetables and then place flaked fish on top. Pour the remainder of the mirin mixture over the fish and top with coriander leaves and spring onion.

White Fish with Moroccan Spiced Lentils

Serves 2

1 tbs Moroccan Spice Mix
4 small white fish fillets
Vegetable or peanut oil
2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 med red onion - sliced
2 sticks celery - chopped in coarse matchsticks
1 med carrot - chopped
1 tbs ground cumin
1/2 tin (1 cup) brown lentils - rinsed
lemon juice
1 large tomato - chopped
Chopped coriander as garnish

Sprinkle fish with spice mix and rub into the fillets. Chill until needed.

Stir fry onion until soft. Add carrot and celery, garlic and cumin. Stir fry until fragrant but not over cooked. Add 2 tbs water. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to cook the carrot and celery until still crisp. Add lentils and bring to the boil. DON'T over cook. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, chopped coriander and tomato.

Char grill the fish fillets on both sides in a preheated, oiled pan.

Serve the fish on top of a serving of spiced lentils and garnish with coriander leaves.

Steamed beans go well with this dish.

Moroccan Spice Mix

8 white cardamoms
dried chilli to taste
1 tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs coriander seeds
8 cloves
1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Bruise cardamom pods. Dry roast cardamom, dried chiili, cumin, coriander, cloves and peppercorns. Grind mixture to a fine powder. Mix in ginger and nutmeg.

Thats it!

Rubbed in Fruit Cake

8 heaped tbs self raising flour
100-125 g butter
2 tbs sugar
2 eggs
1 Lemon
2 Handfuls of sultanas
Milk

Put flour into medium size bowl and butter into flour, rub in with fingers until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add sugar, eggs, sultanas, grated rind of the lemon and lemon juice and enough milk to make a very soft and moist mixture (nearly dropping consistency but with body).

Line a baking tin (a loaf tin works well) with baking paper and put the mixture in - DON'T mess with the mixture.

Place in a preheated oven to 200-190 C; top shelf and turn to brown the top of the cake evenly. (Take about 40-50 mins) Use the knife/skewer poking method to check that the cake is cooked.

When cooked place on a baking grid to cool.

Example variations - replace sultanas and lemon with:

Sultanas and Orange;

Sultanas and mixed spice;

Mixed spice and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.