Tuna with Lemon & Chilli dressing
Zest & Juice of 2 lemons; 50g castor sugar; 1 red chilli deseeded & chopped; 1/2 tsp coriander. 4 tuna steaks.
Put lemon juice in a small pan with 2 tablespoon of water, add sugar and stir over low heat. Stir in chilli, ground coriander and lemon zest.
Rub both sides of tuna with oil and cook in frypan for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Serve with the lemon sauce

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PINE NUT COUSCOUS
Serves: 6
1 Tbsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.
2 lb skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced, 6 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
Salt and pepper, 2-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup pitted large green olives, 1 Tbsp butter
1-1/2 cups couscous
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

In a large bowl, mix together the paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
In a large skillet, heat the oil, over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and sliced lemon; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken stock, the olives and lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1-1/2 cups chicken stock and the butter to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the pine nuts. Top the chicken with the parsley. To serve, spoon the chicken and sauce over the couscous.

Portuguese Cod
1 small onion
2oz butter, 1oz flour
1 medium-sized can tomatoes
1 tbsp wine vinegar, salt & pepper
1 1/2lb cod fillet

Chop the onion and fry gently in the butter until soft, stir in the flour, then add the tomatoes and the vinegar and bring to the boil, stirring all the time, then simmer gently for 10 min. Divide the fish into 4 pieces and add to the pan, spooning the tomatoe mixture over the fish so that it is completely covered. Bring to the boil again, then simmer very gently for another 10 min or until the fish is cooked.

This is just a basic recipe and you can add different herbs i.e. Dill or Tarragon, Garlic or whatever to give it more flavour. If you are using salt dried cod you do not need to add the salt.

Winter Chicken Stew

4 chicken portion cut into bite size chunks
25g butter
1 onion sliced
4 carrots sliced
1 small swede (rutabaga) sliced
100g pearl barley
900ml chicken stock (use 2 cubes)
salt and ground black pepper
3 unpeeled potatoes (scrubbed and cut into bite size chunks)
1 small green cabbage (shredded

Brown the chicken in butter in a large saucepan then remove them from the pan with a draining spoon. Add the onions, carrots and swede and fry (saute) for 2 minutes. Add the barley and stock and return the chicken to the pan, season to taste and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the potatoes and cabbage, cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes or until everything is tender.
Serve in large open soup bowls.

Can also be done in a pressure cooker

Leek Risotto

10g butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary
200g risotto rice
3 medium leeks sliced
800ml hot vegetable stock
100g soft cream cheese

In saucepan heat butter and oil. Add the onion & rosemary and cook for 5 min. Then add leeks and cook for a further 10 min, do not brown. Add the rice and stir to make sure grains are covered in mixture. Now begin to add stock a ladle at a time, stir occasionally until liquid has been absorbed before adding another ladleful until rice is tender and creamy.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until just melted. Add lots of ground black pepper to serve.

It can look very pale and uninteresting so add red pepper to give it some colour

Hungarian Goulash

40g butter
3 onions chopped
1 1/4 lb braising steak, cubed
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 garlic clove crushed
1 potato grated1
1 parsnip grated
2 tbsp tomato paste
300ml beef stock
2 tomatoes skinned and chopped
1 green pepper thinly sliced
seasoning

Melt the butter in a flameproof casserole dish. Add the onions and fry for 2 min. Add the beef and fry for a further 2 min stirring to seal meat. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hrs. Remove lid for last 30 min to thicken the liquid and stir well.

Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken

1 lime for zest and juice
1 tbsp cilantro (coriander)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp oil
4 chicken breasts

Grate zest and squeeze the lime into a bowl. Add cilantro, garlic, onion and oil. Place chicken on a baking dish and fully coat each piece with lime marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 min. Pre-heat grill to medium. Cook chicken for about 10 min each side. Serve immediately.

Mediterranean Fish Casserole
Serves : 4
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dry white wine or stock
2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
150 g (5½ oz) red onions, thinly sliced
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) plum tomatoes
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
4 fish steaks, such as swordfish or tuna, about 125 g (4½ oz) each
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried
Salt and black pepper
To garnish: sprigs of fresh rosemary and chopped fresh oregano

Heat the oil and wine or stock in a flameproof casserole then add the celery, garlic and onions and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until they have softened.
Roughly chop the tomatoes (they can be peeled if you like) and add them to the casserole with the lemon, tomato purée and the sugar, if needed (it depends how acid the tomatoes are). Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
Arrange the fish in a single layer on top of the vegetable mixture. Tuck in the sprigs of rosemary, sprinkle with oregano and season to taste.
Cover the casserole and leave it to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the flesh is just firm, spooning the juices over the fish occasionally. Serve garnished with chopped oregano and a sprig of rosemary.

Banana-Baked Sole

2 Fillets of sole per person
Marjoram
Small slivers Lemon Rind
Salt and pepper
Dry white wine
2 Bananas

In a large baking tin place a piece of foil at least twice the size of the tin. Grease the foil lightly with butter. Place the fillets on the foil, sprinkle with a little marjoram and dot with lemon rind and small knobs of butter. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over enough wine to cover the fish. Close foil firmly and bake at 450? for 15 min. Remove tin and put slices of banana, cut lengthwise between the fillets. Return to oven for a further 15 min, use the juices, unthickened as a sauce.

[quote="fgrennie" post=1101]Banana-Baked Soul[/quote]

The title of this one really caught my eye Frances. I want to have a banana-baked soul!!!

Vice Commodore, OCC