CRISPY CRUNCHY FISH GOUGONS & CHIPS, Baked, not fried,

One of Britain's favourite meals - fish & chips - but with vasty reduced fat...

All the crispness and crunch of deep fried - but baked. And skinnier!

Anyone on a low-cholesterol diet, especially in the UK, will likely be hit with an occasional craving for fried food, particularly Fish'n Chips.  
   
It's the crispness and crunchiness of the batter that appeals and the hot, tender almost steamed fish stuffed inside. 

Fish and chips were almost a staple in England in the last century when industrial-scale North Sea fishing meant inexpensive fresh fish could be sent to all corners of the UK.    

The day's catch - hot and battered - was wrapped with a generous portion of   fat chips in newspaper cones and transported carefully and tenderly home, there to be scoffed happily with ketchup and tartare sauce.   

Whether in a sit-down restaurant or from a well-run local chippy, there really is nothing like good ol' Fish and Chips.  

Things have obviously changed.  For one thing fish'n chips is no longer an inexpensive meal.  But is is still very popular, especially on Fridays.  

A visit to your local chippy Friday lunchtime often involves a polite bunfight with the hoards of delivery bikes gathered outside.  And supermarkets now offer respectable cook-at-home breaded fish fillets or pre-packaged fish and chips.  

For the health and budget conscious, 67 developed a wonderfully crunchy, more-ish low-fat offering 

The fish 'n chips are oven-baked, not fried.  And though paler than deep-fried, this skinnier version has a satisfying crispy coating.   

67 cut the fish into 1.5inch/4cm gougons to speed up cooking time but fillets of fish will also do if the cooking time is extended.

They're served with PotatoWedges, Low-fat Dill Yoghurt Sauce and/or Spicy Low-Sugar Ketchup.  A simple salad or crudités of cucumber & carrot sticks will lift the healthy factor.  

If budget allows, fresh fish is obviously best* but defrosted frozen white fish from a reputable supermarket** is perfectly fine and cheaper.  

Cost: min £3.00
Feeds: 2-3 but easily multiplied

Ingredients:
    220gm/7.5oz fresh white fish OR frozen pollock/other white fish, defrosted overnight
   1/2 yoghurt-mayo (if you're in a rush & not worried about fat, plain mayo is ok)
   2 dashes tobasco
   1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
   4 spring onions, whites only, finely chopped
   1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
   1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt
   1/4 tsp pepper
   10oz/300 gm homemade breadcrumbs (cheaper - blitz stale bread in a blender) OR panko 
   olive oil

Low-fat Dill-Yoghurt Sauce
1-1 each of strained 0-fat plain yoghurt and M&S Mustard Dill Sauce (£1)

Garnish
    fine matchsticks of raw cucumber
    baby tomatoes


Method:

TRIPLE DUTY PAELLA: MEAT, FISH & VEGETARIAN lower-fat high fibre

Easy paella which feeds either vegans, carivores and pescatarians...or at the same time!

Vegetable-strewn Paella with an almond accent 

Looking for a knock-out dish that will satisfy vegans, carniovores AND pescatarians?  Without exhausting chef? 

Spanish Paella, a terrifically tasty one-dish meal, solves all the problems that come with a household with conflicting food demands.  And it's lower-fat, too.                

The dish is not complicated.  Cooking for either vegetarians or meat or fish eaters is simplest.  But if feeding more than one food group, simply divide the vegetarian rice base as needed, adding tofu, nuts and/or pulses OR chicken, pork or lamb OR shellfish/white fish as required.  

For example, to feed a group of carnivores and vegetarians, divide the cooked rice base in two; add half the ingredients for classic paella to one half of the cooked rice and to the other half of the rice, add half the ingredients for vegetarian paella.

Depending on the size of the household, one recipe can be enough for carnivores and vegetarians.  If you're serving a crowd, doubling the recipe is recommended.

The recipe is lower in fat than normal. Use brown rice instead of white and it's a high-protein, rich-in-fibre winner in the health stakes!

The key ingredient, saffron, IS expensive (in fact one of the most expensive foods in the world) but nothing else has its delicate smokiness.  A half gram of saffron strands is £3 in major supermarkets like Waitrose and is enough for this recipe and more.  Fortunately a little saffron goes a long way and keeps well.

A less expensive option is turmeric, but only in small quantities to colour the rice without overpowering it.  

To accompany -- Authentic Spanish Sangria. 

Serves: 6-8 
Cost: min £6.50, max £1l'ish depending on ingredients (12/24) 

Ingred:

Base:1.5 cups rice - pref brown, not quick cook - well rinsed (see tips) 

2 peppers of different colours
1 onion diced (or fodmap friendly fennel)
1 clove grated garlic (opt)

3 cups/600 ml litre good stock (granules ok) incl 1 glass white wine or white grape juice  
1 tablespoon saffron

a small mug fresh/frozen peas 
1 large tomato, de-seeded and in medium dice

lemon wedges for garnish

ADDITIONS: option of one, two or three types

Classic Paella (adjust additions to base as necessary; ie if making half chicken & fish paella, halve the amount of rice and halve the amount of classic ingredients listed here; the other half of the rice base is cooked with half the ingredients for either vegetarian or seafood paella ) 

Usually chicken with mixed seafood but cubes of white fish keeps cost down

     1 chicken in 16 pieces (neck and back removed for stock) or 8-12 small chicken thighs or 12-14 wings divided in two 
    12 cm chorizo or merged spicy lamb sausage 
    white fish or prawns and/or mussels  (a generous mugful) opt

Vegetarian/Vegan  (adjust additions to base as necessary; ie if making half vegetarian/vegan, halve the amount of  cooked rice and halve the amount of  veggie ingredients listed here; the other half of the rice base is cooked with half the ingredients for either classic or seafood paella ) 

Tofu & Avocado Paella with a twist 

     1 tin drained, rinsed chickpeas or 1 large mug reconstituted dry chickpeas 
     100 gm M&S artichoke, olive and sun blush antipasti OR 3 oz/85gm artichoke hearts OR
     113-175gm/4-6oz smoked or spiced tofu, organic if budget allows, in bite-size pieces

     1/3 avocado (opt)


Seafood Paella (adjust additions to base as necessary; ie if making half seafood paella and half vegetarian or vegan; divide amount of rice in two and add half   the amount of seafood ingredients listed herein one half; the other half of the rice base is cooked with half the ingredients for classic or seafood paella ) 

2-3 generous mugfuls of fresh or frozen shellfish and/or salmon or white fish

    

Method:

TRIPLE DUTY PAELLA: for households with conflicting food demands

Triple-Duty Paella for Vegans/Vegetarians, Pescatorians & Carnivores 

CLASSIC PAELLA: meat and fish 
This dish also transforms easily into a vegetarian/vegan option

original 8/4/15 

Looking for a knock-out dish that will satisfy vegans, carniovores AND pescatarians?  Without lumbering chef with multiple dishes?

Spanish Paella, a terrific tasty one-dish meal, solves all the problems associated with serving a household with conflicting food demands.  And it's lower-fat, too. 

The recipe was specifically developed by 67goingon50 to feed either meat and fish lovers or vegetarians/vegans.  Or all at the same time!                 

The dish is not complicated. The vegetarian base is easily prepared.  Divide as needed; and add tofu, nuts and/or pulses OR chicken, pork or lamb OR shellfish and white fish.    

Depending on how many are being fed, one recipe can be enough for both carnivores and vegetarians.  If there is a problem, it is that meat-lovers often want to eat both versions!  If you're serving a large crowd, doubling the recipe is recommended.

If the dish is for a normal family, there'll be plenty of leftovers for freezing or for packing up in lunchboxes.  

The recipe is lower in fat than normal. Use brown rice instead of white and it's a high-protein, rich-in-fibre winner in the health stakes!

The dish can be budget friendly; in Spain some paellas have tiny amounts of meat and even smaller amounts of fish. See Tips, below.

The key ingredient, saffron, IS expensive (in fact one of the most expensive foods in the world) but nothing else has its delicate smokiness.  A little goes a long way and keeps well -- a £4 container will be enough for this recipe and more.  A less expensive option is turmeric, but only in small quantities to colour the rice without overpowering it.  

To accompany -- Authentic Spanish Sangria. 

Serves: 6-8 
Cost: around £7-8, less if shopping frugally.  

Ingred:

Base:1 1/2 cups rice - pref brown, not quick cook - well rinsed (see tips) 

2 peppers of different colours
1 onion diced
1 clove grated garlic 

3 cups/600 ml litre good stock (granules ok) incl 1 glass white wine or white grape juice  
1 tablespoon saffron

a small mug fresh/frozen peas 
1 large tomato, de-seeded and in medium dice

lemon wedges for garnish

Classic Paella 
(for base recipe; adjust quantities as necessary) 
     1 chicken in 16 pieces (neck and back removed for stock) or 8-12 small chicken thighs or 12-14 wings divided in two 
    12 cm chorizo or spicy lamb sausage (opt)
    prawns or mussels or white fish (a generous mugful is about right) (opt)

Seafood Paella (quantities for base recipe; adjust as necessary) 
    double the amount and variety of seafood

Vegetarian Paella (quantities for base recipe; adjust as necessary) 
     1 tin drained, rinsed chickpeas or 1 large mug reconstituted dry chickpeas 
     100 gm M&S artichoke, olive and sun blush antipasti OR 3 oz/85gm artichoke hearts OR
     113-175gm/4-6oz smoked or spiced tofu, organic if budget allows, in bite-size pieces

     1/3 avocado (opt)

Method: