Salmon Parcels

Serves 2 hungry crossfitters:

Ingredients
2 salmon fillet portions, skinned
2 yellow peppers, sliced
2 small fennel bulbs, sliced
2 medium leeks. sliced
Knob of fresh root ginger, cut into matchsticks
1 red chilli, sliced
Fresh chives
Black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tsp soy sauce
Toasted sesame oil (optional, to taste)

You will also need some tin foil to make the parcels in which the fish and veg steam and cook in their own juices. This cooking method really keeps the fish moist, sometimes salmon can be over cooked and can taste like a leathery old flip flop!!

1) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the peppers, fennel and ginger for 5 mins or so. Then add the leeks and chilli and continue to cook for another 3 0r 4 mins. You want the veg softened but not browned. Snip in a handful of chives, (scissors are easier than chopping with a knife) and add the soy sauce. Mix, and take off the heat.
2) Preheat oven to 180C and make two tin foil envelopes. To make an envelope, take a big piece of foil, fold in half and then fold one of the remaining three open sides closed.
3) Divide the veg mixture between the two parcels, top with the salmon fillets, and season with a few more chives and black pepper.
4) Fold over the remaining two edges of the envelope, making sure that the parcel is well sealed around all edges. Place the parcels on a baking tray and pop in the oven for about 15 mins.
5) When ready, cut the parcels open and if using, drizzle with a little sesame oil. This is best eaten straight from the parcel...don't bother trying to serve onto a plate.

Serious Satay

Ingredients
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
1 large red chilli (or 2 small ones)
1 Tsp ground cumin
1 Tsp ground coriander
100g crunchy peanut butter (make sure there's no added salt, sugar or other 'nasties', you just want 100% ground peanuts)
200g coconut milk
1 lime
Nam pla (optional, to taste)

This is seriously addictive! It can be used as a dipping sauce for chicken skewers or as salad dressing. Tonight I drizzled it over a crunchy veggie salad of green beans, red and yellow pepper, carrot, fennel and spring onions.

For the satay sauce:
1) Either very finely chop, or preferably blitz to a course paste in a food processor, the shallots, garlic and chilli (seeds in or out, your choice).
2) Heat oil in pan and gently fry the paste for 3-4 mins, then add the ground cumin and coriander for a further 2 mins.
3) Add peanut butter and coconut milk, combine and bring to the boil for 6-8 mins or until the sauce has thickened.
4) At this stage you need to taste....add a squeeze of lime juice (and if using, a splash of nam pla), stir and taste again. Keep tweaking until flavours are balanced...it's a personal thing.
5) Drizzle, dip, enjoy!

Jerk

No, not my favourite lift...but current household favourite...jerk style marinade.

Makes enough marinade for 500g of pork tenderloin. Would also work well with chicken.

Ingredients
Juice of 1 orange
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey (or agave)
1 Tsp ground allspice
1 Tsp chilli powder
1/2 Tsp smoked paprika
1/4 Tsp ground cumin
1/4 Tsp turmeric
Black pepper

1) Mix everything together and leave meat to marinade for at least a couple of hours in the fridge.
2) BBQ or griddle.
3) Get someone else to do the washing up, as the honey kinda caramelises and sticks to the pan!

Festival Food!

So, breakfast at this years Glastonbury Festival was Paleo. With no access to a working fridge here's what we came up with.... Omlette and salsa.

The salsa consisted of tomatoes, red and orange pepper a squeeze of lime and plenty of black pepper. I had also taken avocados but they stubbornly refused to ripen for several days.

And yes...that is a caravan in the background, and no we didn't do camping!