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!

Spicy Veggies

No weighing and measuring tonight, we're free styling!

1) Partially cook broccoli and cauliflower, about 5 mins or so. I prefer to steam rather than boil as retains more nutrients and doesn't get soggy.
2) Meanwhile pre heat oven. Drain veg and chuck in a baking dish with a glug of olive oil, a few sliced garlic cloves, generous helping of dried chilli flakes and cumin seeds (probably about a Tsp each) and some ground black pepper.
3) Bake until soft and slightly charred, about 15 mins. With 5 mins to go I added some kalamata olives...yum.

Zoney Chicken Soup

Makes: 3 blocks protein, 3 blocks carb, 3 blocks fat

Ingredients
500 mls chicken stock, homemade if you can
Fresh chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
3oz / 85g chicken breast (3 protein)
1/2 cup / 45g spring onions, sliced (1 carb)
1/2 cup / 140g chickpeas (2 carb)
3 Tbsp avocado (3 fat)
Black pepper

1) Put chicken stock and chilli in a pan (add as much or as little chilli as you like) and bring to the boil. Add the whole chicken breast , lower the heat and simmer for about 10 mins, or until chicken is cooked through.
2) Remove chicken from pan and leave to cool for a min. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken. I find it easiest using two forks to pull the meat apart.
3) Meanwhile chuck the chickpeas, avocado and spring onions into the pan and simmer for 3-4 mins. Return the shredded chicken and warm through for a further min. Season generously with black pepper and serve.

TIP: This soup only has a handful of ingredients and so if you can use organic, free range chicken and home made stock, as this will give the best taste.

Mmmm Moroccan Marinade

Makes enough marinade for 340g / 12oz of chicken breast (12 blocks protein)

Ingredients
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tsp dried chilli flakes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp jumbo sultanas / raisins
2 Tbsp pine nuts
Handful fresh mint, roughly chopped

1) Mix everything together apart from the mint and pour over chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces. Make sure chicken is well coated.
2) Leave to marinade for an hour or so (although on occasions I have left it much longer and also barely 15 mins and it still works).
3) Remove the chicken and cook in a shallow pan until golden brown (you may need to add a splash more oil for this). Just before it's done chuck in the marinade and let it sizzle until pine nuts are slightly toasted. Turn off the heat, season with black pepper and add the mint.