Gordon Ramsay's 'Healthy Appetite' Review.

I got this book a few Christmases back from my Mum and I have used it quite a lot.  I tend to go through phases and have had another recent phase of referring to it often.  It must be when my jeans feel too tight!

The book's chapters are divided into healthy breakfast, healthy brunch/lunch, healthy working lunch, healthy Sunday lunch, healthy barbecues, healthy suppers, healthy kids, healthy entertaining and healthy desserts.  There are hundreds of ideas - some really easy and none particularly difficult or time-consuming.  It is healthy eating but not faddy or weird - just good food.  There are lots of lovely pictures but not every dish is photographed.  There is, however, quite a lot of helpful advice about a healthy diet and how to boost your eating. 

I have made many recipes from this book and there are still a good few more I want to get round to.  Some I have found successful are Stuffed Mushrooms with Ricotta and Walnuts on Toast; Berry and Yoghurt Smoothie; Smoked Trout, Orange and Wild Rocket Salad;Spiced Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes; Guinea Fowl with pea and lettuce fricasse.

Actually, I can't think of anything I have made so far from this book that hasn't been successful!

See this post to see the recipe for his seeded honey loaf.

 See this one for his rice noodle salad.

  Adam and I made his banana oat muffins recently and they were great for breakfast or a healthy snack after pre-school.  Here is Adam making them and the muffins cooling in the pan.

I made Wild Rice and Basmati Salad with Smoked Ham for tea a week or two ago.

Other recipes which are on my to do list are Oaty Walnut and Cheese Scones; Marinated Halibut with spiced aubergines; Venison Pie with Sweet Potato Topping (calling me this Autumn, I think).

 Today's recipe is also from this book - Fishcakes With Anchovy Dressing. These are lovely lemony fishcakes and I have made then twice in the past week.  The anchovy dressing is brilliant but for the second serving I made a dressing by microwaving some chilli jam and honey together and it worked well too.

My anchovy dressing would have looked nicer on the plate if I had, a) not forgotten to keep back some of the flat leaf parsley and, instead, piled it all into the fishcakes and, b) not overcooked it by forgetting about it so that the anchovy has all practically melted into the sauce and turned everything a sludgy brown colour instead of staying in lovely fleshy chunks.

Recipe - Serves 4.

Ingredients - 

400g waxy potatoes

2tbsp olive oil

finely grated zest of 1 large lemon

2 -3 tbsp lemon juice

sea salt and black pepper

few thyme sprigs

1/2 lemon, sliced

300g salmon fillet

300g smoked haddock fillet

handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

handful of chervil, chopped

3tbs plain flour

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

50g Japanese Panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp olive oil

Anchovy dressing:

2 tbsp capers

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

4 marinated anchovies, chopped

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method - 

1. Peel the potatoes, cut into even-sized pieces and drop into a pan of well-salted water.  Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.  Drain well. While still hot, mash the potatoes using a potato ricer back into the pan.  Mix in the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and seasoning to taste.  Leave to cool.

2. Meanwhile, add the thyme, lemon slices and salmon to a wide pan of slowly simmering salted water and poach for a minute.  Slide in the smoked haddock and gently poach for another 4-5 mins until both fish are almost cooked through.  Transfer to a plate, using a fish slice.  When cool enough to handle, break the fish into large flakes, discarding the skin and any pin-bones.

3. Mix the fish and chopped herbs into the mashed potatoes, using your hands.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Divide the mixture into four and shape into neat patties.  Season the flour with salt and pepper.  Coat the fishcakes in seasoned flour, then dip into the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs, turning to coat evenly all over.  Reshape them as necessary and place on a tray or plate.  Chill for 2 hours to set the shape.

4. To cook, heat the oven to 180C/GM 4.  Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a wide ovenproof frying pan.  Fry the fishcakes for 2-3 mins until golden brown, then flip over and fry the other side for 1-2 mins.  Finish cooking in the oven for 5-7 mins.

5. Make the dressing in the meantime, by gently warming all the ingredients together in a pan for 3-4 mins.  Spread a generous spoonful of dressing on each warm plate and rest a fishcake in the centre.  Serve immediately with peas or beans.