Take your pick!

sushi dip

Serves 4

Peel & dice ¼ pineapple
Peel & chop 2 cloves garlic
Peel & chop 50g ginger
Chop 1 stick lemongrass
Chop 100g coriander
Chop 50 g mint
Juice 6 limes or 4 lemons
50 ml tamari sauce
50g pickled ginger & pour some of the juice as well
100ml sesame oil
1 red chilli deseeded & chopped

Put all the ingredients in the blender & blend to a smooth dip
If wanted you could add a little fish sauce

sun dried tomato sauce

Soak the sundried tomatoes in water, lemon and a little basil. Dice up equal amounts of garlic, red onion, marjoram, basil, and saute lightly. Add the sundried tomatoes and the water, then simmer to reduced by half. Put in a blender/magimix. For a chunky style sauce blend a little, for a smooth sauce or even a soup blend till very smooth, and add a little xtra virgin olive oil.

japanese dipping sauce

Use fine chopped banana shallot, ginger and garlic in a ratio of 3:2:1. Add a little lemon juice, tamari soy sauce (this is the wheat free version of soy sauce) and sunflower oil. Mix well and use on the day you make it.

white bean dip

tin of cooked white haricot beans (7oz)
6 garlic cloves
juice of 2 lemons
mint and coriander to taste
dash of argon oil

Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix until all the ingredients are blended to a smooth consistency.

moroccan marinade

This is a delicious and easy marinade for fish or chicken, or can also be used as a dip.

3 garlic cloves
bunch of parsley
bunch of coriander (including the stalks as these add flavour)
tablespoon of cumin
black pepper
tablespoon of paprika
juice of 2 lemons
dash of olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender, and cover the fish or chicken before cooking.

A superb addition to chicken or fish bbq skewers.

Dice 2 mangoes and half a pineapple. Add one finely diced red onion, 1 bunch of coriander, sliced red chillies to taste, 4 limes juiced, oil to taste, 2 garlic cloves finely diced, 50 grams of ginger finely diced.

Mix in a bowl and let the lime juice “cook” the mix for an hour. This is great on fish and makes a cajun chicken salad taste even better! You can also use sesame oil to give a thai style flavour.

This simple sweet and sour salsa is delicious with steamed fish or chicken breast, or with rice noodles and steamed veg. Or, enjoy as a tasty salad for one with some rocket leaves.  Created by in:spa chef Celia Brooks Brown.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

4 small or 2 large passion fruit
1 small mango, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Juice of one lime
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Slice passion fruits in half and spoon the pulp into a mixing bowl.  Combine with remaining ingredients and mix well. Leave for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours get acquainted.

This is a delicious sauce for any steamed greens and with poached, baked or roasted fish.

Serves 4

1 large bunch of basil
1 handful of mint
1 large handful of parsley
2 tbsp of tarragon leaves
1 tbsp of dill
2-3 sprigs of lemon thyme (no leaves)
1 zest of large lemon
4 crushed garlic cloves
2 tbsp tamari
1 large handful of capers in vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 large cup of extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Pulse lightly in a blender the garlic, lemon zest, capers, tamari, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Now add the herbs to the mix and pulse lightly until finely chopped; do not over blend. Add the olive oil and some pepper to season and pulse to mix all together. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it. The mix should be left for 10 minutes before using so the oil can become liquid.

coriander, pistachio and lime pesto

1 bunch of coriander, juice of 6 limes, 100 gms pistachio nuts, sesame oil to taste, 4 cloves of garlic. Just blend and enjoy.

basil, walnut and lemon pesto

2 bunches of basil, 50 – 100 gms walnuts, 3 cloves garlic, 20 gms ginger, juice of 4 lemons. Simply blend together.

Used in many Moroccan dishes and a good sauce for white fish.

how to preserve lemons

Take the lemons and slice them in half, squeezing out all the juice. Put them in a pot with water and boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer until tender. Set the lemons aside and leave to cool in the water. When cool, squeeze out any juice and remove any left over pithiness with a teaspoon. Use straight away or refrigerate in a jar.

preserved lemon sauce

Seasons 4 pieces of fish

2 halves of a preserved lemon
4-5 sprigs of thyme leaves
1 handful of rocket
3 tbsp of pinenuts
1 tsp of pepper
1 tbsp of parsley
2 cloves of garlic
half a cup of olive oil

Blend all ingredients together until a smooth textured paste is formed. Put the mixture in a jar and store in the fridge until you need to use it. To use, spread a teaspoon of the mixture over each portion of fish and grill in the oven for 7 minutes.

Extra special when combined with our mango and pineapple salsa.

Serves 4

Juice of 1 lime
Juice of ½ orange
1 tsp harissa paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large, skinless turkey breasts
8 lemongrass stalks
1 courgette – sliced into 1cm discs
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into squares
8 shiitake mushrooms, cut in half
½ pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed

In a large bowl, mix together the lime juice, orange juice, harissa, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and olive oil. Cut the turkey into bite-sized chunks, add to the bowl and toss well. Cover and leave to marinate in a cool place, ideally for at least 2 hours.

Thread the turkey pieces on to the lemongrass “skewers”, alternating with the courgette, red pepper, mushrooms and pineapple. Preheat the grill, barbecue or griddle pan (oiling this lightly) and cook the skewers, turning occasionally, for about 10minutes until evenly coloured and the turkey is cooked through.

Serve the skewers with mango and pineapple salsa and brown rice.

Mango & Pineapple Salsa

2 ripe but firm mangoes
½ ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and crushed
1 small red chilli, finely sliced
Handful of coriander (leaves and stalks), roughly chopped
Juice of 3 limes
2tsp sesame oil

Peel and chop the mangoes over a salad bowl to catch any runaway juice, tipping the fruit into the bowl and discarding the stone. Add the pineapple, onion, ginger, garlic, chilli and coriander and toss together. Drizzle with the lime juice and sesame oil, toss to mix and serve either as an accompaniment to the above recipe or on top of a piece of grilled fish or meat.

Serves 6

1 tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
450g/1lb turkey mince
6 sun dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
75g/3oz fresh bread crumbs – wholemeal or gluten free bread is the healthy option
Mixed salad leaves and tomato wedges to serve
Sea salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and steam-fry the onion for a few minutes until softened. Transfer to a bowl, add the herbs and stir well.

Add the minced turkey, tomatoes, breadcrumbs and seasoning. Mix well to form a soft mixture. Divide into six patties and chill until firm.

Cook under a medium grill or over the barbecue for 25 minutes, turning occasionally or grill under a medium heat for 25 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve immediately.

Top Tip: For a less chunky burger, put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend for a few seconds, transfer to a bowl and divide into six patties.

Something new and interesting to try with chicken breasts.

Serves 4

½ onion, peeled and sliced
1 tsp olive oil
8 star anise
4 chicken breasts with skin
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
100ml freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
100ml water
300g cherries

You can either remove the stones from the cherries or save the effort and leave them in – just remember to warn everyone before eating! If fresh cherries are out of season, opt for unsweetened frozen ones instead.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/Gas mark 4. In a flameproof casserole, soften the onion in the olive oil together with the star anise. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly coloured. Stir in the tamari, honey, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and wine. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Tip in the cherries and stir to mix. Cover and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, then squish the cherries into the sauce to make it darker and more flavourful. Bake, uncovered, for a further 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Serve with brown rice and steamed green vegetables.

Quinoa (pronounced ‘keenwa’) is a true wonderfood, containing more protein than any grain (technically it is a fruit) as well as essential fatty acids and a whole host of vitamins and minerals (four times as much calcium as wheat, plus extra iron, B vitamins and vitamin E). Native to Central and South America, it is reputed to have provided the Aztecs with their enormous strength and as such is the ingredient of choice for most nutritionists.

Serves 4 – 6

1 whole free-range chicken (approx 1 kg or 2.2 lb)

dressing
1 large or 2 small preserved lemons
1 tbsp preserved lemon liquid
3 tbsp verjuice or white wine vinegar
60ml/ 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

herby quinoa
250g quinoa
1 bunch parsley (approx 30g), roughly chopped
1 bunch mint (approx 30g), roughly chopped
1 bunch dill (approx 30g), roughly chopped
1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To cook the chicken, bring a large stockpot of water to the boil. Add the whole chicken, ensuring that it is completely covered in water. Bring the water back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then cover the pan with a well fitting lid and turn off the heat. Leave it to sit for 1 hour undisturbed. It will continue to cook in the water as it cools.

After an hour, remove the chicken from the water and drain well. It should be perfectly cooked and moist. Keep the poaching liquid to cook your quinoa, if you like. Set the chicken aside and when cool enough to handle, tear the flesh from the bones, separating it into strips. Store in the fridge until required.

While the chicken is cooking, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the preserved lemon liquid, verjuice or vinegar, and olive oil, then season to taste with pepper. Finely chop the rind of the preserved lemons (discard the flesh) into small pieces and add to the dressing.

To cook the quinoa, bring a large pot of salted water (or your chicken poaching liquid) to the boil. In a sieve, rinse the quinoa thoroughly to remove the starch, then add it to the boiling water. Boil for approximately 10 minutes, then test to make sure that it is tender before draining. You can tell when it is cooked because the grains will have turned translucent, leaving just a small fleck of opaque in the centre. Rinse under cold water, drain well then mix with the herbs (reserving a little for garnish), spring onion, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

To serve, divide the herby quinoa between four plates. Top with some pieces of poached chicken and finally pour over the dressing. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped herbs…