FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

This is a family meal, and a good way to get children to eat vegetables, as they are hidden!  If need be, cut them up very small so they do not actually see them.  This is healthy, as it has tuna in it which is rich in Omega 3's. The taste of this meal is extra delicious, and quite easy to make with only 30 minutes of cooking time.  It can also be heated up easily in the microwave if you are making it for less people than five - I generally only cook for about 2 people but had visitors when I made this meal. I generally use John West large tins of tuna in spring-water, however tuna in brine will also be OK - I do not use much salt in cooking due to high cholesterol problem! Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Makes: 5 servings Ingredients 50 g butter 1 medium onion, sliced thinly ¼ cup plain flour 2 cups milk 150 g baby spinach leaves 425 g can tuna in spring-water, drained 2 tbsp lemon juice Mushrooms (optional) POTATO AND CELE...

This fish pie is unusual in that it has a crunchy Filo pastry baked on the top. I have served it with broccoli and a salad of carrots and fresh green peas, and I soaked the broccoli in the gravy from the fish pie! I try to eat fish once a week, as it is healthy however fish is not quite as versatile as chicken!  This is an easy pie to make and is just that little bit different. Serve it with a salad or even baked or boiled vegetables. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Makes: 3 servings Ingredients Bit of oil ½ leek, sliced 1 clove garlic 3 tbsp flour ¾ cup fish or chicken stock 70 g Philadelphia cream cheese (could use small tubs) 400 g white fish, cut into thick strips Grated rind of lemon Salt and pepper 3 sheets Filo pastry Olive oil spray Instructions Heat a bit of oil in a fry pan or small wok, and add the leek and garlic.  Saute this for about 2 minutes until it has softened. Add the flour and cook 1-2 minutes more. T...

Red salmon is one of the healthiest fish available partly due to the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids it has in it.  This recipe combines this salmon with spices and a base of rice noodles. It is not "hot" as in spicy but the flavour of the spices goes through the whole dish including the rice noodles.  It is not a difficult recipe to make, and is great for people who are not keen on eating fish by itself, as the flavours of the spices hides a bit of the fish taste! Buy the salmon fresh, and buying it skinless, although slightly more expensive, it is easier and no wastage. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes: 3-4 servings Ingredients 2 pieces red salmon, skinless 100 - 120 g flat rice sticks or noodles ½ carrot, julienned Bok choy, washed and diced ½ red capsicum 4-5 spring onions 55 g bean sprouts ½ cup sweet chilli sauce 1½ tsp fish sauce Less than ¼ cup kecap manis 1½ tblsp lime juice Chopped peanuts for garnish - optional ...

I may "harp" about the 5/2 diet however I was fanatical about it for a few years. Not that I wanted to lose weight - it has other effects which include lowering blood pressure and more.  This worked well for me for a while, however eventually I had to go down to 6/1 as I found I was losing too much weight! Currently this is what I do - I eat my 500 calories just once a week instead of two though it has not had the good side effects that doing it twice had. Anyway this article is not supposed to be about a diet but about food that is suitable for someone who wants to eat healthy, low fat and low calorie food, which this is. The other advantage of this recipe is that I have heard and read that we "should" eat fish twice a week as it also has so many health benefits, the main one being the Omega 3.  Many of us take fish oil supplements to get our Omega 3 however I am a firm believer in eating and getting vitamins naturally rather than taking a pill. On saying...

Fish pie on it's own can sometimes be a bit tasteless.  So because I love prawns, I decided to add some prawns to a fish pie. Now, I have to admit I tried this twice as it did not turn out the first time!  This was really annoying as I wasted the prawns, but it made me more determined to get it right the second time. This fish pie is made more tasty by the addition of  these king prawns.  The two textures go very well together, and the prawns are nice and soft if not overcooked.  I have served it with my  quinoa salad . If you do not like prawns, I would put some soy sauce in, or extra salt and pepper, or even a bit of chili or curry to give it some extra taste. Or, the prawns could be replaced with a similar quantity of extra fish if you do not like prawns. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Makes: 3 servings Ingredients 400g potatoes, peeled 1 medium leek, washed 65g butter 250g king prawns  20 g plain flo...

Once again, this is a recipe using the healthy fresh salmon.  It is full of Omega 3 which has many health benefits, and should be eaten regularly. This unusual recipe features beautiful pink salmon from Tasmania, and although it looks professional, it is surprisingly easy and quick to make. I normally buy the skin free salmon however bought one of the pieces this time with skin, and found this one was easier to fill, so would recommend this cheaper cut of salmon. I have accompanied it with slow baked potatoes in their jackets, topped with melted cheese, plus a few prawns. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Makes: 6 servings Ingredients 225 g tin crab-meat 6 x 170 g salmon fillets ½ cup breadcrumbs ½ tsp onion powder ¼ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley ¼ cup butter, melted Instructions Preheat the oven to 170°C, and coat a baking dish with baking paper or oil spray. Wash your unpeeled potatoes, wrap in foil and bake in the ...

This recipe is great when you don't want to do a lot of work and it is quite low in calories. Also it uses only one frypan which is something I love, as I do not like doing hand washing, and I always hand wash my pots. I always take out some of the middle of the bread rolls, which means you get less calories and more room to put the fillings in.  I used long hot dog type rolls for this one,  however you can use an ordinary hamburger rolls. This recipe can easily be doubled for more people, and it is far healthier than buying a shop made burger. I used  white Snapper however any white fish would also work well for this delicious burger. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 6 minutes Makes: 2 servings Ingredients 2 pieces fish ½ red onion ½ avocado, mashed 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp ricotta or cottage cheese ½ ripe tomato 1 tbsp lemon juice ½ to ¾ tbsp sweet chili sauce 2 bread rolls, halved 1 cups mushrooms, sliced fine Black pepper ...