Pan Seared Cod with Chorizo and Leek Risotto

This is a glorious evening meal that hubby and I really enjoy.  It's the type of dish that a restaurant will charge you €23 for that can easily be made cheaply at home.  It looks like you've spent hours cooking it too, when in reality it's ridiculously simple!

Risotto is one of those meals that gets a bad wrap in terms of home cooking.  Supposedly it's difficult to get right, but like other notorious tricky eats such as choux pastry and hollandaise sauce, it's incredibly simple once you get the hang of.  This dish comes together quickly, so I recommend having all your ingredients (mise en place) ready in advance.  Try and get fresh cod from a fish monger.  This also works well with Monkfish. The measurements below serve two, any tips on getting the kids to eat fish are always welcome!

Ingredients:


For the risotto -

• knob of butter
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 large leeks, finely sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 200g Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• glass of dry white wine
• 1 pint hot chicken stock
• handful parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

For the fish -

• 2  thick loins of cod, skinned and bones pin-picked
• 1/2 link of chorizo, skinned and cubed
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Season fish with salt and pepper, set aside while you prepare the risotto.

Saute the shallots with the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat until soft.  Add the leeks and cook for a few minutes until leeks begin to soften.  Add rice and stir to coat well. Cook for a minute, stirring frequently.

Add the wine and allow to cook off before adding a ladle of stock. Allow to cook down and repeat.  Continue until the rice is just under al-dente.  Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan and another knob of butter if you like.  

While you're cooking the risotto, heat a frying pan and render the chorizo.  You want it to be relatively crispy but not burnt.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add a little olive oil to the rendered chorizo fat and sear your cod.  Cook for 3-5 minutes per side until firm to the touch and just cooked through.

To plate, serve a scoop of risotto, top with the cod, sprinkle with chorizo and drizzle with some of the chorizo oil. 

Linking up to: Recipe Sharing Monday, 

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

The mere mention of turkey burgers just turns me off. It gives me flashbacks of horrible low fat diets and cardboard flavoured meals. Yet I saw ground turkey on offer at the butchers the other day and figured the price was worth me playing around with it.  I made these burgers for lunch and surprised everyone including myself with the wonderful flavours and texture. These are super healthy and incredibly delicious; moist, colourful and tender. We've been avoiding white flour and sugar of late so I used maple syrup in the teriyaki sauce and to be honest it was actually better than a sauce made with brown sugar, it was light and zingy and the perfect accompaniment to the burgers.  You could easily make these into meatballs as well.  The apple is the secret to keeping them moist.  All in all a big hit with young and old alike.

Ingredients:

For the patties:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (white and green parts)
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1" piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 sweet red pepper, finely diced
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oats*
• salt and pepper to taste
• coconut oil for grilling

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• clove of garlic, crushed
• A few thin slices of ginger

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and grease your hands with a little coconut oil. Form into patties and chill while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook until slightly syrupy. 

To grill the patties, brush a grill pan with a little coconut oil and grill over a medium heat for about ten minutes a side.  If you're grilling on a barbecue be sure to grease the grill well as there is very little fat in this recipe and it will stick otherwise.

Serve with wedges of pineapple and the teriyaki sauce. 

* Can use breadcrumbs here as well, but the oats are better for you and keep you fuller longer!

Linking up to: Recipe Sharing Monday,