Febuary’s $7 meals already this year is going so quickly. This month i have gone for a rich and tasty Tomato Soup as a starter and some lovely Fishcakes. I love to make my own Tomato Soup because i like it to be so creamy and rich. Some of the tinned varities can be pretty awful.

I like to make Fishcakes because over here in Portugal Fish is one of there main ingredients that they eat so that means there is a great variety of fish to choose from. In the recipe i have put cod but if you find this expensive any white fish will do. I like to use catfish they maybe abit watery but they are very tasty.

Tomato Soup:

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Onions, Chopped
5 Tomatoes, Peeled
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1 Beet, Peeled & Sliced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
4 drops Tabasco Sauce
1 tbsp White Vinegar
1/4 lb Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 tsp Basil

Method:

1. Heat olive oil and onions in a medium saucepan. Quarter tomatoes and add to the saucepan along with the garlic and beet. Season with salt, pepper and basil. Reduce heat to low and cook 45 minutes.

2. Discard beets and transfer to food processor, puree until smooth. Before serving, season with lemon juice, Tabasco sauce and vinegar, then add 1/2 inch cubes of Mozzarella cheese.

Fishcake Recipe:

Ingredients:

1lb 9oz Potatoes, Peeled And Chopped
1lb 9oz Cod Fillet
1 Pint Milk
½ Pack Parsley, Finely Chopped
Salt And Ground Black Pepper
1oz Plain Flour
2 Large Eggs, Beaten
4oz Dried Natural Breadcrumbs
Vegetable Oil For Shallow Frying
Lemon Wedges To Garnish

For the green sauce

1oz Butter
3 tbsp Corn Flour Mixed With 3tbsp Water
1oz Capers
1oz Gherkins
2 tbsp Parsley, Chopped
2 Spring Onions, Chopped

Method:

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and mash.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, place the fish in a saucepan, cover with the milk and bring to the boil. Remove pan from the heat then drain, saving the milk.

3. As soon as the fish is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and any bones then break up the fish. Place the potatoes, flaked fish and the parsley in
a bowl and season generously.

4. Combine together well then shape into 8 cakes. Dip each cake in the flour, shake off the excess, then dip in the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs until evenly coated.

5. Chill until required. They may be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. To make the sauce, place the reserved milk in a saucepan with the butter and corn-flour and cook gently, stirring until thickened. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

6. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Cover and leave until required – it can be kept for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large, ideally non-stick frying pan and cook the fish cakes in batches if necessary for about 5 minutes on each side over a medium heat until crisp and golden.

7. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve at once with the sauce and a vegetable of your choice.

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To your food heaven

Dominic

We all love a traditional bowl of soup with warm crusty bread and tomato soup is no different. It is also very filling and good for you without breaking the bank.

Ingredients:

30ml Olive Oil

900g Fresh Medium Tomatoes halved

2 Medium Garlic Cloves

1 Small Potato peeled and sliced

300ml Water

Vegetable Stock

5ml Sugar

Instructions:

You need to lightly oil a roasting tin and arrange the tomatoes with cut part facing up. Add the garlic cloves and season then drizzle with the remaining oil. Once you have done this leave it to roast in the oven for 30 minutes on 190c/gas mark 5.

Boil the potatoes until tender but do not drain the water. Skin the tomatoes and the garlic and once you have removed the skin place the remainder into a food processor or blender. Also place the potatoes and potato stock into the machine and blend until smooth.

Once you have your smooth mixture place it into a saucepan, add a little extra vegetable stock if it is too thick and finally add the sugar. It is now ready to serve along with crusty bread if you wish.

Thanks for reading my blog post and in the meantime if you would like to read more of my fantastic cooking tips and food recipes you can subscribe to my RSS feed or join my free online Ezine.

To your food heaven

Dominic