Recipes:Sardines & watercress on toast

A low-fat lunch that's high in omega 3. You could use any oily fish if you don't have sardines

• slice granary bread
• garlic clove , halved
• vine-ripened tomato , thinly sliced
• ½ x 115g can Portugese sardines in spring water, drained
• handful of organic watercress or wild rocket
• splash of balsamic vinegar

1. Lightly toast the bread. Rub the cut side of the garlic over the surface of the toast and arrange the tomato slices on top. Add seasoning if you want to.
2. Break up the sardines with a fork and arrange on top. Pile on the watercress and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Per serving

202 kcalories, protein 15g, carbohydrate 23g, fat 6 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 3g, salt 0,85 g

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Recipes:Grilled sardines with avocado

Eating alone? Don't resort to beans on toast when you could have a nutritious, delicious supper in ten minutes

Ingredients

• ½ avocado
• lime
• red chilli , finely chopped
• bread , thick slices, toasted
• sardine fillets, grilled fresh, or tinned
• rocket
• olive oil

1. Mash the avocado with a squeeze of lime, some chopped red chilli and season. Spread on thick toast.
2. Top with the sardine fillets then scatter over rocket and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Posh mushrooms

Heat some butter in a frying pan then toss in 2 handfuls of mixed sliced mushrooms. Cook on a fairly high heat until they are softened and start to caramelise. Add 1 tbsp mascarpone or soft cheese and stir until it melts into a sauce. Add chopped tarragon then serve with toasted sourdough.

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Recipes:Feelgood fish cakes

These budget-friendly fish cakes made with canned sardines are packed full of good stuff

• 600g potatoes , cut into chunks
• 2 x 120g cans sardines in spring water, drained
• 4 tbsp chopped parsley
• zest and juice 1 small lemon
• 3 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt (we used Total 0%)
• 1 tbsp seasoned plain flour
• 4 tsp sunflower oil
• green salad and lemon wedges, to serve

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 15-20 mins. Meanwhile, coarsely mash the sardines in a bowl (there's no need to remove the calcium-rich bones as they are soft enough to eat). Mix in 3 tbsp chopped parsley and half the lemon zest and juice. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise and yogurt with the remaining parsley, lemon zest and juice and some seasoning.
2. Drain the potatoes, then mash until smooth. Gently mix into the sardine mixture and season. Shape into 8 fat fish cakes using floured hands, then dust lightly with the seasoned flour.
3. Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry half the fish cakes for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and crisp. Keep warm; repeat with remaining oil and fish cakes. Serve with the lemony mayonnaise, salad and lemon wedges.

Superhealthy sardines

Canned fish is often seen as the poor relative of fresh, but canned sardines are high in nutrients. The canning process makes the bones easier to eat and digest, increasing the calcium content of your meal. Choose fish in spring water or in a healthier oil such as olive, rather than in salty brine, as fish already has a high sodium content.

287 kcalories, protein 16g, carbohydrate 29g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 0,67 g

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Recipes:Fish pie fillets

Easy, quick, low-fat, and tasty - what more could you want

Ingredients

• 4 x 175g/6oz thick white fish fillets (we used haddock)
• small bunch dill , leaves only, chopped
• 100g half-fat soft cheese
• 200g frozen prawns , raw or cooked, defrosted
• 4 sheets filo pastry
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp parmesan , finely grated

1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the fish onto a non-stick baking sheet and season all over. Mix the dill and soft cheese in a small bowl, then stir in the prawns, taking care not to break them up. Season with black pepper, then spread evenly over the fish.
2. Brush the filo sheets with the oil, then cut into thick strips. Scrunch the pastry up a little and crumple on top of the fish. Scatter with parmesan, then bake for 10 mins until the fish is cooked through and the pastry is crisp and golden. (If you've used raw prawns, check they're cooked through.) Serve with green beans or a salad with your choice of potatoes.

Make it Mediterranean

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the fish fillets (and the prawns if you like) into a baking dish then top with a 300g pot ready-made tomato sauce. Sprinkle over a generous handful chopped black or green olives then top with the filo, crumpling it as before. Scatter with the parmesan and bake for 15 mins, until the pastry is crisp and golden and the sauce bubbling.

Per serving

269 kcalories, protein 46g, carbohydrate 13g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 0g, sugar 2g, salt 1,3 g

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Recipes:Seared pollack with pea & watercress purée

Often overlooked, this white fish is sustainable and reasonably priced - just the thing for a midweek fish supper

• 100g cherry tomatoes , on the vine
• 200g frozen peas
• 50g watercress , woody stems removed
• 2 tbsp vegetable stock
• 2 spring onions , thinly sliced
• 2 x 125g skinless pollack fillets, or other sustainable white fish
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• olive oil

1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roast the tomatoes for 10 minutes until slightly split. Cook the peas in boiling water, add the watercress for a second, then drain. Return to the pan and add the stock and spring onions. Season. Purée in a blender and warm through before serving.
2. Dust the fish with a little cornflour, bat off any excess and season well. Heat a non-stick pan with 2 tsp olive oil and sear the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side. Thicker pieces may take longer, so add another minute. Serve the fish with the purée and cherry tomatoes.

Per serving

227 kcalories, protein 27,8g, carbohydrate 15,8g, fat 6,2 g, saturated fat 1,1g, fibre 6,1g, salt 0,53 g

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Recipes:Open sandwiches - Tomato, sardine & rocket

Another great idea for a healthy sandwich, perfect for a quick snack or tasty lunch

ts

• a thick slice baguette
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 ripe tomato
• good-quality sardines , from a can
• rocket

1. Toast a thick slice of baguette. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the cut side over the surface.
2. Halve the tomato and squeeze and rub the flesh over the bread.
3. Top with the sardines and rocket.

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Recipes: Moro's arroz a la marinera

Try this awesomely good Spanish fish dish, from Sam and Sam Clarke of London's Moro restaurant

• 300g North Atlantic prawns preferably in their shells
• 1l fish stock
• 1 small pinch of saffron (about 20 threads)
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ large spanish onions , finely chopped
• 1 green pepper , seeded and finely chopped
• 2 dried ñoras peppers , seeds and stalks removed, broken into small pieces and covered with boiling water, or 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 5 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 250g Calasparra rice
• 75ml white wine
• 300g monkfish fillets, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 squid the size of your hand, cleaned and scored
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley , roughly chopped
• 1 lemon , cut into wedges

1. Peel the prawns and put in the fridge. Transfer the shells to a large saucepan over a high heat and add the fish stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes so that the flavour infuses the stock.
2. Remove from the heat, strain the stock and add the saffron. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-to-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion and both the green and ñoras peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often. Now stir in the chopped garlic and fennel seeds and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the garlic and the onions have some colour and are sweet. Add the rice to the pan and stir for 1 minute to coat with the oil. (Up to this point everything can be cooked in advance. The next stage should be started about 20 minutes before you wish to eat.)
3. When you are ready to cook the rice, bring the stock to the boil. Remove and keep aside. Place the paella pan (or large pot) over a medium-high heat and add the wine, followed by the hot stock, and season. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent sticking, then add the pieces of monkfish and squid and turn the heat down to medium- low. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the prawns, turn off the heat and cover. Let the rice sit for 3-5 minutes, then check the seasoning. (The rice should be tender and surrounded by a soupy sauce.) Serve with parsley sprinkled over and lemon wedges.

From Casa Moro, The Second Cookbook, by Sam and Sam Clark

Per serving

593 kcalories, protein 44,8g, carbohydrate 59,5g, fat 19,8 g, saturated fat 2,6g, fibre 3g, salt 1,46 g

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Recipes:Monkfish with tomatoes & crème fraîche

Cook monkfish simply with herbs and serve with fried tomatoes and their creamy juices

Ingredients

• 8 plum tomatoes
• 50g butter
• 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• olive oil
• 1 stick rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 pieces skinless fillet monkfish , about 150g each
• 100g crème fraîche

1. Top and tail the tomatoes then cut through the middle so that you have thick rounds. Heat the butter in a large frying pan until foaming. Season the tomatoes and cook gently for around 10 minutes on one side, then turn the tomatoes over and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes. Add the anchovy to the pan.
2. Heat a little olive oil in another pan and add the rosemary and bay leaves. Season the fish then fry for 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Add the crème fraîche to the tomatoes, turn the heat up a little to simmer, then taste and season if needed.
3. Spoon the tomatoes and the juices onto warm plates and cut the monkfish into rounds to serve.

PER SERVING

354 kcalories, protein 26,6g, carbohydrate 6,9g, fat 24,6 g, saturated fat 13,6g, fibre 2g, salt 0,75 g

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Recipes:Plaice with spinach, pine nuts & capers

Bring out the delicate flavour of place with lemon, capers and pine nuts

• 2-4 skinless plaice fillets, about 350g in total
• olive oil
• 150g young leaf spinach , washed
• 1 tbsp pine nuts , toasted
• ½ lemon , juiced
• new potatoes steamed, to serve
• 1 tbsp capers

1. Fold the plaice fillets over on a plate, put inside a steamer, season well and steam for 3-4 minutes. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan, throw in the spinach and stir until wilted.
2. Mix together the capers, pine nuts and lemon juice. Spoon over the plaice and serve with the spinach and steamed new potatoes.

per serving

263 kcalories, protein 33,6g, carbohydrate 2,2g, fat 13,4 g, saturated fat 1,7g, fibre 2g, salt 1,32 g

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Recipes:Plaice with spinach, pine nuts & capers

Bring out the delicate flavour of place with lemon, capers and pine nuts

Ingredients

• 2-4 skinless plaice fillets, about 350g in total
• olive oil
• 150g young leaf spinach , washed
• 1 tbsp pine nuts , toasted
• ½ lemon , juiced
• new potatoes steamed, to serve
• 1 tbsp capers

1. Fold the plaice fillets over on a plate, put inside a steamer, season well and steam for 3-4 minutes. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan, throw in the spinach and stir until wilted.
2. Mix together the capers, pine nuts and lemon juice. Spoon over the plaice and serve with the spinach and steamed new potatoes.

per serving

263 kcalories, protein 33,6g, carbohydrate 2,2g, fat 13,4 g, saturated fat 1,7g, fibre 2g, salt 1,32 g

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Recipes:Crab, avocado & lime cocktails

For a zesty starter this summer try this glamorous alternative to a prawn cocktail

• 200g cooked white crabmeat
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 red chilli , chopped
• 1 lime , juiced
• 2 handfuls of rocket leaves
• 2 hass avocados , peeled and sliced

FOR THE LIME DRESSING

• 150ml mayonnaise
• 1 lime , zested and juiced
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander

1. Toss the crab with the coriander, chilli and lime juice. Season. Divide the rocket leaves between 6 glasses. Layer the crab and avocado in each glass.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients, season and drizzle over the cocktails.

303 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 1,8g, fat 29,3 g, saturated fat 4,3g, fibre 1,9g, salt 0,7 g

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Recipes:Crisp sea bass with minted fennel & radish salad

Simple but elegant, this tasty dish is all about the quality of the ingredients

• 1 fennel , trimmed and finely sliced (on a mandolin if you have one), green fronds reserved
• juice 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 sustainably caught seabass fillets, skin on
• 85g radishes , trimmed, finely sliced
• handful mint , leaves roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp capers , rinsed

1. Boil a small pan of water, then blanch the fennel for 15 secs. Drain and cool under cold running water, then drain again and dry. Whisk together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and sugar, then toss half with the fennel. Set the other half of the dressing aside and leave the fennel to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Season the sea bass fillets. Place the fish in the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 mins until the skin is golden and crisp - you might want to press the fillets with the back of a spatula for the first 30 secs to prevent them curling. Turn, leave for 30 secs to 1 min more, then remove from the heat.
3. Toss the radishes, herbs, capers and reserved fennel fronds into the marinated fennel slices with some seasoning, then pile onto two plates. Carefully place the fish on top, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and serve with Lemon-roasted new potatoes, see 'goes well with'.

Per serving

294 kcalories, protein 31g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 2 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 5g, sugar 5g, salt 0,79 g

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Recipes:Baked sea bass with lemongrass & ginger

A superhealthy source of iron and omega-3 fatty acids

ngredients

• 1 whole sea bass (about 1.4kg/3lb), gutted and cleaned
• 3 lemongrass stalks, cut diagonally into 2.5cm pieces
• 2 small chillies , halved
• 2 garlic cloves , halved
• 3cm piece fresh ginger , peeled and cut into thin strips
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 limes
• 2 kaffir lime leaves (use a few strips of lime peel if you can't get these)

1. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Wash the sea bass inside and out, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Score across the fish and through the skin 4-5 times on each side, then lay the fish on a large piece of oiled foil, big enough to wrap it up loosely.
2. Put the lemongrass, chillies, garlic and ginger into a mortar with the honey and 1 tbsp of the oil. Squeeze in the juice of one of the limes. Bash a few times with the pestle until everything's bruised - there's no need to grind it finely.
3. Season the fish inside and out. Scrape out half the pounded mixture over the fish, add the last of the oil and rub everything in, making sure you push some into the cuts.
4. Cut the second lime into quarters and push two pieces into the cavity along with the remainder of the pounded mixture. Fold each kaffir lime leaf in half and tear out the central vein to give you two halves. Push these into the cavity, too.
5. Squeeze the juice from the last two lime quarters over the fish and pull the sides of the foil up to create a loose parcel. Crimp the edges to seal, making sure there is some space around the fish.
6. Bake for 25 minutes. If you're eating the fish straight away, let it rest for about 5 minutes before opening the parcel. If you're taking it to a picnic, wrap it in another layer of foil the minute it's out of the oven.

Per serving

260 kcalories, protein 38g, carbohydrate 2g, fat 11 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 0g, sugar 1g, salt 0,34 g

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Recipes:Sardines with crisp paprika crumbs

These sardines are perfect for a light summery meal with friends

• 4-6 sardines , depending on size
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 thick slice bread , blitzed into crumbs
• 1 tsp paprika
• handful flat-leaf parsley , chopped
• lemon or lime wedges, to serve

1. Heat grill or light the barbecue. Season the sardines inside and out, then grill or barbecue for 5 mins until cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the garlic for 1 min, add the crumbs and paprika, then fry over a fairly high heat, stirring until the crumbs are crisp. Stir in the chopped parsley. Serve the sardines scattered with the crumbs and lemon or lime wedges. Great with a fresh salad, or Italian spinach.

Per serving

349 kcalories, protein 32g, carbohydrate 13g, fat 19 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 1g, sugar 2g, salt 0,69 g

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Recipes: Pan-fried sea bass with citrus-dressed broccoli

A restaurant-quality fish supper, ready in just half an hour

Ingredients

• 2 sea bass fillets, about 140g each (see tips, below)
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 orange
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp small capers
• 6 anchovies , roughly chopped
• 1 lemon

1. Before you start cooking, get everything prepared. Trim each sea bass fillet so they are both the same shape, then score the skin, cutting into the flesh slightly, 5 or 6 times at about 1cm intervals. Set aside.
2. Segment the orange - slice off the top and bottom, then cut away the skin and pith. Cut away each segment, then squeeze out the juice from the rest of the orange into a bowl. Cut the broccoli into medium-size florets.
3. To make the warm broccoli salad, cook the florets in a pan of boiling salted water for 1 min until just cooked. While the broccoli is cooking, put a frying pan on to heat. As soon as the broccoli is cooked, drain it, then tip straight into the hot frying pan to 'scorch' out all the moisture.
4. Turn off the heat, then scatter the orange segments over the broccoli. Toss for a few moments just to heat through, then tip into a bowl and dress with the orange juice and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with pepper and a small sprinkling of sea salt, then set aside.
5. Wipe out the pan. Season the fish with a little salt and pepper just before cooking. Heat the frying pan until very hot, then add 2 tbsp oil. Lay the fish fillets in the pan, skin-side down. As soon as it goes in, press each fillet down with your fingers or a fish slice to stop it from curling up.
6. Reduce the heat to medium, then leave the fish to cook for 3-4 mins, undisturbed, until you can see that the flesh has cooked two-thirds of the way up and the skin is crisp and brown.
7. Flip the fillets over, then fry on the flesh side for about 2 mins until just done, basting the skin with the oil in the pan as it cooks. Leave to rest on a warm plate, skin-side up, and baste with the hot oil and juices from the pan.
8. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan and place it back on a high heat. Scatter in the capers and anchovies, then cook until they start to crisp. Grate over the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice of ½ the lemon. If there isn't enough juices in the pan to drizzle over both plates, add a splash more oil. You are now ready to plate up.

Salt

With this recipe, watch how much salt you use - anchovies and capers are very salty so the broccoli and fish will need only a small sprinkling.

Wild sea bass

I use wild sea bass in my restaurants and, to ensure that it's sustainable, I use only line-caught. Wild sea bass fillets are a lot larger than the farmed ones you get in supermarkets, so if you are using farmed, the fillets will weigh about 100g once trimmed. They won't need to be pan-fried for as long, so take 1 min off the cooking time.

Scales

As the crisp skin is an important part of this finished dish, you need to make sure that the fish has been scaled properly before cooking as fish scales are tough and inedible. Ask your fishmonger to scale the fish for you and, when you get the fish home, wipe the skin with a piece of kitchen paper to get rid of any stray scales that may be clinging on.

PER SERVING

528 kcalories, protein 36g, carbohydrate 10g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 4g, sugar 9g, salt 2,97 g

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