These easy spring fish recipes are light and zesty – perfect for a light lunch and easy dinners 

Rice, fish and bean salad with home-made croutons

Serves 4  

Ingredients 

Olive oil blend, for frying 

2 frozen hake medallions, thawed 

1 Tbsp flour 

⅓ standard loaf of unsliced bread, crust removed 

½ cup speckled beans, cooked 

2 carrots, chopped 

½ cup frozen peas and corn, cooked 

2 cups spinach, thinly sliced 

1 cup cooked rice 

⅓ cup salad dressing (optional) 

Method 

1. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan. Season the hake with salt and pepper then dust with the flour.
2. Add the fish to the pan, skin-side down. Fry for 4 minutes. Flip and fry for another 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the pan, cool, flake and set aside.
3. Cut the bread into 1cm croutons. Heat some more oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the croutons in batches. Drain on kitchen paper and season.
4. Toss the fish, beans, carrots, peas, corn, spinach, and rice in a salad bowl. Top with the croutons and serve with your favourite salad dressing.

Recipe & styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie 

Photographs: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za 

Italian-style grilled fish on olive-oil tomato sauce 

Serves 4  

Ingredients 

For the tomato sauce 

¼ cup olive oil 

7 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped 

1 tsp chilli flakes 

1 tsp sugar 

½ cup basil, torn 

For the grilled fish 

3 Tbsp flour 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper 

1 silver-skin fish, skin on, filleted 

3 Tbsp olive oil 

To serve 

Vine tomatoes, roasted 

Basil leaves 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

Pinch sea-salt flakes 

Method 

1. For the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the tomatoes, chilli flakes and sugar. Season well.
3. Cook for 20 minutes, until thickened slightly and the tomatoes have broken down.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
5. For the grilled fish, mix the flour, salt and pepper together. Dust the fish with the seasoned f
6. Heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add the fish, skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes, pressing down occasionally, until the skin is crisp.
7. Flip and fry the flesh side for 2 minutes, until cooked.
8. To serve, add olive-oil tomato sauce on each plate. Lay a piece of fish over the sauce. Top with vine tomatoes, basil, olive oil and sea salt flakes.

Recipe & styling: Elizabeth MacKenzie 

Photographs: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

Baked fish and veggies 

Serves 4–6  

Ingredients 

For the baked fish with veggies 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

3 Tbsp chopped parsley 

1 tsp honey 

6 baby marrows, cut lengthwise and quartered 

1½ cups cherry tomatoes 

4 wheels feta, halved 

4 lemons, halved 

4 fish fillets 

For the herb sauce 

½ cup parsley, chopped 

½ cup rocket, chopped 

1 lemon, zested and juiced 

1 Tbsp honey 

1 clove garlic, finely chopped 

⅓ cup olive oil 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, parsley and honey. Season to taste.
3. Add the baby marrows and tomatoes and toss to coat.
4. Arrange the veggies and feta on a baking tray, drizzle over the remaining oil, and bake for 20 minutes.
5. In the meantime, heat a pan over high heat. Add the lemon halves, flesh side down, and cook for 5 minutes, then remove and set aside.
6. Season the fish and then place it on top of the veggies, along with three of the lemons. Return to the oven for about 10–12 minutes, until the fish is cooked.
7. For the herb sauce, combine all the ingredients, mix well and season to taste. Serve with the fish and veggies, as well as the last lemon on the side.

Recipe & styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie 

Photographs: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za 

Also read: Tasty flexitarian meals with veggies, lean meat and fresh sauces

The post 3 Easy spring fish-recipes that taste fin-tastic!  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Ready to up your picnic game? From beautiful BLT sandwiches to avocado, bacon and feta pizza rolls, pack these lovely light meals the next time you decide to dine al fresco.  

Mushroom quiche 

Serves 6 // Preparation time 30 minutes // Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients 

For the crust 

1 cup rye flour
½ cup wheat flour
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter, chilled
4 Tbsp chilled water  

For the filling  

4 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, finely chopped
250g white button mushrooms
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp fresh thyme, plus extra sprigs
2 Tbsp flour  

Method  

For the crust 

1. Mix together the flours and salt.
2. Chop the butter into small pieces and use your fingers to rub it into the flour mixture, until it resembles fine crumbs.
3. Gradually add the water and knead gently until the dough comes together.
4. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line 6 ramekins.
6. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 5 mm thick.
7. Cut rounds from the dough and press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp.

For the filling 

1. Lower oven temperature to 180°C.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a pan over medium and fry the leeks until soft. Remove from the pan.
3. Heat the remaining oil and brown the mushrooms for 5 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, thyme and flour until smooth. Season.
5. Divide the leeks between each crust and fill each one with the egg mixture. Top with mushrooms and a few sprigs of extra thyme.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until puffed up and golden.

Recipes & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen  

Avocado, biltong and feta pizza cones 

Makes 6 // Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients 

6 medium tortilla wraps
¾ cup tomato puree
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 cups grated mozzarella
1¼ cups sliced biltong
1¼ cups baby tomatoes, halved
1½ wheels feta, crumbled
½ avocado, chopped
¼ cup basil 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Shape six large pieces of foil into cones.
2. Brush both sides of each tortilla wrap with olive oil. Fold 5 cm of the bottom upwards to create a straight side. Then wrap around foil cones with the folded side at the bottom.
3. Close the bottom and secure the overlap with toothpicks to prevent it from unrolling.
4. Turn a muffin tray upside-down and arrange the cones in the spaces between the cups to prevent them from moving.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway, until golden brown and holding their shape. Allow to cool.
6. Mix the tomato puree and dried herbs together.
7. Remove the foil from the tortilla cones and spread the tomato puree on the inside of each one. Layer with cheese, biltong, tomatoes, feta and more tomato puree until they are filled, leaving space for the avo.
8. Return the pizza cones to the muffin tray and bake for 5–6 minutes, until hot and the cheese is melted.
9. Top with avocado and fresh basil, and serve.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za 

Salad jar with smoked chicken and rice noodles 

Makes 1 // Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients 

For the sauce 

1 garlic clove, grated
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp white-wine vinegar
1½ tbsp sugar
½ lime, juiced
½ red chilli, thinly sliced 

To serve 

1 cup rice noodles, cooked
½ cucumber, ribboned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned using a peeler
1 smoked chicken breast, shredded
Handful fresh coriander 

Method 

For the sauce 

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

To serve 

1. Layer the jar, starting with rice noodles, followed by vegetables, chicken, herbs and seasoning, and dress with sauce.

Tip: If you aren’t a fan of rice noodles, simply swap them out for your favourite grain instead. 

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za  

Loaded BLT and chip sandwich with aioli 

 Serves 4 // Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients  

For the aioli 

½ cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp cayenne pepper 

For the sandwich 

8 slices bread
8 lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
16 slices streaky bacon, fried
2 cups salted potato chips
2 gherkins, thinly sliced 

Method 

For the aioli 

1. Combine all ingredients, mix well and set aside.

For the sandwich 

1. Lightly toast bread slices in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Spread some aioli onto each slice and layer lettuce, tomato, bacon, chips and gherkins on top. Season and sandwich closed.

Recipe: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za 

The post 4 delicious light meals to pack in your picnic basket appeared first on MyKitchen.