Tuna steak with red cabbage salad

"My own recipe with tuna, tagliatelle and red cabbage."

Serves 2
2 tuna steaks (200-250g each)
sea salt
knob of butter (to fry tuna steaks)

8 fresh sage leaves

olive oil

Red cabbage salad
300g red cabbage (outer leaves removed, the thick stem removed, finely shredded to long thin slices)
small handful celery leaves (chopped)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small sweet onion (finely chopped)
1/2 small leek (finally sliced)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
sugar

Method
Bring around 1 liter of water to boil, add cabbage and boil it for about 2-3 minutes or until "al dente". Drain the cabbage and place it in a bowl. Add vinegar, onion, leek and celery leaves. Add salt, pepper and sugar to achieve a sweet-sour taste. Add olive oil and set aside.

Salt the steaks on both sides and fry them on a medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side (you will need less time if you like your tuna less fried). Around 1 minute before the steaks are ready add sage leaves to the pan with tuna and fry them until crispy. Set aside.

While frying the tuna, boil the tagliatelle, drain it and put it back to the pan. Toss the tagliatelle with olive oil. Before placing the food, warm the plates in the oven preheated to 140C for about 5 minutes, or 1-2 minutes in a microwave. Arrange the tagliatelle in the middle of the plate, put the steak on top of the tagliatelle and arrange the red cabbage salad on top of it. Decorate with the fried sage leaves.

Matjes herring and apple salad

"I found this recipe long time ago in my cooking bible (Off Duty, The World's Greatest Chefs Cook at Home). John Williams's recipe of matjes herring  and apple salad on a bed of carpaccio of beetroot is so simple and tasty. Since matjes herrings are not available in all countries you may try to use a regular herring fillets instead."

Serves 5
Ingredients:
500g small raw beetroots
320g Matjes herrings (finely diced)
2 apples (cored, peeled, and finely diced)
1 tea spoon finely grated fresh horseradish
3 1/2 tablespoons plain yoghurt
100ml creme fraiche
lemon juice
80g mixed baby salad leaves (I used alfalfa)
1/2 garlic clove (crushed)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
5 1/2 tablespoons ground oil (peanut)
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs (chives, chervil, tarragon, parsley and basil) (I didn't use any of these herbs)

Preheat the oven to 140C. Top and tail the beetroots, wrap in foil and roast them in an over for about 45 minutes until firm. Allow to cool, peel and slice them very finely.

Mix the apples, herrings and horseradish together, add yoghurt and creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste.

For the dressing mix all the ingredients together and season to taste with salt.

Prepare 5 serving plates. In the middle of each plate place a ring and spoon the herring mixture into it. Remove the ring. Arrange the beetroot slices overlapping one another, around the herring. Toss the mixed leaves (with me alfalfa) with some of the dressing, then arrange on top of the herring. Spoon some of the dressing over the beetroot.

Marinated giant tiger prawns in pasta de achiote on a bed of baby-leaf salad with tomato salsa

"Pasta de achiote is a paste made with achiote, garlic, vinegar, bitter orange juice, and spices. I got my paste from my parents who visited Mexico in November this year. Its unusual taste and colour (strong red) make this dish a real feast! You can find it in most Asian/Oriental food stores, but you can also make it at home (the recipe follows soon). Bitter oranges are to be found in the organic food stores, but you can substitute them by using regular oranges mixed 1:1 with white wine vinegar. It is a perfect starter for a Christmas Eve dinner (specially for Polish Christmas-Eve-fish-eaters). I like it served on a bed of a baby leaf salad with tomato salsa. I promise that my next pasta de achiote recipe will include home-made version of this paste :)".  


Serves 4
500g Giant tiger prawns  (or 4-5 prawns per person) (uncooked, raw or frozen defrosted before cooking)
1 tablespoon pasta de Achiote
3 tablespoons bitter orange juice (or regular orange juice mixed with white wine vinegar 1:1)


For the tomato salsa
2 large tomatoes, in cubes, seeded
a handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 handfuls baby leaves (rocket, red chard, lamb's lettuce etc.)
1 tablespoon oil


Method
Remove the shells, heads, and legs from the prawns as well as the intestinal vein (black vein) that runs across the back of the prawns. Dilute the pasta de achiote in vinegar or bitter orange juice, and add a pinch of salt. Add prawns to this paste and allow to marinate for ~1 hour in a room temperature. 
To prepare the salsa mix the chopped tomatoes, coriander and onion. Add lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat the oil and fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes until pink and tender.
Place a handful of baby leaves in the middle of a plate, arrange prawns around, and garnish with salsa.

Stuffed roasted peppers

"Peppers stuffed with pine nuts, apricots and raisins is one of my favourite stuffed pepper recipes from Rose Elliot's "New Complete Vegetarian". It is simple and delicious dish with a Middle Eastern flavour (as the author of the book promises)."


Serves 4
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
175g couscous
40g raisins
40g dried apricots, chopped
4 -5 red peppers
2 tomatoes, chopped
50g pine nuts
75g pitted black olives
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leave parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped (I used 4 tablespoons)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato puree
150ml water


Method
In a large saucepan fry the onion in the oil until golden brown. Add the garlic, coriander and cinnamon and cook for 1-2min more until the flavours will release. Put the pan aside.


Preheat the oven to 180C (conventional oven). Put the couscous in a bowl with the raisins and apricots. Cover generously with boiling water and set aside for a few minutes. Wash and dry the peppers. Slice the tops off (retain them), and scoop out the seeds.


Drain any excess water from the couscous and mix it with the fried onion mix, the tomatoes, pine nuts, olives, mint and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.


Fill the peppers with the mixture and place the tops as lids. Stand the peppers in a deep baking dish. Mix the tomato puree with water, salt and black pepper and pour it round the peppers. Bake for 1 hour until the peppers are very tender.