I saw this one morning on Saturday kitchen and fell in love with it. I have to confess that one of my favourite things to do at the weekend is to exercise whilst watching the programme – sad I know.
Allegra McEvedy is co-founder of fast-food health chain Leon and this recipe is definitely fast, very easy and I bloody well hope it’s healthy.
You can get preserved lemons in Waitrose, the brand is Belazu.
When she made it on TV she served it with a yoghurt, cucumber and mint sauce on the side … a sort of tzatziki.
The first time you cook this for anyone I guarantee that they will be impressed … as will you be with the ease with which you have done so.
Ingredients (Serves four)
180g cous-cous
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 preserved lemon, golf-ball sized, roughly chopped
10g fresh coriander, washed and roughly chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
700g monkfish fillet, cut into equal portions
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Big pinch saffron threads
1 bulb fennel, cut in half, core removed, thin sliced
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Mix all ingredients except the fish, extra virgin, saffron and fennel, in a bowl, and season well. Put a small saucepan with 140ml water and the saffron on to the stove and bring to a relaxed boil. Pour two tablespoons of extra virgin into the couscous and mix well so that all the grains are well coated in oil, then add the saffron water and stir. This will be quickly absorbed and the couscous will be part-cooked.
Clear your workspace. Tear off four 50cm sheets of foil - 30cm wide - and lay out with the short side towards you. Spread a little extra virgin in the centre of the front half of the foil, closest to you. Place a quarter of the sliced fennel on to the foil. Repeat for all. Now divide the couscous mix equally over the fennel in neat little piles. Top the couscous with your pieces of fish. Drizzle the rest of the extra virgin over the fish and add a touch of seasoning.
Fold the top half of foil over the pile to the bottom so the edges meet. Turn the parcel 90 degrees and line up the side edges. Seal the side closest to you by folding it over three times and secure by pressing down with your fingertips. Turn the parcel 180 degrees and do the same to the opposite side. Repeat for all the parcels. Now your parcels should be well sealed all round, apart from the top. Rest them at a 45-degree angle so that you don’t mess up the arrangement inside, and pour in two tablespoons of water. Now seal the top edge with the same neat folds and repeat for the rest of the bags. Put the bags on a baking tray - they will take about 15 minutes depending on what fish you used and the thickness of the fillet. Nb If the fillet is quite thick you could also slice into medallions (thick slices) I have also added uncooked prawns to the fish, done it with prawns alone and even done a veggie version just adding some torn up Piquillo peppers.
Take your pillows out of the oven and serve on plates straight away; they should have puffed up to look a bit like those silver birthday balloons. Let each diner slash their own parcel open and savour the fantastic aroma that is released. Either serve as is or add yoghurt sauce on the side.
Yoghurt Tzatsiki
Ingredients
Half a cucumber, partly peeled halved and de-seeded
Half a clove of garlic crushed with some salt
Standard tub of Greek yoghurt (total is my favourite
Handful of mint leaves chopped
Ground black pepper
Method
Grate cucumber into a sieve using the biggish holes of the grater … leave to drain for 10 minutes.
Put into a large bowl. Mix in yoghurt, mint and garlic.
If it’s a little too thick add a touch of milk to thin.
Add black pepper to taste and drizzle artfully with a little extra virgin
Allegra McEvedy is co-founder of fast-food health chain Leon and this recipe is definitely fast, very easy and I bloody well hope it’s healthy.
You can get preserved lemons in Waitrose, the brand is Belazu.
When she made it on TV she served it with a yoghurt, cucumber and mint sauce on the side … a sort of tzatziki.
The first time you cook this for anyone I guarantee that they will be impressed … as will you be with the ease with which you have done so.
Ingredients (Serves four)
180g cous-cous
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 preserved lemon, golf-ball sized, roughly chopped
10g fresh coriander, washed and roughly chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
700g monkfish fillet, cut into equal portions
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Big pinch saffron threads
1 bulb fennel, cut in half, core removed, thin sliced
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Mix all ingredients except the fish, extra virgin, saffron and fennel, in a bowl, and season well. Put a small saucepan with 140ml water and the saffron on to the stove and bring to a relaxed boil. Pour two tablespoons of extra virgin into the couscous and mix well so that all the grains are well coated in oil, then add the saffron water and stir. This will be quickly absorbed and the couscous will be part-cooked.
Clear your workspace. Tear off four 50cm sheets of foil - 30cm wide - and lay out with the short side towards you. Spread a little extra virgin in the centre of the front half of the foil, closest to you. Place a quarter of the sliced fennel on to the foil. Repeat for all. Now divide the couscous mix equally over the fennel in neat little piles. Top the couscous with your pieces of fish. Drizzle the rest of the extra virgin over the fish and add a touch of seasoning.
Fold the top half of foil over the pile to the bottom so the edges meet. Turn the parcel 90 degrees and line up the side edges. Seal the side closest to you by folding it over three times and secure by pressing down with your fingertips. Turn the parcel 180 degrees and do the same to the opposite side. Repeat for all the parcels. Now your parcels should be well sealed all round, apart from the top. Rest them at a 45-degree angle so that you don’t mess up the arrangement inside, and pour in two tablespoons of water. Now seal the top edge with the same neat folds and repeat for the rest of the bags. Put the bags on a baking tray - they will take about 15 minutes depending on what fish you used and the thickness of the fillet. Nb If the fillet is quite thick you could also slice into medallions (thick slices) I have also added uncooked prawns to the fish, done it with prawns alone and even done a veggie version just adding some torn up Piquillo peppers.
Take your pillows out of the oven and serve on plates straight away; they should have puffed up to look a bit like those silver birthday balloons. Let each diner slash their own parcel open and savour the fantastic aroma that is released. Either serve as is or add yoghurt sauce on the side.
Yoghurt Tzatsiki
Ingredients
Half a cucumber, partly peeled halved and de-seeded
Half a clove of garlic crushed with some salt
Standard tub of Greek yoghurt (total is my favourite
Handful of mint leaves chopped
Ground black pepper
Method
Grate cucumber into a sieve using the biggish holes of the grater … leave to drain for 10 minutes.
Put into a large bowl. Mix in yoghurt, mint and garlic.
If it’s a little too thick add a touch of milk to thin.
Add black pepper to taste and drizzle artfully with a little extra virgin
Comments
I have taken for 6 months. I am 42 years old. After I discontinued taking allegra, my mood changed back to normal. If I decide to take it again I will likely reduce my dosage: Maybe just one 75mg tablet every other day -- which means I would go from taking about 60 tablet/month to 15.
Side Effects :
I experienced sudden/sharp lower back pain, became mopey and slightly depressed. Lower sex drive. But it significantly reduced my hives (food allergy related). I was taking 75mg twice daily.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Bob Kelly