Baked Salmon and Asparagus Foil Parcel

Last night I made such an incredible, tasty, quick and easy dinner (my usual meal for one saga.....) I just had to share it with you all. 

What you will need:

- Salmon (or your preferred fish)

- Asparagus

- Black Olives

- Lemon (thinly sliced)

- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)

- Salt and Pepper

- Olive Oil

- Rosemary

- Aluminium Foil

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Holding your asparagus spears in your hands, bend them until they naturally snap at the point separating the tender top part and the tough bottom part.

Tear a generous piece of foil from the aluminium foil roll and fold in half, placing it in the middle of your baking tray. 

Curl the edges of the foil to form a square just large enough to lay your asparagus in.

Drizzle some olive oil over your asparagus spears once they are in the tin foil. 

Mince up a clove of garlic and sprinkle it over the asparagus, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Slice the sides off of some black olives - removing the pips- and scatter them on top and around the asparagus.

Baste your fish in some olive oil and lay on top of the bed of asparagus.

Crush and mince your second garlic clove, scattering it on top of the fish. Season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice your lemon and layer on top of the fish as a garnishing. Squeeze your desired amount of left over lemon over the fish to add some more flavor. 

Finally, put some sprigs of rosemary of the fish and wrap it all up in the foil to make a parcel.

Place your baking tray with the parcel into the oven for 15 minutes (it won't take long for the fish to cook in the foil). 

Remove and carefully unwrap your parcel to enjoy it! I eat straight out of the foil but you can remove it and put it onto a plate if you want to.

Bon appétit!

Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe

This easy-to-make recipe is quick and convenient for those nights where you really don’t feel like slaving over the stove.  It is a succulent combination of diced red onions, slithers of baby marrow, carrots and broccoli stalks seasoned in a lemon and black pepper spice and soaked in rich soya sauce. These ingredients are layered over a bed of rice and put inside an oven-baked pepper.

Ingredients (serves two):

•          2 Red Peppers
•          2 Chicken Breasts
•         1 Red Onion
•          2 Baby Marrows
•         1 Carrot
•         Broccoli
•         Brown Rice
•         Soya Sauce
•         Oyster Sauce (optional)
•          Lemon and Black Pepper Spice Mix
•          Garlic
•         1 Lemon

Start your preparations by slicing the top of your pepper off. Keep the top aside and use it as a lid for decoration purposes later. Clean out your pepper, being sure to take out all of the seeds.

Turn the oven on to 180 degrees and place the peppers inside to cook through. There is no specific time required for this as it fully depends on your personal preference. Keep a close eye on your peppers as they bake to ensure that they do not burn. Turn the peppers face down once they are almost done to ensure that they are cooked underneath too. I remove mine when the skin of the pepper starts appearing to have a shrivelled texture.

While the peppers are in the oven, put some rice on to the boil and prepare you vegetables. Dice up the red onion, cut the baby marrow into thin stick-like strips and slice the carrots into bite-size circles. 
To finalize your vegetable preparations, pull apart the broccoli into small stalks before heating some extra virgin olive oil in a pan. 

Firstly, brown your onions until they become a golden color, then add in the rest of the vegetables. Let them cook through, sprinkling over some lemon and black pepper spice mix and stirring continuously. Pour in a few hearty lugs of soya sauce, which will bring the vegetables a more salty flavor.  

At this stage you can put the vegetables onto the lowest heat, stirring every so often and move on to slice up your chicken breasts into strips. Cook the chicken strips through, squeezing over some lemon juice and grinding in some black pepper corns as you see fit. You won’t necessarily need salt on your chicken because the soya sauce is already substantial enough.

Add the chicken strips into your vegetables and mix your ingredients together thoroughly, keeping the pan on a low heat so that the vegetables do not go cold.

Remove the peppers from the oven and place them onto your plates for serving. Drain the rice and spoon it into the bottom of your pepper, flattening down the rice as much as possible to create more space for the chicken and vegetables to be layered over it. 

Drizzle over a few drops of oyster sauce (optional) should you find the meal slightly to dry for your liking. The oyster sauce will moisten the dish up and create an additional, intriguing flavor.  

This meal is wonderful in both summer and winter seasons and is delightfully healthy as bell peppers are a great source of vitamin A, C and E. These peppers are also filled with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients and assist in cell renewal. They are great for keeping your skin looking youthful and your hair healthy. Studies show that bell peppers can also control diabetes and aids in certain types of cancer prevention. Furthermore, this dish is filling and by all means, delicious.