Dinner party recipe of the month
Having friends round for a summer dinner party? Don't panic! As Delia Smith recently reminded us, you don't have to spend hours slaving over a hot oven in order to produce a healthy, nutritious, (and most importantly) mouthwatering meal. And - whisper it! - you can even use canned food.
Need more convincing? According to the Food Standards Agency, canned vegetables are higher in essential nutrients such as beta-carotene, iron and calcium than freshly boiled vegetables.
'Canned foods are a great store-cupboard essential,' says celebrity chef James Martin. 'Canned tomatoes, for example, can be used in a multitude of recipes, have no artificial preservatives and count as one of your "five a day". What could be better?'
Vegetable Couscous with Seared Cod
Ingredients (to serve four)
1 small red onion, finely chopped; 200g can tomatoes; 50g soft brown sugar; 2 tsp dark soy sauce; grated rind and juice of 1 lime; 1/2 tbsp ground allspice; 4 thick cod fillets with skin; 200g couscous; 300g can broad beans, drained; 300g can green beans, drained; 100g pinenuts, toasted; handful coriander leaves; salt and black pepper, to season
Method
1. Heat 2tsp olive oil and cook the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes and 1tsp sugar and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Leave to cool. 2. To make the sauce for the cod: mix together the soy sauce, lime rind and juice, allspice and remaining sugar in a small bowl. 3. Place the cod, skin-side down on a foil-lined grill pan and grill for 1 minute. Turn skin-side up and grill for 1 minute. Spoon the soy sauce over the cod and return under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the skin is crispy and golden. 4. Place the couscous in a large bowl with 300ml boiling water and 1 tbsp olive oil. Season and stir once then cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff up the couscous and stir in the cooled tomatoes, broad beans and green beans. Season with plenty of sea salt and black pepper, and sprinkle with the pine nuts. 5. Serve each piece of cod on a bed of couscous.
For more recipes and nutritional advice, go to www.cannedfood.co.uk.
