10-minute fish salad with chilli, tomatoes, lemon, wilted greens

This quick and easy fish salad takes about 10 minutes to make!

I am triumphant. This delicious dish takes, oh, I don't know... 10 minutes to prepare and cook, and it makes a lovely light one-pot meal for one. Despite the minimal list of ingredients, the flavours are excellent. Infuse some oil with chilli, cook the tomatoes to bring out their sweetness, and fry the fish until they are a lovely golden brown before deglazing the pan with a splash of lemon juice and tossing in some mixed salad leaves. Add salt and pepper, and you're done. Too easy!

A simple one-dish meal - fish salad with chilli, tomatoes, lemon and wilted greens.

10-minute quick fish salad with chilli, tomatoes, lemon and wilted greens

1 tablespoon oil (e.g. macadamia oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, etc.)
1.5cm / 1/2" red chilli, thinly sliced; or a pinch of red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
2 cocktail tomatoes, quartered; or 4 cherry tomatoes, halved
150 - 180g / 5 - 6oz white fish fillet, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon lemon juice, or juice from 1/8 of a lemon (adjust to taste)
1 handful mixed salad leaves
salt and black pepper, to taste

Select a pan that is big enough to fry all the fish in one go without having to overcrowd the pan.
Warm up the oil over medium-high heat, and swirl to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
Add chilli and tomatoes, fry 1 -2 minutes with tomatoes cut-side down to sear them well.
Add the bite-sized fish fillets, fry them for 1 - 2 minutes, and then flip them over and fry for another 1 - 2 minutes until they are a deep golden colour.
Turn off the heat, and immediately sprinkle lemon juice over the caramelized bits in the pan. Quickly scrape at the bits to dissolve them.
Stir in the mixed salad leaves, and toss everything together.
Season with salt and black pepper - I like lots of pepper for this salad.
Serve. I love this dish as a warm fish salad, but it should also be tasty served at room temperature.

*For even more flavour, add a small minced clove of garlic along with the chilli, and add a scattering of fresh herbs along with the mixed salad leaves.
** This fish salad can probably work well as a taco filling, too!

A lovely quick fish salad that easy to prepare, and delightful in its simplicity.

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quick & easy 5-ingredient kimchi miso udon noodle soup

Quick and easy 5-ingredient kimchi miso udon noodle soup.

Even though I'm all partnered up, I'm the kind of person who actually doesn't mind cooking for one. In fact, I love making noodle soup for one. It's just so uncomplicated. No need to worry about dividing the portions. I can eat my noodles straight from the saucepan, and cleaning up is a breeze. Happily, I still get the opportunity to cook for just myself every now and then, and when I do, I seize the chance to make myself a simple and delicious noodle soup.

This kimchi miso udon noodle soup is one of my latest creations. I love that the short list of ingredients is capable of producing so much flavour. If you ever feel tired or lazy but you're still in the mood for a home-cooked meal, try this one-pot five-ingredient noodle soup recipe that is quick and easy to make. The recipe is wonderfully versatile, too - feel free to adjust or even swap some of the ingredients to suit your taste.

Spicy, umami kimchi udon noodles in a miso broth.

quick & easy 5-ingredient kimchi miso udon noodle soup
(serves 1)

90g / 3oz dried udon noodles
50g / 2oz minced pork (or: minced chicken or cubed tofu)
1 small handful chopped Asian greens (or: mixed salad leaves)
6 pieces kimchi
1 tablespoon miso

Cook the noodles briefly in a saucepan of boiling water, just enough to release some starch from the noodles so that the water turns cloudy. Drain the noodles, rinse with cold water and drain again.
Pour 1 + 2/3 cups of water into the saucepan with the noodles. Bring the mixture to boil again, and add the minced meat. (Hold back if you're using tofu - add that only during the last minute of cooking.)
Allow the mixture to simmer until the noodles and the meat are done - or even just slightly underdone, as they will continue to cook in the hot broth. Stir in the greens, and remove the saucepan from heat.
Add the kimchi - you may chop them up into smaller pieces prior to adding them, if you wish, or leave them whole if you're lazy (like me).
Allow the noodle soup to cool slightly for a couple of minutes or so. Submerge the spoonful of miso just under the surface of the broth, and use a fork to gradually loosen up the miso and whisk it in. Taste and add more kimchi or miso, if you like, to make it spicier or saltier.

Quick, easy, five-ingredient udon noodle soup with pork, vegetables and kimchi in a miso broth.

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sydney! - opera house & vivid light festival 2015

The city of Sydney lights up during the Vivid Light Festival.

Surprise! We're in Sydney!

Just for a month, that is. Simon has work to do in the area, so I'm tagging along and playing housewife. Basically, I do laundry and make sure there's dinner upon his return to the apartment. It's not a bad life.

The Sydney Vivid Festival was in full swing as we arrived. We walked into the city one weekend and took in the sights. Vivid Sydney comprises Vivid Light, Vivid Music and Vivid Ideas. Our casual stroll that evening gave us a nice glimpse of the elements of the Vivid Light Festival.

A view of the harbour, with the lit-up buildings.

The buildings' lights are always changing...

And changing.

Sydney Opera House - cool aqua patterns.

Sydney Opera House - purple, red and yellow splotches.

Sydney Opera House - yellow anemones.

Sydney Opera House - glowing pink.

Sydney Opera House - turning bright yellow.

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