Chilli Lime Scallops

Bitesize pieces of meaty fishy heaven.



A really excellent fish shop, Kish Fish, opened up in Coolock recently and I have been eager to get my mitts on some scallops for the past week. I finally made it over today and had these bad boys for my lunch. They cook in less than 5 minutes, and here I've just served them with a simple salad.

Ingredients (serves 1):

4 - 5 fresh scallops
Salt, pepper
Fresh chilli, finely chopped
Lime juice

For the salad:
Butterhead lettuce, washed and torn
Tomato, cut into wedges
Bell pepper, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Splash of balsamic vinegar

Method:

First thing to do is to remove the orange part of the scallop with a sharp knife (you can ask the fishmonger to do this for you if you prefer). Season the scallops with a touch of salt and pepper, and put them into a small plastic bag. Add a generous dollop of lime juice and as much or as little chilli as you would like. Seal the bag and shake the ingredients around to ensure that each scallop is coated. Put this aside and let it marinade while you prepare the salad.




Chuck together your salad on a big plate, and drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.

Put a frying pan on the stove on a high heat with a touch of olive oil. When the pan is good and hot, in go the scallops. Cook for 2 minutes on each side and serve immediately with the salad. This makes a good hearty lunch, or you can downsize the dish and serve as a starter for dinner.

Cinnamon banana porridge

Creamy spiced oats to make your belly sing




Porridge is easily the healthiest breakfast a body can have, but it took me a while to make peace with it's gloopy texture and grey pallor. This recipe turns sludgy old porridge oats into a warm and flavoursome breakfast that will keep you full and content for ages. It's also incredibly cheap and quick to prepare.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 oz porridge oats
Just a little over 1/4 pint water
1/4 pint milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large / 2 small bananas, chopped

Method:

I always make this in the microwave, as it is easy and fast and less difficult to clean up afterwards, but you can make it in a saucepan over a medium heat too.

For the microwave option, get a pudding bowl which is nice and deep. Put in the cinnamon and oats and shake them together. Add the milk and water, stir, and put in the microwave on full power for 45 seconds. Stir well and turn it on again for 45 seconds. Repeat, then put back in the microwave until you can see the oats bubbling up to the top of the bowl.

Spoon into bowls and add the chopped banana. Serve immediately, and happily.