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After buying a load of cooking tomatoes (or rather bruised you might say   ), I was wondering what to do with them as these tomatoes were no good for salad.  I then had the idea of turning them into a home  made tomato sauce.  I also had some lovely fresh haddock fillets and decided the two would go together to make a delicious fish dish

Ingredients:

• 600g firm white fish (I used haddock)
• 6oog fresh tomatoes (or the same volume of good quality tinned tomatoes)
• 2 medium onions
• 1 clove of garlic – optional
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• seasoning
• 1 medium sized red pepper
• Tabasco – optional
• 2 tsps balsamic vinegar – optional

Method:

1. Roast the red pepper in hot oven (coat the pepper with a little oil and roast it on a tray) for about 20 minutes, allow to cool and then cut into chunky strips.
2. Chop up the tomatoes (if you are posh you will remove all the seeds and the skins, but I couldn’t be bothered so I didn’t!)
3. Wash the fish and pat it dry using paper towels.  Make sure you get the fish monger to skin and bone the fish first (only if you are buying from a kosher fish monger otherwise you have to do this yourself)
4. Chop the onion into dice and leave the garlic clove whole but remove the outer skin.
5. Fry the onion and garlic (only if you are using the garlic of course) until clear and then add the tomato purée.  Cook the onion and tomato puree until this has darkened in colour to release the natural sugars.
6. Now add the fresh tomatoes (or tinned) and cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
7. Add the bay leaves and seasoning, plus a few drops of Tabasco if using, and the roasted peppers.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes on a medium heat.
8. In a shallow baking dish  ladle in half the tomato sauce.  Place the fish fillets on top of the sauce and then cover with the rest of the sauce.
9. Cover the dish with foil or with a lid, and bake the fish for 20 minutes on a medium to high heat.
10. Serve with potatoes (mashed or just rolled in a little butter) and peas.

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Chanukah (or Hannukah, Chanuka, Hanuka, or  however you spell it!) starts this evening and last for 8 days.  Jewish people all over the world will light the menorah (9 pronged candle stick) to commemorate the miracle of the oil.  If you want more info about Chanukah then click here: http://www.aish.com/h/c/

To celebrate Chanukah it is customary to cook foods in oil (and then wonder why our waist lines have expanded!   )  I had some left over aubergine from when I made aubergine chutney and was wondering what to do with it, so I came up with the idea of Chanukah Fritters.

Ingredients:

• a medium sized aubergine (eggplant)
• 1 large egg
• 100g matzo meal or flour
• salt
• vegetable oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Wash your aubergine well and cut into slices about 1cm thick, leaving the skin on.
2. Lightly salt the aubergine slices on both sides.  This is not done to remove any water or bitterness (I have yet to come across a bitter aubergine these days), but to add seasoning.
3. Check the egg and place it in a shallow dish.  Beat the egg with a fork.
4. In another shallow dish put the matzo meal or flour.  If you like you can add a little pepper to the matzo meal, but I didn’t this time.
5. Open the kitchen window and do the 1970s housewife scarf thing because the smell of frying will get everywhere!
6. Heat a large non-stick frying pan on high and pour in a little vegetable oil.  How much depends on how big your frying pan is.  Essentially you want enough oil to shallow fry the aubergine fritters without drowning them.
7. Dip a slice of aubergine first into the egg and then into the matzo meal (coat both sides), and place carefully in the frying pan using a non-stick fish slice.
8. Keep doing this with all the slices of aubergine.  You may find you need to use another egg or matzo meal; use your own judgement.  Also if your frying pan is small that it is best to cook the aubergine fritters in batches.
9. The aubergine fritters need to be flipped over after a few minutes and cooked for a few minutes more (do keep an eye on the cooker heat and turn it down if need be), and then put on a plate with plenty of kitchen roll to soak up excess oil.
10. Note1: Remember don’t leave the fritters at any time to answer the phone or whatever – safety first (I know I’m being a mother hen     )
11. Note2: If you are unsure if the inside of the fritter is done then pierce with a knife and if the aubergine is soft, it is done.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Chanukah!

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