Easy Weeknight Spicy Cajun Fish Soup

A certain four letter word has been sitting on my To-Do list for over a month now.  No, my cookbooks have not been sitting idle.  My belly has been very full.  My camera has seen the light of day.  But alas, I have not had the time or energy to BLOG my most recent culinary adventures with you.  That’s about to change…

Although I’ve been spending some time in the kitchen, cooking has largely taken a backseat to convenience meals (e.g. awfully bland and boring frozen lasagna– so shameful) and breakfast-for-dinner.  Part of it is poor planning, most of it is laziness.  Even dietitians have their rough spells!

Tonight I made up for all (correction: several) of my subpar dinners over the past month.  Stored on my rarely-used Pinterest account for half a year now, this recipe for a spicy fish soup is ‘souper’ easy and requires very little prep.  Perfect for a Friday evening when all you want to do is lounge on the couch and catch up on missed episodes of Top Chef.

The only perishable ingredient required, excluding onion and garlic, is a green pepper.  The green chiles and diced tomatoes can be kept on hand in the pantry, and you can use frozen fish and shrimp (transfer to the fridge the night before to thaw).  Within 30 minutes of stepping in the door, I had a piping hot bowl of soup on the table that was hearty, delicious, nutritious, and did I mention easy?!?  A new staple dish to add to the repertoire.

It’s Nutrition Month, so I’m going to make a concerted effort to blog more often.  Hold me to it!  In the meantime, I better return to my To-Do list…

Spicy Cajun Fish Soup
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)

This soup is only mildly spicy so feel free to add heat with cayenne, chili flakes, or hot chili sauce (e.g. tabasco).  Adding the green pepper near the end of cooking means that it retains its colour and texture.

1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1.5 cups water
1 can (4 oz/127mL) chopped green chiles
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (preferably no-salt-added)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup shrimp
1 lb halibut or other white fish, cut into 1-2″ chunks
Salt to taste

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add onions and saute, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes
2. Add the water, chopped green chillies (entire contents of can), cumin, and diced tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes
3. Add the green pepper, shrimp and halibut. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 225 kcal, 13 g CHO, 3 g fibre, 4.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 30 g protein, 180 mg sodium.

Jamaican-themed dinner featuring Coconut Rice and ‘Peas’

Inspiration for Saturday night’s dinner came from an unexpected source: Gordon Ramsay.  The British chef best known for his profanity and fiery temper reveals a softer side on his new show, Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course.  Each episode features a dizzying number of tips, tricks, and recipes that revolve around a theme deemed by Ramsay to be essential know-how for the modern cook.  Saturday’s topic was ‘cooking with chilli’ and featured a classic jerk chicken—one of E’s favourite dishes.

When I think of jerk chicken, Jamaica immediately comes to mind… and when I think of Jamaica, I think of Rice and Peas.  An odd association since I’ve never actually eaten Rice and Peas before.  Rice and Peas is a mainstay of the Jamaican diet and consists of rice cooked in coconut milk with pigeon peas (or cowpeas, or kidney beans) and flavoured with ginger, thyme, garlic and onion.  An easy, flavourful side dish that pairs well with spicy jerk seasoning.

To complete the meal, we made a chunky salad with mango, bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, and lots of cilantro.  The sweetness from the mango balanced the fragrant coconut rice and intense jerk spices just perfectly.  It was like sunshine on a plate—colourful, fruity, and fresh.  Regrettably, several things were missing from our Jamaican meal: the beach, palm trees, Red Stripe beer, and Bob Marley music playing in the background.

Jamaican Rice and Peas
(adapted very slightly from SimplyRecipes.com)

Fear not: the rice has no heat despite containing a whole chili.  The chili acts like a bay leaf and gives the dish flavour. 

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 of a 19-oz can of no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained (~1 cup)
1 whole Scotch bonnet chile (can substitute a whole habanero)
Lime (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
2. Add the garlic and rice, stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the salt, thyme, grated ginger, water, stock and coconut milk and stir well. Add the kidney beans and the whole Scotch bonnet chile (or habanero).  Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low and cover.
4. Cook for ~20 minutes, or according to rice package directions.  Once done, remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving and sprinkle with lime juice if desired.  Discard the habanero (or eat it, if you dare!)

Makes 5 servings. Per serving: 245 kcal, 40 g CHO, 3.9 g fibre, 7 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 7 g protein, 145 mg sodium.