Almost Frugal » Friday is for (Frugal) Food

Fish, Fennel and Lentils

Kelly — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:00:07 +0000

This is one of those dishes that was inspired by something I ate in a restaurant. Trouble is, I’ve never been too good at restaurant cooking (even when I was a cook in one!). I like to improvise too much, meaning that each new dish comes out a bit different than the last. Good at home, not so good for paying customers.

I like this because it’s full of protein and the fennel gives it a bit of a kick. It’s a frugal dish for me because I can find bags of 10-12 frozen cod fillets for about â‚¬4; the recipe calls for about 5 fillets, meaning that the fish costs only about â‚¬2. The lentils are only pennies and a big bulb of fennel costs less than â‚¬1, depending on the time of year. (If you’re not a fennel person, substitute with whole roasted carrots.) And the beer/wine doesn’t really count, because you can always drink the rest!

If you start from scratch all at once, it takes about an hour to prepare, but you can make the lentils and roast the veg the night before, meaning that you’ll only need about 25 minutes the night you serve.

Fish, Fennel and Lentils

5-6 cod fillets (1 per person)
1 large bulb fennel (or 1 large carrot per person)
3 cups dried lentils (1/2 cup per person)
olive oil
nice chunk butter
lemon juice
vegetable broth, cheap beer or white wine (1 cup)
salt, pepper, dill, parsley

Slice the green fronds and root off the fennel. Slice in half, lengthwise, then in quarters and eights if needed to obtain uniform slices. Place in a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil and place into a hot oven (450°F) for about 40 minutes (you want it to be brown, but not burnt). If using carrots, peel them, then follow the above directions.
Place the lentils in enough cold water to cover twice over. Start cooking to a boil, then let simmer till soft, about 25 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
When the veg has only about 20 minutes of roasting left, melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan. Add your chosen liquid (I like cheap white wine) and then the fish. Simmer in order to let the fish poach. If necessary, turn once. I use frozen fillets, without defrosting, if you use fresh, you’ll only need to cook about 10 minutes, instead of 20-25.
When the vegetables are roasted to a nice golden brown on the edges, take them out of the oven and add them to the frying pan. Let them simmer for about 5 minutes, adding the herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve a spoonful of lentils with a piece of fish and a drizzle of sauce. Don’t forget the large chunks of bread, to mop up all the sauce!

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Friday is For Food: Garlic Soup at Take it Easy

Kelly — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:51:07 +0000

This is the last Friday is for Food post of the year, and it comes all the way from Spain. Life is Hard, Take it Easy’s Gracia has contributed a garlic soup recipe. It sounds delicious, so make sure to check it out!

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Friday is for Food

Kelly — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:52:59 +0000

The Lucky Wife has been kind enough to share some Thanksgiving family favorites with us for Friday is for food… mmmm Thanksgiving- my favorite holiday!

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Friday is for Food: Taco Bake

Kelly — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:42:16 +0000

On a Quest to be Debt Free (another Thesis user!) has contributed a mac n cheese based taco bake to Friday is for Food. I do love me my mac n cheese, no matter how many years that stuff will last!

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Friday is for Food: Carrot Apple Salad with Frugal Babe

Kelly — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:44:11 +0000

Frugal Babe, a fellow member of the Frugal Blog Network has created a recipe for Carrot Apple Salad, perfect, as she says, as a salad or in a wrap. I can just imagine eating this with falafel balls and tahini garlic sauce. Yum!

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Friday is For Food: Romanian Eggplant Salad at Frugal Cooking

Kelly — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:38:06 +0000

Frugal Cooking is always a good source of inventive, delicious sounding, frugal recipes and Kai has hit the jackpot again with this contribution to Friday is for Food. Not only can you make it in advance, but this Romanian Eggplant Salad looks like it would be the perfect creamy comfort food!

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Friday is for Food: Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs

Kelly — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:38:02 +0000

Amiyrah, she of the many hats, has created a truly frugal dish: Asian spaghetti and meatballs. Not so much because of the cost of the ingredients, but because she managed to replicate a favorite restaurant dish. All the taste without the bill- that’s what I call frugal!

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Friday is for Food: Butternut Squash, Sage and Pasta

Kelly — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:00:33 +0000

This recipe is from Amy at My Daily Dollars. Amy blogs about personal finance but she has started talking a lot about cooking recently, and has a three month grocery plan that you should definitely read about! Thanks for participating Amy!

If you would like to post a recipe on Friday is for Food, just let me know! It’s as easy as posting a recipe on your blog and linking back to Almost Frugal Food.

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Friday is for Food: Hazelnut Raspberry Scones at Comfort Me With Apples

Kelly — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:11:20 +0000

Rachel from Comfort Me with Apples is my best friend’s little cousin. I’ve known her since she was about 5 or 6 years old I think, long enough that I have a hard time believing she’s incapable of writing, being married, or especially, producing such delicious looking baked goods. Thanks for your contribution Rachel, and I promise to try to think of you as all grown up now.

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Friday is for Food: Sauteed Fennel with Oranges and Olives

Kelly — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:02:53 +0000

Today’s recipe comes from Cooking Aboard, with meals that are cooked on a boat! I love fennel, and this combination of fennel, oranges and olives sounds delicious. Thanks!

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