P E S C E T A R I A N 1 0 1

a G u i d e t o B e c o m i n g P e s c e t a r i a n FOREWORD

Now that our blog has been active for a little while now, Matt and I decided to create this ebook so that we could answer some of those questions that I know we had when we first became pescetarian, as well as some of the questions we’ve received from you guys on the blog and through social media.

So this ebook is going to take you through some of the basics of pescetarianism, including how to nurture a healthy pescetarian and how to shop for and in a sustainable way. We’ve even included a few of our favourite recipes to help you get started!

What is a Pescetarian? Quite simply, a pescetarian is someone who eats fish and seafood, but no other . Pescetarians do eat dairy products, such as milk and cheese, in addition to , nuts pulses and .

The term pescetarian comes from “pesce” which is the Italian word for fish and whilst the term has been around for a number of years (it found its way into the dictionary in 1993) it has only become widely known and heard in the last 5 years or so. Why We Became Pescetarians Laura: I’ve tried loads of different diets over the years. I grew up eating meat, however in my adolescence and adulthood I tried being both vegetarian and vegan before settling on being a pescetarian. I made this choice for a number of reasons. Firstly, I’m quite a health-conscious person and eating pescetarian means I get a wide-ranging and . Secondly, I absolutely love seafood! Adore it. So when I went pescetarian, it gave me a great opportunity to explore cooking with different types of fish and seafood. I became more and more adventurous with what I was willing to try and as a result, felt more confident cooking for other people. Now, when I cook for meat eaters, I don’t worry that they’ll be disappointed with what I’m cooking up.

Matt: So I was a meat eater when I met Laura. I had always suffered from fair painful stomach aches and was never quite sure what was causing them. Then when Laura and I moved in together, I started eating less and less meat and found that it really helped with my stomach pains, so eating pescetarian was a perfect compromise for me, allowing me to get regular protein and keeping me healthy. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, especially for other people, so becoming pescetarian provided me with a fresh challenge – making fresh and exciting recipes without meat. What You'll Need to Know Whenever you make a big lifestyle change such as a new diet, there are always going to be adjustments and a settling-in period where you learn how to fit your new diet into your existing routines. Below, we have included a few different things that you might want to consider when becoming a pescetarian.

Shopping

When you go pescetarian you may need to adapt your shopping habits slightly. Firstly, fish and seafood doesn’t really have the longest shelf life, so we shopped a little more regularly for seafood than we previously would have. We also spent more time considering where we purchased our seafood – we wanted it to be really fresh, so we found out where our local fish mongers and markets were and made regular use of these. We also had to consider the sustainability of the seafood we bought, which we will discuss in the next section. Tell the World!

No one likes it when they suddenly have to cater for a different diet that they knew nothing about. For example, if someone else is cooking Christmas dinner this year, it’s important to let that person know that you’re pescetarian. People will be far more understanding if they’re given time to plan and prepare. And be specific when you explain your diet; if you’re not happy having your vegetables roasted animal fats, tell the chef. Whilst you may feel difficult making demands, it’s better than pushing food that you won’t eat around your plate – the host will notice! Foods that Aren't Pescetarian-Friendly

There are a number of foods out there that are surprisingly not meat-free. This may not bother you (which is absolutely fine) but if you are looking to remove all meat products from your diet, here are a few foods to watch out for:

Sweets containing gelatine. These are often gummy sweets such as haribos and they contain or gelatine. Marshmallows are another food item that often contains gelatine.

Cheeses containing rennet. Quite a large number of cheeses contain rennet, so you’re best off looking for ones that indicate that they’re vegetarian. We use parmesan fairly often in our recipes and this is always a vegetarian parmesan, which is fairly easy to come by.

Crisps. A lot of crisp flavours contain meat and weirdly enough, it’s often the ones that aren’t meat flavoured! Go figure. Sustainable Shopping When you become a pescetarian, it is likely that you’ll be buying a lot more fish and seafood. So it’s vital that when shopping for seafood, you make sure that you’re shopping sustainably. Here are a few sustainable shopping tips for budding pescetarians:

Tip #1

When buying seafood in a supermarket, look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label, which indicates that the seafood has come from sustainable fisheries. If you’re supermarket doesn’t stock this, ask! Local markets may not consider stocking sustainable seafood unless they know that the demand for it is there, so don’t be afraid to make a suggestion to the store manager.

If you want info on places near you stocking MSC approved seafood, click here. Tip #2

Try diversifying the fish you buy and eat. One of the biggest global fishing issues is that people stick to what they know and as a result, these more common fish choices, such as Atlantic cod and Salmon and are overfished. There is a huge variety of delicious fish and seafood out there and often, going with the less popular choices can be cheaper as well as being more sustainable. Anchovies, clams, abalone, crayfish, hake and farmed mussels and oysters are all sustainable choices (and damn tasty!)

Take a look at thegoodfishguide.org for more details on what is and isn’t sustainable.

Tip #3

Buy local. If possible, aim to buy seafood that has been caught locally, rather than shipped halfway around the world to get to your supermarket. It will likely be fresher and better for the environment! Keeping a Balanced Diet Eating pescetarian can be a fantastic way to get a healthy and balanced diet and we’ve found that since going pescetarian, we’ve had very healthy diets which contain everything we need.

One of the biggest concerns I hear when people talk to me about becoming pescetarian is how they will get enough protein in their diet and this is understandable. Usually, when people think about getting protein in, they turn to white like chicken or lightly less healthy red meats. But a pescetarian diet can provide with more than enough protein when you’re cooking right! Fatty such as salmon, anchovies, , mackerel and are all high in protein and have to added benefits of containing other dietary benefits, like B and magnesium. Even better, fish and seafood is usually very low in saturated fats, so you can keep a lean, healthy diet no problem!

On the non-seafood side, there are tons of protein-rich food that will give you the balanced diet you need. Nuts, beans, lentils, pulses, and are all great sources of protein which can be whipped up into taste and filling in no time. Storing and Preparing Food When Matt and I went pescetarian, I found that I cared a lot more about what I was eating. It made me more creative as a cook and as a result, I started using a lot more fresh ingredients. So when you’re using fresh ingredients, it’s important to store and prep your food properly. I’ve created a list below of some key storing advice that I’ve lived by over the past few years.

Seafood

Keep your seafood cold and store it quickly. If you’re doing a big grocery shop, make it one of the last things you pick up before paying so that it doesn’t have too long to warm up.

Keep your seafood in the colder part of your refrigerator. I store fish for no longer than 2 days in the fridge and usually store with a little ice underneath it, to keep it extra cold.

If you purchase live , such as live clams, keep them in a large bowl or pan, cover with a wet cloth or paper towel and keep in the fridge. I wouldn’t keep live shellfish for more than 2-3 days but one easy way to test it is with a quick sniff; if it smells strongly like the sea, you’re good. If it smells rotten (you’ll know), you’re too late. If you’re freezing seafood, it’s mark to write dates on the packaging, so you know how long it’s been there. I don’t freeze fish for longer than 3 months, though there is a little wriggle room with leaner fish, such as flounder. / and scallops are the freezer champions though, as they can be stored for 6-8 months.

I think this should be fairly obvious, but when preparing fish, wash your hands thoroughly (before and after). Don’t let raw fish come into contact with any ready to eat food and clean all of your utensils and work surfaces really well afterwards.

Fruit & Vegetables

Store your fruit and veg separately to stop your vegetables spoiling. I keep them in separate trays in my fridge.

If possible, try not to pack your vegetables too close together. This will help with their shelf life.

Onions and garlic should be stored in a cool dry place. I keep them in a draw in my kitchen. Never keep potatoes and onions in the same place. Whilst they both need cool, dry environments, they shouldn’t be stored together, as the onions will make the potatoes sprout.

When it comes to storing fresh herbs, I like to put mine in little pots of water in the fridge. I find it keeps the herbs fresh and their leaves strong. Cooking Pescetarian

Four delicious recipes to get started Tomato & Risotto

400ml stock 1 glug of olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 220g arborio/risotto rice 150g cheery tomatoes, quartered 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp paprika 300g raw prawns handful of basil. torn small handful of grated vegetarian Parmesan Begin by boiling the stock in a large pan and leave to the side.

Get a deep pan and put on a medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and add the onion, garlic and rice. Stir regularly to ensure all of the rice is coated in oil and does not stick to the pan.

When the onions become translucent (this should take around 3-4 minutes) add in 1 ladel of stock. Keep stirring while the rice absorbs the stock and when it is completely absorbed , add another ladel of stock. Keep doing this until all of the stock has been absorbed by the rice.

Next, add in the fresh cherry tomatoes and the chopped tomatoes. and stir into the rice. This should be followed by the sugar (to counteract the tartness of the tomatoes), the pepper and the paprika. Now you should let the risotto simmer for around 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly.

The next step is adding your prawns. Make sure to coat them in the sauce so they cooked evenly and thoroughly. After around 3-5 minutes, the prawns will pink all over and you're almost done!

Add the basil and serve, sprinkling a little Parmesan on each serving. Mediterranean Fish

250ml fish stock 1 tbsp tomato puree 150ml white wine 2 cloves garlic 100g salmon (chopped) 100g haddock 1/2 red chilli (chopped) 100g smoked cod 1 orange or yellow 100g chick peas pepper (chopped) 300g vine ripened 1 white onion tomatoes (chopped) 1/2 tin of chopped 1 tsp cayenne pepper tomatoes 1 unwaxed lemon 250g white fluffy Handful of fresh potatoes parsley (chopped) Glug of olive oil In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and fry the onion, garlic and chilli on a high heat until they start to brown.

Add the tomato puree and the cayenne pepper, then stir it into the onion/garlic/chilli to make a wet paste.

Once you've created a paste, add the vine-ripened tomatoes, tin of tomatoes, chopped pepper, potatoes (peel and cut them into small chunks), chick peas and the zest/juice of the lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper then cook on a high heat for 10 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley, wine and stock and cook for a further 10 minutes. This should reduce down the contents of the pan slightly and bring out all of the flavours of the vegetables.

Once the wine has reduced, add the fish and cook for another 10 minutes. Make sure you're occasionally stirring the pan at this stage. Also, you don't need to worry about cutting the fish into smaller chunks beforehand because once they've cooked for 3- 4 minutes you'll be able to flake them apart with a wooden spoon.

Take off the heat and leave to settle for 2-3 minutes before serving with some grilled ciabatta. Haddock & Crab Fish Pie

350g haddock fillets 200g crab claw meat 200ml whole milk 500g maris piper potatoes 2 free range eggs (hard-boiled) Bunch of fresh parsley (chopped) 1 bay leaf 50g of ricotta 100g mature cheddar 20g salted Handful dried chilli flakes Peel the potatoes and chop them into rough pieces (around 4cm cubes). Pour them into some salted boiling water within a pan and leave them for around 20 minutes.

Whilst the potatoes are boiling, heat all of the milk in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add the chopped parsley, bay leaf and the haddock fillets and leave to poach for around 10 minutes. Make sure that you season the fish with salt and pepper as well.

Add in your 2 free-range eggs to a pan of boiling water for around 8 minutes until they are hard-boiled. The fish should now be nice and soft, you can now flake it apart with a wooden spoon into smaller chunks (this is a lot easier than chopping it into pieces when it's raw). Now take the fish off of the heat.

Once the potatoes are ready (poke them with a blunt knife to see if they're soft), strain them in a colander and run them through a potato ricer. You can use a potato masher if you like but I always find that a ricer adds the perfect texture to your mash. Now add the butter, a pinch of salt and pepper and the ricotta, and then mix it all together. You can also add a quarter of the to the mash potato to give a lovely fishy flavour, but that's up to you. It's now time to add the contents of your frying pan (milk/haddock/parsley) into your baking tray. Be sure to remove the bay leaf though, you don't want to end up chewing on that. Just spread out the mixture across the surface of your tray and then the rest of your crab meat and your two hard-boiled eggs (cut them into quarters).

Spoon over the potato evenly across the fish in your baking tray, making sure that you've covered it all. Now grate the cheddar over the top of the potato and add a handful of dried chilli flakes. Place the tray into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius / 356 degrees Fahrenheit / Gas mark 4 for 30 minutes until there is a golden crispy colour to the top of the pie. Make sure you leave it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Sesame Falafel Wraps

Falafel Wrap Salad 400g chick peas (tinned is 1 carrot (grated) fine) 60g fresh rocket/watercress 2 echalion shallots 1/2 cucumber (sliced) 1 clove of garlic 60g vine cherry tomatoes 1/2 red chilli (halved) Handful of fresh coriander 50g halloumi 1 tbsp ground cumin 3 tortilla wraps 100g sesame seeds 2 tbsp plain flour Add all of the ingredients except the sesame seeds into a food processor and blend it all together until it's a rough, wet texture. Make sure you've thoroughly rinsed the chick peas in cold water before adding them.

Once all the ingredients are blended, add half a teaspoon of salt and pepper to the bowl and mix it all around.

It's now time to make the falafel mixture resemble something that looks like burgers. To do this, take one heaped tablespoon of the mixture and work it into a ball. Do this until all of the mixture is gone - you should have around 6 balls (you may get more if you're lucky!). Place the sesame seeds on a large plate and roll each of the balls of falafel in them until they're coated in them.

Once all of the balls are coated in sesame seeds, flatten them down into small burgers.

Place a large frying pan over a medium/high heat and add a generous glug of olive oil. Once the oil has heated, add the falafel burgers and fry for around 3 minutes on each side. It's as simple as that.

To finish, add the vegetables, falafel and sprinkle some sesame seeds in the wrap and fold it up.