Recipes from Tom Walton's More Fish, More Veg for easy family dinners

So when Tom Walton's More Fish, More Veg landed on my kitchen bench, I decided to do just that. Finding family meals that satisfy one pescatarian and one teenager with a hearty appetite is sometimes hard to do.

So many recipes in this book that would suit, but I settle on the smoky butter beans with fish and rice. I grab some thick swordfish steaks from the helpful team at Narooma Seafood Direct at the Capital Region Farmers Market that morning. That night, dinner's on the table in about 30 minutes. Flavoursome fish, poached in a tomato-based pilaf of sorts, bolstered by some butter beans with a kick of fire-roasted chilli salsa. It was a great hit.

As a chef, Walton has worked at hatted restaurants, including Darley's in the Blue Mountains where he grew up, and Sydney's Bistro Moncur where he became head chef.

Now, he and his wife Cheyenne and their three young children live between Sydney and Byron Bay. There's more focus on family-friendly recipes for the home cook, a less is more approach that results in what he likes to call "deliciousness".

He wants us all to eat more fish and vegetables.

"Cooking fish isn't difficult," he says. "I understand that a lot of people are put off by the idea but once you've mastered a few basic techniques it's actually pretty simple."

The book contains chapters on how to select fish - shop from a trusted source, look for healthy fish, buy local, are a few top tips - but also a comprehensive section, with step-by-step photographs, on a few simple techniques - pan-frying with a crispy skin, barbecuing, poaching, roasting whole fish.

Two things Walton is passionate about are sustainability and seasonality. I didn't know fish were seasonal. Blue-eye trevalla's peak season is winter, coming into spring look for Spanish mackerel.

Sure, he acknowledges, in a country as vast as Australia, most species will be available year round, but it does make a difference to not only price, but taste as well.

"We've grown accustomed to celebrating the seasonality of vegetables and fruit, and we've learned to realise the value of a product in its peak condition ... we should be thinking about fish in that way as well," he says.

The recipes are divided into seasons. There is a big focus on vegetables, many recipes have a "goes with" tip which recommends which fish would go with it (and the recommended cooking technique).

Winter has us eating the Gochujang fish and Brussels sprouts tray bake. Don't tell the family what's in it and serve it up. It's the next one on my list.

This marinade is so delicious, inspired by the classic za'atar roast chicken. It makes for an impressive yet simple dinner. Turn this into a feast by serving it with Fattoush, sumac yoghurt and flatbread. I love leatherjacket - it's such a delicious, sustainable choice - but you could also use rainbow trout, barramundi, bream or snapper.

Please don't shy away from cooking whole fish - it's easy, mess-free and tastes amazing. If you're still not convinced, you could use a large white-fleshed fish fillet for this recipe, which takes even less time to cook (around eight to 10 minutes).

1. Pat each fish inside and out with paper towel until dry, then make three shallow cuts down both sides of each fish. Place in a wide shallow bowl or a deep baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients, then pour over each fish and into the cavities, making sure the fish is very well coated. Allow to stand in the fridge for at least one hour to marinate, then remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to let the fish come to room temperature and cook more evenly.

3. Preheat the oven to 220C.

4. Place the fish and all the marinade in a large baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 15-20 minutes, then allow it to rest for two to three minutes.

5. Sprinkle a little extra paprika and za'atar over the fish. Combine the pine nuts, parsley and red onion and scatter over the top. Serve with some flatbread or steamed rice.

Note: Ask your fishmonger to clean the fish for you, if you like.

Serves 4.

I love everything about this dish. You're packing so much flavour into one pot, layering up the rice, onion, herbs and spices, which all help to gently cook the fish. I love butter chicken spice mix (not entirely traditional, but so delicious), but you can use any spice mix you like. It might seem like there are a few steps involved, but it really comes together easily.

This dish, which happens to be leftovers-approved, also offers the opportunity to try different fish types - just stick to firmer white-fleshed fish, ocean trout or Spanish mackerel.

1. Combine the yoghurt with the spice mix, one tablespoon of the olive oil and the lime zest. Place the salmon in a large dish or tray, season with salt and pepper, then spoon the yoghurt marinade over the fish and gently rub it in all over. Refrigerate for two to three hours or overnight to marinate, then bring it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

2. Place the onion in a saucepan with the remaining olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Stir, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onion begins to caramelise. Remove the lid and cook for a further five minutes, stirring until deeply caramelised. Set aside.

3. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil with two teaspoons salt. Add the rice, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Cook for four minutes, then drain the rice and set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 220C. Place the marinated salmon, skin-side down, and any remaining marinade in a large, deep ovenproof dish or pot. Combine the rice with the onion, herbs (reserving a quarter for garnish) and extra spice mix and spoon this over the salmon. Drizzle the saffron-infused water evenly over the rice. Place a piece of baking paper over the rice to cover it, then cover with a lid or a layer of foil.

5. Bake the rice in the oven for 25-30 minutes, then allow it to rest for five minutes. Remove the lid and scatter on the remaining herbs.

6. Serve the biryani with the tomato, red onion and coriander salad, lime halves and the avocado tzatziki, if desired.

Pro tip: You can make the caramelised onion and marinate the fish the day before.

Serves 4.

Scoop the flesh from 2 avocados into a bowl. Mash with a fork and stir through 260g natural Greek-style yoghurt, 1 grated Lebanese cucumber that has been squeezed dry, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons chardonnay vinegar and a handful of roughly chopped mint leaves. Season with sea salt flakes and ground black pepper, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve topped with thinly sliced radishes, torn extra mint leaves and dill sprigs.

Serves 4.

These wraps are an example of how building your arsenal of condiments can help you create layers of flavour quickly. I skewer the fish in between slices of lemon, which caramelises them into a new level of deliciousness when they're grilled. You could also make these vegetarian by swapping the fish for cauliflower florets or diced eggplant that have been tossed in the ras el hanout marinade and roasted at 220C for 12-15 minutes.

1. Soak eight 12cm bamboo/wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes.

2. Place the fish in a bowl with the ras el hanout, some salt and pepper and two tablespoons of the olive oil and toss to coat.

3. Cut one of the lemons in half lengthways and then cut each half into eight thin slices. Thread the fish onto the skewers in between the lemon slices - you want three pieces of fish and two slices of lemon per skewer. If you have time, place the skewers in the fridge for up to one hour to marinate.

4. Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan to high. Toss the onion in the remaining olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

5. Cook the fish for about two minutes each side, and the onion until it's charred and gnarly, about two minutes.

6. To serve, lay the flatbreads out, spoon some hummus onto them and top with the herbs, tomato, cucumber and the charred onion. Place a fish skewer on top, then pull the bamboo skewer out and discard. Finish with the yoghurt and zhoug, wrap it all up and dive in!

Pro tip: Make the condiments and skewer the fish up to a day in advance.

Notes: Ras el hanout, a North African spice mix, is available at well-stocked supermarkets and some grocers. You could leave out the flatbread and serve this bowl-style, bulked up with some salad leaves or shredded lettuce.

Serves 4.

This is the perfect no-fuss, make-ahead sauce to have on standby in the fridge. Sumac has such a wonderfully fresh, fragrant, slightly sour flavour that really livens up dressings, salads and fish. You'll find so many uses for this sauce - I use it throughout the book. You could also thin it out with water and drizzle it over salads. Try stirring through some chopped fresh mint and grated cucumber and serving it as a dip.

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the fridge for up to one week.

Makes 480g.

Every culture has their own green sauce but for me, zhoug has the edge, thanks to the unique addition of cardamom. This Middle Eastern version of chimichurri, if you will, injects a huge burst of flavour into dishes and - with help from your trusty blender or food processor - is ready in five minutes. Have this in the fridge and you will use it for everything from marinating and dressing veggies and fish, to swirling through soups or spooning into tacos, wraps or sandwiches. It also gives hummus and yoghurt a great kick. The heat from the chilli mellows over time but if you want it a little milder, remove the seeds from the chilli beforehand.

1. Place the herbs, chilli, spices, salt, lemon juice and half the olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend to chop the herbs and chilli, then increase the speed to finely chop everything.

2. Add the remaining olive oil and pulse to combine, leaving some texture remaining. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the fridge for up to one week.

Makes 250ml.

Brussels sprouts work so well in this dish, but feel free to mix it up with other seasonal veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, eggplant or zucchini, cut into similar-sized pieces. Serve this with steamed rice or grains, or throw some diced sweet potato onto the tray before roasting.

1. Preheat the oven to 230C.

2. Place the fish in a shallow bowl. Place the brussels sprouts and onion in a second bowl and the broccolini in a third bowl. Season them all with a little salt, drizzle with the olive oil and divide the gochujang dressing between the three bowls, reserving 60ml of the dressing for serving. Gently toss all the ingredients together in their separate bowls to coat them.

3. Scatter the brussels sprouts, onion and any remaining marinade onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for seven minutes. Remove from the oven and add the fish, skin-side down, the broccolini and all the marinade from the bowls. Roast for eight minutes, until the fish is just cooked and the veggies are a little charred and gnarly.

4. Meanwhile, combine the radish, spring onion and edamame with the rice vinegar, sesame oil and a little salt. Scatter this over the fish and veggies and serve with the kimchi, the reserved gochujang dressing and the steamed rice.

Serves 4.

Gochujang is on high rotation in our kitchen. The fermented chilli paste is a pantry staple, and a key to creating deliciousness with whatever I have on hand. This dressing has the most amazing, spicy, umami-rich flavour, making it the perfect marinade or glaze. Add this to soups, toss it through noodles or use it to marinate and dress prawns or squid. It's a delicious dipping sauce for sashimi, too. If you can't find gochujang, you can substitute with equal quantities of white miso and sriracha combined together. For a milder version, you could just use miso on its own.

1. Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey or maple syrup and sesame seeds in a bowl and stir to make a smooth sauce. Add the ginger (if using) and mix through. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the fridge for up to two months.

Note: Gochujang is a fermented rice-based chilli paste that is popular in Korean cooking. Find it in the Asian aisle of some supermarkets and at most Asian grocers.

Pro tip: If you keep your gochujang in the fridge, bring it to room temperature before mixing it with other ingredients, otherwise it will be too hard.

Makes 250ml.