Tag Archives: omega 3

Family Meals, Kids Nutrition, Recipes

Mackerel Carbonara

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Now this recipe, it’s not a combination that instantly springs to mind, in fact I remember Gregg being dubious when we cooked this on Eat Well for less. … however it works. This is a great way to get oily fish back on the menu for family meals.

Oily fish is such a important food to try and incorporate into your weekly meal planning due to the omega 3 content. Omega 3’s are a essential fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory effects, can help with brain health, cognitive function, heart health and even asthma.

I hope you enjoy the recipe – do make sure to turn off the heat before adding in the sauce of the yoghurt will curdle. 

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SMOKED MACKEREL CARBONARA

Ingredients

  • 450 g spaghetti
  • 2 tsp horseradish sauce
  • 400 g greek yoghurt
  • 4 eggs
  • 60 g parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 medium courgettes grated
  • 350 g boneless smoked mackerel skin removed and flaked
  • 240 g baby spinach
  • 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and stir well.  Simmer for 12-15 minutes until cooked.

  2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Whisk together the horseradish sauce, yoghurt, eggs and parmesan. Season with black pepper.

  3. Heat a large pan until medium hot, add the oil and stir fry the courgette for 2 minutes until it has started to soften.

  4. Add the smoked mackerel, mix well then cook for another minute. Stir in the spinach and cook for a couple of minutes until wilted down.

  5. Turn the heat off (to prevent curdling), add the horseradish and yoghurt mixture into the pan. Stir really quickly until mixed throughout the courgettes and mackerel. 

  6. Drain the pasta and tip straight into the pan, with about 100ml of the cooking water, then stir until totally covered in the sauce.

  7. Serve straight away with the parsley scattered over the top.

Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Salmon and Kale Bombs.

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Recently I was very pleased to be passed on some kale. A fair amount of kale that needed using quick, so we’ve been going a bit kaletastic. 

Salmon and kale = one of those winning combo’s in my mind. It turns out the small people agreed with me and hoovered up their dinner. One happy mummy as they got a whole heap of goodness from this meal. This was also our first meal eating al-fresco this year. Love love love. 

It always surprises me that the J-boy who is not always the keenest vegetable eater will happily eat his greens when mixed into meals. If you have a child who isn’t keen on veggies then try this out on them. Sometimes having your veggies on the side makes them harder to eat, so I tend to incorporate them into as many main meals as I can and then add some on the side too.

Kale:  Packed with vitamins C and A (1 cup provides over 200% of the RDA for vitamin A and over 100% of vitamin C), also providing calcium, vitamin B6 and some iron. Kale contains the powerful antioxidants beta-carotene, quercetin and kaempferol. These have numerous health benefits including fighting cancer, oxidative damage to the body, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing. 

Salmon: Omega 3’s, one of the unsung heroes of our diets. These can help protect against heart disease, play a role in helping treat depression and are important for the development of a baby. You want to be including these in your meal plan 1-2 times a week if possible, once only if you are pregnant. Oily fish are the best known source but linseeds, walnuts and tofu are some alternatives.

Sesame seeds: High in calcium and iron content, magnesium and B6. I included these for the texture and the calcium and iron content as I am in the late stages of pregnancy so always thinking about keeping my iron and calcium stores up. Call me paranoid….

Dietitian UK: Salmon and kale bombs

Salmon and Kale Bombs
Serves 4
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
592 calories
7 g
238 g
24 g
83 g
4 g
400 g
465 g
1 g
0 g
11 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
400g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 592
Calories from Fat 213
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24g
37%
Saturated Fat 4g
18%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 238mg
79%
Sodium 465mg
19%
Total Carbohydrates 7g
2%
Dietary Fiber 1g
6%
Sugars 1g
Protein 83g
Vitamin A
170%
Vitamin C
101%
Calcium
17%
Iron
17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 4 salmon fillets
  2. 100ml milk
  3. 200g kale chopped very fine
  4. 1 medium egg or 2 small
  5. 2 tbsp chopped chives
  6. black pepper
  7. gluten free/wheatfree breadcrumbs
  8. sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Place the salmon in a pan with the milk, allow it to poach for 10 minutes. Then strain the milk into a jug, get as much liquid as you can out of the fish. You can keep this to use in another recipe such as a cheese sauce.
  2. Meanwhile chop up the kale and chives.
  3. Now break up the fish into small flakes, mix with the kale, chives, pepper and egg. The mixture should be wet but not sloppy as you want to be able to shape it into balls.
  4. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, mix in the sesame seeds.
  5. Roll spoonfuls in you hands into balls, then drop into the breadcrumb mix and roll the fish ball in it.
  6. Place onto a lined baking tray and pop into the fridge for an hour to firm up. (Make ahead up to this point).
  7. Bake at Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes.
beta
calories
592
fat
24g
protein
83g
carbs
7g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Wheat Free

5 Minute Mackerel Pate

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Oily fish. We all know that it is good for us, but certainly in our house it can be a struggle to get it into the weeks meal plans. My husband isn’t keen on fish and for some reason during pregnancy I seem to go off the oily fish. However I was determined to find a different way to get some omega 3’s into our diets.

There is a wealth of evidence showing the benefits of eating Omega 3 fats that are found in oily fish. For example studies on children have shown improved concentration and may help in ADHD. Studies on adults show lowered inflammation so may help in conditions such as arthritis,  other research shows protection against heart attacks, lowering of blood pressure, they may help protect against some cancers and may aid in depression and some mental health conditions.

Oily fish include all the smelly ones 😉 Mackerel, salmon, fresh (not tinned) tuna, halibut, sardines, herring, kippers. These provide EPA and DHA.

So onto the recipe…..

Dietitian UK: Mackerel Pate
Dietitian UK: Mackerel Pate

I had a packet of peppered mackerel fillets in the fridge. Literally all I did was whizz these up in the food processor with some Greek yoghurt  and some water to loosen it. There it is… an instant pate. What was great about this is my husband (the fish hater) liked it so much I had to take it away from him before he ate the whole lot!

Recipe:

  • 200g peppered mackerel fillets
  • 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • Water as needed
  1. Place the mackerel and yoghurt in a food processor and blend.
  2. Add the water as needed to loosen it into a pate consistency.
Gluten Free, Recipes, Weaning, Wheat Free

Fish Cakes that go Fast.

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We’ve had a really odd few weeks of weather, it’s rained ALOT and then there have been moments of lovely sunshine, though not many of them. It’s meant that instead of being out in the garden picking beans in strappy tops and shorts, I’m craving more wintery foods. So as a compromise here’s my fishcake recipe, works for winter, summer, spring or autumn 😉

The added bonus with this recipe is it gets those family members who say they don’t like fish, to eat fish. I always like to prove people wrong on foods when they say they don’t like foods! Also you can get in some omega 3’s which are great for reducing inflammation, for improving blood flow, for boosting brain power and keeping the heart healthy, then whack in some hidden veggies too.

My toddler always ends up eating her portion and then asking for more, so eats half of my portion too – and I never remember this when making them. So mental note to you all….make extra.

Recipe:

450g of fish (I used a mix of salmon and pollack)

300g potato

100ml white wine

chopped herbs and a bayleaf

small knob of butter

200g mushrooms finely chopped

2 egg yolks

2 tsp mustard

  • Poach the fish in 100ml white wine with some chopped herbs, a bay leaf and a small knob of butter.
  • When it is cooked, remove from the pan and let the cooking liquid reduce down by leaving it to simmer on the hob.
  • Meanwhile peel, chop and cook the potatoes, then mash without adding butter or milk so they are dry.
  • Chop up the mushrooms or other vegetables and seperate the eggs.
  • Flake the fish into a large bowl then add the potatoes, egg yolks, mustard, cooking liquid and vegetables. Mix and then shape into fish cakes, they may be quite moist, that is fine!
Dietitian UK: fishcake mix
Dietitian UK: fishcake mix
  • Place onto a baking tray and leave to firm up in the fridge.
Dietitian UK: Fishcakes in the fridge
Dietitian UK: Fishcakes in the fridge
  • Cook in a non stick pan when needed. I’d advise you make extra as these go quick fast in our house! I’m sure you could bake in the oven, please try it out and let me know.

Serve with a large salad and a cheeky glass of white wine 😉