[n-er-gise]

Fish, soooo yummy, soooo versatile and soooo good for you!  An excellent low fat source of protein, vitamins and minerals, fish is also packed full of omega 3 fatty acids which can help prevent heart disease and also reduces your chances of a stroke or heart attack. Yet  despite the numerous health benefits people are still not getting enough fish in their diet – the American Heart Foundation actually recommends people eat 2-3 fish meals per week.

For many I think the idea of cooking fish is rather daunting and there mere thought of having a raw plain white piece of fish sat in front of them sends them running for the hills or that nearest piece of meat! It has a bit of a reputation as being bland or difficult to cook when in fact it is so easy and quick to cook!

So, by popular request, here are my top 5 EASY Fish recipes. I can’t promise you that they are gourmet meals BUT they are cost-effective and simple and tasty enough to bung in the oven on your average week night, when you are likely to be short on time and energy!

The fish ideas below serve 2 people…

Barramundi with Cumin

Coat two Barramundi fillets in a generous amount of ground cumin along with a little salt and pepper. Put a small amount of cold pressed olive oil in a frying pan and slowly fry on a medium heat, approx 5-6 mins each side. You will know when it is cooked if you cut into it gently and the flesh comes apart easily.

Make a dressing from 1 cup natural yogurt, 2 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil, a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.

Serve with your choice of green vegetables… we think english spinach works really well.

Mediterranean Trout or Salmon

Pre heat the oven to 200c. Place the trout in a piece of tin foil with a little salt and some pepper. Drizzle on a little  Balsamic vinegar, cover the top with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil and finally sprinkle on a few squares of feta cheese. Wrap the foil up into a parcel and place in the oven for around 20 mins or until the fish is cooked all the way through.

Serve with some steamed broccoli.

Asian White Fish – (have tried this with Perch, Snapper and Silver Dory but am sure most other firm white fish will do)

Pre heat the oven to around 200c. Place fish on some tin foil with a little salt and pepper. In a jug mix together 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, a little olive oil, a good amount of chopped fresh ginger, a small chopped onion, 1 tablespoon of organic tamari sauce. Mix together and pour over the fish. Wrap the foil up to form a parcel then ideally leave to marinate for about 30 mins (you don’t have to marinate but it is better if you do) Then bake the parcel in the oven for about 20 mins or until the fish is cooked through.

Serve on a bed of steamed bok choy.

Spicy White Fish- (have tried this with Snapper, Perch and Blue Eye but again am sure other firm white fish will be fine)

Pre heat the oven to around 200c. Place fish on some tin foil with a little salt and pepper. In a jug mix together the juice of half  to one lemon and a clove or two of garlic (depending on how much lemon and garlic you like, taste to see) Add a red chilli and plenty of  fresh coriander. Mix together and pour over the fish, wrap the foil up into a parcel. Place the parcel in the oven for about 20 mins until the fish is cooked through.

Julienne a courgette (zucchini) into long thin strips lengthwise and blanch for one minute in hot water. It has the consistency of spaghetti but no where near as many cals!

Salmon Burgers – (from Teresa Cutter – the healthy chef)

Combine 400g of chopped raw salmon, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, zest from 1 lemon, a little salt and pepper and one egg white into a food processor. Pulse until combined then remove and shape into 4 burgers. Coat in almond meal and rest in the fridge for 15 mins to help them set. Cook in a pan over a low to medium heat with a little olive oil until crisp, golden and cooked through.

Serve over lots of leafy greens and then drizzle over 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper.

Hi guys, I am still here! Apologies for my lack of posts recently but the weeks seem to have flown past, all excuses I know but you know how it gets!

Anyway, I wanted to share a fabulous salad that I had on Saturday at a cafe in Paddo. This salad was SERIOUSLY good, so good in fact that I had to take a photo of it and then then raved on about it for hours and hours afterwards saying it was the best salad I had ever had! 

As you know I am a strong advocate of high protein, low GI eating for sustained energy and to keep you feeling fuller for longer. In other words eating in such a way that you avoid sugar spikes that are followed by subsequent dips that can lead to sluggishness and weight gain.

This monster salad is low GI, definitely high in protein (due to the cheeses, walnuts and seeds) and has plenty of good fats. Although it was totally yummy I have to admit two things… firstly it isn’t particularly low calorie (but hey we all have to have a treat sometimes!) and secondly I have adapted it slightly by adding a  few extra seeds to make it even more perfect. So, here it is:

Butternut squash (1 cup) roasted in mild curry powder and little olive oil

Spinach leaves (couple of handfuls of)

Rocket leaves (handful of)

Walnuts (a handful of)

Sunflower seeds (1 tbsp)

Pepita Seeds (1tbps)

Chia Seeds (1tbsps)

Ricotta Cheese (1 tbps)

Feta cheese (50-100g – portion is up to you!)

Balsamic Vinegar (a drizzle of)

Extra Virgin Olive oil

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Enjoy! The combination of the curry powder and the feta are honestly to die for!