To start off the new year as I intend to go on, I came up with this light and nutritious recipe using salmon fillet and green vegetables.
The 'lean' comes from the fish. Fish forms a valuable part of a healthy balanced diet. It is recommended to eat at least two portions per week, one of which should be 'oily fish' such as salmon or mackerel. This recipe amounts to two portions (i.e x2 fillets) if prepared for one person. One portion can be had for dinner and the other for lunch the following day ;-)
The 'green' comes from fresh spinach leaves and courgettes. Spinach is low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, high in niacin and zinc, protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. In other words, it's loaded with good things for every part of your body!
Courgettes are low calorie vegetables; there are only 17 calories per 100 g.They contain no saturated fats or cholesterol and its skin is good source of dietary fiber. Using a spiraliser makes the preparation quick and fun. If you have a hand-held version, simply use it like you would use a pencil sharpener, by turning the courgette in a clockwise circular motion until the spirals appear.
As I added no seasoning or salt to the vegetables during cooking, I chose salmon as the 'main' item in this dish because it has a lot of inherent flavour, even without the extra seasoning. Salmon can be replaced with mackerel - another oily and flavourful fish. The spinach can be replaced with kale. Kale is a source of manganese, copper, calcium vitamins A, C, B6 and K.
Good for: low fat, fresh, fish, omega 3, no heavy carbs, vegetables.
Substitutes:
- Salmon - Mackerel
- Spinach - Kale
Ingredients
x2 fresh salmon fillets
fresh spinach leaves
Spiralised courgette
1 chopped red pepper
1/2 chopped white onion
4 black pepper corns
2 cardamon pods
all purpose seasoning
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Preparation
1. Add the onions and red pepper to a casserole dish.
2. Lightly season the salmon with the all purpose seasoning and placed on top of the onions and red pepper.
3. Add the pepper corns and cloves to the dish and cover with lid.
4. Place in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the salmon is light pink and flakey.
5. Spiralise half a courgette, using the handheld spiraliser and place in a shallow frying pan. Top with a handful of spinach leaves.
6. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the courgette and spinach and fry on a very low heat for a few minutes until soft.
7. Serve the salmon on top of the courgettes and spinach.
8. Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt on top to finish.
