chia fish cakes

These Chia Fish Cakes are a quick, easy and palatable way to get the nutritional benefits of a particular fish that many people hate...sardines. Before you go "ugh, disgusting" and swiftly hit the back button, I encourage you to give these a chance. My boyfriend (and taste tester) has a severe dislike of sardines but loves these - even after I told him that the 'mystery' fish was sardines.

 

Sardines are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron and very low in mercury, which makes them one of the best fish to eat. The chia seeds provide a crispy crunch and they are deliciously salty, so perfect with some avocado spread on top. They would also go nicely with some poached eggs for a protein-packed breakfast.

ingredients

• 190g sardines, drained (about 5 large fillets) *
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Black pepper
• Coconut oil or butter for frying

preparation

1. Place the drained sardines in a bowl and mash well with a fork. Sometimes it's the 'insides' of sardines that puts people off, but once they are mashed, you won't notice them.

2. Stir through the eggs, coconut flour, chia seeds and some cracked black pepper until everything is well combined. Leave the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes so that the chia seeds absorb any excess moisture and thicken the mixture. If the mixture is still too runny, add a little more coconut flour and/or chia seeds.

3. Heat a little coconut oil or butter in a pan over a medium heat. Form the mixture into patty shapes with your hands (they will feel slightly wet) and place in the pan. Fry on both sides until lightly golden. You may need to do this in a couple of batches.

Makes 6 cakes.

* It's best to get sardines that are canned or bottled in olive oil (rather than vegetable/seed oils, which I avoid for the reasons discussed here). Check the ingredients list - sometimes the labelling states 'in olive oil' but when you read the ingredients list you see that it's actually a blend of olive oil and vegetable or seed oils.

smoked trout with avocado + greens

This salad doesn't really need a recipe, but I love the combination of flavours so I thought I'd share it as a bit of inspiration. It's the kind of meal you can throw together when your brain has given up for the day (often at lunchtime).

I always keep a packet of smoked trout or smoked salmon in the fridge for quick meals like this. Smoked fish has so much flavour, so it's the perfect ingredient to make an otherwise boring salad tasty. It also adds a good dose of healthy fats and protein (useful for brain function, if you're having one of those days).

ingredients

• 50-100g smoked trout (or smoked salmon)
• Half an avocado
• Various greens, such as a couple of handfuls of rocket or baby spinach and some leftover broccoli
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper

preparation

1. Grab the bowl you want to eat from. Scoop out the avocado, in chunks, into the bowl. Throw in the greens. Drizzle with some olive oil and a little pinch of salt. Toss to combine (with your hands - if you want to keep washing up to a minimum).

2. Top with the smoked trout and season with cracked black pepper.

Serves 1.

sardines with pumpkin + silverbeet

This makes a wonderfully nutritious and filling lunch or dinner (or breakfast if you're like me and enjoy slightly unusual breakfasts). I made it for lunch today with my leftover Paprika Roast Pumpkin. 

It doesn't really need a recipe, but I thought I'd share it as more of an idea for you to play with because I really love the flavour combination. Sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are also low in mercury, so they're one of the better fish options. I use sardines tinned in olive oil. 

ingredients

• Tin of sardines in olive oil
• A couple of large handfuls of silverbeet
• Leftover Paprika Roast Pumpkin

preparation

1. Remove the stalks from the silverbeet and roughly chop the leaves. Steam or boil the leaves until just tender, then drain well.

2. Remove the sardines from the tin, draining the oil. Place the silverbeet in a bowl and top with a handful of the leftover Paprika Roast Pumpkin and the sardines. (I don't dress the silverbeet with any oil as the sardines are quite oily).

Serves 1.

salmon cakes with smashed broccoli

I love these salmon cakes for dinner, breakfast, lunch...pretty much at all times. I get three meals out of them: I have them hot for dinner with broccoli, cold with avocado for breakfast, then crumbled up over a salad for lunch. Win, win, win.

I usually use canned salmon to make the cakes. I buy Fish4Ever brand wild Alaskan red salmon, which includes the skin and the bones (the bones are really soft so you don't notice them at all and they are a great source of calcium). But if you have leftover salmon steaks, they would work well too.

ingredients

for the salmon cakes:

• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 x 213g tins of salmon (or equivalent weight of cooked salmon steaks)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Coconut oil for frying

for the smashed broccoli:

• 1 head of broccoli
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

preparation

1. Separate the broccoli head into florets, then roughly chop the green tops and finely slice the stalks. Boil or steam until just tender and set aside.

 

2. Heat about half a teaspoon of coconut oil in a fry-pan and finely chop the onion and garlic. Saut� the onion in the coconut oil until it starts to soften, then add the garlic and saut� for a further minute or so.

3. Tip the salmon into a large bowl and break it up with a spoon. Stir through the cooked onion and garlic, eggs, parsley, coconut flour and paprika. Season with a good pinch of salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. If the mixture is too runny at this stage, add a little more coconut flour.

4. Heat some more coconut oil in the frypan. Form the salmon mixture into patties and fry on both sides until browned. You will need to do this in a few batches (depending on the size of your fry-pan).

5. Dress the broccoli in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and serve on top of the salmon cakes.

Makes 10 salmon cakes.