Dill & Mustard Salmon with Beetroot Slaw

Fish is a nutrient rich food that the average person does not eat often enough.

Fish is high in protein and relatively low in fat, especially when compared with chicken and red meat.  One of its main distinguishing features is that it contains omega 3 fats, which are essential fatty acids (meaning that our bodies cannot make these fats, we must eat food containing them) that are important for overall good health.  This is exactly why we need to eat fish often and ideally you should include fish 3-4 times a week in your menu.

There are two types of omega 3 fats found in fish – DHA (docosahexanoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which have both been well studied and researched. There is overwhelming evidence to show that these essential fatty acids can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, improve visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision), improve cognitive function and reduce dementia, reduce inflammation and perhaps some types of cancer, such as colon cancer and reduce total mortality.

Salmon is my favourite fish and also just happens to have higher levels of omega-3s than most other fish.  There are varying values for exactly how much omega 3 fat salmon contains, however you can be guaranteed that a 120g serving will provide 2-3 days worth of the recommended amount of omega 3 fat for a healthy person (which is 500mg).  We try to include it for dinner at least once a week.

So when I saw a recipe for salmon in this month’s delicious magazine, I knew I had to try it!

I usually cook my salmon plain, without anything on it but a little olive oil, salt and pepper and it is delicious done this way.  However this recipe provides such great flavour combinations I was happy to break my tradition and give it a go.  A bonus was that it was really quick and easy to prepare and cook.

The accompaniment is a beetroot slaw, where the original recipe included mayonnaise or aioli.  Both are high in fat, in particular saturated fat which is turned into cholesterol when you eat it.  I didn’t fancy using mayo, so I replaced it with oil and vinegar, but kept the yoghurt in as it made the dressing quite creamy.  The slaw was delicious.  Served with steamed sugar snap peas and kipfler potatoes, this truly was a delicious meal 🙂

Dill & Mustard Salmon with Beetroot Slaw

Serves 2

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 2 x 150g salmon fillets, pin-boned
• 1 medium-large raw beetroot (250g), peeled, grated
• 75g (1 cup) red cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low fat Greek-style yoghurt
• Steamed green beans or sugar snap peas, to serve
• Lemon wedges, to serve

1. Combine 2 teaspoons of oil, 1 tablespoon mustard and 1 tablespoon dill in a dish. Add fish and turn to coat well. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and line a baking paper with baking paper.
3. Meanwhile, to make the slaw, combine beetroot, cabbage and onion in a medium bowl.
4. In a smaller bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, remaining 2 teaspoons of mustard and 1 tablespoon of dill with the vinegar and yoghurt.  Whisk well to combine.
5. Pour dressing over the beetroot and mix well.  Set aside.
6. Place the fish on the prepared baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until just cooked.
7. Rest for 2-3 minutes, then serve with slaw, beans or peas and lemon wedges.

Per Serve: 1866kJ or 444 calories; P 35g Fat 26g SFat 5g CHO 15g Fibre 6g