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Tasty & Healthy Nuggets, Issue #003. The kind of fats your body needs.
June 22, 2024
Hello,

www.light-food-full-of-flavour.com

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food." (George Bernard Shaw)


It might sound as wishful thinking, but fat is good for us, the right kind of fat though, essential fats.

The two important types of fat that your body needs to function properly are:

Omega 3

Omega 6

Most people get more than enough Omega 6 from the food they eat, as these fats are abundant in our diets.

Unhealthy refined vegetable oils found in foods like margarine, baked goods, crackers, processed and fried foods cause excessive amounts of Omega 6 in people who eat a lot of these foods. Scientists say that this may result in chronic inflammation, the precursor to many serious diseases.

Good sources of Omega 6 are nutritious nuts and seeds, Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil.

Ideally, your diet should consist of equal amounts of Omega 3 and Omega 6, but many people don't get enough Omega 3 from what they eat.

Omega 3 is very important for our heart and brain health, as well as for a well-functioning metabolism.

The best omnivore source for Omega 3 is oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines.




marinated-mackerel-fillets.html


poached-salmon-and-vegetables.html


Fresh fish can be expensive, but tinned/canned sardines and mackerel are both inexpensive and an easy way to get your Omega 3.

I prefer sardines or mackerel tinned in olive oil, and a tasty and easy way to jazz up either is to mix the content, fish and oil, with some horseradish sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Eat it, for example, on oat cakes or toasted sourdough bread as an accompaniment to a soup for a really tasty and healthy meal.

I like to top oatcakes with hummus and tinned sardines in olive oil.

Plant based sources of Omega 3

Good plant based sources of Omega 3 are different forms of algae like seaweed, nori, chlorella and spirulina. All fish get their Omega 3 content from eating microalgae.

nutrient-rich-food-products.html
spirulina-and-baobab-smoothie.html





Other sources for Omega 3 fats, although not as potent as the Omega 3 in oily fish and algae, are chia and flax seeds (linseeds), followed by hemp and pumpkin seeds and oils.

All nuts are nutritious and a source of healthy fats, but out of all the nuts, walnuts contain the highest amount of Omega 3 fats.

The recipe I'm sharing with you in this newsletter is Teriyaki-Marinated Salmon with Stir-Fried Rice.





I'm using dry sherry in the marinade, but you can also use Japanese sake, or Shao Xing cooking wine.

The most common oil to use for stir-fries is vegetable oil, but I avoid this unhealthy oil as much as possible. I use either avocado oil or Extra virgin olive oil. Avocado oil has a much higher smoke point, so it is my preferred choice.

I serve this dish with lightly cooked asparagus and/or broccoli.

Teriyaki Marinade:

3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (I use tamari soy sauce)

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon clear honey

1 large garlic clove - crushed/minced

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

4 salmon fillets

Place the salmon fillets in dish and coat the fillets with the marinade. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour.

200g, 7oz, 1cup, brown basmati rice - cook according to instructions (usually between 25- 30 minutes) in salted water. Leave to the side once done.

2 tablespoons avocado oil, or use vegetable oil

1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

black pepper

4 spring onions/scallions - sliced

Asparagus and/or broccoli

Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/400F. Cover a baking tray with parchment/baking paper. Lift out the salmon fillets (save the remaining marinade for the stir-fried rice) and place them on the tray. Place the tray in the oven and cook for 11 minutes.

While the salmon fillets are in the oven, add the oil to a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat and stir-fry the ginger for 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice and season generously with black pepper. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes, and then add the remaining marinade for the salmon. Stir for a further minute, and then stir in the spring onion/scallion.

Either steam or boil the green veg of your choice for 3-4 minutes.

Divide the stir-fried rice between 4 plates and top each with a salmon fillet and serve green vegetables on the side.


Well, that’s it for this time. Thank you for reading Tasty & Healthy Nuggets. See you again next month.

Happy cooking!

Margareta Wiklund

Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I’d love to hear from you. Just reply to this zine and tell me what you think.

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