We all need to be eating more fish, but sometimes it's just hard to motivate ourselves to cook it. It's not quite a diverse as chicken is, nor as handy as beef, which can be made in a multitude of ways. When we think of fish I think a lot of just think...bland.
But it's so essential in our diet for many reasons. The HSE recommend including fish in our diet’s twice weekly, as it’s a great source of omega 3 fats and protein. Omega 3 fats are essential to healthy brain development. 60% of the brain is made up of omega 3 and Bord Bia studies have found links between fish consumption and levels of depression recently. Studies into fish and omega-3 intake now reveals that oil-rich fish may be helpful in the treatment of depression. In one study, the participant’s ratings of depression decreased by 50%, after a certain amount of time eating fish, which is an effect that was similar to patients taking an anti-depressant drug. Depression is less common among people who regularly eat fish such as the Inuit population in Greenland. Although most of research into the benefits of fish in depression focus on omega-3 fats, researchers believe that other nutrients in fish such as vitamins B6 and folate as well as the amino acid tryptophan may be important.
We've done a little research of our own and found a truly scrumptious fish recipe that will help you get all the nutrients you need along with showing how much we can really do with fish!
You'll need...
Cod fillet
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
300g mixed plum, cherry and baby tomatoes
Paprika
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
200ml white wine
Fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
Lay out your cod fillets and season both sides with salt, pepper and paprika.
Over medium heat, pour olive oil into a pan and then add in your seasoned cod fillets, flipping to cook both sides. Set aside.
Chop up your garlic cloves, parsley and halve your tomatoes.
In a different pan, heat some olive oil. Place halved tomatoes into the pan, season with salt, pepper and red chilli flakes.
Pour in the white wine and toss the garlic in afterwards.
Once garlic has been cooking for 2-3 minutes, add the parsley to the pan, and stir it in. Take the pan off the heat.
Serve with rice or pasta and top with your cod fillet, garnishing with a little leftover parsley.
That simple! It should take only 30 minutes or so make and you get one of your fish servings ticked off for that week. Win win!
