3 easy and nutritious seafood recipes that are perfect for spring
We’re not sure about you, but as winter (finally) comes to an end and we leap enthusiastically into spring, we’re yearning for fresh, nutritional recipes we can enjoy with minimal effort.
Recently, we’ve discovered mackerel as a convenient, high-protein ingredient for incorporating into our favourite dishes. Having been pleasantly surprised by its milder taste and silky mouthfeel — not to mention its slew of additional health benefits — we plan on making it a spring recipe staple.
If, like us, you’re a little late to the party, mackerel is a saltwater fish found in the cool waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Mackerel is sustainable and packs some impressive nutritional points.Ā Gold Seal Mackerel, for instance, has over 3,500mg of omega-3 fatty acids per can — making it a tasty way to get a boost of omegas.
One of the things we’ve especially enjoyed about incorporating mackerel into our dishes is its versatility, so it can be used as a high-protein base for many of our go-tos. We’ve compiled a list of a few of our favourites, which we hope will help reinvigorate your spring repertoire.
Mackerel Greek Salad
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There are plenty of fish in the sea, but mackerel’s silky texture and rich consistency are what keeps us coming back for more. It pretty much melts in your mouth, which makes it perfect for layering into a classic greek salad for a healthy dose of protein — up to 15 grams of protein for that matter.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 bell peppers, large dice
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olive
- 1 can (115g) Gold Seal Mackerel in Olive Oil, drained and flaked
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for an hour before eating (if you have time) to make it extra fresh.
Spicy Mackerel Pasta
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For us, fresh pasta goes hand-in-hand with warmer weather, which makes this recipe, using Mediterranean mackerel, perfect for the sun-soaked days to come. It’s packed with nutrients with the added benefits of being quick, delicious, and filling.Ā
Ingredients:
- 500g large pasta shells or rigatoni
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Club Des Millionnaires anchovy fillettes
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 large head black kale, or roughly 5 cups, destemmed and finely chopped
- 1 jar of Authentica Arrabiata sauce
- 1 can of Gold Seal Mediterranean Mackerel, drained and flaked
- 1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
Method:
Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Reserve one cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside. As pasta is cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots for 10 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic, anchovy and black pepper and cook for another two minutes. Add the kale and cook for 10 minutes or until wilted. Stir and cook for another three minutes. Add the Arrabiata sauce and mackerel, bring to a simmer and cook for three minutes before adding in the pasta and the reserved pasta water. Toss everything to combine and cook for two minutes longer or until the sauce is glossy and sticking to the pasta. Serve and garnish with the toasted walnuts and crumbled feta.
Mackerel Nacho Bites with Horseradish Beet Puree
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To make a great Friday night or festive weekend appetizer, all you need is some nachos and a little horseradish to put a powerful punch of flavour on a pub grub favourite.Ā
Ingredients:
- Nacho cups
- 3 small red beets
- 3 tbsp yogurt
- 3 tsp horseradish
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 can Gold Seal Mackerel (Olive Oil)
- Black and white sesame seeds, to garnish
- Cilantro, to garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 400Ā°F. Drizzle beets with olive oil and season with salt. Wrap individually in tin foil. Bake on a baking sheet until tender, depending on the size of your beets, it could be 20 to 50 minutes. Once beets have cooled slightly, add them to a food processor with yogurt and horseradish and pulse until mixed well but still chunky. Add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the mackerel. Layer the horseradish and beet mixture in the nacho cups and top with chopped mackerel. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.
To discover more delicious recipes, you can visit goldseal.ca.
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