Posted In Lunch / Dinner, Recipe

Smoked mackerel baked sweet potatoes

3rd February 2016

RSF GF VG

I just made this baked sweet potato with smoked mackerel pate and kale/avocado salad for lunch, which is about as good as it gets nutrition-wise on a single plate. Sweet potatoes have a slightly better nutritional profile than white varieties, and a lower GI/GL value. Mackerel is a rich source of brain-essential Omega-3 fatty acids, which have a myriad of cognitive, cardio-vascular and immunity benefits. This is a classic Shona dish – I like to make new improved versions of old favourites, and this is my nutritionally supercharged equivalent of the old British staple, baked potato with tuna mayonnaise.

Ingredients

1 baked sweet potato (I bake on a low heat for 40-90 minutes according to size)
115g boneless smoked mackerel
1-3 tbs cream cheese, crème fraiche, greek yogurt, or homemade mayonnaise (experiment with your favourite mix or use what you have in the fridge. I say 1 to 3 because some people prefer creamier. I think cream cheese tastes best).
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 spring onion, washed, finely chopped (sauté this if you dislike raw onions)
1-2 tsp parsley, finely chopped (chives work well too)
Juice of half a lemon

Method

Remove the skin from mackerel fillets, and roughly break up the fish. Fork mash it and add the lemon juice. Add the cream cheese/whatever mix, then stir in the celery, spring onion and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can make this into a smooth dip by using a blender or food processor, in which case skip the celery as it increases the water content too much for a good texture. Add horseradish if you like a kick. Great as a nutritious dip with crudités and bread sticks! My salad pictured above is simply kale, which I have chopped finely and softened in squeezed lemon juice for an hour, tossed in extra virgin olive oil and mixed with half a chopped avocado. Enjoy!

Photo credits: plate is part of the Halo range by Denby