Sponsored by Princes.
Did you know that most of us don't manage to eat the recommended two portions of fish a week? It's true! Closer spoke to dietician and mum Lucy Jones, who said that "introducing more fish into your diet can bring health benefits that many of us tend to overlook", like strong bones and muscles.
"As an experienced dietician and hard-working mum, I understand the importance of a balanced diet, and switching from meat to fish is a great place to start." This transition doesn't have to be hard - to prove it, we've teamed up with Princes, who are known for their simple, good food, to bring you six fish-friendly recipes that your family will love...
1. Tuna Jacket Potato with Chive and Lime Mayo
Tinned tuna is high in protein and low in saturated fat, so it makes for a great topping filler for a baked jacket potato. Mmm!
Ingredients to feed 4:
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4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
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4 tbsp light mayonnaise
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Finely grated zest of 2 limes
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4 tbsp chopped fresh chives
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2 Little Gem lettuce, shredded (or use Iceberg or Romaine)
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16 cherry tomatoes, quartered
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4 x 160g cans Princes Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, drained
Method:
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Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6. Prick the potatoes, then bake for approximately 1 hour, or until tender. Alternatively, you could microwave them on full power for 6-7 minutes, before turning them over and microwaving for a further 6-7 minutes. If cooking one potato at once, microwaving time will decrease by 4-5 minutes.
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While the potatoes are baking, mix together the mayonnaise, lime zest and half the chives.
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Split the baked potatoes and place on serving plates. Fill each one with some shredded lettuce and a few pieces of tomato. Spoon the drained tuna chunks on top, and finish off with the mayonnaise.
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Service, garnished with the remaining lettuce and tomatoes, and sprinkle with the rest of the chives.
2. Mackerel Piri Piri with Spicy Rice
"Tinned fish is a simple, fuss-free way to enjoy those much-needed nutrients, and there’s a variety of different types to choose from, including oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, a great source of Omega 3 or high in protein fish such as tuna," says Lucy. So opt for a fish and rice based meal that can be whipped up in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients to feed 4:
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8 spring onions, thinly sliced
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A few thin slices of red chilli
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2 x 190g cans of Princes Mackerel Fillets in a hot Piri Piri style sauce
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400g easy-cook rice
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2 large pinches of ground turmeric or mild curry powder (optional)
Method:
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Cook the rice in plenty of lightly salted boiling water for 12 minutes, adding the spring onions for the final 2-3 minutes. Drain well and stir in the ground turmeric or mild curry power, if using. Add the sliced chilli.
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Put the Princes Mackerel Fillets, with all the sauce, onto a microwaveable plate, then cover with cling film.
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Microwave the mackerel for 1 min 40 secs (700 Watt) or 1 min 30 secs (800 Watt) on high or until piping hot. Stand for 30 seconds and then serve with the rice.
3. Red Salmon Fishcakes
There's no doubt that your family will LOVE this meal. As well as being super tasty, it includes salmon - an oily fish - which is a great source of Omega 3!
Ingredients to feed 4:
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3 eggs
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213g can Princes Red Salmon
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20g butter
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6 spring onions, finely chopped
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500g ready-made mashed potato
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1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
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1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
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4 tbsp plain flour
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150g dried breadcrumbs
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Sunflower oil, for shallow frying
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Mixed salad leaves and cherry tomatoes, to serve
Method:
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Hard-boil 2 of the eggs for 12 minutes. While they are cooking, drain the can of salmon and flake the fish into large chunks. Set aside.
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Melt the butter in a frying pan and gently fry the spring onions for 3-4 minutes. Mix them into the mashed potato with the lemon zest and parsley.
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Cool the eggs in cold water, then shell and chop them. Add them to the potato mixture with the salmon chunks and combine together. Season with salt and pepper, and then shape the mixture into 4 large or 8 small fish cakes.
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Beat the remaining egg in a shallow bowl with 2 tbsp cold water. Put the flour and breadcrumbs onto separate large plates. Lightly coat the fish cakes in flour, then dip them into the beaten egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. Chill for 10 minutes.
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Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fish cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with mixed salad leaves and cherry tomatoes.
4. Mackerel Fillets in Tomato Sauce with Roast Potatoes and Veg
Take this simple twist on a traditional roast dinner and substitute meat for mackerel fillets. As well as instantly becoming a family favourite, this meal is nutritiously good for you, too.
Ingredients to feed 4:
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4 tbsp vegetable oil
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400g brocoli
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2 x 190g cans of Princes Mackerel Fillets in a rich tomato and roasted onion sauce
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800g potatoes, cut into small chunks
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4 large carrots, sliced
Method:
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Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6.
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Tip the potatoes into a roasting pan and add the vegetable oil, tossing to coat. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until golden and tender. Meanwhile, cook the carrots for 10-15 minutes, and the broccoli for 5-8 minutes in lightly salted boiling water.
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When the potatoes are ready, empty the contents of the mackerel cans onto a plate. Cover and heat the mackerel in the microwave for 1 min 40 secs (700 Watt) or 1 min 30 secs (800 Watt) on high or until piping hot. Stand for 30 secs. Serve with the potatoes, carrots and broccoli - mmm.
5. Crispy Tuna Burgers on Ciabatta
"By using fish in place of meat in traditional meals, you can help cut back on how much red meat your family eat, and thus help to reduce the intake of fat and saturated fat within their diet," says Lucy. For an easy transition, simply swap burger meat with tuna.
Ingredients to feed 4:
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2 x 160g can Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine, Sunflower Oil or Springwater
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500g ready-made mashed potato
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4 spring onions, finely chopped
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100g canned sweetcorn, drained
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1 egg
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100g dried breadcrumbs
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1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
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Sunflower oil, for shallow frying
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1 ciabatta loaf, sliced horizontally
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Mixed salad leaves, to serve
Method:
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Drain the cans of Princes Tuna Chunks, place in a large bowl and flake into large chunks. Mix in the mashed potato, spring onions and sweetcorn. Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, then form into 4 burger shapes.
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Beat the egg in a shallow bowl with 2 tbsp cold water. Mix the breadcrumbs and lemon zest together on a large plate. Dip the tuna burgers in the egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs.
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Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the tuna burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side.
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Meanwhile, preheat a char-grill pan or the grill. Cut each piece of ciabatta in half to give 4 pieces in total. Brush a little sunflower oil over the cut sides, then char-grill or grill until lightly browned. Serve each piece topped with mixed salad leaves and a tuna burger.
6. Chilli Mackerel Fajitas
Pack a punch in the dinner department and score some extra mum points with this yummy Mexican meal.
Ingredients to feed 4:
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2 x 125g can Princes Mackerel in a Hot Chilli Dressing
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2 small green peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
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2 small red peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
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2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
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2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
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4 tsp ground paprika
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2 tbsp olive oil
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8 flour tortillas
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Shredded little gem or cos lettuce to serve
Ingredients for the guacamole:
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2 medium tomatoes
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2 ripe avocados
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Juice of 1 lime
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Seasoning
Method:
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To make the guacamole: skin the tomatoes by placing in boiling water for no longer than 1 minute, then chop finely and remove the seeds. Halve the avocados and remove the stones, scoop out the flesh and place in a medium bowl with the lime juice, mash and then add the tomato and season. Place in serving bowl and cover.
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Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm through in the oven for 5 minutes.
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Mix together the pepper, onion and garlic in a bowl with the olive oil. Heat a large frying or griddle pan and stir-fry the vegetables for 5 minutes until softening and browning, add the paprika and fry for a further minute.
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Stir in the Princes Hot Chilli Mackerel and heat through.
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Make up the fajitas by spreading on the guacamole, spooning on the mackerel pepper mixture - then roll up and enjoy! Serve with the shredded lettuce if desired.
Princes products are available in most leading supermarket stores.
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