This recipe of
mine has appeared on my friend Liz’s Fit
& Fun at Home Facebook page, so I thought I’d share it here too. As
well as requiring no specialist skill or equipment, nor a vast list of
ingredients which it takes hours to buy, this curry is very tasty, and packed
full of beneficial ingredients:
·
I’ve previously mentioned the
benefits of eating oily fish such as the salmon here, which could just as
well be replaced by trout;
·
The cauliflower and spinach both contains high
levels of compounds called glucosinolates, which may have a protective effect against certain forms of cancer.
Studies have shown that they can block the initiation of tumours.1
·
Quercetin
found in the onion is a powerful antioxidant, and studies have linked high
intake of it with reduced risk of heart disease; 2
·
Sweet
potatoes are a great source of vitamins A and C, and are a source of low GI
carbohydrate, which will not give your blood an insulin spike, keeping energy
levels more constant.
Ingredients
(serves 4):
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 jar curry paste (Patak's Tandoori works well here)
1 can of coconut milk
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 cauliflower, cut into medium florets
4 salmon fillets, skinned and cut into 1" think slices
1 bag of spinach
Method:
Cook the onion in the oil until soft but not too coloured. Add the paste and sweet potato. Stir and add the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, put on a lid, and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower, and simmer with lid off for another 10 minutes. Throw in the salmon, then the spinach, cover and cook for about 8 minutes, until the fish is cooked and the spinach is wilted. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves if you have them.
Eat with naan bread to mop up the sauce, unless you're on a gluten-free diet, in which case just tip the bowl up and slurp up the sauce!
1 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 jar curry paste (Patak's Tandoori works well here)
1 can of coconut milk
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 cauliflower, cut into medium florets
4 salmon fillets, skinned and cut into 1" think slices
1 bag of spinach
Method:
Cook the onion in the oil until soft but not too coloured. Add the paste and sweet potato. Stir and add the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, put on a lid, and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower, and simmer with lid off for another 10 minutes. Throw in the salmon, then the spinach, cover and cook for about 8 minutes, until the fish is cooked and the spinach is wilted. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves if you have them.
Eat with naan bread to mop up the sauce, unless you're on a gluten-free diet, in which case just tip the bowl up and slurp up the sauce!
Nutrition:
A bowl of this
will give you the following nutrients:
Energy: 616 kCalories
Protein: 33g
Carbohydrates:
39g
Fat: 33g
To change things up, this would work equally well by substituting any white fish or prawns for the salmon, or broccoli for the cauliflower. A garnish of chopped fresh chilli would give a metabolism-raising hit of flavour.
References
1 Navarro, S. L., Li, F.
& Lampe, J. W. Mechanisms of action of isothiocyanates in cancer
chemoprevention: an update. Food Funct
2, 579-587, doi:10.1039/c1fo10114e
(2011).
2 Davis, J. M., Murphy, E. A.,
Carmichael, M. D. & Davis, B. Quercetin increases brain and muscle
mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise tolerance. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 296, R1071-1077, doi:90925.2008 [pii] 10.1152/ajpregu.90925.2008
(2009).
