Tuna & Sweetcorn Burgers

It's been quite sunny & thinking about burgers on the BBQ has begun! This healthy burger takes 15 minutes to make & cook - simple!

Although not the most healthy recipe on this blog, the 35%* magnesium and 80% B-12 with 15% B-6 makes this dish an aid to insomnia with a contribution to helping your emotional swings and memory problems.  The niacin (B-3) at 70% also helps your relax & fall asleep more quickly, plus it eases migraines. 
*Recommended Daily Allowance

Serves 4 

Ingredients
85 g x wholemeal bread, torn into pieces
200 g tin x sweetcorn, drained
2 x 185 g tins tuna in water, drained well
25 g x cheddar, grated
3 x spring onions, finely chopped
1 x egg, beaten
2 tbsp x vegetable oil

4 x wholegrain bread rolls
Optional - salsa, mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, harissa for burger sauce

Instructions
1. Whizz the bread in a food processor to crumbs, tip into a bowl, then whizz half the sweetcorn until finely chopped. 

2. Add the chopped corn, remaining whole corn, tuna, cheese, spring onions and some seasoning into the bowl with the bread and mix well. 

3. Add the egg, bit by bit (you may not need it all), until the mixture is sticky enough to be shaped into four even-size burgers.


4. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then cook the burgers for 5 mins on each side until golden and hot through the middle. 

5. Stuff into wholemeal buns with your favourite lettuce and a good dollop of salsa.

Japanese style Salmon & Avocado Rice

The only cooking required for this dish is the rice, the other ingredients just marinade in the fridge for 12 minutes. It makes a lovely refreshing dish. 

The salmon provides over 200%* B-12, over 100% Vitamin D, and 50% Omega 3s. The combined ingredients then give you 100% B-6, over 400% Vitamin C, 100% magnesium and some manganese. This dish can assist with insomnia, memory, dizziness, fatigue and emotional issues, with the B-6 aiding your confusion and light sensitivity. 

As a bonus there is over 90% calcium and 80% iron in this dish - this helps the brain in a couple of ways. The calcium is used to help transmit messages to the inside of the brain cells aiding with memory, it also helps the body absorb vitamin D, so it is best to have vitamin D with calcium in your meal. Iron is important for haemoglobin & carrying oxygen around the body, which in turn makes you feel more energised. 

*Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)

Serves 2

Ingredients
300 g x sushi rice or white basmati rice
100 g x smoked salmon, sliced
2 small, ripe avocados, cubed 
1  x lemon, juice
4 tsp x light soy sauce
4 tsp x toasted sesame seeds
2 x spring onions, thinly sliced
1 x red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
small handful coriander leaves

Instructions
1. Boil rice in a saucepan for 10-12 mins until the rice is almost cooked, then remove from the heat & leave for 5-10 mins.

2. Place salmon & avocado in a shallow bowl. Drizzle over the lemon juice, soy, chilli, spring onions & sesame seeds then mix in well, making sure everything is evenly covered. Leave in the fridge to marinate for 10 mins.

3. Serve salmon & avocado mix on top of rice & sprinkle coriander over the dish (omitted in photo as I had run out). 

Not Greek Salad with sardines and chickpeas

Based on a Greek Salad this has sardines, chickpeas & pepper added to it. These additional ingredients really help with providing nutrients for the brain. As I don't like raw red onion I used spring onion, but pick your preference. No cooking means it's super quick to make!

The sardines are packed with over 100%* B-12, 60% Omega 3s, 48% Vitamin D and some B-6 too. The chickpeas contain 28% magnesium and 25% B-6. For a high vitamin C kick the bell pepper, tomatoes and coriander contribute over 200% Vitamin C, plus some help from feta cheese that also contains 28% B-12 and 20% B-6.  This dish should really help with dizziness, emotional issues, insomnia, fatigue, memory and to some extent confusion and light sensitivity. 

* Percentages are of your Recommended Daily Amount (RDA). 

Serves 4 or 2 giant lunches

Ingredients

1 x Red bell pepper, diced
1 x Spring onion (or red onion), diced
1 tin x chickpeas (pre-cooked), drained
1 tin x sardines (pre-prepared), roughly chopped
8 x cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp x coriander, chopped
1/2 x cucumber, skinned & diced
100 g x feta cheese, cubed
75 g x olives (green or black as you prefer)

Instructions
1. Compile all in a bowl & enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Salmon Cakes with Poached Egg

It's really important to feed your brain well in the mornings so it has a good chance to get you through the day, making this recipe is a winner!  I like to accompany this with steamed asparagus too. Allow 30 minutes to make this so that you're not rushed. 

If you find it easier to cook at night then pre-prepare the cakes & leave them in a fridge overnight. Then you only need 10 minutes to cook them in the morning!

Loads of vitamin C in this dish thanks to sweet potatoes, red peppers, chill and coriander, plus the salmon packs it's B-complex and vitamin D high.  There is a nice touch (18%*) of magnesium from all the ingredients. This dish will help with insomnia, emotional issues, fatigue, memory & confusion, alongside dizziness, migraines & light sensitivity - basically a winner!

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 x large sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into large chunks
1/2 x red pepper, deseeded, pith removed & chopped
200 g x sliced smoked salmon or flaked smoked salmon
1 x small red chilli, deseeded, pith removed & minced
1 x spring onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp chopped coriander [optional]
1 tsp x salt freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp x oil (canola is best)
1 x egg yolk

4 x eggs, out of shells in cups
1 tbsp x white wine vinegar
Salt & pepper

Instructions
1. Boil sweet potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain and allow to cool.

2. Mash sweet potatoes coarsely. Mix in red pepper, salmon, chilli, spring onions, coriander & egg yolk. Season to taste.

3. Divide mixture into small balls and flatten each slightly to form thick disks. Heat oil in large heavy frypan.

4. Fry cakes over medium heat for 8 - 10 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.

5. Meanwhile, heat water and 1 tbsp white wine vinegar in large saucepan until boiling.  Then pour in eggs, keeping them separate, & cook for 3-4 minutes or until whites are opaque. 

6. Serve eggs on top of the cakes. Season to taste. 

Mackerel (or Ham) & Leek Tart

You can make this with mackerel or ham, depending on your preference. Just substitute the mackerel with ham below - you'll need about 1/2 cup of ham. 

This is a simple recipe but does require you to watch the oven. 

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 x sheet shortcrust pastry rolled out with flour (pre-made helps keep it simple)
3 x eggs, beaten
dash of milk (to go with eggs)
2 x medium leeks, chopped small
2 fillets x mackerel (pre-smoked or tinned), chopped into chunks **or 1/2 cup ham
1/2 tbsp x chives, chopped finely
Margarine to butter baking dish
Salt & pepper to season 


Instructions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c.  Butter baking dish on all sides where pastry will meet the edges.  

2. Lay pastry out in buttered dish so it is flat & comes up around the edges of the tray. Place an oven-proof dish over the pastry to stop it rising & cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, steam the leeks for 5 minutes (you can boil them but then they will probably be too wet for the dish). 

4. Beat the eggs & milk in a bowl, then add in the broken mackerel with chives into the eggs. 

5. When the pastry has cooked for 15 minutes, take it out of the oven & lay the leeks evenly over the base of the pastry.  Pour the egg-mackerel mix over the leeks & spread the mackerel pieces out.  Cook for a further 25 minutes in the oven.

6. Enjoy with a salad! 

Crustless Tofu Quiches

Super yummy & brain food! I made these to accompany the green bean, broccoli & tomato salad also posted on the blog. 

Serves 3 

Ingredients
1/2 tbsp x olive oil 
1 tsp x garlic, minced
1/2 cup x bell pepper, chopped
1 cup x mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp fresh chives (or one green onion), minced
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. dried, crushed)
black pepper to taste

350g firm silken tofu, drained of water 
1/4 cup x plain soymilk
2 tbsp  x nutritional yeast
1 tbps x cornstarch (may sub another thickener such as arrowroot or potato starch)
1 tsp x tahini (preferred) or cashew butter
1/4 tsp x onion powder
1/4 tsp x turmeric powder
1/2-3/4 tsp x salt

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 190 C. Grease muffin cups/tray with butter or non-stick spay. 

2. In frying pan heat oil over moderate heat & sauté the garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms over medium heat until the mushrooms just begin to exude their juices. Stir in the chives, rosemary, and freshly ground black pepper, and remove from the heat.

3. Place the tofu, soya milk, yeast, tahini, onion powder, turmeric & cornstarch  into a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth and silky. 

4. Add the tofu mixture to the vegetables and stir to combine. Spoon equally into the muffin cups: it will fill regular muffin cups about halfway.

4. Put the muffin pan into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 175 C. Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes depending on your oven, until the tops are golden and a knife inserted into the middle of a quiche comes out clean. 

5. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. 

Salmon & Kale Quinoa Salad

My next packed lunch this week was another salad. It's a bit more pricey because of the salmon, but I reckon it can survive tinned salmon as a cost saver.

Serves 4 (or 2 big lunches)

Ingredients
200 g kale, chopped & big spines removed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x can artichoke hearts
1 salmon fillet, cubed (tinned or sheets work fine)
1 cup dried quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup parmesan, large shreds
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Salt & pepper to season

Dressing:
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey

Instructions
1. Heat water in pan until boiling, then add quinoa to boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat & leave for 10 minutes to allow quinoa to absorb all the water. 

2. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in deep frying pan on dry heat until golden colour & fragrant (4 mins). 

3. Leave pine nuts on plate and re-use the deep frying pan to heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat for 2 mins then add garlic & leave to warm until fragrant (2 mins). 

4. Add kale to garlic & stir in. Leave it to wilt in pan (2 mins). Keep turning the leaves to make sure that they all wilt. 

5. Turn off heat under frying pan & add artichokes, fish, pine nuts, parmesan & quinoa (when ready). Season with salt & pepper. 

6. Make dressing - add honey, vinegar & oil into a jar and shake/stir if no lid until combined. Pour over salad & mix together.