Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Pescatarian, Soy Free
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Description

One of the freshest meals from our collection and this is perfect for summer! I have to say it is one of my favourites as its incredibly healthy, refreshing and absolutely full of flavour!

If you are trying to lose a little weight this dish is highly nourishing, with a great source of protein and healthy fats, paired with fresh, colourful vegetables.

Trout offers a variety of health benefits and is full of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be vital for brain and nervous system health, whilst also being known to help modulate inflammation in the body (Simopolous, 2002).

Not only that, but trout is a rich source of B vitamins, which help us to metabolise our food into energy, maintain nerve health and also form red blood cells. Trout also provides an abundant source of phosphorus, which is an essential mineral involved in hundreds of bodily activities, including helping to maintain strong bones.

Grated beetroot is so simple and easy to add as a refreshing base. The pigment in beetroot comes from betalains, a class of pigments which act as antioxidants and possess anti-inflammatory properties (Clifford et al. 2015). It is known that chronic inflammation is often implicated in the many conditions such as obesity, liver disease, cancer and heart disease (Clifford et al. 2015) and so consumption of betalains in the diet is incredibly beneficial.

Butternut squash brings its orange hue from carotenoids which are phytonutrients that can help fight free radical damage. Carotenoids are fat-soluble, meaning that the oily fish (trout) and the flaked almonds are going to enhance carotenoid absorption in this delicious dish.

Fennel is a celery-like vegetable which provides an abundance of health benefits. It is rich in fibre, vitamin C and potassium, whilst also acting as a prebiotic, to feed the beneficial bacteria in our digestive tract.

Colourful. Nutritious. Gut-friendly. Delicious.

Let us know how you find this dish!

Ingredients

• 4x trout fillets
• 1/2 butternut squash (peeled and halved)
• 4 cooked beetroots
• 2 pears (peeled)
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 handful flaked almonds (toasted)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Dressing

• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp mustard

Method

1. Set the oven at 180 degrees.
2. Grate the butternut squash into a casserole dish. Add 1 tbsp melted coconut oil and give the dish a good mix. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
3. Grate the beetroot, pears and fennel, keeping them all separate.
4. For the last 10 minutes that the butternut squash is cooking in the oven, melt the remaining coconut oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and place in the trout. Flip after 5 minutes.
5. Once the butternut squash is cooked take it out of the oven and divide it out flat onto the centre of each plate.
6. Layer the beetroot, fennel and pear on top of the butternut squash.
7. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
8. Finally, add each cooked fillet of trout on top followed by a drizzle of the mustard dressing and a sprinkling of the almond flakes.

I can’t wait for you to get stuck into this tasty and nourishing dish. Please let me know how you get on in the comments section below!

 

References:

Clifford, T. Howatson, G. West, D.J. et al. (2015). ‘The Potential Benefits of Red Beetroot Supplementation in Health and Disease’, Nutrients, 7 (4), pp. 2801-2822 NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425174/ (Accessed: 19 May 2018).

Simopoulos, A.P. (2002), ‘Omega 3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases’, The Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21 (6), pp. 495-505 Direct MS [Online]. Available at: http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/NutritionOther/SimopoulosAutoimmunity.pdf (Accessed: 18 May 2018).