Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Circling Back to Omega 3’s
About 20 years ago, Omega 3’s or Omega 3 fatty acids were praised as the number one supplement on the market when it came to heart health and a reduction of triglycerides. Omega 3’s are still very important; they remain one of the most studied nutrients.
Omega 3’s have many powerful health benefits for your body and your brain. Some of the primary benefits they may provide include, bringing balance to our hormones, reducing inflammation, regulating our blood sugar, prevention of blood clotting, keeping our cholesterol and triglycerides on balance, relaxing our blood vessels and making our cells healthy and resilient.
Here is a good list of foods high in Omega 3’s, they are listed from highest value to lowest,
Flaxseed
Chia Seeds
English Walnuts
Salmon
Herring
Canola
Sardines
Mackerel
Soybean oil
Trout
Black walnuts
Mayonnaise
Oysters
Sea Bass
Edamame
Shrimp
Refried Beans
Lobster
Tuna
Tilapia
Scallops
Cod
There is a plethora of research and information about Omega 3 fatty acids, check out the daily recommendations by age, and more specific information on the benefits by visiting the National Institutes of Health information pages,
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Healthprofessional/
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/omega3-supplements-in-depth
Here are some recipes to try that are high in Omega 3’s, if some of these foods do not appeal to you, you can always purchase oral supplements.
Tuna Cakes
3 (5-ounce) cans Solid White Albacore in water
⅓ cup panko crumbs
1 large egg
½ medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic , minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon minced pickled jalapeño slices
1 medium lime, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Romaine lettuce leaves for serving
1 cup pico de gallo salsa
Drain the tuna, ensuring all the water has drained.
Place drained tuna and all remaining ingredients except lettuce and Pico de Gallo in a large bowl. Stir together until well combined.
Use a half-cup measuring spoon to pack and form 4 or 5 tuna cake patties. Lightly grease and heat a large nonstick pan to medium-high heat.
Add cakes to the pan and cook 3 minutes, or until bottom is lightly browned and a crust is formed. Carefully flip with a flat spatula and cook other sides until browned.
Removed tuna cakes and place one on each washed lettuce leave. Top with Pico de Gallo and garnish with extra cilantro before serving.
Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 232, Fat 5g., Fiber 2g., Protein 33g., Carbohydrates 11g., Cholesterol 94mg., Sodium 1285g.
Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
(modified from EatingWell recipe, I have also made this with shrimp)
1 ¼ pounds salmon
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
½ cup slivered oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 1 tablespoon oil from the jar
½ cup finely chopped onions
⅓ cup dry white wine
⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups cooked brown rice
Arrange rack in upper third of oven. Preheat broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place salmon on the prepared baking sheet, skin-side down. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Broil, rotating the pan from front to back once, until the salmon is opaque in the center, 8 to 12 minutes. Cut into 4 portions.
Meanwhile, heat sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes and shallots; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Increase heat to high and add wine and broth.
Cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; simmer for 2 minutes. Serve the salmon topped with the sauce and parsley and with the rice on the side.
Serves 4, each serving using the salmon contains; Calories 440, Fat 18g., Fiber 2g., Protein 32g., Carbohydrates 32g., Cholesterol 100mg., Sodium 396g.
Sheet Pan Salmon and Vegetables
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
1 lime, zested
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup avocado oil
4 Salmon fillets, 4-6 ounces per fillet, wild caught if possible
2 small fennel bulbs, sliced into wedges
6 small carrots, cut lengthwise
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups Brussels sprouts, quartered
2 cups zucchini, cut into small wedges
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Allow the salmon to come to room temperature before baking. Begin with the other preparations in the meantime.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the lemon zest, orange zest, lime zest, garlic, salt, and avocado oil in a mixing bowl.
Pat the salmon dry, then arrange the salmon and various veggies on the sheet pan. Drizzle all of the citrus ghee over the veggies and salmon.
Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the fillet portions (for a more golden crust, broil for the last 2 minutes of the baking time).
Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 535, Unsaturated Fat 17g., Fiber 12g., Protein 43g., Carbohydrates 34g., Net Carbs 21g., Cholesterol 133mg., Sodium 633g.
Flaxseed Cinnamon Bun Muffins
(Keto Friendly)
2 cups ground flaxseed
1/8 cup Stevia
1 tablespoon baking powder (gluten free, if possible)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
½ cup water, room temperature
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-count muffin pan with non-bleached paper liners. Set aside.
Combine flax seed with sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine fully and set aside.
Add eggs, water, oil and vanilla extract to the jug of your high-powered blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds until foamy.
Transfer liquid mixture to the bowl with the flaxseed mixture. Stir with a spatula, until incorporated. The mixture will be very fluffy. Once incorporated allow to sit for 3 minutes.
Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan, each cavity should be filled of the way up. The muffins will expand while baking so don’t fill to the very tops.
Bake muffins for 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and remove muffins from the cavities immediately and place on a cooling rack.
Muffins can be toasted or frozen. Keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Serves 12.
Healthy Easy Banana Smoothie
2 small bananas (or 1 large)
1 c. ice
3/4 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. flaxseed
2 tsp. honey
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Neuse News is a locally-owned small business startup in downtown Kinston. Our goal is to provide free, hyper-local news to Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties. The kind of news our grandparents read in a format fit for today's times.
We provide this by having supportive advertisers and we encourage you to click on their ads, shop with them, and eat with them. Every bit of financial support is important to help us sustain free, hyper-local news.
Please consider supporting Neuse News with as little as $5 one-time or via a monthly option. Every little bit helps us, help you.
