Veggie-Laden Fishcakes

Makes 18 Fishcakes — Serves 6 (freezer friendly)

My new very favourite dinner! Technically, you could just tuck into a giant pile of these guys on your plate as they contain all of the elements that you could possibly need for the perfect meal — nutrient dense complex carbs, low-fat protein and a ton of different brightly coloured veggies providing a whole host of antioxidants. They freeze wonderfully, so I am in no-fresh-food-heaven when I open my freezer to see a jar of these bad boys just waiting to be devoured.

Those of you that follow my recipes, will know that I am very anti restricting or demonising certain food groups unless medically recommended. I simply love food — I love thinking about it, looking at photos of it, preparing it, and of course, eating it! But recently, I am trying to (ever-so-gently-and-kindly) shift a few stubborn pounds. I have never been on a ‘diet’ in my entire life, and am very much an advocate for having a positive body image. But after having 2 kids and turning 36, there has finally come a point where I need to sliigggghtly watch my portion sizes and be more mindful of what I eat. With that in mind, I created these! It is the perfect meal for those wanting to watch their weight without compromising on nutrition. One serving (3 fishcakes) provides only 191 calories, 2g of fat, 17g of protein, 4g of fibre and an enormous 347% of my daily Vitamin A requirements. My husband has 4 or 5 fishcakes to fill him up a bit more, and we are all happy campers!

Interesting nutrition fact! The way you prepare sweet potatoes makes a difference in their Glycaemic Index — which refers to how quickly the carbohydrates (sugars) in a certain food are digested and absorbed, causing a rise in blood sugar levels. The GI of a boiled sweet potato with its skin on is low, but it turns into a high GI food if you roast it. The differences come from the way the starches in sweet potatoes gelatinize during cooking.

INGREDIENTS

· 650g Sweet Potato
· 450g Fish (I used Cod but Halibut or Salmon would also work well)
· 100g Shallots (or Onions or Leeks)
· 2 Spring Onions — Chopped
· 100g Spinach (or 50g Chopped Kale/Cavelo Nero/Green Cabbage)
· Juice & Zest of 2 Lemons
· A big handful of chopped fresh Dill
· A big handful of chopped fresh Chives
· 1 Egg
· 3 tbsp Flour or Breadcrumbs for dusting (I used Buckwheat Flour)
· 1 tsp Olive Oil for sautéing
· Optional — Chilli Flakes
· Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD

· Dice the shallots and sauté in a medium frying pan in a little oil for approximately 5 minutes.
· Add the spinach and sauté until it has wilted.
· Set aside.
· Wash and chop the sweet potato into small cubes (no need to peel the skin).
· Steam the sweet potatoes until soft (approximately 10 minutes).
· If you have a double-layered steamer, steam the fish at the same time for 5 minutes, until it flakes easily. If you don’t, then wait until the sweet potatoes have finished and use that steamer instead. NB — if you don’t have a steamer at all, you can boil the sweet potatoes and fish.
· In a large mixing bowl, mash the sweet potatoes.
· Once they have cooled slightly, crack the egg and add it to the sweet potatoes.
· Then add the sautéed shallots, spinach, chopped spring onions, herbs, lemon juice and zest and combine well.
· Add the flaked fish and mix thoroughly.
· Season with a little salt and fresh pepper and chilli flakes if you like a little spicy kick.
· Sprinkle the flour or breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.
· With wet hands, mould 2 tbsp worth of the mixture into flatten balls and coat in the flour.
· Repeat until all of the mixture has been used and chill in the fridge for half an hour (or freeze in individual portions if you are batch cooking).
· When you are ready to eat, pan fry the fish cakes in a little oil until they are browning slightly (for 4–5 minutes on each side). Enjoy!

Macros per serving of 3 Fishcakes

Calories — 191
Fat — 2g
Carbs — 27g
Protein — 17g
Fibre — 4g
Vitamin A — 347%
Vitamin C — 28%
Iron — 11%

DinnerEMILY WRIGHT