Nutritionist Suzi Grant road tests another Jamie Oliver recipe.

If you spotted our recent post where fab nutritionist Suzi Grant showed us her fave Jamie Oliver recipe, you’ll be pleased to hear that she has another one up her sleeve. The whole idea came about when I was asking her about how we should best approach tweaking our diets as the dreaded pre-meno and menopause take hold. In her usual uber cool manner, she suggested a day of cooking fun where we talked through how to pimp up the super easy recipes which appear in the Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients book to add a little hormonal hidden extra or two for those of us in need.

This time around Suzi has cooked us up Jamie’s ‘Sorta Salmon Nicoise’ but added her own last-minute twist.

You will need…

2 x 120g salmon fillets, skin on, scaled, pin-boned

300g green beans

2 large eggs

8 black olives (stone-in)

2 heaped tablespoons Greek yoghurt

Serves 2

Suzi has added silver anchovies for that extra boost for our hormones.

Here’s what to do…

1. Put the salmon skin side down in a colander over a pan of boiling salted water, covered, then steam for 8 minutes.
2. Line up the beans, trim off the stalk ends then boil in the water under the salmon for 6 minutes.
3. Gently lower the eggs to cook for exactly 5 1/2 minutes alongside.
4. Meanwhile, squash the olives and remove the stones then finely chop the flesh.
5. Mix half of the chopped olives through the yoghurt with a splash of red wine vinegar, season to taste with sea salt & black pepper.
6. Remove the salmon to a board, then drain the eggs and beans in the colander.
7. Toss the beans in the dressing then divide between your plates.
8. Refresh the eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into quarters.
9. Flake over the salmon, discarding the skin, arrange the eggs on top and dot over the remaining chopped olives.
10. Finish with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and a good pinch of pepper.

Looking at the recipe from a menopausal point of view Suzi notes that “Salmon and silver anchovies are top of the Omega 3 tree. BRAIN food: The human brain hoovers up DHA – docasal hexaenoic acid – the most effective of the Omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish. The brain needs it in high levels to avoid low serotonin levels, which can cause depression, SAD, moods and forgetfulness”. So by adding the silver anchovies to the already uber healthy salmon, you are hitting hormonal happiness.

A high intake of fish oils has been linked to significant improvements in memory, moods and mental problems as well as lowering the risk of developing ageing-diseases such as Alzheimer’s.  So if you want to avoid irritability, depression and forgetfulness, make sure to eat plenty of oily fish, such as salmon and anchovies.

Apart from oily fish high in Omega 3, if you also make sure to eat walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans, and other seeds such as chia, sesame and hemp seeds you will be heading down the right path.  And if you’re worried about weight gain, don’t be. Omega 3 is called an essential fatty acid for a reason.  It’s so essential your body uses it rather than laying it down as fat!

To find out more about the amazing Suzi Grant and her mission on Alternative Ageing you can find her blog here, and her Instagram travels @alternativeageing.

For her previous recipe on the blog click here.