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Where Does Your Fish Come From Australia New Zealand paleo diet frozen-min

Where Does Your Fish Come From?

Living on a great big island surrounded by the sea, I had always assumed the fish sold in Australia would be, well, Australian. If not Australian, perhaps from neighbouring New Zealand?

I was horrified in my local supermarket (the photos are from Coles, but Woolworths was a similar story) to look at the frozen fish on offer – I couldn’t find a single offering of Australian or New Zealand fish! It was also quite hard to even see the origin, as it seemed to be almost hidden on the labelling.

The one pack that had New Zealand fish was “made” in China. I want to eat local fish – and if it’s being shipped halfway around the world (and back) to be “made”, that raises a lot of questions in my mind about the manufacturing process, freshness, control and quality.

Where-fish-from-supplier-source-Asia-Australia-New-Zealand-Frozen-Coles-Woolworths-Imported-Local-min
The fish in the photo are labelled as being from (or made in) Vietnam, Malaysia, China – or more worryingly just “from local and imported ingredients”. For all the good that last label does, perhaps the local ingredient is the packaging they come in – and imported could mean absolutely anywhere!

Fish is something I’m particularly concerned to source well. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, record levels of radiation have been found in local sea life. I just don’t want to eat food that might contain radio active material. A reasonable request?

There are also issues around differing mercury levels in different oceans – and the whole argument around farmed fish and sustainable fish. It is really important to know exactly what you are eating and where it is from.

Ideally we would all catch our own fish, or failing that go to a fish market or monger. But unfortunately, sometimes we’re busy working and need to rely on other sources for our food. For something as simple as fish, I would love to be able to buy local, in my local store – and to be confident about it’s origin, freshness and past!

I’d love to know where you get your fish – and if you’d ever buy frozen? Does the source of your fish worry you, as much as it does me?

Where Does Your Fish Come From Australia New Zealand paleo diet frozen-min

Recipe Smoky Chilli Squid paleo fish seafood-min

Recipe: Smoky Chilli Squid

Seafood is a great source of omega 3 and other nutrients. Fresh Squid can be great, and I particularly like this recipe. The longer you leave this one to marinate, the better.

Smoky Chilli Squid Ingredients:

  • 2 whole squid, skinned and cleaned
  • 1 fresh red chilli, chopped and deseeded
  • 1 red pepper, chopped and deseeded
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves smoked garlic
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Small handful fresh coriander

Smoky Chilli Squid How To:

1)     In a food processor, blitz together all the ingredients except the squid.

2)     Place the squid in a resealable plastic bag. Pour over the marinade, then leave in the refrigerator for as long as you want, preferable overnight.

3)     When you’re ready to cook, heat a griddle to a high heat. BBQ the squid for 3 – 4 minutes each side, brushing every now and then with the leftover marinade.

Do you often have seafood? What is your favourite?

Recipe Smoky Chilli Squid paleo fish seafood-min

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Crunchy Cashew Fish Fingers Bites Nuggets-min

Recipe: Crunchy Cashew Fish

Quick, comforting, and bursting with flavour, this recipe works great with any white fish and makes a fail safe dinner for the whole family.

Cashew Fish Ingredients:

  • 400g sustainable wild white fish, cut into palm sized pieces
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp black mustard seed
  • 3 tbsp cashew nut flour
  • A pinch cayenne pepper
  • A handful of crushed cashews
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • Olive oil
  • A handful of fresh coriander

Cashew Fish How To:

1)     In a mortar and pestle, grind down the black peppercorns and mustard seed. Transfer to a bowl with the cumin, coriander and cayenne, then add the cashew flour.

2)     Heat a pan to a high heat, then dry fry the crushed cashews until golden. Set aside. Add a little of the oil, then sauté the onions for around 5 minutes. Set aside with the cashews.

3)     Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Toss the fish in the cashew and spice mix, then fry for 2 – 3 minutes each side, until lovely and crisp.

4)     Return the onions and cashews to the pan. Season, and finish with the fresh coriander.

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Crunchy Cashew Fish Fingers Bites Nuggets-min

Paleo recipe tartare sauce dip white fish primal-min

Recipe: Paleo Tartare Sauce

Let’s face it, even the freshest fillet of white fish can taste somewhat plain when eaten on its own. Tartare Sauce has been traditionally served with fish for years, but of course, the shop bought stuff is a no go. Luckily, I have a recipe on hand that is Paleo approved and delicious at the same time!

Paleo Tartare Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 150ml olive oil
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • ½ tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
  • ½ tbsp capers (RRR)
  • ½ tbsp chopped gherkins
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Paleo Tartare Sauce How To:

1)     Mix the mustard powder with a dash of water to form a paste. Whisk in the egg yolk and a little seasoning if required.

2)     In a measuring jug, combine 150ml of olive oil with the juice of half a lemon, watching out for pips. Slowly add this to the egg, a little bit at a time, whisking together well.

3)     Rinse the capers. Stir them into the mixture, along with the tarragon, gherkins and parsley. Taste and check – you may want to adjust the acidity slightly depending on your preference.

So tell me… what’s your favourite fish to have with Tartare Sauce?

Paleo recipe tartare sauce dip white fish primal-min

Recipe The Paleo Diet Seafood Fish Chowder-min

Recipe: Paleo Seafood Chowder

Seafood and fish are so nutritious and packed with Omega 3. Chowder is great as a meal on it’s own, or as a starter in a small serving size. With fish and seafood, it’s especially important to use really good quality ingredients. Rather than farmed fish, try to get wild/ line caught fish. Or perhaps it’s time to go fishing?!

This is my version of seafood chowder, but it’s so easy to adapt and I would recommend basing it around whatever fish and seafood you have locally, that it of the best quality you can find.

Seafood Chowder Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • Approx 16 rashers of bacon (thinly sliced)
  • 1 leek, diced
  • 1 small sweet potato, diced into chunks
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ litre (1 pint) of stock (I used my homemade chicken stock, but vegetable or fish stock would work well)
  • ½ litre (1 pint) of coconut milk
  • Your choice of fish; I used:
  • 150g (5 oz) barramundi
  • 100g (3.5 oz) salmon
  • 150g (5 oz) smoked haddock
  • 150g (5 oz) fresh prawns
  • 15 clams
  • 15 muscles
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 lemon

How To:

In a pan, melt the coconut oil and sauté the onions until they become translucent. Add in the bacon and stir until it cooks thoroughly.

Add in the leek and garlic and keep stirring.

Pour in the stock and add the sweet potatoes, thyme and bay leaf, cooking for about 40 – 50 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, then, add in the coconut milk, chopped fish and seafood and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Season to taste, add a squeeze of fresh lemon and top with the parsley. Serve immediately.

What do you make with seafood? Which fish and seafood have you found it is easiest to obtain un-farmed?

Recipe The Paleo Diet Seafood Fish Chowder-min

paleo Breakfast Recipe Haddock Omelette primal eggs idea-min

Paleo Breakfast Recipe: Haddock Omelette

I thought I'd share another recipe from my Paleo breakfast Recipe Book today. I love this recipe as it's quick and easy not to mention a great way to get some extra Omega 3 into your diet.

Breakfast Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed
• 300g (10oz) smoked haddock fillet
• coconut oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5 free-range eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 30g (2 tablespoons) chopped fresh chives

 

Breakfast How To:

Cook the sweet potatoes in a pan of boiling water.

After five minutes, add the fish to the pan.

Once the sweet potatoes are tender, drain the potatoes and fish, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion until they become soft and translucent.

Once the fish and potatoes have cooled enough to handle, flake the fish into smaller pieces and remove any skin and bones.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, season and add the chives, potatoes and fish.

Pour the mixture back into the pan with the onions and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until the omelette is set.

Cut the omelette into slices and serve warm. Alternatively, this can be made in advance, stored in the fridge and enjoyed cold.

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my Paleo Breakfast Recipe Book. With over 100 pages of breakfast recipes for every sitatuon (even sections on egg-free recipes, child friendly recipes, vegetarian and no-time breakfasts), there is something for everyone!

paleo Breakfast Recipe Haddock Omelette primal eggs idea-min