A diet rich in fatty-fish may be the key to fighting childhood asthma, a new study has found.
The clinical trial, led by researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne, has shown eating fish high in good-fats such as salmon, trout and sardines as part of a healthy diet can reduce the symptoms of asthma in children.
Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that helps in the reduction of symptoms for other inflammatory conditions like arthritis and this new research just makes it easier.
The study, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics , found children with asthma who followed a healthy Mediterranean diet enriched with fatty-fish showed improved lung function after a six month period.
Lead researcher Maria Papamichael said the findings added to the evidence that a healthy diet, inclusive of seafood could be a potential therapy for childhood asthma.
“Our study shows eating fish just twice a week can significantly decrease lung inflammation in children with asthma.”
Some exciting fish recipes for the family, courtesy Milk and Honey @Seafood Industry Australia
Smoked Trout and Potato Empanadas
adapted from Karen Martini’s Everyday
For the Dough:
225g “00” flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
100ml water
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 egg yolk, plus an extra yolk whisked with 1 teaspoon water for brushing
25g lard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika for sprinkling
For the Filling:
2 desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm dice and boiled until tender, drained and kept warm
100g hot smoked trout, shredded
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chopped picked jalapenos
juice 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Sea salt flakes
Black pepper
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the lard and rub with your fingertips until it is evenly incorporated.
Mix the water, vinegar and egg yolk in a cup. Add it to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until it comes together. Bring the mixture together with your hands. Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until it is a smooth dough. Roll into a ball, cover with cling wrap and leave to rest in the fridge fro 30 minutes.
Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
Make the Empanadas:
Preheat the oven to 200C (fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
Divide the dough into eight even portions. Roll each portion into a ball and, on a light floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll each ball out into a 12cm or so diameter circle. Put a spoonful of filling into the centre of each circle of dough. Fold the dough over the filling to create a semi-circle, press the edges together firmly. I used a pastry cutter to cut off the excess dough.
Lay the empanadas onto the prepared baking tray and brush with the egg yolk that has been whisked with a teaspoon of water.
Lay some thin strips of baking over the empanadas and sprinkle the smoked paprika over to create a striped effect.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked. Serves 8
Caesar Salad with Crispy Fried Trout
adapted from Simply the Best
For the Fish:
4 fillets of skinless, boneless fresh rainbow trout
1/2 cup plain flour
1 egg whisked with 2 tablespoons milk
2 cups panko
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Sunflower oil for deep frying
For the Dressing:
1 egg
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
150ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice 1 lime. plus extra lime wedges to serve
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Salad:
1/2 baguette, thinly sliced and lightly grilled
2 baby cos lettuce, roughly chopped
250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
Put all the dressing ingredients except the Parmesan, into a blender and blitz until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan and set aside. Cut the fish into 2cm thick slices. Put them in a bowl and add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup and sesame oil. Toss to coat. Set aside. Put the flour into a bowl and put the egg whisked with the milk into a another bowl. Pour the panko and sesame seeds onto a large baking tray and mix them together. Set aside.
Dredge the fish in the flour, dip them in the egg mixture and then coat them in panko and sesame mixture. Heat the oil in a large pan and when it reaches 180C, drop the fish in and cook until golden. Cook the fish in batches and drain them on a wire rack suspended over paper towels. Set aside.
Make the Salad:
Lay the chopped lettuce in a large serving bowl. Scatter in the halved tomatoes and sliced and grilled baguette. Lay the crispy fried trout on top along with the quartered eggs. Drizzle with some of the dressing. Serve with extra lime wedges and the remaining dressing on the side. Serves 4
Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Tomato and Kiwi Salsa and Yoghurt Lime Crema
For the Cabbage Salad:
1 small head white cabbage, shredded
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander leaves,
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1/2 lime
For the Tomato and Kiwi Salsa:
1 cup cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
1 kiwi fruit, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons coriander leaves, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon agave
Salt and pepper
For the Yoghurt Lime Crema:
1/2 cup thick Greek yoghurt
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
For the Beer Batter and Fish:
1 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ancho chilli powder (or your favourite chilli powder)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
300ml beer (any sort)
1/4 cup sunflower oil
12 small fillets of fish (I used *Yellow Eye Mullet)
Put the cabbage, onion and coriander into a large serving bowl. Spritz with lime juice and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss gently and set aside.
Make the Salsa:
Put the lime juice, agave, salt and pepper into a serving bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Add the tomatoes, kiwi fruit and onion and toss. Sprinkle with coriander leaves, toss again and set aside.
Put all the ingredients for Crema into a small serving bowl, stir and set aside.
Make the Batter:
Put the flour, cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, chilli powder, salt and garlic powder into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour in the beer and whisk to mix. The batter should be the consistency of pouring cream.
Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the surface of the oil starts to shimmer, dip the fish fillets into the batter, coating them completely, and fry them for about 2 – 3 minutes on each side until they are golden and crispy. Cook the fish in batches until they are all cooked, leaving them to drain on a wire rack set over a baking tray as you remove them from the pan. Keep the fish warm in a low oven until all the fish is cooked.
To Serve:
Twelve warm flour tortillas, lime wedges, hot sauce and plenty of cold, cold beer.
Put a piece of crispy, golden fish into a warm flour tortilla. Add some cabbage salad, tomato and kiwi salsa and top with a dollop of yoghurt lime crema. Add an extra squeeze of lime and a drizzle of your favourite hot sauce and serve. Serves 4 – 6
compiled by Serra Smith