This is a really quick and nutritious lunch, and it makes use of those fantastic pouches of ready-made quinoa. This recipe shows that you don’t have to put a lot of effort in order to create highly nutritious and balanced meals. This Mackerel and Pea Quinoa is high in protein, essential fats, fibre and vitamins.
I would love to be the type of person who planned ahead and bulk-cooked healthy grains and lovingly portioned them up for the freezer, ready for a nutritious, healthy future lunch. But I am not that person. Usually I don’t think about what I’m having for lunch until it actually is lunch time and I’m already hungry. So it’s good to have a few lunch ideas, like this one, that you can easily throw together but keep things varied and healthy.
I eat smoked mackerel very often, it’s so delicious and extremely nutritious, with so many essential nutrients that we often don’t get enough of like vitamin D, omega 3, zinc, magnesium and so much more.
Olive oil and tomatoes are a classic combination, and when you cook tomatoes in olive oil, it makes a great base for dressing a warm, comforting salad recipe like this one.
Notes on the ingredients for Mackerel and Pea Quinoa
- Tomatoes You can use any kind of tomato; just chop them up smaller if not using cherry or baby tomatoes.
- Grains You can use any kind of grain; perhaps you have some leftover rice in your freezer or another ready-made packet of rice or mixed grains. I used Aldi Good Grains Red and White Quinoa.
- Chopped herbs I always have packets of the very handy chopped herbs from Waitrose, I added Waitrose Chopped Parsley to this recipe.
Can you freeze Mackerel?
Once I open a packet of mackerel, I usually freeze the rest so none goes to waste. However, it’s important that the mackerel doesn’t spend longer than 2 weeks in the freezer as it starts to go bitter very quickly. If using frozen mackerel for this recipe, you can either leave the mackerel to defrost, it’s surprisingly quick and will likely be good to go in 20 minutes, or you can just chop the frozen mackerel up and spend longer warming it through in the pan.
Important note for Mackerel and Pea Quinoa – Eat Straight Away!
This isn’t a recipe for your lunchbox because many of the ingredients are only warmed through gently and there is fish involved, this recipe should be eaten straight away, not packed in a lunchbox.
Optional Flavours for Mackerel and Pea Quinoa
- Dill or basil instead of parsley
- Start by cooking the tomatoes in garlic or chilli olive oil
- Add any leftover cooked vegetables
- Wilt a handful of spinach into the soft tomatoes.
- Serve with avocado, cucumber and lettuce
- Absolutely delicious with some Cheddar cheese stirred through.
Mackerel and Pea Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 6-8 Small tomatoes Baby Pomodoro or cherry tomatoes
- A handful of Frozen peas
- 1-2 Fillets of Hot Smoked Mackerel in chunky slices
- 1 tbsp Chopped Parsley I used Waitrose Frozen Chopped Parsley
- 1/2 packet of Quiona, rice or mixed grains I used Aldi Red and White Quinoa
- Squeeze of Lemon or dash a Balsamic Vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes in half and fry in the olive oil for few minutes over a medium heat until soft.
- Add the peas and stir until defrosted then add the mackerel until all is warmed through.
- Before you open the pouch of quinoa, give it a good massage so the grains break up and it can be easily poured in.
- Add the parsley, season with salt and black pepper, and then add the quiona, stirring well and warming it all through.
- Remove from the heat and either add fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.