Healthy Harvest Spaghetti with Roasted Salmon in Sesame Oil
Contributed by: News Canada
Healthy Food Facts - Why do we need Omega-3?
By J. Caroline Carroll
(NC) - Omega-3 is called an "essential" fatty acid, so it certainly sounds like we should know exactly what it is - and as importantly, we want to know where to get it in the foods we give our families.
"Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat, known as the 'good fats', and are important for good health," says Sue Mah, a Toronto-based registered dietitian. "Research tells us that omega-3 fats can reduce blood clotting, control inflammation, and lower the risk of heart disease."
"Omega-3 fatty acids are called 'essential' because our bodies can't make them, so we need to get them from the foods we eat," Mah continued, "The problem is that most of us probably aren't getting enough omega-3 fats."
There are two sources of Omega-3 fatty acids:
- Animal Source: Almost exclusively in fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, rainbow trout and mackerel.
- Plant Source: Walnuts, canola and soybean oil all contain omega-3 fats. Flax seeds and flax seed oil are one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fat.
"A daily intake of 1.1 g to 1.6 g of Omega-3 is recommended by health experts," says Sandra Kim at Ronzoni Foods Canada, makers of Catelli pasta, a brand name that offers 12 varieties of whole grain pasta in their Healthy Harvest line. "A serving of our Flax Omega-3 Pasta provides as much as 0.8 g of Omega-3 - and at wholegrainpasta.ca several tasty recipes for flax and other pasta varieties are at your fingertips.
Ingredients:
- 360 g fresh salmon (fillet with skin)
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) roasted sesame oil
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) sesame seeds, roasted
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) canola oil
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) tamari sauce
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, chopped
- 375 g Catelli Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Spaghetti
- 1 yellow bell pepper, in fine strips
- 2 green onions, finely minced
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) fresh coriander, chopped
- To taste salt and pepper
Directions:
Baste salmon with 30 mL (2 tbsp) roasted sesame oil; salt and sprinkle with 30 mL (2 tbsp) roasted sesame seeds.
Bake in oven preheated to 200 C (400 F) for 12-15 minutes. Set aside.
In a bowl, blend together remaining sesame oil, canola oil, tamari sauce and ginger. Set aside.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. 1 minute before end of cooking time, add yellow pepper.
Drain pasta and pepper very well. Transfer to a serving dish.
Top with green onions, sesame oil dressing, salmon, remaining sesame seeds and fresh coriander.
Preparation: 20 minutes - Cooking: 30 minutes
Serving Size: Makes 4 - 6 Servings
