This month we focus on recipes combining nutritious macronutrients - protein, carbohydrates and fats - vital to a balanced diet. Thai spiced salmon with herby brown rice celebrates these delicious, nourishing macronutrients with protein and fats from salmon, carbohydrates from brown rice, and fats from coconut oil, coconut milk and peanuts.

Thai spiced salmon with herby brown rice

Serves 2
GF : DF : SF

Ingredients

250g fresh salmon, skin removed
3 teaspoons red thai curry paste
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup (100g) brown rice
⅓ bunch coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
1 cup baby spinach leaves
2 stalks Asian shallots, finely sliced, white part only
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
½ long red chilli (optional)

Dressing

1 tablespoon coconut cream
1 tablespoon lime juice

Method

Chop salmon into 3cm x 3cm pieces, toss with red Thai curry paste and set aside to marinate.

Bring a pot of water and rice to the boil, cook for 20-30 minutes (as per packet instructions) until cooked.  

While rice is cooking, make the dressing by combining lime juice and coconut cream in a small bowl and whisking together.

When rice is almost cooked, start preparing the salmon. Add one tablespoon coconut oil to a fry pan and cook salmon pieces for approximately three minutes on both sides.

To serve, spoon rice over bowls, top with coriander, baby spinach, and shallots, and drizzle with dressing.

Place cooked salmon on top, sprinkle with peanuts, pop lime wedges on the side and serve.

Jacqueline Alwill is a qualified, practicing nutritionist, author of Seasons to Share and director at The Brown Paper Bag.