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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Best Brain Boosting Foods

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We all know food nourishes the body, but there are also some foods that nourish the mind. Everyday, your brain requires up to 20% of the energy supplied by food. That means, the more you eat the more your brain can function. But , of course, there are certain types of food that can make your brain work better.

1. Coffee – The caffeine contained in coffee has been found to enhance short term memory and prevent problems caused by ageing. So, in the morning, don’t be afraid to reach for that cup of coffee. Just be sure not to overdo it as caffeine may mess with your sleeping patterns and this can wreak havoc on your noggin.

2. Blueberries – This delicious fruit is capable of a whole lot when it comes to your brain. For one, it can improve long term memory. The antioxidants found in blueberries are also said to prevent damage from free radicals.

3. Mixed nuts – Reach for that bag of mixed nuts next time you feel the need for  a brain boost. Nuts like walnuts, peanuts and almonds have enough brain building power to last you a lifetime. You get anything from memory enhancers, insomnia fighters and omega-3 fatty acids in one handful of mixed nuts.

4. Salmon and Mackerel – Speaking of Omega-3, salmon and mackerel pack a whole lot of those as well. These fatty acids are the basic building blocks of brain tissue so they are great for increasing your brain’s thinking capacity. Plus, salmon has been found to fight off Alzheimer’s and other age-related brain disorders.

So next time you feel sluggish and need to work on a term paper or business report, put down that energy drink and those sugary delights and grab a cup of coffee and some nuts. You need all the brain power you can get.

Roasted Mackerel with Chickpea Salad

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Roasted mackerel and chickpea salad is a delectable dish you can prepare in less than thirty minutes. The spices add loads of flavor to the fish and the salad compliments it too. Use another kind of fish if desired.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoons chopped fresh continental parsley

1 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

5 garlic cloves, crushed

4 Spanish mackerel fillets, skinned

350g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 2cm pieces

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 300g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained

50g baby spinach leaves, trimmed

 

Preheat the oven at 220C and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Combine 1/4 cup of oil, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, parsley, paprika and half of the garlic in a shallow baking dish. Mix well. Place the mackerel in the baking dish to marinate it. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Turn at least once.

Place the pumpkin in a medium sized bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Toss to coat the pumpkin. Season it with salt and pepper. Transfer the seasoned pumpkin to a non-stick baking dish. Roast it in the oven for six to eight minutes or until soft and .the edges are browned. Once it is cooked, place it in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, spinach, the remaining garlic and the oil. Toss gently to combine. Season it with salt and pepper. Split the salad into individual plates.

Drain the mackerel and then place them in the lined tray. Bake it in the oven for six to eight minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Pierce the fish with a fork to test doneness. Put the cooked mackerel over the chickpea salad and serve immediately.

 

Image from jetalone

 

Mackerel Congee

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Mackerel congee is a savory recipe that is perfect for cold weather. It is considered as an Asian comfort food which can be eaten for breakfast, snacks or late supper. It is also a meal replacement that is served to people who are ill because it is easy to digest. Preparing it is simple. All you have to do is boil the ingredients until the rice is soft. Feel free to add more ingredients that will suit your taste.

For this recipe, I decided to add MSG to make the taste more attractive to the palette. It may be a controversial ingredient, but based on research it is safe due to the fact that many other vegetables such as tomatoes, mushrooms and asparagus contain glutamate as well.

 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

300g rice

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 inch knob ginger, peeled and quartered

2L water

2 tablespoons dashi

1/8 teaspoon Ajinomoto (MSG)

Shredded nori for garnish

2 Mackerel fillets

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Rinse the rice and then soak it for 15 minutes. Drain.

Place the rice, garlic, ginger and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and then cook it for 30 minutes or until the rice is soft. Add water if it becomes too thick.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Fry the Mackerel fillets for 6-8 minutes or until it is soft and cooked. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Flake the fish.

Take the garlic and ginger from the porridge. Dice the ginger and crush the garlic. Return it to the saucepan. Add the dashi and MSG. Mix well. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the congee among 4 bowls. Top it with the flaked Mackerel and shredded nori. Serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  Raelene G

Otak-Otak

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Otak-otak is a delicious Asian fish cake recipe, where the fish paste is wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill. It is a palatable dish that is often eaten as a snack along with a hard-boiled egg. It can also be used as a sandwich filling or served with rice.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500g Spanish mackerel, deboned and mashed

1 cup coconut cream

1 cup water

2 teaspoons kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Fresh banana leaves for wrapping, cut into squares

For the spice paste:

1 cup shallots

2 stalks lemongrass, sliced thinly

2 1/2 inch piece galangal or ginger root

2 1/2 inch turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons grated coconut, fried until golden brown

12 fresh small chili, seeded

4 candlenuts

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

1 cup water

 

Prepare the spice paste by placing the shallots, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, fried grated coconut, red chili, candlenuts, shrimp paste and water in a food processor or blender. Process it for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Transfer it to a small bowl and set aside.

Put the mackerel, coconut cream, water and kaffir lime leaves in the food processor. Process it for 1 minute or until well combined.

Combine the fish paste mixture and the spice paste mixture in a medium sized bowl.  Mix well.

Spoon some fish paste mixture at the center of a cut banana leaf. Wrap it and seal the ends with toothpicks. Repeat this procedure for the remaining ingredients.

Grill the wrapped fish paste on a hot plate or grill for 3-5 minutes or until the fish paste is set and the banana leaves are browned. Serve with bread or rice.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:   VirtualErn