Brain-Boosting, Healthy Fish Recipes

August 27, 2019
Do your heart and brain good by eating more fish. Studies show that eating fish at least once a week, especially cold-water species high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna and sardines, reduces the risk of heart problems. Other research suggests that regularly eating omega-3-rich fish may prevent or relieve depression, joint problems, Alzheimer’s disease and, perhaps, several cancers.Watch Video
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Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce

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Looking for a recipe to help you eat more heart-healthy fish and veggies? Add this salmon and asparagus dinner to your rotation. Not only is it healthy and delicious, this sheet-pan dinner is also easy to make and a breeze to clean up.

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One-Pot Pasta with Tuna

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Use the one-pot pasta cooking method to make this tuna pasta recipe that calls for just 5 ingredients and is ready in just over half an hour. For extra crunch and a tuna noodle casserole feel, sprinkle this speedy pasta dish with toasted whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs.

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Honey-Garlic Salmon

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A simple marinade of soy sauce, lime, honey and garlic adds tons of flavor to salmon with ease. Just a few ingredients make this quick and tasty recipe perfect for a busy weeknight. Serve with brown rice or quinoa and a green salad.

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Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

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This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.

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Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens

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In this healthy salmon dinner, you'll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen's current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.

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Spinach & Tuna Noodle Casserole

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Homemade mushroom sauce kicks the can of soup out of the picture in this veggie-centric, healthy riff on a classic tuna-noodle casserole recipe. Serve with steamed green beans.

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Romaine Wedges with Sardines & Caramelized Onions

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Don't be afraid of the sardines in this healthy wedge salad recipe. Sardines are extremely nutritious, and are a perfect match for winter greens. In this healthy wedge salad recipe we've made little boats out of hearts of romaine lettuce and filled them with savory sardines, sweet caramelized onions, juicy cherry tomatoes and creamy dressing.

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Lemon-Herb Salmon with Caponata & Farro

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Dig into your farmers' market haul to cook this colorful and healthy Mediterranean diet dinner recipe that's packed with vegetables. Feel free to swap in any vegetables or cook up another whole grain, such as brown rice. Serve with a glass of your favorite red wine.

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Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

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This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

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Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad

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Packed with protein and fiber, this tuna and bean salad is ready in a flash. For an extra kick, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne.

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Cashew Salmon with Apricot Couscous

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Yogurt sauce flavored with lemon, cumin and cilantro tops this Indian-inspired grilled salmon.

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Easy Salmon Cakes

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If you are trying to boost your intake of omega-3s, try this simple favorite. It is a great way to use convenient canned (or leftover) salmon. The tangy dill sauce provides a tart balance.

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Greek Salad with Sardines

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The fresh, tangy elements of a Greek salad--tomato, cucumber, feta, olives and lemony vinaigrette--pair well with rich-tasting sardines. Look for sardines with skin and bones (which are edible) as they have more than four times the amount of calcium as skinless, boneless sardines. If you're lucky enough to have fresh sardines available in your supermarket, try them in place of the canned sardines. Lightly dredge them in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour and sauté them in a little olive oil.

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Grilled Salmon Soft Tacos

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Fish tacos have become all the rage in recent years and are a specialty of the Pacific coast of Southern California and Mexico. This is a simple recipe: all the components can be made ahead of time and the fish grilled at the last moment. You can also use halibut, sea bass or tilapia in place of the salmon.

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Lemon-Garlic Sardine Fettuccine

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Even sardine skeptics will enjoy this lemony pasta with crispy breadcrumbs. Substitute two 5- to 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna for the sardines if you prefer. If you are using tuna or can't find sardines packed in tomato sauce, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste in Step 4 with the lemon juice. Serve with a salad of bitter greens tossed with a lemon vinaigrette and a glass of Pinot Grigio.

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Grilled Tuna with Olive Relish

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A simple relish of parsley and olives jazzes up grilled tuna. Make it a meal: Serve with grilled vegetables and steamed new potatoes.

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Salmon Burgers with Green Goddess Sauce

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In this easy salmon burger recipe, ditch the bun and serve the burger over a bed of salad greens topped with a creamy green goddess dressing. The secret to this perfect salmon burger? Handling the fish delicately, seasoning lightly and not overcooking the salmon.

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Salmon & Asparagus Farro Bowl

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In this farro and salmon recipe, salmon is poached in a miso-infused broth with bites of tender asparagus and sautéed leeks. If you use farro that's labeled “pearled,” a faster-cooking farro, to make this recipe, start with a full cup of grains and reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes. To clean the leeks, trim off the green tops and white roots and split lengthwise. Place in a large bowl of water and swish around to release any sand or soil. Repeat until no grit remains.

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Stuffed Fresh Sardines

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In this stuffed sardine recipe, fresh sardines get a cheesy filling before being cooked in olive oil. Serve as a first course or with a salad for an easy supper.

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Seared Tuna Tataki Quinoa Bowl

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In this healthy tuna and quinoa recipe, tuna steaks are flash-cooked, sliced, then tossed in a quick, gingery marinade. The tuna, vegetables and seaweed get dressed with some of the flavor-packed tataki marinade and served over protein-rich quinoa.

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Orange, Watercress & Tuna Salad

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This vibrant salad recipe contrasts flavor, texture and color--the velvety tuna steak is matched with crisp, peppery watercress and the floral tart-sweetness of blood oranges and aniseed. Blood oranges make the dish especially pretty--they're available December through March. If you can't find them, use any oranges that look good.

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Hanoi-Style Tuna Patty Salad

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This tuna-patty-topped salad, featuring rice noodles, fresh herbs and lots of fresh vegetables, deliciously exemplifies the Vietnamese approach to healthy eating.

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Salmon with Red Wine-Morel Sauce

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Dried mushrooms give this rich red-wine sauce an almost meaty flavor. Look for them in the produce department of well-stocked supermarkets or specialty grocers. If you're not a fan of salmon, try the recipe with halibut instead. Serve with barley tossed with parsley and steamed broccolini. To double: Prepare a double batch of sauce in the large skillet, increasing reduction time as needed. Cook 2 1/2 pounds of salmon in two batches, adding oil as necessary.

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One-Skillet Salmon with Fennel & Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous

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Sun-dried tomato pesto and lemon do double duty to season both the salmon and the couscous in this healthy one-pan dinner recipe. Serve the salmon with extra lemon wedges and a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired.

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