WHAT'S COOKING: Three recipes to boost your mood

Forget ‘New Year, New You’, Aldi wants to spread a bit of ‘New Year Cheer’ with a great list of comforting food ideas & the nutrients that contribute to that mood boosting feeling.

Some fabulous foods to help boost your mood:

l Dark chocolate (has been shown to boost mood)

l Salmon (omega 3 may help with symptoms of depression)

l Oats (slow release sugars help maintain blood sugar levels which can affect mood)

l Eggs (great source of B12, a deficiency of which has been linked to low mood and depression)

l Brazil nuts (poor selenium intake linked to low mood)

l Pumpkin seeds (rich in magnesium, low intakes linked to low mood and depression)

l Lean red meat (keep iron stores up to fight off tiredness and fatigue which can cause low mood)

l Asparagus (one of the richest plant sources of tryptophan)

Aldi Ambassador and Chef Trisha Lewis has provided her top tips for enhancing your mood so you can feel good in both body and mind!

l Get outside in the fresh air- no matter what the weather is like. It will clear your head.

l Make your bed as soon as you get up.

l Drink lots of water throughout the day- this keeps you alert!

l Ring a friend or a loved one and have a chat for 30 minutes.

l Fill yourself with nutrient packed fresh ingredients. It’s also very important to get lean protein into your diet.

l Reduce your screen time. It’s important to remember social media only shows the highlights of people’s lives and scrolling too much can lead to comparison, which we all know is the thief of joy!

l Reach out to friends and family – the chances your friend or family member is probably feeling the same!

Aldi has picked a starter, main and a dessert for you to create the perfect mood boosting feast!

STARTER: Quinoa and Vegetable Fritters (with eggs)

Serves: 6 people

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

l 150g The Foodie Market Quinoa

l 75g cooked Nature’s Pick Broccoli

l 1 Nature’s Pick Scallions

l ½ Nature’s Pick Courgette (grated)

l 50g cooked Country Fresh Kale

l 1 tbsp freshly chopped Nature’s Pick Mint

l 1 tbsp freshly chopped Nature’s Pick Parsley

l 2 Healy’s Farm Large Irish Fresh Eggs (beaten)

l 50g The Pantry Gluten Free Plain Flour

l 30g Specially Selected Parmigiano Reggiano 24 Month Mature

l 1 tbsp Solesta Olive Oil

l 75g Duneen Dairy Organic Wholemilk Natural Yogurt

l 1 tbsp The Pantry Lemon Juice

l ½ tsp Stonemill Paprika

Method:

Rinse the quinoa and then cover with 300ml cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until fluffed up and cooked through. Then leave to cool

Add the cooked kale and broccoli to the quinoa along with the spring onion, grated courgette, mint and parsley and combine.

Next add the flour, eggs and Parmigiano cheese. Mix until smooth. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add 1-2 tablespoons of mix per fritter into the pan

Cook for 5 minutes until crisp and then flip over and cook for another 5 minutes

Mix the yogurt with the lemon juice and paprika and serve

MAIN COURSE: Pan Fried Salmon with Potato Salad (incorporating salmon)

Serves: 4 people

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

l 4 x 110g Skellig Bay Fresh Salmon Fillets

l 15g Kilkeely butter for frying

l Juice of half a Zest Lemon

l Pinch of Stonemill salt

l Freshly ground Stonemill Black Pepper

l 300g Mixed Lettuce Leaves (washed)

l 1 Nature’s Pick Cucumber, topped and tailed, de-seeded and sliced

For the potato salad:

l 1kg Specially Selected Baby Potatoes steamed, cooled and diced

l 1 Nature’s Pick Onion finely diced

l 250ml Duneen Dairy Low Fat Natural Yogurt

l 250ml Clonbawn low fat crème fraiche

l 1tsp Bramwells English Mustard

l 1tbsp Bramwells Distilled vinegar

Method:

Place the sliced cucumber into a bowl with the mixed leaves

Put the cooled diced potatoes into another bowl

Add the onion to the potatoes and mix together

Put the yoghurt, crème fraiche, mustard and vinegar into a bowl and blend well

Add this to the potato mixture and mix together with a wooden spoon

In a hot pan melt the butter

Place the salmon fillets in the pan and fry on both sides until brown

Reduce heat and add the salt, pepper and lemon juice

Cook for a further 10 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through.

DESSERT: Dark Chocolate Brownies (incorporating dark chocolate)

Serves: 12 people

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Brownie:

l 150g x Kilkeely Butter

l 100g x Moser Roth Dark Chocolate 70%

l 100g x Moser Roth Milk Chocolate

l 200g x The Pantry Caster Sugar

l 3 x Healy’s Farm Large Irish Fresh Eggs

l 200g x The Pantry Self-Raising flour

For the Topping:

l 100g x Moser Roth Milk Chocolate

l 65g x Kilkeely Butter at room temperature

l 1 handful x Snackrite Honey Roasted Peanuts

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease a 25cm square tin

Melt the milk and dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Stir in the sugar and add the eggs 1 at a time

Add the flour and mix to a batter

Pour into the greased tin and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes for a gooey brownie or 20-22 minutes for a more cakey brownie

Allow the brownie to cool in the pan

To make the ganache, gently melt the chocolate over simmering water

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, spread the ganache over the cooled brownie and sprinkle over the peanuts

Chill in the fridge for 1 hour before cutting and serving.