Where Are My Knees?

Fish is the Dish challenge

When it comes to staying healthy, there's one food we should all be eating more of – and that's fish.

Health experts recommend everyone should enjoy at least two servings of fish a week, one of which should be an oil-rich variety such as sardines, mackerel, herring, fresh tuna, trout or salmon.

One of the reasons we should include oily fish as part of a balanced, nutritious diet is because they contain omega-3 fats – and these have been shown to have many health benefits. There are so many benefits of eating fish, if you want to find out more head over to this page.

Seafish, the national authority on seafood launched a campaign with Fish is the Dish to encourage the people of Britain to eat more fish by promoting its health benefits and the wide variety of tasty and convenient ways that it can be enjoyed. As part of this they launched a challenge for bloggers and asked them to take part in 'Ready, Steady, Cook Fish!'

I was sent a package of assorted ingredients which will include fish, vegetables, herbs etc. The challenge was to create a fish dish of your choice in just 30 minutes. I had to stare at all of those food for a good ten minutes because I have to admit I rarely cook fish and wasn't sure what to do with it.

This is what I came up with in just under 30 minutes.

Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with lightly salted water, bring to the boil and cook until tender. Drain, toss with a drizzle of oil, set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the asparagus and artichokes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 3-5 mins until tender. Drain and set aside to keep warm.

Chop the tomatoes, spring onions and basil and add a little oil and lemon juice and season.

For the sea bass, heat the grill, pour 2 tbsp of oil into a pan set over a medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 1-2 mins. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper into the pan, add the fish, skin-side up, cook for 2-3 mins, then remove from the heat. Drizzle with the remaining oil, then cook under the grill for about 4 mins until the skin blisters and the fish is cooked through. Keep the fish warm while you finish the veg.

Thickly slice the potatoes and arrange a layer in the middle of each of 4 dinner plates. Scatter the asparagus over the potatoes and artichokes, squeeze over some lemon juice and finish with a grind of black pepper. Top each plate with a fillet of sea bass, finishing with a few spoons of salsa.

My meal was incredibly tasty, quick to make and nutritional. I've already bought some more sea bass and some cod. I plan on using the leftovers up and cooking the cod in a parcel with tomatoes and veg with some garlic, parsley and basil.

Do you eat enough fish?

we're loving - esprit sportswear

I'm not going to make any bold and unrealistic goals for 2015 but the one thing I've promised myself that I'll achieve is going to yoga once a week and doing one gym session a week. Obviously I'll aim to do more than that but it would be nice to get some activity in each week even when I'm not feeling well or I'm super busy.

In my bid to look more colourful and feel more comfortable whilst working out I've been scouring the internet and found a store that stocks up to a size 18 and has loads of basic items which can be mixed with more statement pieces. Esprit is a fashion brand that blends creativity and responsibility fused with a sunny Californian attitude.The Esprit webshop has thousands of items and I found a few I'm coveting for my own collection.

Sports & high-performance trousers - £ 29.00

Soft jersey T-shirt - £ 19.00

Trend trainers with a flexible sole - £ 39.99

I like the second outfit for yoga in the winter because the studio can be freezing and I need a long sleeve top and the fleece would be great to add on top when I'm going for a long walk.

Soft zip jacket, knit exterior, fleece interior - £ 45.00

Printed leggings in stretch cotton-jersey - £ 25.00

ultra-soft slub jersey long sleeve top - £ 19.00

All my sportswear is not really fit for purpose. I'm always getting my baggy trousers caught on the machines at the gym and my oversize t-shirts fall down showing my midriff to everyone when I'm doing a downward dog. Not a good look. I'm slowly replacing all my gym kit with much more functional items like t-shirts with materials that helps wick sweat away from the body.

What are your favourite sportswear brands that cater for larger sizes?

where are my knees - co.uk

Tuesday, 3 February 2015