Name: Recipe: Healthier Smoked Mackerel Pâté
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 smoked mackerel fillet (skin removed); 1 tsp mayonnaise; 1/3 small can chickpeas (drained and rinsed. Or use garbanzo beans); 2 tbs milk (use 1 more tbs if needed); 1 tsp lemon juice; Salt & pepper (to taste)

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I probably add a packet of smoked mackerel to my online shopping basket every week. It is relatively cheap, delicious and they contain a good amount of mood boosting, heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Ed and I both love them, and I can guarantee that if I go away for a few days and leave a packet in the fridge they would have vanished by the time I get home. They also freeze brilliantly, but do remove the skin before popping into the freezer.

I usually flake them into a salad, or whizz with some mayonnaise or cream cheese into pâté. Both mayonnaise and cream cheese are fairly calorie dense, much of this coming from fat, the lower fat ones simply do not taste as good, and some are packed with additives that as far as I am concerned have no business being there.

This lighter and healthier smoked mackerel pâté, (or is that a smoked mackerel hummus?) was whizzed up as a quick lunch for two, when we only had one mackerel fillet, the scrappings from a nearly empty jar of mayonnaise as well as a third of a can of chickpeas. I guarantee you will not notice it is not made with 100% mayonnaise as a mixer. If you do not have any lemons, add a few drops of vinegar from a jar of capers or pickles, it lightens and makes a huge difference to the finished pâté.

4.88 from 8 votes

Recipe: Healthier Smoked Mackerel Pâté

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

10 mins

A healthier and lighter take on smoked mackerel pâté

Course: Starter

Cuisine: Fish

Servings: 2

Calories: 379 kcal

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Ingredients

1 smoked mackerel fillet skin removed
1 tsp mayonnaise
1/3 small can chickpeas drained and rinsed. Or use garbanzo beans
2 tbs milk use 1 more tbs if needed
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Simply place the ingredients into a food processor or mini chopper and whizz until you have a smooth pâté.
Season to taste.

Recipe Notes

Variations – Add teaspoon of grain mustard, horseradish sauce, or a pinch of nori flakes.

Nutrition Facts

Recipe: Healthier Smoked Mackerel Pâté

Amount Per Serving

Calories 379 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 19g 29%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 108mg 36%

Sodium 212mg 9%

Potassium 933mg 27%

Protein 45g 90%

Vitamin A 2.8%

Vitamin C 6.6%

Calcium 6.9%

Iron 14.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

For more inspiration why not try

My anchovy & butter bean hummus
My red lentil, lime and coriander hummus
Camilla’s smoked mackerel pâté
Bintu’s smoked mackerel, plantain and broccoli stir fry

As this dish is a frugal take on my usual smoked mackerel pâté, and chickpeas count as one of your 5 a day I am entering it into Credit Crunch Munch which I run with Camilla, hosted this month by Lucy, and into Extra Veg with Michelle, hosted this month by Katherine.

We have also been enjoying the pate in sandwiches, perfect for a super speedy packed lunch for Ed on the days he goes to the library to work. We’re certainly not ones to unnecessarily shy away from carbs, and think that bread in particular is both an important and delicious part of our diets which provides protein, fibre, calcium, iron and a variety of vitamins.

I am a fan of the supermarket sliced loaf for both convenience for sandwiches and the comfort of buttered toast, a loaf never lasts that long in the flat, and I try to keep some in the freezer – it defrosts in minutes and is perfect for a last minute packed lunch.

A few facts from the Federation of Bakers and the Flour Advisory Bureau, which hopefully will make you question this current fad of cutting out the carbs. More information about the fab bread campaign can be found here.

Carbohydrates help you to feel fuller for longer, making you less likely to snack on the unhealthy things and providing a great source of fuel before or after a workout
Bread is low fat, low sugar and around 80 calories a slice, so if you’re watching your weight you can fit it easily to your health plan
White bread is a good source of non-dairy calcium as white bread is fortified with calcium
There is no singular dietary cause of bloating; low stress, eating a well-balanced diet containing fibre & drinking enough water can help

What is your favourite way to eat bread?

Sponsored content from the Federation of Bakers and the Flour Advisory Bureau, all opinions our own.