Give your brain a boost before Blue Monday with Mrs Crunch’s salmon recipes

GIVE your brain a boost before Blue Monday.

Salmon is hailed as a superfood by nutritionists.

It is full of nutrients including high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals, potassium, selenium and vitamin B12.

It is easy to prepare and a lighter alternative to winter dishes like stews

Salmon pie with buttery mash – £2.79 per serving

(Serves four)

Preparation: 15 minutes. Cooking: 50 minutes.

You need:

• 1 pint milk
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves
• 450g fresh salmon, chopped
• 100g raw prawns
• 2 leeks
• 100g butter
• 25g plain flour
• 1 bunch parsley
• 50g frozen peas
• 1kg potatoes

Method: Infuse the milk by chopping the onion in half and adding it to a pan with the milk, bay leaf and cloves. Heat the milk until warm but do not allow to boil. Pass the milk through a sieve and set aside for later.

Place the salmon and prawns on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 180C. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Trim and finely slice the leeks and wash well. Soften the leeks in half the butter and cook, without browning, for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and mix well to form a roux. Slowly add the infused milk to make a thick rich sauce.

Stir the peas, salmon and prawns into the sauce with the finely chopped parsley. Gently stir without breaking up the fish.

Place in a deep casserole dish, cover and leave to cool.

(Once it is cooled, it can be kept in the fridge until you are ready to cook.)

Peel the potatoes and cut into 25mm chunks. Pop them in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked. Drain and mash with butter. Top the cooled salmon-and-prawn mix with mash, decorating with a fork. Cook for 25-30 minutes at 180C until golden-brown.

Teriyaki salmon skewers – £1.38 per serving

(Serves eight)

Preparation: 10 minutes. Marinating: 60 minutes. Cooking: 10 minutes.

You need:

• 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 lime, juice and finely grated zest
• 500g salmon fillets, skinned and cubed
• 150g chestnut mushrooms, halved
• 6 salad onions, cut into 5cm lengths
• 150g radishes

Method: Mix the teriyaki sauce, sesame oil and lime in a bowl, then add the salmon, toss well, cover and leave in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.

Toss the mushrooms, salad onions and radishes into the marinade.

Thread the salmon, mushrooms, salad onions and radishes on to 8 skewers.

Grill on a low heat for 10 minutes, turning them halfway.

Philadelphia-topped baked salmon – £3.80 per serving

(Serves two)

Preparation: 15 minutes. Cooking: 15 minutes.

You need:

• 240g salmon fillets
• 100g cherry tomatoes
• 85g Philadelphia Light
• 150g asparagus tips
• 1 squeeze lemon juice

Method: Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Place the salmon fillets on a baking tray alongside the cherry tomatoes. Spread the Philadelphia evenly on top of the fish then bake for 12-14 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Meanwhile, toss the asparagus spears with some seasoning and a squeeze of lemon juice. Char for a few minutes in a griddle pan until tender.

Once the fish is cooked, serve with the asparagus and roasted tomatoes.