Recipe: Baked Barramundi with Sweet Potato Chips

Whether you're single or in a relationship, I hoped everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. 

I myself is still part of the singles party, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a lovely Valentine's Day dinner (with my mum). Saturday night's dinner consisted of rosemary and thyme baked barramundi with purple sweet potato chips and blanched bok choy. 

This dish tasted amazing and the fact that half of it was vegetables makes it even better! Brimming with macro and micronutrients, here's a little low-down of the nutritional benefits of what this meal offers:

  

Barramundi is a source of omega-3 fatty acids which can help prevent heart disease and is important for brain development in young children. 

Sweet potato chips are usually made with orange sweet potatoes (kumera) but purple ones work just fine. Purple sweet potatoes are not only high in fibre for good gut health, they also contain contain the antioxidant anthocyanin which reduces harmful free radicals in the body. 

To add a bit of green to the plate I went with bok choy, a very popular Asian green leafy vegetable with a subtle sweet taste. Bok choy is also teaming with antioxidants and is a rich source of vitamins A, C and K. Vitamin A as many of you may know is important for keeping your eyes healthy. Vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) aids in the absorption of iron and helps to form collagen (for nice and firm skin :D). Lastly, vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting. 

I hope you like this simple yet delicious recipe. 

Baked Barramundi with Sweet Potato Chips 

Ingredients 

• 2 x 150 g barramundi fillets 
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp thyme 
• Salt and pepper to season 
• 1 large purple sweet potato 
• 2 bunches of bok choy 
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp rice bran oil 

Preheat oven to 180 C. 

Cut the sweet potato into chip shaped batons and soak in a bowl of water for 30 min. Drain and dry thoroughly. Evenly coat the sweet potato with 1 tbsp of rice bran oil and spread out on a baking tray in a single layer. Sprinkle over with black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile season the barramundi fillets with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle the rosemary and thyme over the two fillets. Place skin side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle skin with the remaining oil. 

After baking the sweet potato chips for 20 minutes, turn each chip to bake the other side. Place the fish in the oven and bake together with the chips for 15 minutes. 

Whilst the fish and chips are baking, wash the bok choy and segment the bunches into quarters. Cook in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and arrange on the serving plate. 

When the fish and chips have finished baking, plate up and enjoy :)