Skin Glow Mackerel Protein Toasts

• servings: Serves 2
• total time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

These mackerel toasts are my quick, high protein lunch that feels a bit special but takes minutes. You’ve got the perfect smoky, creamy, lemony mackerel mix, loaded with fresh herbs, piled onto toast, then topped with a crisp cucumber and apple salad for freshness and crunch. You can prep this mix and hold for 3+ days.

Approx 450kcal & 39g protein

200g smoked mackerel, skin removed

200g low-fat cottage cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

1–2 tbsp lemon juice (to taste)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Black pepper

60g slice bread per person

½ cucumber, thinly sliced

1 crisp apple, mandolined into thin slices (or thinly sliced with a knife)

Few torn fronds of fresh dill

1 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Directions

In a bowl, flake the smoked mackerel into chunky pieces. Add the cottage cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, spring onion, mustard, dill and parsley. Mix, but I like to keep some texture, then add plenty of black pepper. Taste and adjust with a little more lemon if you want it brighter. It shouldn’t need salt, as mackerel is salty.

In a separate bowl, toss the cucumber and apple with the dill and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, then leave it for a couple of minutes to lightly pickle and soften.

Toast your bread until crisp and golden.

Divide the mackerel mixture between the toast, then pile the cucumber and apple salad on top.