Eat yourself younger with these delicious recipes from Nutritionist and author, Christine Bailey.

Salsa verde is a summery herb dressing and a perfect match for fish. Here, watercress is added to the sauce for a peppery punch, as well as providing valuable detoxifying nutrients, including B vitamins, zinc, potassium, vitamin E and vitamin C. This light, high protein dish takes minutes to prepare and can be simply served with a mixed salad or steamed vegetables.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time:  25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6-8 sardines, gutted and scaled
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salsa verde:

• 100g watercress leaves
• 2tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
• 1 spring onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
• 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper

Method:

• Preheat the grill.
• Put the sardines on a baking tray lined with parchment. Season the fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little lemon juice and zest. Grill or bake in the oven until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Add the watercress leaves and cook for a minute. Drain and refresh the watercress in ice-cold water.
• Transfer the watercress to a food processor, add the remaining ingredients and process to a purée. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Serve the sardines with the salsa verde.