Fun, Joy and Health!

Americans seem to go through phases with food.  Sometimes we want fat free, while other times we  eliminate carbohydrates.  Well, none of this sounds like fun to me.  And sometimes we forget that food should be fun and joyful! Yes, food should be fun.  And fun, joyful and healthy can coexist in a food.  So in 2014, lets fill our diet and life with fun, joy and health.

To help you with your journey, take a look at this publication, Fats in the Diet.  Briefly, this publication gives you tips on reducing the fat content of certain dishes.  It will also help you to increase good fats, such as omega-3's.  See, we are not always about 'cutting out'.

Omega-3 fatty acids are have a double bond, making it unsaturated.  Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, mullet, and sardines.  Some brands of eggs also have increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids.  These chickens have been fed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids.  If you are looking for a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, try flaxseed or walnuts.

So what is the big deal about omega-3 fatty acids.  Research shows that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids are associated with reduced risk of health disease.  The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that we consume 8 ounces of a variety of seafood per week.  This amount will provide an average consumption of 250mg per day of omega-3 fatty acids.

While salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, it can be expensive.  Tuna, mackerel and sardines are good, economical choices.  Below is an excellent (and inexpensive) recipe using sardines.

Fisherman's Eggs

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 can (3 ounces) sardines
1 small shallot, minced
1 to 2 Tablespoon minced parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs
Salt and pepper, if desired


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2.  Coat two small oven-proof dishes with cooking spray.  Divide the sardines between the two dishes. 

3.  In a small bowl, combine shallots, parsley and garlic.  Stir to combine.  Set aside 1 tablespoon of herb mixture.  Top sardines with mixture.  Add black pepper, if desired. Place sardines in oven for about 10 minutes, or until sardines are heated through. 

4.   Remove from oven and place an egg on top of each dish.  Top with remaining herb mixture.  Add salt and pepper, if desired.  Place back in the oven for about 7 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked. 

Serve for breakfast or add a salad and serve for a light dinner.

For more recipes using canned sardines, check out 7 Things to do with Canned Sardines.

A Little Short on Cash

Tax time is almost over.  For me, it was over a few weeks ago.  And things did not go my way - I think the government kept too much of my money.  At least in my humble opinion. 

Well, I gotta eat and being the foodie that I am, I want good food.  I am not one for believing that good food has to be expensive.  I prefer not to think of it as cheap, just frugal.  You make the best of what you have.

For my frugal dish, I went back to something my mother used to make, salmon cakes.  This is one of the most inexpensive dishes you can make.  You need a can of salmon, one egg, and some type of bread to bind it.  Crackers and dry bread crumbs work well for this.  Additional seasonings can be added, like onions, lemon zest,  red pepper, and mustard.  Mix it up to suit your tastes.

Recently, I read where a chef stated that canned salmon was like cat food.  "Meow".  Sorry chef, mom used canned salmon and that's what I use.   Canned salmon is great.  It is inexpensive, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and if you consume the bones, a good source of calcium.  Here is my recipe for salmon cakes.  Use the recipe as a guideline.  If you want to add or remove something, please do so.

Salmon Cakes with Mustard Sauce

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 can (14.5 ounce) salmon
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
⅓ cup chopped red onions
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 large egg
Vegetable oil, for frying

Mustard Sauce:
1 container (6 ounce) plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon coarse grain or Dijon mustard

Directions:

1.  Drain salmon and mash with a fork.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Divide into fourths.  Form into a ball and flatten to about ½ inch.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook salmon cakes, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes.

3.  Stir together yogurt and mustard.  Serve with salmon cakes.

Your Lucky Little Easter Bunny

In a few days Easter will be arriving.  If your little Easter bunny gets lucky during the hunt and you have way too many hard boiled eggs, this post is for you. 

Scandinavian Flower Eggs with Sweet-Tart Mustard Dill Sauce - I first heard about this recipe from the public radio show, The Splendid Table.  I thought it sounded interesting and maybe I could work it into an Easter blog.  I liked the recipe because I saw it as a slightly different take on deviled eggs.  Someone else stated that it's a potato salad with lettuce.  My foodie colleague stated that this would be good with salmon. (We are a nutrition department and lately we've been hooked on salmon.) Since I agreed with her, I also added salmon.

I also decided to put mine together differently than the original recipe.  First, I grilled the salmon and brushed it with the sauce during the final few minutes of cooking.  I also cut the potatoes in quarters and coated with the sauce.

Scandinavian Flower Eggs with Sweet-Tart Mustard Dill Sauce

Serves 4 to 5.

Ingredients:

Dill Mustard Sauce:
(Makes about 1½ cups)


1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tablespoons minced onion

¼ cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup coarse grain mustard
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
⅓ to ½ cup chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
1 pound salmon fillet
8 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into 4 wedges each
1 pound small red-skinned potatoes
4 to 6 cups red leaf lettuce
Directions:


Dill Mustard Sauce
In a medium bowl, blend together the garlic, onion and vinegar.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine, sugar, olive oil, mustard, mayonnaise, and dill.  Slowly add in vinegar mixture.   Add salt and pepper to taste.  Sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. 


Salad
1.  Coat salmon with olive oil. Grill or broil until fish flakes with a fork.  Brush with sauce during the final minutes of cooking.  Set aside.
2.  Cook eggs, peel and quarter.
3.  Cook potatoes.  When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into quarters.  Coat warm potatoes with about ¼ cup of mustard sauce.  Set aside.


Assembling the Salad
1.  Place lettuce down the center of a large platter.  Place salmon and potatoes on platter.  Depending on the size of your platter, eggs may need to be placed on other ingredients.
2.  Drizzle with mustard sauce and serve.

Spring is on the Way!

Well, I am not sure if spring is on the way or if Mother Nature is playing with us.  But whatever, in the Midwest it's in the 70's.  That means we can take the cover off the grill and head outdoors.

Salmon always makes me think of spring.  Not sure why, but it does.  So this week, I am posting on salmon.  This dish is easy, peasy.  Because you gotta go enjoy this nice spring weather.  'Cause in the Midwest, we could have snow next week!

Salmon with a Mustard Sauce

Serves 1.

Ingredients:
1 (4 ounce) salmon fillet
Olive or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

Directions:
1.  Coat salmon with a small amount of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

2.  Either broil or grill fish.  Combine mustard and brown sugar.  Brush fish with mustard mixture in the final few minutes of cooking.  Pass any extra sauce with the fish. 

Let the Healthy Grilling Begin

So summer is here and we are heading out to patios and back porches, deck, parks and all sorts of other places.  After months of snow and slowly braised foods, we are ready for the grill.  When you think about grilling, think outside of beef, hot dogs and ribs.  Grilling is actually very healthy since a lot of the fat falls through the grates.  When deciding what to grill, basically, if you can cook it, you can grill it. 

 Here are a few things to think about before heading out to the grill.

1.        Use smaller portions of meat.  Round out the meal with grilled vegetables.

2.       Choose leaner cuts of meat.  Check the beef (http://bit.ly/cFFqOd) and pork (http://bit.ly/iCW8Dy) boards for examples of leaner cuts.  Leaner cuts also mean less flare-ups and smoke during grilling. 

3.       Marinate meat.  According to some studies, marinating meats helps reduce the formation of carcinogens. 

4.       Vegetables can be grilled.  Sliced vegetables such as summer squash, zucchini, asparagus, peppers and onions are great when cooked on a grill.  Simply toss vegetables with a little and place on a hot grill.  If desired a grill basket can be used.  When cooked, add a little acid like vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs. 

One of the most common mistakes most people make when grilling is not having the grill hot enough.  The colder the grill, the more likely the food is to stick.  Foods with less fat tend to stick to the grill more than fatty foods.  Coating the food with a little oil reduces the likelihood that it will stick to the grill.

To get you started on healthy grilling here is a salmon recipe.

Brown Sugar and Mustard Salmon

 Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 center- cut salmon fillet,
about 1½ pound


 Directions:

1.       Prepare grill for indirect grilling.

2.       Combine brown sugar, mustard, black pepper, salt, ginger and garlic.  Stir until well blended.  Spread mixture over fish; let stand 15 minutes.

3.       Place fish, skin side down, on grill rack over unheated part of grill.  Close lid; grill 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove fish from grill.  Discard skin.

To expand your repertoire of healthy grilling ideas, check out these resources.

Cooking Light Magazine and Website - http://www.cookinglight.com/

Eating Well Magazine and Website - http://www.eatingwell.com/