Thai Green Curry with Salmon

This one-pot stew took all of 15 minutes to prepare.  Serve over
your choice of rice or rice noodles, or by itself.

While on vacation, I love to browse through cooking magazines which I never seem to have time to do when at home.  One of my favorites is The Best of Fine Cooking, Cooking Fresh which is a seasonal publication.  In this spring's edition, there is a recipe for Thai Green Curry Shrimp.  With just seven ingredients, this sounded like the perfect recipe.  My cabin's pantry however didn't offer all the exact items listed.  No worries.  Substitutions were made and the result was a flavorful and colorful stew.  Although I didn't add it here, cubed butternut squash, sliced onions, and other vegetables may be added to the mix after the sugar.  Just make sure they are almost tender before adding the salmon, basil, and peas.

serves:  4             prep and cook time:  15 minutes

1 can lite coconut milk

Several tablespoons Thai green curry paste

2 tablespoons Tamari lite-sodium sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 pound salmon, skinned and cut into cubes

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Bottled curry paste comes in several varieties:  green, red,
yellow, and others.

In a large pan, heat the coconut milk until simmering.  Add the curry paste and stir until mixture is blended and smooth.  Cook for about 3 minutes.  Add the Tamari and sugar and simmer another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the salmon and raise the heat to medium-high.  Cook and stir until the salmon is almost done, another few minutes.  Stir in the basil and peas and cook, stirring, until the salmon is done and the peas are heated through. 

Calories for the stew alone is approximately 270.  Add one cup of cooked rice noodles and this is another 190.  Or, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice adds 108 calories.  Offer a tangerine for dessert.  The entire meal with green curry salmon, brown rice, and tangerine offers 415 calories and over 5 grams of fiber.

Note:  Fat in foods adds flavor.  So does salt.  These are facts.  In real life, we as cooks are both aware and cautious of how much to season the foods we offer you.  Some of the recipes we offer may seem bland because they are lightly seasoned with salt.   The benefit of cooking this way is that our taste buds adapt to the flavors of real foods.  If you buy fresh foods several times a week, everything will taste good!

- Kim Fielding

Grilled Trout with Lemon and Parsley

Fresh trout, seasoned and ready for the grill.

Costco offers the most enticing and fresh fish that I often purchase seafood I wouldn't normally cook.  Trout is a typical example.  Although we have consumed the fish lakeside during many a camping trip, I find that most store-bought trout doesn't quite measure up to the quality of that which has been caught and cooked right away.  However, the trout at Costco has been particularly good.  It goes without saying that you must read the packaging labels to find out which fish is the newest on the shelves and purchase those.

Butterflying and deboning trout is a big part of the success of this and other trout dishes.  Tiny bones can make any diner weary with constantly picking them out.  Via the internet, I followed several YouTube videos on how to butterfly and debone trout simply and quickly.  You just need a sharp knife. 

serves:  4                    Prep time:  15 minutes
                                 Cook time:  10 minutes

2 whole trout, about 1 pound each  (Costco sometimes only has bigger fish), OR about 2 to 2-1/2 pounds total trout weight
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Butterfly and debone each fish following instructions on the internet.  There are several videos - just find one that appeals to you.  Cut the head off the trout, run your knife down the outside of the rib cage on each side of the fish, and complete the removal of the bones.  There should be two fillets per fish.  In the picture above, mine are still attached at the spine seam.

Open up the fish and place it skin side down on foil that has been sprayed with Pam or brushed with oil.  Top the fish with lemon zest and squeeze the lemon over.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and top with the chopped parsley. 

Preheat a barbecue to medium high heat.  Place the fish on foil onto the grill and cook until it just flakes. 

My family loved this meal.  There wasn't a morsel left behind.  To complement the trout, we served white beans, steamed Brussels sprouts, and a fruit salad. 

By itself, the trout recipe offers around 225 calories, an extremely generous dose of vitamin B12, along with half of your daily requirement for manganese, phosphorous, niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, and riboflavin.  In addition, over a quarter of your iron, selenium, and copper needs are met.  This is a great, lean protein!

The entire meal included about 5-6 ounces cooked trout, 1/3 cup white beans (I used Eden brand canned navy beans), 1/2 cup fruit (mixed melons and strawberries), and several large steamed Brussels sprouts.  Calories for this dinner comes out around 455, has 9 grams fiber, and meets your vitamin C requirement as well as offers about 1/3 of your potassium needs.

- Kim Fielding

A Challenge!

Friends, for some time now I have posted mostly healthy, easy to prepare, low-salt, low-fat, and high fiber suggestions on how to enhance your meals and food lifestyle.  At the same time, we are starting to introduce exercise info with fun pictures. 

I would like to propose that those of you who follow this blog, or are otherwise interested, submit your favorite meal following these guidelines:  a minimum of 8 g of fiber for the entire meal, a maximum of 600 calories (preferably less), a serving of protein, a serving of whole grains or legumes, a salad, and another side dish vegetable.  Desserts may be included.  If you desire a glass of wine, be sure to include that in the calorie count.  Please take pictures of the food and preparation process.

If you have an exercise idea with pictures, that is awesome too and will be considered a contribution.

In the next month, I will begin posting the entries and give full credit to the generous donors (pseudonyms allowed).  The goal here is to share as many healthful living ideas amongst ourselves.

At the end of the month, there will be a small (very small) prize given to the most thoughtful entry.  And if this continues, the prizes will continue as well.

Per our motto for The Alpha Plan, "Eat Tasty, Live Healthy!"

P.S.  I have just taken a photo of our meal tonight to meet the criteria and will post tomorrow.  It involves trout.

- Kim Fielding

Quick Carrots with Parsley

A colorful addition to any meal.

Carrots, with their year-round availability, are a versatile vegetable in any chef's repertoire.  Added as a base to soups and stews, served raw, or as a salad or side dish, they compliment every season's cuisine.  On this particularly warm day, I briefly simmered the carrot coins until crisp tender in the morning then refrigerated them.  Later that day, I added a simple vinaigrette and topped with fresh chopped parsley.  Cilantro would do nicely as well.  That is it!

serves:  5               prep and cook time:  15 minutes

5 large carrots, cut into coins across the diagonal
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the carrots until just tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to make a light vinaigrette.  Just before serving, toss the carrots with the dressing and top with parsley.

Calories per serving is approximately 100 calories with 2 g fiber and almost 100% RDA of vitamin A.

The carrots complimented a menu consisting of grilled chicken, quinoa salad, and a tossed green salad.

Note:  a teaspoon of Dijon mustard may be added to the dressing to give it a thicker texture and a little bit of zip!

- Kim Fielding

Green Garlic

Fresh picked new garlic, or green garlic.

Green garlic is garlic that has been harvested before the cloves have formed, usually around June and early July.  It looks like a small leek with a bulb on the bottom but don't be fooled by it's appearance.  Green garlic is mild and juicy and can be used in a variety of ways. 

Remove the papery outside and cut off the stalk and root end.  Inside is a creamy white and fragrant piece of heaven.

One way to use these morsels is to briefly saute them in olive oil until slightly tender and spoon the oil and garlic over fresh-cooked pasta.  Top with a little parmesan and you have a delicious quick side dish.

Another way to use it is to toss it into roast meats and vegetables.  Here we used a bunch of green garlic to accompany multi-colored potatoes and a pork tenderloin. 

Drizzle the meat and veggies with olive oil and season according to your preference.  Cook at 350 degrees until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

This one-dish meat roast with potatoes needs only a big tossed green salad to accompany the dinner.  Make a salad that includes yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes halved, avocado, and a light vinaigrette.

- Kim Fielding

Quinoa Salad with Dried Apricots, Toasted Almonds and Avocado

This salad was a hit with everyone in the family.

Reading through Cook Fresh by Fine Cooking magazine (Spring 2012), I came across this quinoa salad which, for last minute prep, contained ingredients that I had on hand.  The original recipe featured a cumin-lemon vinaigrette, but the kids didn't like it so much.  Instead, we are using a relatively simple lemony vinaigrette.  Of course, you can always adjust recipes to fit your particular taste.

Serves:  5            Cook and prep time:  20 minutes

1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed
Salt
2 scallions, sliced
1 firm-ripe avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup almond slivers, toasted
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
A hint of fresh minced garlic, optional

Any variety of quinoa will do.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt.  Cook the quinoa until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain any extra water from the quinoa and turn it out on a baking sheet to cool.

Prepare the scallions, avocado, apricots, and almond slivers and set aside.

Zest the peel from the lemon and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice.  Add to a bowl.  Whisk in the oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Garlic may be added at the point, and it is good with or without.  Just not too much.

In a large bowl, stir together the cooled quinoa, scallions, avocado, apricots, almond slivers, and dressing.  Mix together thoroughly.  Adjust seasoning if needed.

This salad offers just less than 200 calories per serving as well as almost 4 grams fiber.

- Kim Fielding

Venison Stew

Cubed venison is coated with seasoned flour and sauteed
in olive oil before the rest of the ingredients are added.

Venison used to strike me as an awful meat.  How could someone eat Bambi?

All that changed when we travelled to New Zealand.  Deer is raised domestically, much like sheep, goats, and cows, and appears often in their restaurant's repertoires.  Domestic venison is less gamey than wild caught, and the taste is pleasant and mild compared to some other big game.  There is another reason to consider including this in your menu box.

Venison is very lean.  8 ounces of venison has about 9 grams of fat.  The next lowest compared protein I used is salmon which has about 13 g of fat for the same 8 ounces.  Chicken has has even more.  Other red meats go up in the fat grams content from there.  Because it isn't fatty, the meat may be tough if not cooked slowly as in stew meat.  This recipe was devised by looking at several different ones on the internet.   Give it a try!

Serves:  4                   
Prep time:  about 15 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour, plus or minus 15 minutes

1 pound venison, cubed
1/4 cup flour seasoned with a sprinkle of paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, and oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2  cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup fresh grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered (or half a can of diced tomatoes will work in a pinch)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
pinch of dried thyme, if you have it
1 bay leaf
1 cup red wine
2 cups broth
Salt and pepper
Crusty Italian bread

Lining up the ingredients

Toss the venison cubes with the seasoned flour. 



Browning the seasoned and floured meat.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a thick skillet with a lid or stew pot.  Sear the venison for a few minutes.  Add the onion, celery, and carrots and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add in the garlic, tomatoes, basil, thyme and bay leaf to the pan.   Season with salt and pepper.  Add the red wine and stir up the bits in the bottom of the pan.

Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 45 minutes or until the venison is tender.  Add more stock while cooking if necessary.

Serve the stew in soup bowls with the crusty bread and a side green salad.

Calories per serving comes in about 365.  More than 100% RDA is represented by vitamin B12 and zinc.  Healthy doses of copper, iron, phosphorous, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, selenium, niacin, and vitamin B6 are also included in this stew.  A thick slice of crusty bread adds another 150 calories.  You will want to soak up all the juices with the bread.

The stew is flavorful and filling.  Ask your butcher if he can order some for you.

- Kim Fielding

Refreshing Cold Rice Salad for Summer

Left-over rice creates a delightful cold grain salad when paired
with vegetables and herbs. .

We eat brown rice all the time.  I always cook way too much and then try to pawn it off as left-overs for lunch the next day or two.  But this is the thing... it is like pasta in its ability to morph into salads or other side dishes for future meals.  I am learning with son #3 that we can make Giada's rice balls with cheese filling, fold it into stews and sautees, and just serve it with veggies dumped on top.  Gluten-free friends love rice and I appreciate the opportunity to discover the diversity that this grain has to offer when my pals come over.  This one is a winner.  Another bonus for the chef, this is wonderful if made early in the day so all the flavors have a chance to meld. 

Serves:  8      
Prep and cook time:  10 minutes if using left-over rice or one hour using fresh cooked rice

2 cups brown rice, cooked and cooled
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1/4 cup yellow pepper, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

Dressing:
1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or other sweet vinegar
dash of salt
several grinds of black pepper

Make sure your bowl is big enough to toss all the fresh herbs
and vegetables together.

Place cold rice in a bowl and add the tomatoes, red onion, yellow pepper, basil, and parsley.  Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake to emulsify.  Add just enough dressing to moisten the salad and toss well before serving.

Nutrition count:  For a non-meat option, this side dish packs a punch.  Each serving comes in at almost 2 grams each of protein and fiber and with 140 calories.  It is also loaded with mostly monounsaturated fats.  For the micronutrient breakdown, this meets a quarter of your manganese needs for the day. 

Manganese is a trace mineral.  What this means is that it is necessary to our health, and our body uses it in small but vital amounts.  Taking manganese in through healthy eating is the best way to ingest it.  Deficiencies are rare because this element is readily available in nuts, whole grains, leafy vegetables, and tea.  It functions as a cofactor for enzymes involved in bone formation and various metabolic processes.

- Kim Fielding

Tomatillo Sauce

From left to right, a tomatillo with it's papery husk, a tomatillo
with the husk still attached at the top, and a peeled tomatillo.

Tomatillos are not tomatoes but are part of the same family.  Tiny seeds inside look like the tomato and it is easy to see why the mistake is often made.  They come wrapped in an inedible paper-thin husk which is removed before cooking and eating.  The tomatillo inside is slightly sticky and needs to be rinsed off before proceeding.

Tomatillos made into green sauce is divine.  I am such a nut for this sauce that I make it and freeze it so I can have it year round.  Tomatillo sauce is great in tacos and enchiladas and is prominent in Mexican cooking.  Mix it into pulled pork or shredded chicken as a great base for tacos or burritos.   Another idea is to spoon tomatillo sauce over poached eggs on corn tortillas, a green version of huevos rancheros.  Enjoy!

This recipe was inspired by Tyler Florence on foodnetwork.com. 

Makes 2 cups                    Prep and cooking time:  about 30 minutes

1 pound whole fresh tomatillos, husk removed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 fresh jalapeno, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the tomatillos and add to a pot along with the garlic, onion, and jalapeno.  Add water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil.  Cook until the tomatillos are tender, about 7-10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeno go into the pot with
enough water to cover.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked vegetables from the pot and place in a blender.  Add the cilantro and blend until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you like more heat, add more jalapeno.  If you like a bit of tartness, squeeze lime juice into the mix.

Add done!

An entire batch of tomatillo sauce offers almost 10 g fiber, about 5 g protein, and about 170 calories.  I usually limit or omit the salt.  Just go easy on it.

- Kim Fielding

Fresh Corn Salsa

Colorful corn salsa has zip with lime, jalapeno, and cilantro
 seasoning.  Avocado may also be added to this delightful salad
which is delicious on the side or over meat, chicken, or fish.

Serves:  4                  Prep time:  10 minutes

3 radishes, diced
2 slices red onion, diced
1 ear of corn, cooked (preferably grilled)
1/2 sweet pepper, diced
1/4 jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, squeezed
salt to taste
splash of oil, optional

Corn in season should be consumed as soon after harvesting as possible.  There is a high starch content in corn which begins to break down right after picking.


Shave the corn off the ear and mix with all other ingredients.  That's it!

Each serving offers about 55 calories, almost half your daily requirement for vitamin C, and about 1-1/2 g. fiber.

- Kim Fielding