Filet of Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa

In our last post, we featured sea scallops with mango avocado salsa. Here we offer another dinner suggestion using the salsa.  Fresh filet of sole, served on lettuce, topped with salsa, and with a side dish of couscous.  Diced peppers and green onions added to the rice would be a nice addition.

Calories for 5 ounces filet of sole, 1/3 cup salsa, 1/2 cup cooked couscous (or other pasta such as orzo) offers 475 calories and over 100% of your RDA for vitamin B-12 and selenium.  Two important roles for selenium are to offer antioxidant protection and support healthy thyroid function.

- Kim Fielding

Salmon with Tarragon

 

Beautiful salmon with garden herbs.  A quick and easy dinner when served
with steamed broccoli and brown rice.

Our garden tarragon is finally taking off after several rough starts.  Friends have mentioned how easy it is to grow but that hasn't been the case with us.  We finally found a somewhat shady spot with good soil that works for tarragon in our beds.

With that said, not everyone loves tarragon.  I grew up with it and it is an intuitive herb for me.  Bernaise sauce is an amazing, yet indulgent, treat as is tarragon cream over chicken or fish.  Tarragon may be used in teas and soft drinks, and has medicinal and industrial purposes as well.  I hope to make a big batch of tarragon vinegar before the end of the season to use throughout the year.  With a distinctive sweet anise scent and flavor, it is found in cuisines around the world. 

Now that our tarragon plant is thriving, I am excited to use it in our recipes.  This one is super simple!

Serves:  4 - 5
Prep time:  5 minutes

Parchment paper or foil
1 large fillet of salmon, about 1-1/4 pounds
butter or oil, as needed
several sprigs tarragon. about 2 Tbsp chopped leaves
Two lemons, zest the peels then slice fruit into wedges
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.



Zest the lemons, yellow part of the peel only.  The white pith is bitter.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Brush fish lightly with oil or butter then top with tarragon and lemon peel.

Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.

Cook salmon about 8 minutes.  Let set for a few minutes before serving.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over to finish the dish.

Each 4-ounce serving of salmon offers approximately 175 calories, your entire daily need for vitamin B-12, and over half your daily need for niacin, selenium, and phosphorous.  We used Coho salmon for this recipe as it is fresh and in season through October.  It offers an ideal ratio of 3:1 parts omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids.

 

My Buddha lemon

Every late autumn/early winter I look forward to finding Buddha's Hand lemons in the Farmer's Markets.  They don't have pulp, juice, or seeds, but their zest is incredible.  When in season, substitute them for regular lemon zest.  I like to keep them on the counter because they exude an amazing citrusy yet floral aroma and my kitchen smells so good.  The zest and peel may be used in a variety of ways to include candied peel, flavored sugars or salt, baked goods, and infused in vodka.  They may be a little pricey, but they are a special treat.  Explore!

 

- Kim Fielding

Farro Salad

The farro is lightly seasoned with chicken broth and is slightly creamy.

Several years ago I was lucky to have lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant in downtown Palo Alto which, sadly, is no longer in business.  This salad was on the menu and I have never forgotten it.  The original salad was served over tender mache, but any fresh soft lettuces will do.  The above mix features a variety of heirloom leaves.  Vibrant tomatoes add a wonderful contrast to the soft farro.

Serves:  4
Prep and cook time:  30 minutes

1 cup water, plus extra if needed
1/2 teaspoon chicken broth paste
1/3 cup farro
Lettuces
Vinaigrette - two parts extra virgin olive oil, one part vinegar, salt and pepper to taste (adjust amounts as needed per your preference).
Tomatoes

Thank you Costco for providing this otherwise expensive grain.

Mix together the chicken broth paste and water and bring to a boil.  Add the farro and cook according to package directions, stirring often, about 20 minutes or until farro is tender.  Add more water to keep the farro moist if needed.

I prefer this brand to old-fashioned boullion cubes becuase it doesn't contain MSG and has reduced sodium.

Prepare a light vinaigrette.  Place washed lettuces on a plate.  Add farro to the salad and put tomatoes around the farro.  Drizzle with vainaigrette and serve.

The salad offers around 215 calories, over 6 g protein, almost a full daily dose of manganese, and about 170 mg potassium.

- Kim Fielding

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

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

Veggie Spaghetti

Any vegetable may be added to the sauce.  You might consider
zucchini, cauliflower florets, mushrooms, or peppers.

Most everyone loves spaghetti. Served with a green salad and whole grain pasta, it is a nutritious and filling meal that doesn't take much effort to put together.

Everything was made in under a half hour. Prep time would be even quicker if you make the spaghetti sauce ahead of time and freeze it in containers. You can choose to make this vegetarian by omitting the turkey meat. Be sure to check the label on your spaghetti sauce to make sure it doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils.

Veggie Spaghetti

serves:  8                    prep time:  30 minutes

Olive Oil
1 fennel bulb, cut into small pieces
1 large carrot, cut into small cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 package (1.25 pounds) lean ground turkey meat
2 jars marinara sauce
Whole grain pasta, cooked

The veggies are softened in olive oil.

In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the fennel, carrot, garlic, and onion for about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey meat and cook until it is no longer pink, breaking the meat up and stirring the vegetables into it. Add the marinara sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes. Spoon over cooked pasta and sprinkle with parmesan if desired.

Serve spaghetti with a tossed green salad and a side of fruit.

- Kim Fielding