Magic Salmon in Foil Packets (Mess-Free and Delicious!)

Happy "Motivational Monday"! Today my goal is to help you let go of your fears of preparing salmon and get motivated to go to your local supermarket, buy some salmon, and make it for your next dinner gathering.  This was a "no fail" recipe that was simple to prepare and easy to clean-up (nothing beats not having to clean up fish stuck to pans!).  Not to mention, it tasted outstanding.

Magic Salmon in Foil Packets

Source: Cancer Support Community of Ohio, Chef Bryan Loveless

Serves 4

1.5 lbs. salmon (Wild Alaskan seems to work best in this recipe)

1 small red or green bell pepper, slivered

1 small zucchini, slivered

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)

2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Tear off about a 3 foot strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and fold it in half to make a double thick square that is about 1.5 feet long.  Place the foil on a baking sheet.  Place the fish in the center of the foil.  Top it with the slivered peppers and zucchini.

2.  In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and saute them until they are fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and hoisin sauce and simmer it for about 2 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.

3.  Pour the sauce evenly over the fish and vegetables.  Wrap the foil into an airtight packet around the fish, vegetables, and sauce, folding and sealing edges.  Bake the fish for 20-25 minutes (use the longer time for thicker filets).

4.  Remove the fish from the oven and open the foil packet immediately so the fish doesn't continue to cook.  Serve over rice, or by itself.

Note:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet just throw in 4 whole garlic cloves for flavor, and do not chop them (or if you're really sensitive, omit them completely).  They can then be taken out once the salmon is ready, and you can still get the garlic flavor.  Alternatively (or additionally!) you can use a garlic-infused olive oil for even more garlic flavor.  Also, the Hoisin sauce will likely contain garlic, so if you are really sensitive you may need to omit this, or reduce the amount.

I'm not joking when I tell you this is my new favorite way to cook salmon.  I'm pretty sure I've see it on other blogs before int he past, such as Nicole's (Prevention RD), but why did I wait to long to try?!

Estimated Nutrition Facts
Despite the poor grade, this is a healthy meal (I typically ignore the grades that this calorie-count.com website provides!)

Nutrition Highlights:  ~1500 mg combined EPA and DHA (types omega-3 fatty acids, not noted on nutrition facts), excellent source of vitamins A and C.  

QUESTION:  Have you ever cooked fish in foil?  If not, are you enticed?!

I had to share this photo from our amazing weekend. We stayed in a villa in Berlin, Ohio for a night and had an amazing time.  We had a heart-shaped jacuzzi, and gas fire place, and breakfast in bed!  So wonderful.  

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Wild-Caught vs. Farm-Raised Salmon

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I worked (as usual) and am off today. Guess what I'm doing??!! Getting my hair highlighted! Can you believe I've never colored my hair, not even highlights? My hair is just so naturally dry that I've always been scared to get it colored, but I was recently talked into it but a stylist. She was a great saleswomen.

Before I leave to get my hair done, I thought I'd post about a topic that is brought up quite often these days. One of the many questions I get, over and over again, is this; "Is wild salmon really that much better for you than farm-raised?"

You be the judge;

The chart above was taken from the World's Healthiest Foods website. It looks at fish, in general, not just salmon, but as you can see farm-raised fish have a lower ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids. What does this mean? Basically the lower the ratio of omega-3, compared to omega-6, the less bioavailable the omega-3. This isn't good! We need those omega-3s to protect our brains, our eyes, our heart, heck...our entire bodies! When a food has more omega-6 the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 are masked.

Check out the two salmon fillets below. Which one do you think is the wild and which one is the farm-raised?


If you guessed the one on the right is farm-raised, you are correct. How can you tell? The one on the right has larger streaks of fat. When salmon are enclosed and not able to swim freely, they get fat, hence the larger streaks of fat. One might think this means the farm-raised salmon has more omega-3 fat, but in fact it has more omega-6 fat. You will also notice the difference in color. The one on the right looks like a perfect shade of "salmon"....right?! Almost fake. That's because, it is (see below).

Source: iStockPhoto

The World's Healthiest Foods website has a great article about the benefits of wild-caught fish. Among some of the benefits of wild-caught fish include;

• More bioavailable omega-3

• Less pesticides and antibiotics (especially carcinogenic PCBs)

• No artificial coloring to make the fish more pink

• Better for the environment
  

QUESTION: Do you like salmon? Do you buy farm-raised or wild?

I actually buy both. I know I just posted all about of the benefits of wild-caught fish and the problems with farm-raised, but to be honest I can't afford wild-caught fish/salmon all the time! I eat salmon twice a week, and until I have kids, get pregnant or start making more money I will only buy wild-caught every other time. I do buy my fish from a reputable grocery store/source, not just from anywhere, so that's good enough for me. Plus I take omega-3 in the form of a fish oil supplement to make up for that extra omega-6 in the farm-raised salmon :)

Erin from The Healthy Apron posted about a website called Clean Fish, which promotes the sales of the best in-season, clean and safe fish! Check it out, it's pretty neat.

Fish, Fish, the Magical Food, the More You Eat......

THE BETTER YOUR MOOD!

Yep. It's true! Studies have shown that low omega-3 levels in plasma and red blood cells are associated with depression, and other research suggests eating fish lowers the risk of depression and suicide (Natural Standards Database).


I love fish, but I do still take fish oil supplements. I actually take the pills, but many people don't like the pills so they resort to liquids or powders. This powder below is an orange flavored fish oil supplement powder.

It even contains 1200 IU vitamin D. That's a serious bonus.

Add some water to it and voila! It's a delicious drink. Ok, maybe not delicious, but actually not so bad. If you have kids this may be a winner. It reminded me of weak Tang. That sounds gross, but it wasn't bad, I promise.




When I'm not supplementing my omega-3s, I'm joyfully eating them. I made an "Asian-Inspired Tuna Salad" the other day for a recipe demo at work;

Asian-Inspired Tuna Salad

(serves 2)
Mix all of the following ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl:

6 ounces pouched tuna
3 T Greek yogurt
1.5 t wasabi mustard
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup chopped avocado

• Serve on whole wheat bread
• Serve with whole wheat crackers
• Serve on a bed of lettuce or spinach
• Serve in a hollowed-out pepper, then roast it!
  

I don't have any pictures, but it was a huge hit at the store, I promise. People were shocked that I used Greek yogurt instead of mayo, and that it actually tasted good.


At home I love to make medium rare salmon.

Simple Salmon

(Serves 1)

4 ounces skinless wild salmon

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

Dash of salt

Lemon wedge (optional)

Directions

Place a piece of foil down on a baking pan and spray with non-stick spray. Place the salmon on top of the foil. Top your fresh salmon with the oil and spices (use your hands to get it all rubbed in nicely!). Broil for about 8 minutes for medium rare, or 12 minutes for medium (the timing really depends on the thickness of the salmon). I always prefer my salmon medium rare, especially if I am planning to freeze it and reheat at a later time (reheating will make it medium).



The salmon can be enjoyed on a spinach salad or alone with a side of sauteed veggies. Serve the salmon with the wedge of lemon for extra flavor if desired.

Question: What's your favorite way to prepare or consume fish?

From Supersize to Superfoods

To super STUD!

Yep, that's my man. This guy was eating burgers and fries for dinner, and using tobacco products three times a day when I met him over five years ago.

Now he's growing his own produce.






And eating one of these every morning.

Yep, that's right, a smoothie with 1 banana, 1 cup of nutrient-packed spinach, 1/2 cup of antioxidant-packed pumpkin puree, and 1/4 cup cancer and disease-fighting blueberries. Missing from this picture is the unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze that I add to the smoothie. It's fortified with vitamin D, which is incredibly important for all of us now that we aren't getting as much sun.


Who says you can't change a man? I sure did. I think his dad's stroke at age 60 may have also played a role. Not to mention the fact that Nick is actually one of the smartest people I know (ugh, I hate to admit that he's probably smarter than me in many respects). And yes, he is also tobacco-free these days, and hopefully forever.



I even got him to change his mind about salmon.....

Ok, I'm lying, he wouldn't eat this if I told him it was his last meal, ever. Not even with a nice layer of blueberry preserves on top.


Maybe because it looks like this when I take it out of the oven.



What are those? Boils? No, they are just globules of fat oozing out of the salmon. Don't scrape it off, it's good fat...right?! And good salmon. He's missing out. But hey, at least I convinced him to take a fish oil pill every day.

What a stud.

Question: Do you have any advice on getting loved ones to eat healthier?

Popsicles, Salad, and PUMPKIN!!!

Yesterday was the most difficult day I have had in a very long time. I was hoping to hear about my job, but I didn't. I sat by the phone and my computer all day, literally (because I had nothing else to do.....) and nothing happened. No call, no e-mail. I was told I would hear by today, but it's just not looking good for me. I'm assuming I didn't get the job, so I'm back on the hunt for another :(


Despite my long, torturous day yesterday, one good thing did happen. Check it out! I scored 4 large cans of PUMPKIN!! I met up with someone yesterday who reads my blog and she brought these to me because she had read my sad posts about missing my canned pumpkin (she had some left over from when they actually existed in stores!). Thanks Meloni!! I will be enjoying these for at least the next month, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm planning on making some pumpkin oats right after I hit "Publish".



In more food news, I've been making a lot of popsicles lately (you may have noticed....). I think I really like these because they are already portioned and ready to be served and consumed. Two nights ago I made my simple vanilla fro yo recipe, and added unsweetened cocoa powder, crushed graham crackers, and chunks of chocolate. Before putting the batch in the freezer to harden, I added some to my popsicle molds.




As you can see I didn't even fill the molds. I thought I would make smaller ones! I had also added frozen blueberries to the bottom (see below).

Final product: DELICIOUS

Here's the fro yo. Check out the chunks of graham cracker and chocolate! All I need to do next is add some marshmallows and make S'more fro yo.



Aside from my serious fro yo addiction (actually our serious fro yo addiction) I've been making a lot of salads lately. I tend to go through a salad faze during this time of the year (soup in winter, salad in spring/summer). I first marinated some salmon in low sodium soy sauce and raspberry vinaigrette. Then I cooked the salmon on a skillet on top of the stove. Next I created my very simple salad; romaine lettuce and slices of kiwi.

I then added the salmon on top and topped the salad with even more raspberry vinaigrette. On top of that I crushed some black pepper (a must on all of my salads). Perfection!

Coming Up

Monday I will post another video blog. This time I will be talking about how to choose a good granola! Hopefully I will also have a job update for you. It may be sad :(

Is anyone going to graduation parties this weekend? We have one tonight. It should take my mind off of this whole job thing for a couple hours. Hopefully.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I'll Have the Fish; No Mercury Please!

Do you ever worry about the contaminants in your fish? I hear these questions a lot, "should I eat tuna? Which fish is highest in mercury? Are fish oil supplements safe?

Here are some answers:

Tuna

• It is advised that adults eat no more than 1 can of tuna per week ( This is the general recommendation, I sometimes eat two cans, personally. The 1 serving per week recommendation is especially important for women who are pregnant).

• Albacore tuna is the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids, and it is also one of the least likely contaminated tunas (light canned tuna actually has the lowest amount of mercury, but it's also much lower in EPA/DHA).
  

Other Fish

• The fish that are generally highest in mercury include swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel. Again, it's especially important to keep away from these during pregnancy.
  

• The fish that are generally lowest in mercury are haddock, tilapia, salmon, cod, pollock, canned albacore tuna, and most shellfish.

Supplements

• If you take cod liver oil, be aware that many brands are potentially high in mercury and PCBs.

• In a recent review of 52 different brands of fish oil, ConsumerLabs.com found that none of the supplements had detectable levels of mercury or PCBs (yeah!).
  

• Look for the NSF or USP label on your supplements. This means the supplement has been tested for contaminants!

• On a different note, check out this article about the health benefits of fish oil. Basically, there are benefits, but they don't outweigh the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
  

Quick, Healthy, and Cheap Recipe #16
Tuna Melt

Ingredients

1 slice whole grain bread
3 ounces canned or pouched white tuna
1 slice American Cheese
1 tsp Red Hot

Possible Modifications

• Use any bread you have available
• Use any tuna you have (white tuna has the most EPA/DHA)
• Use any kind of cheese!

Instructions
Add the tuna and the cheese on top of the bread. Pop into toasted oven until cheese is nice and melted.

ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts

EPA/DHA: ~.66-1 gram per serving (The recommendation is 1-2 grams per day)

Coming Up

Tomorrow I plan to show you the two houses that Nick and I are "fighting over". I'll let you be the judge as to which one you like best. I only have two pictures, from the outside. I'll show you more once we by one of the houses! I also plan on doing a product review.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!