A Perfect Mediterranean Tapas Table for Back Yard Entertaining

“I received free pistachio samples from the Pistachio Health Institute mentioned in this post. By posting this pairing I am entering a contest sponsored by Pistachio Health Institute and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”




Would somebody please explain to me why I do this again?

Look at me, I'm the lady with 4 kids, 1 part time job, volunteer at a preschool and grade school, has had a bad cold for 3 days and hasn't had a pedicure in months maniac who thinks its fun to try and pull together a nice Mediterranean tapas table and then photograph it in peace and solitude.

Cray-Cray!





I even allotted plenty of time, early in the day for once to do this thing put together a post and it still was a struggle.  Pllleeeeasssee  tell me the pictures aren't blurry, lopsided and soaked with Sauvignon Blanc after I knocked the bottle over twice! {Alcohol abuse!}


I had one sick (faker) child home from school and one very obstinate and needy 4year old princess at my toes while attempting to organize my thoughts and this table. The sky was a very unusually overcast grey at 2:00 in the afternoon here in Phoenix and so I had to lug all of my props and junk outdoors.

Aaaaaaaand it's crazy windy out. In Phoenix. In January. Seriously?


Dill weed does not do well in the wind, nor do pistachio shells, napkins or one empty bottle of Sauvignon Blanc  (errrr, it's empty for a reason my friends).

But, Alas, it's ok because in all honesty and sincerity I love doing this. I love food, obviously and prepping it, cooking it and mostly making it all look pretty. Well, a close second to eating actually. I'm not ashamed. 

This English cuk turned out to be a beautiful, crunchy vessel in which to spread some herbed goat cheese and smoked Norwegian Salmon on top of along with some dill and chives.


Actually, this post is all about food pairings and wine of course. How to choose and pair simple foods to make a lovely and most importantly, palatable tapas, in Spain or a Meze in Greece spread.


As a member of the Recipe Redux team we were asked by the Pistachio Health Institute to put together a group of foods or snacks that paired well with in shell pistachios. Pistachios are one of my all time favorite snacks and I almost always have a container of them in my car and locker at work. Why do I keep a bag of them in the shell instead of the more conveniently shelled variety? One, they are much cheaper than the shelled variety and two, it takes a bit more work to take them out of the shell one by one and therefor I enjoy savor them and don't consume a bucket full as I do when I scoop them out of the bag by the handful.

People who consumed in-shell pistachios ate 41 percent fewer calories than those who consumed pistachios without shells.

Research continues to show that nuts offer good nutritional value and cardio-supportive benefits. Because of their fiber, fat, and protein content, pistachios are also considered to be a satiating snack. All nuts, however, are not created equal. Pistachios are one of the lowest calorie, lowest fat nuts and offering more nuts per serving compared to any other snack nut.

I decided to go the Mediterranean route with my In shell Pistachio pairing. The Mediterranean diet varies as it involves many different countries from Greece to Spain but typically it consists mainly of fish, whole fruits and vegetables, cheeses, olive oils,  nuts and grains. And wine of course.

Ultimately, I chose a simple, yet very satisfying arrangement of smoked salmon on seedless cucumber with goat cheese rolled in fine herbs and one in garlic. This was the savory component of the small meal. The in shell pistachios of course were the salty component but also make a nice snacking center piece since people will tend to gather round and unshell them one by one as they pop them into their mouths and wash them down with a bubbly Sauvignon Blanc.

Then of course, we had to have a sweet treat to round out the table. The Mediterranean diet involves dried fruits such as dates, figs and apricots and so I made up a batch of healthy, home made almond, oat and flax thumbprint cookies and spooned apricot preserves in the middle a little immodestly.

And to wash it all down? A heavier, balanced, slightly fruity Sauvignon Blanc. I chose one that is a bit sturdier than most Sauvignon Blancs so it would stand up to the smoked salmon, earthy pistachios and nutty cookies. I poured in some club soda to make it crisp and bubbly on the tongue.

 I was born to be a Sommelier!




The Tapas Menu

Herbed Goat Cheese & Smoked Salmon with Dill & Chives on English Cucumbers

In Shell, Salted Pistachios and Dried Apricots

Almond and Oat Thumbprint Cookies with Apricot Preserves

 Sauvignon Blanc Spritzer

   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

Lox, Dill and Caper Petite Bites

For Mother's Day I can think of nothing sweeter than waking up to home made cards and love notes from my four children and then maybe enjoying a relaxing brunch with my mother. Most days breakfast means oatmeal, eggs or cereal straight out of the box for the kids and maybe a banana and coffee for me. Although I try to be better, there are just so many easier options available when trying to get everyone out of the house by 8:00 a.m.  intact and with both shoes on the correct feet. So when it comes to Mother's Day, even though I want to show my own mom how much I love her by enjoying a gourmet brunch that we both love so dearly,  I have to relinquish to the fact that I'm just to tired to make anything fancy and just to poor to afford a resort style affair.


So when I made these darling little appetizers  for a recent party I had, I knew I couldn't wait for an excuse to make them again. I brought these to our family Easter get together and we enjoyed them with a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio out on my sister-in-laws patio looking over one of the many gorgeous Phoenix golf courses and mountains.

When my mom and I both were popping these into our mouths faster than I could arrange them on a plate for my guests, I knew I had a keeper. Smoked salmon is one of my favorite treats and the remaining short list of ingredients in these petite bites pair together so wonderfully you will savour each and every single salivating chew.

Lox, Dill and Capers on Persian Cucumber

with whipped cream cheese.

Now, on a sadder note, my favorite online photo editing program has come to an end. Picnik has been my savour when it came to making the food shots that come out of  my point and shoot look presentable. Doesn't it seem that just when you  really  get comfortable with something it tends to change or vanish all together?  I don't get attached very easily when it comes to inanimate objects but Picnik was this non-techy  girls best friend.  I suppose I will just have to be a big girl and really learn how to use the Photoshop that has been hanging out somewhere in my computer for the last few years.

Lox on Pumpernickel

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day and get to spend time showing those you love how much they mean to you and hopefully enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation!

You Will Need:

1 petite loaf of pumpernickel bread

1- 14 oz. container of whipped cream cheese (you will not need all of this)

6 oz. salmon lox (smoked salmon)

2 Persian or English cucumbers (seedless)

1/4 cup minced red onion

capers

fresh dill

Putting it all together:

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind off of the cucumber leaving thin strips for appearance sake. Slice cucumber 1/4 inch thick. Using a small food processor, mince onion. I mixed some of the onion right into my cream cheese.

Using a spoon, spread a bit of cream cheese (whipped works best) onto 1 of the sliced cucumbers and the pumpernickel, reserving 1 of the sliced cucumbers for layering on the bread.

For the cucumber bites, simply top with cream cheese, salmon lox and a bit of fresh dill. 

Look for packages of salmon lox that say 'Pre-Sliced' then you simply have to pull them apart and fold them on top of your  hors devours/.

For the pumpernickel bites, top with cream cheese, cucumber, salmon lox then garnish with a bit of minced onion, capers and a fresh dill sprig.

Pecan Crusted Sweet Potato-Salmon Cakes and a Give Away!

For those of you who were thinking that you were going to skip right on down to the give away part of this post,  I've got news for you....

You're just not allowed to. Furthermore, you'll be sorry if you do.

Why?  Because I said so. That's why.

 That was said in my sternest 'mommy' voice just so ya know. 

I'm really excited about this recipe and I truly hope you will try making this in your home. It's a keeper. We love salmon here and would eat it every single day if I could afford it. Salmon is so good for you especially if you choose wild and not the farmed a.k.a. "Fresh" or "Atlantic" varieties. When wild salmon isn't in season or if your budget is tight like mine is, canned salmon is a wonderful option. Again, just make sure your choosing wild salmon vs. farmed. How can you tell the difference? It should be labeled farmed somewhere on the packaging. A good rule of thumb is to choose salmon from Alaska or Canada.

You've probably already heard about Omega-3's and how essential they are to your health and well being. Alaskan salmon are a nutritional powerhouse, rich in protein, long chain Omega -3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, calcium, along with many other vitamins and minerals. You’d be hard-pressed to find a food more nutritious than Alaska salmon. Which may be why over 90% of Americans are deficient in Omega fatty acids.







Wild Alaska salmon are some of the richest sources of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids.
The human body cannot manufacture it’s own omega-3’s, so it is from food that we must obtain them.
Omega-3’s are thought to provide substantial health benefits for people of all ages; providing a nutritional foundation for optimal heart, brain, mental, visual, immune system and pregnancy health.


O.K. onto the recipe because it is pretty awesome spectacular  a culinary piece of genius that should be honored for all of time and I know you're going to want to make it tonight for dinner.
Exaggerate? Who me? Not this time my friends, not this time.

I can't take all of the credit for this perfect dish. Pure Alaska Co. was nice enough to send me some cute recipe cards along with their salmon. One of the recipes was for this Wild Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes which I slightly altered and embellished a bit as I tend to do.  I can say with all honesty that this is the best tasting canned salmon by far that I have ever had, and mamma knows salmon.

Pure Alaska Salmon Co. practices sustainable fishing which is important on more levels than many of you you may be aware of.  I encourage you to visit their website which is informative and actually quite interesting. I really liked this quote found on their website.

"Most of us do not have time to be social activists, but in our food choices we have the ultimate and most powerful “vote”: our dollars — money talks."

O.K., o.k. here's the recipe. Geeesh! Now you can save the recipe and please, please do enter the give away!!! I love sharing the love.

A couple of tips:

1. Remember not to use Olive oil for frying. It's not meant for high heat and will taste bitter and change the chemical make up making it unhealthy.
2. I boil my sweet potatoes whole, with the skin ON for about 30 min. This helps retain the nutrients. I then cut the potato and throw it in my blender with the skin ON for added fiber.
3. Do not discard the skin and bones from the salmon. They are choke full of vitamins and nutrients such as calcium and I SWEAR you will not notice them.
4. Do not make cakes to big, they will fall apart. Do not cook on to high of heat, they will burn before they cook.

TIME 30 MINUTES        SERVES 6

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, roasted or boiled and mashed

3 – 7.5 oz cans Redhead and/or Thinkpink, drained

2-3 tablespoons grape seed oil (good fat, high heat tolerant)

½ cup red pepper, finely diced

½ cup sweet onion, finely diced

¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped fine

2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon Jamaican allspice (combination of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg if you don't have)
1 teaspoon Bragg's Organic Sea Kelp Delight seasoning

1 cup whole grain bread crumbs (about 2 pieces of bread)
1 1/2 cups pecans, ground

Garnishes:

Green onions

Parsley

Lemon

Tomatoes

Kale or Baby Spinach

In a large stock pot, boil whole sweet potato with skin on 30-40 minutes till fork tender.
Remove from water and pulse in blender till smooth.

In a food processor (or you're awesome, do all Ninja blender) pulse pecans till finely ground, remove. Pulse bread till ground. {I make my own bread crumbs in batches then freeze in a Mason jar, cheaper and tastier than the store bought stuff}

Heat a skillet on medium heat, then add oil. Saute peppers and onions until browned and softened, about 2 minutes.

Combine sauteed vegetables, drained salmon (including the highly nutritious skin & bone),  parsley, salt and spices. Mix well.

Put bread crumbs and pecans in a shallow dish, sprinkle with a bit of salt. Form cakes in desired size, about ½ inch thick.

Cook in skillet at medium heat 3 to 4 minutes each side, or until well browned.

Serve on top of Raw Kale and with and a squeeze of lemon or lime if desired.

For the Give Away:

Pure Alaskan Salmon Co. is giving away an entire case of their canned salmon to one lucky reader.

To Enter you should leave a comment and please be a subscriber of Simply Healthy Family
For extra entries:
Follow Simply Healthy Family on Twitter
Join Simply Healthy Family on Facebook
Tweet or Share this Give Away on either Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or another sharing network
Please remember to leave a separate comment for each.
A winner will be chosen randomly on 15th and notified via email (leave a link or email address so I can notify you!)





This post is linked to

Fun with Food Friday's
Seasonal Saturday's
Tasty Tuesday's

Chardonnay Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange - In the Crockpot!

I just wanted to make sure that this recipe was front and center. It may have been over looked  in my last post since the title suggested a post about wine and the fact that I was a Mad House Wife {in a cute and love able way}.

I am still dreaming about this recipe. It was perfect in every way. 
It was very simple and fuss free with only a few ingredients and prep work.
It was the most delicious salmon I've ever had in my life, and that's a lot.
The kids ate every bite of their second helpings and happily scooped up the salmon and veggies into their endive lettuce cups. I was thrilled that they were devouring healthy endive and loving it.
Lastly, using a crock pot was genius (I'm not tooting my own horn, I saw the method in Taste of Home magazine). It literally ensures a perfectly cooked and moist salmon.


So here is the recipe. Front and center. Please give it a try, I know you'll love it too.

You can serve the salmon like this for a pretty Hors d'oeuvers or fun, healthy and kid friendly finger foods

or, simply serve the fish over some cous cous.

Cous Cous with cinnamon, curry and currants

You Will Need:


2 lbs. *wild salmon fillet, skinned.
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups chardonnay (I used Mad Housewife)
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon French grey sea salt

Garnishes:
Endive lettuce cups
1 Orange thinly sliced
Fennel fronds

Putting it all together:

Fold a 36 inch piece of aluminum foil lengthwise to a width slightly larger than the salmon fillet. Place foil in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker with foil ends hanging over the handles.


Combine orange juice, Chardonnay, fennel, onion, capers and salt in the slow cooker. Place salmon on top. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 45-60 minutes.

Test salmon for doneness at 45 minutes by using a fork to gently pull at salmon. When it easily flakes it is done. Test every 5 minutes after 45 min until done.

When salmon is done, remove it from the slow cooker by carefully lifting the ends of the foil and placing it on a platter. Using a fork, scoop into endive cups, crackers or on top of cous cous. Dollop with a bit of Caper Creme Sauce, recipe to follow.



Caper Creme Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 tablespoon capers

Tabasco or Hot sauce if you please

Whip cream with sour cream and orange juice until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in capers and onion, season with hot sauce if you like.

Into the slow cooker you go. See you in 45-60 minutes.

capers add the all important salt factor to the fish

Like this post? Love my blog? Please vote for me

{Healthy Mamma}

to be one of babble.com's Top 100 Mommy Bloggers

It would mean the world to me!

(I'm currently on page 3, #125)  ;}

Thanks!





This post is linked to

Delicately Sweet and Light Mad House Wife

So, Once upon a time there was a contest... 'of sorts'.

and there was a girl who was not necessarily into contests.... per say.

but then they mentioned it involved wine.

Not just any wine.

but wine labeled 'Mad Housewife' wine.

and the girl knew.

She knew it was meant to be.

She was meant to be involved.

Meant to... share her knowledge in this matter to other housewives, No. To the world.

It stirred her inner creativity. Her, not so inner competitiveness

{so she's been told by less imaginative people}

and so it was.

A not so ordinary, slightly nutty yet totally and completely spectacular in every way

House Wife

found herself in a bit of a predicament. A pickle, if you will.

Should I take the challenge.  Can I?  Dare I?

I Do.

I Did.

Prepare yourselves.

 

The rules for the competition were simply to write about what type of Mad Housewife you are, using the wine somehow in the post. Hmmmm, the possibilities were endless. I had more than a few crazy ideas spinning around in my head.

For instance; should I be utterly honest? Then I would most definitely be a scatterbrained, tired and desperate Mad House Wife. Who fervently looks forward to her evening hot bubble bath by candle light, or in the complete dark whatever, with earplugs inserted snuggly, book in one hand and glass of Cabernet in the other for a completely blissful 10 WHOLE minutes to herself. Heaven. Have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is? He is. The hand off happens so fast when he walks in the door I'm sometimes wondering if it wasn't a door to door salesman I've just shoved my children at. Mamma needs her bubble bath. It's best for everyone.

Or, should I go for a more creative and fun story with a glimpse into my inner flight of fancy?

I could be a polished, put together, sophisticated and demure Mad Housewife who always wears high heels while cooking the perfect dinner and has cocktail parties every weekend with perfect hors d'oeuvres and lovely friends galore while sipping on my sparkling white wine. With always put together, well behaved children who say things like "Yes mother." and "May we please have seconds of your delicious spinach tart?" Ehhhh, who am I kidding? Too many expectations, who can keep that up.

In the end however, reality and children (which I tend to blame for most of my creativity and time constraints) weeded out a few of my more errrrr, interesting ideas. This is not to say that I was not completely thrilled with my end result. I ended up with a new and amazing way to cook my favorite food, salmon. And most importantly I had fun with the whole process and found a wonderful new wine.

The chardonnay was light and slightly sweet, a perfect accompaniment to salmon.

L.O.V.E the wine cork messages.

Did I mention that I very seriously considered packing up my camera, apron and some leftovers and driving to IKEA, which is a 60 minute hop, skip and a jump from our home to take some

 'Vintage' kitchen inspired pictures?

Told Ya. Nutty... In a cute, loveable way.

Alas,

and without further ado my fellow busy and interesting friends, I give you my recipe and also, to enlighten you as to which type of Mad House Wife I am ....

{Trumpets sound off...... Now!}

I, Gwen, mother of four, slightly crazed, totally exhausted and always distracted Mad House Wife.

Can still cook a kick ass, yet delicately light dinner and have her entire family relish in all of it's glory.

Amen.

Before I unleash this baby, I would like to thank Heather, from girlichef for hosting this contest and also, to

Mad Housewife Wine  for, let's be honest, was a big part in my creative inspiration *wink wink, nod nod  and for the delicious outcome of this absolutely perfect dinner that was created using their wine.

Chardonnay-Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange
served in endive cups with caper creme sauce.

I have cooked salmon many, many times in every way possible. So I thought. This time, however, I used a slow cooker to poach the salmon for as long as possible in a sea of oranges and chardonnay.

For a special treat to our taste buds, I added red onion for a gentle kick, fennel for it's interest and unique bite and capers for the ever important salt factor.

I wanted this to be a Delicate and Light meal that was equally as delicious as it was beautiful. One that would be perfect for hors d'oeuvres at any party as it would be simple for an ordinary Sunday family dinner.

Mission accomplished. While this meal looks and sounds fancy, it was ridiculously simple and fuss free.
All I did was throw a few ingredients into my crock pot and about 50 minutes later, dinner was served.
I tell you the little guys eagerly used their endive lettuce cups to scoop up their salmon and veggies. A side dish of Grilled Asparagus and Moroccan Cous Cous made this a frugal feast for Kings.

Cous Cous with cinnamon and currants.

Salmon is best when just cooked through. Honestly, it's a trial and error sort of thing, but a good rule of thumb if your baking/roasting is for every inch thickness your fish is, bake about 8 minutes at 400° F.  No more!




You Will Need:

2 lbs. *wild salmon fillet, skinned.
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups chardonnay (I used Mad Housewife)
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon French grey sea salt

Garnishes:
1 Orange thinly sliced
Fennel fronds



Fold a 36 inch piece of aluminum foil lengthwise to a width slightly larger than the salmon fillet. Place foil in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker with foil ends hanging over the handles.

Combine orange juice, Chardonnay, fennel, onion, capers and salt in the slow cooker. Place salmon on top. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 45-60 minutes.

Test salmon for doneness at 45 minutes by using a fork to gently pull at salmon. When it easily flakes it is done. Test every 5 minutes after 45 min until done.

When salmon is done, remove it from the slow cooker by carefully lifting the ends of the foil and placing it on a platter. Using a fork, scoop into endive cups, crackers or on top of cous cous. Dollop with a bit of Caper Creme Sauce, recipe to follow.




Caper Creme Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 tablespoon capers
Tabasco or Hot sauce if you please

Whip cream with sour cream and orange juice until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in capers and onion, season with hot sauce if you like.

Salmon is very easy to over cook when cooked conventionally.

 Using this slow cooker method literally ensures a perfect salmon every time.

Capers add the all important salt factor to this seafood dish.

Chardonnay-Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange

This post is submitted to



The Case of the Sneaky Munch Mouths: Simple Salmon Salad w home made Tangy-Dijon dressing

Really this post was going to be about the simplicity and health benefits of making your own salad dressing. I think that most people already know that no matter what the labels say, home made is just plain better tasting, better for you and gosh darnit just plain cheaper. What most people don't realize, is that home made salad dressings and marinades are super simple! Once again, if I must, "So easy a mom of 4 can do it!" ;)

Tangy-Dijon Dressing

So while I was taking pictures of my ridiculously simple salad dressing, someone was secretly sneaking veggies off of my plate. It's impossible to set up food ahead of time to be photographed around this joint! I thought a plate of salad, peppers and salmon would be safe, but alas nothing is safe around these little munch mouths.

Moral of this story, your children may like veggies that you might not think they would  such as bell peppers. Give your children a variety of veggies starting at a young age so they grow up with healthy eating habits.

They worked together as a team. Nolan climbed up on the bench and was handing off bits of my pretty salad to baby Mona. Oh, well, happy, healthy babies are more important than pretty pictures on my blog any day.

my picture perfect Salmon Salad......



Ah, saved! This is a simple salad after all. Romaine lettuce, orange bell peppers and leftover Wild Salmon.

To make Dressing:

TIME   5 MINUTES    SERVES 8-10

You Will Need:

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

cracked pepper to taste

optional but recommended: 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 clove garlic, smashed.

Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds. Serve over mixed green salad or as a dip for salmon, or veggies. My kids love this as a dip for veggies.

*Store remaining dressing in an airtight container and refrigerate. Keeps for about a week.



Grilled Rosemary Salmon over Lentils Rustico

Thank goodness all of my kids love salmon. It is one of my favorite foods in the world. I just have to tell you before I loose some of you to my Health and Nutritional info, that the addition of the Sun Dried Tomatoes in this dish was extrordinary!!!  The tomatoes in combination with the lemon and herbs, OH MY! You must try this, it's NOT just another lentil dish.  Not only is salmon super yummy, but I'm sure you've heard how good it is for you too. Salmon is very low in fat and has tons of Omega-3's, an essential fatty acid very important to heart and peripheral vascular health! 

When choosing salmon, make sure you get Wild Salmon, ie. Alaskan or Canadian and NOT Farmed salmon, ie. "Fresh Atlantic".  Not only are farmed fish much more susceptible to diseases from living in cramped conditions, they are fed a diet of grains and fillers not natural to them which alters their chemical makeup. Wild salmon are higher in protein and have a natural healthy balance of Omega-3's to Omega-6's.
Also, farmed raised salmon have very high levels of PBC's, a chemical which is well known to cause cancer.

Ingredients


 1 1/2 c dried  lentils


1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil; divided 


1 Sweet (vidallia) Onion; chopped 


3 Cloves garlic; finely diced


2 teaspoons Ground cumin


1 teaspoon Hot red chili flakes  ( I sprinkle on at the end so the kids don't get any)


1 Carrot,  finely diced 


1 stalk celery, finely diced


4 Roma Tomatoes, diced


1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped


2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1/4 c Chopped fresh parsley 


1/2 teaspoon Pepper 


Salt to taste


1 1/2 lb Fresh Alaskan salmon fillet; skin on


1 ts Chopped fresh rosemary 






 Putting it all together:




 Firsts, peel and smash garlic with the back of a large knife, let it sit for at least 10 minutes so it
releases the * allicin.


Rinse lentils thoroughly. Place in large bowl and soak in cool water for 10 minutes. Place lentils in a large pot with a pinch of sea salt and cover generously with water. Bring to boil and cook gently for about 20 minutes, until just tender. Don't overcook or you'll have lentil soup. Drain well, reserving some liquid to add to combined dish if too dry.


Meanwhile, heat 3 teaspoons oil in large cast iron pot and add onion. Cook gently for 3 minutes. Mince garlic and add to onion. Add cumin and hot pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds. Add carrot, celery and both dried and fresh tomatoes to skillet. Cook until carrots are just tender, and liquid from tomatoes has reduced. Add drained lentils, parsley, pepper and salt to skillet. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Keep warm.


Brush a second grill pan with remaining 1 tsp  oil. Sprinkle salmon with chopped rosemary. Cook for 1-2 minutes, skin side UP, or until slightly browned and crusty. Transfer salmon to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or leave in skillet if it is oven proof). Bake in preheated 400F/200C oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until just cooked through. It's easy to overcook salmon. Salmon should be just barely pink on the inside when pulled apart with a fork. If you overcook it, it will be dry and tasteless.
Serve salmon on bed of lentils.

PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

* I like to provide some important health or nutritional information about

 just 1 Super Food/Ingredient/Spice on most of my posts. I hope you take the time to glance

at them throughout my blog, I try to keep it short and to the point.

HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT ALLICIN

What Is Allicin?

Garlic is not merely a tasty ingredient to add to your favorite Italian dishes. Since ancient times, garlic has been recognized by many diverse civilizations for its variety of medicinal properties. The Egyptian and Roman labourers used garlic in their diet to enhance their physical endurance and in the 20th century, garlic was used to fight against the global influenza pandemic (i.e. flu) of the time.

Today, more than 5,000 scientific publications from all over the world have gradually confirmed the traditionally recognized health benefits of garlic, which include acting as an antibiotic as well as other health advantages like its anti-cholesterol and anti-hypertensive benefits.

Did you know that allicin is effective against fatal infections such as tuberculosis and MRSA?

Allicin is the most powerful medicinal compound derived from garlic and provides the greatest reputed health benefits.

Allicin does not occur in "ordinary" garlic, it is produced when garlic is finely chopped or crushed. The finer the chopping and the more intensive the crushing, the more allicin is generated and the stronger the medicinal effect.

Allicin starts to degrade immediately after it is produced, so its medical effectiveness decreases over time. Cooking speeds up this degradation and microwaving appears to destroy allicin totally and eliminate any health benefits. 
***  So you should either add garlic to your meals RAW, or only cook for 1-2 minutes!

So for the most powerful medicinal effect, crush a little raw garlic and combine with the cooked food shortly before serving. **Don't overdo it - too much can produce irritation of and possibly even damage to the digestive tract. Remember too that raw, crushed garlic also has the most powerful flavour!

Some information found at:Allicin Facts
  Garlic Central

Garlic Rubbed Potato Skins with Lox and Chives

This recipe was born when a rep brought fresh Salmon Lox with the usual cream cheese and bagels to an inservice at the hospital last week. I literally squealed in delight! Not only fresh Lox but capers as well! If you have to be to work by 6:30 in the morning, this is the way to celebrate! I was surprised that not everyone shared my love of lox. Not only that, but I was given the wrinkled nose and upturned lips in distaste from my fellow professionals as I piled high my lovely lox and cute little capers upon my bagel. So sad. In all seriousness, in times like these when I ask people if they've ever actually tried shunned food in question, the answer is almost always, "ummm, well no, but....."

So I took the leftover Lox home with me. It's happy here where it's loved and appreciated. And, the bonus is, that I get to share this yummy recipe that I came up with in order to eat up all the lox.

Potato skins have a totally bad rap, nutritionally speaking. Potatoes and are actually super good for you! The skins especially are full of vitamins! Potatoes are low in fat, rich in several micronutrients, especially vitamin C - when eaten with its skin. Potatoes are a moderate source of iron, and its high vitamin C content promotes iron absorption. It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants, which may play a part in preventing diseases related to ageing, and dietary fibre, which benefits health.
resource

To keep them on the healthy side, skip the butter, bacon bits and cheese, you won't miss them! To doll up your potato skins, you can use any number of herbs or spices. Try fresh basil, chives, dill, garlic, cayenne pepper, caraway seed, ground peppercorns, tarragon or thyme... did I mention garlic? ;-)

TIME active 30 minutes, cooking 90 minutes

SERVES 4- 6

You will need:

4 russet potatoes

salmon lox

* 1-2 heads garlic, roasted

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1/4 cup chives, chopped

2 tabelspoons fresh parsley, chopped

low-fat sour cream

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

EVOO

Pierce 4 large russet potatoes with a fork.
* To roast garlic, remove skins, cut top off so that a bit of the flesh is exposed. Drizzle with a little EVOO. Cover loosely in foil. Bake potatoes and garlic directly on the oven rack at 350 degrees until tender. Remove garlic after about 20 minutes and potatoes about 1 hour.
Let cool, then cut potatoes in half, lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Brush both sides with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Turn oven up to 450F.

In a small bowl, smash the roasted cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of EVOO. Using a spoon, spread garlic inside potatoes.
Fill potatoes with mushrooms, lox chives and parsley. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes. ( If you prefer, leave the lox chilled until after potato skins are baked, then top them on potatoes.)

lemony peas recipe to follow