Nut Crusted Salmon

This nutrient dense, delicious recipe is also good brain food.

Salmon is rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids that

  • help build brain cells
  • fight inflammation in the brain and
  • increase production of brain growth hormones that give your brain the ability to grow and change

Nuts have a mix of protein, healthy fats and slow-burning carbohydrates. They’re also rich in fiber, zinc, iron and essential vitamins.

You can add veggies tossed with olive oil, sea salt and minced garlic to roast with the salmon. Some of my favorites are:

  • asparagus
  • green beans
  • broccoli

Leftovers make a filling second meal.

  • Toss roasted salmon and veggies with greens, add rainbow vegges (carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc)
  • Add to a grain bowl, mix in additional veggies and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette or pesto
  • Make a wrap with pesto and greens
Nut Crusted Salmon
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Nut Crusted Salmon
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a baking pans with olive oil. Place salmon in center of pan of pan. Dust with salt and pepper
  2. In a small bowl mix Dijon, honey (and red pepper if using it). Brush evenly over top of salmon.
  3. With a spoon carefully spread chopped nuts over salmon, gently pressing to stick.
  4. Please in center of oven and bake 15 minutes or until center is barely cooked through. It will continue to cook a couple of minutes after removing it from the oven. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving.
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Easter Fruit Cookie

Fruit on a cookie, so fun to make!The first time my mini-chef M made was rather stressful. She wanted to do it her way. I quickly realized my then-four-year-old has her own creative instinct. It was a sloppy “Easter Egg” but she was so proud of it, and it was delicious.

Since then, this has become our dessert and a family tradition on Good Friday. M and her cousins love making it. The colors are so pretty, it’s delicious and I get huge satisfaction serving a fruit dessert everyone enjoys on a weekend of too much sugar and sweet.

I make two “egg” shaped whole-wheat sugar cookies ahead of time. When the cousins arrive, I set out different fruit in separate bowls and let the children decorate their “Easter egg” cookie however the muse inspires them.

As they’ve gotten bigger, their cookies get more decorative and neat. Pretty or not, they’re always delicious to eat.

I aim to use fruits that are local and seasonal if possible (strawberries). I do supplement with imported fruits for color (blueberries) because Easter is a special occasion.

Avoid fruit that will oxidize and turn brown (apples, pears) and those that will make the cookie soggy (oranges)

Variation

  • Spread raspberry or blackberry preserves on cookie
  • Spread cream cheese on cookie. I blend 1 – 2 tablespoons of honey with about 1/2 cup of cream cheese

 

Easter Egg Fruit Cookie
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Easter Egg Fruit Cookie
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Ingredients
Adjust servings: 16 servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Prep the fruit. Wash and lay out on clean dishtowels or paper towels to dry.
  3. Make cookie dough.
  4. Divide cookie dough in half . On a floured surface, roll out cookie dough into an egg shape about 1/4 inch thick.
  5. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the second half.
  6. Bake 8 – 10 minutes until edges just begin to turn golden.
  7. Remove from oven and cool.
  8. While cookies are baking, prep the fruit.
  9. Prep cream cheese, mix with 1 tablespoon honey and if more sweetness is desired, mix in another tablespoon honey.
  10. Let the cookies cool.
  11. Spread each “egg” with cream cheese/honey mix (or raspberry preserves)
  12. Place the fruit decoratively on the cookie.
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Cranberry Orange Sauce

More than of recipe, this is a launching point for cranberry sauce.

And not just for Thanksgiving.  In the Good Mood Red Foods category, cranberries are rich in flavonoids which can help improve memory and brain function.

This sauce can be used so  many ways. Here are a couple of ideas:

  • Add to a bowl of oatmeal — or quinoa porridge mhhmmm so seasonally delicious
  • Mix into plain Greek yogurt with granola for breakfast or dessert
  • Top pancakes or waffles as an alternate to syrup.
  • Mix into Greek yogurt or cream cheese and make pancake (waffle or muffin) “sammies” (sanwiches) for breakfast on the go or an afternoon snack.
  • Use it on crostini or crackers for an appetizer: spread soft goat cheese (or cream cheese), top with cranberry orange sauce and chopped chives or green onion.

Variations:

  • Rather than orange zest, use lemon or lime zest
  • And add 1 – 2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Cranberry Orange Sauce
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Makes about 3 cups
Servings
3 cups
Servings
3 cups
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Print Recipe
Makes about 3 cups
Servings
3 cups
Servings
3 cups
Ingredients
Adjust servings: cups
Units:
Instructions
  1. If using frozen cranberries, first defrost before using.
  2. Combine ingredients in medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
  3. Cook until cranberries are tender and mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Sweet Potato and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon

Skip the bacon and make it vegetarian.

Did you know sweet potatoes are not the same as yams? Sweet potatoes, native of North America, are a superfood loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Yams are starchy roots native of Africa and also grown in tropical parts of Asia, South America and the Caribbean.

Nutritionally, sweet potatoes greatly outweigh yams. They are sweet and moist. Yams are starchy and dry. I recognize sweet potatoes by their tapered ends and thin, smooth skin. Yams have rough, dark skin.

The original recipe calls for yams. I use sweet potatoes instead, and kale rather than mustard greens. For dinner parties, if vegetarians are among the guests I split the potato salad in half and mix bacon into one half only, leaving the other half for the vegetarians. Or leave the bacon on the side, but I find it more flavorful if the bacon is mixed in.

I’ve made this the day before. But it is thirsty and soaks up the dressing. So if I make it the day before, I make extra dressing add additional dressing before serving.

Finally, for a prettier presentation I like to serve it on a platter over a bed of shredded kale (with dressing mixed in prior to putting the kale on the platter).
How to tell the difference between sweet potato and yam?

Sweet Potato and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon
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Servings
6 servings
Servings
6 servings
Sweet Potato and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon
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Servings
6 servings
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
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Instructions
  1. Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
  2. Steam russet potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon dressing.
  3. In the same pot steam sweet potatoes until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon dressing.
  4. Fry bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Drain. Crumble bacon.
  5. Add green onions, half of bacon and sweet potato to russet potatoes. Toss salad with salad dressing to coat.
  6. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Can be made ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. If made ahead, add additional dressing and toss again before serving.
Recipe Notes

Source: Epicurious: Yam and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon

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Southwest Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad

There are recipes that stand the test of time. I’ve been making this one for more years that I can remember; it’s so versatile, delicious and nutritious.  Fiber-rich beans are a superfood;  tossed here with bell peppers, red onion and cilantro and this dish bursts with flavor and phytonutrients that boost our health.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”left” source_author=”Steven Pratt MD and Kathy Matthews” source_title=”SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life” full_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food. A study conducted over nineteen years following 9,632 men and women found those who ate beans at least four times a week had a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared with those who consumed beans less than once a week. Those who ate beans most frequently also had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol and were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes” short_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food.Those who ate beans most frequently had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol.”]

Variations

  • Use any color bell peppers, or poblano peppers
  • Add 1 cup corn
  • Add 1 or 2 diced avocados
  • Use cilantro instead of parsley
  • Use other dried fruit instead of dates

This recipe can be used so many different ways. It’s a great one to  double and use differently throughout the week.

  1. Vegetarian dinner for guests, served over a bed of brown rice, with chopped cilantro scattered decoratively on top and accompanied by a green salad tossed with mango, nectarines or other summer fruit. For dessert Peach and Blackberry Crisp or Epicurious: Plum Kuchen
  2. As a side dish with grilled chicken and Watermelon Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
  3. Toss leftovers with greens (spinach, kale, arugula) for lunch
  4. Toss leftovers with grains (quinoa, brown rice, barley) for a second dinner
  5. Make a wrap or pita sandwich with guacamole, or feta cheese, or a dollop of pain Greek yogurt and a handful of greens

 

Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
Salad
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
Vinaigrette
  1. Place salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and coriander in small bowl.
  2. Add honey and mix. Add lemon juice and water; mix well.
  3. Pour in extra virgin olive oil in a slow stream, mixing constantly.
  4. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Salad
  1. Place beans, bell peppers, onion, dates and parsley in large bowl and mix.
  2. Add in chopped jalapeño if desired and mix well.
  3. Drizzle vinaigrette to coat and toss well.
Recipe Notes

Can be made day ahead.

Modified from

Epicurious Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad

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Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad

Oh la la the contrasts in this dish: color, texture, sweet and spicy. Now here’s a potato salad I love!

Add the black beans and it’s robust and filling enough to be a main entree.

I serve it at room temperature. You can make it a day ahead. If so (the dressing gets absorbed over night), mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and toss again before serving.

It’s very popular at our summer dinner parties. I like to serve it with pork tenderloin (grilled or roasted), a quinoa pilaf and a green salad. Vegetarians/vegans can skip the pork and still have a well-balanced, delicious meal.

It also pairs well with grilled chicken.

Sweet potatoes are rich in cartenoids, orange, yellow or red-colored fat soluble compounds that protect plants from sun damage while they help them attract birds and bees for pollination. Cartenoids help protect us from free radicals, modulate our immune response, enhance cell-to-cell communication and play a major role in protecting the skin and eyes from damaging effects of ultraviolet light. Foods rich in cartenoids have been linked to a host of health-promoting and disease-fighting activities. They have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, including lung, colon, bladder, cervical, breast and skin.
Superfoods RX: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews

 

Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Dressing
Salad
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. For the dressing: Mix everything (vinegar, honey, water, rosemary, onion, mustard) except extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. If organic, simply scrub the sweet potatoes. If not organic, peel sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potato into bite-size pieces and place in a pot with a steamer basket, cover and cook over medium heat for 6 - 8 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender. Run under cold water and drain.
  3. Cut poblano pepper in half, remove seeds and cut into bite size pieces. Place in a bowl, add cooled sweet potatoes, black beans (if using) and onion in large bowl and toss.
  4. Add parsley and drizzle dressing; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes

Modified from

Epicurious: Sweet Potato and Poblanos Salad with Honey and Rosemary

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Peach and Blackberry Crisp

Stone fruit and berries sprinkled with a blend of oats and nuts just barely crumbled together with a touch of butter (or coconut oil), and baked just enough to make each bite burst with flavor….hmmhmm summer has arrived!

Mix some plain Greek yogurt sweetened with honey to taste and add a dollop on top of the cooled crisp.

Or for a special treat, place a scoop of simple vanilla ice cream over a hot serving and savor the contrast of the frozen ice cream melting into the fruit.

Variations:

  • Instead of peach, use nectarines or plums
  • Instead of blackberries, any other berries or a mix of berries – or no berries, just increase the peach by a cup or two

 

Peach and Blackberry Crisp
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Peach and Blackberry Crisp
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Ingredients
Adjust servings:
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Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375°F and butter (can use coconut oil) a 9 x 9 baking dish.
  2. Combine berries, peaches, juice and zest in a bowl and mix well. Place in baking dish.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients with hands until moist and crumbly. Scatter crumb mixture evenly over fruit in baking dish.
  4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until fruit bubbles and top is golden brown.
Recipe Notes

Modified:

Epicurious: Blackberry and Peach Crisp

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Raw Chocolate Mousse

There is tree in our garden in Cochabamba so friendly and perfect for climbing, that my daughter named him Sammy Tree when she was three and needed help climbing into its branches.

Sammy is an avocado tree and unbelievably fruitful! Last year, two branches broke under the weight of more than two hundred large avocados! With great love, my father propped the remaining fruit-laden branches up to avoid future breakage and pain to Sammy.

Seeking new ways to enjoy Sammy’s bounty, I found various recipes for avocado-based chocolate mousse. Who knew?!

So creamy and rich, it takes only a couple of spoonfuls to satisfy tummy and palate.

Raw Chocolate Mousse
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Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Raw Chocolate Mousse
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Place the flesh of the avocados in a food processor to purée.
  2. Add the banana and process until well blended.
  3. Add the rest of the other ingredients and blend again. Adjust sweetness to taste.
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Rosemary Honey-Glazed Salmon

Raw salmon fillet
Rosemary Honey-Glazed Salmon
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Servings Prep Time
8 servings 10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Raw salmon fillet
Rosemary Honey-Glazed Salmon
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 2 rimmed 17 by 12-inch baking pans with extra-virgin olive oil. Place half of salmon in center of pan of one pan. Repeat with the other pan, placing the second salmon in the second pan.
  2. In a small bowl mix together Dijon, honey and rosemary. Brush evenly over top of salmon then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake in preheated oven 18 - 20 minutes, or until center is just barely cooked through (it will cook another couple of minutes after it comes out of the oven. Remove and let rest 5 minutes. Cut salmon into portions. Serve warm.
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Spicy Kale and Garbanzo Stew

This hearty chili-like stew is loaded with flavor. It’s delicious the first night, even tastier the next day and is one of my favorites to freeze for weeknights when I won’t have time to cook dinner. The trick is to remember to take it out of the freezer and defrost for dinner!

It can easily be a one-dish meal as is, but sometimes I serve it over couscous or mix in leftover grains (barley, rice, quinoa).

Serve it with dollop of plain Greek yogurt and some chopped parsley or cilantro on top.

Spicy Kale and Garbanzo Stew
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Spicy Kale and Garbanzo Stew
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Servings
8 servings
Servings
8 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
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Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan heat oil and cook the onions over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent. Add garlic and bell peppers and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes
  2. Add all remaining ingredients and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn down heat simmer the stew, stirring ocassionally, for 45 minutes.
  3. Add the kale and cook another 5 – 10 minutes just until the kale wilts.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Serve the stew on the couscous or rice, with a dollop of yogurt if desired.
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