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Cherry-Balsamic Halibut

05/29/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, Recipe by Evelyn | 1 comment

This recipe is from Vital Choice Seafood, the only place we get fresh seafood. In this recipe, Halibut or Cod can be used. We personally prefer Alaskan Halibut because it has a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth tender texture and has a mildly sweet flavor. One thing we enjoy most is the lack of fishy smell and taste from all the fish we get at Vital Choice, they are superior to all others we’ve tried. Our favorite pick is their Wild Pacific Seafood Medley (yes, it includes the Alaskan Halibut).

Some of our other favorite fresh fish recipes:

Tip: This recipe works well with cod or halibut, and with most any dried fruit.

Prep Time 10 min / Cooking Time 10 min

Cherry-Balsamic Halibut Recipe

  • 1/4 cup dried organic tart cherries (we get these are Vital Choice too, amazing quality!)
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 1/4 cup organic white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 4 Alaskan cod or halibut fillets (4 to 6 oz each), thawed
  • Sea salt and organic pepper, to taste

Combine dried fruit, onion, and balsamic vinegar in a small microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave on medium setting for 1 minute. (Or, heat ingredients in a small saucepan until very warm but not hot, and no more.) Remove from microwave (or saucepan) and stir in pine nuts; let sit, covered, while fish is cooking.

Fill a 12-inch skillet with water to a depth of 1-inch and bring to a boil. Rinse fish under cold water; place fillets in steamer basket. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off heat. Place steamer basket into skillet; return liquid to a boil. Cover loosely and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Cook just until fish is opaque throughout. Remove fillets to serving plates; top with fruit.

Serves 4

Serve with a spinach salad, rice pilaf, or whole wheat couscous.

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Our Favorite Pick: Wild Pacific Seafood Medley

03/07/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, Reviews by Evelyn | No comments

Curt and I enjoy sharing the things we have found to be the best. Both of us had pretty much stopped eating fish because the flavor was always off and the texture was always too soft and sometimes even mushy – yuck! As of five years ago that came to a screeching halt when I discovered, by accident, Vital Choice Seafood & Organics.

First, I have to tell you that I am so picky about the quality of my food that if it doesn’t taste and smell like I just went out and gathered it myself, I would rather not eat it.

One of our favorite picks at Vital Choice Seafood & Organics is what they call a “sampler” and the one we buy most often is called “Wild Pacific Seafood Medley” (see image). What we enjoy most about this sampler is the assortment of fish it contains, whoever put this pack together was brilliant. The portions are just right and the variety is sure to please. Plus, there is a substantial savings versus the cost of buying the items separately!



The Wild Pacific Seafood Medley Contains:

  • Sockeye Salmon – 6 oz skinless/boneless portion
  • King Salmon – 6 oz skinless/boneless portion
  • Silver Salmon – 6 oz skin-on/boneless portion
  • Sockeye Salmon Burger – 4 oz patty
  • Hot-Smoked Sockeye – 6 oz skin-on/boneless portion
  • Pacific Albacore Tuna – 6 oz of small, skinless/boneless medallions
  • Alaska Halibut – 6 oz skinless/boneless portion
  • Oven-Ready Smoked Sablefish – 4 oz skin-on/boneless portion
  • Wild Organic Blueberries – 1 lb bag (approx. 3.5 cups)
  • Organic Marinade Mix – 0.75 oz sample pack

The addition of the Organic Wild Blueberries is a real treat too. To this day, I have not found wild blueberries that taste like the ones I used to gather myself on a remote mountaintop in PA. Well, I should say, I had never found any until I opened my first purchase of this sampler; I couldn’t believe it, these small berries tasted exactly like the ones I gathered myself at the peak of ripeness. The same rich blueberry flavor bursting in my mouth was simply amazing! Whether eaten straight from the bag or tossed in a smoothie, they are perfect.

Vital Choice Seafood & Organics is also recommended by leading doctors, be sure to check out the “Doctor’s Favorites” packs they have put together too: Christiane Northrup, Dr. Lipman, Dr. Perricone, Dr. Jonny Bowden, Dr. Crinnion, and Andrew Weil, MD.

Some of our favorite recipes for cooking the fish in this sampler:

Herb-Crusted Grilled Wild Salmon

Grilled Wild Alaska Halibut on Tabouli

Thyme-Crusted Sablefish

Sablefish with Shallot Vinaigrette and Herb Salad

**you have no idea how difficult it is writing this post, my mouth is watering!**

Other Information About Fish and Cooking Fish

I have written other posts on wild seafood that you may also find useful; Buying Salmon:Differences Between Wild vs. Farmed and Can Cooking Harm the Beneficial Omega 3s & 6s When Cooking Fish.

Enjoy!

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Does Cooking Harm the Beneficial Omega-3s & 6s in Fish

02/23/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, How To, News, Preserving Food by Evelyn | 2 comments

Cooked SalmonPopulations around the world that eat fish regularly live longer and have less chronic disease than populations that do not. Whether this is because fish displaces meat or because it has positive attributes of its own is not clear. Certainly, fish provides high-quality protein without the saturated fat present in commercially raised (feedlot) meat and poultry. It is the fatty fish from cold northern waters – also provide omega-3 fatty acids, the special, unsaturated fats our bodies need for optimum health. The cold water fish are; wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and bluefish.

Most Americans are deficient in omega-3s and as a result are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory disorders, and mental and emotional problems. Recent research suggests that supplementing the diet with omega-3 fatty acids not only can reduce these risks but can also help treat depression, bipolar disorder, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It’s the omega-3 fatty acids that are associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and possibly stroke. New studies are identifying potential benefits for a wide range of conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, not to mention the studies on fresh fish diets and how they delay Dementia, protect memory and ward-off Alzheimer’s.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential nutrients for health. We need omega-3 fatty acids for numerous normal body functions, such as controlling blood clotting and building cell membranes in the brain, and since our bodies cannot make omega-3 fats, we must get them through food.  Continue reading “Does Cooking Harm the Beneficial Omega-3s & 6s in Fish” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Herb-Crusted Grilled Wild Salmon

02/18/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, Herbs, Recipe by Evelyn | No comments

A well-known Nurse’s Health Study found that women who ate fish once per week cut their risk of stroke by 22 percent, while those who ate fish five or more times per week cut their risk by 52 percent.[1] Studies have also shown that 3 g per day of fish oil containing both EPA and DHA is cardioprotective because it makes platelets more slippery and decreases cellular inflammation.[2] The evidence that the omega-3 fats in wild cold water fish are heart healthy is so compelling that the American Heart Association now recommends that all adults consume fish at least twice per week. Fatty cold-water fish such as wild Alaskan salmon contains the most omega-3 fats.

The benefits of eating fresh wild fish have been confirmed over and over again, and they continue to make headlines. A recent review of 97 clinical studies on the effects of lipid-lowering agents (statins, fibrates, resins, niacin, and fish oils) showed that fish oils provided the greatest reductions in total mortality and cardiac morbidity.[3] See Top 8 Delicious Heart Healthy Foods.

The best place to get Wild Salmon fillets and Macadamia Nut Oil for this recipe is at, Vital Choice Seafood and Organics.

Vital Choice comes highly recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil, Christiane Northrup, M.D., Dr. Lipman, Dr. Perricone, Dr. Crinnion, and Dr. Jonny Bowden ~ and for good reason ~ Vital Choice is the best!

Herb-Crusted Grilled Salmon


You’ll need:

  • 2 (6 oz) skinless-boneless wild salmon fillets
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp organic dried rosemary
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons organic macadamia nut oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon organic black pepper

Directions:

Rinse thawed fish; pat dry with paper towels.

In the bowl of a food processor or a mini-chopper combine oregano, cilantro, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until chopped.

(Alternatively, use a knife to finely chop oregano, cilantro, green onion, and garlic. transfer to a shallow bowl. Stir in lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper.)

Generously coat both sides of salmon with the herb mixture.

Cook the salmon on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals for 6 to 8 minutes or until the salmon just begins to flake easily with a fork.

To serve, cut each salmon piece in half.

Some of my other wild cold water fish recipes:

Sablefish with Shallot Vinaigrette Herb Salad

Grilled Wild Alaska Halibut on Tabouli

Thyme-Crusted Sablefish

References

  1. Iso, H., et. al., 2001. Intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids and risk of stroke in women, JAMA, 285(3):304–12.
  2. Leaf, A., et al., 1988. Cardiovascular effect of n-3 fatty acids. NEJM, 318(9), 549–557; von Schaky, C., et al., 1999. The effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids in coronary atherosclerosis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Internal Medicine, 130 (7), 554–562.
  3. Studer, M., et. al., 2005. Effect of different antilipidemic agents and diets on mortality: a systematic review, Arch Intern Med, 165(7):725–30.

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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8 Top Delicious Heart Healthy Foods

02/12/2012 in Cooking, Dessert, Food, Fun Stuff, Health, Reviews by Evelyn | No comments

I just read an article on 8 top heart healthy foods at ScienceDaily. You may also find like I have that everything on the list is a delicious favorite food! The only part of this top 8 list is that it may be challenging for some is in locating the best quality, so I’ve included links to the sources I have found to be the very best.

In the article Susan Ofria, a registered dietitian at the Loyola University Health System’s Melrose Park campus, states;

“You are not even choosing between the lesser of two evils, red wine and dark chocolate have positive components that are actually good for your heart.”

“Resveratrol, which lowers blood sugar, is found in red wine and dark chocolate making them heart-healthy choices for everyone this Valentine’s Day and beyond.”

Red wine and dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70 percent or higher contain resveratrol, which has been found to lower blood sugar. Red wine is also a source of catechins, which could help improve “good” HDL cholesterol.

Ofria, who is also a nutrition educator, recommends the following list of heart-healthy ingredients for February, which is national heart month, and for good heart health all year, and I have added my opinions and links for you.

8 Top Delicious Heart Healthy Foods

1. Red Wine: “Pinots, shirahs, merlots – All red wines are a good source of catechins and resveratrol to aid ‘good’ cholesterol.” Merlot is our favorite, we also use our drinking Merlot in cooking because we think it tastes better than cheaper cooking wines.

2. Dark Chocolate: 70 percent or higher cocoa content: “Truffles, soufflés and even hot chocolate can be a good source of resveratrol and cocoa phenols (flavonoids) as long as dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa is used.”

This 70 percent Madagascar chocolate is a classic dark. Smooth and bold in flavor. The 70% chocolate bar is perfect if you like the strong flavor of dark chocolate without the bitterness. Ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla. Click on the chocolate bar to buy some.

 


If you like to make your own chocolates (see my easy chocolate truffles recipe) or if you enjoy baking this 70 percent Raw Cacao Bar (case of 6) from Organic Nectars this could be just what you need. As a multi-award winning gourmet raw, vegan, organic sweets and confections, Organic Nectars introduces a line of hand tempered chocolates with a smooth, creamy and balanced taste rivaling some of the world’s finest chocolate, using pure raw, vegan, organic, kosher parve ingredients. Enjoy this dairy free raw bittersweet chocolate bar. Low glycemic, dairy free, vegan, raw premium solid chocolate. Exquisitely smooth taste, texture and mouth feel!

 

 

3. Salmon and Tuna: ”Especially white, or albacore tuna and salmon are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and canned salmon contains soft bones that give an added boost of calcium intake.”

All Vital Choice albacore tuna comes from a North Pacific fishery in which smaller boats line-catch individual tuna using the sustainable troll method, which ensures careful handling of each fish, safety for dolphins, and very minimal bycatch.

Thanks to its sustainable harvest and lower mercury content, albacore tuna from this fishery is categorized as “Super Green” by Monterey Bay Aquarium. The rich red color of the canned Salmon is luscious and it’s brimming with healthy Salmon oil is a culinary treat.

If you’ve only had supermarket brands of both salmon and tuna, you are in for a very special surprise!

4. Flaxseeds: “Choose either brown or golden yellow, and have them ground for a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, phytoestrogens.” We enjoy buying Bob’s Red Mill brand of flax seed and flax products. Flaxseed is extremely nutritious when added to baked goods-biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins, your favorite yeast bread recipe, or just about anywhere. It is also tasty when added to cooked cereals. Flaxseed is a rich source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

5. Oatmeal: “Cooked for a breakfast porridge or used in breads or desserts, oatmeal is a good source of soluble fiber, niacin, folate and potassium.” Bob’s Red Mill has a terrific assortment of oat products, I love the quality of their products too.

6. Black Beans or Kidney Beans: Good source of niacin, folate, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, soluble fiber. Again, Bob’s Red Mill is the source I like best for grains and beans, I find the quality to be the best.

7. Walnuts and Almonds: ”Both walnuts and almonds contain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, fiber and heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats.” The nuts from Vital Choice are certified organic and Kosher; this is the only source I am aware of that purchases nuts from the most recent harvest season, they also use thick, re-sealable pouches to maintain freshness.

 

 8. Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries: ”Berries are a good source of beta carotene and lutein, anthocyanin, ellagic acid (a polyphenol), vitamin C, folate, potassium and fiber.” Of course in season fresh picked organic berries are best. During winter I rarely buy fresh berries, even when the label reads “organic”, what I do instead is buy frozen berries from Vital Choice. Their berries are picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen, we’ve found them to be so much better than any other frozen berry and superior to out of season berries. We especially enjoy their ‘wild’ blueberries, which remind me of the small flavorful wild blueberries I used to pick near a remote bog in the mountains of central Pennsylvania years ago, they are amazing! Click on the berries to get some!

Source: Loyola University Health System. “Dark chocolate and red wine are heart-healthy foods of love, dietitians say.” ScienceDaily, 13 Jan. 2012.

 

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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February Sale: Save 15 Percent on Fresh Wild Seafood

02/09/2012 in Cooking, Food, Gifts, Health, Recipe by Evelyn | No comments

Wow! Vital Choice Seafood is having a sale during February, save 15 percent – be sure  to use the code HAPPYHEART12 when checking out to save 15% off your order of; seafood, salmon sausage and burgers, oils and vinegar, soups and meal kits, nuts and dried fruits, wild berries and vegetables! And they even have Salmon Skin dog chew treats!

We discovered Vital Choice Seafood about six years ago and I’m glad we did! Many years prior to then I had stopped buying seafood because the quality was so bad, in my mind, there’s nothing worse than low quality food – and there’s so much of it around today! There are also many studies (delay dementia and preserve memory) on the benefits of wild seafood which gives us more reason to include it in our diets Needless to say, we’ve been buying all of our seafood from Vital Choice ever since. We usually get the sampler called ‘Wild Pacific Seafood Medley’ (#FSA002), this sampler includes: Sockeye Salmon, King Salmon, Sockeye Burger, Hot-Smoked Sockeye, Pacific Albacore Tuna, Alaska Halibut, Smoked Sablefish, Wild Organic Blueberries (everything is fresh frozen, not canned).

This is the same seafood company that both Christiane Northrup, M.D. and Dr. Andrew Weil recommend buying your seafood from – I agree with them entirely!

Below is one of our favorite recipes and links to others… Bon Appetit!

Pasta/Bean Soup with Smoked Sablefish (or Salmon)

The combined cook and prep time is about 30 minutes

Serves 4

  • 3 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon organic cayenne pepper (we like fresh grated)
  • Leaves from one sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon chopped organic rosemary)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 15 oz can navy beans, drained
  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups ditalini (or other small) pasta
  • 8 oz (2 fillet portions) Smoked Sablefish (or Smoked Sockeye Salmon)
  • Sea salt and organic black pepper, to taste

Heat a large saucepan to medium, and add the oil, garlic, cayenne, rosemary leaves, and onion. Sauté onion about 8 minutes (do not burn). Add the beans and broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender or food processor. Pulse until the soup is chunky smooth, return to the saucepan and stir well.

Add the pasta and return the soup to a simmer.

Break the Sablefish (or Salmon) into bite-size chunks, discarding any bones. Add the fish to the soup and simmer until the pasta is cooked and the fish is heated through, about 5 minutes.

Other favorite fresh fish recipes:

Grilled Wild Alaska Halibut on Tabouli

Thyme-Crusted Sablefish

 

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Sablefish with Shallot Vinaigrette and Herb Salad

02/08/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, Recipe, Reviews by Evelyn | No comments

Smoked Sablefish and Alaskan Sablefish

Fresh Sablefish is one of our favorites, its amazing rich flavor (not fishy!) stems from the ample body fat that Sablefish accumulate to survive frigid, deep-water environments.

Sablefish is very high in omega-3s, with each 4 oz portion averaging a whopping 1.6 grams—more than most wild Salmon!

Smoked Sablefish

The “oven-ready” 4-oz portions are NOT cooked fully by the smoking process. They will cook through in 6-7 minutes using medium-high heat. No nitrites or artificial additives or preservatives. Certified sustainably harvested

Alaskan Sablefish (Black Cod)

Alaskan Sablefish is highly prized overseas, and the vast majority of the harvest is exported, making it a relative rarity in domestic markets. These fillets are lean, low-calorie fillet portions, firm and fully moist, with a large flake. The delicate, slightly sweet flavor of Pacific cod harmonizes with a wide array of sauces, seasonings and recipes. Strict official oversight combines with this species’ natural fecundity to keep Alaska’s certified-sustainable Pacific cod fishery an abundant resource.

We have found the best fresh wild fish to come from Vital Choice Seafood, we have enjoyed their wild caught fish for years. Never soggy or mushy, never fishy-smelling, we are proud to represent Vital Choice Seafood on our site – Bon Appetit!

Sablefish with Shallot Vinaigrette and Herb Salad

6 (4 oz each) Alaskan Sablefish fillets (smoked or regular)

Vinaigrette ingredients for Sablefish and Herb Salad

  • 6 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oilFresh Smoked Sablefish
  • 1/3 cup minced shallots
  • 2 TBSP fresh organic lemon juice
  • 1 TBSP organic balsamic vinegar
  • 1 TBSP mellow white miso
  • 2 teaspoons (packed) grated organic lemon peel
  • Sea salt and organic black pepper to taste

 Herb salad ingredients 

  • 2 cups each Italian parsley, basil, dill, and arugula or nasturtiums
  • 1 cup mesclun salad mix or arugula

Blend vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl. Mix Herb Salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Sprinkle sablefish fillets with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook fish until just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes per side.

Arrange fish on plates and pour 1 tablespoon vinaigrette over each. Toss salad with remaining vinaigrette and serve with fish.

Serves 6

Other favorite fresh wild fish recipes:

Pasta, Bean, Sablefish Soup

Grilled Wild Alaskan Halibut on Tabouli

Thyme-Crusted Sablefish

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Balsamic Marinated Beef and Veggie Kabobs

01/22/2012 in Cooking, Food, Fun Stuff, Health, How To, Recipe by Evelyn | No comments

A kabob is simply pieces of meat (usually cut into 1 or 2 inch size pieces), vegetables or fruit threaded on skewers, which are then grilled or broiled. All pieces are cut about the same size before being put on the skewers, this helps them to cook evenly. You will need to keep an eye on kabobs while cooking because it doesn’t take long for them to cook, they’ll need to be rotated often. During cooking, you can brush the kabobs with any remaining marinade, you will have to discard any leftover marinade because it will not keep well due to its exposure to raw meat.

The Purposes and Value of Marinades

Marinades are nifty sauces that perform two functions:

  1. They add tantalizing flavors, and
  2. They tenderize grilled or broiled meats and chickenBeef Kabobs

Marinades are sauces in which meat is soaked to soften and flavor it. Marinades are marvelous for turning an ordinary steak or breast of chicken into an extraordinary flavorful meal.

Herbs and spices are combined with tenderizing ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar to give the marinade its hearty and robust flavor.

Tenderizing tough cuts of meat is a different story. The role of the acid, in a marinade, is to “break-down” the long protein strands—the part of the meat that causes it to be tough.

A good marinade for tenderizing has an acidic base like vinegar. Some other good acidic bases are: fruit juice, milk, buttermilk and wine may also serve as a marinade’s base. A nice vinaigrette penetrates meat fibers particularly well, as in the recipe below.

The addition of olive oil in the marinade helps the acidic properties penetrate deeper into the meat making it even more tender.

Balsamic Marinated Beef and Veggie Kabobs Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 4 (8 inch) wooden or metal skewers
  • 1 pound package New York Strip or Tenderloin kabob meat (we use grass-fed beef because of its better nutrition and flavor)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
  • 1 small red or green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small purple onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 (8-ounce) package whole button mushrooms, or Portobella mushrooms cut into 1′ pieces

Directions:

If using wooden skewers, soak in water to cover 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Place beef in a resealable plastic bag or large shallow dish. Pour balsamic mixture over steak, tossing gently. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to 8 hours or overnight).

Preheat grill to medium-high heat (350F to 400F).

Remove beef from marinade and thread steak, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms alternately onto skewers, leaving a 1/4-inch between pieces. Drizzle kabobs with remaining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.

Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve immediately.

Other favorite recipes

Pot Roast with Baby Vegetables

Yummy Lamb Meat Loaf

Grilled Wild Alaska Halibut on Tabouli

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Buying Salmon: Differences Between Wild vs. Farmed

01/20/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

Wild Salmon Most salmon and seafood consumed in the United States is imported, and much of it is farm-raised, with little oversight regarding use of antibiotic drugs or additives. Without independent lab testing for harmful levels of mercury and other industrial contaminants farm-raised salmon and other seafood can be harmful to our health.

One criteria I have when it comes to what I buy is to know and trust the source. After much disappointment, I finally found what both Curt and I feel is the best possible source for all of the fish we buy, Vital Choice Seafood. Other than superb flavor and texture (never mushy or smelly) here are the primary reasons we like their fish best…

They carry the purest wild seafood possible: fish and shellfish that grow in the wild environment to which they are adapted, free of the antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic coloring agents, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which are commonly used at fish farms.

Their seafood is tested regularly by independent labs, and the results show that it is free of harmful levels of mercury and other industrial contaminants. Longer-lived predator species such as Halibut and Tuna accumulate mercury over time, by selecting only the smallest of the catch ensures optimum purity.

Further reading:

Fresh Fish Diets Delay Dementia, Protect Memory, Ward-off Alzheimer’s (fish and health)

The Trail of Corn; going where no man (or woman) has gone before (GMO)

Growing Flax: a story of beauty, health, prosperity and ruin (GMO)

Superior Wild Salmon, Naturally

Unlike penned, grain-fed, flaccid-fleshed farmed Salmon, Vital Choice wild Alaska Salmon spend several years feeding on the sea’s natural foods and straining against the strong, cold currents of the North Pacific before migrating thousands of miles to the headwaters of their birth rivers.

Of the millions of young Pacific Salmon that begin this demanding ocean odyssey every year, only the strongest, healthiest fish will reach harvest age. This is why wild Salmon offer flavor, texture and nutritional profile far superior to any farm-raised fish. While the U.S. government has standards that should ban imports with high levels of antibiotics in seafood, there is essentially no enforcement.

Only one percent of sustainably harvested wild Salmon meets Vital Choices’ strict quality standards.

Wild Salmon vs. Farmed: Environmental and Purity Issues  Continue reading “Buying Salmon: Differences Between Wild vs. Farmed” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Sustainable Beyond Organic Meats: we are what the animal eats

01/19/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, News, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

What if everything you’ve been told or read about beef is wrong? Well, wrong that is unless you have been buying and eating beef that has been raised on grass all their lives, hormone-free, no antibiotics. There’s an enormous difference between store-bought meats raised in fedlots, certified organic, and beyond organic. Here I am talking about ‘beyond organic’ meats because I do not support the lax standards the certification has put into place the last decade.Steak

Myths About Beef??? Depends on what kind of beef you’re buying and eating.

  • High in saturated fats
  • Marbled with fat is a better cut
  • Increases your risk of certain diseases
What if I were to tell you that it turns out that a lot of these issues are triggered by an unnatural pH in a cow’s first stomach. The fermentation chamber that initiates what will ultimately be the critical balance of fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and enzymes that are essential for human nutrition, the first stomach must be healthy in order for an animal to produce healthy meat.

Forage-grazing animals have a healthy, highly-functioning pH of 7, which allows for an abundance of the essential fermentation bacteria that create high levels of CLA, omega-3s, branch-chain amino acids, vitamins and digestive enzymes. But even a small amount of grain can throw all this off: just 30 days on a grain diet can offset 200 days of grazing chemistry.

For over ten years I had searched high and low to find a source for the best quality, most nutritious meats; a reliable source that went beyond organic. Here’s what I found, I support this farm and their practices entirely, their standards are as high as my own. Here’s their story…

John Wood, the founder of U.S. Wellness Meats, has always been a farmer. In fact, he comes from a long line of farmers. And for the last few decades, they farmed the “standard” way. They raised their animals on pasture before fattening them on grain in confinement, and then selling them off to a big animal processor when it was time for them to be harvested.

But in the late 1990′s, John began to question the “standard” way of farming…  Continue reading “Sustainable Beyond Organic Meats: we are what the animal eats” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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