Tomato Basil Salmon

We eat salmon at least once a week in our house and I usually just lightly season it with some salt, pepper and ginger and toss it in the oven. It is really good made this way (and really quick and easy), but we had some basil and tomatoes remaining in the backyard, so tried something different tonight. This is equally quick and easy and was delicious. It would probably also be great with some balsamic vinegar drizzled on top. I'll be making this one again for sure! (And a bonus: when it was baking in the oven, my 4 year old son, Charlie, asked "what is that delicious smell??" You can't beat that!).

Tomato Basil Salmon

Ingredients

2 6-ounce wild salmon filets
Salt (optional) and pepper, for seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
4 fresh tomato slices
2 tsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Place salmon filets on foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down. Season filets with salt, pepper and dried basil. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.

What are the nutritional benefits of wild salmon? Wild salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin D, and protein.

Dad's Honey Brussels Sprouts

We recently visited my family in Ohio, and whenever we do, we are treated to some great meals made by my dad. One of my favorite things he made on this trip was these brussels sprouts. I typically just steam and lightly salt brussels sprouts when I make them, which tastes great and is very easy. But these were amazing (and very easy as well). My dad used a guava wood smoked Hawaiian sea salt to lightly season these, which added a great flavor. I happened to have some of this sea salt that he gave me a while back, so I was able to recreate  his recipe at home. This is definitely my new go-to method for cooking brussels sprouts. Thanks, Dad!

We had these tonight along with some broiled salmon - delicious!

Dad's Honey Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

8oz fresh brussels sprouts, cut in half length-wise

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste
Honey, for drizzling
Guava wood smoked Hawaiian sea salt

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat and add brussels sprouts. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Lightly drizzle with honey and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Stir until evenly combined.

What are the nutritional benefits of brussels sprouts? Brussels sprouts are high in vitamins C and K and fiber. They are also a very good source of several nutrients, particularly folate, and are a good source of iron.

Roasted Stuffed Zucchini

Looking for something to do with those huge zucchini from the garden? This is a great healthy recipe, and makes a great side dish with anything that you toss on the grill!

Roasted Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

2 large or 4 small zucchini

Olive oil, for drizzling

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 slices fresh bread (I used sourdough)

Butter for spreading on bread (~3 tsp)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut Zucchini in half, lengthwise. Use spoon to remove seeds and soft flesh in center.

3. Place zucchini, skin side down, in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Toast bread slices and then liberally spread with butter. Tear into pieces and place in food processor with onion, tomatoes, garlic, parsley and basil. Pulse until makes a course bread crumb mixture. Place mixture in bowl and fold in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and egg.

5. Fill zucchini with bread crumb mixture and place in oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining parmesan on top and roast for additional 3 minutes.

What are the nutritional benefits of this dish?  Zucchini is a good source of vitamin C and also provides fiber, manganese, lutein and zeaxanthin (phytonutrients that are good for eyesight). Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Tomatoes are high in lycopene and vitamin C.

Watermelon Salad

This watermelon salad was inspired by our awesome next door neighbors. They came over for a Mexican-style cookout a couple of weeks ago, and brought a watermelon salad that was so good, I had to try to recreate it. This is a definite winner and go-to side for any summer cookout.  Our neighbors used feta cheese in their salad, but I used queso fresco in this one because that was what we had. Either cheese works really well.  I also used fresh mint and parsley from our garden. The mint, in particular, was really great in this salad.

Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

Half of one large watermelon, cubed and seeded

1 small red onion, sliced thin and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup fresh mint and parsley, chopped

4 oz queso fresco, crumbled

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and gently mix until evenly combined

What are the nutrition benefits of this salad? Watermelon is a very good source of vitamin C and a good source of pantothenic acid, copper, biotin, potassium, vitamin A, vitamins B1 and B6, and magnesium. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese.  Fresh herbs are packed with lots of phytochemicals/antioxidants.

Zoodles with Slow Cooker Bolognese

We bought a Vegetti a few months back and love it even more than we thought we would! It is really easy to use, and using it to make vegetable replacements for pasta is surprisingly amazing. We have been liking zoodles (zucchini noodles) more than regular pasta. The texture/slight crunch of zoodles goes really well with a good meat sauce, or with some fresh herbs and olive oil as a side with chicken, fish, or even a steak. My favorite thing to do with zoodles is to top them with my slow cooker bolognese. The bolognese freezes really well so if I make a big batch, I can freeze enough for a future dinner (or two). When I thaw the sauce, all I need to do is heat it up and take 5 minutes to put a few zucchini through the Vegetti - and dinner is ready in 15 minutes!

Zoodles with Slow Cooker Bolognese

Ingredients

Fresh organic zucchini
Slow Cooker Bolognese

Directions
1. Make bolognese (view recipe by clicking link above)

2. Use Vegetti, or similar kitchen tool, to make zoodles from fresh zucchini

3. Serve zoodles cold, room temperature or heated to desired temperature. When boiling zoodles, boil for only 1-2 minutes to avoid excess softening. Drain or pat dry to remove excess liquid. Zoodles may also be heated briefly in the microwave or in a pan with a small amount of oil.

4. Top zoodles with slow cooker bolognese or other sauce and enjoy!

What are the nutrition benefits of zucchini versus noodles? Zucchini is a good source of vitamin C and also provides fiber, manganese, lutein and zeaxanthin (phytonutrients that are good for eyesight). Compared with traditional noodles, zucchini is much lower in calories, providing about 21 calories per cup. Traditional pasta provides about 200 calories per cup! Zucchini noodles are a fresh, whole food, whereas noodles are an enriched processed food product.

Pineapple Coconut Pops

Yesterday afternoon, my son, Charlie, and I made healthy homemade popsicles together. It was so much fun to see how excited he was to go to the grocery store with me to get the ingredients, put them in the Vitamix and then pull them  out of the freezer to be eaten when they were ready.  He is 4 years old and loves to help in the kitchen. He stands in the doorway every day saying "Mommy, can I please help you?" Depending on what I am cooking, it isn't always easy to give him a safe task. So I have been making a point to come up with some quick and fun things that he can play an active role in making. Popsicles are great because there are so many ways to make healthy versions and are very easy for kids to help with!

Pineapple Coconut Pops

Ingredients

1 whole fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 (13.5oz) can coconut milk

Directions

1. Place pineapple chunks and coconut milk in blender and blend until smooth (I used my Vitamix on the Frozen Desserts setting)

2. Pour into popsicle molds, leaving ~1/2 inch of space from top

3. Place in freezer for at least 4 hours

4. To remove popsicles from molds, run under warm water until loose

What are the nutritional benefits of these pops? Pineapple is an excellent source of Vitamin C and manganese, as well as a good source of fiber. Coconut milk is abundant in vitamin C and E, as well as several B vitamins. 

Chili Baked Potatoes

For Super Bowl Sunday, I made Ted's favorite - chili baked potatoes!  Since we couldn't go anywhere all day because of the blizzard, I let the chili simmer all afternoon to make it more flavorful, and it was awesome. The longer you can let it simmer on the stove, the more flavorful it will be. But no matter what, it always tastes better the second day so leftovers for dinner tonight are not only going to be easy, but really good.

I usually just use ground grass-fed beef in our chili, but we had a ton of leftover brisket, so I cut some of that up and added, and it was a great addition. I essentially used the same general chili recipe that I always do, but tweaked it a bit for using beef instead of turkey, and used whatever leftover stock was in the fridge. You can use chicken or beef stock, and I used a combination of both to use up what was open.

Top your chili potato with your favorite fixings! We put some organic shredded cheddar on the potato, then topped it with the chili and some organic sour cream. 

Chili Baked Potatoes

Makes ~6-8 servings

Chili

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup organic red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef
3/4 pound cooked beef brisket, cut into small pieces
1 (28oz) can crushed organic tomatoes with basil, undrained
1 (16oz) can organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup organic chicken stock
1 cup organic beef stock
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Chalula)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. 

Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

Whole organic russet potatoes
Sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Rinse potatoes with water to wet the skin and rub with sea salt. Poke a series of holes in the potatoes with a fork to let steam escape.

3. Place potatoes on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 60-75 minutes, or until soft on inside.  For softer skin, wrap potatoes in aluminum foil for baking.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Compared with conventional beef, grass-fed beef is lower in total fat, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and higher in vitamins, particularly vitamin E. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Canned tomato products contain lots of vitamin C and more bioavailable lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Kidney beans provide lots of protein, folate, fiber, and iron. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium - and with the skin, there are even more of these nutrients, plus lots of fiber!