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Poached Salmon in Horseradish Sauce

June 28, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
salmon

What You Need:

Water
2 tbsp cider vinegar, divided
4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
1 C of fresh dill
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 C light mayonnaise
1/2 C low fat sour cream
1 tbsp horseradish
2 tsp Dijon mustard

How to Make It:

Place a skillet over high heat and add 1 inch of water.
Add the vinegar to the water and bring the mixture to a brisk boil.
Place the salmon into the boiling liquid and reduce the heat to low.
Cover the skillet and cook the salmon for 10 minutes or until opaque in color.
Blend together in a blender the dill, scallions, mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish and mustard until smooth.
Place the salmon on a serving platter and cover with the sauce just before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Salmon is an oily fish that is full of omega 3 fatty acids. Be careful not to over cook your salmon. The rule of thumb for cooking fish that is used by most professional cooks is to measure it at the thickest area of the fish. Cook the fish for 10 minutes per inch. If you’re grilling or oven cooking your fish and it’s wrapped in foil or covered in sauce the best rule of thumb is to cook it 15 minutes per inch. If your baking or grilling take the fish out about 2 minutes before the required cooking time as the fish will continue to cook for a couple of minutes once removed from the heat source.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 20 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 460; Fat 27g; Saturated Fat 7g; Carbohydrates 5g; Protein 48g; Fiber 0g;
Cholesterol 110mg; Sodium 352mg

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Boiled or Steamed What is the Difference?

May 20, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
steaming

One healthy way to cook is using water. Water is used to boil and steam many types of foods. From pasta, rice, vegetables to meat this type of cooking leaves those foods in their healthiest cooked forms. No oil or fats are incorporated into the water when cooking in this fashion. What’s the difference between boiling and steaming? Let’s check it out to see.

Boiling Is Effective

Boiling is a unique and effective way of cooking. It is similar to steaming but slightly different. Boiling requires the food to actually sit in the water. You can boil vegetables, meats and seafood. With boiling the taste, look and even a little of the health values are also different from steaming.

Boiling or cooking food directly in the water gives the nutrients a chance to move from the food to the water. It also doesn’t spice up the food nor does it give it that appetizing color. Boiled foods don’t have a lot of flavor because the enhanced flavors are lost in the water. This is known as blanching foods. Also with no added oil or fat you get the fresh flavor of the food instead of the taste of additives. Adding seasoning to your boiled food will help to enhance the flavor.

There are many positives to boiling:

•    It doesn’t require any added fats leaving it a healthier choice

•    It’s easy; it doesn’t require hovering over the stove for hours

•    It takes those tough pieces of meat and makes them tender

•    It is perfect for large scale cooking

Steam is Unique

To steam foods is to boil water causing it to evaporate into a fine mist. The steam and not the water is what cook the food. Something important to remember when steaming is that you are not putting the food directly in water. The food is suspended over the top the water letting the steam rise up to cook the food. For those who are watching there calories and fats, steaming is a very effective way to cook food and make it healthy. .

Steaming basically eliminates the opportunity to over cook the food. Steaming foods is a slow method of cooking so if the food is left longer than need be, the steam will not have cooking power to over cook the food. Steaming uses a lot more energy than any other cooking method. If steam is cooking the food it must stay at a constant stable temperature to cook through.

Most cooks only use the steam method of cooking for vegetables but some meats can be steamed. Beef, pork and even chicken can be steamed. It gives it a very different taste that some may not like. Seafood is a very common food to be steamed. Fish does very well and even shrimp taste wonderful.

As you can see there are few differences when it comes to boiling or steaming those foods. Yet both are an effective unique way of cooking. Grab a steamer or fill a pot with water and see for yourself just how great they both can be.

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The Butcher, Fish Monger and Local Produce Markets

April 8, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
producemarket

The local grocery store is the one place most all of us go to shop. Yet it might not be the cheapest place or the most time friendly way to do our shopping. Befriending the butcher is the oldest trick known to shopping. It started back in medieval times and continues today but not as strong. With supermarkets importing much of their food, finding the right place to shop is growing more difficult by the day.

Depending on your shopping habits and how much money you wish to save, the factors on where to shop will be a huge decision on where to shop. Many of the smaller cities still have a butcher, fish monger and even a local farmer’s co-op where many items can be purchased for a fraction of the cost. Larger cities, with a greater industrial industry seem to be moving away from these localized specialty shops for more of a bulk shopping club type store.

The Butcher

Finding a local butcher is the best thing to do if your family consumes large amounts of meat. The butcher can provide certain cuts that you may not always find in larger supermarkets. Not only can they make specialty cuts of meat for you, they always know what is fresh and can provide tips on how to prepare certain types of meat.

Many butchers also can provide lower prices on meat because they are distributing operations. When the meat has to be sold to a supermarket, you have to pay the mark-up from the butcher as well as the supermarket that bought the product. Many butchers, if you get to know them over time, will be able to let you know exactly when meat goes on sale.

If you are looking for the best possible deal, inquire about purchasing an entire portion of a feed animal, or splitting one with your friends. Buying a whole cow or pig will stock your freezer, allow you to get the cuts you desire and can hold a huge reduction in price due to the quantity. This is the way to go when looking for the cheapest, but best quality meat that money can buy.

The Fish Monger

For the seafood lovers out there, finding a fish monger to befriend can also aid in cost savings. The fish monger has the inside scoop as to what fish is the most fresh and can prepare different cuts depending on whether you are planning for sushi, a catfish fry or a high quality tuna steak. If you get to know the fish monger, he or she can also suggest new items that you may like, but would have never thought about buying in a local grocery store; they may just turn out to be your favorite type of seafood.

The Local Produce Market

Between farm co-ops and local open-air markets, local produce is, almost always cheaper than buying from a store. Many shops import their produce, which means the goods are plucked from the ground or tree well before they are ready. This is done in hopes that by the time it is unpacked at the store, it is still in a semi-decent quality. Getting your produce from a local farmer will help support a local business as well as offer the freshest produce your money can buy. It is a win-win situation.

Take a look at the family eating habits. Then keep an open eye for local retailers who respect the food you eat instead of trying to make a dollar off of everything you buy. Not only can the butcher, the fish monger and the local produce market save you money and time but they can change the way you look at making those delicious meals.

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