Between holidays: Let's eat healthier!

Went to my gym this morning and it was more crowded than usual. It's rather obviously an appropriate time to atone for the (wonderfully long) holiday weekend indulgence with better health habits than most of us probably practiced over Thanksgiving.

Simple dinners, consisting of gently cooked lean protein and fresh vegetables, will be on our menu this week -- along with a few remaining leftovers such as turkey and cranberries.

Here's a recipe for poached salmon, from Food & Wine, that I think you'll enjoy. 

Recipe: Poached Salmon with Cucumber Raita

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts water

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

9 sprigs parsley

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon peppercorns

3 bay leaves

3 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated

1 3/4 cups plain yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground

black pepper

Four 6-ounce salmon filets

Instructions:

1. In a large deep frying pan, combine the water, wine, vinegar, onion, carrot,

parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 2 1/4 teaspoons of the salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the cucumber and the remaining teaspoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. With your hands, squeeze the cucumber and discard the liquid. Put the cucumber back into the bowl and add the yogurt, garlic, mint, and ground pepper.Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Add the fish to the liquid in the pan and bring back to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, until the fish is just barely done (it should still be translucent in the center), about 4 minutes for a 1-inch-thick fillet. Remove

the pan from the heat and let the fish sit in the liquid for 2 minutes. Transfer to plates and, if you like, remove the skin. Serve the salmon warm or at room temperature. Top with the raita and then sprinkle the raita with the paprika.

Two easy, fresh summertime suppers

Pan-seared salmon with bean/tomato salad

1. Tortellini (or ravioli) with a savory vegetarian sauce, and 2. Pan-seared salmon over a green bean-tomato salad.

For the pasta, start with purchased filled pasta cooked according to package directions. Make a one-pan sauce by sauteing chopped aromatic vegetables in olive oil, add liquid (chicken or vegetable stock work nicely) and any other veggies you have on hand, toss with the drained pasta and top with a little cheese. The sauce pictured turned out fabulous thanks to chopped fennel bulb -- something I consider a magic ingredient -- and a few delicate fiddlehead ferns that I was happy to find at the farmers market.

Tortellini with Fennel, Fiddleheads and Mushrooms

For the salmon dinner, select thick fillets, salt and pepper both sides and sear quickly on both sides until brown, just a couple of minutes. Reduce heat and let the fish cook for another few minutes. Be careful not to overcook salmon (or most fish); you can always put it back in the pan if you feel it's too rare, but there's no way to fix something that has been cooked too long. Make a salad of cooked green beans -- fresh from your garden or a farm stand, if possible -- with chunks of fresh tomatoes, chopped herbs, oil, vinegar, and any seasonings you like. Pile some salad on the plate and place a salmon fillet on top.

Watch this video: Easy, Foolproof Salmon

Mark Bittman, who wrote "The Minimalist" column in the NY Times for years and has taken over most of the food writing in the Sunday Times Magazine, has a terrific how-to video on the Times web page today (Friday 6/3).
He does a step by step instruction on making perfect, spice-rubbed salmon steaks for four in just a few minutes.

Click here to watch this 5-minute video. (Scroll down about halfway on the page until you see the "Play Video" button.)

Easy (& cheaper) way to eat more wild salmon

It's wild salmon season, but the stuff is expensive ($20 or more per pound) and hard to find. However, most nutritionists believe that it's so much healthier to get your fish oil and beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids from wild vs. farmed salmon.
The good news is that most canned salmon is from wild fish. Try these easy to prepare salmon cakes from canned, wild salmon -- I think you'll love them, and your kids should, too!









RECIPE: Easy Salmon Cakes (adapted from Eating Well magazine)
(4 servings)

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 T chopped fresh parsley
One 15-ounce can salmon, drained and patted to remove excess moisture and flaked with a fork (remove any skin or bones)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 T Dijon mustard
1 3/4 cup bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
For serving:
Creamy dill sauce (recipe below)
Lemon wedges

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray
Heat half the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onion and celery for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and remove from heat.
Place salmon in a medium bowl; mix in egg and mustard, then add the cooked veggies, breadcrumbs and pepper. (You do not need salt because the salmon and mustard already are salted.) By hand, shape the mixture into 8 patties.
Bake the salmon cakes until they are golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. While the salmon is baking, make the sauce.

Creamy Dill Sauce:
Mix together 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayo, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, and one tablespoon each lemon juice, chopped dill and diced scallion.

Serve the salmon cakes with lemon wedges and the dill sauce.