ReciPeace

Mango Salsa

Yum, yum, yum! If you have not had the pportunity to taste Mango Salsa then you will certainly want to try out this recipe. The mixture of tastes are so complimentary and the colors so inviting, that Mango Salsa is one of those versatile dishes that appeal to many. Enjoy this gem!

You will need:
1 ripe mango - peeled, diced
1 organic red pepper - diced finely
1/2 red onion - diced finely
Jucie from 1 lime
Whole handful of fresh Cilantro chopped fine
Combine all ingredients. Let set 1 hour or so in the refrigerator. Add black pepper to taste.

This flavorful salsa can be used as an appetizer with crackers - very nice with Rye crackers or corn tortillas - or as a condiment with a variety of foods. Delicious on a baked sweet potato, or served over any white fish such as Sword, Cod or Haddock. Tasty as a sustitute for salad dressing.

Simply Sword

Swordfish is one of my favorite dishes yet that wasn't always so. I had this concept that swordfish was a strong tasting, dry, even chewy fish, that when prepared smoked and stunk up the house for hours afterward. I have since learned that neither my mom nor my husband's mother (and most likely many other people) had a clue how to successfully prepare this delicious fish. And it is SO easy that a novice cook will have terrific success immediately!

Timing is everything when cooking swordfish. Even a little too much cooking time and the flavor becomes too strong and the meat dry.

Start with fresh sword steaks, approximatel 1/2 - 3/4" thick - 1/3 - 1/2 lb per/person. Cut into individual serving sizes.
For each 1/2 lb. of fish,
- Heat 1 1/2 Tbs. organic butter just until melted and transfer to a shallow dish.
- Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon and mix the juice with the melted butter
- Coat both sides of the fish in the lemon butter and allow to marinate 15 - 60 minutes.
Heat grill on high with the cover closed. When the grill is hot, do not lower the temperature. Place the steaks on the grill; close the lid and time for 4 minutes exactly! Turn the steaks; close the lid and time the cooking once again for precisely 4 minutes. At this point you will want to cut a steak to see if the inside is cooked to your liking - if it is still a bit pinkish you may want to leave it on the grill for another 1/2 minute or so. The fish will cook through very quickly though so be careful!

Remove from the grill and serve immediately. If you prefer, garnish with more freshly squeezed lemon, salt and pepper. Sword is a mild fish so goes well with many flavorful companions. Mango Salsa and roasted asparagus compliment the fish nicely and make for quite a colorful plate, perfect for any special meal, yet quick and easy enough to prepare on a busy weekday night.

NOTE: You may wonder if using butter will add additional fat and calories to your so healthy fish meal. The answer is no. The butter simply helps to seal in the juices, prevents the fish from drying out and is burned off during grilling. The lemon is what adds a subtle flavor to the fish while marinating.

White Fish Soup

If you are like me you have held the misconception that preparing fish is difficult! High in nutrients and delicious, fish can be prepared easily and quickly. See what you think of this simply yummy soup!

3/4 - 1 lb. white fish such as haddock or flounder cut into 2" chunks
3 stalks of celery - sliced thinly
1 large onion chopped
2-3 tbs. organic butter
1 c. mushroom sliced
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 teas. basil
1/2 c. organic milk (cow's or rice)

In a large skillet melt the butter; add the onions and celery and cook covered until tender; add mushrooms - simmer covered until tender; add fish, cover and cook opaque. Add salt, pepper, basil and milk. Heat for another 2-3 minutes - best if not boiled!

Makes 2 large servings.

Delicious with sprouted grain bread or bagel toasted.

Quick 'n' Tasty Apricot Turkey Salad

Salads are a great way to get your minerals, vitamins and roughage.  They also are quick and easy to fix, which is really a necessity for those of us who lead crazy busy lives yet want to eat in the most healthy way.  With the protein from the turkey, this salad is hearty enough to use as the main part of your meal.  The proportions are not exact but a guesstimate, and the ingredients can be varied according to tastes, one's diet requirements and for variety.  Do be sure to use both vegetables and fruits as the interplay of taste between them is pleasing to the palate.  It is quite a satisfactory dish combined with a slice or two of an organic sprouted bread.  (Toasting the bread is nice!  If using a spread, be sure to use real butter as opposed to margarine.)  Enjoy!

For each serving you will need a large bowl or dinner plate.  Fill as follows:

    A hefty serving of organic baby greens
    3/4 - 1 c. diced cooked organic turkey - white meat is preferable for some diets
    handful of organic dried apricots cut into pieces
    handful of organic dried cranberries
    1/2 small zucchini diced
    1 large stalk of celery sliced
    1 small organic tomato cut into bite-sized pieces

    Additional ingredients might include red pepper, carrot, and mandarin or clementine slices

To finish the salad off, top with an organic Italian or Raspberry Vinegrette dressing, or olive oil and vinegar or nothing if you prefer as I do.

Substitutions....

Oil Substitution - a Slippery Subject!

Now like many of you, I knew that hydrogenated oils and margarine are not good for us because they are not 'real' foods. However, I've also learned that it is not a simple matter to just substitute any healthy oil for these - I need to choose according to what I am doing with that oil. Some healthy oils, such as olive and canola, when heated to high temperatures break down and become totally unhealthy for us. A good fact to remember is that all oils that are liquid at room temperature are unstable when heated. (They actually become carcinogenic! Yikes!) So these oils should be used for cold foods or added after cooking when the food is only warm, will be consumed and not re-heated. Oils that are solid at room temperature such as coconut oil, butter, ghee (clarified butter) or palm kernal oil are all good to use in cooking. One thing to remember is that each one imparts its own particular flavor to the food. Coconut oil especially has a subtle 'coconutty' flavor and I have found that it does not compliment my bison recipes but is very nice with chicken, vegetables and in baking breads or other treats. Of course flavor preferences are very personal so go ahead and experiment and choose for yourself!

(By the way, I have gone back into my recipe posts and edited them to reflect my new found knowledge on oils!)

Learning as I Go!

Whew!  There is so much to learn about the foods we eat, which ones are the healthiest and why!  Sometimes it seems overwhelming?  And then I think I get it right and some new information comes my way!  Does this ever happen to you? The good news is that we do not have to do all the research ourselves!  There are specialists out there who already have the knowledge and from whom we can learn a great deal.  The first link added to my blog is to Living Balance, a website that offers much information on the most up-to-date nutritional education.  Check it out!

Re-energized!

Wow!  Time sure has flown since the last time I posted on this blog!  Over the past few weeks during my absence, I have been re-thinking what I want this blog to reflect as well as doing some soul searching on my beliefs and actions, and whether or not they are in alignment.  After some self reflection, my original intention felt a bit pompous - a socially conscious cookbook! 

For quite a while now, I have wanted to put together a cookbook that proved eating healthy can mean eating with lots of taste, enjoyment and satisfaction.  My dream cookbook would also include information on healthy ingredients, tips on where to get them, and education on why certain food items are or are not healthy.  So it only seemed natural to share recipes I (and others) have adapted from family favorites that perhaps tasted fantastic and satisfied food cravings, yet didn't use the healthiest of ingredients nor provided our bodies with the nutrition they require.

At the same time I have a great interest in sustainable living - which covers an extremely wide range of areas!  One area is the food we eat, - where it comes from; who grows it; how is it grown, harvested, packaged and transported; who benefits from its production and who is exploited by it. 

Because of these two specific interests, the name Reci-Peace for my blog sounded perfect!  When my son suggested the name I immediately loved it and excitedly started posting recipes.  Then I began to feel I wasn't being true to my intention. 

What I have not done yet is to incorporate onto my blog anything about sustainable living.  And I also realized that although I like to think that I believe and support using only those foods that are derived from sustainable living practices, I do not practice this as fully as I could.  I talk a good game but my actions do not match my words.  So I am in conflict with myself and need to bring my actions in line with what I believe.  So these past few weeks have been a time of avoidance (at first) and then reflection. 

The conclusion I came to is that while the cookbook part is fun and intriguing, the sustainable living part is the more important piece, for a future without wholesome nutrient rich foods that are produced in conditions that support the earth and all of the people who have a part in their production means no future. 

So here are the actions I have set for myself:
    - Live more truly to my word.  That means buy ONLY food that is organic, fair or equal trade, and as local as possible.
    - Post information that supports sustainable living, which includes links to sites that promote socially conscious practices and products
    - Continue to educate myself on places and products that promote sustainable living, and to share that information with others on my blog
AND
    - To be consistent in posting - I plan to post at least 3 times a week.

I am re-energized, yet at the same time feel a bit of trepidation - now that this is written I gotta do it!  Oh My!  Smile!

One more thing - since I do not have all the answers, please feel free to share your recipes, information and links in comments.  Thanks!

Super Fudge

Kids are drawn to sticky sweet treats and while parents want to at times indulge their children, they also want to provide nutritional treats.  Super Fudge is a delicious sweet whose ingredients offer some healthful benefits as well.  All of the ingredients can be found in any local health food store (if not, ask and most likely they will order the item for you.) 

SUPER FUDGE

1 c. honey - (from locally owned bees who dine on organic farms - if possible!)
1 c. organic peanut butter - smooth or chunky
1 c. organic cocoa or organic carob powder (for those allergic to cocoa)
1 c. unhulled sesame seeds
1 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. organic, unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c. dried organic fruit such as raisins, currants, apricots, cranberries, etc.

Better an 8 x 8 glass pan.  Heat honey and peanut butter in a medium pan.  Quickly add cocoa (or carob) and mix well.  Then add remaining ingredients - mix well.  Mixing will be a little difficult as the mixture thickens quickly.  "Dump" into buttered pan and press mixture so that it is evenly distributed.  Cool.  Cut into bite size pieces.  Savor!  Store in covered container in the refrigerator.

Busy Times Shepherd's Pie

These past 2 weeks I have been caught up in the hectic craziness that keeps so many of us from doing that which we love because we are doing that which we 'are supposed to be doing!'

Next week promises to be quite busy too!  So I have prepared a Shepherd's Pie for dinner tonight, with enough leftovers for a quick warm up Monday or Tuesday evening.

Cook over medium heat in a heated skillet with approximately 1-2 Tbs of butter or palm kernal oil until the meat is no longer pink and the veggies are tender.
    1 Lb. ground bison
    1 small onion
    4 stalks of celery
    2 Tbs Bragg's amino acid

While the meat mixture cooks, wash and slice 6-8 medium carrots - and steam until tender crunchy - put aside.  Also, boil 5 medium potatoes until tender; mash, adding your favorite seasonings.  (I use 1 1/2 Tbs. organic butter, 1/3 - 1/2 c. organic milk, organic garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper to taste.)

Shake together 1 Tbs flour with 1/3 c. water.  Pour over the meat mixture and stir until the mixture begins to thicken. 

Pour the meat mixture into an 8 x 8 glass pan; Spread carrots on top of meat; Spread mashed potatoes evenly over carrots.

Bake in 360º F oven for 20 - 30 minutes.  Serve with fresh green salad and/or bread.

VARIATIONS:
    1.  Before adding the carrots, add a layer of fresh baby spinach, kale or chopped fresh broccolli.
    2.  Sprinkle 3/4 c. frozen organic corn nibblets on top of the carrots. 
    3.  Add to the mashed potatoes 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese.

Butter IS Better!

Why do I use organic butter instead of margarine? Purely and simply because it is a real food. Margarine is so unreal no bugs will ever, ever eat it!