Your own seasonings

Ever made your own seasonings? I believe you need to try this: orange and olive salt. The orange trades in its freshness for a darker, more complex flavor, one accented by the deep brininess of olives. To do it:

1. Cut the white pith off the peels of 2 oranges.
2. Dry out the peels and about 10 salt-cured, pitted olives in a 200F degree oven for about 4 hours. 
3. Once they've cooled, grind them with 1 cup of salt in a coffee or spice grinder. 

Store in a container at room temperature and have on hand to sprinkle on lamb, fish, or chicken. It's a perfect, intriguing finishing touch.

painting by Jamie Wood

Mint

A friend passed on a recipe for salmon with what sounds like a crazy-good, non-traditional salsa. Unfortunately, I purchased the wrong salmon at Costco (marinated) and didn't feel right trying the recipe on something already tainted. Long story short, I discovered my error only after having bought all the ingredients.

I have been using the ingredients here and there. The biggest surprise sensation - mint! We have used mint leaves in our salmon and veggie tacos, and believe me now and hear me later, it is tasty.



I grew up with a giant mint bush in my backyard. Using it to cook is like stepping back in time!

Here is the recipe for the salmon: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/grilled-salmon-with-citrus-salsa-verde-recipe/index.html

If I were a rich man...

I don't know that I'd drop $200 on fish eggs if I was filthy rich (for one they're fish eggs, and secondly there are people starving), but I love food and the idea of this site is a lot of fun. I really like the stories side of it too!

What the frack are we thinking?

We need to stop fracking around with the environment. Read these and decide for yourself how smart we are:

http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/327-fracking-and-food

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705359726/Fracking-pollutes-our-drinking-water-study-says.html

Short story (and not a new story by any means), big business wins...and then we all suffer.

Bountiful Baskets

Jess and I decided to try Bountiful Baskets. It is a co-op for fruits and veggies (you may purchase other items, like bread, honey, etc., too.) This morning was our first pickup. In case you don't know about it, here is how it works.

First step, you have to register online. Next, on Monday or Tuesday sign up for an offering, again online. After that, you show up at the day and the time appointed for your pickup.* Ours was at 7:30AM at the Kia dealership a half mile from our home.

The pickup location

Once there, you tell one of the nice volunteers your name. They then give you your basket number. Mine was 63. Amongst all the rows, you find your fruit and your veggie baskets.

Find your basket - its like Easter!

The last thing to do, transfer the fruits and veggies from their basket to your own tote or basket. (The $3 you pay the first time is for the co-op to buy you a basket to hold your goods each week/time.)

$15 for this...pretty good if you ask me

We ended up with:

• Five apples
• Three tomatoes
• A bunch of bananas
• Strawberries
• A head of broccoli
• A small bunch of spinach
• Two red bell peppers
• Two things of celery
• A small bag of potatoes
• A cantaloupe
• A head of cauliflower
• A bag of Asian Pears

*Note: If you don't show up on time, they will donate your offering to a hobo. You think I'm joking. I'm not.

The whitest guy you know

Some of the guys at work get Beto's gigantic breakfast burritos from time to time. The burritos smell so friggin' good. They're full of eggs and bacon and cheese. At first I silently cried in my proverbial soup. Then I got smart. I created my own burrito with egg whites (drops one egg's cholesterol content from 71% DV to 0% DV), cubed potatoes, Veggie Shreds cheese, and Melinda's hot sauce. In total its something like .5 sat fat, and no cholesterol.

The potatoes are seasoned with sage, thyme, garlic powder and tarragon

I topped it off with mild, green enchilada sauce and some more seasoning

My sandwiches also use egg whites and Veggie Shreds cheese. I throw in onion and spinach for flavor and nutrition. I top it off with Melinda's hot sauce.

The egg white sandwich

John McCann for President

John McCann's Steel Cut Oat Meal is fabulous. "Whats the big deal?", you ask. I'll tell you. Do you sometimes find yourself ready to gag at regular oatmeals slimy nature? If you do, listen up.

John McCann makes his healthy treat from 100% natural whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel). He cuts the groats (I just like using that word...groats, groats, groats!) using steel discs...hence the 'Steel Cut' name. I'm a fan!

Crazy for coconuts

Before the heart attack, I thought I was being healthy using coconut milk when cooking. For example, I saw an episode of No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain went to Indonesia. In the morning the 'pancake man' floated up to the guest huts and served up pancakes with a brown sugar/coconut milk syrup. I was so excited to try it. It was fantastic! I began eating it regularly. I thought it had to be better than the high fructose corn syrup, fake maple syrups. Indonesians are skinny...they look healthy. Now I know.

Jess and I found these one night at the Gateway in Salt Lake. They are flavored coconut water drinks. I was pleasantly surprised by the nutritional facts on the label. They have no fat! I was skeptical.

Vita Coco uses young, green coconuts from Brazil. The coconuts are around 7 months old. At this age, they're still fat free!!! Brilliant!

Anyway, I like the idea of drinking these guys instead of sugary sports drinks. Coconut water if great for hydrating, and the flavors are tastey! Amazon sells a pack of 12 for $14.34.

Serenade with marinade

You lika' da sauce? I'll get you the sauce.

The best meals that I have had have involved some sort of sauce. Ribs. Pasta. Pizza. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water.

Jess and I have tried to keep things saucey at home. (Nudge-nudge, wink-wink.) We use marinades and BBQ sauces on our salmon, chicken, etc. Here is one we found in Denver. I have since seen it locally. Its from Stonewall Kitchen (stonewallkitchen.com).

Pomegranate Grille Sauce

Not your mother's salad

Lettuce, tomato, and shredded carrots do not make a salad. If you're gonna' eat a salad, make it count. Make it taste like life is worth living.

We love salads when they're full of veggies and...stuff. We'll throw in:

• olives
• tomato
• corn
• beans
• bell pepper
• hot peppers
• mushroom
• broccoli
• celery
• cucumber
• radish
• almonds
• walnuts
• crunchy salad toppers (Ex., McCormick Salad Toppins Crunchy & Flavorful). 
• Chicken or salmon

Topping off one of these monster salads with a SunDrenchers dressing (Asian Drenching is a favorite) makes it a circus in your mouth!

One good lookin' salad

Its not pink...its salmon

The best thing about the heart attack...I mean the very best thing...is getting to eat fish more often. Before, it was hard to justify the cost. Unless you're catching the stuff yourself, fish is pricey. Now it doesn't matter! I "have to" eat it!

We eat salmon and mahi the most. Both are very meaty and work well with the dishes we like. Typically, Jess and I have fish tacos once a week. Here is my favorite recipe:

The finished product

Sean's Cracked-out Salmon Tacos (Serves two)

Ingredients:

• Two 4 x 2 salmon filets
• Eight corn tortillas
• Oil (olive and canola)
• Olives (Ex., jalapeño and garlic stuffed)
• Yellow, red, and/or orange bell peppers
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Shredded cheese (or a substitute like Veggie Shreds)
• Lettuce (Ex., spinach or some fancy blend of your choosing)
• Hot sauce (Ex., Melinda's or the green Tabasco)
• Marinade (Ex., Stonewall Kitchen's Pomegranate Grille Sauce) or BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Cook the salmon using your favorite method (Ex., pan fry in olive oil or BBQ).
2. Keep a respectable amount of marinade or BBQ sauce on the fish throughout the cooking process.
3. Sauté the bell pepper strips.
4. Pan fry the corn tortillas 'till soft with a slight crisp.
5. Double up tortillas and add guacamole to top tortilla.
6. Sprinkle shredded cheese on guacamole.
7. Add hot, cooked salmon. It melts the cheese...mmmm.
8. Add sautéed bell pepper slices.
9. Add sliced olives.
10. Add salsa.
11. Add hot sauce. Don't be a wuss...do it!