Including Fish into your Diet

The Mediterranean Diet praises Fish as part of a healthy life style. Today we are going to look at different kinds of fish and their benefits of including them into your diet. Most people know that fish is a great source of protein; it is also a fact that fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids which greatly benefit your heart and according to the American Heart Association can also help those who have or are at a high risk of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association highly recommends eating fish at least two times a week because of its beneficial nutritional value; the Mediterranean Diet also values fish more so than red meat as we showed in the Mediterranean Pyramid in the beginning of the year. Check out this ling from the American Heart Association to see what else they recommend (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632); they talk about certain oils that are good to use while including fish into your diet and its benefits. Don’t forget that we always speak highly of our wonderful and health benefiting Olive oil. One thing about fish that could be a concern is that fish contain mercury which poses as a health risk but certain fish contain much less amounts than others and even though fish do contain mercury the benefits have shown in studies to outweigh the negative. Here is a list of fish below that we will discuss:

Lake Trout and Herring: this fish is another good choice because of its low mercury content (Herring) and a good source of omega-3 oils
Sardines: Sardines hail from Italy (was actually named after the Island Sardina in Italy) and has great nutritional value containing Omega-2 fatty acids, protein and calcium. Sardines come by cheap and healthy.
Albacore Tuna: Along with Salmon, Tuna has one of the highest amounts of Omega-3s which mean that it’s a heart-healthy fish helping with lowering blood pressure and reducing your risk of heart attack
Salmon: The benefits of Salmon are that it contains the best source of omega-3s (specifically “three times more than the required daily dose” which makes the salmon extra special). This has shown a drop in prostate-cancer risk and another interesting thing to know is that the mercury levels are fairly low and makes salmon one of the safest fish to eat.
Tilapia: This is another fish with low mercury content and at the same very high in nutrition. Tilapia is available year-round and is said to be inexpensive.
Atlantic Pollock: contains lots of omega-3s and vitamin B12 and again low mercury content. According to the source they can be found in fish sticks and imitation crab.



References:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632);
http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/article.jsp?content=20070416_160725_5044
http://www.weightlossfun.com/Sardines.htm

Salmon Dish

This new dish of the week is a very good example of a Mediterranean meal. Our featured and main ingredient of this meal is the almighty Salmon. Our next blog will discuss more on the health benefits of including fish in your diet. Today we will focus more on the Salmon. Salmon like many other fish contain the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and a good amount of protein. Salmon also have a considerable low amount of calories and saturated fat. Salmon is also a good source of the B Vitamins; B12 and B6. Eating Salmon twice weekly can help raise your Omega-3 levels and is said to be as effective as using daily fish oil supplements. To learn more about how salmon can effect your cardiovascular health, muscle functioning, your heart and blood pressure levels, check out the reference site below the recipe. Happy Cooking!

Salmone al Forno (Baked Salmon)
(for 4)
1 ½ lbs fresh salmon pieces
½ cup flour
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
3 tblsps of pecorino cheese grated
3 tblsps butter-softened at room temperature
1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cut salmon pieces into cubes. Wash. Place in glass bowl, add dash of salt and pepper. Pour in lemon juice. Stir. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In separate bowl mix flour with pecorino cheese and softened butter. Mix with hands till grainy well blended texture.
Remove salmon from refrigerator. Drizzle 2 tsps olive oil on bottom of ceramic casserole dish. Drain salmon from the lemon juice marinade and place cubes in casserole dish.
Cover salmon with flour mixture and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown

Reference: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=104&tname=foodspice

Fish Awareness

This week is fish awareness week; the next couple blogs will include fish recipes and more information on certain kinds of fish and its benefits. This new recipe includes the cod fish; let’s take a look at its healthy benefits before we prepare. Cod fish is a nutritious ‘low-calorie’ fish with a great source of protein and B Vitamins. Cod fish is another heart-healthy fish that have shown to decrease the risk of heart disease; basically cod fish ‘promotes cardiovascular health.’ Make sure to check out the reference link below the recipe for more in-depth information on Cod Fish and its many benefits.

Alla Creola (Creole style)
1 ¼ lbs fresh codfish
5 large red ripe tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
6 tblsps plain breadcrumbs
6 tblsps parmigiana-reggiano cheese grated
3 tblsps olive oil
3 tblsps rum
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash, dry pepper. Preheat oven t o450 degrees and roast pepper on cookie sheet for approximately 25 minutes, turning as skin becomes roasted on each side. Remove from oven. Peel off skin, remove seeds and any white pith inside. Chop into thin filet slices.
. Cut codfish into small pieces. Heat 1 tblsp olive oil with whole garlic clove in sauté pan, place in codfish. Saute for 1 minute and add in rum, dash of salt and pepper. Cook covered over low heat for 20 minutes.
Wash, dry tomatoes and remove seeds inside. Cut into thin filet slices. drizzle 1 tblsp olive oil in casserole dish. Arrange tomato slices on bottom. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Then sprinkle parmigiano-regginao cheese on top. Place under broiler fro approx 2-3 minutes or until browned on top.
Remove codfish mixture from heat. Distribute evenly on top of browned tomatoes, then top with cut roasted peppers. Place in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes more and serve.

Reference: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=133