I just came home from a fabulous trip to Alaska.  I am full of negative ions from the waterfalls, full of beauty from the sights and sounds of the whales, eagles, and ravens, cleansed by the rain, filled with the magic of the rainforest and the light of the almost endless days of this season, and most particularly for today’s post, filled with delicious, fresh off the boat salmon. Our cook took a boat out to the fishing boat, negotiated with the fishermen, brought home some fish, and a few hours later we ate it. It absolutely doesn’t compare to anything that we can get from any grocery store. Salmon live here, in the Monterey Bay off the coast of Santa Cruz, but the season is very short and it is very expensive. Fresh salmon season runs from early summer to early fall.  I usually buy my salmon frozen from Trader Joe’s, which is wild from Alaska and frozen right on the boat so a good choice.  There is a lot of farmed salmon available. Please, please, do not ever buy farmed salmon. The fish are fed so poorly, and they use pesticides and herbicides to keep the water “clean”. That runoff goes into our watersheds. The fish sometimes escape ( and who would blame them!) and weaken the natural fish population. Let’s support the fishermen who use wise sustainable practices and we will have salmon to enjoy and eat for many years to come. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an excellent website with much information about sustainability and which fish we have the green light to eat.

Besides being delicious, salmon is so good for us! Low in calories, high in protein, it also contains a proper ratio of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, which our bodies need for heart health, for inflammation control, etc. I think, too, there is something so powerful in the energy of the salmon. It is sacred to the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest and Ireland. We can learn from the salmon’s journey, that difficult struggle to spawn, to get back upstream, to get home.

There are many many delicious ways to prepare salmon. It can be eaten raw ( when you are absolutely sure it is fresh) as sushi, sashimi, tartare. It is good cold in a salad, mixed with mayonaise or not. I like it for breakfast mixed with eggs and scrambled. Smoked Salmon is widely available and also good in many ways. Fresh salmon can be grilled outside, broiled, baked. It combines nicely with so many vegetables and pairs nicely with a glass of Pinot Noir.

Here is a recipe to try from Eating Well Magazine.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon

makes 6 one-cup servings

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3c. chopped fresh dill

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup diced seedless cucumber

1/2c. finely chopped red onion

3 cups of cooked brown or green lentils

1 1/2 c. flaked cooked salmon

Whisk lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently.

I serve this on a bed of greens, either raw spinach or lightly cooked kale.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Real Food Wednesdays. Please head over there and read the other interesting posts.

I have been out of town the last few weekends. As a result, I have not gone to the Farmer’s Market in a while. I love my Saturday morning visits there.

Today I went a bit wild. I hope I won’t actually waste anything. I came home with eggs. I have plenty of plans for those, including a frittata for dinner tonight filled with herbs, green beans ( also from the market), onions, potatoes, a leftover roasted red pepper from a personal chef cook date. I will be making some flax bread tomorrow.  I also got a pint of strawberries, some of which I have already consumed and the rest will probably be gone tomorrow. No cooking necessary!

I got carrots and celery, which will be mainly munched as themselves, with some going in some soup in a few days, along with some some celery roots I purchased today.  The carrots may also appear in some salads, as I also got some lovely heirloom Little Gem lettuce and a bag of assorted sprouts. I have been eating a lot of raw beets lately and am looking forward to more, as well as cooking some along with their beautiful greens. I always ask the beet people for extra beet greens that they collect from people who ask for them to be cut off right there in the booth. Oh foolish people, not to try them. I love them steam fried, with a bit of olive oil and water, salt and pepper. mmmm! and so good for you.

I couldn’t resist the baby turnips. Inspired by my recent re reading of Nourishing Traditions, I will be pickling those.  A couple of English cucumbers rounded out my purchases of the day.

Here are a couple of recipes using green beans. I realize they come earlier in the season here in California, but the rest of you, take heart! We have passed the midpoint of Spring and the Summer Solstice is actually only 6 weeks away and green bean season will be upon the whole country.

from Cooking Light magazine, October 2005

Green Beans tossed with Walnut Miso sauce

4 c. green beans, trimmed

2 T. grated peeled fresh ginger

3 T. coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

2 T water

1 1/2 T. yellow miso

1/2 tsp. soy sauce

Place beans in a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 5 minutes. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain.  Place ginger on several layers of damp cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth; squeeze cheesecloth bag over small bowl. Set 1/2 tsp ginger juice aside; reserve remaining juice for another purpose. Discard ginger ( My experience the first time I made this was that I got NO juice. I just used the grated ginger as is.) Combine ginger juice, walnuts, water , miso, and soy sauce in a food processor and process until the nuts are minced. ( hard to do unless you have a mini processor) Combine walnut mixture and beans in a large bowl. This can be served warm or room temperature.

from a wonderful Personal Chef colleague from Georgia, Jan Harding.

Green Beans Gremolata

1 1/2 lbs green beans, washed and trimmed

1 1/2 c. Italian parsley – packed, then chopped ( it ends up being about 3/4c) ( you can use curly parsley)

1 1/2 T. olive oil ( I usually use a bit more)

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 1/2 T lemon juice

3/4 tsp. minced garlic

3/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Add beans to large pot of boiling water. Cook 7 – 10 minutes until just tender. Drain well. Combine remaining ingredients in serving bowl until blended. Add hot beans to bowl and toss to mix and coat. Serve hot or at room temperature.

I don’t know the statistics but I bet among meat eaters, chicken gets eaten the most often. It can get hard to come up with new ideas. I have the best idea! How about switching to pasture raised “happy” chickens, that get to eat bugs, wander around and get treated humanely while they are alive ? Use this site to find some near you. If you haven’t had this kind of chicken before, you will absolutely not believe the taste difference and you will never ever want to eat “regular” supermarket chicken again. It is one of those things that IS worth the $$ difference to eat organic and well raised chickens.

Here is a wonderful recipe that is adapted from an old Weight Watchers recipe. In my personal chef business, I emphasize the importance of eating seasonal and local food, but sometimes you really want to step out of that box. Tomatillos are a summer crop. There are tomatillos available from Mexico but I purchased a can, which I think can be a good alternative to fresh when used infrequently. Vegetables that are canned are picked at their peak while vegetables that are brought here from out of the country may be picked before they are ripe.

Chicken Enchiladas Verde

for the sauce:

1 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 bunch green onions

1 or 2 jalapenos

1 can crushed tomatillos

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

Combine the cilantro, jalapenos, and onions in a food processor . Add the tomatillos and spices and blend until mixed.  Set aside.

for the filling:

1/2 bunch of swiss chard, chopped in small pieces

4c. fresh spinach

1 T. coconut oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

splash of water

2 c. chopped cooked chicken

3/4 c. crumbled goat cheese

1 tsp. ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Melt the coconut oil in a saute pan. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the greens and cook until wilted, using the splash of water to steam them a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes.

To assemble:

corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 35oº. This recipe can make around 8 -10 enchiladas, depending on what kind of tortilla you use and how much filling you use for each enchilada. The size pan you use will also vary according to the size of tortilla.You will cover the bottom of your baking dish with a thin layer of sauce.  I used sprouted corn tortillas which are on the smaller side. I am highly prejudiced against wheat tortillas so I encourage you to use corn ( and please check to see that they are made from  non gmo  organic corn. Sprouting makes them more digestible). Corn tortillas are a bit more difficult to work with as they are not so flexible. I have a gas stove and so I heat my tortillas individually over the flame of a burner, turning them a few times and letting them soften. Then I dip them into the sauce. Placing them on a cutting board, I put a heaping tablespoon, plus a bit more, filling onto one end of the tortilla and rolled them up. Place seam side down into the baking dish. continue until pan is full, or all the filling is used up. Cover with the rest of the sauce. You could add some grated cheese of your choice here if you would like. Bake for 20 minutes, until everything is hot and bubbly.

I served mine with some refried beans and a small salad. Muy bueno y mucho sabor! 

I started my personal chef career with membership in, training and support from The Personal Chefs Network. Sadly, this wonderful organization is now defunct, which is a whole other story.  One of the great benefits was our online forum, part of which was a recipe exchange/posting site. You name it, you could find a recipe for it there. Fortunately, many of the recipes live on in online and paper files all over the world. Many of us are still in contact through other chef associations and on Facebook so there is still much sharing of those recipes. This is one of them, came from Gretchen Petery of Washington.

Cabbage  is a good winter food. I can buy it in the farmers’ markets here all winter. And sauerkraut is an excellent way to eat cabbage and I can also buy it at the market. This jar  came from a store but it is the same sauerkraut. Thank you Farmhouse Cultures of Santa Cruz. Indigenous cultures ( pun intended) all over the world know that fermenting a food increases its quality and nutritional value as well as the length of the food’s life for storage purposes. People all over the world drink fermented beverages. The Koreans are famous for fermenting cabbage and other vegetables ( traditionally underground) to become kimchi. This form of cabbage is European in origin, sauerkraut. Fermented foods are good for us as they can aid and improve digestion, and boost our immune systems in the process.

Cream of Sauerkraut Soup

serves 4-6

3 slices thick bacon ( please please use pasture raised, no additives)

1 medium onion

2 ( or more) stalks of celery with tops

16oz. jar of sauerkraut

32 oz. chicken broth or stock

1 bay leaf

32 oz half and half, or 16-24 oz full raw cream is my recommendation

sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

In stock pot, cook bacon over med/high heat until crispy. While Bacon is cooking, finely chop the onion and celery. ( you could use the food processor) When bacon is crisp, remove, drain, and crumble. Add onion and celery to the pot and saute in the bacon drippings until tender. Meanwhile, drain and rinse sauerkraut. ( I skipped this step, there wasn’t much liquid and I wanted to add it to the soup) Finely chop the sauerkraut ( again you could use the processor and again I did not. I wanted more texture) When the onion and celery are tender, add the sauerkraut, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Cook on a low heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add half and half, or cream, and bring back up to a serving temperature. To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream and some crumbled bacon. Season as desired with salt and pepper.  ( I opted to not use bacon and made some meatballs out of a mix of equal amounts of ground pork and turkey thigh, mustard, pepper, 1 egg, 1/4c. brown rice crumbs. The sauerkraut I used had caraway seeds in it, so I added a tsp. of caraway seeds to the soup broth.

Creamy, decadent but earthy, comfort food for a chilly winter supper.

Winter is Meyer Lemon season in Santa Cruz and I am fortunate enough to have one in my front yard. What have I been doing with it ? Mostly drinking lots of lemon water, but here is a link to something I am wanting to make. How delicious will that be ?  I am staying away from sugar for the time being so will save that for another day. I hope I keep remembering to juice the lemons as they ripen and freeze them in ice cube containers for later use.

This lovely creature was born in my back yard in the last week. I had been watching it from caterpillar to pupa to cocoon to now. Sadly, I found it on the ground just a few days later, dead with most of one wing gone. I certainly hope it was not a certain cat who was responsible!

I had my second personal chef cookdate for a client this week and this was one of the things I made for her. Yes, peppers are out of season but doesn’t it look good?  Taco stuffed peppers, nice and spicy, and pretty healthy if you manage the cheese!

And, last weekend, I participated in a bakesale in support of aid to Haiti.  This was one of my offerings – Mom Mom Fritch’s Peanut Butter cookies found on Epicurious.com. The recipe is so simple.

1c peanut butter ( either crunch or smooth and of course organic, no sugar or oil added)

1 c sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

Mix together. Roll into balls and place on greased baking sheet ( I think a silicone pad would be better). Press down with tines of a fork, making that classic peanut butter cookie thing. Bake for 8ish minutes at 350º. That is it!! flourless cookies.

So there is a peek into this last week. I will be back to more recipes next post.

I am bowing gracefully out of the Challenge that many of my personal chef friends and I have been doing this last week. I used up a good percentage in items in my freezer. Unfortunately, I also needed to dump too many things. My pantry shelves are cleaned out with a bag for the food pantry and unfortunately a very full bag for the trash.

I appreciate how this made me conscious about my shopping and purchasing of unnecessary items. I need to be more careful about repackaging things, such as putting my grains in glass jars, vacuum sealing what goes in the freezer. I also need to check to see what I have more often. I am not the kind of person who could manage a running list. If I go through the cupboard and freezer occasionally, especially before I go shopping, I might not end up having 3 plastic bags with bits of polenta in them. Time will tell but at least now I have some awareness.

I went shopping yesterday for some produce, eggs, cat food, mineral water, and some chicken… nothing extra. Farmers’ market tomorrow. I still have a jar of the soup I made earlier this week and plans to use the lentils and bacon from the freezer in a meal next week, as well as trying to fit those darn peas in somewhere! 

I challenge you to take a look or even a photo of your freezer and do your shopping from your own house for a week. I would love to hear from you about it.

This has been a great challenge. My freezer is empty of what should have been discarded. I am in the middle of cleaning and organizing the pantry. I have eaten really well this week without shopping until today. I needed some produce, eggs, and after tomorrow, I will be cleaned out of protein to eat this week, so I bought some chicken. Nothing went in the pantry or freezer though. I am seeing how much food I waste by either buying too much or storing it improperly. Time for me to practice what I preach to my personal chef clients!  And it has been great to see my personal chef community take on this challenge and come up with some really creative meals. At the end of the post I will list some blogs where you can read about this.

Tonights dinner was a salad even though it is really not salad weather. It is still quite blustery here in Santa Cruz, not cold but wet! But, I received an excellent recipe in my email box last week and I had enough of the ingredients on hand to make a riff on Lynn Rosetto Casper’s Pineapple and Winter Greens Salad with Warm Chili-Coconut Milk Dressing. Sticking closer to the recipe would have been better. Having peanuts would have been better, but they are off my diet for now. Napa cabbage as Lynn calls for would have been better than arugula. I will make it again. The sauce is lovely!  Here is my version.

Shrimp with Greens and Pineapple with warm chili coconut milk dressing

a big handful of greens/lettuce

2 celery stalks

1 roasted red pepper

1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp

1/2 c diced fresh pineapple ( use canned if you have to)

1/2 can coconut milk

1 tsp. fish sauce

1 T chopped ginger

2 cloves minced garlic

1 T good chili powder ( I used Rancho Gordo’s new mexican chili pwdr) or more to taste

Arrange the greens and other vegetables on a plate, along with the pineapple. In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, and herbs and spices. Bring to a simmer and add the shrimp. Cook until pink and firm. While still hot, place shrimp on the salad and drizzle/pour the sauce over the salad. 

Simple. Healthy. Good. The shrimp came from the freezer. The red pepper was from a jar taken from the pantry earlier in the week, as was the coconut milk. Everything else except the greens which I bought today, I had on hand. 

Check out these personal chef buddies who are blogging about the challenge and are delightful to read on any day.

Tami  of Dine in Diva

Patti Anastasia 

Amy from Eats! a personal chef service

MaryBeth Brinkerhoff of For Goodness Taste

From Ladle to Crave in Newport

Martha of Simply Delicious

It has been interesting to watch the power of social media ( i.e. Facebook) as the idea of the Cook Whatcha Got Challenge grows and begins today. The challenge went out last week and I now know around 12 people who are participating, mostly personal chefs, so far all women. We are, after an initial shopping trip for produce and dairy, cooking from our pantries and freezers. We will be donating what we save by not going to the store to aid in Haiti. It is not too late to start!  

I actually started yesterday with a dinner based on salmon from the freezer. I couldn’t find the recipe I wanted so I winged it and came up with an acceptable version of Salmon with Sherry Vinegar/Honey Glaze. This, I served with a salad made from barley and jarred roasted red peppers from the pantry. I used up a container of olives from the fridge, and fresh ingredients were celery, parsley, goat’s milk feta, and spinach, all dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.  Not a big dent in my supplies but the salmon was delicious. The barley salad, well, could have been better.

Salmon with Sherry Vinegar/Honey Glaze

3/4 lb salmon ( I love Trader Joe’s frozen wild caught Alaska)

1/4 c. honey

1/2c. sherry vinegar

1 T chopped fresh thyme

salt and pepper

butter

Combine the honey, sherry vinegar, and thyme in a small saucepan. Cook over med high heat until reduced by half. Place the salmon in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the glaze over the salmon, and dot with butter. ( how much is up to you, but don’t skip it) Bake in a 350º oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how you like your salmon. I like mine either raw as sushi or a bit more on the done side.

I had the leftover salmon for lunch today and tell you it is delicious cold as well.

Tonight’s dinner was not so picture worthy but tasty. I pulled out a container of Chicken Spinach soup this morning from the freezer. I added some fresh celery, mushrooms, and a handful of the TWO bags of frozen peas I have discovered in my freezer!  I had forgotten how delicious this soup was, made from the carcass and drippings from this recipe.  A big bowl along with a slice of flax bread ( posted earlier) smeared with almond “cheeze” made for a nourishing and comforting dinner after a long day.

Tomorrow… more peas! I will be looking for recipes. I love chicken livers ( I know, either you love them or absolutely hate them) and again, I found TWO containers. I may make some pate or just fry them up. Stay tuned.

Poor parsnips, so under appreciated and under eaten. This is the time of year when they are the best, especially in those areas where they are picked after a bit of frost. ( That doesn’t happen here on the central coast, but we grow them anyway). I stayed away from them for many years myself, when I was counting Weight Watcher points. They are one of the few vegetables that have enough calories to have points. Now, for me, the earthy goodness is what counts, not the points.

Here are a few ideas for you. Of course, roasting them is always good, mixed in with other root vegetables. I covered that in an earlier post. When making up menus for my personal chef clients, I find myself going often to Molly Katzen’s vegetable recipes. Here is her take on mashed parsnips. ( The pictures did not come out, my apologies).

2 lbs parsnips

2 T olive oil

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, or to taste ( I used about 1 T)

salt and pepper to taste

Put up a large saucepan of water to boil. Peel and trim the parsnips. ( I didn’t peel mine, left it a bit “rustic” but healthier) Chop parsnips into 2 or 3 in. pieces.When water boils, add parsnips and cook for about 10 mins. or until very soft. Use a mesh scoop or slotted spoon to remove them from the water, shaking off the excess and transfer to work bowl of food processor. Save the water. ( I just put them into a mixing bowl and used a hand masher). Add the remaining ingredients and process until very smooth. If they seem a bit dry , add some of the cooking water. ( I did, a few teaspoonsful) Add additional s and p if needed.

and another of my favorites, very flavorful!

Spicy Mashed Parsnips

from Shezhad Hussain, Healthy Indian Cooking

2 lbs parsnips, coarsely chopped ( again, I did not peel)

2 T olive oil

1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced

1 green chili ( I used a small jalapeno)

1 tsp mango powder ( I used lemon peel, but plan on buying some mango powder soon)

1 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 T chopped fresh mint

Cook the parsnips in boiling water for about 15 minutes, until soft. Drain and mash with potato masher. Place in mixing bowl with other ingredients and salt to taste. MIx thoroughly.

Give parsnips a chance. They are a bit sweet, a bit earthy, good fall to winter food, keeping us grounded during this hectic season. And, as you can see here, easy to cook!

So many people I know are giving a big sigh of relief today that Thanksgiving is over. Not so, me. It and the Winter Solstice are truly my favorite Holidays. Thanksgiving is about family, love, abundance, sharing. It is a time for gathering your loved ones around you and holding them tightly. For the last 4 years I have gathered with a small group of friends who have become my family. One of our crew moved this year and we felt her absence. I feel so lucky to have people I love, people to cook for. It is important to me to get out the good china, the nice tablecloth. Our feast is a potluck and I know I can taste the love.Yes, it is about food as well, which for me translates to being about the cooking. We had only 2 meat eaters at our feast and I cooked a whole, all be it small, turkey. I will happily have leftovers for some time.

I give thanks for all the love in my life, my family who has known me since birth, my friends whom I cherish, and my larger communities I am blessed to be a part of. I am lucky to belong to a world wide circle of people who live the way of Huichol Shamanism, and I am also lucky to belong to a large online community of personal chefs, many of whom I have gotten to meet in the last year.

I give thanks for the skills and talents the Creator gave me which allows me to love the work that I do. I give thanks to our Earth Mother for all the beautiful food She blesses us with, and all those who labor to bring it to our tables.

I pray for those who are hungry, who will be cold this winter, and those who are lost and lonely. I get to pick and choose what it is I feel like eating tomorrow. I get to sleep in a great bed tonight. I have a fire burning in my fireplace.

I give thanks.