Category Archives: gallery

Breaking our Salmon Pattern

My father used to go salmon fishing every year when I was young.  He’d come home with stories not so much about catching these giant fish, but more about snagging them.  Apparently catching salmon doesn’t take a great deal of talent during the spawning season.  I guess that would be when we started eating salmon.  Not regularly, but when it was caught on one of his fishing adventures.

As I grew older and began making my own decisions in life, I didn’t really eat any fish or any meat for that matter.  I was largely a live diet kind of gal in my traveling years and then when I did settle somewhere I gardened extensively and ate lots of soy bean, tofu and homemade seitan.  Now I am settled in a new way and while we still garden and try our best to eat naturally, we do purchase fish from the local coop (since we do live in one of the last fisherman working waterfronts on the East coast) and occasionally at the larger store in town.

I don’t usually do the town shopping.  It’s just not my thing, so it is up to my husband to make the buying decisions in the fish department and a couple of times last month he purchased wild caught salmon.  We avoid farm raised fish for all the right reasons, like high fat content, poor omega-3 value, antibiotics and chemical weirdness used in farming conditions and, especially in the case of salmon, the studies that have revealed high levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether compounds (PBDE) or more commonly known as fire retardant (yikes!).

I have very few salmon recipes.  We often enjoy it with butter and dill.  Or our other favorite is ginger and teriyaki.  Someone mentioned maple syrup recently and although strange I can see its appeal.  I however was endeavoring for something mind-blowing in the salmon recipe department and happened upon a recipe for feta-crusted salmon that while my brain screamed no, there was a little piece of me that was thinking, yeah…baby…there’s the ticket.  Needless to say, the little piece won and we tried the feta-crusted salmon.

It was outstanding.  I was totally not sure.  Even as I pulled it out of the oven, I was thinking, man, no one is going to eat this (often my cooking experiments don’t go as well as planned).  But low and behold the fish was fabulous.  Really how can you go wrong with Feta (as a stinky cheese fan I find it impossible)?

Without further ado, I share with you the recipe for feta-crusted salmon and I suggest that you use wild caught salmon for your recipe too and enjoy all the natural goodness of this delicious fish.

Feta Crusted Wild Salmon
Recipe Type: Main
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 4
a delightful way to have salmon that breaks the normal mold…at least in our house
Ingredients
  • 2 pound wild salmon fillets (bones removed)
  • 1/3 cup mayonaise or nayonaise
  • 1 tbspn cream cheese
  • 1 tbspn mustard (prepared)
  • 1 tspn balsalmic vinegar (or red wine vinegar worked fine when I didn’t have the good stuff)
  • 1/2 tspn paprika
  • 1 tspn garlic
  • 1 1/2 tspn onion powder
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/3 cup Japanese Panko Flakes
Instructions
  1. In a bowl mix the mayo, mustard, vinegar, paprika, garlic, and onion. Stir well
  2. Add the feta cheese and cream cheese. Continue mixing until mostly smooth (there will be some feta lumps)
  3. oil your baking sheet
  4. place Salmon skin side down on baking sheet
  5. salt and pepper the fish
  6. cover with feta mixture
  7. sprinkle panko flakes over feta mixture (cover well)
  8. Bake in preheated oven 400 degrees

Homemade Classic Party Mix Recipe

Every Holiday when I was a kid, there was party mix around for munching.  It’s so yummy!  I haven’t had it in years though as, well, I couldn’t find natural foods to replace those called for.

I can now though!

Annie’s makes an organic worcestershire sauce, you can replace the big brand cereal called for (which contains “BHT for Freshness” – Ick) with natural and organic alternatives and, that’s true for pretty much everything else called for as well now.  Yay!

Of course, they  make this stuff in bags now you can buy at the supermarket.  That’s even farther from all natural though and, doesn’t taste nearly as good as homemade party mix!

You can put your own spin on this homemade classic party mix recipe too.  For example, if you enjoy things a bit spicier, add some cayenne pepper and Tabasco to the butter mixture.  Or, if your adventurous, experiment with your favorite flavors and please, come back and share with us how tasty it all turns out!

And don’t forget, you can create pretty mason jars (great kids project) and add party mix for homemade, green Holiday gift that’s perfect for neighbors, delivery people, your kid’s teachers, and so many others!

Homemade Classic Party Mix Recipe
Recipe Type: Appetiser
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 20 mins
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 3 cups Corn “Chex” style cereal
  • 3 cups Rice “Chex” style cereal
  • 3 cups Wheat “Chex” style cereal
  • 1 cup mixed nuts
  • 1 1/2 cup bite size pretzels
  • 1 1/4 cup bagel chips and/or melba toasts broken into 1 in pieces and/or plain Os (ie Cherrios)
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt or seasoned salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 250
  2. Put cereals, nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips into a big bowl.
  3. Melt butter on stove top
  4. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  5. Stir well.
  6. Now pour butter mixture over cereal mixture being sure to spread around as evenly as possible.
  7. Place seasoned cereal onto a baking sheet and place in oven for 1hr stirring every fifteen min.
  8. Remove from oven, allow to cool (or not!) and enjoy!
  9. Store in glass container or jar once thoroughly cooled.

 

A New Spin On Black Friday

How’s this for “Black Friday” deals – Free black and black and white cats!  That’s what was going on at one of our local animal shelter today; so we went there instead of the local big box store or mall for an excellent Black Friday deal.  Here he is, Mr. Black Friday cat (aka Harry) to the left!

We have two other natural pets that are both from animal shelters as well and it really is so easy and wonderful to adopt a pet from an animal rescue organization.

As for Harry, we decided we’d like to explore getting another cat awhile ago but just hadn’t found the right opportunity.

Then, we heard about a special event one of our local animal shelters was having for  “Black Friday” and every other Friday in November; adult black, and black and white cats are free while black kittens and dogs are up for adoption with reduced rates.

Why black cats?  According to many shelters black colored pets are adopted far less often than their blond, grey, white or other colored brethren.  Yet, like everything else in life – it’s not the color that matters, it’s the spirit inside.

We were drawn to the special “sale” because we had a dear black cat (a stray my husband found and brought home) many years ago who was killed by a car.  My hubby, boys and I still hold a soft spot for all those black felines out there.  So, when we heard about this it seemed like a great event, at the right time, plus, the two older kids were of school for the day so they could come along with our youngest and I to pick out our new furry family member.

When we got to the shelter there were lovely cats everywhere!  So many were friendly and happy and just so sweet.  We pet all those we could but, did focus on the black freebies!

Then we saw him.  The coolest cat in the cave!  He was hanging out but not running around and just looked so awesome.  I picked him up and he just molded right to my shoulder.  Then he let the boys hold him….and that was it!  He was already neutered too as were all those cats that could go home today since spaying and neutering is such an important part of keeping animals out of shelters.

All we had to do was fill out a bit of paperwork and he was ours along with a bag of his food (so its easier to switch him over to the type of food we feed the cats) and a free vet checkup to boot!

It was fun, easy and although it was a bit sad we couldn’t take all the pets home, we’re glad to be offering a “furrever” home to at least one of them.

I simply can not recommend adopting a rescue pet enough.  So many cats, dogs and other pets need a home and, not only do you give them the gift of a new life filled with love – you get a new best friend!