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Brain health, choices, DHA, Eating, energy, energy foods, exhausted, Feeling energized, food, Health, heat, Kebba, stress
© 2012 Kebba Buckley Button. World Rights Reserved.
The second-biggest danger of the summer heat is going out of your mind. No, seriously, in the heat, you need to keep your brain especially well hydrated and well-nourished. Salmon is a star in the galaxy of DHA-rich foods, which keep your brain bouncy and clear-functioning. Here is a simple recipe with some options for fun snacking later.
Pan-Broiled Salmon for two and for later
Note: You will need 2 10-inch sauté pans
2-2 ½ lb salmon fillet, boneless and skinless (easy package to
find in a warehouse club, usually super fresh)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Mixed peppercorns in grinder
Use sharp kitchen shears to cut the piece in half, so one half will fit in each of your 2 10-inch sauté pans. Lightly oil the 2 sauté pans and sprinkle salt and pepper across the oiled surface. Heat to medium-high, until you see the oil shimmer. Place 1 salmon filet half in each pan. Cook on that side until well-browned. Salt and pepper the uncooked side, and turn with wide spatula. Cook the second side until well-browned. Turn the heat to medium-low (4 of 10) and cover. Set a timer for 6 minutes. Check the thickest piece for doneness: it must have no dark pink showing in the center. Cook for several more minutes, if necessary. Let cool on a platter until you are ready to take the portions for your salads. If you are weighing cooked portions, weigh the amount you want, and then break up the salmon into attractive bite-size flakes. It will look like much more than an unbroken piece.
Use the salmon hot and serve with a side salad, or chill it to use in portions on meal-size salads.
Lowfat Creamy Herb Salad Dressing (for 2)
½ c plain nonfat Greek yogurt (tastes creamy, is high protein, yet is nonfat)
1 T white vinegar
1 ½ T dry ranch dressing mix
Blend in a rocket/bullet blender for 30 seconds. Add water 1 t at a time, and blend 10 more seconds, if a thinner consistency is desired.
Salmon Salad for Sandwiches
For each sandwich: flake 3 oz of the pan-broiled salmon
Blend with 1 T of the dressing
Use the freshest bread, include organic baby greens, and slice in some very fresh, ripe tomatoes. Trim the plate with a few Kalamata olives.
Quickest snacks
Part of the art of eating well and healthfully in the hottest times of summer is having quick food to grab. Because you and your family will often come home tired on blasting hot days, you’ll be grateful to yourself for keeping healthy cool foods ready to eat. Some of these could be: celery sticks, jicama sticks, cherry tomatoes, cherries, berries, grapes, bananas, pineapple chunks, dates, peaches, nectarines, Pan-Broiled Chicken, Pan-Broiled Salmon, hard-boiled eggs, boiled organic potato chunks, cans of organic beans or chick peas, and raw almonds or cashews. You might call this collection, “the fastest slow food you can get”.
Can you have great days and wonderful relationships in the desert summer season? Absolutely, you can. Eat well for the weather, follow the other tips in this series, and you will sail triumphantly through the hot season!
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● Reach the writer at kebba@kebba.com .
Healthy Happy Loving Life! 