Wednesday, October 28, 2015

LOVE

This cast iron panful was inspired by the front of the Vital Choice catalog. I cannot say enough good things about that company. My Functional Medicine doctor recommended it to me for sustainably harvested, sushi-grade wild seafood and I've never looked back. I am not compensated or otherwise encouraged to speak up for this company, but I'm nevertheless compelled to give them a thumbs-up! The products are superlative and delicious, the customer service is first rate, and there are gobs of online tutorials on their website about cooking and handling the food. Love them!

This salmon never gets old. I eat it about three times per week. My favorite way to fix it is in the broiler in cast iron.  I preheat the pan on 500 degrees in the oven, then put the skin-on portions in the pan with a little olive oil or grass-fed butter, salt and pepper, then turn on the broiler and cook for only 5 minutes. I like it medium-rare. In this case, I sauteed some fresh veggies in coconut oil with a few fennel seeds for a few minutes, then put them in the pan along with the raw fish. The whole thing was amazing!

Tips that worked out well for me:

Sauteing the veggies for a few minutes before broiling them helps them retain moisture and flavor in the fast, dry heat of the broiler.  You can do it quite some time before preheating the pan, and just let it sit off the burner so you aren't worried about doing too many things at once during the preheating and broiling process, which has to be carefully watched.

Preheating the iron pan ensures that the fish doesn't stick to it, and is also cooked evenly all the way through, not just on top. You won't regret this extra step. It'll save you 15 minutes of scrubbing fish skin off the pan, if nothing else! The fish slides right out of the pan if it is hot first.

I love simple, good food like this. Can't wait for the next batch!

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Radishes!

I only have a "before" photo, but isn't it pretty?  As we strive to incorporate 9 cups of veg each day, It takes a little imagination to avoid getting into a rut. I bought the radishes because they were pretty, with nary a plan in mind. I wound up thinking outside of the box with a buttery saute (grass-fed butter) along with daikon and the best of the green radish tops. I chopped all of it roughly, and quickly sauteed the tubers and greens at medium-high heat. I stirred constantly and took the pan off the heat before the butter could burn. I sprinkled a little kosher salt on top and ate them all myself. The flavor was amazing -- peppery but mellow and rich, with a little crunchiness left inside. Anyone's always welcome to have a bit of my fab food, but I usually don't get any takers when I do crazy things like this. It works out well for me.