Almond crusted fish….and other Spanish adventures
Ever since I started getting my fish from local, community supported fisherman (see my previous post) I feel like I am getting seriously spoiled. For the past two months I think I have tasted the finest fish ever, from a delicate petrale sole, to a meaty rockfish, to ultra fresh salmon. I love using this service for many reasons, one, I am getting to eat some killer fish that even the finest restaurants don’t serve. Two, this is forcing me to get my Omega 3s weekly in a fun and sustainable way. Three, I am supporting some hard working, local fisherman! I am also putting my creativity to use, thinking of new and inventive ways to prepare the fish every week. I am excited to put these recipes in my cookbook, and share some of them here for you on my blog as gratitude to my subscribers! I will start with a tried and true recipe that works for my entire family (read, even my ultra picky 3 year old loves this)…my Spanish style white fish. One of the best trips I have ever taken in my life was to Malaga Spain. I had just graduated from college, and went with 5 other feisty women, all in our early 20s. We hung out at the beach by day, feasted on seafood and wine at midnight, partied until sunrise, and capped it all off with churros y chocolate at around 6:00 am before going to sleep for the first half of the day.Then did it all over again for Fourteen. Straight. Days. One of my favorite dishes was an almond crusted fish that I try to recreate at home. This is my best interpretation of the dish I ate, and every time I eat it I think of driving through Malaga in a jeep, smelling the salty ocean air, and stopping to dine al fresco in one of their seaside restaurants.
You can use any kind of white fish for this recipe—so long as it is firm enough to stand up to pan frying. Cod, sole, and rockfish all work well. I love using almond meal with the breadcrumbs for the coating, because not only does it turn beautiful golden brown and give it a nutty flavor, but it’s chock full of vitamin E, antioxidants, and some Omega 3s as well. Serve with some veggies and crusty bread and you are good to go!
4 4 oz filets of white fish
1/2 cup of flour
1/3 cup of almond meal, or ground almonds
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
Lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Salt to taste
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil
Spread the flour on one flat plate. In a bowl, whisk the egg with 2 tbs lemon juice. On another plate, mix together the almond meal, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, and salt to taste. Dredge the fish fillets in the flour, then coat with the beaten egg, then dredge them again in the almond cheese mixture. Heat up a large skillet with about 1 tbs of olive oil. Place fillets in pan and cook for about 4 minutes or until golden brown, then flip over and cook for another 4 minutes. If the fillets are really thick, you can continue cooking them buy transferring them to an oven and baking them for 10 more minutes at 400 degrees. Drizzle the fish with lemon juice, and top with chopped almonds. Serve warm with some more lemon wedges if desired.
My latest published article on my favorite dessert recipe, and the benefits of buying organics for Earth Day and everyday!
Hope you are all enjoying the spring weather as much as I am! I am excited to share with you my favorite dessert recipe for Mutabbak—the phyllo and melted cheese confection that is quite similar to bavlava. Now if you have been following my videos and posts you are already familiar with this recipe. However, I just published an article that gives more of a back story and recipe breakdown of this special dessert. Check it all out here:
http://www.losaltosonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42798&Itemid=133
I know this dessert is a splurge, but portion control is hugely important! In general I believe the Middle Eastern diet is all about eating whole, organic foods. However, buying whole foods has become far more complicated in the age of industrial farming and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). You might think that filling your shopping basket with fruits, vegetables, eggs and meats—however if these foods are not pesticide and gmo free, you could be doing more harm to your body than you realize. Genetic engineering causes unexpected mutations in an organism on the cellular level, which can lead to more toxins in your produce and thus your body. The foods on the market most likely to contain GMOs are canola, soy, and corn. These ingredients are used in so many processed foods, from lunchmeat to cereal to frozen meals that you may not even know you are ingesting them. GMO foods are designed to withstand enormous amounts of pesticides, so the chemicals in GMO foods and products are much higher than you would find in organic foods. Thus people have had increased adverse reactions, from more allergies to foods they could formerly tolerate to weight gain, yes weight gain! When you ingest toxins and pesticides, the safest place they can be stored is in your fat cells. So, the body holds on to the fat cells to protect the rest of your body from these toxins. Now the more GMOs and pesticides you eat, the more the fat cells expand to store the toxins! Also, while GMO fruits and veggies might look colorful and fresh, they can be weeks old and have little nutritional value compared to organic produce. In studies, scientists have found that GMO crops can cause cancerous legions and miscarriages in mice. GMOs also harm the environment in that once GMO pollen is released in fields, they can contaminate non GMO fruits and vegetables, causing irreversible damage. So my friends, here is a list on how to shop for the best foods for earth day, and everyday:
1) Support organic farmers with your dollars. Organic farmers do not use toxic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, which can eventually leach into your drinking water . Organically grown food helps to preserve the integrity of our water supply.
2) Those little stickers on fruits and some vegetables can inform you as an organic shopper. For instance, a four digit number on the sticker on an apple means the apple was conventionally grown, meaning there are mostly likely some pesticides on the apple, but no GMO tampering. A five digit number starting with the number 8 means that the fruit or vegetable was genetically modified—so it is best to stay away. A 5 digit sticker beginning with the number 9 means the produce is organic, meaning no pesticides, and no gmos.
3) You may also notice that the GMO produce does not have any smell. The nose knows-—use your nose to direct you to the most nutritious produce.
4) To ensure that you get the freshest produce around, go to your local farmers market, where the fruits and vegetables were picked that morning rather than weeks before, ensuring maximum nutritional value. Not all farmers can afford the organic certification, yet use organic practices on their farms. Get to know your local farmers and learn how they grow their produce and you can pay even less for organic produce that does not necessarily have the organic label.
5) Buy organic, free range beef, and try to limit beef consumption. Make sure that the beef you buy is grass fed, as cows cannot digest corn and actually get quite sick from eating corn, thus needing antibiotics. If you want to buy ground beef, make sure you pick the piece of meat you want and have the butcher grind it for you so that there is no pink slime. More than 80% of ground beef on the market today have pink slime, which is basically inedible cow grizzle treated with ammonia to kill all of the bacteria. The ramifications to the environment is even more dire. Confined animals generate three times more raw waste than humans in the United States. Deforestation for animal grazing and feed crops is estimated to emit 2.4 billion tons of CO2 every year.
6) By only organic, free range chicken. Scientists studying conventional chicken have found arsenic, prozac, antibiotics, and the active ingredients found in Benadryl and Tylenol in feather meal of chickens—shoot you might as well use your whole medicine cabinet as a marinade for your chicken—or better yet limit chicken consumption all together.
7) To get the freshest fish available, stay away from farmed varieties, particularly farmed salmon, which is 16 times higher in PCBs than wild salmon. PCBs are polucholorinated biphenyls, which are persistent, cancer-causing chemicals banned in the United States in 1976. PCBs actually accumulate in oceans and rivers from the fishmeal that is fed to farmed fish. Check to see if you have Community Supported Seafood or Fisherman (known as CSS or CSFs) in your area, where they catch the wild fish that day and deliver them to nearby neighborhoods. I have used this service with HH Fresh Fish and tasted some of the best fish in my entire life. Otherwise, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch : http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx for guidelines on the most sustainable fish and seafood to eat.
It is a tragedy that we must work so hard to find good old fashioned whole foods that are untainted, but the effort and extra expense is worth it to ensure a healthier mind and body. The extra expense for the organic foods will be worth it in the long run. Ingesting toxic foods day after day will no doubt translate to much higher hospital bills. Once these shopping tips become a habit and you realize how amazingly delicious fresh, untainted food can be you won’t look back!
Over time I have received quite a few e-mails asking me how I stay fairly trim despite indulging in lazy cakes and muttabak (buttery phyllo dough and cheese) as seen in my videos. Well, the short answer is 80% of my diet is pretty healthy, but when I indulge, I practice portion control. Now healthy does not have to mean tasteless, and there are some pretty amazing products out there that allow you to eat some satisfying meals without doing a double duty on the booty. Take shiratake noodles. I have been cooking with them for over a couple of years now—and they are a fabulous invention! Shiratake noodles are made from tofu and yam flour, and they have been popular in Japan, the land of skinny people, for a very long time. They are only 40 calories for a whole package, have negligible carbs, are tender like noodles, and take on the flavor of any sauce or broth you put with them. Make sure you rinse and drain them before using them—sometimes they have a funky smell that is harmless and washes right off with water. They are so versatile, you can stir fry them with veggies and your favorite peanut sauce for some Asian flair, or you can try a Mediterranean version which I have created below. I love using marinara sauce with them, but here I have used the Laughing Cow Light herb wedges, which, at only 35 calories a piece, make a light and creamy sauce. This whole recipe, when divided by 2, is around 300 calories, high in filling protein and fiber, low in fat. Best of all, this dish is super filling—you won’t be reaching for cannolis after munching on this “pasta” dish.
1 package shiratake noodle1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)
1 tbs olive oil
Handful of fresh spinach
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup broccoli
1/3 cup chopped basil
1 cup precooked chicken, or shrimp, or tofu
4 wedges Laughing Cow light herb cheese
2 tbs parmesan cheese
Pepper to taste
Rinse shiratake noodles in water, strain, then set aside.
In a saucepan, sauté mushrooms and broccoli in olive oil until mushrooms are browned. Add spinach, dried tomatoes, and chicken broth and stir until spinach wilts. Stir in the wedges of cheese, basil, noodles and chicken until the cheese is melted and creamy. Top with parmesan cheese. Serves two.
Another hot foodie event –coming to Berkeley, California!!
And my obsession with olive oil continues–what a great way to celebrate springtime!
Fourth Annual California Extra Virgin Olive Oil Festival
Sat, March 17 2-4
The Pasta Shop Fourth Street 1786 4th St Berkeley
This annual event showcases the extra virgin olive oils from California’s most recent harvest, featuring tastings, food pairings, cooking demos, and conversations with producers from around the state. Taste a range of oils from the fruity and mild Arbequina, to the robust, pungent and peppery Tuscan blends. Recipes will be prepared using different oils to show how flavor profiles directly change the taste of the finished recipes. And not to be missed, The Ice Cream and Olive Oil Bar, offering a variety of combinations. Sample signature recipes from The Pasta Shop–olive oil brownies, olive oil cake, and Challah 510.250.6004 www.pastashop.net. No charge except for purchases.
Olive Oil: Why Extra Virgin Has Lost its Innocence….
Just got an e-mail from Cost Plus World Market last week: Sale! Three hours only! Extra virgin, cold pressed from Italy, only $3.99! The old me would have thought that was an amazing deal, and stocked up for the year. Now, I know better having just read an alarming new book called “Extra Virginity, the Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil,” by author and journalist Tom Mueller. Tom Mueller has become one of the world’s authorities on olive oil and olive oil fraud–a story of globalization, deception, and crime in the food industry. According to his book, really good olive oil costs 6 euros (almost 8 dollars) just to produce alone, before bottling, branding, and marketing. So is $3.99 a good deal? You bet it is, but you get what you pay for. Perhaps Cost Plus is unloading a lot of old oil off the shelves, or found a benevolent supplier who felt like giving the oil away for practically nothing. I don’t want to accuse the store of anything, but it’s up to me to educate myself on what to buy. Olive oil is one of the most tainted food products from the European Union—much of it is counterfeit. Even the most well intentioned shopper searching for “Cold pressed, organic, extra virgin olive oil, made in Italy,” can still be duped by the label. That very oil with all of its sunny descriptions could very well be a subgrade oil that has nothing to do with olives and thus does not offer the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of the real deal. The flavor suffers dramatically as well.
By Tom Mueller
Mueller in his book bravely exposes the corruption and greed behind this commodity. He describes how producers take rotten olives, or worse, soybean or hazelnut oil and add chlorophyll or beta carotene to make the oil green—or how they deodorize (or heat at mild temps) the oil to erase any bad smells or flavors. He exposes how the mafia or big producers try to control the many aspects of oil production in Italy–even when whistleblowers expose them and win in court. He demonstrates how even our own FDA cannot monitor whether the oil you buy in the United States is truly organic or not. Our tastes have been eroded by the glut of mediocre olive oils, where consumers have been guided to value a mild smoothness of flavor versus the robust, rich, fruity and peppery taste of good quality oil. I had the privilege of meeting Mueller at his book signing at Purcell Murray in California. He made the excellent point that olives are a fruit, and just like we value the quality of fresh fruit juice, the same applies to olive oil. Not only that, I learned that good olive oil is very difficult and expensive to produce. When asked how the average consumer can spot a good quality oil, he said to pay attention to the harvest date on the label. He also said it was a good sign when the label defines when the olives were harvested, and where the oil was produced, not just bottled or packed. Another good omen is approval of the COOC, otherwise known as the California Olive Oil Commission. Olive oils with this certification have passed chemical and taste tests set for California and have passed as 100% real extra virgin olive oil. Most of all, follow your own senses and take the time to smell and taste the oil. If you take your olive oil seriously, if you want to spend your money on real evoo and not the counterfeit imitations, and if you want to support the true producers who put their sweat, passion, and tears into making this liquid gold—educate yourself with this olive oil buying bible: http://www.extravirginity.com/extra-virginity/
Tasted six excellent varietals of extra virgin olive oil
After the discussion with the author, we began the olive oil tasting, which truly was a sensory awakening experience. From the six cups placed before us of olive oils from Australia, Spain, Italy, California, and the West Bank in Palestine, we were instructed to swirl, sniff, sip, and smell from each cup. We cleansed our palates in between with green apple wedges and water. This made me realize how in our busy American culture, we never really take the time to smell our food. Even in ordering takeout we omit the olfactory experience of filling our kitchens with cooking aromas prior to eating. I know it sounds gross to drink straight oil, but the point was to coat the tongue and gurgle just slightly to get the full flavor.
Instantly transported to my grandmother's kitchen in Bethlehem
I was dumbfounded by the smells of the olive oils: in one, I smelled the combo of tomatoes and grass, in another, artichoke and mint. I particularly enjoyed the one from Italy called Crudo, which had a buttery flavor and a peppery finish. Then lastly I tried the Daskara olive oil from the West Bank, featuring Nabali olives—and the oil not only talked to me, but sang music to me as well. Instantly I was transported to my childhood, where I spent summers in Bethlehem with my grandmother. We would dip her fresh baked pita bread in olive oil just like this, followed by the nutty and fragrant za’atar spice. I almost cried from the memory. Is this what olive oil was supposed to do? How could a condiment bring out all of these emotions? I had brought along my mother, and as she tried the West bank oil she began to excitedly dip every piece of bread she had on her plate until she finished it all.
Savoring every last drop
She recounted how her mother in Palestine would make her drink ¼ cup of the elixir every morning to make her bones stronger. She recalled how they would rub olive oil on their skin to cure everything from swollen glands to stomach pain. No surprise that in Mueller’s book he mentioned olive oil was first domesticated thousands of years ago in Ekron, Palestine. Now I understood Mueller’s book completely. I understood why the cast of colorful people in his book felt so strongly about preserving the art of making true olive oil–from the passionate De Carlo family in Puglia Italy to the scientific Andreas Martz in Germany. I understand now why Mueller took the time to paint a picture of the landscapes for the readers mind, and how the environment affects the flavor of the olives on the ancient trees. After the tasting we were treated to a satisfying lunch featuring recipes from London based Lebanese chef Anissa Helou. Her latest books, “Mediterranean Street Food,” and “Savory Baking from the Mediterranean” feature authentic, fun, and accessible recipes from the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. While many renowned chefs seem to neglect the delicate nuances of olive oil in their cuisine, Helou embraces the olive oil differences and structured her cuisine around the strengths of each bottle. In the delectable plates set before us, olive oil was not just a condiment, but the star of the show.
Feta Cheese Salad, Turkish Meat Borek,Carrots and Lentils with Greek Yogurt, Smoked Wheat Risotto (Frikeh)
The robust and rustic Daskara olive oil was a perfect compliment to her zesty feta salad. The nutty and buttery nuances of the California Olive Ranch olive oil brought out the sweetness of the meat wrapped with rich crispy puff pastry in the Turkish meat boreks. A simple carrot and lentil salad tasted like a rich dessert when paired with the Bozzano oil from Stockton–which to me had a sweet tomato smell. You can learn more about Helou, her story, books and recipes at : http://anissahelou.com/ The ultimate test though was when I got home. I reached for the cold pressed, organic, extra virgin olive oil I bought from the supermarket a week ago and poured some in a glass. I sniffed it, and it smelled like nothing. No grass, no tomato, no straw, no artichoke…..nothing. I tasted it, and it actually tasted a bit rancid. No peppery or floral notes–just an acrid amalgam of indiscernible flavors. What the heck have I been cooking with this whole time? Thankfully now I know better. To make your olive oil shopping journey a bit easier, here is a list of the excellent oils that we tried at the tasting. Do a taste comparison yourself and come back and share your findings!
Bozzano Olive Ranch,Stockton,California
CaliforniaOlive Ranch,Oroville,California
Daskara Palastina Prima, West Bank,Palestine
Crudo, Puglia,Italy
Cobram, Victoria,Australia
Corto Olive Oil, Stockton,California
Marchesi De Frescibaldi Laudemio,Tuscany,Italy
Marques de Valdueza, Extremadura,Spain
The Olive Press, Sonoma,California
Three hot upcoming events for my foodie friends!
This year is already coming off to an exciting start in the foodie world. I mentioned in a previous blog how much I value olive oil above all other oils. Well there is a provocative new book coming out by Tom Mueller with the spicy title: ”Extra Virginity, the Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil.” Have you ever purchased a bottle of olive oil only to be disappointed that it tasted flat or rancid? Mueller researches the corrupt world behind these fraudulent olive oils, and the importance of supporting true artisans trying to preserve the ancient art of pure extra virgin olive oil. Don’t be fooled by the “Made in Italy” inscriptions on the bottles–read this book to find out why! Tom Mueller will be at three exciting events in the San Francisco Bay Area this month–and here is the information below:
The Pasta Shop 5655 College Avenue, Oakland, CA
5655 College Avenue Oakland, CA 94618
Luncheon of Middle Eastern flavors with Anissa Helou
Moderated by Jane Goldman
185 Park Lane
Brisbane CA 94005
Producers, representatives, and olive oil experts will be in attendance.
