ok everyone, sorry for the super delay in posting. final exam time is upon us and i haven't had time to cook anything interesting or blog about the things that were. anyways, i just left victoria on my way back to vancouver for my last 3 finals (physics, sport psych and bio psych). unfortunately, as i woke up at 9:30 to catch the 11 am ferry, i noticed there was an odd amount of water on the floor. my first thought: did christina turn off the shower last night? yah she did - the rain decided to come in through the foundation. that is defs not good. so i am a little bit flustered from the craziness of home, and thought a blog post would be the perfect way to calm down before starting some readings. so, here we go.
here's the second installment of the ingredient of the week! this time, it's salmon. i lovee salmon, and at home we used to eat it at least once a week (dad does it really nicely on the bbq). since i began cooking for myself, i hadn't really had any salmon until this week. when i went to costco with my dad, i bought a big bag of frozen salmon fillets. i know it seems weird to buy it frozen, but it's really just as good. the texture is the same, and it's super handy because they are individually wrapped (perfect portion sizes!) and only take ~6 hours to defrost. plus, you don't need to worry about it going bad!
salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3's (specifically EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA: dohosahexaenoic acid). what are they? essential fatty acids, meaning, you need them for healthy living. unfortunately, our body cannot create these molecules so you need to have them in your diet regularly. our brains contain over 60% structural fat (think: brain cells, or neurons). as most of you learned in high school biology, cell membranes are composed of a lipid layer. here's where the omega-3 fatty acids come in - they are especially fluid and flexible, making it easier to allow nutrients to come in, and waste to move out. EPA, found in salmon, is one of the best types of omega-3's for this job.
so other than keeping your brain working, omega-3's also improve your cardiovascular health: preventing damage of cholesterol in your arteries (once damaged, it begins to clog), improves healthy cholesterol levels and prevent erratic heart rhythms.
omega-3's also have huge anti-inflammatory effects. this is because they effect the production or prostaglandins - hormone-like molecules. EPA is the immediate precursor for series 3 prostaglandins, an anti-inflammatory type that prevents platelets from sticking together and improves blood flow.
salmon is also a good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B12, which all help to lower total blood cholesterol. niacin in particular has been proven to help prevent Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.
so, for my first salmon dinner away from home i made teryiaki salmon with garlic roast veg. nom nom nom!
what you need:
1 fillet of salmon
1 tbsp teryiaki sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
step 1:
pre-heat oven to 400. put salmon into a small dish and pour teryiaki sauce over top. mix around so fillet is covered and place plastic wrap on top. marinade for ~20 minutes.
step 2:
in the mean time, roughly chop up your veggies and place in a large dish. finely slice the garlic and scatter throughout dish. pour 1 tsp olive oil on top and mix. place in oven for ~25 minutes (if you don't use broccoli the time will come down a lot).
step 3:
take a pan and set to medium-high heat and pour in 1 tsp olive oil. let the pan get nice and hot, then carefully place your salmon in. it should sizzle and splatter for a few minutes. leave for ~5 minutes, depending on how thick the salmon is. flip over to the other side.
step 4:
by the time the salmon is finished, the veggies should be done as well. plate up!
here's the second installment of the ingredient of the week! this time, it's salmon. i lovee salmon, and at home we used to eat it at least once a week (dad does it really nicely on the bbq). since i began cooking for myself, i hadn't really had any salmon until this week. when i went to costco with my dad, i bought a big bag of frozen salmon fillets. i know it seems weird to buy it frozen, but it's really just as good. the texture is the same, and it's super handy because they are individually wrapped (perfect portion sizes!) and only take ~6 hours to defrost. plus, you don't need to worry about it going bad!
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| bearie bears also love to eat salmon |
so other than keeping your brain working, omega-3's also improve your cardiovascular health: preventing damage of cholesterol in your arteries (once damaged, it begins to clog), improves healthy cholesterol levels and prevent erratic heart rhythms.
omega-3's also have huge anti-inflammatory effects. this is because they effect the production or prostaglandins - hormone-like molecules. EPA is the immediate precursor for series 3 prostaglandins, an anti-inflammatory type that prevents platelets from sticking together and improves blood flow.
salmon is also a good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B12, which all help to lower total blood cholesterol. niacin in particular has been proven to help prevent Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.
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| my birthday dinner - salmon and veggies |
what you need:
1 fillet of salmon
1 tbsp teryiaki sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
step 1:
pre-heat oven to 400. put salmon into a small dish and pour teryiaki sauce over top. mix around so fillet is covered and place plastic wrap on top. marinade for ~20 minutes.
step 2:
in the mean time, roughly chop up your veggies and place in a large dish. finely slice the garlic and scatter throughout dish. pour 1 tsp olive oil on top and mix. place in oven for ~25 minutes (if you don't use broccoli the time will come down a lot).
step 3:
take a pan and set to medium-high heat and pour in 1 tsp olive oil. let the pan get nice and hot, then carefully place your salmon in. it should sizzle and splatter for a few minutes. leave for ~5 minutes, depending on how thick the salmon is. flip over to the other side.
step 4:
by the time the salmon is finished, the veggies should be done as well. plate up!
No carbs! :O Looks yummy though :)
ReplyDeleteOmega 3s! I remember when eating was much less complicated. It was either delicious and bad for you OR unappetizing and good for you! Have you tried covering the salmon when cooking it, that way you can use a lower heat and still have it nicely cooked. Salmon should be mandatory food every week for British Columbians.
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