This fanciful looking dish, bursting with Mediterranean flair, is a great way to break away from the dinnertime blahs. Other nuts such as pine nuts, almonds, and pecans would work here, too. Herbs de Provence contains a mixture of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and other dried herbs, and is a great way to punch up whole grains. You can also use whichever dried herbs you have on hand or the Middle Eastern spice mixture za’atar.
2/3 cup (160 mL) millet
2 tsp (10 mL) Herbs de Provence
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnuts, preferably toasted
1/3 cup (80 mL) finely chopped kalamata olives
1/3 cup (80 mL) finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup (80 mL) pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 green onion, chopped
1 Tbsp (15 mL) + 1 tsp (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
4 large red bell peppers
1/4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
Place millet, Herbs de Provence, and 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered until millet is tender, about
25 minutes. Remove from heat, drain any excess water, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff millet with fork and toss with walnuts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, parsley, and green onion in large bowl.
In small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Add dressing to millet mixture and toss to combine.
Preheat oven broiler. Slice red peppers in half lengthwise and discard seeds, inner white membrane, and stem. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheet and brush with remaining oil. Broil, about 6 in (15 cm) from heat, until skins are slightly charred and peppers are tender, about 8 minutes.
To serve, turn peppers over, stuff with millet mixture, and garnish with Parmesan.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains: 390 calories; 11 g protein; 21 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 44 g total carbohydrates (10 g sugars, 9 g fibre); 241 mg sodium
source: "Go Nuts", alive #372, October 2013
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.