New medical studies say fish with Omega-3 fatty acids, including mackerel, herring, and salmon, have many health benefits. Mayo Clinic cites these benefits in an article, "How Eating Fish Helps Your Heart." The benefits: brain development in children, decreasing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, enhancing the immune system, and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack. Wow.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute lists additional benefits on its Web site. "The Omega-3 oils found in certain types of seafood, including Alaska salmon, have been linked to improvements in or prevention of certain kinds of cancer, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, arthritis, asthma, certain kinds of mental illness, depression and lupis," the site notes.
You are lucky if you live in an area that has an abundance of fresh fish. I live in Minnesota and, while our grocery stores carry farm-raised fresh salmon, I do not buy it because of a sign that reads, "Color added." Eating artificially colored salmon does not appeal to me, so I buy wild salmon or canned. We had salmon for dinner last night and it was delicious.
Since I did not have a recipe, I made a basic white sauce, seasoned it a bit, and added some leftover asparagus I had already steamed. I added a fresh spinach and carrot salad and tiny fingers of Parmesan toast. We had white wine with dinner and felt like we were in a fancy restaurant. Stumped on dinner? Try my Creamed Salmon with Fresh Asparagus.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt free lemon pepper seasoning
Dash of paprika
6 asparagus spears, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 6-ounce can Wild Alaskan Salmon, drained and separated into chunks
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon light olive oil
METHOD
Melt the margarine in a small saucepan. Whisk in Wondra flour, making sure all lumps are gone, and then the milk. Add cream cheese, lemon pepper seasoning, and paprika. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick. Fold in asparagus and salmon.
Pour mixture into two small, oven-proof dishes that have been coated with cooking spray. Mix the bread crumbs and olive oil together until they clump a bit. Sprinkle crumbs over salmon. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce starts to bubble.
Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson
You are lucky if you live in an area that has an abundance of fresh fish. I live in Minnesota and, while our grocery stores carry farm-raised fresh salmon, I do not buy it because of a sign that reads, "Color added." Eating artificially colored salmon does not appeal to me, so I buy wild salmon or canned. We had salmon for dinner last night and it was delicious.
Since I did not have a recipe, I made a basic white sauce, seasoned it a bit, and added some leftover asparagus I had already steamed. I added a fresh spinach and carrot salad and tiny fingers of Parmesan toast. We had white wine with dinner and felt like we were in a fancy restaurant. Stumped on dinner? Try my Creamed Salmon with Fresh Asparagus.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt free lemon pepper seasoning
Dash of paprika
6 asparagus spears, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 6-ounce can Wild Alaskan Salmon, drained and separated into chunks
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon light olive oil
METHOD
Melt the margarine in a small saucepan. Whisk in Wondra flour, making sure all lumps are gone, and then the milk. Add cream cheese, lemon pepper seasoning, and paprika. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick. Fold in asparagus and salmon.
Pour mixture into two small, oven-proof dishes that have been coated with cooking spray. Mix the bread crumbs and olive oil together until they clump a bit. Sprinkle crumbs over salmon. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce starts to bubble.
Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson
http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the first "Rochester Magazine." Hodgson's 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find another review on the American Hospice Foundaiton Web site under the "School Corner" heading.
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the first "Rochester Magazine." Hodgson's 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find another review on the American Hospice Foundaiton Web site under the "School Corner" heading.
