Braised Salmon with Noodles and Bok Choy

You can scale this quick, tasty meal-in-a-skillet recipe down for one, or scale it up to serve more. Serves 2 as written.

Click here to watch video of this recipe being prepared by Chef Kornfeld.

Ingredients
2 cups water
¼ cup bonito flakes
¼ cup shoyu (natural soy sauce)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar, preferably a natural sugar such as maple
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or organic macadamia nut oil
4 ounces rice vermicelli
2 heads baby bok choy, cut into ½-inch diagonal pieces
Two 6-ounce fillet portions wild salmon
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Procedure
Bring the water to a boil in a small pot. Turn off the heat and add the bonito flakes. Let steep for 1 minute. Drain and reserve the liquid, adding it to a medium skillet. Discard the flakes. Add the ginger, shoyu, sugar, and toasted sesame oil to the bonito water. Heat the liquid to a boil; add the rice noodles and greens. Lower the heat, cover and simmer 3 minutes, lifting the lid to mix once. Add the salmon, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, just until the salmon is pink in the center. Divide the noodles, greens, broth, and salmon between two shallow pasta plates (or anything plate that can hold the broth). Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve hot.

This recipe and video demo comes to us by courtesy of Chef Myra Kornfeld. Myra is a veteran restaurant chef, recipe developer and editor, private chef and menu consultant, and the author of several acclaimed cookbooks.

Were We Greener Back Then?

Green, before Green was Cool; Humorous but pointed highlights on the remarkably green lifestyle of the “greatest generation” by Craig Weatherby.

We Didn’t Have the Green Thing Back Then
Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days“.

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations“.

She was right about one thing–our generation didn’t have the green thing in “our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on “our” day, here’s what I remembered we did have….

5 Quick Tips for Organic Gardening Beginners

Chilli Plants by Jon Sullivan

Thrilled by the idea of having an exclusive little organic garden niche as the main source for your kitchen staples?

Here are five practical, garden-tested tips and strategies for budding organic gardeners.

1. Use mulch as your ultimate go-to in organic gardening. Mulch is anything that you place in the soil to cut down on weeding time and watering time. Mulch is also responsible for stabilizing soil temperature. Mulch can be made from old newspaper, raked fallen leaves, hay, tree bark, and grass clippings. Use it to shield and nourish your plants, except when you are dealing with seedlings. A three-inch layer of organic mulch is enough to conserve water, control weeds, and enrich the soil. Plants that thrive in acidic soil must be mulched with pine needles.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

Curb your sweet tooth with this healthier version of the beloved brownie. This treat satisfies those powerful cravings, so you’ll never feel deprived.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked black beans or canned no-salt-added or low-sodium black beans, drained
10 Medjool dates
2 tbsp raw almond butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup natural, non-alkalized cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground chia seed
Raspberries or other berries for topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 200° F.

Blend the black beans, dates, almond butter and vanilla in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients and blend again. Pour into a very lightly oiled 8 x 8 inch baking pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Cool completely before cutting into small squares. Top with raspberries or other berries.

Recipe courtesy of Doctor Oz.