10 foods that cleanse the liver

In the past, I talked about my favorite food cleaning. This list is a bit more specific and mainly focuses on foods that can help cleanse the liver. Besides taking a supplement liver cleansing and applying at least two year clean liver and gallbladder, eat the following foods is the best way to keep your liver healthy and work the way you need. I encourage you to incorporate these foods into your weekly diet liver cleansing.

1. Garlic

Only a small amount of this pungent bulb has the ability to activate liver enzymes that help your body eliminate toxins. Garlic also contains large amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that help cleanse the liver.

2. Grapefruit

Both the top and the antioxidants vitamin C, grapefruit increases the natural processes of cleansing the liver. A freshly squeezed grapefruit juice will help stimulate the production of liver detoxification enzymes that help eliminate carcinogens and other toxins.

3. Beets and carrots

 

Both are extremely rich in flavonoids and plant-beta-carotene; eat beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve liver function in general.

4. Green Tea

This magnet is filled liver plant antioxidants known as catechins beverage, a compound known to help liver function. Green tea is not only delicious, it's also a great way to improve your overall diet. Learn more about the benefits of green tea.

5. Leafy vegetables

One of our strongest allies cleansing the liver, leafy greens can be eaten raw, cooked or juiced. Extremely rich in chlorophyll in plants, green vacuum environmental toxins from the bloodstream. With its distinctive ability to neutralize heavy metals, pesticides and chemicals, cleaning these foods provide a powerful mechanism to protect the liver.

Try to include green leafy vegetables like bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion leaves, spinach, mustard, chicory and your diet. This will help increase the creation and flow of bile, a substance that eliminates waste of organs and blood.

6. Lawyers

This super rich in nutrients helps the body produce glutathione, a compound that is necessary for the liver to purify harmful toxins.

7. Apples

Rich in pectin, apple keep the chemicals necessary for the body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive system. This in turn facilitates the liver to treat toxic load during the cleaning process.

8. Olive oil

Cold pressed organic oils such as olive oil seeds, hemp and flax are perfect for the liver when used in moderation. They help the body lipid core can suck toxins in the body. Thus, some of liver burden is accurate in terms of toxic overload many of us suffer.

9. Alternative grains

Not only do you have alternative grains like quinoa, corn, wheat and their diet is that if you have wheat, wheat flour or other whole grains in your diet, it's time to make changes. The liver is the filter body of toxins, and cereals containing gluten are full of them. A study last year found that people who suffered gluten sensitivity test also had abnormal liver enzymes, and this is just one of many.

10. Lemons and Limes

These citrus fruits contain high amounts of vitamin C, which helps the body to synthesize toxic substances into substances that can be absorbed by the water. Drink freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice in the morning helps stimulate the liver.

 

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How to Sleep like a Baby

It’s 3:00 a.m. where are you? Most people would probably be asleep. However, for a large majority of people, it is near impossible for them to get a good nights rest. Without it, they are unable to focus well, they have low energy, and let’s face it, they are usually in a not so good mood. Is there anything that the sleep deprived can do in order to help give their body the much needed sleep it needs? Aside from counting sheep, which rarely works, try some of the suggestions below.

First, start out by examining your bedroom for sleep distractions. Sleep distractions would be such things as clutter, the color of the paint, the noise level, etc. If your room is painted in bright, electrifying colors, you may want to consider painting it a soothing cool color. A pale green or a soothing blue would be good choices. You can’t expect to be able to sleep if the paint in your bedroom is so bright that it looks like an airport runway.

If your room is cluttered, consider scheduling a spring cleaning day and get rid of all those unwanted sleep thieves. If a room is cluttered, it gives our mind more things to focus on and think about during the night instead of sleep. Your bedroom is supposed to be your sanctuary, and let’s face it, who wants piles of bills or junk mail in their sanctuary? Not too many people.

As far as the noise level goes, this is different for each person. Some people enjoy some form of noise while they sleep and may even purchase a noise machine, while others have to have quiet. If you fall into the latter category, try purchasing some heavy drapes to see if they block out any of the unwanted noise. While the drapes probably won’t get rid of every unwanted noise, you will notice a big difference.

Next, try not to exercise before going to bed. I’m not saying don’t exercise at all, because exercise is good for us, but we all know that exercise releases endorphins which amp us up. You can’t expect to be able to go to sleep if you feel like you could run a marathon. Try to keep exercise to either early in the mornings or to around four hours before bedtime. This will give your body time to calm down and will help you to drift off to sleep much easier.

Another suggestion to help you get a good nights sleep would be to take a nice warm bath just before you are ready to go to bed. The warm bath will not only help you to relax physically, but it will also give your brain some time to unwind as well. It doesn’t have to be a long bath, just 10 or 15 minutes should do the trick. As you are letting the water out of the tub, picture your troubles and cares being washed down the drain. A mind that is not burdened with troubles is a mind that can easily drift off to sleep.

Lighting is another issue that effects sleep. If your bedroom window lets the light of a nearby street light into your bedroom, you might want to try some of those room darkening curtains to eliminate that problem. If you can’t find any or can’t afford them, try putting a quilt up instead. If your curtain rods are sturdy, they will usually hold up the extra weight of the quilt. Either of these two things will help darken your bedroom and help you drift off to what could be the best nights sleep you’ve had in a while.

Of course, don’t forget to flip your mattress every so often to keep it from getting worn. However, if your mattress is not in good shape and you can’t afford to buy a new one (because we know they don’t come cheap), consider buying a mattress topper. This will give you the sense of a new mattress, but will cost you a fraction of the price. Toppers come in a variety of styles, and it is up to you to find the one that suits your needs.

The last tip, try and keep the temperature in your bedroom at a comfortable level. You don’t want the temperature too hot or too cold. You want it just right. Again, it is up to you, as an individual, to decide what your perfect temperature is. Try these few tips out and see if they help you get the peaceful nights slumber your body has been missing. Pleasant dreams sleep deprived.

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New England Steamers

Steamers! Add these clams to the list of foods fun to eat. I was first introduced to steamers, or steamed soft shell clams, when I lived in Boston years ago. Unlike hard shell clams (known here as quahogs, cherry stones, or little necks, depending on their size), steamers have rather thin, brittle shells, so you have to be gentle with them. The two sides of the shell don’t close all the way. Instead, protruding from the shell is a long foot, or siphon. It’s what the clam uses to filter the sea water and eat. While hard shell clams stay close to the surface of the sea floor, steamer clams bury themselves more deeply, and extend their long siphons to the sea floor surface.

When you buy steamer clams, their siphons are mostly tucked away. But as soon as you soak them in water, the siphons start to come out, and out, and out. When we made these the other day I think we measured one that was a good 4 inches long! (Could it be where the phrase, “happy as a clam” comes from?) Anyway, soaking the steamers is a great way to freak out kids, though hopefully not so much as to dissuade them from eating them. Fortunately, my gang loves seafood. I just had to tell them they were like mussels, but with convenient handles for dipping into melted butter.

New England Steamers Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 pounds of soft shell steamer clams
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Method

1 Ideally, if you have the time, place the steamers in a bucket and cover with several inches of sea water or salty water (a tablespoon of salt dissolved in every quart of water), and let sit several hours in a cool place, preferably overnight. After a while, you'll notice that each clam has a foot that will start to extend out of the shell. This is normal. The clams are usually buried in the sand with only the foot extending up to the surface of the water. The steamer clams will discharge any sand or dirt while they are sitting in the water, so the water may become rather murky. You can change the water if you want. If you don't have time to let the clams soak for hours, just put several of them at a time in a large bowl, cover with water, and gently swirl the water around with your fingers for half a minute. If the clams release sand or grit, dump out the water and rinse the clams out in the same manner again, until no more sand is released. (They may still release some sand and grit while cooking, but you will dip them in the clam broth before dipping them in butter when you eat them, helping to rinse away any remaining grit.)

2 When ready to cook, put about an inch of water (you can also use beer or a stout) in the bottom of a tall, large pot. Place a steamer rack at the bottom of the pot. Carefully place the clams on the steamer rack (if you don't have a steamer rack, don't worry about it, just put the clams in the pot with the water). The clam shells are on the thin side and can easily break, so be gentle as you put the steamers in the pot. You may notice some of the clams "spitting" water at you as you handle them. This is normal, don't worry about it. If any of the clams seem dead, are stinky, or whose siphons don't retract a bit when you touch them, toss them out. Cover the pot. Bring the water to a boil. Let the clams cook in the steam from the boiling water for about 5-10 minutes, until the steamer clam shells are wide open, then remove the pot from the heat. Any steamers that didn't open should be discarded. (The pot might foam up and boil over while cooking, so keep an eye on it while cooking.) Let the clams cool for a couple minutes.

3 Carefully remove the cooked clams from the pot, placing them in a serving bowl. Do not discard the clam broth left in the pot. Instead pour a bit of the hot broth into bowls for serving. Put the melted butter into small bowls for dipping.

4 Serve the steamers with a bowl for the clams, an empty bowl for the shells, a small bowl with broth for dipping, and a smaller bowl with butter for dipping. To eat, open the shell and remove the cooked clam. Use your fingers to pull off the skin covering the siphon of the clam. Discard with the shells into the shell bowl. Grip the siphon with your fingers, swirl the clam around in the hot broth (it will help to warm up the clams and to dislodge any remaining grit or sand). Dip the clam into melted butter and eat! Note, the siphon end of the clam may be a bit tough and rubbery. You can eat it or not. In any case, it makes a great handle for dipping.

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Panko-crusted Salmon

Panko is a Japanese type of bread crumb that is especially light and crunchy, popular these days with chefs because it doesn’t get soggy. What I love about this way of preparing salmon is that the panko topping seems to hold in the salmon’s moisture while roasting, so the salmon doesn’t get dried out at all. The salmon is perfectly moist, flakey, and seasoned.

Panko-crusted Salmon Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 12 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 pieces thickly cut, boneless salmon (each 6 oz)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp honey mustard or sweet-hot mustard
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (convection or regular). Set the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2 In a small bowl, combine the honey mustard and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. In another small bowl, mix the panko with the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, 4 teaspoons of olive oil, parsley, and paprika. Add salt and pepper (a light sprinkle).

3 Using a small spoon, spread the mustard mixture on the salmon; top with the bread crumb mixture.

4 Roast the salmon for 12-14 minutes (test at 10) or until it is almost completely firm to the touch and flakes when poked with a fork. Serve at once.

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Manhattan Clam Chowder

According to food historian and blogger Janet Clarkson, the very first printed recipe for chowder appeared in the Boston Evening Post in 1751. Written as a poem, it described a stew with onions, pork, fish, herbs, and biscuits (hard tack, I think). Over the years “chowdah” evolved into a dairy-based stew in New England, and during the late 1800s the first tomato-based chowders showed up on the menu at Delmonico’s in New York, perhaps influenced by Portuguese immigrants who often put clams together with pork and tomato sauce.

If you are used to thick (or thin) cream-based, cracker-riddled, white clam chowder, this Manhattan clam chowder is a completely different beast. Not even remotely like the New England favorite. But, it’s good in its own right, especially if you love tomatoes and clams. You can make it as brothy or thick as you like. In our case we’re taking a little shortcut with the recipe by using canned clams for much of the clam component of the soup. Living here in California we don’t have as easy (or cheap) access to quahogs or chowder clams as they do on the eastern shore.

I originally had this soup in mind for Lent, and then remembered that it starts with bacon. It would still make an excellent soup for a Lenten fast, just skip the bacon and add more olive oil to start.

Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6-8.

If you have an ample supply of quahog chowder clams, feel free to use them in addition to the smaller clams, use them in place of the canned clams called for in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon (can sub with 2 more Tbsp olive oil)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 ounces of tomato juice, strained tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can of clam broth or juice*
• 2 10-ounce cans of baby clams, juice reserved*
• 1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• A dozen or so live small clams, such as littlenecks or Manila clams
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Tabasco or other hot sauce

*If using fresh quahogs, scrub clean a dozen or more quahogs. Place clams in a small pot and add two cups of water. Bring water to a boil. Cover the pot and steam the clams until they completely open, about 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove clams from pot and set aside. Strain the clam steaming liquid through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to catch any grit, reserving the liquid. Remove the clams from the shells, chop. Use chopped clams in place of canned. Use steaming liquid in place of clam broth.

Method

1 Render the bacon fat. Slowly cook the bacon with the olive oil until the bacon is crispy. Remove, chop and set aside. Turn the heat to medium-high and sauté the carrots, celery and onion until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Do not brown the vegetables. Return chopped bacon to the pot.

2 Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the herbs, tomato juice, clam broth and the juice from the canned clams, mix well, then add the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently until the potatoes are done, about 30-40 minutes.

3 When the potatoes are tender, add the canned clams and the live clams, cover the pot and simmer until the live clams open up, about 5-10 minutes. Add Tabasco, salt and black pepper to taste.

Place a clam in shell or two in each bowl for serving.

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Crab Dip

Winter is fresh crab season here in Northern California. When our local Whole Foods gets in a shipment, we’re first in line for the biggest (anything greater than 2 lbs) fresh, cooked crabs, already cleaned and broken. Dad calls it “nature’s fast food”. We’ve been known to go through a couple 2 pounders just for lunch. Note that as with all seafood, the crab’s freshness is imperative. I had to take one back to WF a few weeks ago, because it just wasn’t edible. My bad, I forgot to check. Although your fish monger should be checking before handing it over to you, you really do need to inspect it before paying for it and taking it home. The best way to test is to smell. If it smells too fishy, not good. What to do with leftover crab meat when your eye is hungrier than your stomach? Mix it into a fresh crab dip, refrigerate it overnight and eat it the next day. If you are no where near a place that sells good, fresh crab, you can of course use canned crab. Trader Joe’s has a good product. I’ve also mixed this dip up with pasta for a lovely crab pasta salad. Yum!

Crab Dip Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cooked crab meat
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots (or green onions or red onions)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar or 1 1/2 teaspoons of dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper

Method

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, shallots, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Fold in the crab meat. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 2 hours or overnight. Serve with crackers or carrots and celery.

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How to Make Shellfish Stock

Years ago, on a little island off the coast of Marblehead, Massachusetts, a friend’s aunt showed me how to eat a lobster, including the fine art of sucking the tender meat and juice out of the spindly legs. It was July, when lobsters are in season, and we had a huge pot of them for our gang. Aunt Judy then explained that one makes lobster bisque from the leftover shells. I still recall my astonishment. How could something so delicious come from boiled shells?

While New England has its summer lobster season, we in Northern California have our winter Dungeness crab season. In anticipation of making stock for seafood bisques and stews, I have been collecting our leftover shells from each crab feast and freezing them. Making seafood stock is similar to making chicken stock; it takes time and attention, and the final result makes it worth the effort. Best to do on a weekend afternoon. Make a big batch and freeze what you don’t need.

How to Make Shellfish Stock

• Yield: Makes 2-3 quarts.

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups shellfish shells, from shrimp, lobster, and/or crab
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced or chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly sliced or chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly sliced or chopped
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• Several sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 10-15 whole peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons salt

Method

1 Break thick shells (lobster and crab) into smaller pieces by putting in a sealed, thick plastic bag and either rolling with a rolling pin or hitting with a meat hammer to crush. Cut up thinner shrimp shells with a chef's knife. Don't crush or cut too small. You can even skip this step if you want, if you are already dealing with broken up shell pieces (like cracked crab). Place in a large roasting pan and roast at 400°F for 10 minutes (this step you can skip, but it greatly enhances the flavor).

Put the shells in a large stock pot and add enough water to cover the shells with an inch of water.

2 Put the stove temperature on medium high and slowly heat the shells in the water. As soon as you see that little bubbles are starting to come up to the surface, reduce the heat to medium. Do not let it boil. You want to maintain the temperature at just below a simmer, where the bubbles just occasionally come up to the surface. Do not stir the shells. Stirring will muddy up the stock. As the bubbles come up to the surface a film of foam will develop on the surface. Use a large slotted spoon to skim away this foam. Let the shells cook like this for about an hour; skim the foam every few minutes. The foam comes from shells releasing impurities as their temperature increases.

3 Put the thyme, bay leaves, and parsley in cheese cloth. Secure with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni.

4 Once the stock has stopped releasing foam, you can add the wine, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, herb bouquet garni, and peppercorns. Bring to a low simmer and reduce heat so that the stock continues to simmer, but not boil, for 30 minutes. If more foam comes to the surface, skim it off. Add salt and remove from heat.

5 Dampen a few layers of cheesecloth and place over a large, fine mesh strainer, over a large pot or bowl. Pour the stock into the strainer. Discard the solids. Either use the stock right away, or cool for future use. If you aren't going to use in a couple of days, freeze (remember to leave some head room at the top of your freezer container for the liquid to expand as it freezes.)

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Honey Apple Cider Glazed Salmon

A lovely way to prepare salmon is with a simple glaze made with honey and apple cider. You might think that this combination would make the dish too sweet, but it just adds a delicious caramelized flavor to the fish.

First you make the glaze by boiling apple cider (or juice) and honey together until well reduced. Then you pour that glaze over the raw fillets and let them marinate in it for a bit. Then the fillets are cooked on the stovetop, while you baste with the glaze, until done. Serve them over a bed of wilted baby spinach.

We’ve changed the recipe quite a bit from when we first posted it years ago. The original recipe was from a story in the Boston Globe about a country house in Ireland. That recipe required finishing the fillets in the oven which isn’t at all necessary, especially for a home cook. No need to heat up the house with the oven when you can easily cook the whole dish on the stovetop!

Recipe updated, originally posted 2006.

Honey Apple Cider Glazed Salmon Recipe

• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

You can make this recipe with skin-on or skinless salmon. If it's skin-on, the skin will help hold the salmon fillets together when you turn them over in the pan. You can always easily remove the skin before serving, if you want. (We love the salmon skin, it's like salmon bacon!)

The salmon should just be barely cooked through, still a little translucent in the center, when you remove the pan from the heat. The fillets will continue to cook in their own heat for a minute or two. You can always return to the pan if the salmon is not quite cooked enough, but you can't go back if you've (sadly) overcooked the fish.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unfiltered apple juice or apple cider (not hard cider)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon slices for garnish

Method

1 Put the apple cider and honey in a small shallow pan on medium high heat. Let it come to a boil and boil it until the mixture reduces by about half, leaving you with a little more than 1/4 cup of glaze. Let cool for a minute.

2 Arrange the salmon fillets (skin-side down, if using skin-on salmon fillets) in a rimmed dish large enough to fit all of the fillets in a single layer. Pour the honey cider glaze over the salmon. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then turn the salmon pieces over and let sit for another 5 minutes in the glaze.

3 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. (It helps to use a relatively stick-free pan like hard anodized aluminum.) Sprinkle the flesh side of the salmon fillets with salt. Place the fillets flesh side down (skin-side up) in the hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes on medium high heat. As you cook the fish, brush the sides of the fillets with some of the glaze.

4 Turn the salmon fillets over (now skin-side down) and brush with the remaining honey cider glaze. Sprinkle salmon with lemon juice. Lower the heat to medium. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the salmon is just barely cooked through. Remove the pan from heat. Some of the glaze should have caramelized in the pan. Use a pastry brush to brush any pan juices over the top of the fillets. Cover with foil to keep warm.

5 In a separate large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the baby spinach to the pan. Cook for a minute. When the spinach begins to wilt, use tongs to turn the leaves over in the pan to help coat the leaves with a little butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook a minute or two more until the spinach is wilted.

6 To serve, divide the spinach among 4 plates. Arrange a piece of salmon to the side or on top and garnish with a slice of lemon.

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Grilled Wild Salmon with Preserved Lemon Relish

My father walked through the door the other day with half of a fresh whole wild salmon, announcing to me that he would like me to grill it. Sure dad! When someone presents truly fresh fish to you, there really isn’t a “save it for another day” option. The thing to do is to keep it chilled and cook it as soon as you can. Save for tomorrow? Fuggetaboutit. Fresh fish should be cooked the day you get it. Now, according to my favorite grilling experts, Andrew Scholss and David Joachim (Mastering the Grill, excellent book, must have if you are into grilling), wild salmon is great to grill whole, and easier to do so than farmed salmon, because it tends to be thinner, easier to cook through without getting dried out on the edges.

I packed this salmon with chopped preserved lemons, parsley, dill, and shallots, and grilled it on our gas grill. It was outstanding. One of the best salmon meals we’ve ever had. Leftovers great the next day with bread and butter pickles. Note, we often get our fish from Whole Foods, and unless you specifically ask for it, they sometimes forget to remove the scales before they hand you the fish. (This is not just in Sacramento, I’ve heard complaints from a friend in Boston too.) Bad, bad, bad, on the part of Whole Foods or any fish monger. You really shouldn’t have to ask, this should be done for you. But, in case it isn’t, you’ll want to remove the scales yourself before cooking the fish.

No cooked grilled fish photo this time. Got too dark. The photos were hideous. You’ll have to trust me on this one.

Grilled Wild Salmon with Preserved Lemon Relish Recipe

• Yield: A whole 4 pound salmon will serve 8.

Preserved lemons are lemons that have been preserved in salt. They are used often in Moroccan cooking. You can get them at specialty markets, or you can make them yourself. If you do not have access to preserved lemons, for this recipe you can use the grated zest from 2 lemons and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice instead.

Ingredients

• One whole (4 pounds) or half (2 pounds) of a wild-caught salmon, gutted, cleaned, skin on, scales removed
• Olive oil
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice

Relish Ingredients

• 2 whole preserved lemons, rinsed of excess salt, seeds removed, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Ground black pepper

Method

1 Prepare relish. Combine all relish ingredients into a small bowl.

2 Preheat grill for indirect heat.

3 Check to make sure the scales have been removed from the salmon's skin. If scales remain, use edge of a large spoon, scrape against the sides of the fish, in the direction of tail to head, to remove any fish scales that may still be on the fish. (Best to work over a sink, as the scales tend to fly all over the place.) Rinse fish with cold water and pat dry.

4 Put 1-inch deep, diagonal cuts in sides of the salmon, spaced 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Stuff the cuts well with relish. Stuff cavity with relish. (Note that if this uses up all of your relish, you may want to make another batch of it to serve alongside the fish.) Squeeze some lemon juice over the fish. Rub olive oil generously all over the fish (this will help keep it from sticking to the grill grates). Tie up the fish with kitchen string, to help hold it together while grilling.

5 When the grill is good and hot, oil the grill grates. (Use tongs to spread oil over the grates with a folded up and oil-soaked paper towel.) Grill on indirect heat (away from coals or not directly over flame) for 20-30 min, turning half way. Try to keep the grill temperature at 350°F-375°F. Use a meat thermometer to test the fish, inserted into the deepest part. The fish is done when the internal temperature of the fish is 130°F.

If the skin comes off when you flip the fish, or when you remove the salmon from the grill, don't worry about it. Just peel it off before serving.

Serve with remaining fresh relish. A 2 lb half-whole salmon will serve 4.

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Homemade Tartar Sauce

Confession time. I am a lover of tartar sauce. I think the seafood eating world is divided into two camps, those who enjoy tartar sauce with their fish, and those who will have nothing to do with it. I am happily in the first camp and love nothing better than any fish fillet my dad buys (he can spot the freshest) and my mom prepares (she’s got the timing down), served with a slice of lemon, some tartar sauce, and of course, coleslaw. Not all bottled tartar sauces are created equal however. It’s really hit or miss out there in the prepared tartar sauce world. So, I’ve made my own. And you know what? It’s good! Really! (Assuming you like tartar sauce to begin with, otherwise move along, this one’s not for you.)

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Yield: Makes about a cup and a half of tartar sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
• 1 teaspoon capers, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons chopped shallots
• 2 Tbsp chopped scallions
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 6 drops Tabasco sauce or more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

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Fish Tacos

In Mexico, practically every meal is accompanied by a stack of fresh warm corn tortillas, much in the way that bread is served here in America. As you eat, you can wrap whatever is on your plate in a fresh tortilla, and voilá, you have a taco. Almost everything tastes good in a taco smothered with fresh salsa, and that goes for fish as well. Preparing a taco is much like preparing a sandwich; it’s all in the assembly. For these fish tacos you will be preparing and then assemblying the fish, the tortillas, the salsa, and the cabbage or lettuce.

Fish Tacos Recipe

• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves four.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of very fresh fish fillets - (Good fish for tacos are firm fish like swordfish or halibut)*
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

• 1 doz corn tortillas (3 tortillas per person)
• Vegetable oil or butter (optional, depending on how you heat your tortillas)

• Salsa - (see Mango Salsa Recipe)
• 1 ripe Avocado

• Cabbage (or iceberg lettuce)
• Cider vinegar
• Salt

*Fisheries worldwide are under pressure. Be sure to choose a sustainable fish. See the guidelines at Monterey Aquarium's Seafood Watch.

Method

1 Prepare the salsa. Either use store bought or make your own. (See above link for Mango Salsa, which is especially good with fish.)

2 Prepare the cabbage and avocado. Thinly slice cabbage. Put in a small serving bowl. Sprinkle with cider vinegar (about a Tbsp) and salt (about a tsp). Mix in the vinegar and salt. Peel avocado and remove seed. Chop and reserve for later.

3 Heat the tortillas. Unless you have made fresh tortillas from scratch, you will need to soften them somehow. One way to easily soften and heat a tortilla to simply heat it in the microwave for 20-25 seconds on high heat, on top of a napkin or paper towel to absorb the moisture that is released. We often will heat two tortillas at once in the microwave, heating them for a total of 40 seconds.

Another way is to heat a well seasoned (black) large cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spread a half a teaspoon of butter on one side of one tortilla. Place tortilla in the pan (butter side down if you are using butter). As the tortilla sizzles, flip the tortilla with a spatula so that the other side gets some of the oil or butter from the pan. Continue to flip every 10-30 seconds until the tortillas begins to develop air pockets, about a minute. If the pan begins to smoke, lower the temperature. You can skip the butter or oil if you wish and just heat the tortillas up on the skillet without them. We have found that the flavor of packaged tortillas benefits from heating them with a bit of oil.

Remove the tortilla from the pan and place it folded on a plate. If the pan is large enough you can prepare two or more tortillas at once. Continue until all the tortillas (estimate 3 per person) are cooked. Set aside.

4 Cook the fish. Soak the fish fillets in cold water for at least one minute. Pat dry with a paper towel. Heat a large stick-free skillet to medium high heat. Add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet. Place fish on skillet. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets. A thin fillet may take only one minute on each side to cook. A thicker fillet may take a couple of minutes. Fish should be still barely translucent when cooked. Break off a piece and test if you are not sure. Do not overcook the fish. Remove from pan when done to a separate plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5 Assembly. I think tacos are best when you assemble them yourself. Place the plate of tortillas, the plate of fish, the salsa, the cabbage, and the avocados on the table and let everyone assemble their own.

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Cilantro Lime Shrimp

One of the things I love about shrimp is that it cooks up so quickly on the stovetop, perfect when you have hot weather and you don’t want to use the oven, or have the stove going too long. Case in point, this cilantro lime shrimp.

If you have shrimp fresh and ready to go, it takes 10 or 15 minutes to cook, tops. If you are starting with frozen shrimp, maybe you have to add another 10 minutes to defrost it. Cilantro and lime are one of those master combinations, which works well with steak, chicken, fish, and especially shrimp.

Start with few slices of serrano chiles and garlic in a little oil in a hot pan. Toss in the shrimp, stir a little, cook a little, and when the shrimp are pink, turn off the heat and add the cilantro and lime. That’s it! Couldn’t be easier, and now you have a perfect little light meal. I like to wrap mine in a heated tortilla. So good!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 3-4

If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them by placing them in a bowl of ice water or cold water. Adding a little salt to the water will help the shrimp retain their briny flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp high smoke point oil such as grape seed oil, or canola oil
• 1  Serrano chile (more if you like it spicy, or just a fraction of one if you want less heat), sliced into thin rings
• 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1-2 Tbsp lime juice

Method

1 Place a large sauté pan or a wok over your strongest burner on high heat. Let the pan heat up for a minute and then add the oil. Use a high smoke point oil since you will be cooking the shrimp on very high heat. Let the oil heat until it's shimmering. If it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat for a moment.

2 Add the chiles to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat with oil. Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1 minute before tossing again so they get a little bit of a sear. Stir-fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.

 
 

3 Turn off the heat and mix in the cilantro, then the lime juice.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve alone, over rice, or in a folded heated flour or corn tortilla.

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Crab Mango and Avocado Salad

I first encountered a crab mango salad at Fringale, the exquisite French-Basque restaurant on 4th St. in San Francisco. Recently at a restaurant in LA I had another delicious crab mango salad, this time with avocado and surrounded by peeled ruby red grapefruit sections. I’ve been dreaming about it ever since.

Crab Mango and Avocado Salad Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the salad:

• 1 lb of fresh lump Dungeness crabmeat, picked through to remove the small pieces of shell or cartilage
• 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot or purple onion
• 1 medium sized mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (See How to Cut a Mango)
• 1 firm but ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
• Tabasco sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional: ruby red grapefruit sections, peeled

Method

Sauce directions:

Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the mango, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes until the fruit is very tender. Add water, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a blender and purée until smooth. Chill.

Alternatively, if you are pressed for time, put all of the sauce ingredients into a blender and purée.

Crab salad directions:

1 In a bowl add the crab meat, 2 tsp of the cilantro, 1 tsp of the mint, the chopped shallot, a Tbsp of lime juice, 2 Tbsp of olive oil, 10 drops of Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix carefully with a fork, to avoid breaking up the larger lumps of crab meat. Set aside.

2 In a separate bowl add the mango, avocado, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp of lime juice, the remaining cilantro and mint leaves, 10 drops of Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently with a spoon, taking care not to mush the avocado pieces.

3 Spoon some mango avocado mixture on to a chilled plate, gently mound some crab mixture over it. Garnish with cilantro leaves. For a tasty added touch if you have them, arrange peeled sections of sweet ruby red grapefruit around the salads. The grapefruit provides a flavorful complement to the crab salad.

Alternatively you can use small tureens or desert bowls for individual molds, line the mold with plastic wrap, then layer the crab mixture and the mango avocado mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. When you are ready to serve, gently remove the salads from the molds onto individual plates. Serve the sauce on the side.

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