Tag: healthy food

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

Carol 16 Comments

Besides having great taste, wild salmon with that red hue greatly helps our bodies. It’s a great source of protein, potassium, and selenium, a mineral that protects bone health, improves thyroid function, and reduces the risk of cancer.  Salmon can also help reduce the risk of heart disease, aid in weight control, and protect brain health.The vitamin B12 in salmon keeps blood and nerve cells healthy and helps you make DNA. But for your health, the true beauty of salmon is its wealth of omega-3 fatty acids. Most omega-3s are “essential” fatty acids. Your body can’t make them, but they play critical roles in your body. You may see farmed salmon that looks red – that is a food dye added to look like wild salmon with its antioxidants. Try to always get wild caught salmon for its health benefits if possible.

Read More

Roasted Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Plantain

Carol 7 Comments

Sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamin A, fiber, magnesium and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene may help protect against asthma and heart disease as well as reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Plantains are part of the banana family and are great sources of vitamins A & C and fiber and potassium.  Put the two together for great taste and nutrition.  Today’s dish is roasted sweet potatoes and plantain mashed.

 

Read More

Colcannon Irish Potatoes, Potatoes & Greens

Carol 21 Comments

Most Americans think corned beef and cabbage is the traditional Irish meal, but that’s far from the truth.  During The Great Famine, a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland between 1845 and 1852, the Irish were too poor to buy beef. Their diet was mainly potatoes and occasionally bacon. When disease ruined the potato crops, mass starvation and emigration resulted.  In America, the immigrants had more more money and began to buy beef.They transformed  St Patrick’s Day from a religious day into a celebration of their homeland with parades and a dinner of corned beef and cabbage. Ireland now has parades adopted from Americans but the chief meats in their diet are still lamb and pork.  (For an excellent history lesson, see Smithsonian’s post, Is Corned Beef Really Irish?)

Read More