Fabulous, Light and Healthy Fish for Your Family

Many people who are looking for a healthier, less fattening form of protein to incorporate into their diet (that is NOT chicken) will likely enjoy halibut.  It is a large flatfish that swims sideways with the largest halibut recorded at more than 8 feet in length and weighing in at more than 500 pounds.  The picture below is provided by the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game.  It is kind of scary looking but I figure if you're going to eat it, you should know what it is and where it comes from! 

It is sold in thick white filets or steaks and doesn't taste fishy at all.  It has a denser, flakier texture than say tilapia, but is not as fishy or rich as salmon.  I'd say it's a nice in between fish.  

More than likely if you are eating enough calories in your diet, you are getting enough protein.  Most people are commonly deceived by fad diets or fitness articles into believing they need more protein than they actually need.  Because there is no protein storage "warehouse" in the body, any excess that is consumed is stored as fat. FAT, not muscle.  So the key to a healthful diet, whether vegan or otherwise, is to maintain a balance of calories in to equal the amount of energy you are expending (or energy out). I'm not a fan of counting calories by any stretch so I'd never really advocate that.  Rather, what I'm trying to explain is where fish like halibut might fit into your diet.  If you are just trying to get more bang for each bite you take-ie the most nutrition with the least amount of negative stuff-choosing fish over steak might be a nice option for you.  Of course things like quinoa are always an option for vegans and vegetarians, but omnivores I'm talking to you! 

Here's the breakdown of what a 3 oz portion of halibut might look like nutrition-wise if prepared using the recipe I'll provide below (sorry it's blurry):

Note that it's about 178 calories with about 1 gram of saturated fat.  Steak cooked in a similar fashion would have about 284 calories with about 8 grams of saturated fat.  

These small changes, collectively, over the days, weeks and months, can add up to big differences in your health.  Fat is not bad! I actually am not a proponent of Fat Free products or alternative fats because of all the added preservatives, sugars and salts used to replace flavor in those products.  I also believe that minimizing saturated fats can help you maintain or lose weight and prevent many modern diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and more (supported by scientific data not listed here-y'all are smart, you can find it everywhere!). In this meal alone, swapping red meat for fish saves you 7 grams of sat fat!!! Woah!

So with all that said I'm going to give you a recipe for Halibut Cacciatore that was used in my Food Production class at school, but with a few changes I've made to amp it up a bit.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients  Serves 2

8 oz Alaskan Halibut cut into 1 inch chunks
Flour for dredging
2 Tbsp canola oil (measure this out! it makes a difference calorie-wise)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 oz of mushrooms, chopped (or about a third of a 12 oz container)
1 8 oz can of organic canned tomatoes (with the juice)
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pkg of angel hair pasta

Method

1. Dredge fish in flour and heat 1 tablespoon oil in sauté pan. When oil is hot, sauté fish in pan until browned (about 2 minutes max). I just flipped the pieces once or twice. Set aside. Don't worry if they cool, you will be reheating them to finish cooking in a few steps.

2. Get some water boiling for the pasta.

3. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Saute onion, pepper, garlic and mushrooms in the pan for a minute or two. Then add oregano (and a few red chili flakes if you like!) and tomatoes and season on a low simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. After you start this simmering, drop your pasta and cook until al dente or for about 4-5 minutes. Drain and put on serving plate.

5. Add fish to sauce mixture, cover and simmer for about 5 more minutes until fish is cooked through (145 degrees) and flaky.

6. Once fish is done, toss pasta in sauce and pour into serving dish. Enjoy!!!

How About Some Vegan Stuffed Shells?

This recipes comes from my need for comfort food! Especially on a day like today in Upstate New York where it's snowy and gray-you really want to feel the warmth in your home, belly and heart. So why should you have to sacrifice your health and waistline?!

I came up with this Vegan Stuffed Shell recipe to satisfy that particular issue. Hope you enjoy and would love to hear what you think!

Ingredients

For the shells:
1 box of large whole wheat pasta shells or whole wheat lasagna noodles if you can't find the shells or brown rice lasagna noodles if you are gluten-free
2 cups macedemia nuts
2 cups cashews
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (you can find this in the bulk section of your grocery store and it is just yeast but looks and tastes like cheese when added to things!)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and diced
dried basil
dried oregano
black pepper

For the sauce (OR buy a low-sodium sauce instead):
2 or 3 cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes
red wine-something you like
onions, diced
garlic, minced
red pepper flakes
dried basil

Directions

**Do ahead**
Put macademia nuts in a bowl filled with water about an inch above the top of the nuts and let soak overnight (before you go to bed) or for 8 hours (while you are at work).

Put cashews in a separate bowl filled with water about an inch above the top of the nuts and let soak overnight or for 8 hours.

**At Supper Time**
After the nuts have been soaked, drain them and blend them in a high powered blender separately. The macademia nuts should resemble a ricotta cheese when blended. Add water or lemon juice to keep your blender from overheating and to get the right consistency. Then once complete, throw in a bowl. Do the same for the cashews and throw in the same bowl.

Now add the basil, oregano, pepper, yeast and artichokes until well mixed. I didn't put amounts for the spices because you should taste it to see what you like. Add small amounts at first, mix, then taste. If it doesn't taste flavorful yet, add more spice because it certain won't change while baking!!

Then cook the shells or noodles in a pot of water until al dente, about 4 to 6 minutes. Drain, separate and lay flat to cool. Stuff with the "cheese" mixture and set aside. (If you are using lasagna noodles just dollup a little "cheese" in the middle of the noodle and roll it up!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the sauce, heat your onions in a hot stainless steel skilled. You don't need oil if the pan is hot enough because the onions will release their own juices! Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, basil and other spices you might like! Saute for 1 minute and add a bit of red wine to deglaze the pan. Then add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces.

Spread a little of the sauce to coat the bottom of a cassorole dish. Then add the stuffed shells (or the rolls) to the dish. Then coat with another layer of sauce, making sure each shell is covered. Throw in the oven for about 40 minutes and serve. YUM!