Seafood is one of the best sources of animal protein, and most is lower in fat than poultry or meat. Even in fattier fish such as salmon and mackerel, the fats are primarily unsaturated, and they are the best source of omega-3 fatty acids, considered helpful in preventing heart attacks and in controlling high blood pressure. Seafood also is a good source of iodine, zinc and selenium, which are scarce in most other foods.
Fresh fish should smell fresh, not fishy. Whole fish should have clear, shiny eyes and shimmering scales. Filleted fresh fish should look moist and lie flat.
Fresh seafood is extremely perishable. If you must keep it for more than a day, rinse it under cold running water, pat it dry and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Place it on a pan of crushed ice in the coldest part of your refrigerator. If you have to keep fish longer than two days, consider buying it already frozen: Home freezing can hurt the texture of fish. When using frozen fish, always thaw it slowly in the refrigerator. Thawing fish in the microwave will make it mushy. Also, it should never be refrozen.
Fish doesn’t take long to cook no matter which method you use. Remember, when fish turns from translucent to opaque, it is done. Prolonged cooking will make it dry and tough. Expect 25 percent to 30 percent shrinkage during cooking: For a 3-ounce cooked serving, you should start with 4 ounces of raw fish.
You can use any kind of onions in this recipe, but the red onions make the prettiest presentation with salmon. For an even faster presentation, put the pineapple chunks and salmon on top of the baked onions, broil, and spoon the mixture over the rice. Leftovers are good served cold with greens, fresh fruit or vegetables.
SALMON AND RED ONION KEBABS
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (18 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
2 teaspoons each: extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar
1 pound salmon, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
Cooked rice
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Soak 8 wooden skewers in water. Place onion wedges in 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle garlic over onions; drizzle with oil. Bake 8 minutes; turn onions and bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven; set oven temperature to broil.
2. Thread onions, pineapple and salmon onto skewers. Place skewers in same baking dish. Combine reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce and vinegar in small bowl; mix well. Pour over skewers.
3. Broil until salmon turns opaque, about 3 minutes. Serve kebabs over rice with cooking liquid spooned over top.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …….. 260 Fat ………. 10 g Chol. …….. 60 mg
Sodium ……. 100 mg Carb. …….. 21 g Protein ……. 23 g
Q. Is there any way this recipe can be revised to be more “nutritionally friendly”? I hope so. Thank you.
H.H., Whitehall, Pa.
PUMPKIN-CREAM CHEESE JELLYROLL
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 4 hours or overnight
Yield: 12 servings
Roll:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup each: sugar, canned pumpkin-pie filling
Confectioners’ sugar
Filling:
1 1/2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. For roll, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in small bowl; set aside.
2. Beat eggs in bowl of electric mixer at medium speed until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Greadually add sugar, beating until very thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add pumpkin; beat just until blended. Fold in flour mixture in 2 batches. Spread evenly into jellyroll pan lined with wax paper and coated with vegetable oil spray.
3. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched in center, 10 to 12 minutes. Generously sift confectioners’ sugar over clean kitchen towel. When cake is done, immediately loosen edges; invert onto towel. Remove waxed paper. Sprinkle cake with additional confectioners’ sugar. Roll up cake from short end with towel, jellyroll fashion. Let cool on wire rack 1 hour.
4. For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer until creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds.
5. Unroll cake. Spread with cheese mixture. Reroll without towel. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …….. 310 Fat ………… 14 g Cholesterol .. 100 mg
Sodium ……. 235 mg Carbohydrates .. 42 g Protein …….. 14 g
A. I combined egg substitute with whole eggs, and low-fat cream cheese with non-fat cream cheese to lower the fat and cholesterol in this dessert. I was able to reduce the sugar slightly by increasing the amount of vanilla to heighten the perceived sweetness. Because I like the flavor of butterscotch better than chocolate and it is lower in fat as well, I substituted butterscotch chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips. The result was a hit with friends and family.
LIGHTER PUMPKIN-CREAM CHEESE JELLYROLL
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 4 hours or overnight
Yield: 12 servings
Roll:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin-pie filling
4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Filling:
2 packages (3 ounces each) low-fat cream cheese, softened
2 packages (3 ounces each) non-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup each, chopped: butterscotch chips, toasted blanched slivered almonds
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. For roll, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in small bowl; set aside.
2. Beat eggs and egg substitute in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar beating until very thick and lemon-colored, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add pumpkin. Beat just until blended. Fold in flour mixture in 2 batches. Spread evenly in jellyroll pan lined with wax paper and coated with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
3. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched in center, 10 to 12 minutes. Sift 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar over clean kitchen towel. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan; invert onto towel. Remove wax paper. Sprinkle cake with remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar. Roll up from short end with towel, jellyroll fashion. Let cool on wire rack 1 hour.
4. For filling, beat cream cheeses, sugar and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer until creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in butterscotch pieces and almonds.
5. Unroll cake carefully. Spread with cheese mixture. Reroll without towel. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …….. 235 Fat …………. 6 g Cholesterol .. 50 mg
Sodium ……. 345 mg Carbohydrates .. 37 g Protein …….. 8 g
———-
Send your recipe for revision to: Cook it light, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611-4041.
