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Fish Stock Recipe

Fish Stock
Fish Stock

Use Fish Carcasses

This is a super easy fish stock recipe.  Fish stock is a wealth of nutritious health basically made from the part of the fish we normally through away (at least in the United States).  But, don’t throw out those bones, fins, heads, etc. – use them to make a delicious, healthy broth.

I know bone broth is all the rage right now.  And, don’t get me wrong . . . I’m super excited that bone broth is mainstream finally!  I, and my other NTPs have been preaching the health benefits of bone broth for more than a decade.  Here’s a basic broth recipe.  But, usually, people only think about beef or chicken bone broth.  Yet, the beginning of fabulous soups and chowders can also be fish stock.

Fish Bones?

It is a little daunting in some areas to find fish bones.  Fish does NOT arrive on your supermarket shelves deboned and filleted.  If you live in an area that has a fish monger, he or she is usually more than willing to save fish bones and heads for you; frequently without a charge as these parts are normally discarded.  Otherwise you may need to speak to your local butcher.  Sometimes, where I live, there will be a short term sale at local markets and even Costco.  There you can request to take the whole fish home.  Have them fillet the fish for you but don’t leave those bones and heads behind . . . you paid for them, you might as well use them!

The best fish to use is a non-oily variety – sole, rockfish, snapper; I’ve even used halibut!

Don’t forget the head – they are extremely rich in iodine and fat-soluble vitamins.

Chopped Veggies for Fish Stock

Fish Stock Recipe 
Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbs. butter, grass-fed
  • 2 onions
  • 1 leek
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 cup mushrooms
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 3+ lb. non-oily fish (fins, heads, spine)
  • 3 quarts filtered water
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • ½ bunch parsley
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • several springs fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
  • Herbamare
  • Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Coarsely chop onions, leek, celery, carrot and mushrooms. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Melt butter in a large pot. Add the vegetables and cook on medium low for about 30 minutes, until they are soft.  Stir frequently.
  3. Add wine and bring to almost a boil (look for a shimmer on the surface not a burble).
  4. Add the fish carcass(es), water and vinegar. If fish carcass(es) are not fully covered, add additional water to cover.
  5. Increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil and skim off scum and impurities as they rise to the top.
  6. Add parsley, ginger, bay leaves and thyme. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
  7. Remove the carcasses with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer with a piece of cheesecloth inside.
  8. Taste.  Add Herbamare and pepper if desired.  To intensify the taste, clean pot, return stock to pot and boil down to preferred taste.
  9. Allow to cool some and then pour into quart jars and freeze. Leave enough space at the top of the jars to account for the stock expanding as it freezes.

 

 

 

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Partially Hydrogenated Oils Hit the Road

partially hydrogenated oils
Finally banned

Partially Hydrogenated Oils to End

In many previous posts and videos I’ve talked about the horrors of hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils.  They were one of the greatest evils to your health.  You probably know partially hydrogenated oils by the name Trans Fat.  For years the US Food and Drug Administration looked the other way, continuing to view them as “Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)”.  It’s true.

Finally, in 2015 the FDA completed extensive research into partially hydrogenated oils and determined that removing these artificial trans fats could prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths each year.  [Even though The Center for Science in the Public Interest urged the FDA to acknowledge the health risk in 1993 and in November of 2013 the FDA found that partially hydrogenated oils were not generally recognized as safe!]

Even with that determination the FDA extended the compliance date to June 18, 2018.  Yes, last month was the final time that manufacturers could add partially hydrogenated oils to foods.

YEA!!!! (25 years + later, but still yea!)

Here’s a fun timeline of artificial trans fat.

The Catch

Of course, there’s always a catch.  Three years may have not been enough time for manufacturers to comply (I know, REALLY?!?) so products produced prior to June 18, 2018 will be allowed to work through distribution channels until January 1, 2020.  So don’t think that food on your grocery stores shelf is guaranteed to be free of partially hydrogenated fats, yet.  They could still be there for another year and a half!

On the good side though, the FDA did deny the Grocery Manufacturers Associations request to approve certain limited uses of partially hydrogenated oils.  Thankfully!  Because any about of partially hydrogenated oils can cause havoc within your body.  But, again, a catch.  Because the GMA made the request the FDA extended the compliance date for a year for these “limited uses of partially hydrogenated oils”.  So many manufactured foods may still have trans fats.

Take away:  Still Be Diligent and check the nutrition facts and ingredients!

Fats – What Does It Mean?

The term fats actually refers to triglycerides, the major form of lipid found in the body and in foods. Triglycerides, are made of fatty acids and glycerol. Tissues all over the body can easily assemble or disassemble triglycerides as needed. Fatty acids (fats) can differ from one another in two ways, in chain length and in degree of saturation. Each species of animal, including human, makes its own characteristic kinds of triglycerides, determined by genetics. But, fats in the diet can affect the types of triglycerides made. As an example, animals raised for food can be fed diets containing softer or harder triglycerides to give the animal softer or harder fat, depending on consumer demand. This is why it’s so important to eat organic, naturally raised meats rather than factory farmed meats.  We want to ingest only good fats.

Fats – Explained

Saturation refers to whether or not a fatty acid chain is holding all of the hydrogen atoms it can hold. If it is filled to capacity with hydrogen it is called a saturated fatty acid or saturated fats. If the chain has a place where hydrogens are missing, such as in the fatty acids of plants and fish, there is a point of unsaturation, which is known as an unsaturated fatty acid. One point of unsaturation is called a monounsaturated fatty acid or monounsaturated fats. Two or more points of unsaturation is a polyunsaturated fatty acid or polyunsaturated fats. The more unsaturated the fats, the more liquid the fat is at room temperature. The more saturated the fats, the firmer the fast.

Keep in mind though that all fats are a combination of fatty acids. Their classification is determined by the highest percentage of saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fatty acids.  So no fats are just one type of fats.

Fats – The Devil is Partially Hydrogenated Fat

Trans fats are a type of fat molecule produced by a process called “partial hydrogenation” which rearranges the hydrogen atoms in liquid unsaturated fats to produce an unnatural fat which is solid at room temperature. This is the kind of fat that manufacturers use for frying and to make many processed foods. It is less expensive for manufacturers to use partially hydrogenated vegetables oils than to use natural saturated fats. Plus, trans fatty acids (trans fats) allow products to have a longer shelf life which is good for the companies, but not good for our health.

Trans fats are incorporated into our cell membranes, but are missing the hydrogen pairs needed for chemical reactions to occur. This results in dysfunction and chaos on the cellular level. Some of the most alarming research, dating back to 1990 shows that trans fats lowers HDL cholesterol (that’s the good stuff) and raises the bad LDL cholesterol and the total serum cholesterol. It’s also shown that consuming trans fats raises the blood sugar levels and causes people to weight more than people who consumed the same amount of fats not hydrogenated.

In short, trans fats should never be consumed. Other fats need to balanced so the body can make proper use of them.

Fun Trans Fats Video

Take away

Still Be Diligent and check the nutrition facts and ingredients!

Choose your fats wisely and with GREAT CARE to ensure they have been minimally and safely processed, or better yet, not processed at all; and remember- healthy fats are not the enemy and healthy fats do not make you fat! Consume a wide variety of fats from whole oils to whole foods containing healthy fats.

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Apples, apples, apples

Apple on Tree
Apple on Tree

Beautiful Apples Everywhere

Apples are appearing right now.  I love the two times of year when apples are fresh off the trees in my backyard and at the local Co-op or Farmer’s Markets!

Hopefully you are just as lucky and can pick up local produce near you.  Yet, if you happen to be shopping at a more traditional grocery store you may wonder how to identify your apples.

Apple Origin

You can learn a lot about all produce by looking at the sticker.  If the number has five digits and starts with 9 – yea! it’s organic – meaning this apple is grown within the USDA organic standards.  Most of all this is really important to your health with apples.  Apples are consistently one of the top foods that absorb pesticides and herbicide residue.  You can always find the most updated list of the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” at the Environmental Working Groups website.  In 2018, apples are number four.

If the number has five digits and starts with 8 – boo! it’s genetically modified.

If the number only has four digits then the apple was grown using traditional or conventional standards including pesticides and herbicides.

The adhesive on stickers is considered “food-grade” but definitely wash the apple and don’t eat the sticker – not “food- grade”.

The next 2-3 digits identify the country of origin.

In conclusion, obviously I would always prefer you’re eating local food but it can be an interesting investigative moment when you’re shopping if you know where the apple is actually coming from.

Produce Barcodes

Fresh Picked Apples
Fresh Picked Apples

00-13 = United States & Canada

30-37 = France

40-44 = Germany

49 = Japan

50 = United Kingdom

57 = Denmark

64 = Finland

76 = Switzerland and Liechtenstein

93 = Australia

471 = Taiwan

480 = Philippines

628 = Saudi-Arabia

629 = United Arab Emirates

690-695 = China

740-745 = Central America

750 = Mexico

 

 

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Italian Wedding Soup – Maybe?

I Love Soup – Healthy, Easy Food

Warming Soup

Soup is one of my favorite foods.  It’s healthy.  It’s easy.  It’s warming.  It’s delicious.  I can make a big batch, freeze in individual containers and have lunch weeks (or months) later.  I just counted and there are fourteen different types in my freezer, all ready for a quick meal.  This is my type of organization.

Plus, I really like soup all year round.  I know some people only look forward to it on cool days or during the cold winter months but I actually like it for a quick, healthy lunch any time of year.

Italian Wedding Soup – Kind of – I guess – maybe?

This recipe is my version of Italian Wedding Soup.  That said, please don’t send me negative comments about my lack of knowledge regarding this recipe.  No, I’m not Italian.  No, I have no idea about why it’s called Italian Wedding.  No, it’s not authentic.

I had a similar verson at my local soup house.  She said it was Italian Wedding Soup.  In truth, I have only a vague recollection of eating it at a small Italian restaurant near where I worked over two decades ago.  I truly have no knowledge base here.

What I did have was some interesting leftovers that I could make into an easy meal that was healthy.  The closest similarity was Italian Wedding Soup.  Probably if I was going to serve this, I would call it something like minestrone meatball soup or clean out the refrigerator soup (although that doesn’t sound too appetizing).

All I wanted to note is that this isn’t any traditional soup and I wasn’t trying for that.  Sometimes it’s best to relax and enjoy the food, no matter what you call it . . .

hope you enjoy it!

Perfection Not Required

This soup definitely does not require precision with the meatballs.  Use a teaspoon and drop “balls” into 1 to 1 1/4 inch balls.  They don’t need to be perfectly round.

The pasta is the same way – use whatever you can find.  Don’t worry about the size or style.

Same with the greens – use what’s available . . . spinach, kale, Swiss chard; it doesn’t matter.

The taste will change a little but the meal will still be healthy and wonderful.  This is about healthy and easy, NOT perfection!

I recommend homemade stock – here’s how – but you can always purchase premade if your in a hurry.  Or spend a weekend making a big batch of stock and save it for later.  I’m working on a fish stock recipe now . . . watch for it soon!

Ingredients

          Meatballs

  • ¾ pound grass fed ground beef
  • ½ pound pasture grassed ground chicken sausage
  • 2/3 cup gluten-free panko
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup Pecorino Roman, grated
  • ¼ cup Asiago, grated
  • ¼ cup Parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving
  • 3 Tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Soup

  • 2 Tablespoons ghee
  • 1 cup yellow onion, minced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 10 cups homemade chicken stock
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup small gluten free pasta (penne, fusilli, farfelle, fregula, cavatappi, etc)
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, minced
  • 12 ounces spinach or kale, coarsely chopped
  • Sea salt and white pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Mince garlic and onions and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Meatballs: line a baking sheet with parchment paper; combine all ingredients thoroughly; form into 1-1¼ inch meatballs (approx. 40); bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned; set aside.
  4. Soup: while the meatballs cook, heat the ghee in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery sautéing until softened 5-6 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and wine; bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender but not soft.  If the meatballs are still warm add them, the dill and the greens, cook for one minute.  If the meatballs are cold, add them and cook for a minute, then add the dill and greens cooking for an additional.  (the greens should be wilted but not cooked through).
  5. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Here’s a few more recipes and there’s many more throughout the website:

Root Vegetables

Split Pea

Red Pepper Artichoke

 

 

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Non-GMO Canola Oil and Kale Parmesan Salad

Non-GMO Canola Oil
Non-GMO Canola Oil

New Product: Non-GMO Canola Oil

I never thought I’d write in support of canola oil.  I never thought this day would come, or quite frankly, would even be possible.  Impossible because more than 95% of canola grown in North America is genetically modified!  So, I’ve been warning people away from canola oil for years.

In fact, when I interviewed Sally Fallon, President of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions in July of 2014 about canola oil I actually had canola oil companies contact me trying to convince me of the “health benefits” of canola oil.  Some even asked that I recant the interview because I called canola oil a dangerous food.  If you missed that interview, here it is:  Sally Fallon interview about Canola Oil in July 2014.

So, it’s really fun for me to see the change in the world.  I would be wrong if I didn’t recognize the change, acknowledge it, and pass it along to all of you.

Non-GMO Project Certified

Viterra, North Prairie Family Farms, and Riverina Natural Oils are certified non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project!  This is great news!  I’ve written before about the Non-GMO Project (read the article with this link).  I always recommend looking for their label since they are a third party verification regarding genetically modified ingredients.  GMO is one of the number one reasons to avoid most canola oils.

The canola seeds are grown by a group of Canadian prairie farmers on family farms located within a 150-mile radius of their own oil cold crushing facility in Saskatoon. The rich soil, cooler temperatures, clean air, and pure rainwater of Saskatchewan produce the nutrient-rich seeds required for this superior canola oil.

It’s About the Processing

I wrote about oil processing before (read the article with this link).   A potentially great oil can be ruined by terrible processing – the use of high heat, chemicals, bleaching, adding colorings and flavorings.  This is another reason I’ve always recommended avoiding canola oil because it is usually highly processed and basically just a toxic oil by the time you see it on the grocer’s shelves.

But these companies are doing it right!  This is a cold pressed (or cold crush) single expeller method!  This method ensures the canola oil will retain the maximum amount of nutrients possible, and preserves as much of the natural canola oil taste as possible.  This is a taste many people like because it’s lighter than extra virgin olive oil.  This process also doesn’t use solvents.  The canola oil never exceeds 50 degrees Celsius/122 degrees Fahrenheit creating a light nutty flavor and amber color.

Adherence to European Cold Crush Standards

I’ve often complained about the difference between the foods allowed in the United States and what is allowed in most other countries.  Europeans must adhere to strict standards in order to claim cold pressed labeling and status.  During the process, the canola must never exceed 50° Celsius. Unfortunately, there is no standard in North America for what constitutes cold pressing. Just because canola goes into the expeller cold does not mean it comes out cold.  Virtex Farm Foods in Saskatchewan, is a small facility, which guarantees a European cold press standard. We constantly monitor the canola crush for temperature and adhere to the European standard. It is part of their quality control to maximize the nutrition and offer consistent taste and aroma of the canola oil.

Free from a Great Company of Real Farmers

With North Prairie Family Farms you are purchasing from a small group of farmers who are sensitive to the needs of the consumer, and produce a finished product that’s a safe and nutritious non-GMO canola oil.  The individual farmers work as a group to connect directly to the consumers.

Kale Parm Salad with non-GMO canola oil
Kale Parm Salad with non-GMO canola oil

My Personal Testing & Recipe

With all this information, I had to try North Prairie Extra Virgin Canola Oil.  It was delicious!  I even made you a recipe.

Kale Parmesan Salad  

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. honey vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • ¼ cup North Prairie Extra Virgin non-GMO Canola Oil
  • Sea salt
  • fresh ground black or white pepper
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale
  • 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
  • ½ cup shaved Parmesan

Directions

  1. Chop the kale. Removing the ribs and stems.
  2. Wash the kale very well and spin dry.
  3. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, sea salt, and pepper. Pour over kale; massage for about 15 seconds and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and toss lightly to combine.

 

Enjoy this exciting new change in our healthy options!

 

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