[www.keralites.net] Southwestern Salmon & Black Beans

 

 

Southwestern Salmon & Black Beans

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lb salmon cut into 4 pieces, , skin and bones removed
• 1 small sized onion, minced
• 1 small sized red bell pepper, diced 1/4 inch
• 4 medium cloves garlic pressed
• 1 TBS + 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups or 15 oz can black beans (BPA free), drained
• 1-1/2 TBS red chili powder
• about 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce, outer leaves discarded
• 1 medium avocado, cut into cubes
• Sauce:
• 2 TBS fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 TBS fresh chopped mint
• 1 TBS fresh chopped basil
• 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 3 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS chopped pumpkin seeds
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season salmon with a little salt and pepper. Set aside while you chop and saute vegetables.
2. Mince onions and press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance their hidden health benefits.
3. Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet. When broth begins to steam add onion, bell pepper and garlic and Healthy Saut on medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Add 1/2 cup broth, drained beans, and red chili powder. Cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. While beans are cooking, preheat broiler. Place a stainless steel or cast iron skillet large enough for salmon under the heat to get hot. This takes about 10 minutes.
6. In a bowl mix together cilantro, mint, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper.
7. Place salmon in the hot pan and return to broiler about 5 inches from the heat source for best results. Broil salmon for about 7 minutes for medium doneness. This is our Quick Broil cooking method. Serve salmon, beans, lettuce and avocado together on a plate. Top salmon and lettuce with cilantro topping.

Serves 4

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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Southwestern Salmon & Black Beans

Healthy Food Tip

What do you think of stevia?

I think that stevia is one of the best natural sweeteners available. It is natural, virtually calorie-free, and can be used as is or in baking and cooking.

Stevia is a deciduous shrub that grows naturally in the southwestern United States but is originally native to Central and South America. It's about two to three feet tall, and it is unique in terms of its taste. The sweetness of stevia depends upon the species involved; there are several hundred different species of this plant and only a dozen or so seem to have the sweetness characteristics desired. The chemical composition of stevia is complicated, and there are dozens of different glycosides involved in its sweet taste. Among the most important of these glycosides, however, are steviosides, rebaudiosides, and dulcosides. In December 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a major step toward recognition of stevia as a rightful member of the food supply. While the FDA did not grant approval for stevia itself to be added to the Generally Recognized as Safe list (GRAS list), it did award GRAS status to a purified extract from one of the stevia glycosides (rebaudioside A, also called reb A). This purified stevia extract is being marketed under a variety of different brand names, including Truvia and PureVia. While we would prefer to see FDA recognition of stevia itself rather than a purified stevia extract, we are glad to have this natural sweetener brought further into the public spotlight in a favorable way.

While it is possible to buy fresh leaves or dried leaves from the plant itself, when you purchase stevia in the store, you are most likely going to be purchasing a powdered extract from the plant or a liquid concentrate. Many different glycosides-including steviosides and rebaudiosides-are found in the powdered extracts and some may have health-supportive properties.

If you purchase the liquid concentrate, the composition of the stevia depends on the method of production. Sometimes these liquid concentrates are produced by boiling the leaves directly in water and sometimes the leaves are steeped in water or a water-plus-alcohol mixture. Although it's not clear from the research exactly which form of stevia is the most health supportive, there is no question that stevia extracts in any form come out far ahead of white table sugar or high fructose corn syrup in terms of their potential health benefits. Among the possible benefits here are potential hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) effects and potential hypotensive (blood pressure lowering) effects.

Stevia has been used in many cultures as both a sweetener and a medicinal agent. Thanks to an FDA decision in December 2008, one purified extract from stevia (rebaudioside A) fits into the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) category and can be found in drinks, beverages, and other products in the U.S. marketplace. Stevia is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale as a dietary supplement. One thing you'll notice about stevia is that it is very sweet. In its refined, white powdery extract form in which there is a very high concentration of steviosides, it may be several hundred times sweeter than regular table sugar. It should therefore be used sparingly when substituted for sugar, whether it is for sweetening beverages, in baked goods recipes, or for any other ways that you choose to use it.

Like many people, you may be wondering why I don't feature stevia in my book, The World's Healthiest Foods, or on the WHFoods website. The reason is that while I think stevia can be a great natural substitute for sugar, notably for those who have blood sugar concerns, stevia is not usually purchased as a whole food (in the fresh or dried leaf form), but rather as a powdered extract or liquid concentrate. This key difference between a whole food and an extracted component also applies to the GRAS-listed extract from stevia-rebaudioside A-which is added to boost sweetness in beverages and other foods. In my book and on our website, I try to spotlight the unique benefits that come from consumption of whole, natural foods.

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