Spicy Fresh Norwegian Salmon with Olive Lemon Quinoa & Vegetable Noodles
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
½ cup chopped scallions
Small pinch red pepper flakes Pinch salt 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil Nonstick cooking spray 1 pound thick skin-on Norwegian Salmon fillet 1 cup quinoa*, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts 2 tablespoons pitted, chopped olives 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 large zucchinis cut “noodle style”
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the scallions and red pepper with the salt and 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil to create a flavored oil rub. 2. Spray a small roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray and lay the salmon in it. Cover the fish with the scallion-and-red-pepper mixture. Roast the salmon in the top third of the oven until it is barely opaque at the center of the thickest part, about 15 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa; cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining olive oil, pine nuts, olives, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then sauté the zucchini for 2-3 minutes in a little olive oil.
Serve the salmon over the quinoa and serve the vegetables to the side.
Enjoy the healthy way for a better tomorrow!
Chef Martin Lopez
ChefMartin.net
As seen at:
Nourish By: UsInLupus.com
As a professional Chef, my main goal is to “nourish” the people I cook for.
Flavor, presentation, nutrition and a well-balanced diet are key factors when I create menus.
We all know that a healthy diet is important in general, but perhaps even more so for the roughly 1 million Americans and 3 million people worldwide who suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus.
For most people with lupus, the two big things to avoid are high-fat and processed foods.
You might benefit from taking these items off the menu altogether:
Processed foods — Think of these as any food that comes from a box or a can. I can never say enough, “Fresh simple nutrition is better and it taste delicious”
Alfalfa sprouts and garlic — Both these foods contain substances that rev up your immune system, which you don’t want if you have lupus. “I would recommend avoiding both alfalfa sprouts and heavy use of garlic.
Too much alcohol — A little red wine is a good source of an antioxidant that benefits heart health, but heavy, sugary alcoholic drinks are empty calories that can increase your risk of obesity and heart disease.
“Nightshade” vegetables — Which include potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant — have gotten a bad rap when it comes to lupus because they're believed to trigger inflammation. However, the Lupus Foundation of America notes that the evidence is anecdotal.
Despite what you might have read, there’s no established diet for Lupus. Just as with any medical condition, you should aim to eat a healthy blend of foods, including fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, plant fats, lean proteins, and fish.
Go from red meat to fatty fish — Red meat is full of saturated fat, which can contribute to heart disease. Fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines are high in omega-3s.
Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids that help protect against heart disease and stroke as they also can reduce inflammation in the body.
Get more calcium-rich foods — According to some studies, the steroid drugs you may take to control lupus can thin your bones. This side effect makes you more vulnerable to fractures, so to combat fractures, eat foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients strengthen your bones.
Calcium-rich foods include, low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, yogurt, tofu, beans, calcium-fortified plant milks
dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and kale.
“There are no foods that cause lupus and no foods that cure it, but eating a well-balanced diet may help combat some of the side effects of medications, as well as alleviate symptoms of the disease”
