Patricia Chuey

Food and Nutrition Expert | Recipe Developer

West Coast Seafood Chowder

By

 Seafood Chowder

As a prairie kid of farm parents growing up in Saskatchewan,  seafood chowder was NOT a staple in our regular meal routine. Yet fish is such an important food for protein, healthy fats and nutrients. (Typically, fish of any kind isn’t necessarily a favourite for kids…but the more they’re exposed to it, the more normal and yummy it becomes.) When I moved to the west coast and was able to enjoy a wide variety of fresh and local seafood, making non-fishy fish dishes became easy and normal. Now something we eat at least 3 times each week. With great recipes like this one created by my hubby Brian, even if you don’t live near the ocean, you can make delicious and impressive fish meals from carefully selected frozen products. This non-heavy chowder is simple to make. Any variety of fish and shellfish, the ones YOU like, can be used. With warm grainy bread, it makes a perfect meal on a rainy or snowy Canadian winter day. Let the kids ‘fish’ in the soup and see if they can name the fish or shellfish as they catch it on their spoons! (If fish doesn’t fit at all for you, regularly eat flax seed, walnuts and other foods rich in heart-healthy fats.)

West Coast Seafood Chowder     Serves 6

  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 large carrot, diced finely
  • 2 large celery stalks, diced finely
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 bottle (240 mL) clam juice
  • 4 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp each dried thyme leaves and dried parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • ½ lb skinless, boneless wild salmon cut in cubes
  • ½ lb skinless, boneless snapper or other white fish, cut in cubes
  • 1 lb shellfish, such as scallops, clams and/or mussels
  • Old Bay seasoning and leafy greens, optional garnish
  1. In a large soup pan, heat oil over medium. Sauté shallots, carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle in flour and stir well to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes until flour just begins to brown.
  3. Add white wine and stir well to deglaze the pan (unstick any bits that may be stuck to the bottom).
  4. Add clam juice, chicken stock, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  5. Add fish and shellfish about 10 minutes before serving. Serve garnished as desired.

Cheers!

 

Toasted Sesame Spinach Gomae

By

Gomae with sauce

Gomae (pronounced go-muh-eye) is a Japanese vegetable dish, often served as an appetizer salad. You’ll find it on the menu at sushi restaurants. It’s very easy to make and possibly the yummiest way to get a dose of the iron, B vitamins, folic acid and minerals that are naturally found in spinach. Garnished with sesame sauce, simple spinach becomes a delicacy. It’s very easy to eat what will seem like a medicinal dose of this stuff. The sauce can be made up to a day ahead and any leftovers make a delicious salad dressing. Enjoy!

Gomae   Makes 8 servings, 2 pieces each

  • 6 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce (use GF version if preferred)
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp peanut butter or tahini
  • 1 tsp mirin
  • 1, 454 g bag of fresh spinach, well washed
  1. Toast sesame seeds. (Do not skip this step as it is vital for the flavour). Place sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes or until golden and they begin to ‘pop’ in the pan.
  2. In a food processor, combine toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, sugar, peanut butter or tahini and mirin into a smooth paste. Set aside.
  3. Very lightly cook spinach by microwaving in batches for 1-2 minutes. Allow to cool. Squeeze out excess moisture and then form into a log shape. Cut pieces, little piles of spinach, and place on serving platter or in small individual serving plates. (Google ‘gomae’ for a variety of presentation ideas.)
  4. Serve drizzled with sesame sauce. Keep refrigerated until serving as it is best nice and cold.

Cheers!

 

The Original Sea Salt Puffino

By

Puffinos

 

Puffinos (pronouced puff-een-oes), are a deliciously simple treat that we had fun inventing in the summer of 2015. We were camping right on the beach at beautiful Tofino, BC on the westernmost coast of Canada. After a day of serious energy expenditure boogie boarding and surfing with friends in perfect washing machine waves followed with a delicious dinner, we roasted marshmallows around the campfire. We decided to pop some corn over the fire too. With a handful of lightly sea salted fire-popped corn and a perfectly caramelized roasted marshmallow in the other, the merger took place. We happened to have some toasted coconut and hemp hearts on hand for our morning oatmeal (because that’s how we ‘tough it out’ when camping:). We sprinkled these over the melted marshmallow-popcorn combo and the Puffino was born! That evening we ‘brain-surfed’ a lengthy gourmet list of toppings for our future boutique Puffino shop. The new Nanaimo bar? These are a simple, yet yummy treat to make even when you only have a few baking ingredients on hand. The kids love them.

Bonus: they’re gluten-free and considerably lower in fat and calories than a traditional chocolate truffle or rum ball. Enjoy and surf on into a happy new year ahead! #8020

 

Puffinos                Makes 40 treats

  • ½ cup popcorn kernels
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 6 cups mini marshmallows (approx. 1 bag) or about 60 regular sized
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla
  • Optional toppings: crumbled toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds or coconut, sugar sprinkles, melted dark chocolate and/or caramel bits
  1. In a large saucepan with lid, combine oil and popcorn kernels. Cover. Place on burner over high heat until popcorn pops, about 4-5 minutes. To avoid scorching, listen carefully near the end of popping and remove from heat just before final kernels pop. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, carefully removing any un-popped kernels. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. This makes about 16 cups of popcorn. Remove and set aside about 4 cups. (Alternately, air popped corn can be used if preferred.)
  2. Assemble in advance any toppings you wish to apply to the Puffinos before they set.
  3. Rinse out the same saucepan and add butter and marshmallows as you would for rice crispy cake. Heat over low, stirring often, until marshmallows are melted, but not caramelized. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
  4. Working quickly, pour melted marshmallows over popcorn and stir well to coat. If needed to form a firmer mixture, add more popcorn from the reserved 4 cups. Once cool enough to handle, again, work quickly to shape into popcorn balls of any size you like. Keeping hands slightly damp with water helps. (Makes 40 Puffinos, about 1½ times the size of a golf ball.)
  5. Before they set fully, roll tops or the whole ball in garnishes like toasted coconut, sprinkled or crushed almonds. If garnishing with chocolate or caramel drizzle, apply once the Puffinos are firm and fully cooled. Allow to stand for the drizzle to set before eating. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Cheers!

 

 

 

Glorious Kale Salad

By

Well-balanced mixtures of energizing carbohydrates, protein and quality fats make for ideal sustained fuel. Meals rich in colourful vegetables or fruit are abundant in disease-fighting nutrients that also help working muscles perform and recover well for subsequent day’s activities. Toss together this highly crave-able salad for high octane muscle fuel and a lighter option to much of the rich, comfort food of the Fall season. It definitely won’t be one you only ever make once.

Glorious Vegetable, Kale and Tofu Salad – Makes 8 servings

Recipe inspired by my dear friend Tori at Fraiche Nutrition.com and Whitewater Cooks, a gorgeous cookbook series created in British Columbia.

  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes (available in natural foods aisle)
  • 2 Tbsp sodium-reduced soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp tahini, peanut or almond butter
  • 8 cups cooked brown rice
  • 2 cups grated fresh beets
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 2 cups almonds, toasted and chopped
  • 2 cups fresh kale leaves or spinach, stems removed
  • 2 cups grilled tofu cubes
  1. Make dressing: In food processor or blender, combine water, yeast flakes, soy sauce, cider vinegar and garlic. Add oil in a steady stream. There will be leftover dressing for later use on another salad, quinoa, grilled fish or chicken.
  2. Assemble the salad in a large bowl or on individual plates by topping cooked rice with beets, carrots, kale, almonds and tofu. Drizzle with dressing to serve. Alternately, tofu can be pan fried in a bit of the dressing before placing on the salad.

Cheers!

Secret Fish Taco Sauce

By

The secret to permanent great health and well-being revealed!

CONSISTENCY.

The healthiest people out there consistently do a few things. They buy healthy groceries week in and week out, keep lots of fresh vegetables, whole grains and quality protein options on hand and make a consistent effort to eat well at least 80% of the time. They aren’t obsessed and don’t freak out when they occasionally stray from their 80% approach. Equally, if not more, important, they’re consistent with exercise. They don’t over train and then become inactive. They take a permanent, ongoing healthy approach to exercise. It’s as much a part of their routine as showering or sleeping. And their sleep habits are consistent too. In addition, consistency is maintained in other areas that impact health including stress management, job satisfaction, satisfying relationships and more.

To celebrate the reveal of the secret to well-being, I share my secret sauce for delicious homemade fish tacos.

Creamy Caper Fish Taco Secret Sauce – Makes 1¼ cups

  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • juice from 1 small lime
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp chopped capers
  • ½ tsp each dried dill, cumin and chili powder
  • Optional: 1/2 -1 tsp hot sauce or red chili flakes
  1. In bowl with a lid, combine yogurt, mayo and lime juice. Mix well.
  2. Stir in cilantro, capers and spices. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavour to develop well.
  3. Drizzle over tacos filled with: chunks of grilled white fish and a slaw of chopped cabbage, peppers, carrots and kale.

Cheers!

Meet Patricia

Eating well is just one spoke in the wheel of health. An active life...

[Read More...]

Random Blog Goodness