3 Ways To Cook Salmon & Make It Delicious

August 6, 2021 By Anne

Salmon is one of those foods that you should try to eat more of. Generally, fish is very good for you as it provides an excellent source of protein and many other nutrients. However, fish like salmon are particularly good as they are oily fish. Therefore, they have omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for our overall health and wellbeing.

The problem with salmon is that most people don’t know the best ways to cook it. If you don’t like fish because of its smell or taste, salmon is a great way to ease yourself into the world of seafood. Especially if you learn how to cook it properly to get the most out of it – here’s how to do salmon, three ways:

Salmon on the grill

The first option is to get your grill out and cook your salmon over some hot coals. The beauty of this is that your salmon takes on the smoky charred BBQ flavors that are synonymous with a grill. It’s easy to cook as well, seeing as you just place the salmon on the grill and turn it over after a couple of minutes. If you leave the skin on, it becomes nice and crispy as well.

The best thing about this cooking method is nothing is needed other than a bit of oil. The salmon takes on so much flavor from the grill that you almost get smoked salmon without any marinade.

Salmon in the oven

Baked salmon is such a simple and flavorsome dish that requires minimum effort. Here, you should make a marinade and coat your salmon in it. Leave it there for a few minutes – or overnight if you have the time – before wrapping it up in foil. Bake it in the oven and the flavors are soaking into the salmon and being trapped by the foil. When you take it out, you have the juiciest, flakiest salmon of all.

You don’t technically need a marinade here, but it will make your salmon tastier. Alternatively, brush it with some butter and add it to the foil with some sliced lemons and fresh herbs.

Salmon in a pan

Next up, you can fry salmon in a pan to get a completely different texture and eating experience. The benefit of this is that the frying gives you a crispy outer coating that you don’t really get with the other methods. Your salmon can also take on the charred flavor as well, particularly if you’re cooking salmon on a griddle instead of a pan. It’s a slightly different piece of cooking apparatus, but the cooking style is effectively the same – you’re frying it, just on a different thing!

Again, simplicity works perfectly here as you can fry your salmon with a bit of butter and salt and pepper. Marinades do work well here too; it depends how fancy you’re feeling.

Just like that, you know three different methods of cooking salmon. Try them all out and you will be blown away by how tasty this fish is. Now, you can start adding it to your diet and enjoying the nutritional benefits!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Great Reasons To Try Some Vegan Meals With Your Family

July 11, 2021 By Anne

Going vegan is a huge commitment that not a lot of us are willing to make, especially if we have family members who are regular meat-eaters and would object to having a huge change to their meals. However, that doesn’t mean the possibility of going vegan or even trying some vegan meals should be thrown out of the window. In fact, there are many great reasons to have a “no meat” day with your family or even try vegan meals for a short period of time.

So here are a couple of great reasons why you should try some vegan meals with your family.

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It familiarises your family members with vegan cuisine

Vegan cuisine isn’t something that all families will end up trying, but it does let them experience what vegan cuisine is like and it makes it seem less like a completely different world and more like an alternative to the food your family currently eats. For example, this pistachio ice cream is easy to make and both paleo and vegan, making it a great recipe for families that are looking for a slightly healthier version of ice cream that is full of nutrition. To most people, it wouldn’t taste any different to regular ice cream and may even be preferred by some.

Vegan meals are full of nutrition

Of all the reasons to go vegan, we can’t deny that many vegan meals are packed full of nutrition and are great for diets, healthy eating, and balancing your nutritional intake. For example, if you’re accustomed to eating a lot of junk food, then mixing in a vegan meal or two can be a great way to supercharge your diet and balance out all of the bad food that you’re eating. While many people think that vegan food is all about salads and vegetables, there are loads of new vegan foods that can replicate meat and are fantastic when added to family favourites.

It exposes you to new flavours

Vegan food can be extremely creative because they need to use lots of unique cooking techniques in order to create new flavours and textures. Whether it’s something that tries to replicate real meat or a vegan substitute for something like cheese, these foods and ingredients can be delicious when cooked the right way and will expose you to a myriad of unique experiences. Even if you’re adamant about sticking to your regular non-vegan diet, there’s no denying that some vegan meals and restaurants can create delicious flavours and pleasing textures.

It gives them a choice in the future

Giving your family the choice of having vegan meals or not can be a great way to give them more control over their diet. For example, there are many different ways to incorporate healthy meals into your diet if someone in your family wants to watch their weight or create a more balanced diet, and adding in a vegan meal or two can be a great option. If a family member wants to make the commitment to go vegan for a while, then you could accommodate them as well.

Anne

How To Encourage Your Kids To Eat If They Are Fussy Eaters

March 25, 2021 By Anne

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

One of the biggest challenges that parents can face is trying to get their kids to eat. You could spend the whole afternoon slaving over a delicious dish only for one (or more) of them to refuse to eat it. This is frustrating, particularly as you know they tucked into that exact dish the week before with no problems. It just happens to be that this week they are having an aversion to peas, or don’t want anything that is yellow on their plate. If you are facing this battle with your kids then it can be stressful – you want to make sure your kids are getting enough nutrients and minerals, but you also don’t want to pander to them. Luckily, there are a few different things you can do to try and stop them from being such fussy eaters and get them to eat their dinner. Here are some top ideas that you could try…

Encourage your children to cook with you

One of the best ways to encourage your children to eat is to get them to cook with you. By teaching them recipes and showing them how to cook, they will get involved in all aspects of the process and want to eat the end result. Whether you make a broccoli cheese casserole, a pie or something else, there are endless options your child can help with. Encourage them to pitch in ideas and help where they can. (Make sure you let them know they can’t use items such as the oven or knives when you aren’t there to supervise!)

Arrange their food into fun shapes

Another good way to get your kids to eat their food could be by arranging their food into fun shapes. This could be anything from animals to smiley faces using the ingredients in their dinner. By doing so, it makes it more fun for them to eat and they will be excited to see what shape you bring out for them.

Be patient with them, but don’t pander to it

It is important to be patient with your child when they are not eating. If you shout at them or get cross then they will not want to eat at all. Instead, be patient, ask them why they don’t want to eat and give them plenty of time to eat. Make it clear, however, that if they don’t eat their dinner they don’t get anything else. They might just be being fussy as they want something that they prefer. Show them this isn’t an option and they need to eat the food that is in front of them.

These are just a few ways that you can encourage your kids to eat if they are fussy eaters. By trying these you are sure to find that soon they eat more food and you have more success at meal times. What are some top tricks and tips you use to get your little one to eat?

Anne

3 Amazing Appetizers You Can Make In Under 15 Minutes

November 10, 2020 By Anne

If you’re planning a dinner party or a get together of some kind, coming up with the menu can be hard. A lot of people find it tough to think of ideas for appetizers and sometimes, the idea of cooking extra dishes on top of the main, all of the sides, and maybe even a dessert can be stressful.

The good news is, appetizers don’t have to be hard and there are some great dishes that you can make with minimal effort. These are some of the best appetizers that you can make in 15 minutes or less.

Baked Brie

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What could be better than rich, melted cheese with lots of breadsticks or chopped vegetables to dip in? That’s why baked brie is such a perfect appetizer for a dinner party and the best thing is, it’s so simple to do. Once you try one of these brie recipes, they will become a regular feature at all of your parties because they are always a huge hit. Everybody can dig in, so you don’t need to worry about plating anything up, and baking the brie is as simple as adding whatever toppings you like (fruit and nuts work well) and then baking it in the oven in a dish for around 10 minutes or so. You can buy special dishes that are perfectly sized for brie, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. The recipe will still work fine with a standard dish.

Homemade Guacamole

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Guacamole is so simple to make and when you make it fresh, you’ll wish you never wasted your time and money on the store-bought stuff. This is the perfect appetizer for a family BBQ when you want a fresh, delicious appetizer that takes no time at all to prepare. Simply take your avocado and mash it up as much as you like, depending on whether you want it chunky or smooth. Then, add some lemon juice, diced red onion, chill (you can use chili flakes) and season with salt and pepper. It’s as simple as that and everybody will love it.

Quesadillas

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A Quesadilla is a delicious appetizer that is perfect if you have bits and pieces that need using up because it’s very adaptable. The key components of any quesadilla recipe are the tortilla and the cheese. Beyond that, it’s up to you what you put inside them. Chicken and cheese is a popular filling but a lot of people also like to use beans. Butternut squash makes a great healthy alternative as well.

To make your quesadilla, get some store-bought tortillas and put one in the pan. Heat it until small air pockets start to form, then add your toppings and cover the pan. Once the cheese is melted, you can fold it in half, cut it up and serve it. It’s so quick to make a bunch of quesadillas and serve them in slices for your guests.

Next time you are hosting a party and you are stuck for appetizer ideas, why not give some of these recipes a try?

Anne

Making the Perfect Packed Lunch for Your Children

October 13, 2020 By Anne

Photo Credit

When you’re planning your child’s meals, chances are you lay the bulk of focus on breakfast and dinner, as these are meals you can generally make at home and ensure your little ones are eating properly. But their lunch is extremely important too! If your kid takes packed lunches to school, why not place a little more focus on ensuring they get the best meal possible? Here are some suggestions that could create exciting, healthy and balanced lunches for them!

The Main Aspect of the Meal

Sandwiches are great for lunchboxes. They’re easy to make, they can be eaten without any cutlery and they can be wrapped easily. But this isn’t the only option when it comes to your little one’s lunch. Remember that you can get more creative. Why not cook something that can be eaten cold at lunch? This will mix things up and make sure that your child’s diet is balanced and more exciting each day. Why not make something like rasta pasta, sushi, a wrap, a salad packed with extras like tofu or chickpeas, or anything else?

A Whole Piece of Fruit

Kids, like everyone else, should eat five portions of fruit or vegetables a day. Their lunch box is a great way to work some of this into their diet. A whole apple, banana or pear can be thrown in easily and doesn’t need to be wrapped. Softer fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sliced grapes, and kiwi slices are another option, but these will have to be placed in tupperware of some sort to avoid them getting squashed.

Special Treats

Of course, health comes in moderation. You don’t have to completely eliminate sugar or healthy fats from your child’s diet. Everything should be balanced and a small occasional treat can bring a big smile to your child’s face when they open their lunch box. An unexpected piece of cake, a small bar of chocolate or something else can be absolutely fine in their lunch.

Don’t Forget a Drink

When we pack our kids’ lunch, the food itself tends to be our main area of focus. But you need to remember to include a drink too! Staying hydrated is extremely important for everyone, including little ones. But it is particularly important that you choose your child’s drink wisely. All too many unhealthy drinks are specifically targeted at children, who are likely to encourage their parents to buy the bright packaging packed with excess sugar. Instead, there are healthier alternatives that won’t prove so damaging for your little one’s teeth. Water tends to be best, but flavoured waters can be fine too and a little more fun for your kid. Good options include bottled drinks, pouches or cans, as these can be easily and safely stored in your child’s lunch box without spilling easily.

These are just a few different elements of your child’s lunch that you can focus on. Hopefully, some of the above advice will help you to make great quality lunches that will provide your child with all the nutrition they need!