Salmon Tacos, Fresh Salsa, and Yogurt Dessert

Hello, Hello!

This week, we’re featuring more tasty healthy foods that go well together in a recipe or on their own.  The beginning of the week starts with yogurt with nuts, grains or dried fruit on top, a great dessert to accompany the salmon taco meal you can build with the last four foods of the week.  You’ll find easy and flavorful recipes in this blog along with helpful hints as to how to use the foods.  And don’t forget to visits the deal links for each item in the schedule below!

The Healthy Deal schedule for the week of 8/15:
Monday, 8/15 – Driscoll’s Berries (SOLD OUT!)
Also Available - Andronico’s Bulk Fruit, Nuts, Beans & Grains
Tuesday, 8/16 - Siggi’s Yogurt
Wednesday, 8/17 – Tejava Iced Tea
Thursday, 8/18 – Whole Grain Tortilla from La Tortilla
Friday, 8/19 – Fresh Coho or Sockeye Salmon fish taco recipe below
Saturday, 8/20 – Fresh Salsa Ingredients salsa recipe below (NEARLY SOLD OUT!)
Sunday 8/21 – Clover Cheeses
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Easy, Gourmet Salmon Tacos

Each serving in this salmon taco dish is packed with:
- Bright and lively flavors from the salsa and spices
- Healthy fats from the avocados and salmon
- Vegetable, fish and dairy protein
- Fresh, nutrient rich vegetables
- Whole grains and fiber in the tortilla

Recipe:

Makes 4 Servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: ~10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 Whole Grain Tortillas from la Tortilla
• 12oz of Coho or Sockeye Salmon from Andronico’s
• Spices: 1tsp each of cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 head of fresh romaine lettuce (featured August 6th), sliced
• 2 oz Clover Stornetta Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Fresh Salsa (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup of plain Siggi’s yogurt
• 1 cup of canned low sodium black beans

Directions:

• Prepare salsa and refrigerate (recipe below).
• Combine dry spices for salmon in a small bowl.  Wash salmon, and pat dry with a towel.  Rub with one tablespoon of olive oil, then rub with spice blend.  Warm a large pan to medium heat, and add one tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is ready, place salmon skin-side down first, and cover.  Cook for three to five minutes.
• Slice avocado and romaine lettuce, and grate cheddar cheese. Place in separate serving dishes.  Flip the salmon gently, and cook covered for another three to five minutes.  Warm tortillas (toasted or microwaved) until desired temperature or crispness is achieved.
• When salmon is done, remove skin, and place ¼ of the salmon filet in each tortilla.  Top with avocado, 1/2 oz of cheese, ½ cup of lettuce, ¼ cup of salsa, 2 tbsp of yogurt, and ¼ cup of beans.  Enjoy with a tall glass of Tejava Iced Tea.

1 serving (recommended):

• 1 Whole Grain Tortilla from la Tortilla, warmed
• 3oz of blacked salmon
• 1/2 avocado
• ½ cup of lettuce
• 1/2 oz grated Clover Stornetta Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 2 tbsp of Siggi’s Yogurt
• ¼ cup low-sodium black beans

Fresh Salsa Recipe

This recipe is so fresh and so lively in flavor while remaining naturally low in sodium.

Ingredients:

• 3 large ripe tomatoes, diced or 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 smallgreen bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, and minced
• 1clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons of cliantro, chopped

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl and stir well. Cover and chill until you’re ready to serve.

Shazaam!  That’s your Salsa. 

Ingredients for a Lively Salmon Taco and a Fresh Salsa – ¡Viva la Fiesta!

This week, we have four items that work well together in your deee-licious salmon taco meal – Whole Grain Tortilla from La Tortilla, Fresh Coho or Sockeye Salmon, Fresh Salsa Ingredients, and Clover Cheeses.

Alright, so let’s talk briefly about why we chose these four ingredients.

Coho and Sockeye Salmon

The health benefits of wild Pacific salmons are well-documented.  It is precisely those reasons and it’s various textures that salmon is making it’s way into tacos around the states.  Yes, traditionally other fish are used to make fish tacos – tilapia, mahi mahi, snapper, etc. – but they are often fried, aren’t as healthy, or aren’t as available as salmon.

Since we’re offering a deal on two types of salmon, you might wonder: which is better to use for fish tacos, Coho or Sockeye?  Well, it depends.  Coho is lighter is color, and more buttery in texture and flavor than Sockeye.  Sockeye is meatier in texture, darker in color, and “gamier” in flavor.  If you’re using Coho and you want to taste the salmon, don’t use too much spice in this recipe.  The sockeye flavor, however, can stand up to more spice, so you can be more liberal with your added flavors.

Fresh Salsa Ingredients

The salsa ingredients are fresh and versatile: they can be used with chips or with the salmon taco recipe below, in a guacamole, or even on their own. Tomatoes, lime, onion, bell pepper, red wine vinegar, and can be used in a variety of ways with other deals from other weeks.  For example, use them on a lunch sandwich with Orowheat Whole Wheat Bread (featured August 7), or as a salad for lunch.  Plus, they pack a low-calorie nutritious punch in the Vitamin A and C departments.

Clover Cheeses

Cheese is a staple in the American diet, and it’s a great topping on most Mexican dishes as well as a satiating snack every so often.  As an melted ingredient or topping in Mexican cuisine, a great sharp cheddar from Clover mimics the Chihuahua cheese traditionally used as a melting cheese in Mexico.  If you want to keep your cheese raw on your taco, a low fat Monterrey Jack from Clover delivers flavor like a Queso Blanco.

Cheese is a natural product with wide range of flavors and textures.  But, we (and several other public health organizations) recommend limiting cheese consumption to a half ounce of cheese per day due to their high saturated fat and sodium content.

Whole Grain Tortillas from La Tortilla

The whole wheat 100-calorie tortillas from La Tortilla are a healthy, whole grain alternative to regular corn tortillas. Yes, they are a great wrap for a taco or even a lunch sandwich with Mary’s Organic Chicken and Newman’s Own Salad Dressing, both of which are healthy Deals featured on 8/13 and 8/31. You can even toast them in the oven, toaster oven or toaster and make healthy tortilla chips to go with your fresh salsa. What if I’m eating gluten-free? La Tortilla has you covered with their Ivory Teff Wrap.

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Tejava Iced Tea – Versatility in a Refreshing Drink

Tejava makes one flavor of their premium black tea: unsweetened. And it is awesome. Calorie-free, it can be enjoyed on its own or with other flavors. Here are a few suggestions for drinking Tejava:

Drink it in the morning. Drink it as a snack. Drink it with your Salmon Taco dinner. Drink it when you’re thirsty. Drink it instead of sweetened drinks. Drink it cold. Drink it on the way to work or class. Drink it after a workout. Add Flavor. Add lemon. Add lime. Add crushed Driscoll’s berries and let it stand in the fridge overnight.

VERSATILE.

Now on to dessert!

Siggi’s – Holy Pack-a-punch-of-protein, Batman!

In each of their varieties, Siggi’s skyr yogurt uses only natural flavorings and MUCH less sugar than all other yogurt companies, so you can enjoy an Orange-Ginger or classic Blueberry with a gentler level sweetness and calories. As a non-fat, low cholesterol, calcium-rich yogurt, you’d think that’d be enough good-news nutrition, but no – each serving has fourteen grams of quality dairy protein.

A cup of this Icelandic tradition can be eaten as a nice addition to your breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert after your savory Salmon Taco Dinner. If you’re like me and you like getting the most nutrients and the most flavor in what you eat, I recommend adding a half cup of fresh berries from Driscoll’s to a plain cup of Siggi’s, and savor each spoonful of the wonder you behold. With the sweetness of the berries and the substance of Siggi’s, this combination is a healthy idea at any time of day.  If you like crunch with your yogurt, add some Bear Naked Granola (August 26th), or nuts from Andronico’s Bulk Counter.

The slight sour quality of the yogurt is prominent in the plain flavor, which makes it great as a substitute for sour cream. With its cool, thick texture*, you can even use a couple tablespoons as a topping on this week’s Salmon Taco recipe.

Strained Icelandic and Greek yogurts have a great thickness to them, that makes them feel more like a dessert… But, amazingly, Siggi’s are healthier tan most yogurts on the market, with more protein, and far less sugar.

We’re sorry that we’ve SOLD OUT of deals for Fresh Berries… But, one of our deals featured next week, the Andronico’s Bulk Counter, offers a wide variety of locally sourced Fruits, Nuts, Granola and individual Grains that go great with your Yogurt Dessert, or breakfast… Plus, they have dried black and other beans, which some of the healthiest foods for adding more texture, fiber and protein to your Taco Night!  We hope you enjoy these recipes. Please share your thoughts with us by commenting on this post.

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Coming Up Next Week: Back to School Staples

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Enjoy in health,

Andrew Duffy, PES