Broiled Salmon with Basil and Chili Sauce


Salmon is a very heart healthy fish. Loaded with lean protein, minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has found a place into the menu's of a variety of cuisines. Tomatoes contain Lycopene,Folate, Vitamin C and potassium. A combination that has been shown to aid in the reduction of heart diseases and come cancer. Below is an easy way to blend familiar flavors into a quick, easy and healthy meal.


4.  6 to 8ounce Salmon fillets(buy them from a fish monger/ask him to take out the pin bones/Go to Costco or the like and buy you fish frozen - it is actually a lot healthier then you think. Either way, go get some fish!)

1.  12 or 16 ounce can Chopped Tomato.

1 tablespoon Srirarcha Chili Sauce (It's Thai, not to spicy & has a picture of a Rooster on it) or hot sauce of your liking.

1 clove Garlic, crushed and minced
1 Red Onion, peeled and sliced as thin as you can.
2 Tablespoons Chopped Basil (you can use Dried but, fresh is the BEST!)

*Please soak your basil leaves while they are whole and rinse them well, Basil is notorious for collecting sand & dirt)

1 ounce Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Kosher or Sea Salt & Pepper to your liking.
*Cut down on salt as much as you can if you have blood pressure or any type of heart disease in your family, article to follow*

Needed: 1Toaster oven or Conventional oven preheated to 350 degrees
             1 Sheet pan/tray/heat resistant cooking device.
             Enough Aluminum foil to cover the cooking tray/pan

1)  Coat your Salon fillets with the EVOO and place them on the aluminum foil covered tray.

2) In a medium bowl, mix your Tomatoe, Chili Sauce, Garlic and Onion together. Taste it, yes you have to taste it other wise you will not know if you need to put any salt and pepper into the mix.

3) Add Salt and pepper if you think the mixture calls for it, because right now, there is no seasoning on your fish. When satisfied with the flavor, cover each fillet with one tablespoon at a time; making sure the Salmon Fillets are all equally covered.

Place in your oven and cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until done to your liking. If you wish, serve with a slice of lemon (please take  seeds out), and a glass of high quality h2o and Bon appetito!

 *I eat a lot of sushi so I like my fish a little pink and mushy in the middle. Most people do not so start cooking with ten minutes. You will be at a rare-medium rare at this point depending upon your oven. Give your fish a poke, it the Salmon is to soft for you, cook for another 5 minutes and test again and see where you are, do not be afraid to cut a piece in half if you have to. You are going to eat it anyway.

* Make sure to spread the fillets out evenly when you place them on the tray. If they are too close together it will effect your cooking duration.

Almonds, a Heart Healthy Snack that can help make you skinny!

If you type almonds and Heart Health into any internet search engine, the results will seem endless. Almonds have been linked to lowering Cholesterol (LDL the bad one), weight loss (Fiber/Protein) and are packet with vitamins and nutrients. All in one handful. It amazes me how much information is written about a nut. Makes you kind of wonder if all these people are on to something.

For a heart healthy snack eat one handful of Almonds & a tall glass of water. The Almonds will provide you a plethora of nutrients while the water will hydrate you and with the Almonds, boost your metabolism. If you don't belive me call the American Hear Association, Mayo Clinic, American Dietetic Association and tell them they are wrong.

One serving a day is all you need for a healthier heart and slimmer waistline.

Eat up America!

ADA
American Heart Association
Mayo Clinic
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3085/2

Steal Cut Oatmeal with Walnuts & Strawberries


Talk about a Heart Healthy hat trick. McCanns Steel Cut oatmeal in my opinion is the best. McCanns actually leaves the oats whole (Whole Grain) allowing you to enjoy the nutty aroma and flavor as well as a plethora of nutrients like Fiber, Iron, B vitamins and even a bit of protein. http://www.mccanns.ie/

It's heart healthy aspect - Lowers cholesterol (Fiber). 

Strawberries add a sweetness to the meal but is also loaded with Potassium, which helps your heart beat.
Walnuts are loaded with protein, fiber and potassium BUT, are a good source of Alpha-Linoleic Acid - reduces saturated fat in the blood stream and help reduce the risk-of heart disease and heart attacks.

1/4 cup Steel Cut whole oats (Soaked over night. Pour 1 cup hot water into a bowl containing 1/4 cup Oats, cool and allow the rest in a refrigerated area overnight. 
1 cup water (or 1/2 cup water & 1/2 cup Skim Milk)
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 pinch cinnamon
1 tsp all natural honey (or 2 tablespoons if you have a sweet tooth but remember! this is Heart Health Awareness Month, easy with the extra calories) 

1) Bring the Steel Cut Oats,water and cinnamon to a boil , lower your temperature so that the water is just lightly bubbling (a simmer) and let it cook for 9-10 minutes or until tender.

* Whole oats will always feel a bit fibrous even when completely cooked (think an al dente risotto feel)

2) Spoon the Oatmeal into a bowl and mix in your Strawberries, Walnuts, teaspoon of honey and have breakfast.

* Yes strawberries may cost $2-$3 dollars a pint and Walnuts are more expensive then peanuts but, the last time I checked Pharmaceutical companies are not giving away any coupons for any Heart Disease or cancer medications.

What have you got to loose beside your gut.

If you are in Brooklyn for inexpensive produce, go to 3 Guys From Brooklyn http://3guysfrombrooklyn.tripod.com/ They have the most reasonable prices you will find anywhere. If you don't thinkso, please share where your favorite store is.

Go Red for Women!
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/potassium-and-your-heart
http://men.webmd.com/features/walnuts-why-you-need-them

I have been a witness to this dastardly trend all too often. The best laid plans for a happier and healthier NEW YEAR/NEW YOU just thrown by the waste side. You are not alone! Better yet, this year Pump Energy Foods is going to help prevent that from happening. Adam Eskin, The Pumps CEO, has put together a phenomenal contest to help you attain the health & fitness goals you deserve.

It’s free! And…you can actually win Money $$$.  All you have to do is enter the contest on their site. You follow a few simple rules, it’s the least you can do. Pump is enticing you to reach your own goals with Money and healthy prepared food to attain your own goals.  What have you got to loose, beside that extra layer hiding abs.

Just like FaceBook.com & MySpace.com, Adam has set up a social network to let your friends help you. This is the number one method of keeping yourself accountable to attain your goal, Social Accountability. You will have an army of supporters giving you that kick-in-the-butt you need to keep going.

Read what Adam and the Pump Energy Food Team has to say below then go to their website, http://www.thepumpenergyfood.com/ , and check it out for yourself.

THE PUMP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION DO-OVER

This time, make it real…

The last week in January is when people tend to give up on their New Year’s goals. Will power is no     longer enough to make resolutions stick. The media drops encouraging headlines; you fall back into old patterns and lose all momentum.  This year The Pump will help reignite your resolutions.

The Pump has created an online social networking forum where people can publicly promote their goals and enter a thirty day challenge. The idea is to put it out there and make it happen. The site will connect the network with a panel of health and fitness experts to answer questions and help people with their challenges. “Everyone needs a little kick in the ass to see their goals through. We’re here to help, motivate and have some fun doing it. ” Says Adam Eskin, The Pump’s CEO.

Why 30 days? The only way to turn a goal into a habit is through deliberate repetition. Recent research suggests that it takes 30 days to reprogram the neural pathways in your brain that lead to habitual & permanent change. Every challenge requires enticement. On day 30, all participants vote for the participant who has accomplished the most. The winner will receive $1,000 and a month’s worth of food from The Pump. “From loosing ten pounds, to training for an Iron Man, to setting the world record for jump-roping, participants will have the encouragement they need,” says Eskin. “And with their goals posted on the web, we think everyone will work a bit harder to make it happen this time. It’s all about doing better, reaching for your personal awesome. ”

Talapia, the most Versatile fish you will ever cook.


I am an admitted workaholic. I love to cook and I love to help people achieve their ideal fitness dreams. This however does not leave much free time during the week. I have come to learn how to make the most elegant nutritional meals utilizing few ingredients, minimal time and my Toaster Oven.

Being the simple device that it is, the products you choose to cook in it must be light in nature and on the thinner side of the food world.You will find many healthy options lie in these two parameters. Fish, Talapia in particular has been one I prefer to use in my recent experiments at home.

Here are two quick and easy recipes using Talapia and simple, available ingredients. Please try these at home and enjoy.

Talapia Tuscan Style

3 -  2 ounce Talapia fillets (will work on any fillet as long as they are all the same size and density)
1 - Small Red Onion (Sliced as thinly as you can get it, think crescent moon shapes) 
1 clove Garlic
1-2 ounces of Olive Oil
1 ounce Balsamic Vinegar
1 Lemon - Juiced
1-tablespoon total, equal parts combined dry Oregano/Thyme/Basil/Rosemary/Sage (THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL USUALLY FIND IN McCormick's DRY ITALIAN SEASONING)
Salt and Peper to taste
1 Functional Toaster Oven
1 Sheet of Aluminum Foil - size to be determined by the length of your Toaster Over roasting pan insert.

1)Place your Toaster Oven on the Broiler Function and preheat the oven  at 400 degrees.  Line you toaster oven tray with Aluminun foil. You have little time to cook, why spend it doing dishes.

2) Place your Talapia, Flat side down into the pan spaced evenly as you can. Drizzle the Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar and lemon Juice and rub those fish down. Make sure to get as much of the mixture all over the fish so that they are evenly flavored and do not stick to the foil.

3) Sprinkle the dry herbs evenly over the Talapia and then cover the fish with the thinly sliced Red Onion.

4)Place that sucker in the oven and set your timer for approximately 8 minutes. When the flesh of the fish is firm and not mushy, it is ready to eat. Place your fish on a bed of greens and Bon Appetit!

Mexican Style Talapia

3 Ounces Fresh Salsa (or caned, hey time is a wasting)
1-2 ounces Vegetable Oil
1 small Spanish Onion Sliced Thin
1 Lemon Juiced
1 Lime Juiced
1 Tsp Cayenne Peper
1 Tablespoon Chopped Cilantro
1 Pinch Kosher Salt

1) Drizzle the Vegetagble Oil, Lemon and Lime Juice over the fish and rub it in.

2) Mix the Cayenne Pepper & salt into the Salsa and spoon the mixture ove the Talapia and then cover it with the Spanish Onion and pop that sucker in the oven

3) After 8-10 minutes (or Until Properly cooked) place that bad boy up, add the Cilantro and you are ready to eat.

Try it out and let me know how it worked for you!

Petit Oven
276 Bay Ridge Avenue  Brooklyn, NY 11220 (P)718-8330-3443




A cozy oasis for those seeking exquisite French Style cuisine. With a warm and romantic atmosphere Chef Katrina hits the mark consistently with her beautifully designed dishes. Tucked away in Bay-ridge Brooklyn Chef Katrina brings her finely honed culinary skills (a la Jean Georges, Jo Jo to name a few) to turn simple seasonal ingredients into delicious memories .

I was happy to see the Chef designs a monthly tasting menu. Usually smaller portions in order to allow a customer to expand their culinary horizons.  (More often then not these are dishes that are more likely to come out of the kitchen, so they will be fresh and spot on)