Salmon & Mango Poke Bowl

This is my new favorite thing: poke bowls. Which I know is super "trendy" of me, but have you tried them?! Finding sushi-grade fish around these parts was a feat, so perhaps they also taste a bit like a well-deserved victory to me.

I called three grocery stores, none of which said they had sushi grade fish. I went to two, one were the lady said I "could" use the tuna, but the look on her face told me not to. Another where the only sushi-grade fish they had came in an vacuum-sealed, freezer package of small (too small) fillets. 

Finally we visited the Pacific Ocean Market, which is in the next town over. The woman on the phone said they had tuna and salmon for sushi, which was promising. All faith we had in the Pacific Ocean Market dropped to rock-bottom when we actually got there though, and the un-filleted fish were unlabeled, and the guy behind the counter only spoke Chinese. He made a motion, showing us to just point at what we want. How were we (two people that have never been into fishing or lived by the sea) supposed to know what was what? Let alone which was ok for sushi? (I have since learned that none of those would've been ok for sushi, so I'm glad we didn't just point at something random).  

Another customer saw we were struggling, and tried to help (she spoke Chinese). But we were pointed over to a freezer case where some mystery white fish was wrapped up in cellophane and was probably best suited for a fish fry. 

We went to the front counter and found two ladies, who between themselves could piece together some English, but they spoke Vietnamese, not Chinese, so couldn't help with the fish situation. Finally, someone found the store manager--the lady we had originally talked to on the phone- who directed us to the right deep-freeze case of fish. (Sushi fish, in a place like Colorado where it has to be shipped and stored, should be frozen to a certain temperature and for a certain amount of time in order to kill off any parasites). 

We rustled through the unorganized case: Eel, Tuna, Shrimp, Halibut. Our confidence in the quality of the fish had dropped to rock bottom when we had been pointed to the fry-fish. 

In the end I went back to store number two, and bought several tiny packages of salmon in vacuum-sealed plastics, and a box labeled "Sushi and Sashimi." At least I could read it. 

Night one we ate sushi, but when we had one packet left the next day I jumped on the poke train. AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT! Can we all just go to Hawaii now? 🙋🏻✈️

(I spent the first week calling this "poa-kee," which confused everyone. Oliver started calling it "pokemon" just to make fun of me, and finally I looked up the pronunciation: "poa-kay"). So take note and avoid looking like a fool like me! 😉

Salmon & Mango Poke Bowl

Published September 5, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 6 ounces sushi grade salmon
• 2 cups mixed greens 
• 1/4 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup sliced cucumber
• 1/4 cup diced mango
• 1 diced bell pepper (I used 1/2 of a red and half of a green for color)
• 1/2 of an avocado, sliced
• 1 green onion, sliced 
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 
• Pickled ginger
• Optional: 1 cup cooked rice
• Optional, for serving: wasabi, soy sauce, hot sauce such as Sriracha 

Directions:

1. Slice salmon into bite-sized pieces.
2. Arrange bowls: If you desire, place a half cup of rice at bottom of bowl. Then arrange mixed greens, shredded cabbage, sliced cucumber, diced mango, bell peppers, and sliced avocado in bowl. Divide salmon between both bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion.
3. Serve with pickled ginger and any other accoutrements of your choice: wasabi, soy sauce, Sriracha, etc.

Tilapia with Fried Capers and Lemon

I have been listening to a lot of podcasts: on my way to work, on my way home, even while I'm doing chores around the house or working out. 

While I'm driving to work, I love to listen to something that gets my brain working. This is when I pull out my -get-down-to-business podcast, Chopped. It's a podcast by food bloggers, for food bloggers, so I know not all of you will be interested in this one, but if you have a food blog, you should definitely tune in: 

Chopped. Even if you're just starting a blog, this one is worth subscribing to! I love getting little knowledge bombs from this show. Marly (the host) also keeps everything real and manageable. 

I have a hard time listening to podcasts while actually writing or crunching numbers, so I usually wait to continue my listening until my drive home. At that point I'm usually over trying hard for the day (11 hours is enough, time to sit back and relax. Seriously) and ready to just hear something neat or interesting. This is where Gastropod comes in. 

Gastropod. This is not the first time I've brought up Gastropod, but what can I say? I love it. Dearly. If I had to pick one podcast and only one podcast to listen to, this might be it. Cynthia and Nicola are as nerdy as I am when it comes to food, and their podcast is really well produced. Gastropod covered topics like Counting Fish and how the type of silverware you're eating off of affects your meal. No matter the topic, you're sure to learn something new! 

Speaking of learning, I also just started listening to Wine for Normal People--I  started listening to it right after I wrote my post on Marsala wine, actually. Despite being a foodie, my wine knowledge is lacking. There's so much to know! So many names that are hard to pronounce! Years and blends and vineyards oh my! But when I go to buy a bottle of wine, I want to at least feel like I might be buying something I'll like. This podcast makes me feel like maybe I'll learn. One day. For now it's all just trial and error. Plus, this podcast is realistic, and lacks all snobbery you might think would come with a wine podcast. I also enjoy Stuff You Should Know for non-food related facts.

When I'm at home and working on something rather mindless, I usually want story with a bit more meat to it. Something that will entertain my mind while I bead, or take my thoughts far away while I clean. This is when I listen to shows like S-Town of This American Life. 

S-town. This podcast is especially recommended to those that enjoyed Serial, it's older cousin. It's intriguing, mysterious and sometimes a bit disturbing. Once you start listening, you just can't stop.

This American Life. Before the era of podcasts, my parents would tune into This American Life on Colorado Public Radio. Maybe it's just a tradition for me now, but The American Life continue to be one of my favorite easy-listening podcasts. Their simple, everyday stories always carry a message that is deep and moving, though they tend to keep everything lighthearted. 

Alright, what podcasts do you subscribe to? What are your favorite and why? Lay it on me! 

Tilapia with Fried Capers and Lemon

Published May 2, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

A easy tilapia recipe with bright lemon and capers.

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 tilapia fillets
• 1-1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley

Directions:

1. Using a towel, pat the fish dry on either side. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. When it glistens, place the fish in the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each slide, until fish is cooked through, opaque, and flakey.
2. While the fish cooks, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a small pan. Pan capers dry with a towel (this will help minimize splattering). When the oil is hot (test it by flicking a drop of water into the pan—if it sizzles, it’s hot enough), pour the capers into the pan. Allow the capers to cook, stirring occasionally. After 3 minutes, remove from heat.
3. Serve fish on plates, and squeeze 1 lemon wedge over each fillet. Sprinkle with capers and parsley. Serve with additional lemon wedges.

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Simple Salmon Salad

At the ripe old age of 25, it seems I can't go a week sitting at an office desk with out walking away with some gripe about sitting all day, a grumble about having a stiff back, or whining about feeling tight. True story: I once went to Urgent Care because I was worried something in my back was seriously messed up 😳 Thankfully, they told me I probably just had a micro-tear in a muscle, and would be just fine. It's possible they were just being nice and trying to give me some credit, when they actually saw nothing wrong. 🤔 (Well, that was embarrassing to admit! Moving right along.)

After that little stint, I realized I really just need to commit to treating my spine better. 

First, I set a reminder on my work computer to work at a standing desk every day at noon. It was a cute attempt, but with in two weeks the alert became nothing more than a pesky piece of dust on my screen, which I would wipe away with a single strike of my track pad. "I'll stand later, when I'm less busy" (yea right). 

So the next thing I did was promise myself I would go to yoga once a week for the next two months. That's it. Once a week. Not long ago, when I was much more dedicated to yoga as a practice, yoga once a week would have been laughable. But we all evolve, right? And as I found new activities, I found I did yoga less and less. Daily practice diminished to weekly and then weekly diminished to "I'll just do some yoga at home in the living room" which almost always turn into "Ohhemmmgee, I had no idea there were so many dust bunnies under the couch! I need to clean them. NOW." and, well, there goes yoga practice. 

But this time, I kept my promise to myself: once a week for two months. No less (and I'll admit it: no more). What a difference it makes! By week 4 I was already telling Oliver I could feel the difference. The deep, impossible to massage or stretch tightness that I was experience week-over-week? Gone. It feels miraculous but it was really just a commitment. 

By week 5 I was really struggling to convince myself to go. By week 6 I was convinced I might go twice in one week. This is week 7, and we'll just have to see what happens. When my 8 week stint is up, I'm going to try hard to keep up my once-a-week pace going. If a skip a week here or there it's ok, I'll just tell myself to jump back on the train. 

Do you practice yoga? What does it do for you? What keeps you committed?

If you like this recipe, you might also like my tuna power salad recipe! 

Simple Salmon Salad

Paleo, Primal, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

I prefer salmon salad over tuna salad, as it has more flavor.

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 10 active minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 six-ounce can of salmon
• 3 tablespoons mayo OR greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 stalk celery, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 dash granulated garlic
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Optional: sprinkle of dried oregano or 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• To serve: salad greens, cucumber, tomato, avocado, etc.

Directions:

1. Put salmon, mayo/yogurt, mustard, celery, onion, granulated garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a bowl, and mash with a fork until everything is combined. Add optional oregano or parsley at this time, and stir in.
2. Serve salmon salad over bed of greens with your favorite salad add ons: cucumber, tomato, avocado, etc.