Nourish: one delicious dinner features 10 top healing foods

Natural Health, March, 2005 by Molly Siple

Per serving: 209 calories, 12% fat (3 g; 0.4 9 saturated), 69% carbs (36 g), 19% protein (10 g), 12 g fiber, 124 mg calcium, 5 mg iron, 577 mg sodium.

on the menu: Wild Salmon

key benefit: Preventing heart disease

what's in it for you? Wild salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. It is far superior to the more common and less expensive farm-raised salmon, which can contain cancer-causing PCBs. Omega-3s "thin" the blood and lower blood pressure and harmful LDL cholesterol levels. The 2003 Cardiovascular Health Study, conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle, found that people with the highest levels of these fats in their blood were 68 percent less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack than those with the lowest levels. (For other smart fish choices--as well as a few to leave off the hook--see the recommendations at right.)

how to get it: Look for packaged and frozen salmon that's clearly labeled as "wild," or purchase fish from a reliable seafood purveyor.

on the menu: Spinach

key benefit: Keeping eyes healthy

what's in it for you? A 3.5-ounce serving of spinach has only about 20 calories, but contains about 12.6 milligrams of eye-protecting lutein, 34 percent of the recommended daily allowance of beta carotene, plus 38 percent of the RDA for manganese, essential for bone formation and repair.

how to get it: Eat some spinach raw to get the maximum benefit of its vitamin C and folate--both both are destroyed by heat, though cooking does release antioxidant carotenoids. Drain cooked spinach thoroughly; the oxalic acid in the juice it releases binds with minerals and makes them unusable by your body (see the stuffed peppers recipe on page 63).

Wild Salmon With Spinach,
Tomatoes, and Olives

Serves 4

1   tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

24  cherty tomatoes, halved

12  Kalamata olives, pitted and
    halved

1/2 pound baby spinach leaves,
    trimmed and thoroughly
    washed

    5 to 6 cups water

1   pound wild salmon fillets,
    bones and skin removed

    Lemon juice to taste

    Salt and freshly ground
    black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to warm.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat
in a large saucepan with a lid. Add
the cherry tomatoes and olives, and
cook, stirring occasionally, for about
7 minutes or until tomatoes are soft
and slightly golden. Add the spinach,
cover, and steam in the juice released
by the tomatoes for about 4 minutes,
until the spinach is wilted. Drain, and
set aside, covered, to keep warm.

3. In a large skillet, bring enough
water to a boil to cover the salmon
fillets. Place the salmon in the pan,
adding more water if necessary to
cover. Over high heat, bring the water
back to a boil. Immediately turn off
the heat and allow the fillets to steep
in the hot liquid for 5 to 7 minutes, to
the desired doneness.

4. Using a large spatula, lift each fillet
from the liquid and drain well, then
place each on a warm dinner plate.
Use a paper towel to sponge away
any extra liquid around the fillets.
Season fillets with lemon juice and
salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach
mixture on the plate next to the
salmon, and serve immediately.