Tag: salmon

Teryaki Chicken or Salmon

Instead of my usual diet, after giving birth I shifted to eating more warming foods. This included soups, bone broths, meat with bone, raw milk, and raw cheese. It was a significant change from my previous eating habits, but it was one that I found to be beneficial. This teryaki chicken recipe became a favorite.

green soup

Ingredients

  • 1 lb organic chicken 
  • Salt pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 lb organic broccoli chopped and steamed in water with dash of salt. 

Directions

Make the sauce recipe and let sit and cool. 
 
Using 1 lb of organic pasture raised chicken cover in avocado oil and salt and pepper.
 
Grill the chicken for 4 minutes in each side or until done. Thinner chicken will take less time than thicker. I usually butterfly my breast so they are thinner and cook faster. 
 
Prepare brown rice or quinoa per directions on the bag or box. 
 
Plate rice, steamed broccoli and chicken. Drizzle in teriyaki sauce and enjoy! 

 

Teriyaki sauce

1 cup coconut aminos or tamari sauce
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)

Boil sauce ingredients, stir and reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Use as a glaze for chicken, fish, any meat or veggies for teriyaki style.

Chef V’s Cooking with V – Salmon Beurre Blanc

Welcome to Chef V's Cooking School!

I'm Veronica, Certified Nutritional Therapist, author, and proud owner of Chef V. You might know me for my Green Drink and Cleanses, but I started Chef V as a personal chef. In my first video cooking series, I'll be sharing some of my clients' favorite recipes with you.

Using this blog and my YouTube channel, I welcome you to my kitchen. We're going to laugh, learn and cook – together.

This month we are making Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce, with my friend Maddi assisting.

Cooking with Chef V

Maddi is a friend and customer of Chef V. In 2017 she had a massive stroke, and has worked incredibly hard to recover. I'm honored to know her and to support her in eating healthy – and delicious. – Veronica

Maddi

SALMON BEURRE BLANC DIRECTIONS
Watch Veronica make the recipe in the video above

salmon beurre blanc

INGREDIENTS

for sauce:

  • 1 shallot (about 2-3 tbsp.) finely minced
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 6 tbsp. vegan butter
  • Salt & pepper to taste

For salmon and pasta:

  • 1 package lentil, quinoa, or brown rice pasta
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 4-6oz wild salmon fillets – rest to room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. chopped parsley (for garnish)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

quinoa enchilada ingredients

PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS

1. SHALLOT
Finely dice the shallot, slicing lengthwise and then chopping on its side. Save in a small bowl.

mise en place chopped

2. PARSLEY
Roll the fresh parsley loosely into a ball, then chop that up and throw that garnish into a small bowl.

salmon beurre blanc pasta

3. LEMON
Juice the lemon and save in a small bowl.

boil water

PREPARE THE PASTA

1. Bring the water to a boil with one tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.

boil water

2. Rip the dry pasta in half, adding it to the boiling water.

salmon cooking

GRILL THE SALMON

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Heat Grill pan or pan to medium high heat.

When the pan is hot, place the salmon in the pan with the skin side up, cook the salmon for 3 minutes on each side, and remove when still pink in the middle.

It is easy to cook something more, but you can't undo an overcooked piece of salmon! Remove salmon and let rest.

making the sauce

making the sauce

MAKE THE BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

To cook the sauce add white wine, shallot and lemon juice to a medium heat saucepan and reduce to half. Slowly add one tbsp. of vegan butter at a time and whisk to create a thick sauce.

final recipe

ASSEMBLE THE DISH

Drain the pasta and place a portion on a plate. Place the salmon right on top. Then we take the beurre blanc sauce and pour it over the salmon and the pasta.

final recipe

NOW THE BEST PART – THE TASTE TEST!

Brandon says “mmmm… – that Beurre Blanc sauce – the lemon and the wine! Who knew eating healthy could be fun.”

Maddi says “it's delicious” – and her sous chef Dad says “nice and light and delicious!”

Chef V’s BBQ Salmon

Get outside for the last enjoyable parts of summer!  Chef V founder Veronica Wheat created this BBQ salmon recipe as the main course of a special outdoor meal for her husband Brandon.

BBQ salmon

Serving Size: 2 People

Ingredients

  • 2 salmon fillets (6 oz.)
    (skin on preferred)

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp organic honey
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Marinate the salmon in the sauce for 30 minutes on the counter. Then, slap the non-skin side down on a bbq grill heated to 375 degrees.

Cook for 3-5 minutes and flip to the skin side with a large spatula. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon and how much you like it done. I personally like it medium rare and under cooked. I can't stand dry over done salmon. You can always add it back to the grill if need be, but not the reverse.

Serve with a salad, rice, sweet potatoes, or any side you desire.

What Do I Eat Today – Spring Menu

In keeping with our feature article about getting enough protein, this spring “What Do I Eat Today” menu includes chicken and salmon.

We start the day with a liquid breakfast, my Skinny Shamrock Smoothie. Lunch is a mock 'Chipotle' Burrito Bowl with grilled chicken.

Dinner is a recipe that is new to the website, Pistachio-Crusted Salmon, accompanied by my White Sweet Potato Purée. Enjoy!

First Thing in the Morning

I have lemon water in the morning and then I wait until I'm hungry to have my Chef V organic Green Drink.

For Breakfast – Skinny Shamrock Smoothie

Here is my favorite version of a Shamrock Smoothie. It’s light, healthy, creamy and it tastes so good! It’s also a low sugar smoothie.

Get the recipe

Lunch – Chef V’s ‘Chipotle’ Burrito Bowl

Here’s my Mango Avocado Burrito Bowl, a spin on Chipotle Mexican Grill’s awesome burrito bowls. Use my recipe as a starting point and add grilled chicken or fish to make your own. You can also turn this into an easy wrap with gluten-free tortillas.  – Veronica

Get the recipe

Dinner – White Sweet Potato Purée

Everyone loves mashed potatoes. But regular mashed potatoes are very starchy. That means the starch quickly converts into sugar. That’s more bad news for your gut. But this healthy recipe for mashed potatoes uses the nutritiously-superior white sweet potato. Instead of regular milk, I use almond or coconut milk.

I swear to you that my white sweet potato pureé will have the same starchy mouth-feel as regular mashed potatoes. But this version contains way more minerals and is lower in calories. – Veronica

Get the recipe.

Dinner – Pistachio Crusted Salmon

This salmon dish is delicious and super easy to make. It’s also filled with lots of healthy fats and omegas. It takes less than 5 minutes to prep and less than 20 minutes to cook. It also makes great leftovers. Or you can serve 4 with this recipe. 

Get the recipe

Chef V’s Pistachio Crusted Salmon

This salmon dish is delicious and super easy to make. It’s also filled with lots of healthy fats and omegas. It takes less than 5 minutes to prep and less than 20 minutes to cook. It also makes great leftovers. Or you can serve 4 with this recipe. 
 
I usually buy a large piece of salmon, make the whole thing, serve my husband and myself, and then have leftovers for my lunch salads. I love having extra protein prepped and ready to just toss on a mixed green salad during the week. It makes meal prep easy and that much healthier.
 
I recommend wild caught salmon like Coho or wild Alaskan salmon. I’m not a huge fan of sockeye salmon because it’s not as fatty and tends to cook more dry, but use whatever type your heart desires or what’s fresh and wild for your availability. 
pistachio crusted salmon
 This dish was made by a dear friend for me one night @msjulesfit on Instagram and I’ve been making it at least once a month ever since. I promise this will be one of your favorite salmon recipes! 

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb salmon
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 + cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup crushed pistachios
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse and pat dry your salmon fillet. Cut slits on top to soak in the flavor. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat oven to 375. Put the salmon on the lined baking sheet and salt and pepper the salmon. 

Mix the marinade ingredients together. Oil, lemon, Dijon, honey, and garlic. Pour over the salmon and add the crushed pistachios on top.

Bake for 18 minutes, remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy! The best part is that it’s pre-cleanse approved!

Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers 

Benefits of Wild Salmon (and The Best Recipes)

Many people nowadays know that wild salmon has omega-3s. But what exactly does that mean? What's the big deal about it … are the benefits of wild salmon legit? Chef V explains….

Does Chef V Stand For “Vegan?”

Sometimes people ask me if I’m vegan or if I think being vegan is healthy. Maybe that’s because ChefV.com sells only vegan-friendly products like our famous Organic Green Drink.

The short answer is, no, I’m not vegan. It’s just that, well, it’s a little hard to detox when you’re eating a ton of animal protein. That’s because animal protein is harder to digest. And if the animals are factory-farmed, then it’s laden with toxins.

However, I believe a little animal protein in the diet is healthy. As long as the source is organic/grass-fed/wild/pasture-raised and not factory farmed, animal protein can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.

To my knowledge, there’s never been a traditional society on Earth that was 100% vegan. Every indigenous society throughout history has thrived on at least a minimum amount of animal protein. However, the standard American diet (SAD, indeed) is so unhealthy, it’s no wonder that the vegan lifestyle is becoming more popular.

Why is Wild Salmon Good For You?

As to why salmon is so good for you, it’s all about the omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s from wild salmon is one of the healthiest sources of dietary fat. It is part of a diet that may lower triglycerides and improve overall health.

Omega-3s are natural anti-inflammatories. In the western diet, most people eat way too many omega-6s. Although you need some omega-6s, the average ratio of omega-6s to 3’s in the diet is something like 15-20:1. In other words, most people consume about 15-20 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. What should the ratio be? Most nutritionists agree you should not have more than 4 times the amount of 6s than 3s. In fact, the ideal ratio is about 1:1.

What are Omega-6's?

And why are omega-6s so bad in excess? They can be highly inflammatory. Most processed foods are loaded with omega-6s. That’s because most foods that come in a wrapper include cheap vegetable and seed oils. And these oils are super high in omega-6s.

To make the problem worse, not only are these oils high in omega-6s, they spoil easily. And when you eat vegetable and seed oils (soybean, safflower, cottonseed, corn, canola, etc.) that are rancid, that’s a double dose of inflammation in the body.

Inflammation is good when, let’s say, you get a paper cut. The inflammatory response helps heal. But when inflammation is chronic, it can cause autoimmune disease and a laundry list of other health problems.

Eating wild salmon a few times a week can fight systemic inflammation in the body. And by eating salmon instead of other foods that are high in omega-6s (baked goods, conventional salad dressings, potato chips and other snacky foods and pastries are bad sources of 6’s), you reduce your 6:3 ratio.  

Benefits of Wild Salmon

Oh my gosh, where do I even begin? There’s so many health benefits of wild salmon, it’s hard to include them all here in just a blog post. But the important ones to mention include keeping your heart beat rhythm regular. Consequently, wild salmon may cut down your chance of dying suddenly from a heart attack. If there’s a better reason to eat something (especially when it’s as delicious as the recipe I’ll share with you shortly), I don’t know what it is.

Moreover, omega-3s in wild salmon can reduce your chance of getting a stroke. In addition, the fatty acids in salmon can normalize blood pressure and raise your HDL levels. HDL whisks away cholesterol from blood vessels.

Also, there are only a few foods that are relatively high in vitamin D. A serving of wild salmon contains over 100% of your daily value of D. Having adequate blood levels of vitamin D is crucial for a healthy immune system. Salmon is also high in other vitamins and minerals, especially B12, selenium and potassium, just to name a few.

Wild salmon is also good for your brain. There’s lots of research that shows omega-3s can help fight degenerative brain disease. And salmon can also benefit your eyes and joints as well.

The reason why I prefer sockeye salmon from Alaska is that it contains the most amount of omega-3 out of any salmon species. In fact, there’s almost 3 grams of it per serving. I also love the oily, rich taste of sockeye. So unless fishy smell nauseates you, go for sockeye! And there's even more awesome benefits of wild salmon. But I'll leave you with just one more. And that is, unlike the vast majority of other seafood, wild salmon is relatively low in pollutants.

Vegan Omega-3s

For these reasons above, I think that it’s good for most people to have a little animal protein every now and then. Especially cold-water oily fish rich in omega-3s like salmon. But if you’re vegan, there’s good news. You can have your omega-3s and eat them, too. In other words, even if you are vegan, you can enjoy the benefits of wild salmon. That’s because salmon are rich in omega-3s because salmon feed on algae. And it’s the algae that’s rich in omega-3s. That means if you’re vegan, you can cut out the middleman, er, fish, and get it right from the source. You can buy algae-oil supplements online or in health food stores.

And keep in mind that although there are plenty of vegan foods that contain omega-3s (flaxseeds for example), plant sources of omega-3s–ALA–are not nearly as strong as the 3’s from fish–EPA and DHA–that feed on algae. So pop those algae oil supplements if you’re vegan. (Or just eat a ton of foods with ALA; ALA does convert into EPA/DHA, although not all of it.)

If you do eat salmon, here are some of my favorite salmon recipes from my cookbook.

bbq salmon

Miso Glazed Salmon with Wasabi Sweet Potato Purée and Asparagus

I think that it’s good for most people to have a little animal protein every now and then. Especially cold-water oily fish rich in omega-3s like salmon.

This misoglazed salmon is super easy. For the salmon, broil it for 5 minutes with this marinade. Let the marinade sit for 30 minutes on the fish before cooking.

Ingredients

  • 2 six ounce wild salmon fillets
  • 3 tbsp. white miso paste
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos           
  • ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 8 spears asparagus
  • 1  white sweet potato
  • 2 tbsp hot water
  • 1 tsp wasabi paste
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all marinade ingredients together in a glass measuring cup. Arrange salmon and cover in marinade for 30 minutes.

Salmon

Place salmon on a different sheet to cook than the one it was marinated on. Broil the salmon for 5 minutes and check firmness. I like my salmon under cooked and let it rest. You can always add the salmon back in but you can’t “uncook” it. 

Asparagus

Then I rub the asparagus in remaining marinade and cook for 10 minutes at 350F in the oven on a baking sheet. 

Wasabi Sweet Potato

The wasabi sweet potato purée is simple.  Just skin and boil one white sweet potato (you can tell by scratching the skin if it’s white).

Drain water but reserve ½ cup. Blend potato with 2 tbsp hot water and 1 tsp wasabi paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Chef V’s Savory Salmon

I’m not a total vegetarian, I like a little animal protein, and one of my favorite recipes is this grilled salmon entree. Sprinkled with chili, garlic, and cumin, it’s a savory treat.

summer salmon

Serving Size: 2 People

Ingredients

  • 2 salmon fillets (6 oz.)
  • 1 tbsp. coconut nectar
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Pinch of black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with coconut oil cooking spray. Combine lemon and coconut syrup together.

Place salmon on baking sheet and cover with syrup and lemon juice mix. Mix all dry ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the top of each fillet.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until desired doneness. Serve with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes and a tasty veggie or serve over a nice salad.

Ginger Glazed Salmon w/ Baby Bok Choy

I think that it’s good for most people to have a little animal protein every now and then. Especially cold-water oily fish rich in omega-3s like salmon. If you do eat salmon, here’s one of my favorite entrees from my cookbook, Making Cleansing Easier: Ginger Glazed Salmon with Baby Bok Choy. – Veronica

ginger glazed salmon

Serving Size: 2 People

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp. coconut nectar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced or pressed
  • 2 (6-ounce) wild salmon fillets
  • 2 baby bok choy
  • Sea salt, optional to taste

Directions

Mix the olive oil, coconut aminos, lemon juice, coconut nectar, garlic, and ginger in bowl.Divide the marinade between 2 shallow dishes or zip-top bags and place the salmon in one and the bok choy in the other. Marinate both for 30 minutes.

Heat a grill or grill pan and grill the salmon for 5 minutes per side, or until cooked to desired level of finish (I prefer a tiny bit of pink on the inside so the salmon doesn’t get dried out). Grill the baby bok choy until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side, or until tender. Brush with extra marinade while grilling.

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