Innovative Gourmet Flavor Combinations: Coconuts and Fish or Seafood

Innovative Gourmet Flavor Combinations

Welcome! I've always enjoyed unusual flavor combinations. I am committed to continuing this pleasure, while eating healthy. I hope this blog will allow me to share ideas for eating healthy without losing the excitement of innovative recipes.

I am a follower of the diet plan of Dr. Eric Berg, which in my case means gluten-free, alkaline, low-fat; my health and figure have improved vastly with this. This also fits with raw-food, vegetarian, and Weston Price (nutrient-dense), D'Adamo's Eat Right For Your Type, the Perricone Weightloss Diet, and the proportions follow Barry Sears's 40-30-30 Zone Diet. Organic, ecologic, and local-eating are also guiding principles. (Interesting how they all overlap.)

But looking around the Net, and in books, a lot of what's offered for "gluten-free" eating is versions of baked goods, and imitations of wheat dishes like pizza and burritos. You won't find that here. This site will present a complete re-thinking of how to be "gluten-free".

And followers of chef Michael Roberts and khymos, as well as lovers of Japanese creativeness (as in Iron Chef) should also find gourmet ideas here. The recipes will not just echo American cooking, but present new combinations.

Some of the reasons for this way of eating are: autism, perhaps aspergers, "celiac disease", obesity, perhaps cancer and who knows what else. You won't find the word "disease" used here though. As D'Adamo explains, a large part of the world's population (mostly with "O-blood type") never got the genes to adapt to eating the new foods of wheat, etc that came into the diet during the Neolithic. So don't call it a disease! We are actually an older human type. We're not sick; we just don't have that new-fangled adaption that some folks have. And looking into traditional diets shows that much of the world did not have wheat until very recently, and got along just fine. I know I'm eating quite well. I don't miss gluten at all.

Enough! Welcome to my kitchen . . .

Friday, May 15, 2009

Coconuts and Fish or Seafood

A lot of great recipes grow from this combination, especially in Southeast Asia

MARINATED SCALLOPS WITH COCONUT-GINGER DRESSING

4 to 5 servings

1/4 pound scallops

1/4 pound firm white fish, skinned, boned and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 medium onion, cut into 1-inch cubes, blanched 5 minutes and drained

1/4 cup minced green onion

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and/or lime juice

1/3 cup coconut milk (part of this could be yogurt or kefir)

14-1 large garlic clove, quartered (depending how much you like garlic)

1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

A dozen cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4-1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4-1/2 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (garnish)

THAI FISH SOUP:

Substitute salmon, seabass, clams and mussels (for the scallops and fish),

Add:

lemongrass,

water chestnuts,

chilis

peanuts, or the peanut -topping below.

PEANUT SAUCE (topping):

1-1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 tsp. tamarind sauce

2 tsp. fish sauce (nam pla)

2 tsp. sweet soy sauce

1 stalk lemongrass, (top white part only) cut into 1/8 inch thick pieces

3 cloves garlic

1 cup coconut milk

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 pieces shallot

1 Tbsp. veg. oil

Just great over a favorite rice combination!