Movies, Monterey Bay Aquarium

There has been a lot on the news lately about the new movie Eat, Pray, Love which is based on a book of the same name which shot to the top of the best sellers list and really did well all over the world. I personally haven’t read it, maybe I should. The movie stars Julia Roberts and Javier Bardim. I would never have recognised him from No Country for Old Men which was a pretty scary movie. He was interviewed this morning and was interesting to listen to.

Last night I watched a 2008 Rambo movie; I hadn’t seen it before, and would have enjoyed it more except the ads went on forever. However, during the breaks they had Sylvester Stallone talking about his new movie The Expendables in which all the film heroes are starring including Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwartzenegger. The movie is released on the 13th here. I find Stallone very funny when interviewed, he has quite a sense of humour. I just checked, Stallone is 64. That shakes me.

When we got up this morning it was thick fog. Not surprising really as the heavens opened yesterday, I think it was at its worst when we left the doctor’s and had a bit of a walk to the car. Luckily we had a golf umbrella with us although Matt had trouble staying dry as a gust of wind caught the umbrella just as he was about to get in the car. Talking of doctors, we were somewhat staggered to learn our friend had had a pacemaker installed at 3 p.m. and was back home at supper time!!!

Here is another Eating Well recipe which I think looks delicious. Salmon is something which is readily available to me and I hope to you too. Really good tomatoes should be around soon with which to make this recipe. You are directed to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s website – this is an excellent source of information on what fish comes from sustainable resources and lots of other ‘fishy” information. I have been getting regular information emails from them for a long time.

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil

From EatingWell:  July/August 2010

This recipe is so beautiful and yet so simple to prepare—it’s perfect for entertaining. You just spread a side of salmon with minced garlic, sprinkle with fresh basil, then layer sliced tomatoes on top. Put it on the grill for 10 minutes and you’re done!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 whole wild salmon fillet (also called a “side of salmon,” about 1 1/2 pounds; see Tips)

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Mash minced garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt on a cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife or a spoon until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil.
3. Check the salmon for pin bones and remove if necessary (see Tips). Measure out a piece of heavy-duty foil (or use a double layer of regular foil) large enough for the salmon fillet. Coat the foil with cooking spray. Place the salmon skin-side down on the foil and spread the garlic mixture all over it. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup basil. Overlap tomato slices on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the salmon on the foil to the grill. Grill until the fish flakes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Use two large spatulas to slide the salmon from the foil to a serving platter. Serve the salmon sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup basil.

Nutrition

Per serving : 248 Calories; 10 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 80 mg Cholesterol; 3 g Carbohydrates; 35 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 367 mg Sodium; 799 mg Potassium

0 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 5 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Tips: Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska and Washington) are more sustainably fished and have a larger, more stable population. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, seafoodwatch.org.
• Depending on how your side of salmon was prepared at the market, small white pin bones may still be in the fillet. We suggest removing them before you cook the fish. To remove the bones, place your hand underneath the fillet to bend it up slightly, exposing the row of bones running down the length—they will poke out of the flesh and point at an angle toward the wider end of the fillet. Grasp each bone with a clean pair of tweezers or needle-nose pliers and gently pull it out in the direction of the wide end of the fillet.