Salmon is a tasty fish that is absolutely packed with heart boosting nutrients.  In this article I will be discussing exactly how these nutrients in salmon benefit your heart.

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Salmon is filled with omega 3 EFAs.  These heart healthy nutrients lower blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat that is linked with heart disease).  They also ensure that your heart has a constant supply of blood by protecting against blood clots and removing fatty plaques from the artery walls.

Vitamin B3

Salmon also contains high levels of vitamin B3.  This heart boosting nutrient helps to keep your cholesterol levels under control.  There are two main types of cholesterol – LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.  LDL cholesterol can cause blockages in your artery walls and restrict the flow of blood to your heart.  HDL cholesterol acts in the opposite way by unblocking the artery walls and removing LDL cholesterol from the body.  Vitamin B3 lowers your LDL cholesterol levels whilst raising your HDL cholesterol levels and in doing this ensures that your heart always has a good supply of blood.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is another heart strengthening nutrient that can be found in salmon.  It reduces your heart disease risk by stopping homocysteine building up inside your body.  Homocysteine is an amino acid which increases your heart disease risk when high levels are found in the body.

Selenium

Selenium is yet another heart boosting nutrient that can be sourced from salmon.  It protects the heart by acting as an antioxidant and keeping it safe from oxidative damage.
 
Summary & Serving Suggestions

As you can see salmon is the perfect way to give your heart and your date some tender loving care this Valentine’s Day.  So make sure this healthy fish is on your Valentine’s Day menu.  To make it extra special why not try one of the following serving suggestions:

Smoked Salmon On Toast:- Cut a heart shaped whole into the toast and then fill it with smoked salmon.

Grilled Salmon & Steamed Vegetables:- Cut the grilled salmon into heart shaped chunks and then serve with a selection of your favourite steamed vegetables.

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Zinc

Oysters are one of the best food sources of zinc available.  This powerful mineral has a number of important roles in the body.  It protects your cells from free radical damage, increases your metabolism, helps your wounds to heal, assists in the production of certain thyroid hormones and boosts your immune system.  Additionally, zinc supports sperm production which could be why people have believed that oysters are an aphrodisiac for so long.

Copper

Copper is another mineral that can be found in high quantities within oysters.  It helps your body to produce a number of important substances including collagen (connective tissue), haemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen), melanin (a pigment that gives the eyes, hair and skin colour) and myelin (a protective sheath around the nerves).

Selenium

Oysters are absolutely loaded with selenium.  This powerful mineral keeps your immune system strong and may also protect against cancer and heart disease.  In addition to this, selenium supports the joints and can help soothe the painful symptoms associated with arthritis.  Finally, it may improve male fertility which is another possible reason for oyster’s aphrodisiac properties.

Vitamin B12

Oysters contain massive amounts of vitamin B12.  This important vitamin helps your body produce DNA and RNA which both carry important genetic information.  Additionally, it supports the production of red blood cells, melatonin (a hormone that regulates reproductive and sleep cycles) and serotonin (a hormone which regulates mood).

Iron

Oysters are an excellent source of iron.  The main role of this health boosting nutrient is to help the body produce haemoglobin.  However, iron also keeps your brain healthy and boosts your immune system.

Summary & Serving Suggestions

Oysters may or may not have aphrodisiac properties.  However, they can certainly ensure that you and your date have a happy and healthy Valentine’s Day.  Raw oysters are a perfect snack food but if you find the taste a bit too much give one of these serving suggestions a try:

Oysters & Sauce:- Lemon juice, red wine vinegar and tabasco are just some of the many sauces that complement oysters.  Experiment until you find one that both you and your date enjoy.

Oyster Casserole:- If you and your date are both seafood lovers try cooking up an oyster casserole.  Cooking is a great way to spend some quality time with your Valentine’s Day date and have a bit of fun.

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Shrimp by itself is almost stand alone, but when you combine this winning substance with another winning substance such as a top marinade then it becomes something out of this world. This is the main reason why grilled shrimp is so famous, as it is just the beginning of a huge set of branches in the tree of options given by the thousands of types of marinades available. A grilled shrimp marinade is a thing of beauty and can be amazingly simple and rich. They take time, and they take thinking ahead, but if you can do both of these things you can have yourself a top notch meal, entree` or variety of shrimp, one that caries your own brand, name, style, and ideal. Shrimp plus marinade

Here are some ideas for a simple shrimp marinade. Before we get into that part, here are some tips and tricks to think about:

To Peel or not to Peel? When you leave the peel of a shrimp on it as much like tinfoil and helps the moisture and natural flavor of the food to stay in it. It is often removed as a marinade seems to soak in better when the peel is gone, but both are good options.

What is the style or culture that you are emulating in the creation of this dish? Do you want to go with a typical Mediterranean shrimp dish or would you rather go with a spicy Cajun style?

How much time ahead should you do the marinade? Anywhere from an hour up serves to flavor the shrimp but most cooks will recommend 12 hours or up to 24hours for a full effect.

Here is an idea for a simple garlic parsley style shrimp. Melt 1tbs butter; add it to your bowl. Add 2 cloves of garlic and a small bunch of parsley. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon onto this and add salt and pepper to taste. Let this sit in the fridge overnight with your peeled shrimp (or unpeeled, as you like it). Cook the next morning.

This recipe stands to prove that a delicious shrimp dish cooked on the barby can be created in a minimal amount of time with an incredibly rich taste and flavor. Try this recipe with your own style and twist for the best results.

Some Tips and Tricks for Grilled Shrimp Marinade

Everyone loves a good bit of shrimp in a barbeque setting. Shrimp can be cooked in so many ways but none is as loved as a top coal roasted shrimp. There are many ways to hit this recipe, and this article is here not to provide for a specific way to cook shrimp in particular, but to help you to get to know shrimp a little better and how it works in relation with cooking it on the barbeque grill for a supreme taste.

The first thing that you should know about shrimp is that it is not always essential to take the peel off before cooking. As shrimp on a barbeque grill is generally cooked at a high heat, knowing when and when not to leave the peel or shell of a shrimp on is an essential to prepping the best in the way of grilled shrimp marinades. It may seem strange to you to leave the peel on but it serves in many ways like tin foil does to other foods: it preserves the moisture and all the sauces enhancing and enriching the flavor of the shrimp. If you are going to remove the shrimp shells make sure that you set them aside to use them for a broth base (with celery, onions and garlic for example) for a future soup extraordinaire.

Marinating shrimp can be fairly simple. There are many things that go great alone or together with your grilled shrimp marinade such as lemon, ginger, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, and herb salts, but knowing how to combine these is the secret of success in this case. Pick a theme for the style of shrimp that you want to cook. Think of traditional cooking and aim to style the taste that you want your grilled shrimp marinade to have in one of these directions. For example take a Mediterranean shrimp. This would classically be done with some lemon juice and or zest, a dash of olive oil, some salt and some fresh herb such as parsley. Then think of something Asian: how would this differ. It could involve some orange juice, beer, soy sauce or oyster sauce, a dash of white wine, some sesame oil, and some ginger. The possibilities are endless as long as you can keep coming up with themes. The real key to the marinade itself is to taste the marinade itself before adding it to the shrimp and seeing in your mind’s eye how you want it to taste alone, then make it twice as strong and then it is ready to be placed on the shrimp.

How long should a grilled shrimp marinade sit? It is recommended by professionals to let it sit a minimum of 1 hour, but here we will throw in that the longer the better, with a ceiling of more or less 24 hours or so. As you can see, learning to make grilled shrimp can be easy and incredibly enjoyable, and is doable by all.

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Popular recipes for baked cod encourage you to bake it in foil. Not only does this get the job done, you can throw the foil away once you have finished and make washing up quicker and easier. Wrapping your cod in foil is similar to steaming the fish. This is because the foil acts as seal, keeping the moisture inside. Using foil for baked cod is probably the best way to prevent it drying out. The foil also prevents the fishy smell from escaping into the oven. Again, most cod recipes will recommend adding herbs or lemon juice to the fish before you wrap up the foil. You can add whatever you like though. It will also help the cooking process if you fillet the fish before cooking. If you are cooking a large piece of cod, it is also best to remove the head and scales before baking it.

To make perfect baked cod, it is best to follow the cooking instructions already mentioned. You could bake cod on nothing but a baking tray but most recipes that use this method are for fish that are much oiler than cod, such as rainbow trout. If you fancy something a little different, you can try stuffing the cod before baking. Simply make an easy handmade stuffing by mixing salt and pepper, chopped pieces of bacon, the herbs of your choice and a beaten egg. You can then mix the ingredients together until it forms a paste-like consistency. Stuff in the cod and bake in the oven using your chosen method. Asian-fusion baked cod recipes are also becoming popular because they are not only tasty but healthy.

Cod is a Popular Fish for Recipes

The flavor of cod is mild as far as fish is concerned. Its white flesh can be used in many different recipes from baked to chowder. Today, experts advise you to eat more fish in place of meat for protein. This one is a great one to put on your list for use in your recipes.

Fish Chowder

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds of cod cut into small cubes
2 1/2 cups of onion (chopped)
2 stalks of celery (chopped)
3 Tablespoons butter
4 1/2 cups of chicken stock
4 1/2 cups potatoes cut into small pieces
1 parsnip chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper more if preferred
1 1/2 cups of clam juice
1/4 cup of corn starch
3 cups of 2% milk

Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Use it to saute the onions and celery until they are translucent and softened. Transfer to a stockpot and then add the potatoes, parsnips and chicken stock. For this one of the recipes, you bring the stock to a boil and then simmer for about 12 minutes. Add fish and continue to simmer for about 9 more minutes until cod is cooked. Add salt and pepper, adjust quantities for these to taste. Whisk the cornstarch and clam juice together until the cornstarch is dissolved and add slowly to the chowder, stir to make sure no lumping occurs. Then add the milk and simmer just long enough to warm milk. Serve while it is hot.

This one of the fish recipes is great to eat on a cold night. It is such a hardy dish that even crackers are not called unless you just want them. So check it out and see what you think.

Baked Filets
1 pound of cod filets
1/2 cup of lemon juice (fresh squeezed preferred)
1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons of butter

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter and pour half into a glass baking dish for this one of the recipes. Place the filets single layer in this dish. Cover the fish with half the lemon juice and set the rest aside to serve with the cooked fish. Pour the rest of the butter over the filets and evenly scatter the breadcrumbs on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with lemon juice on the side. This is easy as far as recipes go.

You can add other ingredients to this as in garlic or ginger. Both go with cod quite well, or replace the salt and pepper with some Old Bay Seasoning, just remember a little goes a long way. A garnish of lemon wedges and/or parsley can be a nice finishing touch to this dish. This is like all other recipes subject to your own taste for seasonings and added touches.

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Southern Fried Swai with Country Coleslaw
Serves 4
*These recipes offer healthy alternative preparations
4-5 oz Swai fish fillets, thawed and cleaned, as above
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp coarse ground yellow corn meal
1 egg
¼ cup milk or milk substitute
1/8 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
dash black pepper
Olive Oil for frying

Pour milk into shallow bowl and set aside. Beat egg thoroughly in shallow bowl and set aside. Mix flour, corn meal and seasonings thoroughly in shallow bowl.

Coat fish fillets first in milk, then in egg, then press each side of fillet into the flour mixture and set aside.

Pour oil into the bottom of a deep skillet to a depth of ¼ inch. Heat over medium high heat until a drop of water splatters in the oil. Gently place coated fish in pan and fry for one minute. Using a spatula, gently turn the fillets over and fry for one more minute. Remove fillets to serving dish and cover for one or two minutes prior to serving.

*Healthy recipes hint: eliminate the breading and oil for frying to reduce fat and carbohydrates. Sprinkle seasoning blend evenly onto each side of the fishfillets and coat the frying skillet with a non-stick spray. Heat until a drop of water dances on the surface. Place the fish into the pan and cover for 1 minute. Gently turn the fillets, cover and remove from heat. Allow fish to steam for 1 minute; remove and serve.

Coleslaw
¼ head of green cabbage, finely shredded (about 2 cups)
¼ head of red cabbage, finely shredded (about 2 cups)
2 medium carrots, washed and grated
1 stalk of celery, minced
Dressing
4 Tbsp prepared mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Place prepared vegetables into large mixing bowl, cover with dressing and toss until well blended. Coleslaw recipesmay be prepared ahead of time and tossed prior to serving.

Broiled Swai Fillets with Brown and Wild Rice and Brussels Sprouts
Serves 4
Recipes hint: Supply one or two quarters of Meyer Lemon to diners to dress their fish to taste
4-5 oz Swai fillets, cleaned and dried
1/8 tsp dried dill weed
dash sage
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Stir together seasoning blend and sprinkle evenly over the four fish fillets. Place prepared fillets on baking sheet that has been covered in foil and sprayed with a non-stick spray. Set aside until side dishes are ready for serving.

Heat broiler to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Place fish fillets on broiler pan or baking sheet that has been covered in aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Slide fish fillets under broiler for 30 seconds; remove from heat. Using a spatula, gently turn fillets and return to broiler compartment. Turn off heat and let fish rest for up to 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer fish to serving tray.

Brown and Wild Rice with Brussels Sprouts
Serves 4
½ cup brown rice
½ cup wild rice
1 cup Brussels sprouts, washed and quartered
½ small sweet onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp sage
½ tsp dried parsley flakes
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Bring water, stock and seasonings to boil. Pour in rice, onion and celery; cover and allow to simmer over medium heat for 40-minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in Brussels sprouts, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are fork tender. Remove from heat and transfer into serving dish.

Special Recipes for Delicious Swai Chowder

If you have been looking for recipes for fish fillets, it is time to get away from the skillet and try some delicious chowder recipes, such as the one that follows. Perhaps you have noticed swai in the fish section of your local market, lately, also called striped catfish.

A native of Southeast Asia, swai is a very significant ingredient in many fish recipes in Viet Nam and Cambodia. These freshwater iridescent sharks, similar to river-farmed catfish, arrive from Asia to the United States and other nations. Although adult swai can reach 4 feet in length and weigh up to 97 pounds, they usually are harvested before that point. A mild flavored white fish, it is good for broiling, baking and frying recipes, as well as chowder.

Happy Home Swai Chowder
Just as you do for all recipes, gather the bounty first. Mouthwatering, hearty fish chowder recipes use some common ingredients and extra ingredients for variety.

8 ounces chicken broth
1 clove garlic
1/2 Vidalia or yellow onion
2 Yukon Gold potatoes
10 ounces Swai fish fillets
2 slices bacon
Bay leaf
1 stalk celery
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 parsley sprigs

Make the Chowder
Always wash fruits and vegetables used in recipes. Cut the potatoes into 1- inch cubes and slice the celery on a diagonal. Peel and dice the garlic and onion. Cut the bacon into small pieces and the fish fillets into 1-inch pieces.

Take out a large saucepan, set it over medium heat and put in the bacon pieces, frying until crisp. Remove the pieces with a spatula to a paper towel. Add the garlic, celery and onion, popular ingredients with many recipes, to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.

Now put in the broth, potatoes, fish, bay leaf and thyme. When the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the cover. Use a large spoon or tongs to lift the bay leaf out and dispose of it. Take a cup of the potatoes out, using a slotted spoon so the liquid drains back in the pan. Mash them up and put them back in the pan with the bacon, salt, pepper and milk, stirring the mixture gently. Bring back to a simmer.

Put the cornstarch into a small bowl. Add the water slowly and stir until mixed. Add it a bit at a time to the chowder and stir it for a minute while it thickens.

Divide into two bowls and garnish with the parsley. There are excellent recipes for cheesy biscuits on recipe sites, which accompany this chowder perfectly.

Perfect for two, this is one of the recipes easy to double and serve four.

For a More Delicate Catfish, You Need to Try Swai Fish

Are you thinking that the channel catfish is anything but a delicate fish? Well the swai is a different kind of catfish that comes from Vietnam. This fish has beige flesh and has a mild, sweet flavor. It is also moist when cooked. It goes well in a number of recipes.

Parmesan Filets
6 swai filets (6 ounces each)
5 cups of the panko bread crumbs
2 1/2 cups of buttermilk
1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan cheese
4 Tablespoons olive oil for frying

Directions

Measure the grated parmesan and panko bread crumbs, and place in a shallow pan. Then, in a bowl, place the buttermilk. Put your fish filets into the buttermilk and leave them there for about 5 minutes. In this one of the recipes, place filets into the panko/parmesan mixture until well coated. Heat oil in a large frying pan, until test breadcrumbs will slightly sizzle. Fry fish on both sides 3 minutes a side or until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Another version of the swai recipes is Southern Fried Swai Filets.

Ingredients
6 swai filets
1 cup of self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups of cornmeal (yellow preferred)
2 beaten eggs
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
4 Tablespoon peanut oil or oil of choice

Directions

Season the filets with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, slightly beat the two eggs. In another shallow dish, measure the flour and cornmeal. Now dip the filets in the eggs and then into the flour/cornmeal mixture. You need to heat the peanut oil in a frying pan to a medium-high temperature. Cook the fish on each side until golden brown. Never overcookfish. Drain on brown paper or other absorbent paper.

Now, for a steamed version of the swai recipes keep reading.

This recipe is for 4 filets. Steaming fish can be done in a bamboo steamer. It is easy to use you just place it over a pot of hot water (not boiling). You should line the steamer with iceberg lettuce and poke some holes in it to let the steam up through it. Place swai filets that have been salted and peppered on top of it. You can season with other seasoning too before placing the lid on it. Steam until the swai is cooked all the way through, this will take 15 to 20 minutes. However, the steaming time steaming recipes for any fish depends on the thickness of your filets, if they are thin cook less time.

Vegetables
Steamed vegetables compliment swai. Broccoli, asparagus, carrots and green beans are some examples of these vegetables.

Starches
Steamed rice or baked potatoes are both starches that compliment the flavor of fish. They will not overwhelm the swai, no matter how it is fixed in the recipes you use. In fact, they can be combined with the steamed vegetables mentioned above for a fancier side dish.

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One of the recipes featuring this fish is below, and it is for lemon-baked tilapia.

Ingredients
Cooking spray or butter for greasing pan
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 1/2 tablespoons of butter
Salt
Black pepper
4 tilapia filets (about 8 ounces each)

Directions
Oven needs to be preheated to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Rinse the fish filets and pat them dry. Salt and pepper each filet. Then position them single layer in the baking dish. Add the lemon juice and zest to the fish. Place 1/2 tablespoon of butter on each of the fish filets. Bake for only 8 to 11minutes or until it is just cooked through. Be careful not to overcook.

For another one of the tilapia recipes, check out this one to grill it:

Ingredients
6 tilapia filets at about 6 ounces each
Olive oil – 5 tablespoons and extra for brushing on the fish
5 Tablespoons of lime juice freshly squeezed
1 Tablespoon of lime zest
1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic
Salt and black pepper

Directions
Place the filets in a glass dish. In a bowl, mix the 5 tablespoons of olive oil, lime juice, lime zest and the garlic. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Pour this mixture into the dish over the filets. Cover and place in the refrigerator and let the filets marinate for about 30 minutes to 60 minutes. While fish is marinating ready the grill. Brush some of the other olive oil on the filets. Grill filets until they flake when fork is used on them. This will take about 4 minutes each side.

This one of the recipes will also work for broiling just watch the tilapia closely. Set the rack on the 2nd level and broil the filets on high for 2 minutes on each side. Make sure to oil the rack a bit that you place the fish on.

Side Dishes

Rice dishes make ideal side dishes for any of the fish recipes. There are so many recipesonline to fix the rice dishes that you can easily match it to your fish dish.

Now, if you are not one to deal with fish often you might want your fish monger to filet it for you. This will cut your prep time in half to fix any of the tilapia recipes seen here or other places. However, if you want to save on buying your fish learn to filet them correctly. It just takes some practice.

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