What I Eat - Day Forty-Six

I'll let you in on a little secret -  my breakfast, lunch, and dinner in each week's post aren't always from the same day.  You guys knew that, though, right? ;)  This is how today's post accidentally ended up being all about fish!  

Breakfast - Potato Hash

This hash was made by frying up an onion, a couple potatoes, and an orange bell pepper; and then topping them with chopped cilantro, chopped avocado, and Daiya 'cheese.'  

I picked up Daiya's pepperjack flavour because it was the only one Sobey's had in stock.  I definitely don't care for their cheddar or pepperjack flavours, only the mozzarella, which is really good!

Lunch - Mediterranean Plate

-dolmas (stuffed vine leaves, pictured below, purchased at Sobey's)
-organic Kalmata olives
-sliced cucumber
-gluten free toast with a spread of mashed sardines

I can't guarantee that dolmas are gluten-free, they are something I occasionally take a risk on.  They're always packaged overseas with a mysterious 'spices' listed on the label.   I've never had any problem digesting them.  

I've struggled with eating sardines for a while now, particularly opening up a tin and seeing all the tails and fins of the fish intact.   However, I also struggle with some of the issues surrounding eating seafood, such depletion of ocean stocks and heavy metal toxicity.  Eating sardines is definitely the way to go.  I went down a rabbit hole researching sardines for this post, here are some of my results:

This is an aquarium that combines research about sustainable fishing and nutritional content, and recommends which kind of fish to buy:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_health.aspx  One of their top choices is Pacific sardines.  It definitely isn't a good idea to buy farmed fish, if you want to learn more about fish farming check out this link.

This is a great blog post that describes some of the history of sardine fishing, which it seems is quite sustainable:
http://deepseanews.com/2012/05/how-to-eat-sardines-sustainably/

Even though the U.S. Pacific sardine fishery is strongly recommend, I'm also leaning towards purchasing sardines produced right here on our east coast:
http://www.brunswick.ca/sustainability-sp/

So....I encourage you, like me, to find a way to make those sardines palatable! For me, spreading them on toast seems to be the ticket. 

Dinner - Fish Chowder

Ingredients
-one eggplant, chopped
-one large red onion, chopped
-one yellow, orange, and red bell pepper, chopped
-one large tomato, chopped
-one package of frozen fish, thawed enough to break apart
-Old Bay Seasoning, to taste
-enough water to cover the bottom half of the pan

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large pan, I used cast iron.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.  I add the seasoning at the end.  

Old Bay Seasoning was not available in Canada the last time I checked, though it is easy to find in American supermarkets.  A huge part of its flavour comes from celery salt, so it should be fairly easy to replicate.  The listed ingredients are celery salt (salt, celery seed), spices (including red pepper and black pepper), and paprika.   When I researched, and purchased, my Old Bay it was gluten-free, but that was a few years ago. 

I usually buy frozen fish for the following reasons:
-it's often cheaper
-it's often fresher
-I can choose wild fish (as opposed to farmed)
-I usually keep some in my freezer, and then it's handy when I need it

I get a lot of compliments on this dish when I serve it, despite the fact that it isn't extremely visually appealing.