My kids adore salmon. It is their favorite entree, bar none. In fact, I rarely get to eat a full portion of salmon because I’m constantly augmenting the plates of my three hungry munchkins. Now, if a 2, 4, and 7 year old are going to agree on a favorite food, salmon is certainly a fine choice in my book, with the many known health benefits derived from its omega 3 fatty acids. These particular fatty acids are the good, unsaturated kind, unlike those found in red meat and dairy products. Not all fatty acids are created equal, you see. Omega-3 fatty acids specifically are believed to decrease triglycerides, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, boost immunity, improve arthritis symptoms, and improve learning ability in children. (What? Improve LEARNING ability?) Indeed! You know the DHA that is being added to prenatal vitamins and baby formula and toddler foods to boost brain health? Guess what that is. Yup, good old omega 3 fatty acids. Now you know.

So if you’re interested in raising a family of super-smart kiddos with super-human immune systems (wink), you’ll take my lead and introduce them to salmon. This preparation is a great place to start; just watch out –  the sweet glaze will have them stealing bites from your plate, and you want some of those omega-3 health benefits for yourself!

Grilled Salmon with Apricot-Orange Glaze

serves 4

Ingredients:

4 – 6 oz. salmon fillets

canola oil

1/4 cup orange juice (*see note below)

1/4 cup apricot preserves

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon fillets lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Combine the orange juice, apricot preserves, lemon juice, and orange zest in a medium skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes until it has reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze and measures about 1/4 cup.

3. Brush grill grates with a little oil to prevent the salmon from sticking. Place salmon on grill skin side down. For 1″ thick fillets, grill 6-8 minutes for medium.

4. Drizzle glaze over salmon and serve.

Note: Zest an orange for the 1 teaspoon of orange zest and then squeeze it for the 1/4 cup of orange juice.

Note: This was written to go out yesterday but whoops! It got ‘stuck’….so hopefully you have a celebration still planned for this weekend!

The Fourth of July means summer is really, truly upon us. All of my childhood memories of this holiday involve sitting curbside along a parade route being awed by the marching bands and the firetrucks and of course fistfuls of  candy tossed to the youngest onlookers! On my grandparents’ farm, the adage was that the corn should be “knee high by the 4th of July” and it was the time when homemade strawberry ice cream made an appearance – hand churned in a wooden freezer with salt in the bottom. There were sparklers to be twirled  and fireflies to be caught and s’mores to be made late in the evening. Small town America seems to do patriotism better than anyone else; I hope you’ve found a favorite place to celebrate our freedom today…the simpler the better if you ask me! (Our annual neighborhood bike parade fits the bill.)

As you’re celebrating our nation’s birthday, here’s a little treat that’s a snap to make, but so pretty it’s worth of the occasion. I’ve used real whipped cream, but if you wanted to make this even healthier, you could substitute Greek Yogurt for the whipped cream. How fun would your kids think it was on Fourth of July morning if you served parfaits for breakfast?! Mine would love it! (PS That’s exactly what I did on Fox19 yesterday when I shared this and two more healthy treats for the 4th! Here’s the video clip.)

Happy 4th!

Berry Parfaits

serves 4

1 pint strawberries or raspberries

1 pint blueberries

1 c. heavy cream

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed or an immersion blender until it forms stiff peaks. This takes just a minute or two and is the point at which when you turn off the beaters and lift them out of the whipped cream, the cream forms a “peak” and holds its shape.

2. Wash and cut strawberries into quarters. Wash blueberries.

3. In tall parfait glasses (or highball drinking glasses if you don’t have parfait glasses), layer strawberries, then a dollop of cream, then blueberries, then cream, alternating until you reach the top of the glass.