Spinach, Salmon, and......... ????

ennaejay
ennaejay Posts: 575
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
I'm a fresh fish kinda girl, but it's so expensive, and nobody else in the house eats it, so I never bother to prepare it for myself.

So in the quest for protein, I started buying canned fish just for moi.

I've never used canned salmon or tuna on salad before..... what the heck pairs nicely with salmon? Nuts? berries? seeds? I'm not sure what would taste good together. Using canned fish on a salad is so foreign sounding but I want it to be one of my dailies :) I could always do a vegetarian salad and just eat the fish out of the can with a fork, but that's boring.

Does anyone have any favorite recommendations for me? For salmon, OR tuna? (I could see tuna with swiss cheese and pine nuts - maybe? or would that be gross? Salmon with broccoli and romano, and diced apple? Sigh..... my culinary skills are lacking in this department)

TIA!

Replies

  • kac7700
    kac7700 Posts: 125 Member
    I love to take canned salmon and mix it with chick peas and make a dressing with mustard and olive oil, add some spices, your spinach if you want and it's amazing. Capers are also a nice addition.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I don't generally eat fish, so I can't really help you with that. But, I wanted to say that if you plan your meals before you go grocery shopping, buying fresh foods is much, much cheaper and definitely healthier than buying processed or prepackaged foods.
  • Luandanielle1979
    Luandanielle1979 Posts: 747 Member
    I heat it up and mix it with rice and springonions and peppers what ever I can find x
  • seven8seven
    seven8seven Posts: 58 Member
    Quinoa is yummy !
  • suemurphy2010
    suemurphy2010 Posts: 21
    risotto rice, stock, and mushrooms I had it for dinner and lunch and it's delish
  • lor007
    lor007 Posts: 884 Member
    I don't generally eat fish, so I can't really help you with that. But, I wanted to say that if you plan your meals before you go grocery shopping, buying fresh foods is much, much cheaper and definitely healthier than buying processed or prepackaged foods.
    Canned tuna is usually on sale for less than a dollar for 2 servings. Where can you find fresh tuna for that price?


    OP: Sorry, I don't have any good suggestions.
  • poustotah
    poustotah Posts: 1,121 Member
    I take some spinach, top it with avacado, canned tuna, cucumber, onion and bell pepper and use italian vinagrette. VERY yummy.
  • Artemis_Acorn
    Artemis_Acorn Posts: 836 Member
    One advantage of canned salmon is that the bones are soft enough to actually eat and they add quite a bit of calcium to the deal. You can puree them if you don't like the crunch. My favorite with canned salmon is cream of salmon soup. Chopped spinach is nice to toss in with it. Mmmm
  • paleochora
    paleochora Posts: 11 Member
    Tuna, sweetcorn, fresh coriander (cilantro) a few chopped stuffed green olives on a bed of lettuce is a nice salad. Or between whole meal bread for a sandwich - you could use a 'smidgen' of mayonnaise to keep it together.
  • sweetsarahj
    sweetsarahj Posts: 701 Member
    I mix tuna with avocado, minced celery and onoin, some olive oil and lemon, and eat it on top of a spinch salad.


    Be careful about how much tuna you eat though!!! I learned this week that petite women shouldn't eat more than 2/3 can per WEEK..... crazy because I was eating like 2-3 cans per week. Also I've read that white tuna has less mercury than alabacore.... in fact they said women of chilbearing age and children shouldn't eat alabcore tuna AT ALL>.... because fo the mercury levels. Crazy.

    Here's the links:

    Info about safe levels of fish: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/tuna-mercury-calculator.html

    Handy-dandy calculator to figure out how much tuna is safe: http://www.ewg.org/tunacalculator
  • ngcgurl03
    ngcgurl03 Posts: 207 Member
    i love salmon and tuna in the can. i mix the fish with poppy seed dressing and eat it with spinach mmmm it is so tasty
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Toss it into pasta or casseroles. My SO takes canned tuna and throws it into boxed mac N cheese, but that sounds terrible to me. It would work with salmon, if it sounds less terrible to you.

    It would be delicious with quinoa or cous cous, too.

    I season tuna with garlic powder, onion, parsley and then stuff it into stalks of celery. That would be good with salmon, too.
  • sunnybrunette126
    sunnybrunette126 Posts: 200 Member
    I am making this tonight actually the canned version.

    I use one can (I cut it in half so that I can spoon those bones out) in a saute pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of minced garlic, a small can of tomato sauce (salt and pepper to taste but I find you don't need it) and cook for about 10-15 minutes on low.

    I serve it over brown rice and usually pair with roasted asparagus.
  • lowkeyelv
    lowkeyelv Posts: 39
    yes folks. Do not eat too much tuna. Check the permitted amounts for your weight. Most tuna (especially big tuna used for big filets) is infected with the most toxic (to humans) substance on the planet, mercury. See the movie The Cove (its streaming on netflix if you have it) to learn more.
  • ennaejay
    ennaejay Posts: 575
    I don't generally eat fish, so I can't really help you with that. But, I wanted to say that if you plan your meals before you go grocery shopping, buying fresh foods is much, much cheaper and definitely healthier than buying processed or prepackaged foods.
    Canned tuna is usually on sale for less than a dollar for 2 servings. Where can you find fresh tuna for that price?


    OP: Sorry, I don't have any good suggestions.

    Yeah, that's sortof what I was thinking, fresh can be way more pricey depending on what you're buying. I've found tons of fresh-frozen vegetables for a dollar a pound, store brand; and fresh red peppers are $3.49/lb. Seriously? Thanks, I'll use frozen or canned if I have to. We're on a budget after all. I'll save those pennies and use them for grass-fed, free-range, organic eggs, beef, chicken, and milk :wink:
  • ennaejay
    ennaejay Posts: 575
    I take some spinach, top it with avacado, canned tuna, cucumber, onion and bell pepper and use italian vinagrette. VERY yummy.

    mmmm, cuke and onion and vinaigrette.... sounds fresh and easy. Thanks!
    One advantage of canned salmon is that the bones are soft enough to actually eat and they add quite a bit of calcium to the deal.

    That's really cool, I just read that on the can. Freaky, but cool. I'll eat 'em!
    i love salmon and tuna in the can. i mix the fish with poppy seed dressing and eat it with spinach mmmm it is so tasty

    *drool* i like how you think. poppyseed dressing is my alltime favorite - Cape Cod's!!!!
    I season tuna with garlic powder, onion, parsley and then stuff it into stalks of celery. That would be good with salmon, too.

    I think this is my favorite idea so far, thanks. Fish mushed up with spices and used as a celery filler... good snack...!!!!! My mom puts chopped celery in her salmon cakes, so I imagine the two do pair nicely. I'm SO going to do this!!! Better than gobs of peanut butter for sure. I guess I could use a dollop of greek yogurt as a binder, if the fish isn't sticky enough.
  • ennaejay
    ennaejay Posts: 575
    yes folks. Do not eat too much tuna. Check the permitted amounts for your weight. Most tuna (especially big tuna used for big filets) is infected with the most toxic (to humans) substance on the planet, mercury. See the movie The Cove (its streaming on netflix if you have it) to learn more.


    Sooooo funny to me that people get immunizations without a second thought, and then scare themselves silly about eating a can of tuna...... but I digress......
  • summer827
    summer827 Posts: 516 Member
    Following this post with interest! I've never tried canned salmon. I could eat fish every meal, though, so it would be nice to keep some on hand. Is there a brand that is preferred?

    I am on the lookout for a recipe close to a dish I tried at a party once. It was a cold pasta salad with orzo and smoked salmon.
  • Fergie2154
    Fergie2154 Posts: 59
    Sautee onions in a tablespoon of EVOO. Add a few of your favorite spices... black pepper, Thyme, Parsley... add teaspoon of Catsup.. then add your drained can salmon with about 1/4 cup of water and cook for about 5 minutes. (you don't have to take the bones out of canned salmon, but you can if you choose to)

    Put on top of 1/2 up Brown Rice or Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAA) along with a bed or Romaine and/or Broccoli.

    You can do the same thing with canned Tuna.....
  • ennaejay
    ennaejay Posts: 575
    Following this post with interest! I've never tried canned salmon. I could eat fish every meal, though, so it would be nice to keep some on hand. Is there a brand that is preferred?

    I am on the lookout for a recipe close to a dish I tried at a party once. It was a cold pasta salad with orzo and smoked salmon.

    Canned salmon is also really good mixed with bread crumbs, mustard, onions, cheddar cheese, spring onions, spices, mayonnaise - etc - and fried on each side like a cake. My mom makes them that way, and serves alongside macaroni and cheese with broccoli.

    I'm just looking to open a can of fish and throw it on a bed of spinach with some other ingredients (veggies, beans, spices, nuts, seeds, berries) and wasn't sure what exactly would taste good.

    Thanks, I love quinoa, rice, and couscous, but am looking for more of a "salad" type dish, keep your ideas coming! I'm taking notes! :happy: And getting hungry!
  • eddyca
    eddyca Posts: 153 Member
    I'm a fresh fish kinda girl, but it's so expensive, and nobody else in the house eats it, so I never bother to prepare it for myself.

    But that just means more fish for you right? You can mix the leftover salmon in some brown rice and veggies or whatever you like for the next day or two. It's still kind of pricey to do this, I know. 1 pound of fresh salmon costs about $11 where I live... but I can make it stretch for 4 meals (no one else at home likes it, muahahah) making it about $2.75 per meal.
    I don't like canned salmon so I spoil myself with the occasional fresh wild caught fillet.
    My trick to prevent overcooked salmon when you go to reheat it: slightly undercook the portion you don't intend to eat that day and store it in the fridge. When you heat it up in the microwave the next day it'll be perfectly done.
  • sweetsarahj
    sweetsarahj Posts: 701 Member
    yes folks. Do not eat too much tuna. Check the permitted amounts for your weight. Most tuna (especially big tuna used for big filets) is infected with the most toxic (to humans) substance on the planet, mercury. See the movie The Cove (its streaming on netflix if you have it) to learn more.


    Sooooo funny to me that people get immunizations without a second thought, and then scare themselves silly about eating a can of tuna...... but I digress......

    Hey, it's your health. If you're not interested in even finding out about it, whatever. If you are interested here is the FDA;

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115662.htm


    By following these 3 recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.

    1. Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
    2.Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
    * Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
    * Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.

    3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.

    Or maybe Health Canada?

    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2007/2007_14-eng.php

    As a precaution, Health Canada is providing the following advice.

    * Women who are or who may become pregnant, or who are breastfeeding can eat up to four Food Guide Servings of canned albacore tuna each week. One Food Guide Serving is 75g, 2 ½ oz, 125 mL, or ½ cup.
    * Children between one and four years old can eat up to one Food Guide Serving of albacore tuna each week.
    * Children between five and eleven years old can eat up to two Food Guide Servings of albacore tuna each week.
  • sugartwist
    sugartwist Posts: 49 Member
    Great ideas all! I love salmon.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
    lemon or lime juice is nice on those.
This discussion has been closed.

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