Simply Satisfying – put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up….

Sablefish (black cod) with Lime and Coconut

Why not try making this dish for a special Valentines day dinner?

This recipe was originally inspired by “pescado con coco” – fish with tomato, garlic and coconut from the Dominican Republic.

I’ve made this on several occasions and if you love Black Cod otherwise known as Sablefish (one of my favorites) and the best replacement for Chilean Sea Bass which has been endangered for some time now, then this recipe is sure to be a hit.

Recipe:

1 ¼ pound skinless black cod fillet

4 tsp. fresh lime juice, divided

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped leek (white and pale green parts only; about 1 large)

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 tsp. (packed) grated lime peel

1/3 cup chopped cilantro (and a sprig or two for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, place in 11x7x2 inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with 1 ½ teaspoons of lime juice. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and garlic; sauté 7 minutes. Add coconut milk and remaining lime juice; boil until thick, about 4 minutes. Stir in lime peel.

Spoon sauce over fish. Bake until fish is just opaque in center, about 20 minutes or until there is no resistance when pierced with a fork. Transfer to platter. Whisk juices in baking dish. Spoon around fish; top with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

ENJOY with jasmine rice and a green veggie like string beans or asparagus.

FUN

AWay with Words – chocolate quotes

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ― Charles M. Schulz

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” ― Linda Grayson

“My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” ― Dave Barry

“Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.” ― Dave Barry

“Don’t wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn’t like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good.” ― Lora Brody

“If there’s no chocolate in Heaven, I’m not going.” Jane Seabrook, Furry Logic Laugh at Life

It’s not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let’s face it, far more reliable than a man.” – Miranda Ingram

This guy found a bottle on the ocean, and he opened it and out popped a genie, and he gave him three wishes. The guy wished for a million dollars, and poof! there was a million dollars. Then he wished for a convertible, and poof! there was a convertible. And then, he wished he could be irresistible to all women… poof! he turned into a box of chocolates.

Koko Monk – Giftbox of 16

FUN

B Well – the healthy (thank you god) benefits of dark chocolate.

CHOCOLATE AND YOUR HEALTH

The Basics:

It’s more than wishful thinking — chocolate can be good for you. Studies show that eating chocolate, primarily dark chocolate, may contribute to improved cardiovascular health. Packed with natural antioxidants, dark chocolate and cocoa sit in the same good-for-you category as green tea and blueberries. That’s because chocolate comes from cacao beans (or cocoa beans), which grow on the cacao tree and are full of natural plant nutrients. Most of the studies to date highlight dark chocolate’s health values because it has the highest percentage of cocoa solids, therefore more flavanol antioxidants.

My late afternoon snack will now consist of a cup of green tea with dark chocolate over blueberries. What time is it?

An Antioxidant Powerhouse

Dark chocolate and cocoa are rich in cell-protecting antioxidants — natural compounds found in fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. Read what scientists are studying regarding antioxidants and cardiovascular disease & premature aging.

Matters of the Heart

Recent studies have shown dark chocolate and cocoa may be good for your heart. In short-term clinical trials, dark chocolate has reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow, showed mild anti-clotting effects and may help prevent plaque formation in arteries.

Okay so it's not dark but it's Beckham. Try to take a bite out of that! — Okay so it’s not dark but it’s David Beckham. Try to take a bite out of that – I’m sure he’s very good!

Sweet News For Managing Blood Sugar

Despite its sweet reputation, dark chocolate has a low glycemic index similar to that of oatmeal — meaning it does not send your blood sugar spiking. Find out more about the surprising chemistry behind your favorite treat.

Vital Minerals

Like any plant-based food, chocolate naturally contains an array of minerals.

Chocolate and Your Brain

Is it more than just the taste? Why does chocolate make us feel good? This is what they do know: chocolate contains more than 500 natural chemical compounds, some of which have been categorized as mood-elevating and pleasure-inducing.

Emerging Science

Buoyed by positive findings, more research is being conducted on chocolate’s health benefits, including potential cancer-fighting abilities and improved cognitive function. Learn about chocolate’s future in health studies. Taken from allchocolate.com

**Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most evocative and informative up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America. You can also listen to past episodes. Here’s the link:

http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health

FUN

style & design – 50 shades of chocolate

While on the subject of chocolate I thought about posting a few photos of things I really like ….in Chocolate.

HAIR – Rich Chocolate with a hint of Caramel and ZERO calories.

A chocolate brunette — A well- coiffed Eva Longoria from Desperate Housewives. Photo – Marie Claire magazine.

And a CUTE CHOCOLATE LAB PUP.

A brown bed for pup — Chocolate dog – Chocolate bed

A lovely home theatre - but not mine. — A lovely home theater – so comfy you may fall asleep watching the movie.

Multi chocolate bedroom — Multi-chocolate bedroom

a prefer this mix of white, milk & caramel. — I prefer a mix of white, milk & caramel.

FUN

Simple & Satisfying – Chocolate Soufflé

I’m declaring this NATIONAL CHOCOLATE WEEK in preparation for Valentine’s Day. Is there anything more satisfying than biting into a chocolate sensation? I didn’t think so. Follow this step by step guide to perfecting a scrumptious Chocolate Soufflé. Trust me, you will LOVE this one and so will your guests.

Makes 6 individual servings

4 Tbsp. butter (or try a substitute from last Tuesday’s post)

½ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

¾ cup of milk

¾ cup (170g) chopped best quality dark chocolate

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

pinch of cream of tartar (not necessary but it makes the egg whites stiffer)

Use 2 Tbsp. butter and ¼ cup sugar to liberally coat the insides of 6 one-ounce ceramic soufflé cups (or something very similar). Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter with flour. Add milk and continue cooking until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until melted.

Meanwhile, beat yolks until creamy, then begin blending in chocolate mixture. Set aside.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until soft peaks form (you can tell when you lift the beater and it sticks to the beater making a little peak).

Add remaining ¼ cup sugar, a small amount at a time.

Beat until stiff.

Fold half the whites into chocolate mixture. Then fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg whites. Transfer to soufflé cups. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

**HINT: you can add a little icing sugar to the top before serving or fresh whipped cream and a mint sprig or raspberry/mint combo. Below – soufflé a different way:

FUN

Scene in the City – Once in a “Blue Moon”

You’ll come across “not just another” chocolatier – instead something very special. Now there’s Koko Monk and luckily (or not so luckily for me) it’s within a very short walking distance from my house. Too short but at least my gym is on the same street if you catch my drift. It’s chocolate poetry.

Valentine's Day is coming — Valentine’s Day is almost upon us.

Owner and friend Paul Dincer will tell you that you must not bite into these ones – no, no. Just let them melt under your tongue to fully experience it. He uses only dark chocolate, fresh ingredients –all made my hand and hand painted. A total work of art. It gets worse….there’s also a chocolate fountain where you can dip fresh fruit into. Finally I also recommend the Turkish coffee and pastries – all deliciously delicious.

Oh “Matchmaker” I had my “First Kiss”, a total “Bliss Fix” which led me to “La Petite Amour” with an “Iron Buddha” of all things… by “La Mer” under a “Dark Moon.”

The next day I craved “Tuscan Blues” but went to “Musee L’Amour” with my “Brunette Bangle” instead and was handed a “Jade Box“. Then a sudden“Sultry Drift” made me feel like “Smoking Hearts.” After that it was off to “Leningrad” to “Tango Paulo.”

Okay, what the hell are in these chocolates??

Inside Shop with Elena & Paulo

Blue Moon – blue cheese chocolate (it really works)

Matchmaker – Chilli and Cinnamon

First Kiss – Sour Cherry – Raspberry Caramel

Bliss Fix – Passion Fruit

La Petite Amour – Mango

Iron Buddha – Cardamon and Tea

La Mer – Watermelon with Sea Salt

Dark Moon – Rum Truffle

Tuscan Blues – Lavender

Musee L’Amour – Pistachio and Almond Paste

Brunette Bangle – Curry and Coconut

Jade Box – Japanese Matcha Tea

Sultry Drift – Fresh Vanilla Bean Caramel

Smoking Hearts – Apple Wood Smoked Chocolate

Leningrad – Espresso Vodka

Tango Paulo – Hazelnut Praline

…..and more (but I just couldn’t fit them all into the poem).

KOKO ~~Nazi~~ MONK – 1849 West 1^st Ave. in Kits

FUN

AWay with Words….on Champagne

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” ~DOM PERIGNON, upon his first taste of champagne.

“I drink champagne when I win, to celebrate…and I drink champagne when I lose, to console myself.”
~NAPOLEON

“One holds a bottle of red wine by the neck, a woman by the waist, and a bottle of champagne by the derriere.” Mark Twain

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right.” Mark Twain

“Remember gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne!”
Winston Churchill

“Four be the things I am wiser to know:
Idleness, sorrow, a friend, and a foe.
Four be the things I’d been better without:
Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.
Three be the things I shall never attain:
Envy, content, and sufficient champagne.
Three be the things I shall have till I die:
Laughter and hope and a sock in the eye.”
― Dorothy Parker, The Complete Poems of Dorothy Parker

FUN

B Well – on Whitening

Is whitening toothpaste simply a waste of money?

When it comes to that million dollar movie star smile, everyone knows only one color will do: bright white.Yes, for those committed to looking perfect, a set of shiny white teeth is a must-have accessory. As such, a range of treatments and products are available to get those pearly yellows white.

In-office whitening treatments are the most effective, but also the most expensive, and even store bought whitening treatments can cost more than $100, so many of us opt for a more low-cost option: whitening toothpaste.

The question is, do they work? A new investigation conducted by British newspaper The Daily Mail has found that none of the six whitening toothpastes they tested had any affect on tooth color.

First, the paper had the tooth color of six women in their 30s and 40s professionally assessed by a dentist. Then they had the women brush with a whitening toothpaste for a month.

The toothpastes tested were Arm & Hammer Advanced Whitening Toothpaste, SwissDent Xtreme Whitening Toothpaste, Oral B 3D White Enamel Protect, Beverly Hills Natural Whitening Expert, BlanX Intense Stain Removal, and Rembrandt Complete Whitening Mint.

Any whitening effect that these types of pastes have is likely due to abrasive additives rather than the bleach they contain, reports the Los Angeles Times. For example, Crest 3D White Vivid contains tiny hydrated silica particles, which scrub the tooth surface clean. Though some pastes also contain bleach, experts say it has no effect, because it is rinsed away before it has a chance to act.

The results of the Daily Mail‘s month long test? There was no perceptible change in tooth color in any of the test subjects, regardless of which paste they used.

So, why can toothpastes claim they are whitening?

“Any toothpaste can claim to whiten teeth,” says Advertising Standards Canada spokesperson Nicole Bellam. “They’re allowed to claim that, even if it’s just by mechanical action.”

She explains that according to Health Canada’s Guidelines for Cosmetic Advertising and Labelling Claims, even if a toothpaste contains no bleach, an active whitening agent, or an abrasive that helps scrub the tooth clean, it can still claim it is a whitening toothpaste.

“Even regular flouride toothpaste can make that claim,” says Bellam. There are, however, rules around exactly how these claims are made. For example, a toothpaste can claim that it “whitens” or “brightens” teeth, but it cannot claim that it “bleaches” teeth.

The lesson here? Use a whitening toothpaste if you must, as it may be giving your teeth an extra scrub. Just don’t expect miracles.

Article By Lia Grainger | Shine On

FUN

style & design – THIN is IN

Oh NO….I’m still in the process of figuring out how to record on my TV. I lost something in Dropbox today and don’t even talk to me about making changes to my website. And then somebody sends me this youtube little glimpse into what’s coming! I better get with the program.

It gets better – the video is from Corning as in “CorningWare” the same people who make that thermal shock cookware that you can use on your stovetop. Everyone owns a piece.

I’ve never posted a link on its own but YOU MUST take a moment to view this youtube video if you haven’t already. Take my word – This is MIND BLOWING!

It's time to WAKE UP — It’s time to **WAKE UP**

SOMETIME SOON…..In the near future – a world made of GLASS…..

A stunning glimpse into the future courtesy of Corning: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38&vq=medium

FUN

Simple and Satisfying – Surprising Substitutes

Healthy Baking: Surprising Butter Substitutes

By FitSugar | Healthy Living

Baking calms the mind and feeds the soul, but all that buttery goodness can pack on the pounds. If looking to make healthier baked goods, omitting some or all of the butter from your favorite recipes greatly reduce the amount of calories, fat, and cholesterol in your sweet treats. There are countless ways to replace eggs in recipes, and here are healthier alternatives to using butter. These substitutes are great for vegan bakers too.

Applesauce: Often used to replace oil in recipes, applesauce can also be used as butter alternative, and works best in cake-like recipes. Replace half the amount of butter in your recipe with applesauce; if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and half a cup of applesauce. If you don’t mind a denser, more moist bread, replace all the butter with applesauce to cut even more calories and fat.

Avocado: Substitute half the amount of butter in a baking recipe with mashed avocado (it works well with cookies); use the same method as you would when using applesauce. Using avocado not only lowers the calorie content but also creates a softer, chewier baked good, and is perfect if you want to omit the dairy.

Earth Balance: Replace all of the butter with Earth Balance to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol. Using Smart Balance rather than Earth Balance will also save some calories, but note that Original Smart Balance contains whey, so it’s not vegan.

Canola oil: In certain recipes, replacing butter with oil works well, especially if the recipe calls for melted butter. Fiddle with your favorite recipes to figure out when canola works instead of butter; when baking chocolate chip cookies, I’ve had success substituting half a cup of canola oil for half a cup of unsalted butter. Although slightly higher in calories, canola is much lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Greek yogurt: Replace half the amount of butter in your cookie recipes with half the amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt. For example, if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and one quarter cup of yogurt. You’ll reduce the calories and the saturated fat. Play around with using more yogurt and less butter to see if you still like the taste and consistency. Here are more ways to use Greek yogurt in baking recipes.

Prune purée: Often used to help little ones stay regular, prune purée also makes a low-calorie and low-fat alternative to butter. Whatever amount of butter the recipe calls for, replace it completely with store-bought baby food prune puree (unless you have time to make your own; just purée prunes in the food processor). This option works well in recipes that involve chocolate and cinnamon.

Follow my “Gusto” board on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/intrigueimports/