Gifts from the Sea
Afke Zonderland, Raw Chef & Founder of Okanagan Rawsome
Okanagan Rawsome‘s mission is to awaken your taste buds to delicious RAW, SPROUTED, GLUTEN-FREE, and VEGAN living! Afke Zonderland, Chef & CEO shares how easy it is to live a whole-food philosophy and make the healthiest choices for yourself and your family.
Gifts from the Sea
Salmon is a much acclaimed food for ingredients that can be hard to source from a strictly plant-based diet. For this reason, I consider the occasional meal of wild fish a huge gift from the sea.
On a recent family trip along the Sunshine coast we chartered a fishing guide to take us up the Juan de Fuca Strait. With 30 years of fishing in the Sechelt area, he noted that the commercial fishing quotas have had a very positive impact on the local salmon population. The two very respectably-sized Spring salmons we caught were proof of that, but you should have seen ‘the one that got away!’
There are many ways to prepare a 7-pound salmon, but we prefer our tried and true wood fire with a home made grill. Fastened to rebar with metal wire. they make a perfect professional grilling surface when leaned upon the bricks around a fire pit. Consider adding this recipe to your culinary repertoire the next time you make a catch. (Scroll down for fabulous fish stock recipe!)
Blackened Salmon with Mango-Avocado Salsa
- 1½ to 2 pounds wild salmon fillets, boneless and skin on
- 3 teaspoons melted grassfed butter
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cracked pepper
- ¼ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp cayenne
Mango Salsa
- 1 large ripe mango, seeded, peeled and diced
- 1 large avocado, seeded and diced
- ¼ cup diced grape tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Combine the butter and all of the spices in a bowl. Rub all over both sides of the salmon. Leave at room temperature while the grill heats.
- Meanwhile, combine the salsa ingredients together in a bowl.
- Sear the salmon, skinless side down first. Close the grill lid. Cook 1-3 minutes on the first side, depending on how thick the fillets are. Flip the fillets just once and cook until the salmon is just barely opaque and will start to flake along the center.
- Serve with Mango Salsa, Lemon slices and extra cilantro and parsley!
I don’t know if anyone is still making fish stock, but with so much value in fish bones – including the head:
photo credit, Culinary Cook
To extract maximum flavor the method of “sweating” is applied. Begin by sautéing thinly sliced onions, carrots and celery with herbs and peppercorns. Layer the fish head and bones on top of the vegetables, add a little wine and cover the pot. As the heads and bones “sweat’ from the steam and heat, extra proteins are drawn out. After the sweating is completed (about 15 minutes) cover the bones with water and simmer them briefly and let the mixture steep for another 10 minute. This is what produces a stock that is full flavoured and gelatinous. A perfect base for home made chowder!
Okanagan Rawsome’s nutrient-dense Crisps are a source of pure plant energy.
These living whole food snacks are low-glycemic, promote weight-loss, reduce inflammation and are loaded with organic ingredients and local produce (click here to meet our farmers!) It’s real food to nourish your body and soul made with carefully sourced spices, sprouted seeds, nuts and fruit. These portable power-packed crisps come in four flavors! Great gluten-free fuel for the health conscious, celiacs and athletes alike!
Afke Zonderland,
Raw Chef & Founder of Okanagan Rawsome
Afke Zonderland is the innovative chef behind Okanagan Rawsome. She regularly hosts raw food workshops across Western Canada, promoting a plant-passionate lifestyle, while sharing tasty recipes that will win over your taste buds! Read more here…
Her strategies and recipes are sure to provide you with plenty of food for thought. A shining star within the gluten-free and health conscious community in British Columbia and beyond, Afke is a Raw Food Chef and CEO of Okanagan Rawsome.
Choose from sweet, savory and even spicy crisps!
- Purchase Okanagan Rawsome in Victoria and across Vancouver Island.
- NEW! Purchase Okanagan Rawsome online and save! Free shipping within Canada for orders over $80. Free Shipping in the US for orders over $160.
- Okanagan Rawsome is a proud Sponsor of the Canadian Celiac Association’s Classes for the Newly Diagnosed. Details here!
Also by Afke:
- Gluten Free is Easy with Whole Food Recipes
- Join the Soil Revolution – Garden on the Wild Side
- Resident Rawfoodie Reveals Healthiest Fruits and Vegetables
- Fuel Injection – How whole Foods Balance Blood Sugar
- Wheat Grass and Wild Edibles*
- Turmeric Goes Mainstream from Facemasks to Yummy Curry
- Dealing with the Dirtiest Place in Your Body in the Cleanest Way Possible
- Essential Oils – Your Allergy Support Team
- Essential Oils – Celiac-Friendly Natural Resource
- The Edible Front Yard – Mow Less, Eat Better, Save Money!
- Looking for Natural Relief from Allergies?
- Confused about Omegas?
- The Skinny on Fat
- Planting Gluten-Free Seeds for Your New Year’s Resolutions
- Almond Milk – Is it Everything It’s Cracked Up to Be?
- Is Kombucha Making a Comeback?
- View Afke’s Recipe Page
