Some people think that all salts are created equal, which is simply not the case. There is, in fact, a wide variety of salts, and they all have distinct characteristics that make them optimal for particular uses. One of the more exotic varieties is Hawaiian red sea salt.
This traditional sea salt, also known as alaea, has been used for generations to season and preserve food on the Islands. Because it is unprocessed, this sea salt contains traces of minerals that are found in natural seawater. The salt gets its red coloring from the addition of Hawaiian clay, which also adds iron oxide to the product.
One of the staples in the American kitchen is chicken, and for good reason. Not only is chicken healthier and cheaper than virtually every other type of meat, it also has a simplistic flavor. Blandness may seem like a deterrent when it comes to cuisine, but it actually gives you a lot of freedom in the chicken.
Regardless of the style that you are going for, it is quite easy to adapt chicken to the recipe. It lends itself well to everything from Italian and French to Southern and Asian. Of course, you can always simply use chicken seasoning, which has a myriad of perfectly blended herbs and spices.
The American Health Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week. The Omega 3 fish oil found in fatty fish like tuna and salmon contains fatty acids that benefit the hearts of healthy people and lower your cholesterol naturally. Fish is a better sort of protein than red meat because it is low in saturated fat. In addition to adding fish to the diet, doctors, recommend eating tofu, other forms of soybeans, canola, walnut and flax seed and their oils. Some people complain that fish is lacking in flavor, but this can easily be remedied by applying some seafood dry rub before cooking.
Doctors also recommend that those without Coronary Heart Disease and high cholesterol eat a variety of fatty fish at least twice a week. This diet also should include oils and foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed, canola and soybean oils.) Patients suffering from CHD should consume about 1 gram of EPA + DHA per day, preferably from fatty fish. Patients who need to lower triglycerides should ingest 2 to 4 grams of EPA + DHA provided as capsules under a physician’s care. Patients taking more than 3 grams of omega fatty acids from capsules should do so only under a physician’s care. High intakes can cause excessive bleeding in some patients.
How often do you eat fish? How often do you eat red meat?
I went to my friend’s barbeque this last weekend for the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Next week I will be hosting the championship games at my house, and Mike set the bar pretty high, preparing a lamb dish that everyone thought was succulent. So now I’m left without a dish to set my barbeque apart.
I was planning on making lamb as well, but now that I’ve seen someone else cook lamb, I think that I will have to go back to basics. I am going to cook a barbeque pork ribs recipe and it will be awesome. I have a great recipe and the advantage will be that this isn’t the first time that I am trying it out. I have done this over and over again and now this time it will finally come out perfectly. In order to render off some of the excess fat, I slow cook them in the oven before throwing them on the grill with some barbeque dry rub.
One of the most basic culinary tasks is cooking a steak. With that being said, all steaks are not created equal. This recipe will let you get a perfect sear on the steak—which will lock in the juices—then finish it slow in the oven so that it melts in your mouth. 
Ingredients
~ 1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 inch thick
~ Canola oil to coat
~ Organic meat rub
Directions
Place a 10 to 12-inch cast iron in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steaks to room temperature.
When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak with canola oil and season both sides with the organic meat rub. Immediately place rib eye steaks in the middle of the hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook another 2 minutes. Cook longer for temperatures beyond medium rare.
Remove steaks from pan, cover loosely with foil and rest for two minutes. Serve whole or sliced thin and fanned onto a plate.
Picture Pork On Your Holiday Table
After so many years of having ham at Easter and turkey for Thanksgiving, it’s about time Americans feast on something else during the holidays. A roast pork loin, for example, is a non-traditional yet familiar enough not to scare no-nonsense diners from the table. And, if you’re not willing to change up the Easter or Thanksgiving entrees try fixing your family a pork loin roast recipe for Christmas or New Year’s dinner. Here’s an easy recipe for pork loin roast with orange glaze:
Ingredients
~4 oz thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
~2 Tbsp melted butter
~2 Tbsp steak sauce
~1 pork loin roast (4 to 5 pounds)
Preparation
Apply a liberal amount of the pork rub to the outside of the meat. Blend the first three ingredients and brush over pork; bake at 350-degrees F for 2 ½ hours or until pork is fully cooked. Baste again ten minutes before serving. Serves 4 to 6 people.
Store bought seasoning mixes are a quick and easy way to maximize the flavor in virtually any dish. These combinations eliminate the need to buy dozens of different spices and are sure to mesh perfectly with their specified meal. Although there are some great advantages to these handy shortcuts, be sure to read the packaging before you make you purchase.
Many seasoning blends contain high levels of salt, which can cause a problem with some dishes. Make sure that you buy low or no salt seasonings so that you can control the amount of sodium in your dish. This is especially important with naturally salty foods, like many types of seafood and pork.
While many seasoning mixes for white meats are relatively interchangeable, such as chicken or pork, red meat has a completely different flavor profile. Red meats, such as steak, have a deeper, richer flavor, which necessitates a stronger tasting rub. While lemon and paprika are great for white meat, you need something stronger for your steaks.
Traditionally, steaks are seasoned with a combination of pungent ingredients, including onion, garlic and rosemary. If you are looking for a changeup from the conventional steak, try a specialized steak rub. While you may not associate Hawaii with steak, there are in fact several prominent ranches and a plethora of exotic seasonings from the Islands that meld perfectly with red meat.
The most important aspect of grilling great food is applying the right mix of seasonings. Whether you’re doing chicken, steak or ribs, the seasoning permeates the meat and is the first thing that hits your taste buds. Many store-bought brands are filled with salt and cheap imitation products, so it is important to know what to look for.
The next time you purchase seasoning, consider going for an organic seasoning blend. These products usually are of higher quality and generally contain less salt than typical store brands. Although they are generally marketed for specific meats, most white meat seasoning blends will be ok to interchange, and the same goes for red meat ones as well.
Every year my family takes a vacation to Hawaii around Christmas time. We love it because Hawaii offers all of the amenities of a tropical paradise and we never even have to use our passports. Although the beaches and sightseeing are great, our favorite part of the vacation is enjoying the island cuisine.
You will never have fresher Mahi Mahi than you will in Hawaii. Our favorite spot to go is a tiny restaurant on the Kona Coast of the Big Island. They catch the fish right outside the restaurant and coat it with macadamia nuts and their authentic Hawaiian seasoning. My dad jokes that it is worth the trip just to eat there one night.