Lucid Food_ Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life - Louisa Shafia [57]
In addition, you can help to change the marketplace by speaking up at your fish purveyor and at restaurants. Ask where your fish came from, how it was caught, or if it was raised. Go to restaurants with your list of eco-friendly fish in hand and refer to it when you read the menu. Restaurants and purveyors should be able to tell you where their fish is from so you can make thoughtful purchases.
There is always the route of political action. You might get involved with letter writing campaigns to support issues you care about, such as legislation to protect whales from deadly navy sonar, restrictions on bottom trawling near coral, or creating marine reserves. Your voice can make a big difference. Many groups have gone a long way toward achieving safe fishing goals in the United States and internationally, including the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Greenpeace. If you don’t know where to start, check out any of their websites and decide which issues to put your energy into.
NEW EATING HABITS
Another way to help protect healthy oceans and fish populations is to eat less fish. Try consuming fish less frequently, perhaps only once a week. Here are a few delicious ideas for helping you cut back on fish.
• When you’re craving fish, try substituting another protein such as tofu, tempeh, beans, eggs, or pasture-raised poultry in its place.
• If it’s the briny taste of seafood that you’re after, sea vegetables have a similar flavor and can be surprisingly hearty. Paired with crème fraîche and chives, minced hijiki seasoned with vinegar and shoyu makes a tasty stand-in for caviar. Wakame, arame, and dulse give a rich texture to sea vegetable gumbo. Toasted nori is as crisp and light as the bonito flakes that accompany many Japanese dishes, giving a savory exclamation point to salads and starches, with a dramatic black color that makes a striking garnish. Coarsely mashed chickpeas with lemon juice, scallions, and mayonnaise, sprinkled with a few nori flakes, makes a delicious sandwich filling with a texture similar to tuna that you can really sink your teeth into.
• Try making fish merely an element of the dish you’re serving, as opposed to a hunk of protein that takes the starring role on the plate. For example, prepare broiled mackerel tossed with escarole and pasta; grilled sardines with artichokes on pizza; or a rich anchovy dressing served on a Caesar or puntarelle salad. If you’re craving a tuna sandwich, make the amount in the can go twice as far by loading up the sandwich filling with shaved celery, carrots, scallions, and herbs. Along the same lines, make a spread using smoked fish and purée it with mustard, mayo, and dill to serve on bread, crackers, or sliced vegetables, as in the recipe for Smoked Farmed Trout Purée with Cherry Tomatoes.
With the growing transparency of fish origins and fishing practices, making responsible seafood choices is easy. Use the ideas above and the many resources available online to make simple adjustments to your diet.
Clockwise from top: Blueberry Chocolate Decadence Smoothie; Lemonade with Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena; and Watermelon, Apple, and Lime Shake
Blueberry Chocolate Decadence Smoothie
This drink is heavenly in the summer, when fresh blueberries are abundant. The bright flavor of blueberries and the earthy taste of chocolate perfectly complement each other, and both are chock-full of antioxidants. Make this recipe with any kind of milk (my favorite is almond milk—see how to make your own in the recipe for Nutty Banana Shake).
Makes approximately 4 cups
2 cups fresh blueberries, stemmed, plus more for garnish
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