Gearing Up For Seafood Fridays

As we enter the Lenten season, millions of people will be looking for great seafood recipes as their alternative to meat. Not knowing where to look, many will opt for basic dishes that might not satisfy their craving for a bona fide good meal. With a little creativity and help from shelf-stable seafood, the Lenten season can be filled with a variety of palate-pleasing alternatives.

"People often do not know what to cook during Lent, so they turn to 'tried-and-true' favorites such as veggie sandwiches, pastas and salads," said Culinary Expert Lena Cutler.

"Shelf-stable seafood is very affordable and easy to substitute in your favorite meat-based dishes," said Cutler.

"Canned and pouched seafood are available in many varieties, including tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp, clams and oysters," said Cutler. "You can use tuna or salmon instead of beef for burgers, tacos, stir-fry and more."

Shelf-stable seafood also has many health benefits.

"In addition to being conve-nient, shelf-stable seafood is low in fat and calories," said Registered Dietician Sharon McNerney. "Albacore tuna and salmon are major sources of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids."

The American Heart Association's dietary guidelines recommend eating at least two servings of fish per week, because omega-3 has been proven to help reduce the chance of getting heart disease.

Here's a delightful stir-fry to get your creative cooking juices flowing:

Teriyaki Cashew Tuna

Ingredients:

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce or stir-fry sauce

2 (6-oz.) cans drained Chicken of the Seaฎ Solid White Albacore Tuna in Spring Water

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1/2 cup green onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup each: sliced celery and sliced red bell peppers

1 (10-oz.) package of frozen pea pods, thawed

1 (6-oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup cashews

Hot cooked rice

Directions:

In medium bowl, gently combine the sauce with Chicken of the Seaฎ Albacore Tuna; set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil until hot; saut้ garlic. Add onion, celery, peppers, pea pods, cashews and water chestnuts; cook until celery is crisp and tender. Add tuna mixture and continue cooking until hot. Serve over hot cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Great Health Benefits Of Seafood

Seafood contains essential oils that are an important part of your diet. Oils provide the source of energy we need and they are also great flavor enhancers. More importantly, they are a source of significant fatty acids.

Seafood oils are unique and have great nutritional benefits to our body. This oil contains the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Our body only produces small amounts of these important fatty acids; therefore we need to rely on other sources for this essential nourishment. Seafood is one of the best sources of these nutrients. In fact, oils are the second biggest components in most seafood.

Eating seafood just once or twice a week can provide good health benefits. Eating fresh seafood is a great way to obtain your required dose of these essential oils. Oils extracted from seafood are also available as nutritional supplements.

Oils derived from seafood help prevent some of the most deadly diseases today, including Alzheimer's disease, asthma, arteriosclerosis, bipolar disorder, bronchitis, cancer, heart diseases and more.

The omega-3 oils decrease the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis. They are also beneficial to infants' brain and eye development.

The oils in seafood can also prevent osteoporosis. This is because the oils improve calcium absorption in our bones and can prevent the bones from becoming brittle.

According to recent findings, Omega-3 also helps improve people's immune functions, thereby reducing infections.

Seafood oils are known to have properties that lower blood pressure, benefiting especially those suffering from hypertension.

Another kind of oil found in seafood is the omega-6 fatty acid. This is important for growth and plays an important role in people's health and well-being.

Eating a seafood diet can also help you reduce weight. For years, seafood has been part of many weight loss programs. This is because, unlike diet pills, seafood is natural and has beneficial properties to people.

However, fish can rot quickly. Therefore, you should cook it the day you buy it. Here are some tips for preparing seafood:

* If you do not plan to cook the fresh seafood the day you buy it, you should store it for no longer than two days at very cold temperatures.

* If you are going to thaw the fish, keep it in the refrigerator or thaw it under cold water. Do not leave it to thaw on your kitchen counter. This is because the nutritional value of the seafood may diminish.

* You can prepare many delicious seafood dishes from great seafood recipes. You can fry or grill seafood. You can combine it with fruits and vegetables to make it even more delicious. You can marinate it and further enhance its flavor and get rid of its unique smell.

* Some people do not want to eat seafood for fear of choking on the tiny bones. In this case you can request the fish store to help you remove these fish bones.

Remember that seafood is not only delicious; it can also provide wonderful benefits to your health.