Causecast

A few weeks ago Causecast was given the grand opportunity to work with a local Southern California non-profit, Seafood for the Future. The program is one-of-a-kind and these guys are cooking up a storm around the L.A. area.

Seafood for the Future aims to raise awareness about sustainability by providing consumers with the tools and information to make educated decisions. With the way our food systems are today it may seem like we need a private investigator to analyze the junk in our supermarkets just to find out where in the world the product was produced, how it was produced, and so on. Well, the guys at Seafood For The Future understand how difficult it is to get the 4-1-1 on every meal so they are working hard with local restaurants to get that information for you. Each of the restaurants that they partner with offer sustainability certified meals on their menus- taking care of all that painstaking research so the consumer doesn’t have to. Not only do you, as a consumer, know that you are choosing wisely when you see their logo, you are also rewarded by doing so! Besides the obvious reward of saving the environment- one meal at a time, you are also awarded complimentary tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Sounds like a win-win to me!

They also work closely with consumers by offering cooking classes to prove that sustainability can taste a whole lot better than a burger- with the sweet aftertaste of reducing your impact on the environment.

Lucky for us here at Causecast, Andrew Gruel and Dave Anderson of Seafood of the Future came to our office to showcase some of their enticing sustainable meals. Our video team set up their gear and we hosted our own Causecast cooking special to focus on the issues of sustainability, overfishing, and the overall environmental and health impact inflicted by our diets. That’s right, we’ll have a video up soon showing off the eco-magic created by our friends Andrew and Dave!

Mmmmm… getting hungry? Don’t you wish you could enjoy a meal like this for dinner?? Well, luckily for you, I’m in a rather giving mood so…

Here it is: the long-awaited, highly anticipated recipes from Seafood For The Future!

Pickled Cucumbers

This recipe will work for any vegetable, however, depending on the size of the vegetable, it might take longer for the pickling flavor to permeate.

Ingredients:

3 large cucumbers

Pickling solution:
1 qt red wine vinegar (any flavored vinegar will work so be creative)
2 cups organic sugar
2 tble fennel seed
4 springs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tble black peppercorn whole
1 jalapeno chopped
4 cloves of garlic
2 tble salt
1 tble soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the pickling solution in a sauce pot and bring to a boil on the stove. While you are waiting for the mixture to boil, slice the cucumbers into 1 inch thick slices and place in a bowl.
2. When the mixture has come to a boil, pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers in a bowl and place in the refrigerator. Refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to two weeks.

Farm Fresh Apples with Brie and Prosciutto

This recipe is so simple to prepare and it is downright delicious. The key is to use granny smith apple because their tartness really refreshes the palette from that salty prosciutto.

Ingredients:

2 granny smith apples
1 wedge of fresh brie (preferably il de france brie)
1 package of pre-sliced prosciutto
crushed walnuts optional garnish

Instructions:

1. All you need to do to prepare this is take a small strip of the prosciutto and lay it down on the cutting board roughly 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. You should get about 4-5 per slice of prosciutto. Slice thin wedges of the apple and brie and set them aside in a bowl. Bundle one piece of apple with a slice of brie and wrap the package with the prosciutto. Line the finished bites on a platter and garnish with crushed walnuts.

Eggplant Roulade w/ Fresh Tomato Jam

Serves 4
Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
1 package of boursin cheese
1 egg
½ cup whipped cream cheese
1 tble fresh thyme chopped

Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
1 clove garlic minced
4 basil leaves
1 12 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 ripe local tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

2 red peppers sliced
½ cup wine
1 tble sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan for topping is optional

Instructions:

1. For the Sauce: Start the sauce at the beginning of the recipe as it will take about 25 minutes to finish. In a medium sized sauce pot add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat, add the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for a remaining 30 seconds. Add the remaining products including the whole basil leaves and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
2. For the eggplant, slice the tops and bottoms of the eggplant so that it can stand up straight on a cutting board. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 8 slices (about ¼ inch each). Wrap the bundle of 8 slices in a paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes.
3. While the eggplant is in the microwave mix the egg with the boursin, cream cheese, and thyme, set aside.
4. When the eggplant s cool enough to handle, place a single piece on a cutting board laying away from you. Fill the bottom [portion of the eggplant with some of the cheese mixture (as if you are filling a burrito) and roll into a package. Place the finished eggplant product into an oven proof dish and complete the process with the remaining eggplant.
5. At this point, season the sauce with salt and pepper and ladle over the eggplant. Top the dish with parmesan (optional) and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
6. While the eggplant is baking, head a sauté pan over medium high heat and sauce the red peppers for 4 minutes in olive oil. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce until it is almost dry. Add the sugar, salt and pepper and top the eggplant with the peppers right when it is removed from the oven.

Lightly Roasted Trout with Fennel-Onion Marmalade

Trout is an under-appreciated species of fish that is not just delicious and mild, but very sustainable as well. All trout for sale at retail stores is farmed in the US. The means by which they farm the fish has no detrimental effects on the environment and uses an all natural feed. This recipe indicates to cook the trout with the skin on. Even if you are not a fan of the skin it can easily be removed after the cooking process, however, during the cooking it lends both flavor and structure to the fillet.

Serves 4
Preheat oven to 350 F

Ingredients

4 whole trout fillets skin on
1 tble extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
salt to taste

For the fennel marmalade:
1 tble olive oil
1 head fennel sliced
1 white onion sliced
½ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tble sugar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Start with the marmalade first as will take about 25 minutes to complete. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. When the oil is hot add the onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the fennel and reduce the heat to medium low and sauté for another 15 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and thyme and reduce until almost dry. Set-aside until ready to serve.
2. For the trout, rub the fillets down with oil, salt and paprika. Place in a 350 F oven and gently roast for 12 minutes. Top each fillet with a dollop of the marmalade.

Pan Roasted Halibut with a Fresh Vegetable Relish

This recipe can be made with any fresh vegetable; the key is to cook the more delicate vegetables later in the sautéing process. For example add your carrots first and finish with the lighter more delicate summer squash or zucchini.

Serves 4
Preheat oven to 350 F

Ingredients:

4 halibut fillets 6 oz each
1 tble cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the Relish

1 tble shallot minced
1 garlic clove minced
1 carrot large dice
1 zucchini large dice
¼ fennel bulb large dice
1 red pepper large dice
1 green pepper large dice
¼ cup red wine
½ cup tomato juice
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. For the Halibut, heat the oil in a pan until it is barely smoking. Be sure the halibut is dry, otherwise the moisture will cause the oil to flame up. Add the halibut to the pan and allow to cook untouched for 3 minutes. Remove the halibut form the pan after only 1 side is cooked and place cooked side up on a sheet pan. Drizzle about ½ cup of water in the baking pan in order to create a slightly moist atmosphere for the halibut to cook inside in the oven. Place in a 350 oven and cook for 12 minutes.
2. While the halibut is cooking, heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat an cook the shallots for 1 minute or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the carrot and fennel, sauté for 4 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté for another 3 minutes. Deglaze the relish with the red wine and the tomato juice and reduce the mixture down by 50%. Season the sauce with parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Remove the halibut from the oven and place on the center of a plate. Top the fish with the hot vegetable relish and serve immediately.

Market Beets with Wild Arugula

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 large beets
1 container of wild arugula or 2 bunches from the farmer’s market
5 potatoes sliced – any variety
3 tble champagne or balsamic vinegar
1 tble Dijon mustard
9 tble extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon sliced in half
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cover the beets in saucepan with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes and add the sliced potatoes to the same pot. Cook until the beets are fork tender (meaning there is no resistance when a fork is inserted into the beet) and the potatoes are finished. Remove the beets and potatoes from the pot and place in the cooler or freezer to immediately cool down.
2. While the potatoes and the beets are cooling combine the vinegar, mustard and the oil in a bowl and whisk together until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Remove the beets from the cooler and gently peel the skin off with your bare hands or with a towel (the skin will slip right off). Slice the beets and toss with all the ingredients including the dressing. Drizzle the salad with fresh squeezed lemon juice at the end. Be sure to season the salad with salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Fresh Vegetables

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pint of pomegranate seeds (Culver City or Santa Monica farmer’s market)
1 yellow squash sliced paper-thin
1 green zucchini sliced paper-thin
1 butternut squash- peeled and diced large
2 red onions sliced
2 cups baby spinach sliced
3 cups of fresh salad mix

Dressing
Juice of 2 oranges fresh squeezed
4 tble olive oil
1 tble honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and fresh cracked pepper

Tomato Garnish
4 heirloom tomatoes
1 tble grated Parmesan
2 tble extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste.

1. For the quinoa, add all the ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Once a boil is reached place a lid on the pot and turn the heat down as low as possible. Cook the quinoa for another 25 minutes and remove from the heat. Allow the quinoa to steam covered for 10 minutes before you remove the lid.
2. While the quinoa is cooking toss the butternut squash and the onions with a touch of oil and roast for 15 minutes or until tender. Cool immediately.
3. For the dressing whisk all the ingredients together an set aside
4. For the tomato garnish, after the squash-onion mix is finished roasted, remove and place in a bowl to be tossed with the salad warm (if you would like it to be completely cold place the ingredients in the refrigerator). On the same baking sheet that the squash was cooked on line the tomatoes and drizzle with the olive oil, cheese, sugar, salt and pepper. Roasted for 5 minutes at 350 F.
5. To finish toss all the ingredients with the salad mix and serve warm.

Enjoy!