Salmon, Cucumber, Dill Salad - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

Today's Recipe
If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
Salmon, especially Chinook (king) salmon, is a great way to add more of those hard-to-find omega-3 fatty acids to your Healthiest Way of Eating. Enjoy!
Salmon, Cucumber, Dill Salad
Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

• 11/2 lbs salmon filet, cut into 4 pieces, skin and bones removed
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 TBS honey
• 1 large cucumber, peeled (if not organic), cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out, diced in ½ inch cubes
• 1 large ripe fresh tomato, diced
• 1 medium ripe, but firm avocado, diced in 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 TBS chopped fresh chives (or 2/3 tsp dried chives)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
• 11/2 TBS chopped fresh dill (or 11/2 tsp dried dill weed)
• 1 + 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Press garlic and let sit for 5 minutest to bring out its health-promoting properties.
2. Preheat broiler on high and place an all stainless steel skillet (be sure the handle is also stainless steel) or cast iron pan under the heat for about 10 minutes to get it very hot. The pan should be 5 to 7 inches from the heat source.
3. Rub salmon with 1 TBS fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4. While pan is heating, mix together cucumber, tomato, avocado, chives, garlic, and dill in a bowl and set aside.
5. Whisk together 2 TBS lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Toss with cucumber mix when ready to serve.
6. Place salmon on hot pan and cook for about 7 minutes, depending upon thickness. Combine honey and mustard and coat salmon during last 2 minutes of cooking.
7. Divide cucumber mixture between 4 plates and serve with salmon.

Serves 4 Printer Friendly Version of Salmon, Cucumber, Dill Salad
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Salmon, Cucumber, Dill Salad
Healthy Food Tip

What foods contain polysaccharides, and how do they impact our health?

Polysaccharides are the largest of the carbs, and typically contain hundreds of monosaccharides connected together in various ways. One common way of connecting large numbers of monosaccharides together is in the form of starch. They are polysaccharides in which the simple sugars have all been connected together in a similar type of way. There are also large groups of "non-starch" carbohydrates. These "non-starch" polysaccharides include cellulose and the "hemicelluloses" (pectins, gums, xylans, and mucilages).
Both types of polysaccharides-starch and non-starch-have important roles to play in our health. The starches serve primarily as an intermediate form of energy. Since they are large molecules of linked simple sugars, they take time to break down and absorb. That makes them a little easier on our blood sugar levels while still providing for some quickly accessible energy. Starches from food can also be stored in our muscles and liver as energy reserves.
One category of starches-called resistant starches-has become a topic of special interest in nutrition. These starches are called "resistant" because they resist breakdown in the digestive tract and often survive passage all the way to the large intestine. Once they arrive at that destination, they are often converted by large intestine bacteria into other molecules (like short chain fats) that can be used by the cells of the large intestine for energy and other purposes.
The non-starch polysaccharides have an equally important role to play in our health. While scientists do not yet understand the role of these non-starch polysaccharides to the same extent as their fellow starches, it is clear that they play important roles in our immune function, our digestive function, and our detoxification system.
Many of the World's Healthiest Foods contain starches, resistant starches, and non-starch polysaccharides as well. You'll find some key non-starch polysaccharides in the World's Healthiest fruits, as well as in flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, potatoes, corn, and beets. Resistant starches are present in the many of the World's Healthiest grains, legumes, and vegetables. Excellent sources of starches among the World's Healthiest Foods include grains, legumes, and root vegetables.