Italian Noodles with Sardines and Kidney Beans

⁹ 

We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God,

In the midst of Your temple.

¹⁰ As is Your name, O God,

So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;

Your right hand is full of righteousness.

¹¹ Let Mount Zion be glad,

Let the daughters of Judah rejoice

Because of Your judgments.

¹² Walk about Zion and go around her;

Count her towers;

¹³ Consider her ramparts;

Go through her palaces,

That you may tell it to the next generation.

¹⁴ For such is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will guide us until death. Ps 48

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked whole wheat noodles

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup stewed tomatoes

12 oz cooked sardines

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup cooked kidney beans

Directions:

1. bring the noodles,milk, and salt to a boil in a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat

2. add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low heat for ~ 10 minutes covered; stir occasionally

Asian Indian Shrimp and Vegetable Noodles

¹ In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. ³The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. Heb 1


Ingredients:


3 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1 cup fresh broccoli
1 cup baby carrots chopped
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
2 tbsp small hot peppers sliced
3 eggs scrambled separately
1 lb raw shrimp (I used frozen de-veined and tail-off)
1 lb dry whole wheat noodles
2 quarts water
2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. boil the noodles in the water and salt until al dente (~ 8-10 minutes)
2. fry the onions and garlic in the oil for ~ 5 minutes on medium heat
3. add the soy sauce and shrimp, continue frying for ~ 3 minutes, cover lid and let simmer for ~ 10 minutes
4. add the remaining ingredients, cover lid, and keep cooking for ~ 5 minutes.
5. add the shrimp and vegetables to the noodles and mix

Braised Tilapia

⁷ “My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. ⁹ Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’2 Chron 6


Ingredients:


2 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp salt


1 lb fresh tilapia

Directions:

1. fry the onions, garlic, and salt in the oil for ~ 5 minutes under medium-high heat

2. add the tilapia, cover lid, reduce heat to medium and cook for ~ 10 minutes or until the bottom of the fish is starting to sear

Comforting Potato Soup

 ⁹ “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

 ¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “O LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

 ¹⁵ Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.Ex 32

Ingredients:


2 tbsp butter
1 red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 celery sticks diced
5 baby carrots diced
5 red radishes diced
1/4 cup diced red pepper
2 tbsp fresh rosemary

1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour


3 cups milk
2 cups broth (I used chicken)


4 oz canned fish flaked (optional; I used New Brunswick Sardines)

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
3 cups diced cooked potatoes with skins


Directions:
1. fry the vegetables in the butter until tender (~ 5 minutes under medium-high heat)

2. add the flour, pepper, curry powder, and salt and continue frying for ~ 3 minutes

3. add the milk and broth and bring to a boil
4. add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring

A Cholesterol Question from Michelle!

Michelle's Question:

Hi Preethi!!!

How are you and your family??  I know that by His grace you are well.  Preethi, I have had a nutrition question, that I cannot find an answer to, and wonder if you can help.  I was sitting here praying asking God about this, and I thought of you!  So here goes:

I have always heard that fish is good to include in the diet, because of (omega 3-fatty acids whatever those are;)).  I "knew" on the other hand, that shrimp was not so good, because of it being a food that is high in cholesterol.  Yet, just a few days ago, I looked carefully at the label on some frozen tilapia fillet fish, that I was preparing and was disappointed to see that it contained about 40 mg/4oz serving.   

1) if shrimp has cholesterol and fish also does, then why is fish "good" and shrimp "bad"? 

2)I think I read that fish (esp fatty fish) in a diet can help lower  blood cholesterol, but how can this be so if it (fish) contains cholesterol?

3) So if I am trying to lower cholesterol in our diet should  eliminate fish, because of it's cholesterol content? or is some fish better than others?

Thanks to God for any knowledge that He may haven given you that you might share with us.

In Christ with you,

Michelle (please send my very warm greetings to your mother).

My Answer to Michelle: 

Dear Michelle, 

Thank you so much for your email! It is a blessing to hear from you after we have not met in so long. Here is what I would say about the cholesterol and fish/shrimp issue:

1. Cholesterol is a necessary nutrient and is the component of the central nervous system and bile acids.

2. All natural foods consumed in moderation are well-tolerated; the problem with the high-cholesterol state in people is mainly due to an excess consumption of calories, sugar, refined carbohydrates, or exorbitant amounts of meat.

3. Yes, some fish is better than others. Fish highest in omega 3 fatty acids are the best with regard to prevention of heart disease and improvement of blood lipid parameters. These fish include salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and albacore tuna. In general nutritionists ask clients to limit consumption of fish to 3 times per week to avoid potential mercury poisoning issues.

4. The problem with cholesterol/saturated fat intake with regard to heart disease is that fatty acids become oxidized. To prevent this process, eat foods containing antioxidants. These foods would be the colorful fruits and vegetables like blueberries, tomatoes, carrots, cherries, etc.

5. High cholesterol can be better treated through diet by eliminating white bread, white sugar, refined foods, eating out, excess calories etc. Eliminating fish is likely not going to help. In fact including the types of fish mentioned above would probably help greatly.

May God bless you as you seek His will to show His physical love to your family!

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. I Cor 10:17

Love in Christ,

Preethi

Mayo Clinic: Foods for Reducing Cholesterol Levels

Spicy Tamarind Catfish Curry

¹ “But now listen, O Jacob, my servant,
   Israel, whom I have chosen.
² This is what the LORD says—
   he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
   and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,
   Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
³ For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
   and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
   and my blessing on your descendants.
⁴ They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
   like poplar trees by flowing streams.
⁵ One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’;
   another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’
   and will take the name Israel.Is 44

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp salt
12 oz catfish cut into pieces (raw or thawed)

1 tbsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tomato diced
2 banana peppers diced
2 jalapeno peppers diced

Directions:
1. fry the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt in the oil until the onions are translucent (~ 5 minutes)

2. add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring

3. cover lid and let simmer for ~15 minutes under medium heat

Mediterrasian Salmon with Garlic, Ginger, Peppers, and Olives

 ⁴ “What can I do with you, Ephraim?
   What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
   like the early dew that disappears.
⁵ Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
   I killed you with the words of my mouth;
   my judgments flashed like lightning upon you.
⁶ For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
   and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6


Ingredients:


Mediterrasian Sauce:
1/4 cup water
1 banana pepper chopped
2 jalapeno peppers chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger root
1/2 cup olives
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
24 oz salmon pieces (I used frozen and thawed under hot tap water individually wrapped salmon)


Directions:
1. in the blender puree the sauce ingredients

2. spread 1/3 of sauce on the bottom of an olive oil-sprayed foil-lined tray
3. lay the salmon pieces down onto sauce in the pan with the silver side down
4. sprinkle the top of the salmon with the black pepper

5. stir the tomatoes and basil into the remaining 2/3 of the sauce and pour over salmon

6. bake uncovered for ~ 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees F or until liquid is mostly gone

Fresh Italian Vegetables and Fish Pasta

 ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
   and put their trust in the LORD.
Ps 40


Ingredients:


Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced
2 tsp salt
2 cups tomatoes diced

8 oz. uncooked whole wheat pasta
6 cups water
1 tsp salt

3 cups of diced vegetables of your choice (I used carrot, zucchini, and red peppers)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup dried cheese (I used Parmesan-Romano from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup cooked and flaked fish (I used tuna)

Directions:
1. fry the onions and salt in the oil for ~ 5 minutes under medium-high heat,; add tomatoes and continue cooking uncovered for ~10 minutes

2. boil the pasta in the water and salt al dente; drain
3. add the vegetables, basil, and fish to the pasta

4. stir in the tomatoes

5. sprinkle with cheese

Maple Lime Tilapia

 ³⁵ But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” ³⁶ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. I Corinthians 15





Ingredients:
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 red onion diced
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
juice from 1 lime
8 tilapia filets (~3 oz each; thawed if frozen)

Directions:
1. fry the onion and salt in the oil for ~ 3 minutes

2. add the soy sauce, maple syrup, and lime and bring to a boil

3. arrange tilapia on foil lined baking pan
4. pour onion sauce over tilapia and coat the fish by turning around with a spoon

5. bake for ~30 minutes at 350 degrees F

Coconut Shrimp with Persian Cucumbers

                                                                                                                                                     ⁴ John,

   To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

   Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

   To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

 ⁷ Look, he is coming with the clouds,
   and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
            So shall it be! Amen.

   ⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”Revelations 1

We have guests from Thailand coming!


Ingredients:
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 large red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp salt
1 small Persian cucumber diced (or 1/2 a regular cucumber)

1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 jalapeno peppers sliced
1 lb frozen cooked shrimp thawed

Directions:
1. fry the onions, garlic, salt, and cucumbers in the oil for ~5 minutes on medium high heat
2. add the coconut and fry for another 2 minutes

3. add the shrimp and jalapenos and bring to a boil

4. cover lid, reduce heat to medium and simmer for ~20 minutes

Baked Salmon with Walnut Crust and Red Peppers

⁴⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence.
 ⁴⁴ He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
 ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24


Ingredients:
12 oz. frozen salmon (~$10.49/24 oz)

1 small red onion diced
1 jalapeno pepper diced
3 garlic cloves diced
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup walnuts
1 large red bell pepper coarsely chopped

Directions:
1. thaw the frozen salmon by placing in water for ~20 minutes

2. while the salmon is thawing, dice the onions, pepper, and garlic and mix in the salt in a bowl

3. add these vegetables and the walnuts to the blender and blend on high until pureed (it is okay if there are still some pieces uncrushed); you may need to stop and stir the mixture with the spoon a few times to keep the mixture blending

4. chop the salmon into pieces of your desired size

5. mix together the salmon, chopped red peppers, and walnut mixture and spread on foil-lined baking pan with the silver side of the salmon down

6. bake at 350 degrees F for ~20 minutes

Good served with Jalapeno Whole Wheat Bread and Fresh Summer Greens

Mango Salsa on Salmon

Psalm 27:3,5,13-14
Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me,In this I will be confident. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; 
Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
10 oz raw fresh salmon cut into small pieces
1 tsp salt
1 mango diced
1/3 red onion minced
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice


Directions:
1. Coat a pan with olive oil
2. add the salmon pieces (grey side down), sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, cover lid, and steam under medium heat for about 7 minutes
3. combine mango, red onion, basil, salt, and lemon juice
4. spoon mango mixture onto salmon pieces in serving dish