Zone Meals in Seconds: In Memory of Rachel Albert-Matesz

I thought this article would be easy featuring a recipe from Lynn Sears’ book, “Zone Meals in Seconds.” Make the recipe, take a few pictures and I was done. The article was more difficult than I thought. Rachel Albert-Matesz provided most of the lunch and dinner recipes for “Zone Meals in Seconds.” She had a talent for constructing delicious recipes, i.e., Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad, Cider-simmered Salmon with Onion Relish and Broccoli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and many more.

It had been more than 10 years since we spoke so I thought I’d Google her to see what she had been up to. There was her website link: The Healthy Cooking Coach. I clicked and read “Huge Treat in Phoenix, AZ - Join Us for Rachel's Celebration of Life.’´ I was stunned. She had died at the age of 50, from cancer. My first thought was how could that be? She was the healthy cooking coach, a natural foods’ chef, and a freelance food and health writer.

Then I realized that one’s diet is important; however, there are many aspects to illness that we must consider, i.e., emotions, beliefs, genetics, environmental, spiritual, mental, psychic, psychological, physical aspects and more.

My second thought was a poem by Linda Ellis called the DASH.

The Dash
by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

Read "The Dash" by Linda Ellis by Clicking Here>>

In honor of Chef Rachel here is one of her recipes. Enjoy.

Salmon with Mustard and Tarragon and White Beans with Capers and Greens
Yield: 4 (4-block) meals

Ingredients

White-Bean Salad
2 cups       cooked, drained white beans
2 cups       red cherry tomatoes, halved
1                  yellow pepper, seeded finely chopped
¾ cup        minced red or white (Vidalia) onion
¼ cup        fresh parsley leaves – minced
¼ cup        fresh basil leaves – minced
¼ cup        capers, drained
1/3 cup     lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste

Salmon
1 ½ lbs.      salmon fillets (center cut) portioned into 4 pieces
2 ½ Tbls.   lemon juice
2 tsp.          dijon mustard
2 tsp.          dried tarragon
5 cups        baby arugula or assorted salad greens

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the white bean salad ingredients and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil. Rinse salmon, pat dry and place on baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, mustard and tarragon and spread over the salmon. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until firm to the touch or fish begins to flake when pressed.
4. Divide the greens among 4 large salad plates; top with white-bean salad. Arrange the salmon next to the salad and serve.

Variation
Substitute canned wild salmon for the salmon fillets. Toss with white-bean salad before serving.