Cooking fresh fish couldn't be easier

Fresh wild-salmon took only 8 minutes to cook through in bottled green salsa.

The salsa moistened organic brown rice, which we made in an electric cooker.

The price of fresh wild sockeye salmon has eased by $1 to $9.99 a pound at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, where we picked up a 1.49-pound skin-on fillet for dinner on Friday.

My wife prepared the organic brown rice in an electric cooker, and I didn't start the fish until it was ready.

First, I sprinkled the salmon portions with a little salt and a lot of Aleppo red pepper. 

Then, I emptied a bottle of La Costena Mexican Salsa Verde from Hackensack Market into a large non-stick pan, covered it and brought the sauce to a boil.

I removed the cover, put in the salmon portions and covered the pan. I uncovered the pan twice more -- to poke the fish and determine whether it had cooked through by how firm it was.

It took only 8 minutes.

I spooned salmon and sauce over brown rice, garnished them with fresh chopped mint and oregano, had a second piece of fish, and followed with a lettuce salad from the garden.

The fish was hot, juicy and delicious, and the sauce had a nice kick to it.

Goya bottles the same sauce, which can be used to cook any fresh or frozen fish fillet or chicken pieces.  Bottles of salsa verde also can be found at ShopRite.

How sweet it is

These California peaches give off an intoxicating fragrance.

I added a cut-up peach to Trader Joe's Raisin Bran and milk.

A lunch of Jersey blueberries, Champagne mango, apple and sliced cheese.

Also at Costco, my wife picked up a 6-pound box of ripe, fragrant Magenta Queen Peaches from California for $9.99 or about $1.67 a pound.

I sliced one and ate it beside a Georgia peach I bought for $1.99 a pound at Whole Foods Market in Paramus, and the California fruit was far sweeter and juicier.

Crossing borders 

Wild salmon with tomatoes and capers, and cabbage and saltfish.

A smoked wild-salmon omelet with guacamole and Italian olives.

An open-face omelet with stewed tofu, guacamole and radish kimchi.

What was so special about fatty bacon and eggs, the American breakfast that launched the day for decades and likely was responsible for more disease than any single meal?

For the most important meal of the day, fish, tofu and food drawn from other cultures make for a far healthier start.

One fish is good, but two are better -- as in fresh wild sockeye salmon paired with salted pollock in a Jamaica dish, cabbage and saltfish.

Instead of bread, add boiled Korean yam and green banana.

Stewed tofu from H Mart tastes great hot or cold, and goes well with eggs sunny side up or an open-face, egg-white omelet with smoked wild salmon.

Guacamole from Costco, mixed with bottled salsa; Italian olives from Jerry's Gourmet in Englewood, and radish kimchi make terrific breakfast side dishes.