Weekends just got more exciting!

by sarah, May 30, 2009 | Permalink

If you’re one of our loyal shoppers, you might have noticed the excitement and energy level in our store increasing over the past few weekends.  That’s because we’ve been able to score some really great deals on some of our most popular items, and pass the savings on to you with our “Weekender Sale”!  These are items from all or most departments on deep discount for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only, so if you only shop during the week, you might be missing out on something special!  Stop by the Customer Service desk Friday-Sunday and pick up our Weekender Sale flyer - your guide to great savings all over the store.

This weekend the Seafood department is featuring fresh tuna steaks for only $12.99/lb!  I cooked up this recipe this afternoon for everyone, and it was a big hit.  In case you didn’t make it in to see me today, here it is:

Mango Teriyaki Tuna Steaks

serves 4

4 6 oz. tuna steaks

1 bottle Marinade Bay Mango Teriyaki Sauce

salt and black pepper to taste

thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Arrange steaks in a dish large enough to hold them in a single layer.  Pour teriyaki sauce over steaks, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until very hot.  Remove steaks from sauce and discard remaining sauce.  Season steaks with salt and pepper to taste.  Add steaks to pan (do this in two batches if neccesary to avoid overcrowding the pan).  Cook 1-2 minutes on each side for rare, and up to 5 minutes on each side for more thoroughly cooked tuna.  Top with sliced green onions and serve.

Tuna steaks are also great on the grill!  Check out Lauren’s blog entry about “Great Grilled Seafood” for some seafood grilling tips: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/storeblogs/brighton/2009/05/20/great-grilled-seafood/.  Happy eating!

Asparagus of my Eye

by Lauren, May 28, 2009 | Permalink

I am just crazy about the New Jersey grown asparagus available in the produce department right now.  Not because I’m a Jersey girl but because the stuff is super fresh & tasty!  The firm, smooth stalks have tightly packed, purple-tinged heads.  They are great simply steamed with a little olive oil and salt.   Due to the chilly & rainy spring weather we’ve been experiencing lately, I’m craving soup.  With asparagus this good, you don’t have to do much for a great result.  I do recommend adding a potato if you want a really creamy soup without having to add cream.  I favor Vidalia onions over plain yellow onions for their extra sweetness.   Finish the dish off with a little lemon juice or lemon zest to brighten the flavor.  If you want a richer mouthfeel, go ahead and stir in some sour cream or yogurt.  Yummy!

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil 
1/2 large Vidalia onion, sliced
3 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), woody stems snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, to taste
Sea salt and ground pepper

Heat butter or olive oil in a medium pot over medium low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add water or broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, add asparagus and simmer gently, covered, until potatoes and asparagus are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat ad set aside to let cool slightly.

Carefully transfer soup to blender in batches and purée until smooth. Return soup to pot and bring to serving temperature. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chives if desired and serve.

Great Grilled Seafood

by Lauren, May 20, 2009 | Permalink

Are you afraid to grill that pricey piece of fish you just bought for fear that you might burn it to a crisp or worse yet, it’ll fall through the grates into the fire? No need to worry! That’s what skewers were invented for. Our seafood team members have painstakingly thread plump pieces of salmon and vegetables on sticks to make your life easier. The best part of the deal is that each salmon kabob (containing a generous portion of fish for an average person and veggies to boot) costs only $3.99! It is just one of the great deals we are offering during our May Madness sale.

We also have mahi mahi fillets, swordfish steaks and other great “meaty” species that can hold their own on a hot grill.

The three keys to successfully grilling seafood are:
1. Make sure your grill grates are clean
2. Make sure your grill is super hot
3. Lightly oil your fish before grilling

If you follow this advice, you’ll be on your way to tasty and delicious meal. For more great grilling tips and recipes, pick up a copy of our “Fire Up the Grill: Field Guide to Summer Grilling” guide (the brochure with a delicious-looking cheeseburger on the cover).”

Healthy Junk Food: An oxymoron?

by Lauren, May 13, 2009 | Permalink

I heard Michael Pollan, author of “Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food”, speak last night at the local library.  While I have thoroughly enjoyed reading his work, he was 100x better in person than on the written page.  Most of what he spoke about has been published, either in his books or the NY Times; but it was so refreshing to hear it from him with light-hearted humor and personal anecdotes thrown in for effect.

There is one quote that really sticks out in  my mind.  Mr. Pollan was talking about some of the culturally-inspired dietary advice that he has collected from his fans (anyone can visit his website and submit words of wisdom that have been passed down from grandparents and great grandparents).  He shared this quote with us: “Eat all the junk food you want, provided you make it yourself.”  Have you ever tried making your own French fries (BTW, Michael Pollan admitted to loving French fries)?  If you haven’t, you should give it a shot.  You will likely end up with a huge mess in your kitchen, but the end result will be much healthier - no matter how much oil you use.  First of all, most people don’t keep big blocks of hydrogenated soy or cottonseed oil on hand (I am not even sure where to even buy such a horrid ingredient).  Secondly, the home cook is most likely to start off with oil that they haven’t already cooked with.  This is a huge contrast to restaurants which reuse fry oil over and over again - sometimes until it is dark brown and becomes sludge-like in consistency.  The point being that no matter what you cook, there is only so much “harm” you can inflict on your health compared to the dietary crimes perpetrated by low-end restaurants, fast food joints, and industrial food manufacturers. 

If everyone in this country cooked for themselves, we’d be a much healthier and happier nation.  Go ahead and cook up all the bacon, chocolate chip cookies or whatever hits the spot for you!  Just start with good wholesome ingredients (such as real butter, eggs, what have you…), put some love into the act and enjoy a relaxing meal with friends and family.

Biking in Boston

by Lauren, May 6, 2009 | Permalink

The Brighton store is a proud recipient of the City of Boston’s Bike Friendly Business Silver Award.  We’ve got a few hardcore bicycle commuting team members and hope to encourage more people to ride to work on two wheels instead of four.  So in honor of Bay State Bike Week next week, we are giving away t-shirts to team members who ride their bikes to work and offering a bicycle safety & maintenance seminar presented by Landry’s - this is open to anyone in the community.  Come in on Friday to celebrate Bike Friday with us!  Just present your bike helmet at the customer service booth for a complimentary cup of coffee and a Clif bar.