Here's some food for thought:
Neuriva has partnered with celebrity chef, Alton Brown, to inspire consumers to prioritize brain health through a holistic routine, including nutrition.Based on the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, Alton lent his expertise to curate this brain-boosting recipe, with knowledge from Brain Health Expert and RDN Melissa Halas, starring ingredients that help maintain brain health such as kale, quinoa, nuts and salmon.
Prep to Serve Time: 1.5 hours
Serves 4
What To Buy
- 1 bunch lacinato or “dinosaur” kale, stems removed and cut into ribbons (about 4 ounces, stemmed)
- 1 bunch at leaf parsley, stems removed and roughly chopped (1.5 ounces)
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (If you don’t get 2 tablespoons of juice, add enough water to get to that amount.)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
- 4 ounces rm feta cheese, divided
- 1 cup (3.5 ounces) walnuts, toasted and lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups cooked white quinoa
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- Freshly ground black pepper
What To Buy (If adding salmon)
- Two 1-inch thick, skin-on salmon lets (around 5 ounces each)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
Preparation
- Toss kale, parsley, and shallots together in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Puree the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, garlic, yogurt, 2 ounces of the feta, a third of the walnuts, and the salt in a food processor.
- Pour the dressing over the greens, then fold in the quinoa, along with the rest of the walnuts, the cherries, and the remaining feta.
- Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before serving with several grinds of black pepper
Preparation (If adding salmon)
- Wrap the filets completely in paper towels while you heat a large cast iron skillet (a heavy stainless steel pan will do in a pinch but I’d avoid non-stick for this), over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
- When the skillet is hot, season the filets with the salt. Add the oil to the skillet and carefully tilt to evenly cover the bottom. When the oil shimmers, slide the filets in, skin-side down, pressing each filet firmly down with a flexible spatula or fish turner to ensure contact.
- Reduce the pan heat to medium low and cook for 3 minutes, then cover the skillet and cook another 2 minutes.
- Carefully flip the filets, replace the cover and cook for another minute, or until done to your liking (I like mine at an internal temp of 130F°)*.
To serve, slice each filet in half, place atop the kale & quinoa and enjoy.
*The United States Department of Agriculture recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145° Fahrenheit