barking up the sea.

I recently got the news that I have borderline high cholesterol.

Like, if I don't change, I might have to take medication for it. Hearing the news form my doctor really upset me. I've always prided myself with being healthy. Sure, I might slack off here and there, but for the most part, I live a pretty healthy lifestyle to supplement the foods that I eat. But alas, still some bad news.

I think the thing that really bothers me the most about this whole cholesterol thing is the fact that it limits my world of cooking. I'm such a big foodie!! Now, not only am I worried about what I'm eating... I'm starting to worry about what I'm feeding my husband. I blame it all on Guam. I know, I know, that sounds ridiculous, but the fact that healthy food alternatives are so expensive and hard to come by, it probably fucked me all up. Lol, paranoid much?

So what to do? I think that the fact that I started juicing lately really helped with the results. That, and the fact that I'm in my "oh no, must get rid of poundage!!" mode and going to the gym. Who knows what my results might've been a couple of months ago?! Must make some drastic food changes so I can get to an ideal level. So while I may have to bid farewell to my beloved coconut, pineapple may be beginning to grow on me.

Pineapple is one of the major fruits I use whenever I make my juices. Every time that I cut away the bark, I always lament on the wasted flesh that's still attached to it. By happy accident, I ran into this recipe while looking for pineapple juice combinations. Awesome!

I decided to try it with some Jamaican jerk as a seasoning then topped it with a modified salsa that I make. The results were delicious. And paired with a simple spinach salad, definitely healthy in the direction that I want to go towards. Yay for damn tasty food!!

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Pineapple Bark Baked Fish
(adapted from Make the Best of Everything and Instructables)

fresh pineapple bark
2 fresh or frozen flounder or salmon filets
1 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375F.

Cut a piece of parchment paper, about 2 ft long, and fold in half. Place on baking tray so that only half of the parchment is sitting on top of the tray. Set aside.

Cut the bark off of a pineapple into the appropriate size for your fish. Lay a piece of bark or two, flesh side up, on top of the prepared baking tray. Place a filet on top of bark. Drizzle fish lightly with olive oil then sprinkle on 1/2 tsp seasoning. Top with pineapple bark and repeat steps for next filet. Fold paper, sealing edges with narrow folds.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Discard top bark and generously garnish with fresh pineapple corn salsa to serve.

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Fresh Pineapple Corn Salsa
(adapted from Delicious Shots)

1/2 ear fresh corn, husked with silks removed (or 1/2 can vacuum-packed super sweet corn)
1/4 cup fresh pineapple, finely chopped
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped cilantro (or more, to taste)
1 to 2 sprigs italian parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Heat grill to high and grill the corn until charred on all sides. When ready, remove the kernels with a sharp knife. (If using canned corn, skip the grilling part.) In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and season accordingly to taste. Cover and refrigerate for thirty or so minutes before serving.