Author: Content Specialist (Page 9)

Fresh seafood like Alaskan sockeye salmon is one of the best parts about living in the Pacific Northwest. Summer is the sockeye salmon season in Alaska, and it’s easy and delicious to reap the benefits of cooking the seafood. Fresh, high quality ingredients are the bread and butter of a cooked salmon meal —And Tacoma Boys has all the fresh produce and ingredients to get you there.

Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

Compared to other types of salmon, fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon is a nice dark pink. It’s sometimes smaller and may have a more intense fish flavor. Salmon filets are commonly prepared with garlic, butter, lemon, and herbs like dill and chives. Salmon is known as a healthy fish because it’s rich in protein and nutrients: Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12, D, and iron. Alaskan sockeye salmon is a great main entree because it’s naturally an excellent source of protein. It’s versatile to prepare and cook and well liked by many seafood lovers. 

The Pacific Northwest specifically is a great place to eat salmon because it is fresh and commonly prepared around the area. People will eat salmon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s often enjoyed with other light and subtly flavored sides like Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice and sauteed vegetables. Or, try the salmon marinated in Stonewall Kitchen Honey Orange Balsamic Dressing and served on salad.

In addition to fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, you can also find canned Henry & Lisa’s Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon at Tacoma Boys. Canned salmon is a great option for camping, quick snacking, and last-minute meals.

Fresh Seafood at Tacoma Boys

Fresh seafood is easy to prepare and delicious to enjoy. There are several ways to enjoy seafood with basic ingredients and fun recipes. Fresh seafood is always available at Tacoma Boys in addition to fresh produce and everything else you need for a seafood dinner. Summer is a good time to enjoy seafood because there is a wide variety available throughout the season. In addition to fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, Tacoma Boys offers a rotating selection of fresh seafood, including:

• Fresh wild red rock snapper filets: These rock snapper filets can be baked, pan-fried, grilled, poached, etc. Season and cook them similar to salmon.
• Wild royal red prawns: Prawns are easy and quick to cook in several methods and recipes.
• Wild ahi tuna medallions: Tuna can be pan-seared or grilled. Season or marinate it however you like!  
• Beer battered cod fillets: Prepared cod fillets make fish and chips or tropical fish tacos a deliciously quick dinner plan.

Check out our weekly specials to stay updated with deals and specials on fresh seafood at Tacoma Boys.

Salmon Recipes

The best thing about cooking salmon recipes is how simple and delicious it is to prepare. All you need is a few fresh, quality ingredients to get started. Some salmon recipes may require marinating the fish or using fresh citrus and herbs for a light and bright flavor. You can also use sauces or make your own to add even more flavor. If you’ve never cooked salmon before, don’t hesitate! It’s actually quite easy and often quick to prepare and cook salmon. All the different methods to cook salmon may seem intimidating, but they are all good for different reasons. 

1. Baked

Baked salmon is easy and convenient, but may take a bit longer than other methods. It’s a good method when using marinades and sauces. Try a mixture of sour cream, garlic, dill, chives, and lemon for a refreshing sauce!

2. Broiled

Similar to baking salmon, you can broil it for a quicker and crispier result. But keep an eye on it! Broiling can easily lead to burning. Simply prepare the salmon with your oil and seasonings and pop it under the broiler for 15-20 minutes.

3. Pan-fried

One of the more common ways to prepare salmon is by pan-frying the fish. You can use lots of salty, buttery, lemony ingredients alongside the salmon filets. Or, make a sauce to go over top. This recipe for a creamy feta garlic sauce by Half Baked Harvest sounds perfect for salmon! 

4. Grilled

Sockeye salmon is a great fish for grilling! Hot and fast, grilled salmon is popular because of the buttery, smoky flavors. Tacoma Boy’s recipe for Citrus Herb Grilled Salmon is one simple and delicious way to cook salmon.

5. Poached

Low and slow, salmon can be poached in water or a flavorful sauce. Try this recipe for curry poached salmon featuring coconut milk, curry paste, and fresh garlic and ginger.

Shopping for Salmon

There’s no right way to enjoy your wild Alaskan sockeye salmon — It’s all about eating what you prefer, prepared simply with quality ingredients. Tacoma Boys looks forward to helping you prepare your delicious salmon dinner with fresh produce and specialty food products, too! To stay up to date on insider deals and specials, sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list!

Natural sweeteners are a common alternative to refined sugar, like white sugar. These are simply food products that are sweetened naturally when it is harvested and undergoes very minimal processing. Several can compare to white cane sugar nicely because they evoke a similar sweetness. Many people choose to opt for natural sweeteners because consuming too much added sugar can lead to increased blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, and more, according to Harvard Heart Health.

Natural Sweeteners

You might be familiar with some natural sweeteners, like stevia, honey, and maple syrup. But have you ever used date syrup, coconut sugar, or monk fruit? Natural sweeteners are an easy way to sweeten a dish without the use of white granulated cane sugar. 

Most people are generally aware of the downsides of using regular sugar. Added sugars like liquid sweeteners, corn syrups and sugar syrups are likely to raise blood sugar and lead to conditions like diabetes and heart disease. That’s why natural sweeteners are a helpful alternative. For more information on how refined sugar impacts your body and health, check out this page by Science Direct explaining the science of it all.

Some sweeteners may appear to be natural, like maple syrup and honey. But they are sometimes modified with additions like corn syrup, which is refined sugar. Next time, be sure to read labels carefully and look out for ingredients that you’d rather avoid.

Pure Maple Syrup 

Pure maple syrup is a go-to natural sweetener in many kitchens. That’s because it’s easily accessible, affordable, and familiar to many people. Just be sure to read the ingredients to ensure it’s pure maple syrup without any additions like corn syrup. In addition to a few other varieties, try one of these pure maple syrups at Tacoma Boys:

• Field Day Organic Maple Syrup
• Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup
• Stonewall Kitchen Maine Maple Syrup
• Natural Value Organic Maple Syrup

Honey

Believe it or not, all honeys are not created equally! Like maple syrup, some cheap honeys may have been altered with sugar syrup or corn syrup. It’s important to read the ingredients and other labels to make sure you’re getting the right honey for you, like one of these at Tacoma Boys:

• GloryBee Honey
• Bandi Foods Raw Honey
• Oregon Growers Blackberry Honey
• Marie’s Honey Oxymel

Dates and Other Fruit 

Dates are a great alternative to refined sugar because they are naturally sweet with subtle flavor. Any fruit is nicely sweet and can be used as a sweetener. But dates are common because they are generally sold dried and don’t taste too strong in any way. Plus, blending dates can result in a nice, thick, caramel-like substance that is easy to use in place of sugar-loaded caramel. Try these date products and fruit at Tacoma Boys:

• Joolies Organic Date Syrup
• Date Lady Date Sugar
• Delreal Organic Coconut Date Rolls 
• Remlinger Farms Frozen Fruit (berries, apples, peaches)

Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar is often used as an alternative to white sugar. Think of it as a sweetener to coffee, replacement to brown sugar, or in baked goods. You can use it at about a 1:1 ratio to white cane sugar. You can find these coconut sugars at Tacoma Boys:

• Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Sugar
• Madhava Organic Coconut Sugar
• GloryBee Organic Coconut Sugar
• Big Tree Organic Brown Coconut Sugar

Sugar Substitutes

Other sugar substitutes can include:

• Monk fruit: Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener and Lakanto Simple Syrup. Monk fruit is a fruit native to Asia that is incredibly sweet when ripe and has no calories.
• Stevia: SweetLeaf Stevia Syrup. The well-known sugar substitute comes from the leaves of the stevia plant and is significantly sweeter than white cane sugar.
• Erythritol: Swerve Sugar Replacement. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is calorie free and measures just like sugar. 

Sugar Alternatives 

Some people are not sure how to use sugar alternatives instead of white sugar. It’s not much different sometimes. But other sugar alternatives don’t quite work the same way, and have to be adjusted. Research whatever kind you’re using to understand how it works as an alternative to white cane sugar. In general, try using your sugar alternatives in:

• Coffee and tea
• Baking
• Oatmeal
• Jams and jellies
• Sauces, dressings, and marinades
• Smoothies, cocktails, and other drinks

Cooking With Natural Sweeteners

Baking and cooking with natural sweeteners is not much different than white sugar. Most natural sweeteners can’t be used as an equal replacement to white sugar. But it comes quite close! For example, some people recommend using maple syrup instead of sugar in a 0.75:1 ratio in baked goods. That means that for every 1 cup of sugar used in a recipe, you should use ¾ cup of pure maple syrup. To get an idea of how to go about cooking with natural sweeteners, check out these refined sugar free recipes:

• Tacoma Boys’ own Overnight Oats Parfaits.
• Honey Shallot Vinaigrette by The Peppermill with honey.
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies by No Sweat Vegan with coconut sugar and maple syrup.

Refined Sugar Free Treats at Tacoma Boys

Find these refined sugar free goods, plus much more, at your local Tacoma Boys market:

• Keto and Co Chocolate Keto Cake Mix: This cake mix and other mixes by this brand include sugar alternatives like monk fruit.
• Eating Evolved Chocolate Bars and Keto Cups.
• Lily’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Swing by Tacoma Boys for a selection of natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, monk fruit, dates, and more. And to stay up to date on insider deals and specials, sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list!

Sipping on sparkling wine is a classic component of celebrating the holidays. Whether it’s champagne, sparkling white wine, or even sparkling red, it’s so refreshing and tasty! And Tacoma Boys’ wide selection of sparkling wine at various price points and varieties makes it simple to shop for and choose your favorites. A cold, crisp glass of bubbly at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner fits right in as part of the cozy holiday celebration. 

Sparkling Wine at Tacoma Boys

Sparkling wine is made fizzy by fermentation during the wine making process. Carbon dioxide is absorbed, creating those pleasant little bubbles. You can enjoy sparkling white wine (including champagne), sparkling rosé, and even sparkling red wine. And while all champagne is sparkling wine, not all sparkling wine is champagne. Champagne is just a type of bubbly white wine that’s produced in a specific region in France. Several varieties of wine like these will fit your holiday celebration— Tacoma Boys’ large assortment to choose from means you can find your favorite and try new things! 

You can browse sparkling wine offerings like these on the shelves at Tacoma Boys:

Champagne

• Duval-Leroy Brut Champagne 
• Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Champagne
• Henriot Brut Souverain Champagne 

Sparkling White Wine

• Dibon Cava Brut Reserve
• Mumm Napa Cuvée
• Villa Maria Bubbly Sauvignon Blanc 2019
• Decoy Brut Cuvée Sparkling
• Mionetto Prosecco Brut

Sparkling Rosé

• Argyle Brut Rosé
• La Marca Prosecco Rosé
• Los Dos Cava Brut Rosé

Sparkling Red

• Treveri Sparkling Syrah Brut
• Castello di Luzzano Sommossa 

Pairing Sparkling Wine

Pairing sparkling wine at your Thanksgiving dinner or other holiday celebration is simple and tasty. Most neutral wine goes well with the robust flavors of celebratory meals in the autumn. There’s really no rules to pairing sparkling wine — it’s all about enjoying the taste of what you’re eating! You can pair champagne with roast turkey, sparkling rosé with mashed potatoes, or anything else that sounds good to you. It’s also common to sip on hard apple cider (the adult, sparkly version of classic apple cider) during this harvest season. You can also shop for some regular or hard apple cider at Tacoma Boys! Read on for some suggested wine and food pairings to try. 

Pasta

Go for cream based sauces, rather than tomato based, to pair with a fizzy dry wine. Or, try sparkling red wine with a red sauce pasta! Both white and red still wine are often incorporated into pasta sauce, too.

Fried Food

Fried mushrooms, artichokes, and battered fish and chips all go great with sparkling wine. Try a fried appetizer like Crispy Fried Zucchini with sweet sparkling white wine for the holidays.

Cheese

Wine and cheese definitely pair well together. Go for a rich, aged cheese like Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with sparkling rosé. Or, try a mild sparkling prosecco with Briette Creamy & Mild Brie Cheese. Read more about Tacoma Boys various specialty cheeses to pair in our blog all about it!

Seafood, Poultry and Pork

White wine and seafood are a timeless pair! And the light flavors of tender chicken, turkey, or pork are simple to pair with bubbly wine. This is perfect as many people enjoy turkey or ham for the holidays, anyway! If you’d like, pair white meat and seafood with white wine, and dark meat with richer wines like red. Tacoma Boys also offers a large selection of fresh seafood to choose from.

Wine Recipes

There are several different types of wine recipes you can try for the holidays! Individual or batch cocktails, like sangria, are great ways to enjoy the taste and fizz of sparkling wine.

Sangria is a drink made with wine, fruit juice, and sometimes sweetener and hard liquor, like brandy. Other wine recipes to try include classics like white wine spritzers and mimosas. Spiked lemonades are also sometimes made with sparkling wine, too: Try a mix of 3 cups lemonade with a full bottle of Sorelle Bronca Extra Dry Prosecco. That dry prosecco is a nice balance to the sweetness of lemonade!

Wine recipes of course can mean wine was used in the cooking process, too. You can use still or bubbly wine when deglazing, in salad dressings, marinades, and more. Cooking with wine can enhance the flavor of the food and add elements of acidity, similar to vinegar. Start with a white wine pasta sauce or something like hearty Wine Braised Beef!

Prep For The Holidays With Tacoma Boys

Don’t forget to stop by Tacoma Boys’ sparkling wine section while you’re shopping for your holiday meals! You’ll find a variety of bubbly white, rosé, and red wine to enjoy with your family. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, just ask and we’ll be happy to help guide you. To stay up to date on insider deals and specials, sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list!