Food for Thought: Spark Your Brain Power

Eat dessert without guilt! This creamy blueberry dessert will improve your cognitive function as it caresses your palate. As desserts go, it's not that high in fat or sugar and doesn't require an ice cream maker to prepare.

• 1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries, washed and stems removed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Puree the berries in the food processor until smooth. Press through a fine sieve to remove skins and any residual seeds.

Place mixture back in food processor bow, add maple syrup and mix briefly. Pour mixture into a shallow baking dish or pie plate and freeze, uncovered.

Whip the cream until it barely forms a soft peak. When berry mixture is firm, scrape it into the food processor bowl. Add cream and mix for ten seconds. Return to shallow dish and freeze.

When mixture is firm but not hard (1-2 hours), mix again briefly in the food processor and serve immediately.

My favorite oily fish is fresh tuna, and my favorite way to serve it is simply. While tuna adapts well to many cuisines, I think Asian flavors set off its rich flavor most effectively. Tuna caught off the West Coast is lower in mercury than Atlantic tuna.

• 2 T soy or tamari sauce
• 2 T toasted sesame oil
• 1 and one-half pounds fresh tuna steak
• 4 tsp wasabi paste
• 2 T Thai peanut sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 8 oz. trimmed enoki mushrooms (plain white mushrooms will do in a pinch)
• 8 oz spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
• 2 T slivered pickled ginger

In a shallow glass dish, combine half the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the tuna and coat well. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, turning fish twice.

Meanwhile combine the wasabi, peanut sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, and remaining soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl.

Grill the tuna on the barbecue or stove top until crusty on the outside and rare within (no more than a couple minutes on each side). Transfer to a plate, and slice against the grain into one-third inch thick slices.

In a large bowl toss the sprouts, spinach, and mushrooms with half the dressing. Top with the tuna and drizzle with remaining dressing. Garnish with pickled ginger.

Combine these two brain foods and tackle those mental challenges! This salsa tastes good on grilled salmon, tuna, or swordfish.

• 3/4 cup strawberries, washed, trimmed, and chopped
• 1/3 cup blueberries, washed, trimmed, and halved
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped finely
• 1/2 small red onion, minced
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 T fresh ginger, grated

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Let stand twenty minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Serve on top of grilled fish.