Tag Archives: salmon

tangy cranberry & honey-walnut salmon

Posted on January 17, 2012 | 9 Comments

Tonight, I made an uhhmazing dinner in less than 30 minutes! I actually packed up this lovely plate and brought it to my MCAT class. I felt bad for the people sitting around me… it smelled so good! Unless you’re one of those people who doesn’t like the smell of fish. Either way, it was definitely distracting from the atomic structures up on the board. Which was fine with me, because nothing could possibly be more boring than electron configurations and the periodic table.

Cranberry & honeyed walnut salmon with brown rice and a ginger-coconut kale salad

Recipe: Makes 3 servings

For the salmon – inspired by Ohh May
~1 lb salmon
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small orange, peeled
1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or a shake of ginger powder)
1/2 cup sweet white onion, diced
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp walnuts, chopped

Directions – Combine the orange, cranberries, and ginger in a blender and blend until chunky. Pat the mixture all over the salmon and let marinate, if possible (I didn’t have time). Grease a baking dish with a bit of coconut oil and place the salmon and diced onions in the pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Turn the stove on medium high and place a non-stick pan on the heat. Once the pan is hot, drizzle the honey over the top of the salmon and sear it for a minute, or until lightly browned. Sear the salmon with the honey-cranberry side down. Remove the salmon from heat and top with chopped walnuts.

For the salad:
4 cups kale
2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp grated ginger (or dash ginger powder)
3 tbsp shredded sweetened coconut

Directions – Melt the coconut oil into a pan on the stove top. Add the ginger and garlic. Add the snap peas, kale, and shredded coconut and stir fry until wilted and bright. Remove from heat.

For the rice:
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions – Mix the rice with the coconut oil and nuke until hot. Stir in the soy sauce.

Benefits:

Salmon * is high in Vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids which raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Also makes hair grow faster (from personal experience!) and your skin smoother.

Cranberries * contain the antioxidants phenolic acids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and proanthocyanadins (PACs) which can work synergistically together in the body. The PACs are what enables cranberries to help protect against urinary tract infections

Ginger * contains gingerol which relaxes blood vessels and thus improves circulation. It also aids in digestion and can soothe the stomach. Contains TONS of compounds that fight cancer!

Coconut * coconut gets a bad rap because of its saturated fat content, but its fatty acids are mainly medium-chain triglycerides, not long-chain. The long-chain triglycerides are bad for our cholesterol levels, but coconut has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. Animal studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase metabolism. It is great to cook with because it is stable at high temperatures!

Brown rice * more fiber and nutrients than white rice.

Kale * Extremely high levels of vitamins K, A, and C! Also has manganese, calcium, fiber, and antioxidants.

Onions * contain anti-aging antioxidants phenolics and flavonoids. A study by Dr. Liu showed that pungent and Western yellow onions protected the most against colon cancer, while pungent yellow, Western yellow, and shallots protected the most against liver cancer.

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Detox: Day 2. Bring on the caffeine headaches.

Posted on August 23, 2011 | 21 Comments

Alright, so Day 2 was quite a bit harder than Day 1. I have had caffeine withdrawal headaches all day. I bought a decaf coffee while studying, thinking that some hidden caffeine would ease my throbbing skull, but alas, Mishka’s decaf is actually…. decaffeinated.

Because of my head, I nixed working out today. Which is fine. I utilized the extra time by studying an obscene amount for my midterm on Friday. I pretty much just studied, went to class, studied more, and sipped cucumber coolers and tea all day long. The cucumber coolers are delicious and so easy to make! They are perfect for people who find water too boring. [First world problems.]

Cucumber Coolers

Recipe: Makes 1 pitcher

1 pitcher water

1/2 large cucumber

1/4 cup fresh mint, shredded

2 tbsp lemon juice

ice

optional: stevia (I didn’t use any because I didn’t want it to be sweet, but you definitely could.)

Directions – Pour some of the water, about a pint, into a blender with the cucumber. Pulse until the cucumber is chunky. Do not over-blend! Pour the cucumber water into a pitcher with the rest of the water. Add the fresh mint and lemon juice and stir. Add ice until the pitcher is filled. Serve well chilled!

Mini meal # 1: 

Another superfood smoothie! This time with frozen strawberries and bananas and topped with almonds. Still not that good.

Mini meal # 2: 

a slice of grain free banana bread (recipe soon)

Mini meal # 3: 

Kale and carrot salad with honey sesame dressing again! I was going to make a different dressing, but the tahini/coconut butter/honey combo is really bomb.

Mini meal # 4:

I know this is weird, but I was on the go and simply heated up a frozen salmon burger. No photos please.

Meal # 5: 

I know I have made vegan cheeze sauce before, but this recipe is different and so, so good! I urge you to try it! It doesn’t have that southwestern kick that the other one does. This is more rich and creamy and remniscent of alfredo. Its also high in protein and B vitamins! For a sauce that is..

BBQ salmon with cheezy alfredo broccoli, cauliflower & bulgur

not missing dairy one bit

Recipe: Serves 1

1 cup broccoli, steamed

1/2 cup cauliflower, steamed

1/2 cup bulgur, cooked

Directions – Make the cheeze sauce and bake the salmon (directions below). To easy steam, place the raw vegetables into a microwave safe bowl with 2 tbsp water. Cover with another bowl or plate and microwave for 90 seconds. Remove and drain (or drink the green water for lots of vitamins!)  In a bowl, combine the broc, cauli, and bulgur. Add the cheeze sauce and mix well. Scoop onto a plate with the salmon. Enjoy!

For the creamy cheeze sauce - 

1/4 cup white beans, cooked

1 1/2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

tsp lemon juice

tsp white balsamic vinegar

tsp mustard

garlic powder

salt

drizzle of honey (do not leave this out!)

Directions – Mash the beans until a homogenous mush. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix vigorously until smooth.

For the salmon -

4 oz salmon filet

drizzle BBQ sauce

Directions – Preheat the oven to 425. Slather a thin layer of BBQ sauce over the salmon. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

And that was…

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Two recipes from the sea

Posted on March 1, 2011 | 12 Comments

Yesterday was the last day of me trying to completely clean out my fridge and freezer. Somehow, this yielded me eating fancy schmancy seafood for both lunch and dinner. Not that Im complaining… Both of these recipes are quickies, but they stay classy.

Time to go to Whole Foods….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scallop Salad Sandwich

Warm scallop salad on a toasted whole wheat bun!

Recipe: Serves 1

6 scallops, thawed

1 whole wheat bun, toasted

few spinach leaves

1 tbsp mayo

1 tsp greek yogurt

1/2 tsp dill

pinch cayenne pepper

few drops lemon juice (optional)

sea salt

Directions – Coat a pan with grape seed oil. Cook the scallops on the stove on medium-low heat. Flip only once. They are done when they are white all the way through! Do not overcook them. Meanwhile, toast your bun and prepare the dressing. Mix the mayo, greek yogurt, cayenne pepper, dill, and sea salt in a bowl. When the scallops are done, transfer them to the bowl with the dressing. Slice them and toss in the dressing. Put the spinach and scallop salad in the bun and enjoy! Serve with a side salad.

 

This next recipe is insanely quick and delicious, but the picture doesn’t do it justice. I rarely blog dinner because it is virtually pointless when you don’t have compelling pictures to back it up. Without natural light, my pictures look flat and lackluster :(

Seared Salmon with Steamed Broccoli and Herbed Goat Cheese Dressing

I made this in less than 10 minutes. No joke.

Recipe: Serves 1

4 oz salmon

1/2 head broccoli

1 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp goat cheese

1 tbsp greek yogurt

1 tsp fresh chives, chopped

1/2 tsp dill

squeeze of lemon juice

few drops Worcestershire

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Directions – Lightly oil a pan with grape seed oil. Cook the salmon on the stove at medium heat, skin side down. Meanwhile, steam your broccoli. The lazy way is to chop it up and put it in a bowl with 1/2 tbsp of water. Cover it with a small plate and microwave it for 1 minute. Voila!

Prepare your sauce by simply combining the goat cheese, sour cream, yogurt, dill, chives, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper in a bowl and stirring. [Sauce adapted from the cookbook Nourish.]

When the salmon is about a third way cooked, flip and cover. When it is no longer bright pink, it is done. You can eat the skin or toss it.

Drain the broccoli and place on a plate. Top with salmon and goat cheese sauce. Enjoy! Feel free to serve with a grain of some sort. Or dessert…….;)

Benefits:

Scallops * are extremely high in protein (they are a MUSCLE, after all!) and a great source of B vitamins, which play a key role in metabolism and hangover prevention. They also contain several minerals and are a good source of omega 3′s! Omega 3s aid in lowering LDL and VLDL and raising HDL cholesterol.

Salmon * contain monounsaturated fats, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, and vitamins A, D, B6 and B2. The omega 3 fatty acids raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Also makes hair grow faster (from personal experience!) and your skin smoother.

Dill * aids in digestion, is a relaxant, can help ease insomnia, and contains the antioxidants monoterpenes, which protect against cancer!

Cayenne pepper * high in antioxidants and temporarily raises the metabolism!

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Caymans Trip: Wrapped Up

Posted on July 5, 2010 | 23 Comments

I don’t want to write a whole additional post about the vacation so I am just going to add a bit :)

So mi madre, step pappy, and I went to the Caymans. I exfoliated myself with sand…

And went scuba diving… (NERD ALERT)

And ate delicious seafood…

Salmon and Mango sashimi

Lobster and Avocado roll

Delicious grouper with creamyfatsauce

Ceviche that I WILL be recreating… Salmon, Whitefish, Mango, Onions, and SWEET POTATO!

I also finished up my book, The Devil’s Highway…


Can you recommend my next victim book?

Now, I am back home in Texas and I am excited to cook up some recipes tomorrow!!

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Insomnia

Posted on May 29, 2010 | 5 Comments

Helloo. I’m writing right now at 5 am from a hotel room on my madre’s iPad. This confangled new gadget is pretty weird with wordpress, so I hope the images show up.
I can’t sleep! I watched the Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, Heath Ledgers last role, and it was so good! It is all about dreams… Ironic in my case. Anywho, this weekend I am visiting a different UC than the one I attend. I think I am going to transfer. This one has a Food Science program and is quite gorgeous. Since we are eating out every meal this weekend, I am going to post some old drafts that have been neglected to be published. They both taste delicious but the pictures aren’t pretty. Tomorrow’s is downright FEO. But I was thinking about it and in my book, any picture of healthy food is a pretty picture :) !

This recipe is for a buttercream sauce to go atop salmon and broccoli on whole wheat pasta.

Recipe: Serves 2

Prepare 6-8 ounces of salmon according to my salmon wrap with dill sauce post.

Boil a thick handful of whole wheat angel hair pasta until soft.

Prepare broccoli by steaming or boiling, but if you boil it then be sure to drink the leftover green water!! It’s green because the water soluble vitamins have leeched out of the broccoli and into the water.

Add 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil to a pan on medium heat.

Chop up 2 tbsp worth of shallot and 1 clove of garlic. Sauté in pan until light brown.

Add 1 tbsp canola butter, 3 tbsp nonfat milk, and 3 tbsp slightly reduced fat creamed cheese. Stir and mash until the creamed cheese has been reduced to a thick saucy texture. Add a pinch of salt.

To serve, add 1 cup of whole wheat pasta, 1 cup broccoli, and 3-4 ounces of crumbled salmon to a bowl. Top with 1/2 the sauce and enjoy!

Benefits:

Salmon * a great source of protein and monounsaturated healthy fats

EVOO * another prime source of MUFAs

Broccoli * full of vitamins and cancer fighting antioxidants. A UCSB professor did a study last year on the cancer fighting abilities of a compound in broccoli; the results were impressive!

Garlic * also has cancer fighting antioxidants

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Green Pizza?

Posted on May 25, 2010 | 5 Comments

Oh man. You’re gonna love me… Avocado Cream & Salmon Flatbread:

Recipe: Serves 1

Preheat the oven to 375.

Mash 1/2 an avocado in a bowl with 1 tbsp sour cream. Spread over a whole wheat tortilla.

Drain 1 can of wild salmon. Stir in a shake of garlic powder and onion powder. Sprinkle the salmon over the tortilla.

Top with chopped shallots. You can also add any other veggies you want/have here! Give it a sprinkling of salt (I think this really brings out the avocado flavor).

Bake until the edges are crispy, between 7-10 minutes.

Benefits:

Avocado * contains vitamins A, B, C, and E. Also contain phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, zinc, and iron. Their greatest asset is their monounsaturated fat content, which is linked to lower cholesterol levels, reduced risk of heart disease, weight loss, and even alleviating depression.

Salmon * contain monounsaturated fats, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, and vitamins A, D, B6 and B2.

Shallots * a good source of vitamins A, C, and folate. They also contain the antioxidant flavonoids, which may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

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Salmon Wrap with Dill Sauce

Posted on May 15, 2010 | 9 Comments

THIS IS SO GOOD. It is light and refreshing, healthy and filling!

Recipe: Serves 1 hungry lady/man or 2 snacksters

Fill a pot with an inch of water and put it on high heat on the stove. Place a noodle strainer in the pot so it is suspended in air.

Take a 4 ounce salmon filet and squeeze lemon juice on it. Place it pink side down in the strainer so that it gets steamed. Put a few slices of lemon around the filet and let it steam for 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 1 tbsp plain greek yogurt, 1 tbsp canola mayo, 1 tbsp light sour cream, almost 1 tbsp dijon mustard, a squeeze of lemon, and a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar into a little bowl. Add some fresh salt and pepper and stir. Stir in 1/2 tbsp dried dill.

Peel half of a cucumber and slice into discs. Then slice the discs into four segments.

When the fish is done, combine the cucumber and salmon with the dill sauce and stir.

To serve, divide the mixture between two whole wheat tortillas and roll up!

Benefits:

Dill * aids in digestion, is a relaxant, can help ease insomnia, and contains the antioxidants monoterpenes, which protect against cancer!

Salmon * is high in Vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids which raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Also makes hair grow faster (from personal experience!) and your skin smoother.

Canola mayo * Contains the good monounsaturated fats!

Whole wheat tortilla * Has more fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals than white flour. Also, because it is whole wheat, it will not spike your blood sugar like a refined white tortilla would.

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Homemade Salmon Burgers

Posted on May 7, 2010 | 5 Comments

Salmon burgers can be really expensive but these come in at only 1.50$ per serving! They have a crispy outside and are really good. You also get the benefit of squeezing in a serving of omega 3′s in burger form!

Recipe: Serves 1

In a bowl, mix together half a container of canned wild salmon, 1 egg white, and a tbsp or 2 of chopped red onion. Add salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste (optional).

Mash it until it is a somewhat homogenous mush. Take the mush into your hand and form a patty. Place onto a pan that has been sprayed with oil.

Cover with a plate and cook for a couple minutes. Remove plate and flip. Cook until light brown on each side.

To serve, put the patty on a whole wheat bun with ketchup, onions, tomatoes, aguacate, and salt. Enjoy!

Benefits:

Salmon * the Inuit people have a very low rate of heart disease yet they eat a diet that is full of fatty fish, this is because the fatty fish are full of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3′s protect against heart disease by lowering the body’s levels of LDL cholesterol!

Onion * have cancer fighting properties, possibly because they increase your body’s production of glutathione-s-transferase. Also contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants and phytochemicals!

Avocado * Has more potassium than banana and is basically pure monounsaturated fat (the good kind)!

Random Tip:

A bowl of cereal for breakfast usually doesn’t tide me over very well. I am hungry like an hour later. I think it might be because of the lack of protein and fat. So, in order to make a bowl of cereal into a viable breakfast, I smear a spoonful of nut butter on the bottom of the bowl before adding the milk and cereal. That way, every bite has a bit of nut buttery goodness. Not only does it take the taste up 1,000,000 levels, but it is way more satiating! A really good combo is Fiber One honey cluster cereal with Nuttzo and Kashi Vive with almond butter. Oh! And Cheerios with chocolate almond butter.

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Question: Do you like the new background or should I change it back? And, I was wondering what kind of recipes or posts y’all would like to see. Feel free to comment and let me know :)

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Ahhh sushi sushii

Posted on April 20, 2010 | 1 Comment

Lunch was homemade sushi! Wild rice rolled with wild salmon, avocado, cucumber, carrots, and spicy sauce.

Recipe: Serves 1

Lay out a dried Nori sheet and lightly damp with water (I used my hand…). About half an inch from the edge, put a line of wild or brown rice. If you want all the ingredients to be together, put the rest on top of the rice, if you want them to be spaced out among the “swirls” of Nori, then you can space them out so they will have their own layer. I put on top of my rice

shaved carrot

thinly sliced cucumber

raw high end salmon slivers

slivers of avocado

a drizzle of spicy sauce (purchased at Whole Foods)

Then just roll it up! To seal it you can use water, tamari or soy sauce, or more spicy sauce.

Benefits:

Wild rice * Wild rice has even more protein and fiber and nutrients than brown rice and especially white rice!

Salmon * A fantastic source of omega-3s! Anti-inflammatory and good for your HDL levels. Also a good source of protein.

Cucumber * Vitamins and water for an added fullness factor.

Carrot * A prime source of vitamin A and beta carotene.

Avocado * Delicious and chock full of the healthy fats! Gotta love the MUFAS. Also a great source of potassium (even better than bananas!)

Nori * Seaweeds are one of the most concentrated sources of vitamins and minerals and there is also lots of evidence to support that they raise your metabolism!

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