Soul Baring and Salmon Cakes

When I started this blog I didn’t intend to only give you food, but a bit of myself as well. (Food is boring without personality, and I have personality in spades.) I do not want to be one of those bloggers who glosses over their life and makes everything sound like it is perfectly fabulous all the time. Life just is not that way. So I will share the good, the bad, and the ugly with you. Honesty is the best policy, right? I am only human after all. As you may already know I am working to lose some weight; it is one of my New Year’s resolutions. Growing up I danced ballet and was quite fit and in shape. In fact I was rail thin. Too thin sometimes, but I was proud of my body, especially my abs. I do not believe I owned a shirt that covered my stomach. I worked really hard to look that way; ballet is not an easy sport (yes, I said sport). I dreamt of being a professional dancer. Two bad knees and the threat of surgery caused me to give up that dream and only dance a few classes in college and eventually just around the house.

As much as it pains me to disclose the next fact to you, especially my readers who knew me in those glory days; I am no longer rail thin. (I find this humiliating) Not even close to thin, though not unattractive, just outside the “norm” or current standard of beauty. It started when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease; they give you steroids to treat “flare ups” and apparently my body and steroids do not agree with one another. On the plus side I finally developed a chest, and could put away the “chicken cutlets” I had been using to fill out my bra. The downside is I become ravenously hungry for those long periods of steroid treatments. Each time I am put on a steroid treatment I gain weight and every time have to work the weight back off. This last summer (for my 30^th birthday) I was in the hospital again and back on steroid treatments and took some home for further treatment. This time I gained around 30 pounds without even trying. I fell into a deep depression because I hadn’t finished getting the last weight gain off from the previous treatment. I swear to you I could eat anything and gain weight. A bag of carrots could mean five pounds. It is insane what steroids do to my metabolism. I have come to the conclusion that the next time I have a flare up I am going to refuse steroids and tell them to work their medical magic some other way. So now I weigh around 200 pounds, though no one believes me when I reveal that fact, I guess that is a good thing… it means I carry it well. (I am pretty tall for a girl. My measurements remain proportionate, which is a plus.) However having a bra size that could be a vowel except for my refusal to accept that… is all getting to be a bit much and I do not believe I should feel humiliated by my body if I can change it.

I am also working to give up another bad habit… I tend to turn to smoking when I get stressed out. (Bad habit I picked up when I lived with a total loser). Smoking is bad for anyone, but especially “foodies” because it alters how you taste foods. (Also makes you stinky, which as a perfume junkie I find repulsive, don’t ask me how I got started in the first damn place.) It is especially bad for me and my Crohn’s disease. My quit date is set for the 31st of January… I am working a program online.  So this New Year is full of changes! Good ones. I look forward to sharing my progress with you along the way.

Being a foodie queen however there are certain things I cannot give up entirely. For example Fat Free cheese is just nasty plastic and I refuse to eat it. You will also not find me ever buying skim milk unless I am having a house guest who drinks it. Skim milk is not milk, in my opinion, it is blue water. I will still use butter when necessary, but not as much. I have given it up all together except in baking, or if a recipe specifically calls for it. I also refuse to give up my “mini” cokes. I love Coca Cola and I am not ashamed to admit it. While I have certainly decreased the amount I drink; 12 fl. Oz. is a far cry from the liters of it I could drink in my younger years. Increasing my intake of water and Crystal Light has really helped me cut that habit. So if you are still reading at this point then you probably know more about me than you ever bargained to. But this is what my life is, and what drives my cooking.

Without further ado, my recipes for Salmon Cakes and Cucumber and Grape Tomato salad.

Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

2 5 or 6 oz. cans of Boneless Skinless Pink Salmon, like Bumble Bee.

1/3 cups dry bread crumbs (plain)

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or dried, I didn’t have any fresh)

1 large egg

½ cup finely chopped pine nuts (can increase or decrease this based on preference)

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic Powder to taste

How to:

1.) Combine ingredients in medium bowl. Make sure the chunks of salmon are good and broken up and all ingredients are mixed well.

2.) Shape mixture into small patties.

3.) Heat about two tablespoons of either canola or olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

4.) Place patties in heated oil, they should sizzle, cook patties until browned; about 4 minutes on each side.

I serve these with a quick and easy Low Fat Tzatziki Sauce. They would be equally good alone though.

Serves three to four people based on how big your patties are.

**Worth 9 Weight Watchers points.**

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

1 package (1 pint) of grape tomatoes, halved.

1-2 large sliced cucumbers (based on your preference)

½ cup 2% Mozzarella Cheese Shredded (Or you could buy the really good stuff and slice it into chunks)

2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice (based on your taste)

1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil (again more or less based on your taste)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

How To:

1.) Mix your cucumbers and tomatoes in a bowl

2.) Add seasonings, including chopped basil

3.) Pour lemon juice and olive oil over the salad and mix well.

4.) Stir in Mozzarella cheese.

5.) Allow to sit for a while. (Frankly this was even better the second day!)

This will serve about five people and is worth an amazing 2 Weight Watcher points! Thus the reason I serve it with the higher point salmon cakes!

Quick and Easy Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

¼ - ½ cup of plain low fat yogurt

1 peeled, seeded, and grated cucumber

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (based on how tart you like it)

Salt to your preference

(The recipe does not call for it but I always throw in some dill, because I love, LOVE dill.)

How to:

1.) Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2.) Serving size to stick with points is ¼ of a cup. (Though you could use up to a half cup)

**Worth 2 Weight Watchers points. **

New Year’s Resolution and sharing a great Chicken Recipe from a fellow blogger!

In the interest of sticking to my New Year’s resolution to work off some weight, I gained after a hospital stay this summer, I will now be working to feature some more healthy alternatives. That is not to say I will stop giving you real food. What I am saying is that there will likely be more healthy options presented for desserts. I typically present to you exactly what I am feeding myself and my family, and as I have stated before I firmly believe in quality not quantity. The key is moderation, so have no fear that I will not feature any more delicious sinful recipes.  When it comes to “diet food” if doesn’t taste good I won’t eat it. (I have the greatest recipe for White Chocolate Cheesecake that is zero fat!) My sweet tooth is pretty big and cannot be ignored!

In the spirit of my effort I will try and remember to include “Points” on my recipes and serving sizes. I will also try and swallow my pride and keep you informed of my progress; I am going on my great adventure to Italy in May and my goal is to look fabulous by then! Blogging will resume this week but to tide you over I will share with you a great recipe from one of my fellow food bloggers. Her blog is called The Blog is the New Black, and I absolutely love her! (She is also way better at taking pictures of her food, I am inspired to keep working on my photos because of her!)  Please check her out! This recipe is amazing!

30 Minute Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 C lemon juice
• 1 T lemon zest
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1.5 T canola oil
• 2 T brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.  If needed, pound the breasts with a meat mallet until thin. 
2. Combine the flour, paprika and sea salt in a shallow dish. Coat each chicken breast in the mixture and toss until coated completely.
3. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Place each chicken breast in the oil and brown on both sides. Remove chicken breasts and keep warm on a plate.
4. Pour the lemon juice in the pan to deglaze. Place chicken breasts in a casserole dish and cover with juice. Top with brown sugar and lemon zest.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165.

Source: http://theblogisthenewblack.wordpress.com/page/10/

Kitchen Safety Rules

Most of us spend the rest of our lives trying to forget junior high school. Sure there were some great times, but the majority of it was a long period of awkwardness, growth spurts, braces, bad hair and makeup choices, and relationships that we honestly believed would end in marriage only to end in disastrous heartache two weeks (or sometimes two hours later). I can truthfully say I don’t remember much I learned in my classes during those years, especially the elective classes. I took several versions of Home Ec. and though I know I loved those classes, mostly because it was an opportunity to goof off and cook food and snack on it. There was always some “Johnny Hottie” that I would flirt with the whole time… ah the magic of the wonder years. Home Ec. classes were all about food safety and things that should be basic common sense, but as a good friend of mine recently said “Common sense is not always common knowledge.” Let’s review some basic food safety points and refresh our memory on how to keep ourselves and our families safe.

1.) Wash Your Hands.

 A lot food poisoning incidents could be prevented if someone had just washed their hands. You should always wash your hands before, during, and after preparing any food. (that includes before you eat) Make sure you wash your hands after handling any raw meat or chicken; I even go ahead and wash after handling fish and also vegetables. If you sneeze, or cough while cooking you should wash your hands again. Does your dog follow you around the kitchen like mine? Do you unconsciously pat them on the head, like I sometimes do? Yep, wash your hands again. Sometimes you have to touch the garbage can while cooking, wash your hands after that too! These seem like no brainer things but a lot of time we simply do not think while cooking. When washing your hands you should always use a good soap and warm water. Rub your hands together to make a good soapy lather. Be sure that you get the backs of your hands and between your fingers and the very commonly missed wrist area! It is recommended that you rub your hands with that soapy lather for at least 20 seconds. (if you need help with that then sing the alphabet to yourself) Rinse your hands and dry with a clean towel or paper towel.

2.) BEFORE cutting vegetables or fruit wash them.

You would be amazed at the number of people I know who do not wash their fruits or veggies! All those pesticides and dirt and bugs…. Ick. Think about the fact that all of those contaminants get onto your knife that is now slicing through the part of the food you intend to eat! Now your food is contaminated with everything that was on the outside of your vegetable or fruit! Even if you plan to peel the vegetable or fruit, wash it first. If you are peeling a potato for example, you are holding the potato and peeling away the skin. You are touching the dirty skin of the potato and when you handle the now peeled potato you are putting all of those germs right back onto the potato!

3.) Make sure you read the bags of your bagged Veggies!

Not all bagged salad greens or other vegetables are washed! We usually assume they all are but they aren’t all prewashed. I prefer to rinse all my bagged veggies just in case there is some cross contamination somewhere. Better safe than sorry.

4.) WASH cutting boards, counters, and utensils with HOT water and soap after working with raw meats.

This is pretty obvious, but worth mentioning. You could use an antibacterial spray on the counters but they are not a good idea for wooden cutting boards or you utensils. Wooden cutting boards are great and I love them. However you should have one that you cut meat on and one that you cut everything else on. Wooden cutting boards have natural grooves from the wood grain and absorb some of those meat juices. Bacteria can grow in the natural grooves and in the grooves caused by cutting on the board! Never wash a wooden cutting board in the dishwasher or leave it to soak in water! (The same goes for wooden spoons) The water will cause the wood’s cellulose to expand and as it dries the wood can crack, ruining the appearance of your board (or spoon) and allowing even more space for bacteria growth. I recommend oiling your board with olive oil every now and then to help seal the wood and keep it looking great. (Oil those wooden spoons too!) Cutting boards not made of wood can be put in the dishwasher. However please remember that glass, marble, or granite boards are hard on your knives!

5.) Keep your prepped food separate.

If you are like me you like to complete all your prep work before you start cooking. This means you should keep your raw meats away from any vegetables or pastas or anything else you are prepping. I read a good tip once that you should have two different colored cutting boards in your kitchen to help you remember; a red cutting board for meats and a green cutting board for vegetables. While I am not that extreme it is a good idea if you have trouble remembering which board you use for which product. This will help you avoid cross contamination!

6.) Refrigerate promptly!

If you don’t plan to use the prepped food right away put it in the refrigerator to keep it chilled and inhibit any bacteria growth. Harmful bacteria can double in number in as little as 20 minutes; avoid the “danger zone” of 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. *Most refrigerators are set at or below 40 degrees* (or they should be) Always remember that raw meat should always be stored on a tray on the lowest shelf; this keeps any juices from contaminating other food products.

7.) Use a Meat Thermometer!

Cooking your food to the proper temperature ensures that all dangerous bacteria is killed. E-coli, salmonella, botulism, and hepatitis are dangerous and potentially deadly. Double check that your food has met the recommended core temperature. (I have included a chart)

Remembering these simple guidelines can keep you and your family healthy and keep germs and bacteria out of your kitchen!

 

 

Sources:

http://foodsafety.osu.edu/consumers/dont-spread-germs/

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

Family Traditions and Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

As Christmas fast approaches and families start to gather to celebrate the season. I start to think about traditions. Traditions are so important to the holidays; they remind us who we are and where we came from. In my house a lot of traditions revolve around food and meals together. Of course every year is a new opportunity to start a tradition but it is the ones we have always done that mean the most. Christmas morning at my house is a relaxed affair. Instead of preparing a big breakfast (we favor a large early dinner instead) we have blueberry muffins. Our tradition of muffins started when we moved to North Carolina in 1997. I cannot remember how this tradition got started; I make them from a box. It has to be from the box; it has to be Duncan Hines Blueberry Streusel muffins. Do not suggest that we make our Christmas muffins from scratch… or try a different flavor. Sometimes traditions are not to be fully understood just abided.

Christmas is my favorite time of year and I get as giddy as a school girl! I put up all the decorations and love dancing around the house to Christmas music. (Well only for the first week or so, then the repetitive nature of Christmas music on the radio starts to drive me insane.) Hanging the lights and decorating the tree are truly a pleasure. Displaying my snowman collection is a small joy in life that I love.

Traditionally for Christmas Eve dinner we have a pork loin. My favorite recipe for pork loin is the Apple Stuffed Pork Loin. I will also provide you with a Glaze that could be used on a pork loin (as I will show you in the pictures) or could be easily used on a ham. Pork Loins are often avoided by people because they seem complicated. Really they are quite easy it is the prep work that can get complicated. Once prepped you just put the loin in the oven and let it cook. Easy… and then you can prepare other things or hang out with the family.

My Apple Stuffed Pork Loin is another recipe I just threw together one evening. I surprise myself sometimes with the outcome of some of these thrown together meals.

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

*all measurements are approximate*

Ingredients

1 Pork Loin – butterflied

2 small medium apples, chopped

1 medium onion chopped

1-3 chopped garlic cloves (based on your taste for garlic)

1 ½ cups brown sugar packed

Juice of one lemon

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Water

Kosher salt

Sage to taste

Paprika to taste

Nutmeg to taste

1 ½ bacon bits

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees; line a roasting pan with foil and lightly grease with Pam spray.

Prep Filling

In large pan sauté the onion until browned, add garlic then apples season with sage, paprika, and nutmeg. Add juice of one lemon cover and let apples soften. Stir in brown sugar and bacon bits let simmer until just starting to caramelize. Stir in Panko bread crumbs; add just enough water to moisten mixture.

Prepare meat

Spread the mixture between the butterflied pork loin halves. Fold the loin together. Make sure that the fatty layer of the loin is on top. Score the fat on top with a knife in a diamond pattern. Tie the loin securely with butcher’s twine and then rub with kosher salt amount you use is based on your taste. Pack any remaining stuffing around the meat. Cook in pre heated oven for 90 minutes until the meat reaches 180 degrees in the middle. Cover loin with foil after the first 30 minutes of cooking to hold the moisture in. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. (Allows the juices to settle) Slice and serve, with extra stuffing on top.

TIP: Always make sure to grease the foiled pan before using and grease the sheet of foil you use to cover the loin.

Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham or for Pork Loins

Below is a picture of when I prepared this using a pork loin

Ingredients:

1 cup (roughly packed) Brown sugar

¼ - ½ cup Dijon mustard (based on your taste)

2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar.

Mix all ingredients in sauce pan. Make sure any lumps of brown sugar are broken up. Heat over medium heat until smooth and bubbles slightly; remove from heat. Let stand five minutes. During that time you can get your meat prepared. Then use glaze over ham or pork loin and follow cooking directions for the meat you are using. Remember to baste! I like to slice apples and cook them with the meat and glaze.