Savory Salmon

One of my favorite fish is salmon. I have prepared it in the following ways: 

• Pretzel crusted
• En papillote
• Pesto
• Mustard and beer

Most recently, I prepared it simply but it was delicious. I seasoned the filet with paprika, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, pink Himalayan salt, and pepper. I baked it for 25 minutes and served. 

Easy, fast and delicious. That is all there is to it. 

Couponing: Quaker Multigrain Flakes

I have gotten into the habit of searching in the Publix app digital coupons using the word "free". There are free items periodically!

This time is a free box of Quaker Multigrain Flakes cereal. The 17 ounce box retails for $4.65 and Publix is offering it for free! That is a no brainer!

Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti Squash

Need I say more? 

I found this delicious recipe on Pinterest and have made it a few times in the last few months. 

It's a flavorful pasta dish without the carbs, gluten, and guilt of pasta. Spaghetti squash for the win. 

I added fresh basil and tomatoes to the mix at the end. I felt that it needed a kick of freshness. 

Thanksgiving 2017

I have to admit that it has been difficult to be back in the habit of blogging since the hurricane in September. Where does the time go? 

Here we are in the midst of the holidays spanning from Thanksgiving until New Years.

This was the first year in almost 6 years that I did not have to work on Thanksgiving. The previous years I worked in the Canadian division and observed Canadian holidays. 

We had a mini-banquet with my department this year. I brought a veggie tray decked out like a turkey. Thank you Pinterest!

On Thanksgiving Day, we had a small celebration with some friends from church. It was nice to stay local. I refreshed the veggie tray from the previous day and brought a pumpkin pie. Since my husband does not eat eggs, I found a recipe that is eggless. Amazingly delicious!!!

Now we're in a mad dash with Christmas around the corner. I love all the activities this time of year!

You Were Made to Be You

I was making macaroni and cheese as a dish to pass for Labor Day. In the box of pasta, there was 1 pasta that was not like the others. 

The shape was the same. 

The size was the same. 

The function was the same. 

The color was different. 

In a world of imitators, there is only one Creator. We were uniquely made by the Creator to fit a purpose that only you could fulfill. 

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139: 13-14. 

Embrace your uniqueness. You were made special for this time, this place, and this purpose. 

Focus on the Family

The non-profit organization, Focus on the Family, was founded in 1977 to put a focus on Christ being the center of individual lives and families. 

I had the great fortune of visiting the campus of this worldwide organization recently while in Colorado Springs. 

The large campus features a Welcome Center that shows films, has a bookstore, dishes up delicious treats, and more!

I was particularly taken with a hallway filled with flags from around the world. Nothing new for me. Still attracted to international items after all these years. 

Hello Fresh: Oven Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower

The last edition of the Hello Fresh vegetable box is the Oven Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower. 

An amazing blend of roasted cauliflower, tzaziki sauce, bulgar and veggies all in the bag delivered and ready to go.  

Simultaneously cook the bulgar, roast the cauliflower, and tzaziki sauce. 

Combine all the mixtures on a plate and enjoy!

Random Dinner

There are days when I don't have any direction for dinner. 

One night recently, I put together a random group of food and called it dinner. 

Garden salad, avocado, steamed edemame, fried tofu, boiled egg. 

Simple and tasty (and random)!

Hello Fresh: Caramelized Shallot Risotto

The latest edition of the Vegetarian Hello Fresh box is the Caramelized Shallot Risotto. 

The ingredients are shallots, garlic, vegetable stock, zucchini, lemon, balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, and arborio rice. 

Dice the garlic and peel the zucchini. Sauté the garlic and zucchini core in olive oil. 

Slice the shallots and toss in balsamic vinegar and place in the oven to caramelize. 

Bring water and vegetable stock to a boil. 

Add vegetable stock to the rice and allow it to soak up the stock. 

Sauté the zucchini peels with olive oil. 

Toss it all together with shallots, parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Hello Fresh: Charred Avocado Oriecchiette

After the first delivery of Hello Fresh meals, I opted to try a vegetarian box. 

The first meal we decided to try is the Charred Avocado Oriecchiette. 

The ingredients are simple and fresh: garlic, chives, scallions, tomatoes, pasta, feta, and avocado. 

Chop, slice, and dice the produce. 

Sauté the tomatoes, scallions and garlic in olive oil. Char the avocado in olive oil as well. 

Boil water for the pasta. Toss the sautéed vegetables with the pasta. Slice the avocados and place on top of the pasta dish along with the chives. 

Who knew avocado would be so tasty with pasta? 

Avocado Lime Dressing

Cooking has 2 modes for me: routine and experimental. I was in an experimental mood recently and dreamed up a sauce to use on many items. 

I sliced 1 Florida avocado and added 3 cloves of garlic, chopped cilantro and lime juice. I mixed it with the immersible blender. 

The result? Avocado lime dressing!

I pan seared some flounder using pan searing flour after seasoning the fish with nutmeg, turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper. 

Next, sautéed plantains with garlic in olive oil. 

The finished product: pan seared flounder with avocado lime dressing served with plantains and sliced avocado. 

Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Yuca

I had some Avocado Lime Dressing left over from a previous dinner. Good thing we liked it!

This time, I thought I'd try to incorporate yuca with the dressing. 

I searched online for a recipe and found this one. 

I started the recipe by boiling the yuca and sautéing the onion and pepper. After that, I strayed a bit. I mixed old bay seasoning with adobo seasoning and tossed the shrimp in it. I added this same seasoning to the onion mix. 

Once the yuca was simmering with the onion mix, I grilled the shrimp. 

Tossed it together and added avocado lime dressing on top. 

Served with fried plantains. 

Taste of Summer: Watermelon

Nothing says summer like watermelon. 

Such a delicious fruit. Such a pain to slice. 

I decided to seek out an alternative way to cut up a watermelon when I want chunks and not big slices. 

I found a method that involved slicing the sides of the watermelon. Two different series of cuts so there is an inch between on either side. Otherwise, you'll end up with the melon being fully sliced into large rounds.

With a big butcher's knife, I tried it and ended up with good cuts albeit diagonal. 

The next step is to make deep cuts from the top down into the melon. Slices from left to right and from top to bottom. 

Finally, scoop it out with a spoon. There were a a few spots not sliced horizontally because of the slice series having gaps. 

I found this method to be pretty effective overall. I think I found my new way of slicing this watery goodness!

Birthday Freebies: Jersey Mike's

One of the privileges of being a member of Jersey Mike's email club is a free sub and drink for your birthday. 

My husband has discovered his love for the Grilled Veggie sub. That is what I ordered for him as I chose to get another birthday freebie for myself. Sharing is caring!

Hello Fresh: Salmon en Papillote

Hello Fresh is a company that delivers meals to your door. The meals are nutritious, delicious, and easy to prepare in 30 minutes or less. 

A colleague suggested this service and enjoys this for her family. With a promotion code from her, I thought we'd give it a try!

The food arrived on the exact day as indicated on my order!

The box was organized with each bag of ingredients labeled for a specific dish. The cold packs on the bottom was where the meat was stored. 

In the box was a card for each meal with instructions along with nutrition information. The first dish I prepared was salmon en papillote. 

I followed the instructions on the card which mostly involved chopping. I had to use my own aluminum foil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

The dish was simple: baked salmon with a tarragon sauce over a bed of couscous served with roasted asparagus. 

Delicious, fast, easy, and free! 

Cuban Yuca

We bought yuca at the market and decided to try some ways to cook it. I started with a Cuban style yuca which is simple and fast. 

Boil the yuca in a pot. Mix chopped onion, chopped garlic, and olive oil in a pan on medium heat. 

Pour the mix over the yuca and serve. 

Delicious and easy!

Organic Dinner

Some of our dinners are made up of random dishes just to be fed. 

This dinner a few nights ago was just that. We started with an avocado salad which is made from avocado, cucumber, bean sprouts, and tomatoes. Dice and toss. 

Next, we had some fried tofu. This organic tofu cutlet is firm enough that it does not fall apart. When fried, it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

Finally, we fried some sweet plantains. Sometimes I salt them afterwards and sometimes I leave them plain. This time, they were plain. 

Flaxseed for a Colon Cleanse

I recently read this article about flushing out the intestines with flaxseed and kefir. It promotes digestion and cleans out bad bacteria otherwise lodged in the intestines. 

The two ingredients are healthy and harmless. You might as well give it a try! I am using flaxseed meal and pomegranate flavored kefir. 

Week 1: 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 6 tablespoons of kefir. 

Week 2: 2 tablespoon of flaxseed and 6 tablespoons of kefir. 

Week 3: 3 tablespoon of flaxseed and 10 tablespoons of kefir. 

Space Saving: Fruit Baskets

For the last few years, I've used a large plastic bowl and 2 small glass bowls on the countertop for fruits and vegetables.

Since the countertop is rectangular and the bowls are round, there was never a good fit for the fruit bowls on the countertop. I decided to look for a rectangular basket of sorts to make better use of the space. 

I found this double decker sliding drawer-basket at Marshall's for under $10. (Typically, you get Shopkicks for walking into Marshall's as well).

My countertops are not as spacious as I would like, so I am not able to use this basket system as drawers. It works well on the countertop as is.

I like that it is double decker and a wired basket. With the other bowls being opaque, I would lose track of the produce I had. This basket system allows me to see the produce with no barrier. 

More Smoothie Recipes

I have posted about smoothies before (see more here). They are something we make for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

This time the recipe consisted of:

• strawberries
• blueberries
• pineapple
• splash of lime juice
• splash of lemon juice
• Ocean Spray Cranberry Mango Juice
• Nonfat Greek yogurt

I paired this smoothie with a bowl of tapioca. This breakfast kept me going for awhile!