Camomile Honey Poached Salmon

Camomile Honey Poached Salmon with a side salad

Microwave Gourmet!

I've been getting pretty creative with my meals lately. Trying to infuse new flavors into my food so I don't get bored. This was definitely one of my favorite microwave creations to date. The camomile and honey lightly sweeten the salmon complementing it's naturally buttery lightness for a healthy and quick dinner!

Here's the recipe:

Camomile Honey Poached Salmon
-one 6 oz Salmon Fillet (mine was frozen but I let it defrost fully before seasoning it)
-about 1/4 c strongly brewed camomile tea
-Spices: cinnamon, ginger, sea salt
-Honey

Directions: Season your salmon with sea salt, cinnamon and ginger. Place the salmon in a microwavable container with a lid. (I used a long, shallow tupperware) Pour the camomile tea over the fish so that the tea covers the bottom of the container and the salmon rests in the shallow liquid. (Do not drown your fish!) Drizzle some honey over the salmon (I probably used 1/2 T), cover the fish with the lid (leaving a small space for air to escape) and pop it in the microwave for 4-6 minutes or until the fish is cooked (depending on the thickness of your salmon).
Simple, nutritious and tasty!
Enjoy!

Recording Session and Scallops in my dorm room?

My recording session last week went very well! This project is going to be so cool and different. I finally feel like it is taking a direction and becoming more cohesive. Now we just have to follow our instincts and interpret the music as best we can.
It's amazing how songs come to life in the studio. Arrangement ideas kept popping up while we were recording, and I left feeling energized and inspired. I want to really experiment texturally with this album, using layering of timbres instrumentally and vocally. I think it could really end up having a neat sound. (Yes neat seemed like the most appropriate adjective.)

Now for the scallops.

I made this delicious delicious lunch in my microwave! (Pardon the crappy cell phone image, this poor college kid doesn't have a camera.)

Scallops with Plantains, onions, spinach, broccoli and Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

Here's the Recipe: (very simple)

-1 serving of frozen bay sea scallops (however many you want depending on your hunger)
- 1 medium plantain sliced into rounds
- Some frozen/fresh broccoli florets (I think I ate about a cup)
- A few slices of white onion
- A bunch of spinach
- 1 T Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos (A coconut based sauce that can substitute for soy sauce. I personally like the flavor even better than soy sauce.)
- Olive oil to drizzle

1. Add your frozen scallops and plantain to a microwavable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and steam for 2-3 minutes.
2. Now add in the broccoli and steam another minute.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix so the veggies, plantains and scallops are covered in the Coconut Aminos and oil.
4. Cover the bowl once more and steam for 1:30.
5. Enjoy!

Voila! A tasty, healthy meal in less than 15 minutes. That's what I call convenience food at it's best.

Dutch Baby Soufflé and My Not-So-Baby Sister

We took my younger sister to college this weekend. Today is her first day of her freshman year. It's so weird seeing her all grown up and going off to school. It was pretty hard on me. It was hard on all of us. I went through almost all the tissues we had brought in the car on the way home...I'm not good at holding my emotions in.

I was glad I got to drive down and help her unload. Her room looks awesome! All her posters, pictures, pillows and sheets go so well together, but don't match in an obnoxious way. Everything just sort of flows and feels comfortably eclectic. She's always had her own sense of style. She insisted on dressing herself even in preschool. I'll never forget some of her crazy outfits! She used to wear these vertical striped rainbow pants with a horizontal striped rainbow sweater, it was so cute. Now of course her style has matured a lot and she's a way better dresser than me. Whenever I wear her clothes I get compliments. She's developed a really good eye for putting cool things together.

It's been two days now since we dropped her off and I miss her so much already but I know she's gonna have a great year. She's so talented, a really hard worker and she seems to be adjusting well already. I'm really proud of her.

I have a habit of looking at recipes when I'm nervous (I'm not condoning using food as therapy but sometimes it's the only thing that seems to help) and yesterday, because I was still feeling rattled from Saturday, I decided to look for a comforting dessert to make for my family. I stumbled upon this recipe for Dutch Babies with a Chunky Blueberry Maple Sauce by One Frugal Foodie. It looked so delicious I just had to give it a try!

Here's the recipe (with a few adaptations):

Dutch Babies (Gluten free, casein free, soy free and nut free!)
serves 4-8


Ingredients:
-1 c gluten free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free all-purpose baking flour)
-1/8 tsp salt
-1 c milk alternative
-1 T Maple syrup
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-4 medium eggs (brought to room temperature)
-1/2 T palm oil shortening

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 425* F

-Pour the flour and salt into a medium sized bowl. Whisk in the milk alternative, maple syrup and vanilla, stirring until well combined.

-Whisk in the eggs one at a time until incorporated

-Put the shortening in a 9" pie plate and place it in the oven for a few mins or until the shortening is melted and the plate is good and heated.

-Remove the pie plate from the oven and swirl the shortening to coat the bottom of the plate.

-Pour in the egg batter and bake for 25-30 mins.

(The batter should rise up like a soufflé in the oven but will deflate as it cools creating a lower section in the middle that is perfect for pouring the blueberry sauce over.)

Chunky Blueberry and Sour Cherry Maple Sauce (I added sour cherries because we had some leftover from my Sour Cherry Blueberry Pie with a Buckwheat Crust)

Ingredients:
-1 c blueberries
-1 c sour cherries
-1 T lemon juice
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 c maple syrup
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch)

Directions:
-Add berries, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon to a small saucepan.

-Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for a few mins

-Sprinkle in the tapioca starch, whisking to combine and continue to simmer for a few mins more to thicken.

That's it! Pretty Simple right? And also on the healthy side for a dessert. There are only about 155 calories in a slice (if you divide the dutch baby into eight slices). The original recipe says it serves 2-4 people but I think it could serve up to 8 people, although I ate a quarter of the pie by myself, haha. :)

We're Going on a Trip!

Tomorrow my family and I are venturing south for our annual family vacation.
This is my first time traveling with my new diet so we are bringing a lot of food for me in the car. Marinated chicken tenders, quinoa salad, cut veggies, granola bars and best of all MUFFINS! :)

I just baked up some delicious looking Maple Berry Muffins.

Here's the recipe:
(From The Flying Apron's Gluten Free Vegan Baking Book)

Maple Berry Muffins
Makes 12

-1 1/2 c brown rice flour
- 3/4 c garbanzo bean flour (sifted)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 c sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
- 1 c water
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 c maple syrup
- 1/2 c raspberries
-1/2 c blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 375* F
2. Combine brown rice flour, garbanzo bean flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In a different large bowl combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Whisk to incorporate.
4. Continue to whisk and slowly add the flour mixture to the oil mixture until smooth. (The original recipe says to do this in the bowl of a standing mixer but since I do not own a standing mixer I whisked it by hand. It seems to have turned out fine.)
5. Divide the batter among 12 muffin tin cups lined with paper liners. Drop the berries on top and bake until the muffin tops are golden brown and slightly firm to touch, 20-25 minutes.

They just came out of the oven a few minutes ago and they smell amazing! I can not wait to try one out.

The Flying Apron's Gluten Free and Vegan Baking Book has definitely been a great purchase. All of the recipes are Gluten, Dairy, Egg and Soy free. There are a number of savory recipes in it in addition to all the sweet cookies, cakes, muffins and breakfast treats. Every recipe looks mouthwatering and so far every one we've made has been a big hit!

Hooray for sesame seed paste!! :)

I've found a new love.

Tahini.

My sister is doing a dietary cleanse this week. Because of my recent dietary restrictions, I can definitely empathize with her. She has cut out all gluten, dairy, eggs, peanut butter, corn, soy, red meat, shellfish and refined sugars. She also has very severe allergies to all tree nuts, coconut, sunflower seeds and poppy seeds. So what's a girl to eat?

Well, being the wonderful sister that I am, I decided to experiment this morning to try and come up with a delicious, healthy, high-protein breakfast that would taste good enough to be a dessert and stay in line with the limitations of the cleanse.

Here's what I came up with:

Tasty Tahini "Ice Cream"

Ingredients:
-1 banana (frozen in chunks)
-1 T tahini
-1/4 c water/ rice milk
-2 scoops protein powder of choice (optional)
-1 tsp raw blue agave nectar
-ice

Mix up all the ingredients in a blender until it reaches a smooth, creamy texture. Enjoy!

This really turned out great! The tahini adds a subtle rich, nuttiness that compliments the banana nicely. It is also a great source of omega 6 &9 fatty acids, calcium, B vitamins, and protein. I'm planning on eating it again tomorrow after my morning workout! :)

For more information on tahini and it's multiple health benefits check out these websites.

http://www.happyjuicer.com/tahini.asp

http://mastering-health.com/blogs/gee/tahini