Archive for ‘Fish’

November 13, 2011

Tuna Salad: Refocusing on Me and on This

Ok, it’s November and inevitably, I let myself get so carried away with other things that I’ve neglected this, my blog.  Work has taken over my life and turned me into a blob.

I don’t feel like going out.

I don’t feel like shopping (omg, if you know me, you know I love shopping).

I don’t feel like cooking (om-double-g, if you know me, you know that this is my all-time passion).

I don’t feel like blogging.

I don’t feel like working out.

I don’t feel like… anything.

I feel tired. 

I feel like a vegetable, let alone wanting to be one.

 

Luckily, my brain seems to still function somewhat when I’m vegetating.  And, an idea came one day while I was being a lazy bum.  It was time to change this blog.  Time to refocus and turn it into the thing I wanted from the start.  I really want to tell you what kind of food I love to make (which I have been) and how it has really played an important part of my daily workouts (which I have not been).  Given that I’m getting my body ready for a vacation, this is perfect timing.  I rushed home today in the afternoon from a coffee social to make lunch for Chris and I… something lean, clean, but still tasty.

 

Tuna Salad

Serves 2

2 cans of light, water packed tuna

2 tbsp liquid from tuna

¼ red onion, finely diced

¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped

1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly pounded in with a mortar and pestle

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Spinach leaves to taste

2 whole wheat pitas

 

Toss the onion, dill, caraway seeds together in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Drain the tuna and reserve the required amount of liquid.

Add the tuna, liquid and oil to the bowl.  Flake up the tuna and then mix everything gently until coated.  Taste and season again if needed.

Set each pita on a plate and layer with spinach leaves.  Divide the tuna evenly between the two pitas and serve.

“Did you drain this?” My husband inquired.  I think sometimes he might still prefer the standard mayo-laced blend.

“Yup, but I left some in.”  I replied, because what I love most about my tuna salads (because this isn’t the only one I make) is that I don’t use mayonnaise.  I prefer not to. 

Ironically, I have a vat of the fat-free stuff in my fridge that I rarely use unless if we’re having burgers.   There it sits though whilst I pilfer my stock of good oils and drizzle them with gladness over my food. 

This thought makes me smile.

Warning though, oils are still fats so watch your measurements.  This recipe could probably use 1 less measurement of oil, but I love my tuna salads moist enough to go down easy; the third measurement is sort of a bonus for flavour.  There’s nothing worse than having it taste like sawdust, which canned tuna usually does.  With some help though, canned tuna can be transformed into something bright and glistening.

 

So, I’m back.  I’m even back into the full swing of working out.  Work is getting under control and I’m returning to normal.  The unfortunate part is that I hurt myself recently.  I felt good exercising the last couple of days, overdid it and strained my back.  It’s sore and not cooperating.  I brazenly started my morning with the 10 Minute Trainer yoga workout.  It was a grunt workout (meaning, lots of grunting from back spasms between vinyasas).   By noon though, I decided that I wasn’t going to leave today with just a yoga workout. 

Yeah, I was still feeling good.

I threw in the 10 Minute Trainer 2 upper body workout and ended the day off feeling accomplished, biceps popping, face grinning. 

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April 18, 2011

Smoked Salmon Linguini

 

Going out for pasta can be over-rated.  Think about it.  Why would you pay $19 for a plate of pasta that you could make easily at home? 

If you’re like me, I am drawn to non-creamy pastas. They are better for your health and waistline.  Besides, you don’t need that Alfredo sauce and pasta has got to be the easiest dish ever.  All you need is the pasta and the stuff you want to toss it in.  Easier said than done?  Maybe, if you hate cooking, but if you love it and have a knack for it then this is an easy 15 minute deal that leads to a good lunch on a Sunday or a sophisticated dinner on date night.

Smoked Salmon Linguini
Yields 4 servings

1 fistful of dried linguini
½ cup of capers, roughly chopped
½ cup of dill, finely chopped
4 cups of spinach leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Parmigiano reggiano (optional)
12 oz of sliced smoked salmon lox 

Boil the pasta in salt water in a large pot until al dente.  Blanch the spinach with the pasta until they just wilt and are bright green.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta and spinach in a colander.

Using the same pot, warm the olive oil over medium low heat.  Working quickly, add the capers, lemon juice and pasta (including the spinach).  Toss the pasta thoroughly.  Add 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to thicken the slight sauce that is forming.  Add the dill and toss thoroughly.  If the pasta is drying out, add another 2 more tablespoons of the pasta water.  Add the zest to the pasta and toss again.   

Taste the pasta. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Arrange the smoke salmon around the edge of each plate.  Serve the pasta in the center of each plate topped with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.

March 27, 2011

West Coast Salad

Sometimes an item on a restaurant’s menu can suddenly disappear because somehow, not enough people order that dish.  I can see why though because sometimes the ingredients just sound odd together… blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and feta?   In a salad?  With a citrus vinaigrette?  And shrimp?  The first inkling would be, ew, what a weird combination.

Oh, but it was so delicious, this salad that I had at Earls last summer.  Sadly, they removed it and it is not to be.

That won’t stop me though.  I made my own version of it and I just love the savoury, briny, shrimpy and peppery citrus taste.  In the spirit of March, and given that it’s still snowing where I live, here’s to Spring, a rare occasion, and to trying something new and adapting to new fresh and healthy flavours.

West Coast Salad
Yields 2 servings (or 4 small servings)

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups of mixed baby greens
½ cup of walnuts
½ cup of light feta, crumbled
¼ cup of blueberries, washed
¼ cup of raspberries, washed
¼ cup of strawberries, trimmed and sliced (optional)
1 tbsp sunflower oil (or any light cooking oil)

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

2 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice
1 tsp grapefruit zest
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette until emulsified.  Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.  Careful with adding salt since the feta will be salty as well.  Set aside.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel.  Heat a non-stick skillet with the sunflower
oil until the oil just starts to smoke.  Add the shrimp to the pan and spread them out without overcrowding.  Sprinkly salt and pepper over the shrimp and sear them until lightly browned on both sides.  Transfer the shrimp to a bowl to let cool.


Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.  Heat the pan until hot.  Break up the walnuts into halves and add them to the pan.  Toast the walnuts until they start to brown.  Pour the walnuts into the vinaigrette.

Add the shrimp, greens, fruit and feta to the bowl.  Toss when ready to serve.

In my version I cheated and used a grapefruit infused olive oil instead of the homemade grapefruit vinaigrette.  Both methods yield a very tasty and robust salad that is both light and pleasing in all ways sweet and salty.   I learned a lot though through this one lovely salad and that while trying to stay healthy and in tip top shape, don’t knock new flavours that don’t seem all that normal at first.  For me, flavour has become an obsession after embarking on my lifestyle change.  This was a favourite for me while I was leaning up for the summer last year for my beach vacation.  I hope you enjoy it!

July 2, 2010

Shrimp & Potato Salad with Roasted Corn

 

Today is a much deserved day off for me considering the long work week and that today is Canada Day.  To celebrate such a wonderful day, I slept in until late morning, woke up and lounged around while I had breakfast, watched a marathon of Bobby Flay shows, took my dose of Tony Horton, gardened and then cooked up some good summer food.

Tough life eh?

Too bad Chris had to work though.  The man works almost every holiday there is. That is the life of retail, which, in my opinion, is somewhat backwards despite how much I like to shop on weekends and holidays myself. Nevertheless, if I were told one day that shops would be closed every Sunday and statutory holiday, I would rejoice. It would mean a better lifestyle, don’t you think?  Perhaps the pretty summer days we’re having are making me delirious. The occasional thought of exiting this rat race is healthy though.  It’s an exercise that should be practiced to return to the centre of life… or if you’re like me, watching a slew of cooking shows is good enough therapy.

During my “therapy” a recipe screamed out at me. It was a lobster potato salad that Bobby was making on his show.  The thing that appealed most to me was the cilantro in the recipe. You don’t understand, I LOVE CILANTRO.  “You like cilantro in everything.” Chris said as he munched away at dinner.  Indeed, I do.

Shrimp & Potato Salad with Roasted Corn
Yields 4 servings.

5 – 6 cups small potatoes, halved
1 lb of shrimp, deveined, shell on
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
5 cups frozen corn
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp light cooking oil

Preheat the oven at 430 F.  Toss the potatoes in a roasting pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 50 minutes or until crispy and brown on the outside.  Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

Spread the corn on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at the same temperature for 20 minutes until slightly browned.  Remove from heat and transfer to another bowl.

Arrange the shrimp on a baking sheet. Season with salt and roast in the oven at the same temperature for 10 – 15 minutes until done.  Watch the shrimp closely nearing 10 minutes to make sure you do not overcook them.  Remove them from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Peel the shrimp and transfer to the same bowl containing the potatoes.

Heat the light cooking oil in a skillet over high heat. Sautee the onions and garlic until they are soft and slight brown. Toss with the roasted corn and season with salt.

Whisk the remaining olive oil with the Dijon, whole grain mustard and white vinegar in a bowl.  Toss with the warm potatoes, shrimp and cilantro until coated.  Serve with the roasted corn.

There was one thing I missed in my recipe that I think I will have to try next time and that is honey.  Bobby’s recipe uses a bit of honey to round out the dressing for the potato salad where in mine, I missed this altogether while I jotted down the ingredients quickly during the show. Still, the salad turned out great and for once, Chris and I went back for seconds even though seconds isn’t common for us anymore. 

After dinner, while Chris went off to the first Stamps game of the season, I continued to celebrate my Canada Day at home with a glass of wine out on the warm deck and a good book.  The evening passed and The Stamps won 30 – 16 tonight. It’s been a great Canada Day.

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