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salmon burger

Maturing Taste Buds

by Jenn (j3nn.net) on August 18, 2010

Not so long ago I couldn’t imagine being satisfied by and actually enjoying a meal that consisted of a salmon burger dressed with nothing but a grainy mustard and a robust salad on the side. These days, it seems that the things that I crave the most are the least complicated, which doesn’t always make for the most exciting food blogging, lol. Nonetheless, simple and mundane can also be tasty and picture-worthy. :)

Yesterday’s lunch: Salmon burger on these fabulous 100% stone-ground whole wheat rolls that I picked up at Shop Rite and a tossed salad in an obnoxiously large bowl. :lol:

I put some very stubborn avocado on top–it didn’t want to come out of its skin! As if parts of it weren’t ripe enough. Oops! I’m still alive, so no harm done. hehe

LOVE these rolls! Very simple ingredients: whole wheat flour, yeast, water–no preservatives, so I have to freeze them right away or they’ll be moldy within 24 hours. I learned that the hard way, lol. The nutritional facts say 100 calories for 1 unit, 6 units per bag, but I weighed them to verify the weight and each “unit” was actually 1 and a half servings. No big deal, but a little deceptive if you are going by volume and not weight. This is my favorite kind of lunch (or breakfast, or dinner–lol).

This morning I decided to open one of the three packages of tempeh I’ve had in the fridge since… forever, and use them up before they expired. The first time I tried tempeh, I didn’t like it–at all! But since then my taste buds have matured and become much more tolerant towards a variety of new tastes and textures. I think tempeh bacon really opened this door for me, LOL. So: I cut the block of 3 grain tempeh in 3 parts and used one for a sandwich.

This picture looks so… green! LOL

In a nonstick pan, I added 1 teaspoon EVOO, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, thinly sliced red onion, and green bell pepper and let it cook down a bit before adding in a chunk of tempeh. I browned the tempeh on each side, then placed it on a whole wheat roll with the peppers + onions. Before I ate it, I put some no salt added mustard on it. Along with a Granny Smith apple, this was a yummy yet unorthodox breakfast, per usual. :P

Tempeh (fermented soy bean “cake”) has a nutty, bland, and slightly bitter flavor on its own. And while I don’t have much experience eating or cooking it, I hear there are many ways to flavor it. Lots of people eat it straight up raw, but I think I prefer it heated. Who knows, maybe that preference will change in the future like so many other things, lol.

Question: Which foods do you like now that you never dreamed you would have liked 5-10 years ago?

Tagged as: no salt added mustard, salad, salmon burger, sandwiches, tempeh, whole wheat rolls

{ 13 comments }

Slim Sandwiches and Fluffy Salads

by Jenn (j3nn.net) on July 29, 2010

I’m really into sandwich “thins” lately. They’re just so ideal to hold a full-size sandwich for so few calories. I was excited to find Harvest Pride Slim Buns at Shop Rite the other day: they’re just 80 calories and 120mg sodium each! Of course they’re very thin, but they do the job and they aren’t mini sodium bombs like others tend to be. I still love big, fluffy bread, but it’s hard to keep my sodium under 1500mg/day and make a sandwich when the bread accounts for 300-400mg sodium. :? So sometimes I compromise fluffiness for the sake of saving sodium. But as far as I’m concerned, all sandwiches are the bee’s knees! hehe

Slim salmon burger + fluffy side salad

  • Tossed salad: bed of mixed spring greens (I LOVE frisee! why can’t I find it sold solo??), plum tomato, red onion, cucumber, Lindsay low sodium black olives, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, black pepper, AlsoSalt
  • ~3oz salmon fillet drizzled with liquid smoke and a little EVOO grilled on George Foreman grill on a Harvest Pride Slim Bun (80 cal) with no salt added mustard (5 cal)

Calories: 370-400 calories

Fruity Tooty Udi’s Breakfast

I just had to try an Udi’s gluten free double chocolate muffin that I bought at Mother Earth’s a few weeks ago. And just like their blueberry muffin, it did not disappoint in the least. It was incredible! I defrosted one the night before and had it with a bowl of yogurt + fresh fruit and some raw slivered almonds…

Gorgeous fresh strawberries

Perfect texture, perfect flavor. Better than gluten muffins? Big maybe! You can’t even tell that they’re gluten-free, so I’d say that they’re definitely on the same level as a very delicious, moist gluten muffin. Yum!!

  • 1/2 cup Chobani 0% plain Greek strained yogurt with 1 medium banana (110 cal), 4 large strawberries (25 cal), ~TBSP raw slivered almonds (45 cal)
  • 1 Udi’s gluten free double chocolate muffin (270 cal, has chocolate chips in them!!)

Calories: 520

Udi’s has raised the bar on gluten-free baked goods. So far everything I have tried is amazing. I’m hoping in the future they’ll come out with hot dog and hamburger buns and lower sodium options. I’ll keep my fingers crossed! ;)

Back problems

I haven’t been able to workout due to excruciating back pain. I think my walk on the rough terrain triggered a bout of sciatica or I might have a disk problem. Back problems run rampant on both sides of my family, in fact, I think almost everyone in my family has or has had major back problems. My father, mother, both grandmothers, aunts — geez, everyone! :( I have the worst pain in my lower back on the right side. Sometimes it subsides, but if I move the wrong way the pain takes my breath away. It’s gotten better in the past 24 hours, to a certain degree. When I lie down in bed, it flares up, but then I wake up feeling better. It really sucks that trying to make myself healthier resulted in even more discomfort. If the pain persists I’m going to try to get an MRI or something, but my MD is on vacation until next week, so we’ll see. I’m going to take it easy and try to keep movement to a minimum. Blah, always something, lol.

Tummy is rumbling, time to eat!! :D

Tagged as: Chobani 0% Greek strained plain yogurt, Harvest Pride slim buns, Lindsay low sodium black olives, no salt added mustard, salad, salmon burger, Udi's gluten free double chocolate muffins

{ 12 comments }

Just Like Riding A Bike

by Jenn (j3nn.net) on July 22, 2010

My transition back into eating cooked foods was seamless. No problems at all, it was just like riding a bike. Except I’m riding a bicycle built for two this week because Aunt Flo and her heavy luggage decided to join me for the ride. :evil: Figures, I lose a lot of puffiness last week and here she comes immediately after. :roll: *sigh* I haven’t gained back any of the weight I lost, though. Mainly because I am being diligent about watching my sodium intake. I also haven’t felt up to working out since she rolled into town, but I’m hoping to get a workout in this evening.

There were a few things I was craving all last week when I was eating a primarily raw food diet. I’m happy to report that I fulfilled most of them this week.

#1 – Mock potato salad made with cauliflower instead of potatoes

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 3 hard boiled eggs
  • 1/2 cup Hellmann’s olive oil mayo
  • About a TBSP yellow mustard
  • Half of a small red onion, diced
  • Fresh or dry parsley
  • Paprika
  • Black pepper
  • Salt, optional (I used AlsoSalt salt substitute)

Makes 8-12 servings

1. Cup up the head of cauliflower into medium sized pieces; about the size of a potato in potato salad. Do not overcook the cauliflower. Steam it until it’s soft, but still firm enough to stand up to tossing around with other ingredients.
2. Let cauliflower drain well, remove as much water from it as possible; let cool for about 10-15 minutes at room temperature
3. Mix cauliflower, mayo, onion, eggs, spices, and whatever other veggies you want to add together
4. Sprinkle with more paprika on top once mixed together

Note: I planned to add green onions and carrots to it, but it slipped my mind at the last minute.

This was REALLY good! Obviously it’s not exactly like potato salad, but it’s a great lower calorie, lower carb version that’s perfect for summer cookouts. Plus it’s vegetarian and an extra tasty source of veggies. :)

Eating a lot of raw vegetarian foods last week drove me straight into the arms of meat, namely BEEF! lol Gawd, I ate more meat this week than I usually do, or would like to for that matter. :? My breakfast on Monday morning was steak and a salad. I can’t get enough fresh salads! It just needs some cooked components along with it to make my belly completely happy. :)

It was a wee bit on the charred side, but I ate around that being it was mainly fatty parts that I wouldn’t eat anyway. My mom is the grillmaster in our house, and boy does she love charring things, lol. This was beef tenderloin, but it wasn’t the greatest cut of meat, so it was just alright.

Now the salad, that was AWESOME! I finally opened the package of Melissa’s steamed beets that I bought at Price Chopper awhile back. There’s no salt added to them, which makes them perfect! I used an entire bag of mixed greens, I was greedy. :P I always see beets paired with goat cheese, so I gave it a try and loved it! Tossed in EVOO + red wine vinegar = YUM

Soooo purdy!

#2 – Salmon burger!!

Along with a giant mound of leafy greens tossed in EVOO + red wine vinegar + black pepper, and mock potato salad…

Just a little bit of yellow mustard on mine. Nothing else, simple deliciousness. I took most of the inside out of my roll. They said they were only 90 calories for 2.6oz, but when I weighed it they were 3.5oz, so I gutted it until it got down to 2.6oz. ;) I wasn’t worried about the calories, but the sodium adds up just as quickly.

<3 LOVED! <3

#3 – Pasta e Fagioli (pasta fazool – pasta with beans)

This would have been vegan, except I used Campbell’s pork and beans and mixed it with a can of Eden organic no salt added pinto beans to cut the sodium in half. It still tastes just as good. Wish food manufacturers would take a hint from me: food doesn’t need astronomical amounts of sodium to taste good!!!!

Big bowl of mixed greens with black pepper; I added EVOO + red wine vinegar after the pictures.

I was hungry, so I had 3oz of ziti. Nothing like a big bowl of warm pasta on a cloudy day. YUM!

I might have added a few heaping TBSP of grated cheese before I ate it. ;) So delicious! Kept me full for hours. Incidentally, pasta + beans makes a (verrrry carby) complete protein.

#4 – More beef! Homemade hamburger

Being I’m watching my sodium very closely, I used Heinz no salt added ketchup and opted for 2 slices of Harvest Pride no salt added (toasted) white bread (120 cal) so I could have a serving of dill pickle sandwich toppers. Mmmm! My burger was 96% lean ground beef, but I wasn’t crazy about it. I like turkey, salmon, and veggie burgers way more than beef burgers. It was still good, though. My sides were fabulous, too. Orange + red grape tomatoes tossed in a little EVOO, red wine vinegar, AlsoSalt, and black pepper, and some mock potato salad that no one else was interested in. :( Oh well, more for me!

#4 – A Vegetarian Tofurky Reuben!!

I typically don’t eat “diet foods” anymore, but I remembered how awesome this Beefsteak light rye bread is for just 80 calories, 220mg sodium for TWO slices!! Hard to beat that when all you want is the flavor. It was also the lowest sodium rye bread I could find outside of baking my own, so do I feel bad about eating “light bread”? Pfft. NOOOOOOO! :P I think it’s friggin’ awesome.

The best organic cherries I have had in a long time! They were so crisp and flavorful, YUM!

Plus a side of mock ‘tater salad. I’m telling ya, I’m the only one who will go near it. YAY! hahaha

Vegetarian Tofurky Reuben on Light Rye Bread

  • 2 slices Beefsteak rye bread (80 cal) or any rye bread will do
  • 4 slices Tofurky warmed up in the microwave with 1 slice Sargento reduced fat Swiss cheese (60 cal) and 2 TBSP sauerkraut until cheese melts
  • Dressing: 1/2 TBSP Hellmann’s olive oil mayo (25 cal), 1 TBSP sweet relish (15 cal), 1/2 TBSP Heinz no salt added ketchup (10 cal)

1 sandwich, 275 calories

Place warm Tofurky, Swiss, and sauerkraut on bread, then spread on dressing.

So easy, SOOOO delicious! Not exactly a ginormous NY deli style Reuben, but it tasted amazing and satisfied my craving without nearly as much sodium as a deli or restaurant sandwich would have been. LOVED it! I will definitely keep this in my sandwich rotation. :D

By the way, I got my replacement Canon Rebel 50mm lens 2 Fridays ago, but haven’t used it yet! What am I waiting for?? I’m probably subconsciously worried about breaking it and trying to preserve it, lol. I’m such a weirdo!

Anyway, so like I said, going back to cooked foods was easy, but I wanted to mention some other things about my raw diet experiment:

Raw Diet Takeaway Points

  • I’ve been practicing–and I do mean practicing–intuitive eating for a long time now. I haven’t always been successful at it, but eating a primarily raw diet last week really got me in touch with my hunger. When I was hungry, I was actually hungry and not just bored. I experienced very little “I’m bored” nibbling last week mainly because whenever I ate something, it was completely healthy with the exception of raw agave gelato. :P I feel that I reached a new level of peace with eating, and now I focus on eating what I want, when I am truly hungry. I won’t always get it perfect or hit the right balance, but it’s a step in the right direction.
  • Nuts are high in omea-6′s, and you need to find enough omega-3 sources for an optimal balance. One of the major, less talked about raw diet issues.
  • In just 7 short days, I found that it changed my food preferences in the sense that I gravitate towards the veggies, especially salad, part of my meals more than ever. I’ve always enjoyed a hearty salad, but lately I want one with every meal I have. I think about having peanut butter and jelly AND a big leafy green salad, lol. It’s awesome.
  • I want fruit more than ever and have cut way down on other desserts. I haven’t had a cookie in 2 weeks, I’d rather have a banana or a pear lately, if anything at all. That isn’t ALWAYS the case, but again, I think it’s a positive change. I don’t know how long that will last, but any improvement, even temporary, is cool.
  • I’d like to say I had extraordinary physical changes, but during the semi-raw diet week, I actually broke out in acne in places of my face that I NEVER get a zit! And there weren’t any noticeable changes in my digestive issues. Plus I felt low on energy in general.

Who knows, maybe I’ll do raw food cycling where I eat high raw every other day for a few weeks. Summertime is the best time to do it when fresh produce is in abundance. We’ll see, so many possibilities! I love experimenting and changing things up, keeps food and its preparation interesting. :) But to reiterate, a raw diet is definitely not for me, but I’ll still flirt with it now and then. hehe

I better get going if I want to get a workout in tonight. We’re meeting up my cousin early in the morning and we’re not on an early morning schedule, lol. This should be interesting.

Tagged as: beef tenderloin, beets, cauliflower potato salad, cauliflower salad, goat cheese, grape tomato salad, hamburger, mock potato salad, salad, salmon burger

{ 7 comments }

Let Freedom Ring Today and Everyday

July 6, 2010 Holidays

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July holiday weekend!!! We tried to take it easy, hence my absence from blogging. In the past few years I have truly come to value our great nation’s freedom and independence, and I am humbled by all of the men and women who have served our country [...]

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