Seafood Salad Pockets with Homemade Potato Chips

I was lucky enough to come across some free jumbo shrimp, and lobster tail, and wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it.  As much as I enjoy both seafood options by themselves, I wanted to make it a whole meal, as opposed to something that my husband and I picked at sitting at the dinner table.  With summer in the air, I decided that it would be a nice treat to have a nice seafood pocket with some potato chips.  *GASP* Potato chips???  Yes, potato is not bad for you, and chips are not bad for you, if you don't go dropping the chips in a giant fryer.  

Although I typically substitute Fat-free Greek yogurt for mayo, every once in a while I have to feed my husband textures and tastes of "real food" in order to satiate his sandwich needs.  *GASP*  Mayonnaise???  Yes, given the right mayo, (I use an Olive Oil based mayo), in a small quantity, it can give you the flavors and textures you crave, without all the crap that's in your typical full-fat mayonnaise.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp, cooked, shelled and de-veined
1 Lobster tail, cooked, and shelled
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Olive oil based Mayonnaise
1 Celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Dill
1 Russet potato, thinly sliced
Non-stick Olive Oil spray
1 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 c. Baby spinach
2 Whole-wheat pockets

To prepare the seafood salad, place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until you reach a desired consistency.  I like mine small because I keep the lobster chopped into larger chunks, in order to keep the lobster the main texture of the sandwich.  In a medium bowl, place the shrimp, chunked lobster, salt, pepper, mayo, celery, lemon juice and dill and mix.  Season to your liking.  Cut your pocket in half, place your spinach leaves, and spoon in however much seafood salad you would like.  I made a sandwich for both my husband and I, and still had some left over to eat on a regular salad the next day.

To prepare the potato chips, preheat oven on 350 degrees, and thoroughly wash the potato.  When the potato has dried, cut off a small part of one end, take a mandoline slicer set at 1/8" slice, and slice your potato.  Watch your fingers!  If you don't have a mandoline, you can always slice them with a sharp knife, however, unless you're a trained chef (which I am not) getting the slices thin enough for them to bake like real chips is very, very difficult.  

In a bowl, toss the potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place them on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow to cook for 12 minutes.  Turn the slices over, and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, checking on them periodically to see if they have browned.  If you want them nice and crispy, you'll want to see them really browned, otherwise the chips will be soggy and chewy.   Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve with your seafood salad pocket, or the sandwich of your choice.  

You can also use this chip recipe with sweet potatoes, if you want an even healthier version.  I just so happened to have used my sweet potato the day before for grilled wedges, so I went with regular potatoes, which was nice because it felt like a day at the beach eating this sandwich with these chips.  

Mediterranean Tilapia Sandwiches

Ahh Giada, how I love your ability to provide recipes that I can so easily transform into a clean sandwich.  The original recipe for this sandwich uses halibut instead of tilapia, but as I was in a fish store, and forgot what type of fish I needed to execute the dish, I went with tilapia, came home, looked up the recipe, and realized it was halibut.  What is a girl to do except try it with a different fish?  And so, substituting tilapia for halibut, and removing the mayonnaise and replacing it with Fat Free Greek yogurt, I put my mixing bowls and saute pan to work, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.   What was created was yet another dish that my husband and I sat eating, and with every bite just made moaning noises about how exceptional the sandwich was.  Might I add, nothing compares to toasting bread brushed with Olive Oil, and then rubbed with fresh cut garlic.  It will change your sandwich eating world forever!

Ingredients:

Fish:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 (12-ounce) or 2 (6-ounce) center-cut tilapia fillets, skinned
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

Bread:

• 1 loaf whole grain ciabatta bread, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Filling:

• 3 heaping tablespoons Fat Free Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach

To cook the fish, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about four minutes on each side in a saute pan pre-heated to medium.  Allow the fish to cool for about ten to fifteen minutes.  

For the bread: Preheat a grill pan or a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove some of the dough from the top half of the bread. Brush the cut-sides of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, and rub the cooked surface with the cut side of the garlic.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, capers,lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

Using a fork, flake the cooked fish and add to the filling. Mix until incorporated. Place the filling on the bottom half of the bread. Top with arugula. Add the top half of the bread and cut into 4 equal-sized sandwiches.

Cinco de Mayo Mexi-Burger

I feel like Joey on Friends.  As I'm looking through my pictures, there has recently been a whole lot of burgers and sandwiches.  I'm not sure where this sudden urge to make sandwiches came from, but apparently, I was feeling the burger/sandwich craving the last couple weeks.  

The idea for this burger came from a recipe book, but morphed into my own little creation when I made my own salsa, and mixed it right into my ground turkey meat.  It made for a very light, citrus-flavored meat, as opposed to traditional savory burger.  

Ingredients:
2 Vine ripe tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Yellow onion, diced
Zest of 1/2 Lime
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Sea salt and fresh ground Black Pepper
1lb. Ground turkey breast
4 Slices of Mexican cheese, your choice
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Vine ripe tomato, sliced
1 c. Baby spinach
4 Multi-grain Sandwich Flats

Take the first seven ingredients and mix them well in a bowl.  Let them marinate in your fridge for up to one hour.  Then, form them into four patties and either grill them, or pan sear them.  Turkey should be cooked through, so depending on the size of your burgers I would say about 5 minutes on each side.  As Bobby Flay would say, any burger should only be turned once, and don't go squishing down on the poor thing, squeezing all of the yummy juices out of it!  Leave the darn thing alone, flip it, and in the last minute, throw your cheese on to melt.  As with any meat, let your burger rest so that all the juices can get nice and comfy inside your burger. 

Set up your burger "bun" (or muti-grain flats) with your avocado slices, tomato slices, and spinach.  Top it with your Mexi-Burger, and voila, a nice light, refreshing turkey burger, that tastes more like spring, than the weighed-down, greasy BBQ burger you're used to.

On a side note, because there is lime juice, and tomato in the burger, you'll find that they do release a fair amount of juices while you're eating them, so make sure you keep your napkin close by, and don't attempt to make this your lunch while you're driving down 495 in your car.

Salmon Melts

I like to melt cheese on anything, therefore being able to eat salmon, a Powerfood, and then melt some cheese on it, made it me a happy little cook.  The original recipe in The Best of Clean Eating states that the recipe yields 6 sandwiches.  I'm not sure what 3 year old is eating these sandwiches, but there is no way this amount of meat yields six servings. I will say you can get four good servings out of this dish, and remember, when you get your fish, it's weighed with the skin on, so get a little over half a pound.  

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Salmon fillet

1 large Carrot, peeled and shredded

2 Celery Stalks, trimmed and diced

1 Medium yellow onion, finely diced

6 oz. nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3/4tsp dried dill

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp. Spanish paprika

Seas salt and fresh ground black pepper

8 slices of Food for Life Sprouted 7 Grains Bread

1 Roma tomatoes, sliced

4 Slices low-fat Provolone cheese

Cook your salmon fillet in a non-stick skillet on medium, meat side down, for two minutes.  Flip and cook skin side down for two minutes (you can do longer if you prefer your meat cooked all the way through).  Remove the fillet from the skillet, let the meat cool, and remove the skin and discard.  

In a large bowl, use a fork to flake the salmon.  Add the carrot, celery and onion to the salmon.  Stir to combine.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard, dill, lemon zest and juice and paprika.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour yogurt mixture over salmon-vegetable mixture and stir until well-combined.  

Toast your bread in the toaster, and preheat your broiler to high.

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet, and divide the tomato slices evenly among the bread slices.  Top eat slice with the salmon-vegetable mixture, dividing evenly.  Place the cheese slices on top of the salmon mixture.  Broil on high for three minutes.  Remove from heat, top with four remaining slices of toast and serve immediately.  

When I used the left over meat for these sandwiches, I actually saved it in a tupperware, and then repeated the prep and broiling process before I ate it again.  I would suggest this approach if you think you're going to reuse your left overs in this fashion, because it will keep your bread from getting soggy and mushy.  The meat itself is fantastic should you decide to have a sandwich one day, and then place it on top of a salad the next.  

Bad-Ass Bison Burgers

I love a good burger, but I very rarely CRAVE a burger to the point of breaking.  My husband however, can dream about a good burger for an entire month, waiting until he feels he "deserves" his burger and then sits down at a restaurant, napkin in hand, with fingers ready for french fry dipping. 

The idea of trying the bison burger came primarily out of the fact that I was finishing up a round of P90X, and I wanted to go to Kimball's Farm to get ice cream, and I had been planning this for about a month.  Three days prior to this, my husband turned to me and said, I know you want to get ice cream, but I really want a Gibbet burger.  Well, too bad for him. I wasn't coming into work on my day off, when I was supposed to be eating ice cream, so that he could have a burger.  And so, to the ground bison I went to satiate his burger craving.  

Ingredients:

16 oz. Ground bison meat
2 Bakery whole wheat ciabatta rolls, toasted
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
1/2 Yellow onion
3/4 c. Chopped mushroom
Cheese of your choice
1 Roma tomato
1/2 c. Romaine lettuce

I'm sure, by know, you're all aware that I grill my meat as often as  possible, so of course this is the cooking approach that I took with the bison burger itself.  The only ingredients I add to the meat is the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and I then form the meat into two patties (yeah, I like an 8 oz. burger, no matter how unnecessary that may be).  Prior to throwing the bison on the grill, I caramelized the onion and mushroom by sauteing them in a non-stick pan over medium heat, so it would be ready to place on the burger as soon as the burger is done.  

While the bison is cooking on the grill, spray the buns with a little bit of olive oil, and throw them on the grill to toast.  Because bison is an extremely lean meat, the recommended temperature for the meat is between medium rare or medium.  If you prefer your meat more done than this, I would warn you that bison tends to get dry and tasteless once you go too far into medium well.  Both myself and my husband have grilled meat in restaurants, so as far as temperature goes, we can tell how far along the meat is just by touch and look, but use a meat thermometer if you need to.  

Once the meat hits medium rare, I top the burger with the mushroom and onion, and then place the cheese on top to melt (in this case I used a goat chevre, although on my husbands, I used a Swiss cheese).  I then placed some chopped Romaine lettuce and sliced Roma tomato to the bun, and then took a giant bite into one of the best burgers I've probably every had.  My husband actually looked at me after his first two bites and said, "I could never eat a ground beef burger again, and totally be OK with it!"     

The reality is, that bison meat is far more expensive than ground beef (about $8 for a pound of bison), but you are paying for the health benefits of bison, and when you see the comparison of fats and nutrients to several other meats, it's obvious why bison can be the better choice.  

National Bison Association

Turkey Burrito with Avocado Salsa

This is, hands down, my husbands favorite dish that I make.  Yesterday we were on our way to the grocery store, and he was talking about how the fridge had nothing in it.  I replied that it just felt that way because it wasn't jammed full of tupperware.  He replied that there was so much stuff we needed that was missing .  I laughed and asked what was missing.  He then replied, "Well, I know it's missing turkey burritos!" 

And that it was.  The funny thing is, the turkey burrito was born much out of happenstance, where I had all the ingredients, and husband wanted to feel like he was eating "real food."  It pretty much evolved from a turkey scramble (ground turkey mixed with a bunch of different vegetables and rice) to what is now a staple in our household: The Epic Turkey Burrito

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Wraps
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 Onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste
I can Black Beans, rinsed
1 c. Quinoa, cooked
1 Roma Tomato, diced
1/2 Avocado, diced
1/4 c. Corn
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 Jalapeno, diced
Non-fat cheddar cheese
Non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 c. Romaine lettuce

I saute the onions first to make sure that they are nice and carmalized.  I then add the ground turkey and cook through, seasoning with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste.  In the meantime I prepare my quinoa to package directions.  When the turkey is cooked through, I add the black beans, and quinoa to the pan and heat until everything is warmed through.

Ahead of time I prepare the Avocado salsa by taking the Roma tomato, avocado, corn, lemon juice, and jalapeno and mixing in a small bowl.  I also add salt and pepper to this to taste. 

To prepare the burrito, I warm the tortilla or wrap in the microwave for 15 seconds, and start to top first with Fat-free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, lettuce, Non-fat Cheddar cheese, the avocado salsa, and then the turkey mixture.  After this, you just do your best to fit it all in the wrap, and keep a paper towel close by to sop up the mess that result from eating.  

I also love this dish because it makes left overs for at least a day or two, and if you run out of wraps, or just don't feel like adding the extra carbs to the dish, you can always do what husband and I do, which is turn it into, what we like to call, Turkey Burrito Bowl.  

  

Italian Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

The Portobello made it's way into our lives through a grilling day when my husband and I were trying a Bobby Flay recipe of marinated pork tenderloin and some steak or another, and I made it as a side dish on top of some greens with some sort of dressing (we'll get back to this recipe at another time).  Anyway, my husband turned to me and said, "I can see how people can eat these as burgers.  They're so hearty and delicious."  What's that husband?  You'll eat them in sandwiches?  Ummm, done and done!

In making the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich delicious, one has to realize that the seasoning for the mushroom itself, when roasted, makes the vegetable worth eating and very savory.  I came across a recipe in Clean Food by Terry Walters (an unbelievable read if you're looking for great seasonal recipes), saw the ingredients, and couldn't resist.  

I take Oregano, Basil, and Parsley and chop it all up.  How much you need really depends on how many mushrooms you're preparing.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  I brush all of the dirt off of the mushroom and take out the stem.  I then rub olive oil on the tops, and place them top down in a baking dish.  On the bottoms place all of your herbs mixed together with some salt and pepper.  Roast them for 10 minutes (more or less depending on the size of the mushrooms).  I then take the Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, spread either Dijon mustard, or hummus if I have it in the house, on the bread, and on the bottom slice place thinly sliced tomatoes, topped with the Portobello mushroom, topped with thinly sliced avocado and then topped with the other slice of bread.  

It's up there with one of the best sandwiches I have ever made.  You should try it out if you haven't used Portobello mushrooms as the "meat" in your sandwich before!   

The Better Monte Cristo with Kale Chips 

Once upon a time, my relationship with kale went no further than a steakhouse restaurant, where it was beaten into our heads "NO KALE, NO SALE!"  In this atmosphere, kale was used as a garnish; a pretty green flower-looking plant that decorated the plate full of bacon, butter, and steak.  Well, imagine my shock and surprise when I learned that people actually ate kale!  

I'm the first to admit, that with many greens, I'm not such a huge fan, primarily because the not so popular ones: kale, Swiss chard, endive and such, were not introduced to us in our household, and therefore I had no idea that they even existed, never mind that they could be eaten as a side.  However, the fact is, these yummy greens have nothing but great vitamins and nutrients to offer us, and so, they have made their way into my household in many different varieties.

The Better Monte Cristo Sandwich was a no-brainer.  I like turkey or chicken, Dijon mustard, spinach, pear and low-fat Swiss cheese and I definitely like it more when it's been dipped in egg and milk and then pan-fried.  So, when I saw it in The Best of Clean Eating, I thought, "Yes, please!"

Again, I use Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, place spinach on the bottom slice, place thinly sliced pear on top of the spinach, place thinly sliced turkey or chicken, top it with Swiss cheese, spread some Dijon mustard on the top slice, close that puppy on up and dip it in an egg white and milk mixture (I use WestSoy Unsweetened Milk) with some cayenne pepper.  Spray your pan with some non-stick spray, heat at medium, and cook on both sides. 

When it comes to the protein in the sandwich, I've done this with grilled meat because I buy the large packages of the already sliced chicken, and cook it all at once.  It's not necessary, but I will say that it adds a large amount of flavor.  Use whatever meat you want, but grilled meat = yummy meat!

So I guess the main problem with just the sandwich, is that who wants a delish sandwich with no chips?  And as much as I love baked pita chips, and all the other options there are out there for those similar products, they are not vegetables, and they are usually filled with a carb load that is unnecessary when you're already eating a sandwich.  And so, the research of the kale chip was born.

Important note.  When you wash your kale, do it hours before you plan on baking them.  If they are at all wet when you oil them, you will end up with a chip that is chewy and kind of gross.  When clean, pull out the inner rib and rip into bite size pieces. Once they are dry, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a LARGE bowl (and capitalize this because one bunch of kale is going to produce more chips than you think you can handle) mix together two tablespoons of Olive Oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Throw in your kale, toss it around to make sure all the leaves are coated, and lay them out in a single layer on a LARGE baking sheet.  Cook for about 15 minutes, but as you get nearer to the finish time, check on them, because they can go from really delicious chips to ashes in your mouth within a two minute span. You'll know they're about done when you see them browning around the edges.  And, the really great part is that you can use whatever seasoning you want.  Get creative and have fun.  

Isn't it great that your sandwich sidekick is also a Superfood sidekick?  I'd say so! 

My Love of Ricotta: The Strawberry Ricotta Almond Breakfast Sandwich

So those of you who know me, know that I have a never ending, sick obsessive, ridiculous relationship with ricotta.  Call it a genetic Italian trait, or what you will, but I will find any possible way to fit ricotta into breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Luckily for me, ricotta's natural whey makes it something I am able to fit into much of my cooking, and thanks to The Abs Diet Cookbook this recipe was one of the first breakfast ricotta recipes I tried.  

Many people have some crazy carb-obsessed fear, that makes them avoid bread (thanks Dr. Atkins, you douche!), and I myself have fallen victim to the belief that "bread is bad".  However, after years of struggle with this, and a large amount of reading, I am happy to say that I have a healthy relationship with carbs, and more importantly, have found a product that I don't mind eating when I do feel like a sandwich, be it breakfast or lunch.  

Ingredients

2 slices of bread

2 tbsp. Fat Free Ricotta

1 tbsp. honey

Strawberries

Sliced almonds

Cinnamon

1 egg

3 tbsp. Unsweetened Soy Milk

I start with two slices of Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread and put a tablespoon of Fat Free Ricotta on each slice.  I then top the ricotta with cinnamon, a drizzle of honey on each, and then lay on some sliced almonds.  After that, (I know, you're wondering how much better this can get), I top each slice with sliced strawberries.  How many I use depends on the size of the strawberries.  

This is where it gets really out of control, and where I diverted from the recipe in the Abs Diet Cookbook.  Rather that just stop there, I took one egg, three tablespoons of WestSoy Unsweetened Milk, some cinnamon, and a titch of Stevia, and scrambled it all together in a square container (much like you would if you were going to make french toast).  I then dipped the sandwich in the egg batter, sprayed some Non-stick spray in a heated pan, and cooked both sides (again, exactly how you would cook french toast).  The result is AMAZING.  

I have had people ask me how many calories this breakfast sandwich has, and I'll be entirely honest.  It probably has more than I need, but I'll exit by saying two things.  One, I don't count calories, I merely pay attention to what it is that I put into my body.  Is there anything in here I shouldn't be eating?  NO.  Two, I work out six days a week.  I strength train, I do Bikram Yoga, and I Interval run.  So, long story short, I am pretty sure that every couple of weeks, I deserve my Strawberry Ricotta Almond Breakfast Sandwich, high caloric intake or not!

To conclude, this recipe doesn't stop at ricotta, strawberries, or almonds.  I make one for my husband and swap in peanut butter, and bananas, and then dip it and pan sear it.  Both are DELICIOUS!