Spicy Smoked Tomato Salmon: A Heart Healthy Recipe on a Budget

In the dish and ready for work lunch...my favorite part of work!

Yes, yes, I’m breaking the rules and posting about an animal recipe on Meatless Monday. But it’s ok, I’m not eating it today, just writing about it…..that doesn’t count, right?

Did you have a good Easter? The rain held off for most of the day, but started to come down in the afternoon. At least the kids got to hunt for eggs; minus the few hardboiled ones that fell victim to the dogs running around…I guess it’s better than a bunny!

If you haven’t noticed, I tend to avoid most food I didn’t have a hand in preparing. As such, when we go to family gatherings, I try to bring something I made so that I have something to eat. The food served may not be that bad (though some of it is), but it’s just a quirky thing about me.

Are you the same way when it comes to going outside of your “zone” for meals? Even a little bit? I like to prepare things I enjoy, and think maybe, just maybe others will like it too. But if they don’t, no worries, I’ll just have plenty of leftovers I don’t mind eating. This is way better than just picking up a pre-made potato salad from the store (bleh) and being left with extras that’ll get tossed.

Last time I brought a big bowl of steamed Brussels sprouts and mushrooms seasoned with a few herbs and spices. Besides a few nibbles from other, the whole thing was consumed by my mom and me; I guess I get it from her.

How can you not want these tasty delights?

This time we just brought a salad with carrots and tomatoes due to lack of time since I cooked meals for Kelley, our work friend, and myself to have for work lunches. Needless to say, I finished the salad we brought with no dressing needed!

This will be the last week to cook food for our work friend since he found another job. He has been really happy with the lunches I cooked; he even said he’s lost a few pounds! I love hearing his enthusiasm, and wish I could still prepare meals for him to continue his success.

One meal he loved was an easier dish I cooked, but he raved about it and I quote, said it was “Awesome!” I’m very hesitant to make food for people other than Kelley since it’s not as rich as most are used to, so hearing this was exciting. I made it again (per request) for his last week here, and felt inclined to share this easy, and of course healthy, recipe. Maybe you can make your friends and family say “Awesome!” after serving this heart healthy dish.

My small cup of extras with celery "utensils"

Spicy Smoked Tomato Salmon  

(Serves 4)

2 bags frozen fiesta blend mixed vegetables; an Asian blend with edamame works too
6oz can boneless-skinless salmon in water; choose no-salt added if available

2 – 3 tbls Drew’s Smoked Tomato Dressing/Marinade

1 tbls cumin

1/2 tbls each of garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne; I add more to my own dish for extra heat

3 tbls dried or 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 tbls dried oregano

Pepper to taste

  

Steam all veggies in the microwave or stovetop and open can of salmon. Drain excess water from the salmon and add to cooked veggies in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to ensure an even coating of Drew’s dressing; add a bit more if you need. Scoop and serve immediately or put in a container for a healthy lunch to put fast food to shame.

  

Optional extras: Mix 4oz of creamy goat cheese with the veggies for a smoky and tangy delight; replace some of the dressing with spicy brown mustard; try your own favorite dressing (just make sure to check for unwanted ingredients like sugar).

  

Kelley loves this meal too, so it’s not going away anytime soon; always want to keep the wife happy!

  

Do you have a meal you like to bring to gatherings just because it’s something you approve of and will eat?

Quick and Healthy Cakes for Dinner

No, not the fluffy sweet versions; I’m talking about mini tuna (or salmon, crab, chicken, beans, etc.) cakes you can customize to your liking. Do you like crab cakes? I love crab, but if you haven’t noticed, crab can be pretty expensive and canned tuna or salmon works just as fine for lower a cost. Plus the crab cakes at restaurants are usually cooked in too much butter/oil and white breadcrumbs….no thanks.

I was inspired to make my own version after reading about a salmon cake recipe in Runner’s World Magazine. The versatility of the ingredients makes the cakes easy to accommodate multiple tastes (i.e. spouse, kids, etc.). Along with the versatility, the ingredients are commons staples most of us have around the kitchen already.

Here is what I used to make one of our work lunches for the week; this will serve about 4 people as long as there are sides:

Ingredients

- 2 (5oz) Cans of No Salt Added Tuna; use crab, chicken, mashed beans, etc if you don’t have the tuna

- About 8oz of your favorite salsa; the amount varies, just eyeball it and add more towards the end if needed

- 1/2 cup frozen spinach or collard greens; thawed and drained of excess water

- 2 tablespoons brown mustard

- 1 whole egg or 2 egg whites

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup rolled oats

- 2 teaspoons cumin

- Ground black pepper to taste; no need for salt as there should be enough in the salsa and mustard

- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; I use more (sorry, Kelley), just adjust as you would like

- 1 tablespoon dried cilantro

Directions

- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

- Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix to incorporate well. Scoop the mix into a lightly oiled 12 cup muffin pan (I used 9 of the 12 cups) and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

 

- Remove from oven (should have a nice brown crust on top) and let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

- Top each cake with extra salsa and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Serve with a big side of steamed veggies and, if desired, your grain of choice.

 

Using oats provides a lot more nutrition than the usual breadcrumbs you see in most recipes, and salsa makes for adding a quick mix of tomatoes, peppers, and onions. If you have more time, add fresh cut bell peppers and sauté some onions and garlic before adding to your mixture. If you don’t use salsa, adding a little extra salt will help with flavor…just not too much!

1 Work Lunch Ready to Go!

These are a great weeknight meal idea for something different. Just make extras and bring to work for lunch the next day…perfect! And, as I mentioned before, there is no set recipe for this. I used ingredients representative of Spanish food, but I think next time will be something Greek themed. Instead of salsa and brown mustard, I think Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and dill would make for a totally different, yet still tasty….errr cake.

Do you have a good idea for ingredients to make your own mini cake? Please post to comments on your version if you feel like sharing.