soak and simmer.

I’ve moved. Come find me at soak and simmer.

P.s. – I’ll keep all my old recipes up here if you’re looking for something. :)

Spicy Baked Salmon and Green Beans

Yes, yes, yes. I’m still in the process of trying to figure out what to do with this blog. Yikes! I need to carve myself out a brainstorming session so I can get some order and actionables! Promise to keep everyone updated. :)  In the meantime, here’s a couple recipes I whipped up last night from dinner.  Both I found of my BigOven iPhone App.  That thing is honestly a lifesaver!  Enjoy!

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Spicy Baked Salmon

Ingredients

• 500 grams Salmon filets
• 1 clove Garlic
• 2 tablespoons Onion minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Pepper freshly ground
• 3/4 teaspooons Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
• 3/4 teaspoon Dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Combine all seasoning ingredients and spread over the surface of the salmon. Bake (skin-side down) in a 350 F oven for 30 – 40 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon.

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Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter softened
• 3 cloves Garlic minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme chopped
• 1 teaspoon Olive oil
• 1 pound Green Beans ends snapped off and cut into two inch pieces
• Salt
• Black pepper ground
• 1/4 cup Water
• 2 teaspoon Lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Fresh parsley chopped

Preparation

Combine butter, garlic and thyme in a small bowl and set aside. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking.  Add beans, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water, cover and cook until beans are bright green and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to high and cook until water evaporates, 30-60 seconds. Add butter mixture and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until beans are crisp-tender, lightly browned and beginning to wrinkle, 1-3 minutes longer.  Transfer beans to a serving bowl, toss with lemon juice and parsley; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

I survived! I survived!

Well…I made it! I survived not eating out during Lent, and I didn’t cheat once! I was turning down chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants, eating lunchables in parks to avoid hunger, and learning how to cook all the delicious things I featured on this blog.

So what’s next you ask? Well, I’m still trying to figure that out.  I’m in the brainstorming process to decide what I’d like to do with this blog.  I want to keep it focused on food and cooking but am looking to incorporate some of my personal life in it as well.

Expect to see a new concept coming soon…

Sometimes it’s nice to be cooked for…

For Valentine’s Day my boyfriend and I did those cheesy Coupon Books.  One of my coupons was a ‘unique’ (meaning he had never cooked it before) meal of my choice.  I went with seared tuna steaks and caprese salad.  It was delicious! I loved the way he seared the tuna.  I’m thinking tuna steaks are my new favorite protein. :)  Here are some quick pics.

Greek Yogurt

Like I said in my previous post, I’m trying to cut high fructose corn syrup from my grocery shopping.  One of the items that I regularly purchase that I was surprised contained HFCS is Yoplait Yogurt.  Now I love those little guys, but I’m not a fan of putting unnecessary fat into my body.  So I’ve changed my yogurt of choice to organic and Greek.

Today was my first delve into Greek yogurt and I was a little scared.

I started my morning off with some Chobani Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Here’s a breakdown of the nutrition facts and ingredients from the Chobani site.

Ingredients: Cultured pasteurized nonfat milk, blueberries, evaporated cane juice, locust bean gum, pectin, natural flavor. Contains five live active cultures inclusing S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casei.

(now I don’t know what half of those mean – but I know I’m not seeing HFCS!)

• Twice the protein
• No fat. No cholesterol.
• All natural: No artificial flavors or preservatives
• No synthetic growth hormones
• Includes live and active cultures
• 3 types of probiotics
• Kosher certified
• Gluten free
• Safe for people with corn, nut and soy alergies
• Vegetarian Friendly: Made without Gelatin
• Nothing but Good

Now comparing that to some Blueberry Yoplait Light…

Ingredients: Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Nonfat Milk, Blueberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Nonfat Milk, Kosher Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Tricalcium Phosphate, Citric Acid, *Aspartame Potassium Sorbate Added to Maintain Freshness, Red #40

Not loving it.

BUT…you might be asking, “how does the Greek yogurt taste?”

Like I said, I was a little scared.

But after a good mixin’

I had myself a very yummy breakfast. :)

What I forgot to take a picture of was an empty yogurt carton. ;)

Just how bad is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Obviously my grocery shopping and cooking has picked up during this Lent challenge.  But what I didn’t expect was this challenge was going to increase my awareness on healthy foods in general.  Whenever I do go grocery shopping, I think I do a fairly good job.  I try and stay on the outsides of the store as much as possible (produce and dairy).  When I do venture in the middle it’s normally for breakfast bars, some frozen foods (I’m a lover of the Healthy Choice meals) and when I’m treating myself, some chips. – I have a serious salty tooth.

But recently I’ve been paying more attention to foods that contain high fructose corn syrup.  I’m hoping at this point that most people know the dangers of the ingredient, but here’s an excerpt from a recent study:

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From Princeton University: “A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.”

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If you’re looking for a more in-depth look at just how high fructose corn syrup affects your body, watch the video below.  Warning – it’s a long one.

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I spent some time at the grocery this week to check my normal purchases to find out if they did contain high fructose corn syrup.  I think I was lucky, but still suprised. Here are some normal purchases I’ll be cutting out of my grocery list and their replacements:

Sara Lee Classic 100% Whole Wheat

Replaced by any of the Nature’s Own Products

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Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars

Replaced by Full Circle Cereal Bars

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Yoplait Light Yogurt

Replaced by Stonyfield Yogurt

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I don’t think I eat enough products with high fructose corn syrup for it to be a serious problem, but I feel more comfortable just cutting it out altogether. Most of these news products taste just as good if not better than their unhealthy counterparts. No problem at all! :)

The Lunchable Strikes Again!

Attack of the Pizza Lunchable!