Teeny Eggplant Pizzas

   I've been searching for eggplants for months, y'all! I can't even tell you how pumped I was to finally find one at the Super HEB in Kyle. That place is a wonderland by the way... I think I could live there. Anyway, I saw these guys on pinterest a few months back and was inspired! I decided to give them a whirl for myself... Let me tell you, they did not disappoint. Though a fork is recommended, these teeny eggplant pizzas completely satisfied my pizza craving - in a vegan/organic/gluten-free way! They also fit in for my challenge of 2 vegetarian meals a week! Here ya go!

TEENY EGGPLANT PIZZAS

So obviously these guys aren't difficult to make, so get creative! Pile on your favorite pizza toppings and go crazy! You don't even have to feel guilty about it.

Ingredients:

-1 Eggplant, sliced into 1/3 inch thick rounds

-tomato sauce

-olive oil

-cheeses of your choice (I used Mozzarella and my fave, Feta)

-toppings of your choice (challenge yourself to keep it vegetarian, I dare you!)

-italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat ove to 375 degrees

2. Brush a little bit of olive oil on the eggplant rounds, but don't go crazy because they are SUPER absorbent little plants!

3. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes

4. Pull out of the oven and add a couple of tablespoons for tomato sauce to the tops of eggplant rounds

5. Spread cheese and toppings

6. Sprinkle with italian seasoning

7. Bake until cheese is melty and veggie toppings are soft

Broiled Pesto Salmon with Veggie Pasta

     First off, I would like to congratulate Mason and myself for eating dinner before 9 pm for once!!! It's amazing! Secondly, I would like to dedicate this post to my aunt Caroline and cousins Elizabeth and Zach for gifting me such AWESOME cooking ingredients. Seriously, y'all, you have no idea how excited I am! Thank you!!! Check it out...

So these are infused extra virgin olive oils

...and these are the awesome flavors

Wild Mushroom Sage

Cilantro and Roasted Onion

Basil

and they make like 20 other different kinds

They also got me this amazing home made pasta

Spinach Basil and Garlic Linguine

This pasta is 100% vegan and the ingredients are incredibly straight up

100% whole durum wheat, spinach, fresh garlic, dried basil, & freshly ground black pepper

THAT'S IT!

Contact me if you're interested in where to find these ingredients :)

Onto the good stuff...

     We all know how much I love pesto and I think we all can agree that the pesto pasta I made was pretty much the most amazing dish ever... but I think this is better. If you are a salmon lover this dish is for you. This is probably the best salmon recipe I've ever had. So here we go....

BROILED PESTO SALMON
*serves 4

Ingredients: 
-1 lb. fresh salmon
-1 lemon
-1 tub Butolli prepared pesto
-cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to low broil
2. Using foil on a baking sheet, create a little tin "pool" for your salmon
3. Grease this :)
4. Place salmon skin side down on the pan and squeeze whole lemon over the top
5. Let sit for 15 minutes
6. Spread a thick layer of pesto over the top of the salmon

7. Broil for 12 minutes or until fish is flakey and the flesh is opaque

    For the veggie pasta I just sauteed a bunch of beautiful fresh veggies in a little of my infused olive oil (I used the cilantro onion one!), threw in a little salt and pepper and added my boiled pasta. I sprinkled some grated Parmesan cheese over the top for a little extra somethin'!

     Okay I'm going to go into a clean food coma now. Love y'all!

Maude

Sausage and Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

     So I learned something new about quinoa a couple of weeks ago that was not included in my last post about how awesome quinoa is, so I have to share it with you today. Quinoa is one of the ONLY TWO plants in the whole world that is a complete protein. All other complete protein sources come from either animal products of combinations of more than one plant source. The only other plant in the world that is considered to be a complete protein is soy, and trust me, we all get enough soy, GMO or not.
     Ever since I started cooking with portobellos I have become OBSESSED. I can't stop eating them, and they're following me. Into restaurants and into my catering job. Mushrooms are my new love. They're like the steaks of the plant kingdom. But I also love me some meat, so I thought I'd spice it up (literally) this week with the Portobello recipe!

SAUSAGE AND QUINOA STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
-4 Portobello mushrooms (rinsed, gills intact)
-1 c. cooked quinoa
-1/4 bell pepper, diced
-1/2 c. baby spinach, chopped
-1/4 yellow onion, diced
-1/2 lb. hot turkey sausage
-1/2 c. panko
-1 tbsp. italian herb blend or herbs de provence (my fave!)
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. pepper
-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
-1 tbsp. olive oil
-1 clove (or cube) garlic
-4 slices provolone cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a casserole pan or cookie sheet
3. Heat large skillet on med-high heat, add olive oil
4. brown turkey sausage (separate into small pieces like ground beef)
5. add onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper, herbs, and spinach
6. sautee until onions are transluscent
7. remove from heat, put into mixing bowl, and allow to cool, stirring, for 10 minutes
8. Add panko and egg
9. Place rinsed portobellos head down in the baking dish
10. Stuff with quinoa mixture
11. bake for 18 minutes
12. top with cheese, bake 3 more minutes

     We had ours with "Immaculate" brand crescent rolls, which can be found right next to regular crescent rolls! They are 100% organic and make with top ingredients!

Cauliflower Alfredo w/ Spinach and Portobellos

     This post is dedicated to my dear friend whom I had the outstanding privileged to serve along-side and feed for a month, McKensey Anderson! Love you, sweet girl, I hope you're doing wonderful and that you LOVE this recipe!!! 
     One of the biggest challenges for dietitians in America is addressing the issue of protein. Many developing countries suffer from Nitrogen deficiency, or a lack of sufficient protein sources. This leads to things like Kwashiorkor Syndrome, the illness generally associated with children with swollen bellies. Proteins are the building blocks of life. Your DNA is a map for proteins. Proteins arrange in different ways to complete almost every function in the body. To grow we need sufficient amounts of protein. Athletes need more than stagnant people. These things are all known facts, but what Americans have wrong, is what our protein should look like.
     I recently came across a study in which the correlation between protein and carcinogens in rats was examined. Three groups of rats experienced different variables in relation to their protein intake, and the results were quite surprising. ALL of the rats were first made susceptible to liver cancer with infections of aflotoxin. One group of rats maintained an average "rat food" diet, the next group was fed a diet composed of 20% animal proteins, the last group was fed a diet composed of 5% animal proteins. Grains, fruits and veggies made up the rest of the rat's diets. Observations were taken every three weeks. Scientists found that the group of rats who consumed 20% animal protein had a dramatic increase in liver carcinogens. On the other hand, the rats who survived primarily on plan proteins had ZERO, ZILCH, NADA, NO CANCER GROWTH. Okay, if that didn't make you go WTF?!?!, I just don't know what will. Don't believe me? Check it out!!! http://wordpress.vermontlaw.edu/environmentalhealth/2013/02/09/is-animal-protein-a-carcinogen/ 
    So can you guess what we in the nutrition field think Americans are doing wrong? We consume WAY TOO MUCH animal protein. Going to culinary school, one of the first things we learned was that protein was the most vital part of the meal. To plan a beautiful dish you must first decide on a protein and build from there. But I no longer think this is right. That's the whole problem actually! So I have a challenge for you! I've been trying very hard to incorporate AT LEAST one vegetarian meal into my weekly routine. I was not formally trained in vegetarian cooking, but y'all, I am figuring it out! Seriously, I've got some AMAZING treats in the making for you! Starting with this one...

WHOLE WHEAT SPAGHETTI WITH CAULIFLOWER ALFREDO SAUCE AND SAUTEED SPINACH AND PORTOBELLOS

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
-1 head cauliflower, stems removed, chopped
-6 c. water
-2 tbsp. olive oil
-1 1/4 c. milk
-large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
-2 cloves (or 2 frozen cubes) garlic, minced
-1/2 c. Parmesan, grated
-2 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper 

Directions:
1) Using either a double boiler or a pot, steam/boil the cauliflower until soft
2) Drain and SAVE WATER 
3) Heat skillet over medium high, add 1 tbsp. olive oil
4) Add garlic, cook until fragrant
5) Add cooked cauliflower, 1/2 of salt and pepper, 3-4 minutes

6) TWO OPTIONS FOR THIS STEP
          1. HAND BLENDER METHOD: transfer skillet ingredients into mixing bowl, add milk, remaining olive oil and remaining salt, if the sauce seems thick, use up to 1/3 c. of the water you used to boil the cauliflower in the sauce 
          2. TRADITIONAL BLENDER METHOD: in small batches, blend cauliflower, milk, remaining olive oil, and remaining salt, if thick, use up to 1/3 c. of the water you used to boil the cauliflower in the sauce 
7) Transfer smooth sauce mixture back into skillet, heat on low-med. heat

8) Using a whisk stir in parsley and lemon juice
9) Slowly incorporate Parmesan with whisk until "smooth"

Mix with 1 box of whole wheat spaghetti!!!

Sauteed Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms 
(pasta topping)

Ingredients:
-2 large Portobello Mushrooms
-1/2 small yellow onion
-3 c. spinach (lightly packed)
-1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
-1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. black pepper
-1 clove garlic (or 1 frozen cube), minced
-2 tbsp. dry red wine (optional)

Directions:
1) Chop the Portobellos, onion, and spinach into thin strips

2) Heat olive oil in large skillet on med-high heat

3) Add garlic and onion, cook until onion is semi-translucent 

4) Add Portobellos, cook 3 minutes

5) Add spinach and cook until Porotbellos are soft

Enjoy on top of the spaghetti and Cauliflower Alfredo.

     You are going to fall in LOVE with this recipe. It is 100% as satisfying is Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, but under 1/2 of the calories and over 10X the nutritional value. Stay tuned for more vegetarian meals!!! 

Forever yours and forever busy,

Maude 

Pineapple Mango Salsa

     Holy guacamole. The past few days have been BUSY. Between school and work, I hardly find a minute to myself. I was SO thankful to find out my last class was cancelled tonight, so I would get to come home and spend a little down time with my man! When I got home, Mason had already begun making dinner for us. I am so lucky!
      He never ceases to amaze me with his ever-growing cooking skills, too. Though I'm formally trained, Mason has never had trouble keeping up in the kitchen. We both have a passion and preference for fresh and healthy food, so we make a great team as far as meals are concerned! He holds me accountable and splits dish duty with me
     Tonight Mason made Pan Seared Mahi-Mahi with Pineapple Mango Salsa, over brown and wild rice with some beautiful avocado to compliment it all. I got to watch him work his magic and get his recipe to share with y'all. :)

PINEAPPLE-MANGO SALSA 

**serves 4 on fish** 

Ingredients:
1/4 c. diced pineapple
2 tbsp. pineapple juice
1/4 c. yellow corn
1/2 small tomato, diced
1/2 large mango, diced
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4-1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 large handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 small lime, juiced
(optional: 1 small avocado, diced)

Directions:

1. Using a satay pan on med-high, grill pineapple on one side for 2 mines, flip and grill for another 2-3 minutes or until begins to brown

2. Combine all ingredients in  a medium mixing bowl

3. Let refrigerate for at least 1 hour 

   
     This salsa recipe is AMAZING on any kind of fresh fish, or even just as a snack with chips. Super fresh and packed with nutrients, you seriously cannot go wrong here. 

GINGER-SOY MAHI-MAHI

Marinade:

     Combine the following ingredients with a whisk in a small mixing bowl, pour over 24 oz. (four filet, 6 oz. each) Mahi-Mahi filet, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour
-3 tbsp. honey
-3 tbsp. soy sauce
-3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
-1 tsp. (or one frozen cube) fresh ginger
-2 tsp. olive oil

To pan sear:

1. Heat large pan over med-high heat

2. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil, allow to heat until begins to smoke slightly

3. Add fish

4. Cook filet for about 3 minutes or until underside is seared brown

5. Flip and reduce heat to medium

6. Cook for 4 minutes more or until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees

7. Remove from heat and let sit 3 minutes

Broiled Tilapia with Spicy Cilantro-herb Lime Yogurt Sauce

 Even the name is a mouthful. Are you drooling yet?

Okay, now you are.

     So I had another girlfriend over for dinner last night! I can't help myself, I LOVE to make amazing food for my friends. I met up with Caitlan at the gym and we hit shoulders and back pretty hard. She taught me a couple things, too. :) Afterwards we headed back to my place and I made up a clean, simple, and absolutely fantastic meal.

    This Tilapia is broiled in a light marinade and paired with an awesome and simple spicy greek yogurt, and various fresh herb sauce. For sides I chose simple grilled asparagus, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and some awesome Marathon bread I picked up at the HEB bakery a few days ago. Y'all this meal was BOMB. Full of lean protein, whole grains and veggies, there is no way to go wrong, ESPECIALLY after a workout like we had! 

BROILED TILAPIA WITH SPICY CILANTRO HERB LIME YOGURT SAUCE

So you're going to want to make the sauce first, because it needs to chill in the fridge for at least a couple hours, but the longer the better. Sauces are ALWAYS better a day after because all of the flavors have time to marry together. 

Ingredients for sauce:

-1 c. plain greek yogurt (you can use regular plain yogurt if you like, but I LOVE greek yogurt and it has a LOT of protein)

-1 small lime **juice of

-1 1/2 cloves garlic

-1 tsp. ginger (fresh or cubes), 1/4 tsp. ginger powder if not available

-1 large handful fresh Cilantro

-1 tbsp. fresh dill

-1 large handful parsley

-2 tbsp. honey

-1 tsp. salt

-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 

-1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. combine all ingredients in blender or food processor or bowl if you have a hand blender

2. chill for at least 2 hours

FOR THE FISH

Ingredients: 

-2 large tilapia filets

-1 tbsp. olive oil

-1 small lime **juice of

-1 tbsp. soy sauce

-1 clove garlic

-1/2 tsp. paprika

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 515 degrees

2. combine olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, paprika, and garlic and whisk

3. in a small, foiled and greased baking pan, pour the marinade over the fish

4. rub the fish to coat it in marinade

5. bake for 4 minutes

6. flip and bake for 4 more minutes or until fish flakes when pulled apart

7. let cool 3 minutes

8. serve with yogurt sauce

SIMPLE GRILLED ASPARAGUS

*I seriously can't eat asparagus any other way now, this is TOO good and TOO simple*

Ingredients:

-asparagus

-sea salt

-black pepper

-olive oil

-TIN FOIL

-GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL

Directions: 

1. rinse and cut ends off of asparagus

2. arrange on long sheet of tin foil

2. sprinkle olive oil, sea salt and black pepper over asparagus 

3. toss until lightly coated

5. place another sheet of foil over top and fold ends to encase asparagus

6. put on Foreman grill for 4 minutes

7. flip and grill for 4 more minutes

8. be careful when removing, will be hot!

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS

I simply chop these guys up, the onions in quarter circles and the mushrooms in quarters and satay them in a little grapeseed oil on med-high heat for 5 minutes, then add a tbsp. of Worcestershire and satay until have a slight char. SO GOOD.

About marathon bread,

    If you're lifting weights and working out a lot, you should definitely be consuming a lot of carbs and a lot of protein. The POST WORKOUT ideal ratio of macro nutrients is 10g CARBS for every 4g PROTEIN. Marathon bread is made in the bakery section of HEB. It is filled with whole grains and nuts for a very high carb and high protein bread. It's so good toasted!

Girls Night: Chicken Cordon Bleu w/ Spinach

    Made some dinner for my sweet friend Amber tonight! Of course she brought the wine ;)
This may look fancy to all my beginner chefs in the house, but don't worry, I'll walk you through it. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu w/ Spinach:

     So basically traditional chicken cordon bleu is stuffed chicken with swiss cheese and ham, breaded and then fried. Of course I had to do it the healthy way... But trust me, y'all, this recipe is AMAZING. I use all of the traditional ingredients except I add spinach, bake instead of fry, and instead of traditional bread crumbs, I use panko. If you haven't used panko before, it is an asian style bread crumb, lighter and healthier than the average breadcrumb, it also adds that extra crunch we all love. It's available in the baking aisle at the grocery store, next to the normal bread crumbs. 
     People have actually requested that I make this for their birthday dinners in the past. It's Mason's absolute favorite meal and now I'm sure Amber is going to have to try to make it for herself. As difficult as it looks to make, trust me, it's easy and you're totally going to impress anyone you make this for.

SERVES 2
Ingredients:
-2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat removed
-2 slices swiss cheese
-2 thick slices of deli ham
-1/2 c. baby spinach 
-2 c. Panko Bread Crumbs
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 tsp. parsley
-1 clove of garlic **remember those awesome frozen cubes of garlic!!!**
-2 eggs
-1 egg white
-1/4 c. whole wheat flour 
-cooking spray 
ADDITIONAL ITEMS:
-foil
-meat mallet
-toothpicks 

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. using a meat mallet, beat chicken until breasts are about 1/4 inch thick

                   

3. layer first one slice ham, then once slice of swiss on each breast

4. lay the spinach on one half of the breasts

5. starting on the end where the spinach is, roll the chicken breasts completely up and secure with toothpicks
                                                         
6. prepare three bowls/dishes with the following ingredients:
     -bowl 1: whole wheat flour
     -bowl 2: eggs, egg white, garlic -whisked together
     -bowl 3: panko, salt, pepper, parsley -stir together

7. completely coat the chicken in flour
8. dip flour coated chicken in egg
9. dip egg coated chicken in panko mixture
10. dip it in the egg again
11. panko one last time 
        **yes you're double dippin' in the panko!!! makes for super crunch!**

12. lay on foil covered, greased baking sheet and spray a little cooking spray on top 

13. bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temp. of chicken reaches 165 degrees

14. let cool for 5 minutes

15. IMPRESS EVERYONE YOU MAKE THIS FOR
16. FEEL AMAZING AND HEALTHY

     I made mine tonight with 3 types of squash sauteed with onion. Just cut up my squash and put it in a mixin bowl, then coated it with 1 1/2 tbsp. of oil (I used grapeseed, its flavorless, has an incredibly high smoke point and is full of omegas!!!), 1/2 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt, a dash of black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper!! Holy moly it was awesome and I am so satisfied.

Sleep tight,
Maude 

Veggie Chicken Pesto Pasta

     This one goes out to my girl Dez who asked me to blog this recipe after seeing the picture I posted of it last week on Facebook! 
     As absolutely amazing as this dish looks, its actually something I threw together pretty quickly. Mason and I were running low on groceries but we had some random things and we threw them together and it ended up being delicious and chock full of all of the nutrients you need.

Veggie Chicken Pesto Pasta: Serves 4
**I put veggie first cause I always believe vegetables are more important than meat!**

Gather:
-1 Box Whole Wheat bow tie pasta
-1 jar/tub of basil pesto 
-1.5 lbs. chicken
-1 c. Italian Dressing
-1 Bell Pepper (diced)
-1/2 onion (diced)
-1 small zucchini (sliced)
-1 small yellow squash (sliced)
-1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes (diced)
-2 tsp. olive oil
-1 tsp. salt
-Parmesan cheese for topping 

Put it together:
1) Remove fat from chicken if there is any
2) Marinate chicken in Italian Dressing in a ziplock bag for at least 1 hours
3) Bring large pot of water to boil, add 1 tsp. olive oil and salt 
4) Heat skillet to med-high heat and add olive oil
5) Satay veggies for 5 minutes or until softened
6) Add pasta to boiling water (cook to specifications on box), drain and place in mixing bowl
7) Cook chicken until internal temperature meets 165 degrees (I always check my meat with a meat thermometer) **I use my George Foreman Grill, but this can also be done using skillet**
8) Slice chicken into strips
9) In the mixing bowl containing the pasta, add the pesto and stir until pasta is coated
10) Add veggies & chicken 
11) Top with Parmesan cheese
12) Enjoy with a whole grain roll :)

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Goodmorning my friends! 
    Last night after I got back from a long walk with Beaux I decided to get a little creative in the kitchen. I loooovvvveee Portobello mushrooms. I never really used them until a few months ago when I discovered they are like the steaks of the plant kingdom! 
     There are a lot of ways to interpret the stuffed Portobello mushrooms, but so far my two favorite have been Portobello Parmigiana, and a new one I made last night, crab stuffed Portobellos. Though Portobellos are often used as meat replacements in vegetarian cuisine, you know me, I love me some meat and diary products.

Portobello Parmigiana: Serves 2

You need:
-2 Portobello Mushrooms
-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
-1 c. panko bread crumbs
-1/2 c. parmesean cheese
-1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
-2 eggs 
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
-1 tbsp. italian seasoning
-1 clove garlic, minced or grated **the frozen cubes are best**
-1 c. tomato pasta sauce
-1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
-cooking spray (I use smart balance)

Instructions: 
1. Preheat over to 400 degrees
2. On the underbelly of the mushrooms you will need to remove the stems, this is easily achievable by just      pushing it to one side and it will pop off, discard these
3. Using a small spoon, gently scrape the underbelly of the mushrooms to remove the gills
4. Prepare 3 bowls with the following: 
   -bowl 1: whole wheat flour
   -bowl 2: eggs, whisked, garlic
   -bowl 3: panko, parmesean, salt, pepper, italian seasoning
5. Using a wet paper towel, wipe the tops of the mushrooms clean
6. In order, coat the inside and outside of the mushrooms with first flour, then egg, then breading mixture
7. Place on a greased cookie sheet tops up and spray lightly with cooking spray
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes
9. Remove mushrooms and turn oven heat up to 450 degrees
10. Flip mushrooms over and fill caps with tomato sauce then top with mozzarella cheese and parsley
11. Bake for another 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted

Crab Stuffed Portobellos: Serves 4
--> for these the best thing you can buy is the lump crab in the seafood section of your grocery store, I would not recommend canned crab, it's just not tasty. 

Ingredients:
-4 Portobello Mushrooms 
-2 tbsp. olive oil
-1 tsp. salt, plus more for sprinkling
-1/2 tsp. pepper, plus more for sprinkling
-8 oz. crab meat
-1/2 c. panko
-1/2 c. parmesean cheese (grated)
-1 tsp. fresh parsley
-1 clove garlic, minced or grated
-1/2 tsp. dill
-2 tbsp. onion finely chopped
-juice from 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for squeezing
-1 egg
-cooking spray

Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees
2. Follow steps 2 & 3 on Portobello Parmigiana recipe (above)
3. Using a paper towel wipe off the tops of the mushrooms
4. Lightly coat entire mushroom in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, place stem size up on greased baking sheet
5. In a mixing bowl combine crab meat, panko, parley, onion, garlic, dill, lemon juice (1 lemon), egg, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp. of olive oil
6. Place this mixture in the middle of mushroom caps
7. Lightly spray with cooking spray
8. Bake for 10 minutes
9. Sprinkle grated cheese on top
10. Bake another 5 minutes

Salmon with Mushroom Quinoa

Alright, are you ready to get impressive?
This meal is awesome for a date night. Throw this together in 45 minutes and prepare yourself for amazingness.

Facts about Quinoa... Pronounced: Keen-Wah
1) Quinoa is awesome, way better than rice. (okay, that might be an opinion...)
2) Quinoa is cholesterol free (like 99.9% of plants are)
3) Quinoa is relatively low in calories for a whole grain: about 122 cal in 1 c. cooked quinoa
4) Quinoa is high in protein: more than 8 grams in 1 c. cooked (that's really high for a grain!!!)
5) Quinoa is a great source of iron and other essential minerals
6) Quinoa is awesome!!!

And don't even get me started on Salmon... like who doesn't LOVE Salmon!?
Who am I kidding... Of course I'm gonna talk Salmon...
Unfortunately, currently, the majority of "farm raised", "Atlantic" Salmon is not the best choice when making  considering of which type of fish to buy. Conditions in these farms are, to put it nicely, just not good. There is over crowding and Mercury build up, disease, etc., it's just not good. The best Salmon to buy is wild! Duh, wild is always the best choice with meat. They live their wonderful little fish lives and then are caught and killed humanly, using no antibiotics and no artificial anything. So head for the Sockeye Salmon if you can afford it (I can't always), or even Steel-head Trout, a wonderful alternative that is often mistaken as Salmon anyway.

Start with the Quinoa!!!
You ALWAYS want to cook your dishes in the order of how long they will take, I always challenge myself to have everything ready at the same time, that way it has optimal flavor!

Ingredients:
-1 c. uncooked quinoa                            
-3/4 c. sliced/chopped mushrooms
-1/2 large yellow onion, diced
-1 tbsp. olive oil
-1 clove garlic, minced/grated
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-2 c. water

Directions:
1. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa using a very fine or mesh strainer... It is covered in dirt and pollen.
2. In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over med-high heat
3. Add garlic until it's very aromatic
4. Add veggies and rinsed quinoa (don't add the water yet, you are roasting the quinoa for flavor!!!), stir and     let cook for 5-6 minutes
5. Add water, cover, and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes
6. Reduce to low heat, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Okay! Now start on the Salmon while your quinoa is cooking!!! 

For the Salmon...
-1/2-1 lb. Salmon (leave skin on)
-1/4 c. soy sauce
-1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
-2 tbsp. honey                      
-1 clove minced or grated garlic
-1/2 tsp. ginger          **If you shop at HEB or Walmart, in the frozen veggie
-1 lemon squeezed        section are frozen cubes of ginger, basil, garlic, etc.
                                                       They are awesome!!!**
Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and lemon.
2. Place Salmon into mixing bowl and cover with marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge for about 20 minutes
3. Preheat oven to 515 degrees (yeah! that's hot!!!)
4. In a baking pan (the round 8" works best) place the salmon skin side down and pour marinade over
5. Bake for 5-6 minutes
6. Flip and bake skin side up for 2 minutes
7. Remove skin or enjoy with skin on (you can spray a little pam on the skin in the last couple minutes for a little crisp) 
            ***Salmon skin has ALL kinds of healthy stuff in it!***

Enjoy this meal with asparagus or brocollini sauteed very simply with olive oil, salt, & pepper!
Soooooo good!

Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions!!! This is one of my absolute favorite meals ever!