A Real Salmon Sandwich

No more of that 'from a can' stuff.

Not here or now anyways.

This recipe is simple enough, but serves as a reminder to all you folk who don't think you can make such things in a tight time schedule. Students, believe me, you can do this too! All it takes is a little planning ahead and you will be left with the yummiest, probably healthiest, salmon sandwich ever.

Now I don't mean to knock the 'from a can' salmon. In fact I use it on occasion and it can be quite tasty. But I don't know... something in the pit of my stomach says that we shouldn't be eating fish from a can. Or rather, if we have the option to eat if fresh then we should!

So today I bought some fresh salmon from the grocery store, cooked it up with some fresh ground black pepper, lemon/pepper seasoning, and olive oil, and left it to cool down completely in the fridge. You can do this the day before you want to eat it, and prepare it in the morning before work/school. (Side note: cooking any meat the night before is a huge time saver).

After the salmon had cooled (you could eat it hot if you prefer) I added mayo, lemon juice, arugula, apple, cucumber and voila!

P.S. Try this same recipe with tuna steaks instead!

You already knew you could prepare this classic sandwich this way, didn't cha? Just needed a little push in the right direction:)

Push.

There you go.

Ingredients:

4 oz. wild salmon fillet
a drizzle of olive oil
black pepper
lemon/pepper seasoning
the juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbsp. mayo (adjust to your liking)
3 cucumber and/or apple slices
a handful of arugula or watercress
2 slices of rye bread, toasted

Directions:

1. Place fresh salmon on a baking safe stone or pan and drizzle with olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven @ 350 for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is all light pink. (Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the fish). Allow the fish to cool in the fridge.

2. Break apart the fish with a fork and gently mix in mayonnaise and lemon juice.

3. Top your rye bread with arugula or watercress and spread your salmon onto that. Top this with cucumber and/or apple and another piece of bread.

Serves 1.

Photo courtesy of http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/v3/04-30-2008.NF_30salmon2.1.GSV2CVUNB.1.jpg

Serious Tuna Melts

There is nothing like these tuna melts if you enjoy the classic. They take the basic concept of tuna, cheese, and bread shoved under a broiler, and make it classy enough to have at a dinner party. (Make small bite size versions of your favourite version and serve it along side other hor dourves and white wine).


The idea to deck these little babies out to the max came from my desire to get as many vegetables into my food as possible. (Not to mention as much flavor as possible). I had some bright red vine tomatoes on my counter top and the herbs outside just had to be paired with them. Plus I put a bit of corn in with the tuna, adding just a touch of crunch and sweetness.

I was really inspired by all of the things sitting around the kitchen, and played with matching flavors.

The result was three slightly different variations (in flavor- but mainly presentation), all with the same basic tuna salad base (mayo, tuna, corn (the frozen variety is fine), salt and pepper:

1. Rye bread, tuna with corn, tomatoes, basil, processed cheese, bacon, and chives:
2. Rye bread, tuna with corn, tomatoes, real cheddar, bacon, basil:
3. Rye bread, tuna with corn, tomatoes, basil, processed cheese, chives (chopped finely this time):

Sarah's Own Chickpea Pasta Recipie

This is officially the week of the Chickpea!

Since publishing my last post (Vegetarian Chick Peas with Peppers on Pasta), the people around me who also have a soft spot for the meaty but delicate, iron-filled beans, have been telling me their favourite ways to use them.

Sarah, a fellow natural-food fan (or at least, is fascinated by the concept- getting around to actually living it out) mentioned this recipe to me. It is her own rendition of a chick pea pasta salad, and of course I had to try it out.

Because the ingredients and amounts are so versatile, (kinda like grandma's cooking: a little bit of this, a pinch of that...) I decided to leave the recipe as such. Play around with the ingredients that you like. Add what ever you think would go well and play around with it. Many recipes are simply starting points.

In case you were wondering...

Do chickpeas have any health benefits?

Chickpeas are indeed very good for you, not least because two to three tablespoons equate to one portion of the daily recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables.

Chickpeas also contain phytoestrogens which are weak plant versions of real oestrogen. There's evidence that these may modulate the body's own production of the hormone in a way that could lower the risk of breast cancer, and protect against osteoporosis.

Ingredients:

Chick peas
Sun dried tomato pesto
White Albacore Tuna
sun dried tomatoes
lemon juice
salt and pepper (to taste)
tri-coloured vegi. fussili

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and leave in the fridge to cool.

2. Combine dressing of pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss in chick peas, sun dried tomatoes, tuna and chilled pasta noodles. And serve.