Back in the kitchen

This week, Jade's computer has been on the fritz, so out of boredom, he's been helping me in the kitchen.  My husband is a great cook, so I'm happy to share the cooking duties with him, although most of the time, he creates a bigger mess in which I get to clean up!  BUT, I'll take doing dishes + a homemade meal by my man any night!

There really is nothing that says summer time more than a man working the grill.

Last night was my turn back in the kitchen, and I created a delicious Salmon with Fettuccine Alfredo.

Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 2 4 oz Salmon Filletes
• non-stick cooking spray
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 c chopped onion
• 5 fresh mushrooms*
• 2 TBSP butter
• 3 cloves garlic- minced
• 2 TBSP flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• 3/4 c Parmesan and Romano cheese
• chia seeds**
• 4 cup Spinach Fettuccine- cooked according to package instructions

Instructions:

Coat aluminum foil with cooking spray and place the salmon fillets.  Season with salt and pepper and another mist of cooking spray.  Broil in oven 3 inches from heat until easily flakes off with a fork (approx 10 minutes).  Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet.  When hot, add onion and mushrooms and cook until translucent.  Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan.  Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute.  Add flour and cook for 1 minute, gradually adding milk and stirring continuously with a wire whisk.  Cook an additional 10 minutes and add the onions and mushrooms.  If necessary add additional milk.  Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and stir until melted.  Serve over pasta and top with salmon.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

* You can substitute different vegetables, zucchini, eggplant, etc... or omit the mushrooms and onions all together.  This is a very basic sauce and can be manipulated to your taste buds easily.



** After cooking the salmon, I sprinkled each fillet with a pinch of chia
seeds.  These super foods are making headlines and grabbing a lot of attention.  After reading Born to Run, I knew I had to try them.  I'm still not brave, or hungry, enough to make the chia smoothie described in the book.  Sorry Tarahumara, that sounds disgusting.  

This recipe also makes quite a bit of sauce.  If you are cooking for more than 2 people, broil 2 more salmon fillets and make more pasta.  You will have more than enough sauce for 4 people. 

I didn't get enough veggies (or colors) from the fettuccine, so I put together a beautiful romaine lettuce side salad.  YUM!

Puerto Aventuras

A short drive south from Playa del Carmen, you will find a little area called Puerto Aventuras where the beaches are pristine, the water is crystal clear, and is the most perfect location for snorkeling, paddle boarding, or relaxing with a good book.  At Puerto Aventuras you can choose from several different restaurants, enjoy a small market of fresh and local fruits and veggies, and also do a little souvenir shopping.  The most exciting part: they also have manatees, sea lions, dolphins, and massive manta rays, AND you can swim with them all!

One day last week, my Spanish teacher and I took the short 20 minute trip down to Puerto Aventuras for a day of classes away from the classroom. 

The water is shallow and crystal clear.   Perfect for snorkeling around the small patches of reefs.

I took this with my iPhone and edited this with Instagram.  I could live here forever.

 A perfect place to get away from the party atmosphere of PdC.

 

 The sea lions.  They swam and played tag like best friends.

And kissed a little like lovers.

This photo does not do this justice.  The manta ray was enormous!  5-6 feet wide!

 

A family playing with and feeding the manatees.  

My Spanish teacher wants to be reincarnated as a manatee.  She says she will be lazy, ugly, and eat and swim all day long.  I guess there could be worse things....

It is said that sailors coming across the pond from Europe thought manatees were mermaids.  It shows you the desperation of the sailors during a 5 month stretch without women.  To me they look less like mermaids and more like a hippopotamus!!

Here he is eating soggy lettuce... YUM!

Mexican Fruits

Living in the Caribbean has provided me with the opportunity to expand my cultural pallet, as well as my taste pallet.  I'm so fortunate to have the opportunity to meet new and interesting people and travel.

Since moving to PdC in January, I have learned to scuba dive, traveled across the Yucatan, swam with the sea turtles, visited the 7th Wonder of the World ...twice, went to my first Mexican wedding, and become fluent in Spanish.  I've also braved outside my comfort zone and tasted new flavors and textures of foods very different from the traditional American cuisine-- shocker, there is more to food than hamburgers, french fries, and fried chicken! 

The Yucatan cuisine consists of unique with foods and flavors you can only find here.  One of my favorite spices is called xcatic (pronounced sh-ka-tic) and is typical Yucateca.  In PdC, you can find food prepared this way at Yax-che and Casa del Agua, two of my favorite restaurants here.

As my readers know, I love the fresh fruits and vegetables I can buy in PdC year around, and for a fraction of the cost in the US of A.  

Check out these different, and beautiful, fruits that are grown locally.

This fruit is called Tuna, and don't let the name fool you.  It tastes like a pamagranate and has a bright red color on the inside with edible seeds.

This fruit is called pitaya and is beautiful on the inside and out.  It's flavor is sweet, not at all sour or bitter. 

 

 Aren't they beautiful?  To eat, simply peel off the skin and enjoy.

One thing to improve health

If you were going to give up something, one thing, to immediately improve your health, what would it be?

 I finally gave up soda, or as I like to call it, pop, and I can't believe it took me almost 28 years.  What was I thinking drinking this, deliciously sweet and beautifully marketed, beverage poison?

Here's the facts on soda:

1. Phosphoric Acid in soda weakens bones and eats through enamel to rot your teeth.
2. The caramel color added to soda is made of chemicals, does nothing for the flavor, and is purely for cosmetic purposes.  Oh, it's also full of carcinogens.
3. High fructose Corn Syrup- is a concentrated form of sugar.  Fructose is derived from corn.  It increases body fat, cholesterol, and triglycerides in your blood.  It also increases hunger.
4. For those of you (me) who drink (drank) diet soda- Aspartame and excessive artificial sweeteners are addictive and make you crave more "sweets".
5. Believe it or not, formaldehyde is in your soda.  It is a carcinogen and not added directly, but when you digest aspartame, it breaks down into 2 amino acids + methanol = formic acid + formaldehyde... yum = diet soda!
6. Potassium Benzoate is a preservative.  It breaks down to benzene in your body.  When your soda is in contact with the sun + benzene = carcinogen!
7. Food dyes can lead to impaired brain function, hyperactive behavior, difficulty focusing, and lack of impulse control.  Maybe our children's behavior has more to do with what they are putting into their bodies, and less to do with ADHD!

If this wasn't enough to get you to change one small thing about your lifestyle to improve your physical and mental health, take a look at this scary infographic from www.mindgreenbody.com

Guiltless Chicken Parmesan

Thanks to SallySpins, I found this wonderful recipe.

Guiltless Chicken Parmesan

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup white onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano, divided
• 1 28-oz jar crushed organic tomatoes
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste or organic tomato paste
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp reduced-fat Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1-inch thickness
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz cooked whole-wheat penne (or your favorite pasta)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add 1 tsp oregano and stir to coat. Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine panko, Parmesan, remaining 1 tsp oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper. Mix with a fork to combine. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with Dijon. Transfer each breast to panko mixture and turn to coat both sides. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet. Coat surface of chicken with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes. 
4. Top each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tbsp tomato sauce and 2 tbsp mozzarella. Return chicken to oven and bake 10 minutes more, until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Arrange pasta on a serving plate and top with remaining tomato sauce. Serve chicken with pasta on the side, garnishing both with basil. 

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 439, Total Fat: 12 g, Sat. Fat: 2.5 g, Carbs: 43 g, Fiber: 5.5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 34.5 g, Sodium: 585 mg, Cholesterol: 70 mg 

Try breading and cooking zucchini or eggplant instead of the chicken for a vegetarian version of this recipe.  Yum!  Enjoy!