Salmon = Summer

As some of you may know, I was once an embarassing picky eater.  While I have come around to all kinds of food and become a very adventurous eater...some of those weird tendencies followed me into adulthood, for example my refusal to eat eggs and seafood.  In the last year or so I decided to give them another try, because frankly my refusal to eat them was based on some strange mental block, and not on whether I actually enjoyed them.

Suffice to say, I have been a big fool for the last 28 years.  Eggs and fish are two of life's most amazing things.  Who knew!  (I guess everyone who kept pushing me to try them).  I will post on eggs separately, because tonight is all about salmon...and how much I love it, with all my heart.  It is literally one of my very favorite things in life and this is my first Summer eating it.

Copper River!  Sockeye!  King!  Oh my!  Make no mistake, I am eating it at EVERY chance I get.  Grilled salmon, baked salmon, sauteed salmon, smoked salmon...and lastly cured salmon (lox) which I have yet to try.  That will be remedied very soon.  In an earlier post titled, "Recent Cooking Adventures," I shared a recipe I attempted with my Dad called Salmon with Lentils and Mustard Herb Butter.  It was an incredible dinner and great experience to get to cook it with my father who is an incredible cook.  I had never cooked fish on my own and he gave me some great tips.

Tonight I decided to go out on a limb and try salmon on my own with no supervision.  This may seem reasonable to you, but it was terrifying to me.  Especially since I bought a $10 wild king salmon filet for myself and did not want to ruin it!  So here is what I made - Foil Wrapped Salmon w/Lemon & Rosemary.  Now, I don't want to toot my own horn, but it was INCREDIBLE.  Please make this for yourself at your earliest convenience.  It is simply delicious, easy, healthy and impressive.

 The fillet of wild king salmon on tin foil.  I put a little olive oil on the foil and placed the salmon skin down.  Then sprinkled the fish with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and fresh chopped rosemary from the garden.

 Next put 2 thin pats of organic pasture raised butter on top of the fish (over the herbs).  Place very thinly sliced lemon pieces on top of the salmon.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of this, but thinly slice a shallot and 4 cloves of garlic.  These should be placed all over the salmon.  Then fold up the foil and crimp on all sides to make the package airtight.  Place package on a cookie sheet and place in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately!

 I served the salmon with a side of blanched green beans with shallots and some roasted beets in a raspberry vinaigrette.  I also made a rainbow quinoa with miso butter below:

I have become obsessed with miso butter which I found in the Momofuku NYC cookbook.  Combine a cup of white miso with 5 tablespoons of organic pasture raised butter.  The butter and miso should be room temperature.  Combine in a bowl with a wooden spoon.  Keep in an airtight container and the butter will last for weeks.  I have been adding it to all kinds of things - corn, asparagus, green beans, bread and now quinoa!  It is so simple and incredibly flavorful. You can buy miso at an health food store or Asian market, but I personally like the Westbrae Natural brand found at Madison Market.

This is where I ate this incredible meal, with a glass of rose (my fav) in hand.  Happy Summer folks!

Delicious little treat...

My lovely nutritionist Sarah gave me the best recipe for a little post dinner clean food treat.  Turn on your broiler with the door part way open to start.  Take a date, either medjool or deglet and cut it down one side (remove pit if there is one).  Open it into a little sandwich and add some nut butter.  My personal favorite it freshly ground peanut butter I get at Madison Market, but almond butter is great too.  I put in just enough to stuff it, but not pour over any edges.  Then sprinkle with sea salt.  Place the dates on a cookie sheet and put into the oven on broiler.  Now they cook fast, maybe 2-3 minutes max.  I keep my eyes on them the whole time because they can burn so fast.  When the tops become a little bubbly or crunchy, you know they're done.  Remove from the oven and let them cool down a bit.  Then I close them up and voila!  Delicious and so decadent.  They are the perfect mix of sweet, salty, gooey and crispy.  Try it!

Not the most beautiful picture - but I wanted you to have a visual

Vancouver Food Mania!

This past weekend I went to Vancouver for the weekend with Cord, my boyfriend, and a number of other friends.  I never realized how easy it would be to go up for a night.  We took the Bolt Bus, which if you haven't heard of, you must!  It is an incredible new way to travel to Portland or Vancouver from Seattle.  Depending on how early you buy the tickets, you could pay as little as $1 each way.  We ended up spending $15 a person each way, which saved us a lot of time and effort.  They buses are new, clean, have wifi, a bathroom and you don't have to wait in line at the border.

Anyhow, we decided to go up for a night, do some of our favorite things and try some new stuff.  Knowing me, the highlights we based around food!  First up, the Richmond Night Market.  I mean this very seriously...get yourself to this market immediately if you love Asian street food and are adventurous.   There is almost nothing in life that I love more than Asian street food and a night market.  That has been the highlight of my trips to SE Asia and I was thrilled to find out we have one so close to home.  It was nothing short of incredible.  Here are a couple photos of the market:

On to my food....I will first tell you the game plan.  Cord and I like to try as many possible things as we can.  We are both adventurous eaters, so we have a great time sharing new experiences and introducing each other to our favorite foods.  We decided, as we usually do, to get one of many different things to share, so we could try the maximum items.  We started off with Japanese yakitori or skewered food.  We chose the bacon wrapped quail eggs which were simply out of this world.  I could have eaten many of them, but they ran out!

Next up, the Rice Burger Shop!  It is a Japanese fast food concept in which burger buns are made with rice cakes instead of bread.  Sounds strange, but it is delicious.  We ordered a pork burger than came with a delicious sauce and nori.  I would definitely order this again:

Our next choice was Mayalsian Roti Canai.  Roti is a type of Indian influenced flat bread found mostly in Malaysia.  The dough is made with ghee (clarified butter) and coconut milk and has a flaky decadent texture.  I'm in love with it.  Ours was served stuffed with a coconut chicken curry.  Unbelievable.

Next up was a Taiwanese pork belly bun with pickled vegetables and chillies.  This photo is the same dish from a different restaurant, but just to give you an idea:   Sounds bizarre, but it's divine.

                                 (You can get this at Facing East in Bellevue - it is mind blowing)

We tried to find Taiwanese stinky tofu, but unfortunately they had sold out!  My last exciting bite was a dessert called Cendol, which I discovered in Saigon, Vietnam.  It is a Malaysian treat which has become popular throughout SE Asia. The desserts basic ingredients are coconut milk, a worm-like jelly made from rice flour and pandan lead, shaved ice, palm sugar, red beans, grass jelly and creamed. Sounds bizarre, but it's divine.

(Me enjoying my treat!)

(Close up example of Cendol)

I hope that everyone reading this will go to visit the night market.  It is an experience of a lifetime, especially if you have yet to go to SE Asia.  I will be going back to try all of the things I missed this time - stinky tofu, dim sum, soba noodles, cream puffs, more yakitori, oyster soup....the list goes on!

It’s not the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog that counts

I happen to be teaching Summer Academy this summer at Treehouse and it has been a wonderful and challenging experience so far.  We teach academics in the morning (I teach math) and enrichment in the afternoon.  When I heard that sportsmanship and martial arts would be one of the enrichment choices, I jumped at the chance to teach it.  Boy am I glad I did.  Some of you may know that I have become real interested in martial arts and MMA through my boyfriend Cord.  He trains in MMA (bjj, kick boxing and wrestling) but is particularly interested in BJJ or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  I have become hooked on watching UFC matches, following the fighters and going to Cord's tournaments.  It is about so much more than people realize.

In the past two weeks, I have had the incredible opportunity to try these martial arts out!  And believe it or not, with a group of 7 foster kids.  It has been one of the most fun, playful and incredible experiences of my career.  And, it has really awaken in me and interest in pursuing some of these activities in my free time.  So to recap my last two weeks, we've done....

* Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with the amazing Cindy Hale of Sleeper Athletics - Mostly Brazilian jiu jitsu with some judo and wrestling take-downs thrown in!  Cindy is one of the most impressive instructors I have ever met and her affect on my foster youth was immeasurable.  One of my girls has already signed up!

                          (I didn't look quite this cool, but you get the idea)

* Tae Kwon Do with Terry of DMW Martial Arts - We learned a lot of self defense, how to escape and attacker and some basic tae kwon do.  It was a great experience and the kids loved learning how to empower themselves.  

* Boxing with coach Erica at Cappy's Gym in the Central District - This was my personal favorite because I love to box and man was it an intense workout.  I am going to be sore for days....

                                    (This is not me - but it could have been!)

Because I enjoyed my boxing class today so much, I've decided to take one of the official adult classes next week.  I am sure it will be significantly more intense, but I can't wait!!!  I will be sure to report back...

Off the wagon...

So I haven't posted in a bit.  I could have posted many amazing things I've eaten recently, but I haven't because I'm pretty disappointed in myself.  I had a lot of momentum going with the healthy eating, lifestyle and exercise.  While I have done really well with the exercise (worked out 6 days last week), my nutrition has really gone down. 

I mean, really down.  I can't even describe what I ate this weekend without shuttering.  And way too many drinks.  I started to feel really defeated and the familiar voice went through my head, "oh well, guess that didn't work, you should go back to eating as much pizza as possible," etc.  Then I saw a Facebook post by my friend Stacie, who is also an amazing personal trainer.  She quoted, "Don't let the setbacks define failure, instead they are the result of effort!"  


Now this is altogether new messaging for me. I was ready, for a moment there, to scrap my whole plan.  I felt embarrassed that I had fallen off the wagon, that I had preached on here about how well I was doing and then failed.  So I am not going to let myself off the hook so easily.  I am going to look at this as a setback, a reasonable and minor setback and not let it define me or my journey.  Cliched as it is, tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity to move towards my goal. 

Workouts & Mimosas

Sometimes you just need to reward yourself with a mimosa....after a hard workout...on a sunny Seattle summer day.  Perfect.

Salad!

Absolutely loving salads these days.  I was inspired by my nutritionists post about how to jazz up your salads and I've been doing it ever since!  Check out her suggestions here!  My favorite suggestion is mixing hot and cold elements.  With my Special Salad (recipe below) I put hot sauteed mushrooms on spinach and add cold elements like goat cheese.  Try it out.  My new creation today was incredible.

Spinach, cucumbers, avocado, Zoe's garlic and herb organic deli meat and blackberry balsamic vinaigrette.  Delicious!

Happy Belated 4th of July!

Had a wonderful 4th of July with Cord, Mac and Keallyn.  Worked out in the morning, lunch at Little Uncle (so good!), put put golf at Interbay and dinner, drinks and fireworks at Eastlake Bar and Grill.  Best 4th of July yet!

Working It Out

I have become somewhat obsessed with working out in recent times and man it feels good.  I have never had so much energy or felt so strong.  My personal trainer sends me great full body and targeted strength training circuits to do 3 times a week.  That has been incredible and I love the results!  Although it's strength training, a lot of the circuits get my heart rate up enough that it doubles as cardio.  This is my second full week of adding in additional cardio and holy cow I am sore.  But it's wonderful.  Typical week for me:

Monday - Strength training with my trainer at Mode
Tuesday - Barre3 (60 minute class)
Wednesday - 60 minutes of Cardio (elliptical and rowing machine)
Thursday - Strength training (focus on glutes, hamstrings and quads)
Friday - 60 minutes of cardio
Saturday - Rest Day
Sunday - Strength training (focus on arms, shoulders and core)

Here is a sample of my leg workout today with a special focus on the glutes for Summer!


I do 3 sets of 15 reps with no rest time between sets:

Smith Machine Split Squat

Supine Bridge Leg Curls

Dumbbell Sumo Squat

Body Weight Squats - One legged using TRX

Single Leg Kickbacks

I think you should be able to find most of these machines in your gym.  The Body Weight Squats can be done without the TRX bands just by using your own body weight.  Enjoy!

Recent Cooking Adventures

Below are some recent dinners I have created.  Some from recipes (all included) and a couple of my own creation.  Enjoy!

Salmon with Lentils and Mustard Herb Butter 

from Gourmet

                                                         (recipe here)


Pesto Chicken and Summer Veggies 
from Simply Real Food

                                                         (recipe here)


Alexis's Special Salad, Applegate Farms Turkey & Chicken Sausage and Alexia Frozen Organic Fries with Truffle Salt.

                                               (Salad recipe below)

Asparagus with Almonds and Yogurt Dressing
from Smitten Kitchen

                                                  (recipe here)


Lexi's Special Salad

Recipe

Ingredients:
Organic Baby Spinach
Crimini Mushrooms
Golden Raisins
Roasted Hazelnuts
Goat Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic (I prefer blackberry aged balsamic)
Salt & Pepper
Butter

Directions: Wash and dry spinach and put into salad bowl.  Prepare salad dressing in a small bowl, mixing the olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper till emulsified.  Experiment with the quantities of oil and vinegar to find the ratio you like.  Set aside.  Chop the hazelnuts and add to the spinach along with the raisins.  Clean your mushrooms with a paper towel to remove and dirt and cut lengthwise into smaller pieces.  Heat a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms.  Move the mushrooms around the pan so that they do not burn, but cook evenly.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Serve the spinach with hazelnuts and raisins onto your desired plates.  Add the warm mushrooms to the top of the salad and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Whole Foods - A Whole New Perspective

I found Sarah Adler through her blog, Simply Real Food and fell in love with her philosophy, recipes and humor.  She has shown me that I can eat incredibly well, be satiated, enjoy my food and lose weight.  It has nothing to do with cutting out the things I love, depriving myself, dieting or counting calories.  Which I have learned many times from experience is simply not sustainable.  And, it's no fun.  She has simply shown me another way to look at food.  Sarah believes in a whole foods approach - eating the foods our ancestors have eaten for thousands of years.  

Whole foods = fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains, meats, seafood and dairy

I make my meals out of whole foods from these categories and no longer purchase or consume processed foods (for the most part).  I try to choose foods without ingredients lists.  If they have one, I go straight to it and see what it's really made of.  I go for foods that have less than 6-8 ingredients, with all ingredients that are recognizable, pronounceable, and are available in the super market if I wanted to recreate the food.  This makes it pretty simple.

Some other changes I've been making: 

I have cut out coffee in place of tea and have been sleeping like a baby.  On Sarah's recommendation, I have switched to full fat dairy and it's amazing.  At first I wasn't sure about this and was very concerned that I would gain weight, not lose it.  But I've done the research and I'm buying it.  Here is a great article, from one of my favorite blogs, Nourished Kitchen, about the benefits of full fat dairy.  

When I cook for myself, I purchase organic meat, dairy and eggs with no exceptions.  And I go out of my way to buy products from animals who were grass fed, pastured and humanely treated.  I no longer eat foods with refined sugar and opt for maple syrup, palm sugar and local honey.  I have given up canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil and many others in favor of extra virgen olive oil, coconut oil, butter, lard and many others.  Want to know more about healthy oils, check this out.  Lastly, I have completely cut out non-fermented soy products.  That means soy milk, tofu, edamame and fake meats.  There are many reasons for this decision, but I think that Sarah makes the case most eloquently, so check it out here.

I think the biggest change has been really thinking about what goes in to my body and knowing that it has a real affect on everything.  We are what we eat.   I have felt incredible since I've made these changes.  I have been sleeping well, have so much energy, my skin is clear and bright and I just feel GOOD.

                                                                     WORD.

Real Food & Sweat

As I have shared with some of you, I've been making some big changes in my life.  I was tired of feeling mediocre in terms of my nutrition, lifestyle, and ability to workout on a regular basis.  As I'm creeping closer to 30 (I have till August 2013), I've realized that my excuses will never stop on their own.  I am an expert at justifying just about anything, and if I let myself, I could do this for the rest of my life.  However something clicked for me a couple months back and it has put me on a wonderful forward trajectory that is changing my life.  

I knew I had a goal.  I want to change the way I view food and make permanent lifestyle changes that will stick for the rest of my life.  Practically speaking, I want to lose 10-12 lbs of excess weight I have been carrying around the last couple years.  And, no big deal, I want to get into, literally, the best shape of my life.  These are lofty goals for a girl who some might say is addicted to pizza, booze and watching tv shows in her pjs.  

So I decided that I needed reinforcements.  People I was actually paying to keep me in line, hold me accountable and be my cheerleaders.  So I've surrounded myself with an amazing team of experts - my nutritionist Sarah Adler (simplyrealhealth.com) and personal trainer Ben Greene (Mode of Fitness).   It has  been their job now, for the two months, to whip me into shape and teach me how to rethink my body, food, exercise and lifestyle. 

As of today, I have lost 5 lbs and gained a lot of muscle.  I'm working out 4-5 times a week and feeling amazing.  I have so much more energy, feel strong, confident and excited about the future.  This is just the beginning, but I am having an incredible time.  

                                            (My favorite current mantra)

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog, Happy Girls Are The Prettiest.  I wanted a place to collect some of my favorite things - photos of food, travel documentation, recipes I've tried, killer workouts, culinary experiences and special moments in my life.  Come visit!

                                                       (Cha Ca "La Vong" at Pok Pok Portland)