Category Archives: Lunch

Shrimp and Avocado Sandwich

Posted on March 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

This sandwich is inspired by a delicious deli that is in downtown Victoria. Sam’s Deli does sandwiches so well, we make it a point to bring anyone who visits us over there for lunch atleast once. They have mastered the art and the portions are simply uber. Oh yes, they do right by the earl. My favourite sandwich is the shrimp and avocado. Oh such tastiness. Sadly, I don’t always find myself in that touristy part of downtown so I go without sandwich…that and I’m sure their uber sandwich portions are well…not so friendly for my weight loss attempts. While they just use straight avocado I decided to go with more of an avocado spread to help it last longer between sandwiches. The result was scrumptious. I also went with a Portuguese bun, sadly the whole wheat ones were sold out that day *shakes fist*. I was not to be denied sandwich on a technicality though. The beauty in this sandwich lies in its simplicity. It is…shrimp and avocado.

  • 60 grams cooked salad shrimp (I used west coast shrimp…omnom)
  • 1 bun or bread of choice (not counted in nutritionals, be random)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • ground pepper to taste
  1. Blend the avocado, lime juice and seas salt together until smooth. If you prefer chunky then just chop and toss a bit!
  2. Pile the shrimp on the bread, top with 30 grams of avocado mixture. Top with ground pepper. Omnomnom!

You see the simplicity? You typically get enough avocado spread for 4 more sandwiches. Each sandwich filling (shrimp and avocado mix) contains 134 calories, 7.3 grams of fat, 3 grams of fibre, 4.4 grams of carbs, and 13.4 grams of protein. Don’t worry about that fat too much. It’s the avocado and that is good for you. You do need so much fat in a day so you might as well make it a fat that is good for you!

Leave a comment

Posted in Comfort Foods, Ingredient, Lunch

Tagged , ,

Pistachio Avocado Pesto

Posted on March 9, 2011 | 1 comment

I’m one of those people who has a sensitivity to pine nuts. It’s not so bad to have stuff that may have been in contact with them but if I eat them, well…it’s just not a happy time. So, for the longest time pesto was something I eyed with longing and dread. Then one day years ago I made my own, but with different nuts. There was dancing and rejoicing far across the shire. Pesto was once again a tasty thing to be had again. I have done it with walnuts, pecans, and almonds but so far my favourite has to be this newest version with pistachios. Pesto is chock full of nice and healthy ingredients but sadly so full of fats. It’s those fats though that are giving us those healthy benefits so they stay. This is one of those things to be enjoyed in moderation.

  • 30 basil leaves
  • 4 tbl pistachios
  • 4 tbl extra virgin avocado oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbl parmesan cheese
  1. Pulse the pistachios to the desired texture in a blender.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until a paste or sauce forms.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 92 calories, 8.3 grams of fat and .9 grams of fibre. To help metabolize a lot of that fat you can add a clear dissolving fibre supplement to the mix without any loss of taste or texture. This pesto is great tossed with angel hair pasta but my favourite is serving it as a flatbread topped with a nice light goat cheese and prosciutto.

There are some really great high fibre flat breads out there or you can make this using some of the dough from the deep dish pizza crust recipe.

1 Comment

Posted in Dinner, Ingredient, Lunch, Sidedish

Tagged , , , , ,

Salmon Cakes II

Posted on March 2, 2011 | 2 comments

This week I revisited my tasty salmon cakes. I made a small change to them but it was such a difference I just felt I had to share it. I just plain didn’t think it was possible for these to get even tastier. My husband made the suggestion of coating the cakes in potato instead of panko. They are much easier to coat now and the nutritional value of them is much better! This is definitely how I will be making them from now on. Look how pretty they turn out!

  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp old bay seasoning
  • 2 tins salmon, boneless and skinless
  • 1/4 cup light mayo
  • 1 shalot, diced fine
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup parsley
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbl panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup instant potato flakes (in a separate bowl)
  1. Combine all except the potato flakes in a bowl.
  2. Form into 6 patties (use an ice cream scoop as a measure)
  3. Dip the patties in the potato flakes.
  4. Spray a baking sheet and preheat your broiler a bit.
  5. Cook the cakes under the broiler for 4 minutes per side.

My original attempt is here: Salmon cakes

As you can see I changed the seasonings just a little and the coating. Here are the new servings! Makes 6 slider sized patties. Each patty contains 96 calories, 4 grams of fat and .7 grams of fibre. It’s just a small adjustment in the values but I think they make a nicer salmon cake. I find that the potato flakes are an easier coating to work with too. Win/win really! In the picture I served them with a sweet heat mustard. Num!

2 Comments

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Tagged , , ,

Spicy Mini Sandwich

Posted on January 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

The perfect tasty treat for the hobbit on the go! There are so many wonderful ways to make variations of club sandwiches and this is one I had this week. I love these mini bagels I have found, they are boiled and baked and full of bagel goodness. One or two is all you need with a tasty side dish like baked chips or a salad. Then tada! You have been to the deli. A very good lunch indeed. Hah, and now I just realized why I am so amused by the title of this sandwich…I play a mini in LOTRO…I could see her eating this…but then I’m just a big ol’geek.

  • leaf of lettuce
  • 1 small chicken breast
  • 1 slice of bacon, cooked crispy
  • 1 tsp half the fat mayo
  • 1 mini bagel
  • 2 tbl piri piri sauce or seasoning
  1. Marinate chicken breast in the piri piri spice the night before.
  2. Slice bagel, toast, spray with butter cooking spray if desired.
  3. Pan fry or grill the chicken breast. Slice thinly after resting the meat for 5 minutes. Place 1 ounce of chicken on the bottom bagel half. Reserve the rest for future sandwiches or sharing…if you dare.
  4. Top with bacon slice broken in half. Spread mayo on the top half of the bagel, top with lettuce leaf.
  5. Assemble!

Makes one immediate serving…and ofcourse chicken for future servings. One mini sandwich is 167 calories, 6.4 grams of fat, and 1.1 grams of fibre. If you need to reduce the fat go with turkey bacon, I went with bacon because sometimes you just need to indulge. Another great version is using avocado instead of mayo. NUM! Like your sandwich extra spicy? Add some of that piri piri seasoning to your mayo.

Leave a comment

Posted in Lunch, Snack

Tagged , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Mushroom Pie

Posted on January 24, 2011 | 4 comments

Yesterday, I logged on and found out it was national pie day. Well, being the obedient gamer that I am I have to make pie. The first thing that leaps to mind when I think pie is definitely a dessert, and I’ve made one of those too. Since today is hardcore hobbit day though I figured I should post what I think is a most hobbit of hobbit pies, the mushroom pie ofcourse. In the game the pie is made simply with mushrooms and pie crust. Pie crust for this pie was a phyllo dough, I had some leftover from a strudel craving…don’t worry I’ll post that another day. I made my pies as tarts but you can make a full on pie using the same method. I just like the portion control and epic cuteness of a hobbit tart.

  • 8 oz crimini mushrooms (any kind will do, this is the type I used), sliced
  • 4 sheets phyllo dough
  • 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooking spray
  1. Lay out a sheet of phyllo dough. Spray with cooking spray and top with another layer of phyllo dough. Repeat until all layers have been sprayed.
  2. Carefully cut the phyllo dough with a knife into 12 squares. Spray a muffin tin, place each layered square into a muffin cup forming a crust.
  3. Heat a pan to medium and saute garlic and mushrooms. Pour into blender. Add mushroom soup, rosemary, egg white, salt and pepper. Blend to desired consistency.
  4. Divide the mixture into the 12 phyllo cups. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

Serves 12. Each mushroom tart contains 37 calories, 1 gram of fat, and .5 gram of fibre. If you have extra calories and fat to spend that day I highly recommend topping the pies with a bit of cheese in the last 5 minutes of cooking. My husband said his mozzarella topped one were nummy. I recommend goat cheese…but then I just love goat cheese on everything. These would be great to serve at a party or keep to yourself omnomnom. If you are making this as a pie all you do is fit the sheets into a pie pan instead of cutting them up, the cooking time is increased by 5 minutes. Pair this with a salad and you have dinner!!

4 Comments

Posted in Comfort Foods, Dinner, Lunch, Snack, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , , ,

“Spaghetti”

Posted on December 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

I kept hearing about doing this, I was skeptical, but I had to give it a try…they were even on sale. It’s that whole idea of using spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Sure, I’ve seen rave reviews for doing this…but somehow to me they seemed like those diet people who go on and on about how they don’t crave fatty foods anymore…you know those sanctimonious folks, we’ve all heard them. Come on, we all want a little something naughty once and awhile…those are part of the things that make life worth living. It’s just about watching how much of those naughty things you indulge in…not denying yourself totally. ANYWAYS. I’ve heard things and now I’ve put them to the test. Overall, I did indeed find it tasty. They weren’t the soft noodles I tend to go for, but the squash flavouring actually went well with the tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. The fact that the squash is so low calorie and fat compared to the noodles also allowed me to pile on the cheese and sauce which I have to admit made me feel indulgent. It was definitely a filling meal and I finished it with gusto. It won’t replace noodles in my life but its definitely an option when I don’t have a lot of calories or fat left to spend but need a filling meal with a ton of veggie/fruit servings in it.

  • 1 small or medium spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup sauce of choice ( I use ragu)
  • 4 tbl paremsan cheese
  1. Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds.
  2. Place the two halves face down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F. To check if its done give it a poke with a knife. If the knife pierces the skin easily then it is definitely time.
  3. Allow the squash to cool a bit, just so you can handle it safely. Using a fork rake the flesh inside…sounds gruesome doesn’t it. Remove the “noodles” and place in your serving bowl.
  4. Top with the sauce of your choice (heated) and cheese.

So easy. I have a small one and it filled that bowl in the picture….and yes, I ate it all. My little piggy “pasta” party only cost me 255 calories, 9.4 grams of fat, and 7 grams of fibre. Not bad considering having the same amount with noodles would cost me double the calories, less fibre, and not as many veggie servings. As healthy meals go, definitely a tasty one I would do again.

Leave a comment

Posted in Comfort Foods, Craving Buster, Dinner, Lunch

Tagged , , , , ,

Chimichurri

Posted on November 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

So I’ll admit it, we watch a lot of those reality cooking competition shows like top chef, hell’s kitchen, etc. For some reason atleast once per season…often more than that, somebody absolutely has to make a chimichurri sauced something. Colour me all impressed, ooo bringing out this Argentinian sauce, awesomeness, you culinary gods you. Then I started looking at recipes and such. It’s just a nice easy tasty blender creation. Not so impressed anymore am I (I know, I totally yoda’d that statement. It happens. Chill.). Granted, thanks to those shows I have now added another tasty to my repertoire.

  • 6 cloves garlic (you may want to use less, I am involved in a torrid love affair with garlic. So, you might not want to be as involved with it as much as I sometimes am.)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/4 cup red wine or red wine vinegar (I used the wine because I just plain wanted to.)
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbl fresh basil
  1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth like the sauce above.

See? You see how easy this is? Takes more work to make rice crispy squares. I’m so totally going to give the evil closet monkey stare to the next person on one of these culinary reality shows that stands there all proud next to their chimichurri sauced whatever. I used mine as a marinade and sauce for a two person steak. So the sauce for two is 75 calories, 1.6 grams of fat and 2.4 grams of fibre per person. Folks use this as a dipping sauce as well. I highly recommend this as a marinade, that was one happy steak….in my tummy. Goodtimes.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Dinner, Ingredient, Lunch, Sidedish, Snack

Tagged , , ,

Hardcore Hobbit: Catfish Cakes

Posted on November 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

These tasty little cakes gave me an excuse to drag out my cute little slider maker again. That thing is just so adorable! It makes the perfect little patties too. I love kitchen gadgets I really do. In the game catfish cakes are made with: catfish, barley flour, egg, and butter. This time I took a native inspired recipe for crab cakes and substituted catfish. Since catfish is kind of hard to get around here I think I will stick with the crab cake version in the future. Either way is nummy though! Shall we?

  • 2 tsp light cooking margarine
  • 120 grams catfish, cooked and flaked
  • 200 grams thin skinned potato (like red or new)
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp horseradish dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbl flour (optional for coating)
  1. Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain. Mash with margarine, salt and pepper.
  2. Add remaining ingredients except the flour to the potatoes and mix thoroughly.
  3. Form into 1″ thick mini patties.
  4. If you would like an extra coating you can sprinkle each patty with a bit of flour. Totally optional as it is tasty without it too.
  5. Bake at 450F for 7-10 minutes, flip once during baking or pan fry 3-4 minutes per side on medium high.

I enjoy these served with some sweet heat mustard. Yum! Makes 7 cakes. Each catfish cake contains 72 calories, 2.8 grams of fat and .6 grams of fibre. That includes the flour coating. If you chose to go the crab cake route it is 57 calories per cake, 1.6 grams of fat and .7 grams of fibre. That does not include the flour coating.

Leave a comment

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Snack, The Hardcore Hobbit

Tagged , , ,

Turkey Noodle Soup

Posted on October 27, 2010 | Leave a comment

When it’s been a rainy mess all week it is so nice to come home to an already bubbling crockpot full of soup. This works really well with my turkey broth recipe as a base. Just another way to use up those leftovers in an oh so tasty way and warm your core temp. I usually make a turkey barley soup from my broth but this time I wanted to do something a little different. Besides, why should chicken continually hog the noodle love? Selfish, selfish chicken.

  • 4 small sweet gourmet carrots (if you can get them, if not any carrot will do)
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 8 cup turkey broth
  • 1 cup turkey meat shredded or cut up
  • 112 gram no yolk egg noodles
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp poultry spice
  1. Slice up the veggies, add even more if you like. Can’t hurt! Room for variation here.
  2. Add all of the ingredients to your crockpot.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This makes approximately 8 1.5 cup servings. Each serving contains 113 calories, 1.9 gram fat, and 1.6 gram fibre. This is a lovely filling meal, served with a nice bun and salad you have yourself a great comforting feast! I couldn’t believe how full I was after that. I’m thinking the noodles played a part in that one. Num!

Leave a comment

Posted in Comfort Foods, Crockpot Creations, Dinner, Lunch

Tagged , , , ,

Onion Mini Buns

Posted on October 13, 2010 | Leave a comment

I like big buns and I cannot lie…but these mini buns I can’t deny. Hehehe…o.k. I’ll stop. So I have tackled yet another slider version but this time I wanted a different type of mini bun to go with my new sliders. I love onion buns, the gargantuan ones in the grocery story are just filled with calories and fat though…if you can even get your hands on them. So, it was time to work a little hobbit kitchen magic to get the job done. The only way these could be better is if I was actually able to wood fire them in that supreme oven over in Michel Delving. Mmmmm wood fired buns and all the giggle worthy naughtiness that involves.

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tsp cooking margarine
  • 2 tbl brown sugar, unpacked
  • 3 cup flour
  • 2 tbl onion soup mix, dry
  • 4 1/2 tsp yeast
  1. Combine the ingredients using a kneading motion once moistened. Allow to proof twice. Use dough setting if you have a bread maker.
  2. Form the dough into 20 balls, flatten each ball slightly to form a disc.
  3. Bake 350F for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 20 mini buns perfect for sliders. Each bun contains 75 calories, .4 grams fat and .6 grams of fibre. Really tasty with the beef sliders I have posted before or with my newest sliders I will post tomorrow. Actually, my husband has found these great for snacking with a bit of margarine too! Enjoy!

Leave a comment

Posted in Dinner, Ingredient, Lunch, Sidedish, Snack

Tagged ,