Spicy Thai Salmon...or Chicken...or Tofu

I was online last week looking for Tofu recipes, which really isn’t my first choice for protein but the first choice for a client who was tired of chicken and hates fish. I'm always up for the challenge of making a Tofu meal something tasty so there I was perusing the Internet, trying to find something to inspire my pallet. I found several that looked good, but decided on one and modified from there.

Now I don’t really recommend Tofu if you are not vegetarian. The carbohydrate content usually throws it over in some recipes as far as nutrient ratios, making it a little tricky to get the full nutrients and calories in one meal. In addition it is higher in fat albeit a Mufa. If you're going to go a little high in fat, it's best that it's a Monounsaturated Fatty Acid as opposed to a Saturated Fatty Acid. 

So that said, when it was all said and done, it was quite delicious. The only thing that would make it taste better, in my opinion, was if I swapped out the Tofu for Salmon! I don’t get to cook it very often since I cook for people who just won’t eat salmon. My daughter loves it, but since she moved out, it’s a rare opportunity that I get to cook any kind of fish. However, an evening with the house to myself and casual dinner with a close friend awards me the opportunity to try this delicious recipe out using…

le saumon.
I can’t tell you how exciting this is for me.

So here’s the breakdown:

3.75oz. Salmon 150cal / 21g Protein / Ocarb / 7.5g Fat (omegas!)

4oz. Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast 124cal / 26g Protein / 0carb / 1.2g Fat

4.5 oz Firm Tofu 185cal / 20.3g Protein / 5.4g Carb / 11.3g Fat (Mufa)

2 Cups Garden Greens

The Sauce:

Mix in a bowl

1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tsp Rooster Chili Sauce (more if you really like heat)

1 or 2 Tsp Garlic Paste (you like garlic?)

2 Tbsp Honey or Stevia or Agave Necter

1/2 tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Dry Cooking Sherry

You’ll want to mix up a little more if you’re cooking more than 2 pieces. So the first step is to let it marinate a little in the sauce. I spoon a little over the fish. Cover it and put in the fridge. If you’re cooking chicken or Tofu, add some Chicken Broth along with the sauce for a delicious marinade that will keep it from drying out while cooking. Add enough to completely cover. 

Now, Mince 2 Tblsp Fresh Ginger, 6 cloves fresh garlic and chop the whites of about 4 scallions. Spray a pan with vegie oil pan spray, heat med-high. Put Ginger/Garlic/Scallions and add 2 Tblsp of Raw Blanched Slivered Almonds in pan and stir until tender. Remove from pan. Just a side note here: I use a cast iron pan for the fish. I can move it from the stove top to the oven and I only have to dirty the one pan. 

For the Fish:

Place fish in pan and pour the marinade over it. Spoon a little extra so that it’s sitting in juices.

Cook for 2 Minutes in the oven on a low broil

Remove from broiler, put the Ginger/Garlic/Scallions/Almonds over the top of the fish and spoon a little marinade over the mixture

Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. 

For Chicken or Tofu:

Put the marinated Chicken or tofu in a pan on med-high heat. Pour the liquid over it. Cover and cook until the liquid is almost gone and turn over. Depending on the thickness, it should take less that 20 minutes to cook. I fillet my chicken breasts so they’re thin. This makes them cook faster.

Once the Chicken or tofu is cooked through, add the Ginger/Garlic/Scallions/Almonds to the pan and pour a little more of the sauce over it. 

Cut up a bowl full of fresh greens. 

I use a bottled ginger thai vinaigrette dressing just a tablespoon, mixed with the sauce I made for the marinade and toss it in the greens so they’re nicely coated. 

Serve with the fish or chicken, or tofu. 

Bon Apetit!

Wine Tip: This is a great dinner to have on an evening you want to enjoy a glass or two of wine.

Weighing in on Whey Protein

I have had a lot of experience with protein powders, whey in particular, but spurred on by my 'Nine' who wanted more information, I dove in to my research today. I have to say I was greatly disappointed at the information out there. There was a lot of information, but mostly from websites trying to get you to buy from them. Not a reliable source of information in my book. What they say may be true, but it was invalidated in my eyes because they were directing you to specific brands and were apt to gain something by swaying my decision.

So I went back to the drawing board and looked up information on some of the websites that I feel have some credibility when it comes to supplements, and mostly because they have no financial gain from telling you the truth. My first stop; WebMD.com. I often refer to this website because most of the information published on it has been reviewed by Doctors. I've also found Livestrong.com to be a helpful source of information as well, so let's look a little closer at Whey.

Whey, or milk, protein is often recommended to those who need a protein supplement but are also looking to slim down. So since it is a milk protein, my first concern would be the affects on someone who is lactose intolerant and this is what I found: 

Whey protein powder contains less than 0.1 g of lactose per tablespoon, according to the Whey Protein Institute. This is less lactose than what is found in a cup of yogurt and should not affect someone who is lactose intolerant. Whey protein concentrate might cause adverse effects in someone who is lactose intolerant.

Is Whey protein good for weight loss though? Well a documented study over on WebMD showed 3 control groups each eating a different kind of powder supplement and consuming the same amount of calories per day, the Whey protein group lost weight while the Soy protein group stayed the same and the 3rd group consuming a carb supplement actually gained. You can read the entire story here.

Best time to have it?  After a workout. It’s a true fact that whey protein is the fastest form of protein absorbed within the body. Normally this wouldn’t make much of a difference until the discovery of the “recovery window” and understanding how crucial it is for when you work out.

The recovery window is the period of time just after a training session where your muscles are depleted of nutrients it needs and would go to great lengths to replenish them. It’s during that period of time that the body is primed for growth and repair. The need for a rapidly absorbed form of protein couldn’t be any more crucial making whey protein the ideal source of a post-workout protein. Adding to that the high concentration of BCAA’s, which provide the muscle with the basic building blocks it needs to grow and repair, as well as strengthening functional muscles, makes whey protein the perfect post-workout shake. The beauty is you can mix it with Milk, Soy Milk, or Almond Milk and it's a fast fix with most of what your body needs to stabilize blood sugar after a workout especially if your workout has made you hungry. Make sure you figure out the actual amount of what you add to it works within your Nutrient Ratios.

So what are the best one's out there?

Well you guys know me by now and if it doesn't taste good, I'm not eating, or in this case, drinking it. I've tried several out there, driven by a budget and the cheaper ones found at Trader Joes don't taste good, at all. Some left a weird powdery feeling in your mouth like you had just eaten drywall mud. I went for the less expensive ones for a bit and found that most of them had a weird taste or texture. I finally found EAS Advantage and this one tasted great. However, it does not have any added vitamins or minerals:

Serving Size: 1 scoop Calories: 120 Total Fat: 2g Carbs: 2g Protein: 23g and only 3g Sugars

My next recomendation came from Alice over at the Vitamin Shoppe. Since EAS is a pretty popular brand, they are often out of the large container. Alice recommended the Pro Complex to me. She was right. It's really good.

Serving size: 2 Scoops Calories: 280 Total Fat: .5 Carbs: 9g Protein: 60g sugars: 1g

As you can see, 2 scoops is whey too much. I use one scoop and overall it's much better balanced. In addition, the sugars are lower and it's packed full of vitamins and minerals so remember that multi-vitamin you should take as a insurance policy? You're getting it in with the Pro-Complex. Sweet! Plus they have several different flavors such as Strawberry swirl and banana creme.

Organic vs. non-Organic. More and more we are leaning towards organic foods and it is my opinion that you are doing better for yourself when you choose organic. Organic Whey protein is derived from grass fed cows (as opposed to grain fed), and free of hormones and pesticides. The trouble with Organics is there is no agency that oversees and ensures true organics. So you will have to do some research on your own to make sure that the product you choose is truly organic.

I recommend that once you decide on a product that you enter it into your custom foods so that you can balance your smoothie or drink based on your Body composition and nutrient ratios. Look for mixtures that have most of the protein you need with very little carbs and sugars. If you're adding juice or fruits, your going to have a sweet drink with plenty of healthy carbs. The vitamins and minerals are an added bonus and could raise the cost but like I said, a shake a day and you won't have to remember the multivitamin. You may have to add some fat - the coconut oil is a tasty option.

I hope this helps and I welcome any additional comments! 

Chicken Tortilla Stew & Mango Fruit Smoothie Recipes

Sunday is shopping and prep day for me. I love shopping, especially when I get to bring something home for you. I went to Sprouts and Trader Joes and got some great ideas!

Trader Joes was featuring a Tortilla Soup Recipe that was a toss together of several ingredients. It was pretty good, but I thought I could do it better by replacing the canned chicken with some fresh and adding a fresh onion. Super easy and low in calories with just the right balance to stabilize your Blood Sugar. Here's the recipe for you my friends:

TJ's Chicken Tortilla Stew

6 Cups Organic Chicken Broth 1 1/2 Box
5 Cups Chicken Breast Cubed
1 Can TJ's Organic Diced & Fire Roasted Tomatos with Green Chiles
1 Jar TJ's Corn & Chile Tomato-less Salsa
1 Cup Organic Black Beans
1 Onion Diced

5 White Corn Tortilla Chips
3 TBSP lite 3 Cheese Blend



Sprouts had Mango's on sale, 4 for $5 and they were beautiful. Here's my morning Mango Fruit Smoothie recipe:

6 oz Aloe Vera Juice
1/4 cup Orange Peach Mango Juice
1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein
1 oz Sliced Mango
.5 Tblsp Coconut Oil
1 Banana
2 Tblsp Fage 2% Greek Yogurt

Here's a tip. If all your mango's are ripe and ready, cut them up and puree them. The puree is great in Smoothies as well as Mango Martini's :)