Salmon in Yellow Thai Curry

Posted on July 15, 2016 | 4 comments

Salmon and yellow Thai curry

I try to eat fresh local foods so living on a lake in rural Northern California can somewhat limit my food choices. We almost never eat out and when we do there are certainly no ethnic restaurants, unless you count Mexican cuisine as ethnic. Mexican food is a mainstay of the western U.S. food culture and you can find a Mexican food restaurant in almost every little town. And thank goodness for that!
Anyway….. I was craving Thai food and we certainly don’t have a Thai restaurant within 100 miles so I went searching for a meal to make at home.

I usually have salmon in the freezer so that was my starting ingredient. I found an easy to follow recipe by Lindsay at Pinch of Yum for a yellow Thai curry paste @PinchofYum The ingredients were readily available except for the lemon grass paste so I used a squeeze of lime juice.
I picked Thai and Sweet Basil from my deck garden, opened a can of coconut milk, grated some ginger and this recipe was born. I served the salmon over rice noodles and fresh asparagus for a dinner party worthy meal.

Salmon and yellow Thai curry

Recipe

Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a deep sauce pan. Add skin on salmon filets and cook for 3 minutes per side. Combine 1-3 tablespoons of yellow curry paste with 14 ounces of coconut milk and add to salmon. Simmer 10 minutes. Add a generous 1/2 cup of fresh chopped sweet basil and Thai basil (if you have some hanging around). Serve over jasmine rice, zunoodles, rice noodles or any steamed vegetable.

I’m taking my Thai craving over to Fiesta Friday. You’ll find many delicious and inspirational posts at the party. Come join us.

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Posted in Fiesta Friday, Healthy Eating, Recipes

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Indian Spiced Chicken Tacos With Tomato Jam

Posted on July 5, 2016 | 5 comments

Indian Spiced Tacos

#TacoTuesdays for Fiesta Friday. See more great recipes here.

I have decided that almost anything can be eaten in a tortilla. A small corn tortilla stuffed with protein and vegetables is a perfect addition to a low carbohydrate lifestyle. I start with fish or chicken and add greens, other vegetables, a spicy salsa and sometimes a sprinkle of full flavor cheese. This recipe took a detour away from Tex-Mex and ended up being a chicken taco infused with Indian curry spices, a sweet hot tomato jam and cool crisp pickled onions. It is spicy, sweet, crunchy and delicious.

I used short cuts by buying yellow curry sauce from Trader Joes and I used canned organic tomatoes instead of fresh for the tomato jam. I marinated boneless, skinless chicken breast while the tomato jam cooked and the onions pickled. I grilled the chicken and the tortillas on the barbecue. The tacos were built at the table. A sprinkle of feta cheese gave a salty finish. Each component of the recipe is simple and the preparation is quick. I’m taking these tasty and original Tuesday tacos to Fiesta Friday. Ole and namaste.

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Marinate Chicken

Marinate chicken at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. I used Trader Joes Yellow Curry sauce or make a marinade with plain yogurt with a teaspoon each of ground cumin, cayenne, mustard seed and tumeric.

Make Tomato Jam

Sautéed 1/2 cup chopped onion in olive oil under translucent in a sauce pan. Add a 14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes, with no salt or flavors, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger, 1-2 teaspoons siracha, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon mustard seed or grainy mustard, 1 tablespoon lime juice or cider vinegar and simmer 30 minutes until thicken and
jammie.

Make Brine for Pickled Onions

Combine 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Heat until sugar dissolves. Slice one red onion into thin rings and place in a mason jar. Pour brine over onions and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. I think these are best made ahead and served chilled, but they are ready to eat in 1 hour.

Grill Chicken
Grill chicken breasts or boneless thighs until done but not dry. About 15 minutes depending on the thickness. Cut into bite sized strips. Grill corn tortillas until lightly browned.

Assemble tacos
Layer tortilla with chicken, tomato jam, arugula or lettuce, a generous serving of pickled onion and a sprinkle of feta cheese. For more heat add a squeeze of siracha.
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Posted in Fiesta Friday, Healthy Eating, Recipes

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Grilled Enchilada Sauce

Posted on June 28, 2016 | 15 comments

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If you’re feeling the need to spice up your every day meals try adding a chile and tomato based sauce. I serve this over grilled vegetables, chili rellenos, grilled chicken and of course in enchiladas. Start with fresh ripe tomatoes for the best sauce. Any dried chile will work but I prefer New Mexican chiles. This sauce is simple to make and the barbecue adds a nice smokey flavor so don’t skip it. Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in Fiesta Friday, Healthy Eating, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Turkey, Apple, Caramelized Onion Stuffed Mushrooms

Posted on June 23, 2016 | 13 comments

I’m bored with my mostly Paleo diet. Protein plus veggies and fruit. Rewind and repeat. I’m guessing that even a cave woman would have branched out to add some pizazz to her diet given the chance.
Paleo works for me and I’m thinner and fitter than I have ever been as an adult but I haven’t been exploring or creating foods that make me healthy AND happy.

Back to School in Spain

Back to School in Spain

Be extension, I have completely neglected this blog, my first and favorite blog.

I’m trying out new flavor packed “real food” recipes and you can come along for the ride.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with all the planning, recipe writing and photographing and give up before I even start to write. Today I remembered that all of my blog buddies just use recipes as a starting point or as inspiration for their own creations and they don’t expect perfection.

Besides, my messy posts make theirs look so much fancier. 😋 So here’s a not so perfect blog post with a delicious and healthy recipe for you to enjoy as is, modify at will or save for a day when you are feeling bored with food.
For more awesome recipes to try this weekend jump over to Fiesta Friday and see what’s cooking.

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Turkey, Apple, Carmelized Onion Stuffed Mushrooms

Recipe yields 6 large or 12 small mushroom servings.

Ingredients:
6 baby portobello or 12 cremimi mushrooms, stems removed and chopped.
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1/2 Granny Smith or Fuji apple, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-3 leaves of fresh sage chopped, I used pineapple sage, or 1 tsp dried sage.
Optional: 1-2 ounces goat cheese crumbled if you eat dairy. I added the cheese and was happy with its binding capacity and flavor punch but you can skip it and enjoy a more crumbly texture or substitute an egg for moisture and binding.

Caramelize Onion
Thinly slice the onion into rings. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a dash of salt. Cook onion, stirring occasionally until golden brown. About 30 minutes. Set aside in a serving dish.

Prepare the turkey mixture
Add remaining oil to pan and add chopped apple, chopped mushroom stems, sage, minced garlic and ground turkey. Sauté until apples are softened and turkey is lightly browned. Stir goat cheese into meat mixture and combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Fill mushroom caps with meat and cheese mixture.

Bake on a lined cookie sheet at 400 degrees F until browned and mushrooms are soft. 25-30 minutes.

Serve over greens and top with caramelized onions or serve as an appetizer if you prefer.
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13 Comments

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The Passion of Flamenco, It Holds You Fast

Posted on June 19, 2016 | 3 comments

Sevilla, España

All around you, swift, so swift,
it comes, it goes, and then returns …
you think you hold it fast, it flees
you think you’re free, it holds you fast.
Continue reading →

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Posted in Travel

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Back Pain: It’s Time To Ask Why

Posted on March 25, 2016 | 5 comments

Great information about treating back pain without drugs. There is a national push to reduce the use of opioid pain medication (narcotics) because of the risks of addiction, overdose and deaths. I agree with the FDA’s black box warning about the dangers of narcotics. However there is an absolute need for short term narcotic use for acute pain and for carefully monitored chronic pain management. I continually rely on somatic movement techniques to reduce my overactive “pain response” to my injuries. I learned them from this website and by reading Martha Petersen’s book. Enjoy the article and rethink pain management.

Pain Relief Through Movement

A mindful approach to back pain

A recent New York Times article discusses a new approach to easing back pain, called “mindfulness-based stress reduction.” This method involves “a combination of meditation, body awareness and yoga, and focuses on increasing awareness and acceptance of one’s experiences, whether they involve physical discomfort or emotional pain.”

The article cites a study conducted on mindfulness meditation and behavioral cognitive therapy for back pain, which reports that “many people may find relief with a form of meditation that harnesses the power of the mind to manage pain.”

It is a relief to see an article in a major newspaper that reports a different perspective (a somatic perspective!) on back pain. The somatic perspective is the understanding that we humans are not inanimate objects that can fixed like a broken toy or washing machine, but are self-guiding, self-sensing, self-teaching synergistic systems that are experienced from the inside out

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The Last of You, #Friday Fictioneers

Posted on March 10, 2016 | 47 comments

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Photo Credit – EmmyLGant

 

The Last of You
“The last dregs of you; a few ashes and bone chips left in a ziplock bag.
A shame that you couldn’t enjoy the view in one piece, but it is a Parisian ashtray. Don’t be ungrateful.”

“I didn’t do it just for the money. Although, I suppose I will get used to first class: the champagne and caviar, such a nice touch really.”

“Now Darling, you mustn’t keep me. I have another engagement.”

“What’s that you say?”

“Of course I couldn’t have done it alone, I’m weak and worthless. Isn’t that what you always said?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are the remains of my Friday Fictioneers offering. I’m a bit dusty having written nothing of substance for two months whilst living in a small Mexican village on the Sea of Cortez. The Internet is sketchy at best so please except my apologies for not posting or commenting. I will be moving my writing to another blog in the near future to separate it from my health blog. Please stay tuned and when it goes live, I hope you’ll follow me@ http://www.traceydelaplainmd.com

For more Friday Fictioneers offerings go here.

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47 Comments

Posted in Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers

Exit the Scoundrel #Friday Fictioneers

Posted on December 30, 2015 | 41 comments
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Photo Credit@ Jean L. Hays

Exit the Scoundrel

by Tracey Delaplain

Restless sleep and endless revisions fueled the writer’s annoyance. Mr. Edwards, a minor nondescript character, had disappeared halfway through chapter 13, leaving her with a plot hole, an angry cast and a throbbing headache.

“Your coffee ma’am.  A charming man in a cloak sent this over. He said to tell the lady that he rather liked playing the scoundrel, so you’re to protect your dreams tonight.”

Finger on the delete button she replied, “I will not negotiate with a literary terrorist.”

For more 100 word Flash Fiction go here where Rochelle Wisoff-Fields hosts Friday Fictioneers.

41 Comments

Posted in Adventures of Mr. Edwards, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers

It Should Matter

Posted on December 16, 2015 | 58 comments
Photo Credit @Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Photo Credit @Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

It Should Matter

All the words that would never be said swirled down the drain. My pride went with them; grey and dirty and used. My shame was overshadowed by your reflection in the window. Tousled from the night you spent in my bed, not a hint of remorse, you lit a Marlboro with the monogrammed lighter: your initials intertwined with hers.

I suppose I should have asked. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.

Did you lie or did I? I told you it didn’t matter. It does matter but the words are gone now and I hope you’ll go with them.

 
For more Friday Fictioneers go here.

58 Comments

Posted in Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers

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December Fitness Tips – Revisited

Posted on December 14, 2015 | 11 comments

Holiday challenge:Dance is if no one is watching

Holiday Challenge: Dance as if no one is watching.

Having trouble keeping your Maintain Don’t Gain promise? Maybe these strategies will help.

1) Crank up the holiday music and dance as if no one is watching. Close the drapes just in case. If you need dance ideas then watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, those queens have to “Lip sync and dance for their lives”.

2) Put cat food in your jello salad; a calorie bargain. No, I don’t have the recipe but watch “Christmas Vacation” and Aunt Bethany will show you how’s it’s done.

3) Organize a neighborhood “Griswald Christmas 5K” unless your exterior illumination is subpar then jog by yourself and make snide comments about the neighbors’ electrical bills.

4) Bake cookies in a bikini. It keeps others out of the kitchen while you create and it might limit the number of cookies you eat before they go into the oven. Or it could lead to an interesting extra curricular activity that burns calories too.😉

5) Eat raw cookie dough. The salmonella infection will result in temporary weight loss if you don’t die. (It’s a joke people, don’t send me hate mail and don’t eat raw eggs because Salmonella is not really funny.)

6) Buy the Zombie Run app for your smart phone and RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! Best done at night because fear burns more calories. (You read it here first)

7) Watch “Four Christmases” and then practice your cage fighting moves on your sister.

8) Aerobic gift wrapping. Drink 3 espressos and get’r done. You know that you aren’t even close to finished. Just do it.

9) Take a vow to only eat food that you have harvested or killed with your bare hands. Also known as a Paleo Diet.

10) Learn to ice skate, the outfits are cute. Hello! The Ice Capades are calling!

 

 

 

 

 

11 Comments

Posted in Healthy Living, Holiday Challenge

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