Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Chili Garlic Mukimame with Crab and Salmon

Oh, mukimame…how I love thee. You’re the soybean of my dreams, unfettered and free. (Why is it that edamame removed from husks are referred to as “shelled” while imprisoned they are “unshelled”? Seems backward to me.)

While I was shopping at the grocery for a low-fat meat ingredient to go with soybeans, I recalled an edamame salad I once enjoyed from Central Market that featured smoked salmon.  That cinched it, I was going to match soybeans with crab and salmon. (Yes, real crabmeat is a splurge, but it tastes delish!) Edit: I also made this recipe with crawfish and crab (shellfish delight)!

  • Atlantic Salmon Fillets (Farm Raised), about 1/2lb (cut into 4 sections)
  • Garlic – Raw, 20 clove
  • Kroger Private Selection – Frozen Shelled Soybeans (Mukimame),  16oz
  • Kroger’s Private Selection – Wild Caught Claw Crabmeat, 8oz container
  • Huy Fong Foods – Chili Garlic Sauce, 2 tbsp (less if you don’t like spicy)
  • Sempio – Grapeseed Oil, 1 tbsp
  • Abc Kecap Manis – Medium Sweet Soy Sauce, 2 tbsp

Preheat oven to 350F. Place salmon fillets on baking sheet or oil-sprayed pan (I omitted spray). Season with garlic powder, black pepper, salt, or whatever suits your fancy. Place pan in oven and broil for about 10-15 minutes. (It’s okay if still a little rare in center, it will cook out later.) Set aside to cool.

Steam a 16oz bag of mukimame in the microwave for 5 minutes, or boil according to package instructions. Set aside.

Chop garlic. Heat grapeseed oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry garlic until golden brown.

Add steamed mukimame and toss in pan for 5 minutes. Stir in chili garlic sauce and sweet soy sauce until beans are coated. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully break apart salmon into small chunks with a fork. Transfer salmon to pan. Empty container of crabmeat into pan. Toss mixture until everything is coated, about 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Serves 8.

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per 4oz serving:
205 Calories
11g Carbs
9g Fat
20g Protein
5g Sugar
4g Fiber
Fitness

Fitness Update 3/4/2013

Oh, mukimame…how I love thee. You’re the soybean of my dreams, unfettered and free. (Why is it that edamame removed from husks are referred to as “shelled” while imprisoned they are “unshelled”? Seems backward to me.)

While I was shopping at the grocery for a low-fat meat ingredient to go with soybeans, I recalled an edamame salad I once enjoyed from Central Market that featured smoked salmon.  That cinched it, I was going to match soybeans with crab and salmon. (Yes, real crabmeat is a splurge, but it tastes delish!)

  • Atlantic Salmon Fillets (Farm Raised), about 1/2lb (cut into 4 sections)
  • Garlic – Raw, 20 clove
  • Kroger Private Selection – Frozen Shelled Soybeans (Mukimame),  16oz
  • Kroger’s Private Selection – Wild Caught Claw Crabmeat, 8oz container
  • Huy Fong Foods – Chili Garlic Sauce, 2 tbsp (less if you don’t like spicy)
  • Sempio – Grapeseed Oil, 1 tbsp
  • Abc Kecap Manis – Medium Sweet Soy Sauce, 2 tbsp

Preheat oven to 350F. Place salmon fillets on baking sheet or oil-sprayed pan (I omitted spray). Season with garlic powder, black pepper, salt, or whatever suits your fancy. Place pan in oven and broil for about 10-15 minutes. (It’s okay if still a little rare in center, it will cook out later.) Set aside to cool.

Steam a 16oz bag of mukimame in the microwave for 5 minutes, or boil according to package instructions. Set aside.

Chop garlic. Heat grapeseed oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry garlic until golden brown.

Add steamed mukimame and toss in pan for 5 minutes. Stir in chili garlic sauce and sweet soy sauce until beans are coated. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully break apart salmon into small chunks with a fork. Transfer salmon to pan. Empty container of crabmeat into pan. Toss mixture until everything is coated, about 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Serves 8.

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per 4oz serving:
205 Calories
11g Carbs
9g Fat
20g Protein
5g Sugar
4g Fiber
 
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Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Baked Panko Coconut Yogurt Chicken

This recipe got the stamp of approval from my fiancee. I had been thinking about doing something with the leftover coconut flakes from my mango bread pudding recipe from last week. I also had some panko breadcrumbs that I thought about using in another chicken recipe. After surfing the net for some ideas, I came up with a plan to make panko coconut yogurt chicken. Talk about protein! The only thing I worried about was that the yogurt might make the chicken too sour. So I had to sweeten things up a bit.

  • 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast W/ Rib Meat, about 3 pounds, thawed
  • All Natural Plain Non Fat Yogurt, 1 cup
  • Major Grey Chutney, 2 tbsp (substitute with mango chutney or any fruit jelly/jam/preserve)
  • Truvia – Artificial Sweetener, 1 tablespoon (substitute with sugar or other sweetener)
  • Panko Bread Crumbs – Japanese Style, 1.25 cup
  • Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, 8 tbsp

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread 4 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut flakes on a cookie sheet or broiler pan. Bake coconut flakes in oven until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of yogurt with 2 tablespoons of Major Grey chutney and 1 tablespoon of Truvia. Add more sweetener to taste. Set aside.

In a second mixing bowl, combine panko bread crumbs, browned coconut flakes, and the remaining unbaked coconut flakes. Toss and set aside.

Place chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. With the flat side of a meat tenderizer (or rolling pin, brick, something really heavy), pound chicken breast from the center to the edge until 1/4″ inch thick. I left the breast whole, but you can slice the breast in half for smaller portions. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken.

Toss the pounded chicken breasts into yogurt mixture until they are completely slathered. At this point, you can cover the chicken yogurt mixture and refrigerate until ready for baking.

One by one, transfer chicken to bread-coconut mixture and coat thoroughly. Transfer coated chicken to a an oil-sprayed baking sheet. (I omitted oil in mine, but it helps prevent the chicken from sticking and creates a lovely golden crunchy skin.)

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until juices run clear. If additional browning needed, place oven on broil until chicken reaches desired color. Serves 12.

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per 5 oz serving:
205 Calories
11g Carbs
5g Fat
31g Protein
4g Sugar
1g Fiber 
Fitness

Another milepost up ahead

This is the 8th week of the 2013 Winter session at Peak Body. The year started out pretty rocky since I was still coming out of the holidays with feasting in my brain, followed up by the flu. By week 3-4, I was getting back on track with a little help from personal coaching.

Looking back at last year’s progress (or lack thereof), I can’t help but be annoyed at myself for not taking diet seriously. Sure, I was exercising my butt off (okay okay maybe I wasn’t burning 1000 Cals a day…but still); however, I ate heedlessly, whatever I wanted…and it took me 5 months to drop 5 pounds. Depressing really.

Whenever I poke and prod at my fiance to start getting on the ball about diet and exercise, he deflects with some excuse about “getting to it at his own pace”. It might sound like procrastinating; but I know him–he doesn’t fail to commit, but it might come later rather than sooner. After all, it’s taken me a year to get my head on straight about the 80/20 rule.

I have to remember patience and not beat myself up over it. For some, that revelation will come slowly; while for others, it might be as instant as a light bulb turning on in their head.

As long as change happens.

When I get on that scale this Saturday, I want to see 142 on the readout. I have 3 more days to get my head on straight when it comes to the daily menu. Oh boy…I have a ribeye steak marinating in the fridge…what am I gonna do about that?

Transformation comes one day at a time. Be present at every meal. Practice until it becomes normal. 

Be mindful. Get focused.

‘Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.’ ~Thich Nhat Hanh 

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