Salmon Patties

Well summer is well under way and I can't believe I haven't posted anything as a summer dish yet.  Sigh, it goes so quickly.

Not sure if Salmon patties are summer fair, but I was looking for the healthy fat and salmon is good for you, so I grabbed a filet.
So here's the funny part.  I. do.not.like.salmon.  You read that right.  Then why do you ask did I make them?  I told you, it's good for you. >Insert Smile Emoji< Besides, I have been on a healthy diet the past year and VERY clean program the past couple weeks, I thought I'd see if my taste buds changed.

To say that these turned out amazing is an understatement.  I mean they were AMAZING!!!!

So of course I HAD to share it.  The measurements might not be exact, but close.  Hey, I didn't know it would turn out this good.

Ingredients

1/2 lb Fresh Salmon filet
 3 Tsp Fresh Parley, chopped finely
1 egg
1/3 cup Quinoa Flakes
1 small cooking onion diced
1/2- yellow pepper
1- lemon
1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper to taste

Instruction:
Soak Salmon in 1/2 lemon juice and tablespoon salt for 2 hours.  This will take off all the fish slim if there is any.
Don't skip this part unless it is fresh from the water.  
Preheat oven to 375
Dice onion and saute until clear.  Dice yellow pepper and combine all ingredients except Salmon in a bowl.
Rinse salmon and dry.  Cut into cubes and put in food processor and process until it looks like ground meat then add it to rest of ingredients in bowl and make into 4 small patties or 2 larger patties.
Heat a fry pan- I used a cast iron pan, you can use either olive oil or coconut oil and brown both sides of patties.  Then put into a preheated oven for 10 minutes to cook the inside.  I put my whole cast iron pan in the oven, which is why I chose to use it.
I served it with homemade tarter sauce and lemon. But you can serve it with what you like.

Cabbage Soup

So for those of you who may or may not have been burned out on Cabbage soup from the Cabbage Soup diet, this will restore your taste buds to the idea that this soup is actually tasty.  If you did not do the diet, then ignore that statement, it is a great, filling soup with many nutrient dense veggies.

Get that food-processor out.  I used mine for almost every veggie in here.  This really cut rep time down significantly.  Besides, I got to use a kitchen gadget...BONUS!!

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

1 Large yellow or white onions
2 cloves of garlic minced.
1-2 green peppers
14 oz large can of diced roasted tomatoes.
3 carrots
1 10 oz container of portabella mushrooms
1 bunch of celery
1 cup frozen cut green beans
1/2 head of cabbage
1-48 oz container of low sodium v-8 juice.
Handful of fresh parsley
2 cartons/boxes vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Note: Brown some ground turkey to add protein to the soup.  

Directions:

In food processor- I use blade that you use for making coleslaw- slice onions and mushrooms and sauté in large stock pot in olive oil. (You can buy a package of shredded cabbage to save time)
While that is sauteing, run carrots and celery through processor on same setting. Add to pot.
When veggies are soft, add can of tomatoes and minced garlic.
(I used a microplane to mince my garlic - Love my kitchen gadgets)
Run 1/2 of the head of Cabbage through food processor.  Stir into pot along with vegetable stock and green beans.
Dice green peppers and parsley by hand and add to pot with Worcestershire sauce if using.
Cook 15-20 minutes.

Note: You'll want to be sure not to cook this soup too long as cabbage will get bitter. 
Enjoy and stay warm!!

Mexican Quiche

I think the high today was 22 degrees.  Brrrr.  But as I say, "Michigan didn't pick you, you picked Michigan or you wouldn't live here"   I recently read that Michigan has the 2nd most bitter winters in the nation and I believe it.

While winter tends to make us want to eat more comfort foods that doesn't mean it needs to end up on our hips or be bad for us and feeling miserable after eating it.

This Mexican Quiche will be light and healthy enough for you to walk away feeling good, but hearty enough for the comfort you are looking for.

I have made it twice. The first time with ground turkey, the one pictured is with mini salad shrimp.  But you could also use shredded chicken or lean ground beef.

Ingredients:
6 eggs beaten
1 red or yellow sweet bell peppers (I used 1/2 dozen of the mini mixed sweet bell peppers.)
1 small onion- diced
1 lb mushrooms- Portabella or button - diced
1 container of  salsa (Use the fresh kind. Not the jarred cooked)
3 Gluten Free Tortilla flours
Non- Dairy Cheese
1 lb ground turkey (or mini salad shrimp, lean ground beef or shredded chicken)

Directions
When I make Quiche I always use a medium sized cast iron pan.  It makes removal easy and the heat is even and is oven safe.  But if you do not have a cast iron pan, you can use a baking dish.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees while preparing the mix.
Sauté onion and mushrooms till soft.  Take out of pan and set aside
Brown ground turkey.  (If using shrimp leave raw, but make sure it's thawed.) Take out of pan and set aside.

Put a couple spoonful's of salsa on the bottom of the pan so the tortilla doesn't stick.
Then put first tortilla flour down.  It will not fit pan, that is okay.  Push it down to fit as good as possible to the sides.
Add 1/2 your mushroom/ onion mix, 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 your sweet bell peppers then add 1/3 of container of salsa, and a handful of cheese.
Add another tortilla, push down, add the rest of the mushroom / onion mix, ground turkey and the rest of the bell peppers and 1/3 of salsa and handful of cheese.
Add last tortilla and then slowly pour egg over the top so it goes down the side of the pan and through the layers.  (I poked a few holes through the tortillas so it goes through all the layers)
Add the last 1/3 of salsa on the top and a handful of cheese.
Bake 45 minutes on 375 degree oven.

Let set for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
I like to add hot pepper flakes as a garnish
Serves 4.