More recipes and dinner ideas

I know some of you out there are trying out UltraMetabolism - so I wanted to share some dinners I've had lately that are working out well:

1) Salmon Burgers - I bought these at Costco for $10.99 for 10. They are wild salmon with all organic ingredients. Since I can't have buns, I serve these more like crab cakes. I pan fry them in olive oil, about 5 minutes, then add a sauce on top.

Sauce ideas

• Plum sauce: I mixed 4 tbsp Hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 tbsp olive oil in a small sauce pan. When the burgers were done, I drizzled it on top with some chopped green onion
• Garlic aioli: I took approx 1 c mayo (no high fructose corn syrup in the mayo!), 1/2 c lemon juice, 2 tbsp dijon mustard or so, 2 cloves minced garlic and some salt and pepper. Stir it up and refrigerate for an hour at least then spoon on finished burgers

I had a harvest salad (chopped romaine, diced apples, chopped raw walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, balsamic vinegar and olive oil) to go with, and sauced apples (slice up about 4 apples, peel, toss in a pan on meduim heat with 2 tbsp butter - when they are soft, add some brown sugar and cinammon until it makes a nice sauce - big kid favorite!)

2) Standby Pasta

I made up some marinara sauce yesterday and froze two portions to pull out as needed. The recipe is a melding of two of Giada de Laurentiis's marinara recipes and my own additions:

• sautee 1 small onion chopped, 4 cloves chopped garlic, a few chopped carrots in olive oil
• once soft (about 10 minutes) add tomatoes. You can go lots of different ways here, but I love to use Muir Glenn Organic Crushed Tomatos with Basil - 2 28 oz cans
• add 1/2 cup Marsala wine (any will do - I use cooking wine)
• bring to boil, then simmer on low for 10 minutes
• stir in 1/2 c shredded paremesan
• salt to taste - don't be stingy!

You can refrigerate for use the next day, or freeze. I froze 2 thirds of this, then took 2 chicken breasts, sliced them very thin, and sauteed them with olive oil and garlic, added to the sauce, and mixed up with brown rice penne.

Be warned, brown rice pasta takes much *longer* than semolina does to cook, whereas *quinoa* pasta takes much shorter time. I far prefer quinoa pasta, but it's a little harder to come by.

3) Bean tostadas

I buy either crispy corn tostadas or soft corn tortillas. If they are soft, then I fry them in a little olive oil to make them crispy - your choice. The soft take more work but they don't break in the pantry, either. ;)

Next, heat up some refried beans. I use vegetarian low fat beans, and tonight I'll be trying chipotle style (organic, of course). Spread on tortilla, add chopped onion, green onion, tomato, and cheese. Or, if you're 5, just cheese. ;)

Voila! Serve with chips and salsa if desired and if your 1 year old hasn't spread them all over the kitchen floor to add ambiance.