Monday Motivational Meal - Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice

 

This is a flavorful paleo bowl I found on Cooking Light that is an easy and healthy way to liven up your next dinner. Topped with hearty shrimp and loaded with aromatic fresh ginger, this is a meal that the entire family will enjoy. No need for takeout because this quick skillet dinner is super easy and can be put together in minutes. Don’t forget to serve it up on your favorite Livliga pattern…we served ours up on Halsa!

Get the recipe here.

 

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Monday Motivational Meal—Tunafish Salad with Wasabi Mayo

 

There are so many ways to fix a healthy tunafish salad. It is great during the summertime because you can make it ahead and have it ready when it is time to serve up. Try my tunafish salad with wasabi mayo for a new slant on an old favorite. We thought it looked delish served up on our Halsa Healthy Lifestyle dinner plate!

Get the recipe here.

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Monday Motivational Meal - Greek Style Scampi

 

 

 

 

This Mediterranean Diet Greek Style Scampi is delish and visually so appealing you'll want to eat it all summer long...especially when you serve it up right-sized on our Mediterranean-styled Vivente Healthy Lifestyle dinnerware! 

Get the recipe here.

 

 

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Monday Motivational Meal—Diabetes-Friendly Crab Quiche with Asparagus

 

In recognition of #NationalDiabetesAlertDay we are sharing a diabetes-friendly recipe of crustless crab and asparagus quiche from the amazingly talented Shelby Kinnaird. We served this delectable treasure up on our health-minded Vivente pattern.

Click here for the recipe.

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Guest Blog: Crustless Crab Quiche with Asparagus (Low-Carb) By Shelby Kinnaird

 

Crustless Crab Quiche with Asparagus (Low-Carb)

This Delish Dish was Served Up on Livliga's Vivente Healthy Lifestyle Pattern

 

Quiche is one of the all-time great foods. It sounds fancy. It’s easy to make. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s a great way to sneak a few vegetables into your diet. And it reheats well. Team up a slice of quiche with a leafy green salad and some fruit for a complete meal. What’s not to like?

Well… some quiche crusts are loaded with carbs and unhealthy fat, which isn’t so great if, like me, you live with Type 2 diabetes. What if we could keep the high-protein goodness of quiche, but reduce the carbs and fat somehow? Enter crustless quiche!

This Crustless Crab Quiche features gorgeous lumps of jumbo crab, crisp-tender asparagus, and gooey Swiss cheese. I’ve used a combination of whole eggs and egg whites to reduce the fat and cholesterol a bit, but feel free to use all whole eggs or an egg substitute instead.

If you can’t find amazing lump crabmeat where you are, you can substitute cooked shrimp or you could make a vegetarian version of this quiche by skipping the seafood entirely and adding more vegetables. Sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini would all work well.

Crustless Crab Quiche with Asparagus

8 servings


INGREDIENTS

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1-1/2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 12 ounces jumbo lump crab, picked over to remove all shell
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces and cooked until crisp-tender
• 1 cup shredded low-sodium Swiss cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 3 large eggs
• 6 egg whites
• ¾ cup fat-free half and half
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
   
2. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with the cooking spray and sprinkle the breadcrumbs into the bottom of the pie plate. Sprinkle the  crab on top of the breadcrumbs, being careful not to break up the lumps. 
3. Arrange the asparagus on top of the crab. Scatter the cheese and onions on top of the asparagus.
   
4. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, egg whites, half and half, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pie plate.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the center is set and the top is beginning to brown in spots.
6. Remove the quiche from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Slice into 8 wedges.
   

NOTES

• Be sure to snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. If the stalks are thick, peel them. 
• Instead of the 3 large eggs plus 6 egg whites, you may use either 6 large eggs OR 3 large eggs plus ¾ cup egg substitute. 
• Use jumbo lump crab if you can find (and afford) it. 
• Make the quiche vegetarian by skipping the crab and adding more vegetables.

Per serving (1 slice): 157 calories, 7g total fat (3g saturated), 45mg cholesterol, 236mg sodium, 6g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 18g protein

Guest Blogger Bio:
Shelby Kinnaird, Founder of Put on Your Apron, hosts fun, healthy cooking experiences online and in-person. She has written two books, The Diabetes Cookbook for Electric Pressure Cookers and The Pocket Carbohydrate Counter for Diabetes. A passionate diabetes advocate, Shelby leads two DiabetesSisters support groups in Richmond, Virginia. She has lived with Type 2 diabetes since 1999.

Download Our Free eCookbook:
Living Life to the Fullest with Diabetes

Living healthy with diabetes can be a struggle especially during the summer, which is why we partnered with The Diabetic Foodie to put together this delicious and healthy summertime diabetes-friendly meal served up on Celebrate! Treat yourself to healthy!

Get the recipe here.

Download Our Free eBook:
Manage Your Diabetes Through Portion Control

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Summertime Diabetic-Friendly Meal: Shrimp, Broccoli Slaw, and Southwestern Potatoes

This week we are thrilled and honored to have Shelby Kinnaird, the Diabetic Foodie, join us as a guest blogger. She shares with us a wonderful summertime menu. Enjoy the visual inspiration and the step-by-step she shares to make your meal making...fun, doable and very tasty! Enjoy! And Live vibrant!

What meal says “summer” to you? For me, I can’t think about summer without remembering our annual family trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We always stayed at a place directly across from the fishing pier and could easily walk to the beach. My favorite meal to eat out was a shrimp basket – golden fried shrimp, creamy coleslaw, crispy French fries, and those deep-fried nuggets of cornbread heaven known as hushpuppies.

Since I have type 2 diabetes, that meal isn’t happening for me anymore. Or not very often, anyway. Instead of moping about it, let’s create a new, healthier spin. We’ll enjoy the same elements of shrimp, slaw, and potatoes without worrying about sky-high blood sugar afterwards. But how?

Instead of battering and frying the shrimp, we’ll boil it in a zesty combination of apple cider vinegar and Chesapeake-style seafood seasoning (e.g. Old Bay). Instead of using mayonnaise as the base for our coleslaw, we’ll try an Asian-inspired vinaigrette. We’ll also add broccoli slaw and red bell peppers for some variety. Instead of frying our potatoes, we’ll season them with Southwestern spices and roast them until they are crispy. (If you’d like other tips and tricks for meal planning, check out my new book The Pocket Carbohydrate Counter Guide for Diabetes.)

Here’s our revised menu, portion control provided by Livliga. Recipes for the slaw and potatoes may be found on my website, Diabetic Foodie.

• Peel & Eat Shrimp (recipe below)
• Sesame Broccoli Slaw
• Southwestern Potato Rounds
• Homemade Cocktail Sauce – Simply mix horseradish into ketchup until you get the amount of zing you like.

Making adjustments like these is one way to continue enjoying your favorite foods after a diabetes diagnosis. Maybe you can’t eat a giant all-you-can-eat platter of fried food anymore, but is that really a bad thing? Your heart doesn’t think so.

How to Get this Meal on the Table

Instead of just throwing recipes at you, I’m going to give you a “recipe for the meal,” meaning I’m going to show you how to get this entire meal on the table quickly. And who doesn’t need help with that?

The first thing you need to do is make sure you know where all of the recipes are that you’ll need. You can print them out or view them on a tablet or your phone. (I’m old school and always print them out so I can scribble notes as I cook.)

If you have a second person to help, put one person on slaw and cocktail sauce and the other on shrimp and potatoes.

Here’s the basic plan:

1. Put the water on to boil for the shrimp
2. Preheat the oven for the potatoes
3. Make the slaw
4. Cook the shrimp
5. Prep the potatoes and place in the oven
6. Remove shrimp to a bowl so it can cool a little bit before you try to peel it
7. Make cocktail sauce
8. Flip potatoes
9. Remove potatoes from oven
10. Eat!

Peel & Eat Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Chesapeake-style seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
• 1 pound shrimp, deveined but with shells still on
• Cocktail sauce

Directions

1. Place water, vinegar, and seasoning in a large stockpot. Bring to boil over high heat.
2. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn opaque and pink. Turn off heat, cover the pot, and let shrimp sit for 5 minutes.
3. Remove shrimp to bowl and cool.
4. Peel, dip in cocktail sauce, and eat!

Serves 4

Calories: 80 calories   Fat: 1g   Sat Fat: 0g   Cholesterol: 143mg   Sodium: 1601mg
Carbs: 1g   Fiber: 0g   Sugar: 0g   Protein: 15g

Note: The sodium count is a bit inflated because a lot of the seasoning stays behind in the shrimp water. However, shrimp is inherently high in sodium as are most seafood seasonings. If you’re watching your sodium intake, look for a salt-free or low-sodium seasoning and reduce your portion of shrimp.

Guest Blogger Bio

Shelby Kinnaird is the Founder and Publisher of Diabetic Foodie, a website featuring recipes and tips for people with diabetes. Her motto is “a diabetes diagnosis is not a dietary death sentence.” Shelby is also the author of The Pocket Carbohydrate Counter Guide for Diabetes: Simple Nutritional Strategies to Lower Your Blood Sugar. A passionate diabetes advocate, Shelby runs two support groups in Richmond, VA.

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Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Romantic Bistro-style Dinner

Celebrate Valentine's Day and Nourish Your Heart! 
(photo by LivligaHome)

Valentine's day dinner can provide a great stage for a romantic evening. With a little thought and planning it can provide the perfect environment for all the elements necessary for romance and a memorable evening. You can even be mindful of the food you prepare, how you prepare it and that it is healthy and within a certain calorie range. By planning ahead you can put the perfect evening in place. And once you have planned it, who says you can't repeat it? Romantic dinners can occur all year long!

Splurge on Flowers by Buying a Bunch at the Grocery Store (photo by LivligaHome)

Set the stage- create a cozy, intimate environment. Set a table with the colors of romance- pink, red or lavender. Make sure to have candles. The more the better. And turn the over head lights down low. Splurge on a bouquet of flowers. Roses are the ultimate symbol of romance and Valentine's Day. Buy a bunch when you are at the grocery store. Then there is the music. Pick you favorite sexy music or get help from Spotify, Pandora or iTunes; they will all provide playlists suited to the mood you want for your special dinner.

Cocktails or Wine? Here is where we all get challenged when planning for a special evening. Often we tend to over indulge on the alcohol. This is where pre-planning is key. Over indulging is hard on our bodies from our mind to our liver. It also contributes an overload of calories. How to celebrate the evening, enjoy imbibing without becoming inebriated? We pick and choose. One choice- have a fun cocktail for starters and then choose a low calorie romantic drink for dinner like Perrier with a splash of Torani Sugar Free Raspberry Syrup served in champagne glasses with a raspberry at the bottom of the glass. This is a drink that can afford a refill...or two! Or you could choose- to do the reverse and have the Valentine Perrier drinks for starters and serve a half bottle of champagne or wine for dinner (buying a half bottle keeps you from overindulging).

The Menu- a great way to make it special is to pick a theme. This year I picked "French Bistro". French food goes hand-in-hand with romance. There are also certain foods that are considered an aphrodisiac like mussels and chocolate  which are an added bonus in planning a meal.

Bistro-style Dinner

Pre-dinner Cocktail-- Fizzy Plum Bellini
 
Appetizer-- Steamed Mussels in Garlic and  Shallots

Dinner-- Bistro Roasted Chicken, Pomme Frite with Chives, and Baby Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Dessert--Fudgy Espresso Souffle with Raspberry Sauce and French Press Coffee


Creating a romantic dinner is about engaging all our senses from what we see and hear to what we smell and taste. It is all about the cues we send to our brain and the parts of the brain we stimulate. If we spend a little time planning and prepping we end up with an evening to remember. And as we know, romance is unbeatable for boosting our health.

Need Another Idea?: Reinforce the words of love, romance and inspiration by collecting Livliga's new dinnerware line--Celebrate: The Poetry of Life. Its stunning black and white design, reminicent of a French bistro, features etched drawings and poetry, fostering the sense of feeling good and imagining what is possible. Its time to Celebrate!

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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DIY Super Simple Shrimp-Filled Soft Tacos--A Kid-Friendly Recipe

Family Night can be Made Fun and Healthy with DIY Shrimp Tacos!

Do-it-Yourself meals are super fun and easy to do. Put all the toppings and the shrimp mixture in bowls with spoons so each person can pick and choose the rainbow of colors they want to include on their tacos. Keep the tacos warm by keeping them covered with the foil on a plate at the table next to the toppings. Sammie and Sax love taco night…and so does Rhubarb!

Ingredients~

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper and onion stir-fry mix
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound already-cooked-and-peeled shrimp
8 small (6-inch) low-carb whole wheat tortillas (La Tortilla Factory
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cooking Spray, Olive oil flavored


Toppings~
Shredded lettuce, generously applied
Chopped Avocado, ¼ per person
Greek Yogurt, plain, 2 tablespoons per person
Shredded Mozzarella, 1 tablespoon per person
Picante Sauce, 2 – 4 tablespoons per person


Directions~
1. Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add oil. Heat over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3. Add frozen pepper and onion stir-fry mix and raise heat to high.
4. Add cumin and chili powder and stir well.
5. Cook until vegetables have thawed, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add shrimp and cook until just heated through, about 2 minutes.
7. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in oven until warmed through.
8. Remove shrimp mixture from heat and season with salt and pepper.
9. Place shrimp mixture in a bowl with a serving spoon. Place all toppings in their own individual bowls with their own serving spoons. Place tortillas on a plate. Arrange everything in the middle of the table so everyone can serve themselves.


Serves 4; 2 tortillas per person.

To complete the meal, serve with the Lip Smacking Frozen Fruit Salad or Fresh Berries.

Enjoy this kid-friendly meal served up on blue Kidliga...a dish set made just for kids!

Help Us Help Kids Live Healthy!

#NCOAM

#Kidliga

#CCHLN

#healthykids

#childhoodobesityawareness
#Livliga 
#LiveVibrant 
#Kidfriendly
#HelpUsHelpKidsLiveHealthy

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Poached Salmon-- A Conerstone of Your Recipe Repertoire

Poached Salmon is a simple dish that can be a conerstone of your recipe repertoire (photo by LivligaHome)

There is something really wonderful about a simple dish. There is an elegance about them that you can't beat. It is its own art. Doing it well is trickier than it may seem. But when you get a simple dish down it ends up being a cornerstone of your recipe repertoire. Poached salmon is just such a recipe. It is simple, tasty and is the foundation for any number of menus or other dishes you might devise.

The challenge with a poached salmon is making sure it does not taste "fishy" or overdone. Ideally you want to buy the fish fresh the day you are going to poach it. Having it a little fattier is also good. The farm raised salmon rather than wild Coho works best. 

Here is a simple recipe to use:

Poached Salmon

Ingredients~

2 pounds salmon

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 cup sake**

Enough water to cover the salmon

Directions~

1. Rinse salmon and pull out any random bones with pliers.

2. Place salmon in a skillet with a cover.

3. Add all other ingredients.

4. Bring water to a boil and boil for one minute. Then turn off heat and let the fish cook in the hot water for another 7 - 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut. When done the fish should flake with a fork and be a reddish pink. Remove from the hot water as soon as it flakes so it does not continue cooking.

5. Serve hot or cold. The poached salmon is also good to use in any any variety of recipes that call for a cooked meat or fish like salads, pasta, sandwiches, omelets or soups. You are only limited by your imagination.

**To be completely true to the Whole30 program substitute the sake for rice wine vinegar.

Serves 8.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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Health Benefits of Salmon

Health Benefits of Salmon (photo by LivligaHome).

As we continue to focus on our healthy lifestyle goals, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the benefits of key foods in our diet. Designing menus with more fish is good for our health. Salmon is a particularly healthy fish. Eating it 2 to 3 times a week is the common recommendation. Good news is there are many different ways to prepare salmon for tasty meals. Check out my blog or myrecipes.com to be inspired and motivated. I have been recently introduced to Jen Reviews where you can also find out more information and recipes regarding Salmon.

Here is what I found as a summary of the health benefits of salmon. It is quite a list!


Seven health benefits of salmon

1. Eating salmon is beneficial in the treatment of osteoarthritis and other inflammatory joint conditions. Salmon contains small proteins called bioactive peptides. One in particular, called calcitonin, has been shown to increase, regulate and stabilize collagen synthesis in human osteoarthritic cartilage. This salmon-found protein also improves bone density and strength.

2. Eating salmon makes you smarter and happier. The brain is 60 percent fat and most of that is the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. Thirty percent of the grey matter in the brain is DHA showing how critical it is to brain function and a healthy nervous system. Eating salmon regularly has been shown to reduce the risk and incidence of depression, hostility in young adults and cognitive decline in the elderly.

3. Eating salmon increases your cardiovascular health. As noted, salmon contains high levels of the omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA. These fats are responsible for many cardiovascular benefits such as reducing inflammation, keeping the blood from clotting excessively and relaxing and dilating the arteries. When eaten two to three times per week, salmon can protect you from problems such as heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia, high blood pressure and high triglycerides.

4. Salmon protects your eyes. Eating salmon twice a week has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of macular degeneration — a chronic eye condition that leads to loss of vision. For the treatment and prevention of a condition called dry eye syndrome, eat two to four servings per week.

5. Salmon helps build children’s brains. Eating salmon while pregnant and nursing can boost learning capability and academic performance in children. Salmon contains high levels of DHA (decosahexaenoic acid) which is the main structural fatty acid in the central nervous system and retina. Feeding salmon to preschool children also aids in the prevention of ADHD and can even boost academic performance.

6. Salmon’s an excellent source of vitamin D. Sufficient vitamin D is crucial to maintaining optimal health. A deficiency of this essential vitamin has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and type-1 diabetes. One can of salmon, for example, contains a day’s worth of vitamin D.

7. Salmon helps you sleep. Salmon is an excellent source of tryptophan, an all-natural sedative. Studies show that tryptophan increases sleepiness in subjects with mild insomnia and helps to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep.


Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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Salmon Grilled in a Pouch

Salmon cooked on the grill in a pouch is easy to do and the results are delicious (photo by LivligaHome).

Salmon we have grilled on our outdoor grill often ends up dry and with a charred skin. Don’t get me wrong, when my husband grills the salmon just right it is succulent and tasty. Regardless, though, we end up with charred skin. Sometimes it is nice not to have that charred taste as part of your meal.

Thanks to a friend we were recently reminded how to cook salmon in a pouch on the grill. It was so delicious. The meat was rosy and succulent with the flavors infused into the meat. Because it was cooked in a pouch there was no charring. It also makes for quick and easy clean up. And unlike baking in an oven, the cooking on the grill does add some smokiness to the salmon.

Preparing and cooking the salmon is easy and non-time consuming. Here is our quick and delectable version below.

Salmon Grilled in a Pouch

Ingredients

• 2 pound salmon fillet, deboned
• Fresh dill
• 1 lemon, sliced thinly
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt
• Dash of ground pepper
• Cooking spray, olive oil flavored
• Aluminum foil

Directions

1. Tear a sheet of aluminum foil that is twice as long as the salmon fillet. Make sure you will be able to roll and seal the foil once the salmon is prepared.
2. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Place the salmon in the middle of the foil
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the salmon. Use your fingers to spread the oil evenly across the top.
4. Sprinkle the sea salt evenly across the top of the salmon. Do the same with the pepper. Next lay sprigs of dill all along the top of the salmon. Finally, place the lemon slices on top to cover as much of the salmon as possible.
5.  Make a pouch over the salmon and seal the top and sides.
6.  Place the pouch directly on a high, hot grill. Immediately turn the grill down to medium. Grill on medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from grill. Open the pouch and check for doneness. The meat should be rosy and flake when separated with a fork. Serve promptly.

Serves: 8. Serving size: 4 ounces.

For other fish recipes and salmon specific recipes check out my blog.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

Re-posted from Sheila's Blog on TheEpochTimes.com.

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Kitchen Sink Salads with State of Slim Leftovers

"Everything but the Kitchen Sink" Salad with Salmon

Recently I made two Everything but the Kitchen Sink Salads with State of Slim leftovers that were very tasty. Here are the two versions with their ingredients:

Ingredients

For the Salad-
½ bag of mixed salad greens
½ the leftover roasted cauliflower, chopped
½ the leftover green beans with garlic and lemon, chopped
½ the leftover carrot sticks, chopped
½ the leftover celery sticks, chopped
Bunch of green onion, chopped
6 Grape tomatoes, sliced in half
4 -6 ounces leftover salmon with mustard dill sauce

For the Salad Dressing-
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon tarragon
pinch of pepper

Directions

1. Arrange mixed salad greens on a dinner plate.
2. Chop all vegetables and place them on top of the greens.
3. Place the salmon on top of all the vegetables, whole or flaked, according to your preference.
4. Mix the salad dressing ingredients in a jar, shaking until well blended. Pour over the salad. Serve.

Yield: 1 salad. Serving: for one person.

"Everything but the Kitchen Sink" Salad with Turkey Piccata

"Everything but the Kitchen Sink" Turkey Piccata Salad with State of Slim leftovers served on a Livliga plate (photo by LivligaHome)

The ingredients and the directions are the same as above: chop ½ the leftover vegetables and place them on a bed of mixed greens. Add 4 -6 ounces of the leftover meat, Turkey piccata, sliced. Prepare a serving of the salad dressing and pour it over the salad. Serve.

Yield: 1 salad. Serving: for one person.

The salads are tasty, visually appealing and have the added benefit of clearing out your refrigerator. There is nothing more statisfying than that!

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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How to Enjoy a Healthy, Memorable and Romantic Valentine’s Supper

Enjoy a Healthy, Memorable and Romantic Valentine’s Supper 
(photo by LivligaHome)

Valentine’s Day is around the corner. How can we enjoy a healthy, memorable and romantic Valentine’s supper? It is well understood that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. Fixing a romantic dinner at home for your loved one is a perfect way to make a special evening and control the cost and content of your meal. Click here to read the entire article...


Re-posted from Sheila's Blog on TheEpochTimes.com. 

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Christmas Gift Makeover-- Smoked Salmon Salad

Smoked Salmon Salad (photo by LivligaHome)

We have a dear friend who has sent us smoked salmon as a Christmas gift for years. Each of those years our tradition has been to eat the smoked salmon on New Year's Day as we play games, have close friends over and generally hang out.

The smoked salmon appetizer comes with lots of condiments. There is chopped egg whites, sieved egg yolk, capers, diced red onion and sour cream. It all gets piled high on top of nice-sized squares of cocktail bread. We go through a lot of cocktail bread in order to eat up all the salmon, which, of course, is part of the ritual.

This year we had a different kind of New Year's Day so we didn't get around to eating the smoked salmon like we usually do. The day came and went with the package of smoked salmon sitting in the pantry.

It has been knawing at me ever since. The challenge is, on January 2, like so many others, we clean up our act and tone down our consumption. What to do with a gift of smoked salmon when you don't want to have appetizers and don't want to eat a ton of bread?

I decided to have a little fun and experiment. What about constructing a Smoked Salmon Salad? It seemed to me you could include all the condiments like before with the smoked salmon but instead of eating it on bread you could eat it on top of lettuce.

Truthfully it was a lot of fun to create. It was very tasty. And as you can see by the photo it was visually appealing. It will definitely be a repeat...maybe even when it is not New Year's Day.

Here is the recipe for the Smoked Salmon Salad:

Ingredients-
3 ounces smoked salmon
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1/2 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon light sour cream
3 cups mixed greens, including baby kale
2 tablespoons Sheila's light vinaigrette

Directions-
1. Measure and flake the smoked salmon
2. Clean and measure the mixed greens. Place them in a bowl. Pour the light vinaigrette onto the salad and toss.
3. Place the tossed greens on to a dinner plate. Add the salmon, then chopped egg, red onion and capers. Top with the dollop of sour cream

Serves: 1. Calories: 277. Easily scaleable to as many as you have to serve.

To make it a meal we added a Whole Wheat Dried Apricot Muffin for 126 calories. Total calorie count for the meal-- 403.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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