Pan-seared salmon with garlic asparagus and steamed kabocha squash

Macro Steam

INGREDIENTS

-1 10'' x 10'' piece of nori seaweed

-1/4 cup of short-grain brown rice

-half a cup of cubed firm tofu

-2 tsp fresh ginger in very thin, penny-sized slices

DIRECTIONS

First, I'd like to start off by admitting that I had never cooked rice before I made this delicious meal two nights ago. So, if you are like me and are intimidated by the idea of cooking rice, and there are no instructions available to you on the rice packet because they are either in French or label-less because they're from a healthfood-store dispenser, I assure you that it can be done--albeit (maybe) technically incorrectly...

I put about a quarter cup of dry brown rice in a medium-sized pot, filled the pot with a couple inches of water, and let it cook on high heat (almost as if it were stovetop oatmeal). It took a long time, and a lot of experimenting with stirring, not stirring, covering, uncovering, adding more water when too much of it evaporated and the rice still wasn't done...and about 20-something minutes later, it was ready. So, you can do that if you don't know how to cook rice, but if you do, you are one large step ahead of the game!

While cooking the rice, I stirred in about a half-teaspoon of fresh sliced ginger. That gave it a great flavor. Next, I cut the firm tofu into 1/2'' cubes and threw it into a steamer with the other teaspoon-and-a-half of fresh sliced ginger. I'm lucky because my roommate is Chinese, and she has a colossal, double-decker Asian-style steamer that I have the privilege of using daily (anyone who is trying to eat more healthily or lose weight more easily should purchase one of these at your nearest Chinatown or restaurant depot). Lightly sea-salt the tofu and let it steam for about 12 minutes.

-This is where it gets creative: Take out a very shallow bowl (more like a plate-bowl hybrid). Hold the square sheet of nori seaweed with your hands on opposing sides to that it is situated horizontally, 8-10'' above the uncovered, steaming pot of rice (while the rice is still cooking). Hold the seaweed here, allowing it to absorb the steam, until it becomes malleable enough to mold into the shape of the plate/bowl without cracking. Now center the seaweed on the plate/bowl and mold it to its shape, creating a 'seaweed basket'.

Finally, form a neat, round 'baseball-sized' (or slightly smaller) mound of the brown ginger rice and place it in the 'seaweed basket.' Place the steamed ginger tofu cubes around the rice mound in the seaweed basket. Garnish with a barely-there drizzle of light soy sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Pair with a side of steamed baby bok choy, green tea, and/or hot sake.

Petit-Gourmet Smoked Salmon & Avocado Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

-2 "deck of cards-sized" pieces of gluten free, multigrain, pumpernickel, spelt...or whatever kind of firm piece of sandwich bread you like. (Note: Bread that 'squishes' in your hand rather than crumbles is not good for you. It's like glue. A squeeze is a good test to see which breads are the healthiest)...

-Lactose-free or low fat emmental cheese

-Smoked salmon

-Dijon Mustard

-1/2 Avocado

DIRECTIONS

Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on each slice of bread. Then, take the half avocado, and divide it in half again, placing each piece on a mustard-clad bread slice. With a fork, mash the avocado into the bread as to turn it into a hummus-like spread, but not so hard that you're massacring the piece of bread. Place one slice of emmental cheese on top of the avocado, and then a slice of smoked salmon on top of the cheese. (I like to cut the cheese and salmon slices to the size of the bread to create a neater, more beautiful sandwich). Garnish with salt and pepper and serve open-faced. Dejeunez!

Low-Carb Smoked Salmon Appetizer

INGREDIENTS

-1 slice smoked salmon

-1 slice low-fat emmental cheese

-dill

-5 cornichon

-black pepper

-lemon

DIRECTIONS

-Lay the slice of smoked salmon on top of the slice of emmental. Sprinkle dill and black pepper, garnish with parsley sprig and thin slice of lemon....or not, if you're in a rush! Serve on a pretty plate and use fine silverware. This always enhances the gastronomic experience. Bon appetit!

**This will be a hit at dinner parties.

Fish Balls Part Deux: Moins les "Carbs."

INGREDIENTS

-20 fish balls from an asian specialty store (see recipe below)**

-2 cups of soybean sprouts

-3 tbsp olive oil

-3 tbsp light soy sauce

-3 clovesgarlic

-1/2 lemon

-nickel-sized sliver of ginger

**This dish can also be made with sea scallops, or as they say in French, which ALWAYS sounds better: "Coquilles St. Jaques"!

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil on medium in a pan and throw in the fish balls or scallops. Let simmer for a minute or two, then add the soybean sprouts and stir thoroughly while drizzling on the soy sauce. After about 7 minutes of stirring, crush the 3 cloves of garlic directly into the pan, along with a nickel-sized sliver of ginger, chopped into tiny pieces. Squeeze in half of a lemon, and continue to stir everything around for about 5 minutes. C'est fini! Pair it with a buttery Chardonnay or hot sake.

"Boulettes de Poisson Chiu Chow" with Millet Pasta (In other words, this is what you start to cook when you live in the heart of Paris's Chinatown).

INGREDIENTS:

-Tchi Yen "Boulettes de Poisson Chiu Chow" (Basically white fish-cake balls from an Asian specialty supermarket) (There are about 20 balls in the packet)

-2 cups organic millet fettucini

-2-3 tbsp soy sauce

-1/2 lemon

-2-3 tbsp olive oil

-3 cloves garlic

-salt

DIRECTIONS:

First, slice the garlic into small pieces and pan sauté it in the olive oil for a minute (I would tell you a more specific time frame for this step, but I burnt the garlic when I made it the first time so I trust you will do a better job!). Then just throw in all of the fish balls. The pan should remain somewhere between medium and high heat. (Now would be a good time to put the pot of salted water for the pasta on the stove--on high heat.)

Continue to stir the now-sizzling fish balls around constantly in the pan with a wooden spoon for another minute and then squeeze most of the half-lemon on them. Drizzle about 2 tbsp of soy sauce, and continue to stir. The balls should begin to get slightly golden browned.

Once they look slightly browned (and start to smell delicious!), put them on low heat/simmer, still stirring occasionally while you cook the 2 cups of millet pasta in the now boiling water for about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta, shake out the excess water, and throw it into the pan, tossing it in with the fish balls. Squeeze the rest of the half-lemon onto it and drizzle an extra tbsp of soy sauce. Continue to toss it all together in the pan for about 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat, and serve on a plate. Great with red wine, even though "seafood" usually calls for white.

**The fish balls would be excellent without the pasta as a party hors d'ouvre, with a sprinkle of powdered white pepper to garnish.

Dairy-Free Tuna Nicoise

Put following ingredients in a medium bowl:

-2 cans white albacore tuna (in water)

-10-15 mediterranean green olives with pimientos (tear them up manually or chop them)

-pinch of sea salt

-drizzle low sodium soy sauce

-dollop of "Nayonaise"

-1-2 tbsp. chopped red onion

-1/2 squeezed lemon (or less, to taste)

Mash all ingredients in bowl with a regular fork until mixed evenly. Serve alone or scoop on top of fresh green salad. No olive oil is needed in the recipe, but you can add a teaspoon if you want that extra flavor note. It's also great on rice cracker thins!

Summer Asian Crab Salad

In a medium bowl, mix:

4 ozs Louis Kemp Crab Delights
1/2 cucumber cut into chunks or slices (however you like)
1/2 avocado cut into chunks
Add shredded cabbage or carrot if you like
You can also add onion, tomato, steamed/shelled edamame, and/or nori seaweed snacks shredded up

-mix together with a fork, drizzle low-sodium soy sauce to taste and squeeze fresh lemon to taste
-you can also add a drop of olive oil--half a capful--if you like

Makes a great light lunch!