A Lil Sushi, So You Say

I'm frequently driven by fierce avocado cravings.  I bet ya couldn't tell it was one of those days...   And I'm not sure what I intended to happen with crab and avocado and little to no other crab complimenting ingredients on hand.  I had no other choice but to turn to my good friend, Google.
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The search resulted in loads of ooey, gooey dips that would have been appropriate if this dish and I were planning to arrive someplace other than my newly purchased placemat (Anthropologie, much respect).  Page two, page three, page ah ha!  Do you know how many sushi rolls have crab and avocado?  Why I didn't think of this sooner, I don't know.  But it turns out sliced avocado, a little lump crab, and ponzu sauce equals a perfect little sushi substitute.  

Hunky Halibut

I bought this fish for no other purpose than I like halibut (I know stuff like this now).  I figured I could dust it with seasoning, broil it, and call it dinner; however, there's a theoretical limit to how many times I can post about broiled fish.  And likewise, there's a not so theoretical limit to how many times I can eat the "same" fish.

Due to my broiling assumption, I did not recipe hunt for alternatives nor did I purchase any ingredients out of the norm at the market.  Dilemma?  A bit of a dilemma...

Light bulbs and sirens went off simultaneously as I remembered the ridiculous amounts of wine I had recently purchased to stock my wine fridge.  Going only off of ingredients I thought might taste OK, I started mixing.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the smallest saucepan you own.  Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 stalks of chopped green onions to the melted butter and stir over medium heat for a few minutes.  Add 1 cup of white wine (I used Souv Blanc), salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil.  Add fish fillet and poach, turning mid-way, for 6-8 minutes or until fish is cooked all the way through.  Spoon a small amount of the broth over the fish and disregard the rest.

For the record, poaching is the new broiling in this kitchen!

Choptastic!

Salads are a sole exception to my food scarfing tendencies.  It's not because I don't love them, I do.  But when you combine a dressing fork dipper with the need for a little of each ingredient in every bite, you get an uber slow foliage feaster.

This little salad chopping gadget is shear genius (no pun intended).  It turned my ordinary salad into dense decadence.  I threw baby spinach, romaine, avocado, green onion, cucumber, and blue cheese in a bowl and chop, chop, chopped.  I drizzled with the tiniest bit of balsamic vinaigrette and satisfyingly ate every last bit.  I can promise you that drawer time will be scarce to non-existent with this thing!

Healthy Pants Pizza

Some days you crave fatty pants pizza, some days you settle for lazy pants pizza, and the other days?  Well the other days you just need healthy pants pizza.

A few weeks ago during one of my all too frequent grocery store trips, I stumbled upon a sample stand.  And if you've been with me to the market, you know that by stumble upon, I mean ran to.  Rarely do I 'stumble upon' a sample stand and think "I'm happy I just ate that".  In fact, before that day, it had never happened - a scrunched face and search for the nearest paper towel is more like it.

To create your own healthy pants pizza, you'll need:
- 1 Eggplant
- Pizza Sauce
- Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- Typical Toppings (I chose spinach, mushrooms, and onions)

Thinly slice eggplant.  Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place eggplant disks.  Broil eggplant on each side for about 4 minutes or until browned.  Watch closely as they burn easily, especially the ones in the back!  Cover with sauce, cheese, and toppings, and broil another minute or two until the cheese is bubbly.

Beautifood

Tonight's meal inspiration stemmed from an article that was sent to me a while back entitled '10 Ways to Eat Yourself Gorgeous'.  The article was shelved and I'm not certain why.  But from this point forward, food brain-block or not, I will be referencing it quite often.

My plate consisted of broiled salmon brushed with olive oil and fresh dill and boiled artichoke with dill garlic butter for dipping.  The salmon/artichoke combo created a dish rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Protein, Vitamins B/C/D, Magnesium, Folic Acid, and Biotin.  And chances are, if the last sentence bored you, you're in dire need of a meal like this!

I am beyond pleased.  So pleased, in fact, that I am immodestly giving myself the highest rank on every scale - A+, 5 stars, all 10's.