Balsamic Chicken Noodles

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Soba Noodles with Balsamic Dressing and Chicken

This dish is oh, so easy and oh, so delicious!  Well, I guess I think it’s tasty because I am a sucker for just about anything with balsamic vinegar and basil and cheese.  Oh, and I suppose I love pasta too.  The dressing/sauce that goes over your pasta and chicken is punched with flavor thanks to the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and basil.  YUM!  And really, does it hurt to have two different kinds of cheeses sprinkled on top?  Well, maybe it does increase the calories a little, but if you can afford theses calories . . . they are SO worth it.  If you can’t, eliminate the cheeses (which still yields a delicious final dish) and you’ll save yourself 50 calories per serving.

I used soba noodles here.  They are made with buckwheat (which makes them healthy, adds protein, and they are also gluten free).  They are usually found on the Asian isle of your grocery store and are almost always sold in all health food stores (like Good Earth or Sunflower Market).  If you haven’t cooked or eaten soba noodles, don’t let that deter you from this recipe.  They are worth a try.  They taste WAY better than they look and they cook up WAY faster than other pastas.

I hope you love this as much as I did.  If you make it, will you call me over?

Balsamic Chicken Noodles
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
9 ounces soba noodles (dry)
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil (can substitute 1 cup fresh basil)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (part-skim)
1/2 cup reduced fat feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and and cook until just tender according to package directions. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. When combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is completely combined.

While the pasta is boiling, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the bell pepper. Cook briefly until crisp-tender. Add the cooked chicken and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

When the noodles have been drained, add the hot noodles to the skillet with the red pepper and chicken and toss. Add the shredded or cubed mozzarella and toss quickly to combine before the cheese melts. Pour the dressing over the top and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/6 of Recipe)
Calories:  372
Protein:  26.1g
Carbs:  35.6g
Fat:  15.6g (3.7g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.6g
Sugars:  1g

 

Turkey Sausages with Chicken & Spicy Beans

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This is a wonderful all-in-one kind of meal.  The nutrition is great, the method (skillet) is fabulous because you only dirty one pan, and the taste is awesome!  The simple list of ingredients made me wonder if the flavor wouldn’t be all that awesome, but I was wrong.  This dish is full of flavor and the combination of sausage, chicken, tomatoes, garlic, and a hint of red pepper is delightful.  I also loved having the cannellini beans as my carb for the night.  They pair well with the flavors and it gave me some variety to what I usually have for my carb.

You can add as much red pepper as you like which allows you to control the level of heat you want for the dish.  I wanted a hint of heat . . . just enough to add a depth of flavor, so I added approximately 1/4 teaspoon.   Clearly you can add more if you want more heat (the original recipe had much more heat than this), or less if you want less (all of you with children).

Sausages with Fagioli All'uccelletta

Turkey Sausages with Chicken & Spicy Beans
Adapted from the Cooking Channel

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces turkey sausages, sliced in ¼-inch slices
10 ounces chicken, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15-0z) diced tomatoes
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh flat-leave parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Heat a large high-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil to heat.  Once hot, add the sausage and chicken and cook until heated through and no longer pink (sausages will brown), about 8 minutes.  Remove sausage and chicken from the pan to a plate and reserve.

Add the garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes (I used 1/4 teaspoon), bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Lower the flame, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and thickened to a sauce-like consistency.

Add the sausage and chicken (and any juice left on the plate) and beans to the thickened tomatoes.  Stir well and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley before serving.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 the Recipe)
Calories:  227
Protein:  26.5g
Carbs:  18.7g
Fat:  4.4g (1.5g = Sat.)
Fiber:  3.8g
Sugars:  3.8g

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

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It’s summer and the temps are hot right now, right?  Who wants to turn on your oven and bake potatoes?  Not me!  This is a VERY handy way to “bake” your potatoes.  You can fit quite a few in your slow cooker and you don’t have to worry about heating up the house on a hot summer day.  I think this method is quite brilliant. . . . especially because the potatoes come out soft.  Just as if they’ve been baked!  Not to mention that the slow cooker will keep your potatoes warm for quite some time if you’re serving a crowd.  The only trick here is to remember to put the potatoes in the slow cooker 8ish hours before you’re ready to eat/serve them.  Pretty darn easy if you ask me.

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

potatoes (I used red potatoes)

Wash your potatoes well and let them dry.  Then wrap each potato in a piece of foil (no need for pricking them).

Place the foil wrapped potatoes in your slow cooker.  I put 10 medium sized potatoes in my 4 quart crock pot.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Nutritional Information (Per 4-oz. Potato)
Calories:  124
Protein:  2.6g
Carbs:  28.6g
Fat:  0.1g

Breakfast Fried Rice

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Eggs, Brown Rice, Canadian Bacon, Syrup

I’ve probably told you before, but I really, REALLY love rice.  I’ve always said I would make a good latin or polynesian person because I can really eat rice for every meal and be just fine.  So, one day when I had leftover brown rice in the fridge and I was contemplating on what to have for breakfast, I guess it’s no surprise that I wanted to eat that rice.  I just had to figure out a good way to prepare it so that it seemed more like breakfast than dinner.

This is how I came up with Breakfast Fried Rice.  I love eggs, Canadian bacon, and I knew I would like a hint of maple all over everything.  So, I gave this a whirl and I seriously fell in love with it.  It tasted just like breakfast, but was definitely something different than my typical oatmeal.  It’s delicious.  I promise.

Breakfast Fried Rice
Mimi’s Original

1 egg
1 egg white
2 slices Canadian bacon, diced
1/2 cup cold, cooked, brown rice
1 tablespoon sugar free maple syrup
nonstick cooking spray

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Place egg, egg white, and Canadian bacon in a small bowl and lightly whisk.  Add mixture to skillet and cook, gently pushing, lifting, and folding them from one side of the pan to the other, until large, shiny, wet curds form, about 2 minutes (in other words…scramble them).   Remove eggs from skillet.

Increase heat to medium-high and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.  Add cold rice to skillet and spread the rice out evenly over the pan and let cook without stirring, until you hear the rice grains sizzle, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Toss the rice a bit with your spatula, and again spread it out over the cooking surface.

Drizzle the maple syrup all over the rice, and toss again.  Add eggs to the pan and toss to combine all the ingredients well with the rice.  Let everything heat back up again until the rice grains are sizzling again.  Add additional maple syrup to taste, if needed.  Serve.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information
Calories:  244
Protein:  18.1g
Carbs:  24.8g
Fat:  8g (2.4g = Sat.)
Fiber:  1.8g
Sugars:  0g

Grilled Pizza

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This is SUCH a fun summer meal.  I was first introduced to this concept by some good friends in my neighborhood.  They had invited us over for dinner one night and taught us how to make pizza on the grill.  It was so much fun. We loved the idea of putting the dough on the grill, and then “decorating” our pizzas with whatever toppings we wanted.  We each had our own individual pizza and it was exactly how we wanted it.  I thought the concept was brilliant, and I never have grilled pizza without thinking of my good friends (thanks Megan!).

Beau recently had a birthday and we decided this would be fun to add to the festivities.  I wasn’t sure who would stop in to see Beau that night, but I knew that if anyone did it would be very easy to offer them a grilled pizza.  I had dough ready and all the toppings prepared.  It worked perfectly and was a lot of fun.  The good news was that I had prepared plenty of toppings so Beau and I had grilled pizza again. . . two days later.  Bonus!  I can only imagine how fun this would be if you had children old enough to make their own pizzas!  I think I would have grilled pizza at least one night a week.

I like the recipe I’m giving you for the dough.  It works wonderfully for a pizza crust and I love the recipe because you don’t have to plan for the dough to raise twice!  In fact, you don’t have to wait for this dough to raise at all!  I’m serious.  It works just fine without any rising time.  I have other recipes that taste a smidge better, but I love the convenience of this one WAY MORE than I care for the smidge of better taste.  After all, it gets layered with all sorts of other flavors, so the crust becomes background anyways.  (If I had to eat the crust alone, then perhaps I would sacrifice the convenience for a better recipe.)

I usually will make my own marinara/pizza/tomato sauce.  It’s healthier, easy to make, and delicious.  However, in a pinch I have popped open a bottle of store-bought marinara too (still love me, okay?).  The nutritional information is calculated using a homemade version.

Because the toppings can vary and not every pizza is the same, I calculated the nutritional information based on the pizza I’ve highlighted in the picture.  It basically has diced, cooked chicken and a variety of veggies on it.  This is definitely a healthier option when choosing to put a pizza together.  Other toppings I have prepared for my guests include Canadian bacon, pineapple, turkey pepperoni, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced peppers, diced onions, sliced olives, fresh basil, and reduced fat cheeses.  This usually satisfies all age groups and most of the options are still pretty healthy.

So, what are you waiting for!?  Go make you a grilled pizza!  Tonight maybe?

Grilled Pizza

For the Dough:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon lecithin
1 cup hot water (hot water from the tap)

For the Pizza:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Marinara/Tomato Sauce of your choosing
Mozzarella cheese, part-skim (or other reduced fat cheeses)
Desired Toppings (cooked chicken, Canadian bacon, turkey pepperoni, peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives, pineapple, fresh basil, etc.)

For the dough:  Mix dry ingredients.  Add lecithin and water.  Mix in until dough combines, approximately 1 minute and check for consistency (use your dough hook on your mixer).  Dough should be a little sticky.  If dough is too dry, add more water.  Mix for 5 minutes on a medium speed (this will knead your dough).  Spray your countertop with nonstick cooking spray and divide dough into 8 even sections.  Shape each section into a ball.

Using a rolling pin, create your pizza crust by rolling each ball of dough out to resemble a circle (or as close to a circle as you can).   Your crust will be thin.  Set aside on a greased surface (I usually use a large jelly roll pan and I stack the crusts with a piece of greased parchment paper in between each crust).  You do not have to wait for this dough to rise.  Yay!

For the Pizza:
Clean (use one of those handy BBQ brushes to scrape off any residue), lightly oil, and preheat your outdoor grill to medium heat (this could take 10-15 minutes, so it’s a good time to get your toppings ready).  If needed, lightly brush the pizza dough with olive oil (usually my crust is already lightly oiled from sitting between two greased parchment papers so I can skip this step).  Gently grab two edges of your dough and place it on the hot grill.  Close the grill and let the dough cook for about 2-4 minutes, or until your dough has lightly bubbled and has grill marks on the bottom (this could take longer depending on the heat of your grill).  Using tongs or a spatula, remove dough from grill.

This is when you’ll “decorate” your pizza with whatever you wish.  VERY IMPORTANT – when placing toppings on your pizza, make sure you place toppings on the side WITH the grill marks. (You’ll need to put the non-grilled side back on the grill to cook.)  Start with 2 tablespoons of sauce, then 2 tablespoons of cheese, then layer with remaining desired toppings.  Once all the toppings are on the pizza, place the pizza back on the grill, close the grill (you need to lock in the heat to melt the cheese and cook the toppings/crust), and cook for another 2-6 minutes.  The heat of your grill will determine the length of time it will take.  Your pizza is done when the cheese is melted and there are nice grill marks on the bottom of your crust.

Repeat with remaining pizza crusts.   (Side Note:  If you have all your toppings out by the grill, then, after placing the crust on the grill for the first time, you can just flip the crust and place toppings on the pizza while it’s on the grill.  This makes things a little bit easier.  However, if you do this, work quickly so that the crust doesn’t cook before you have all the toppings on.  Otherwise, you’ll have a burnt crust and undercooked toppings.)

Nutritional Information
(Per Pizza with 2.5 oz. Chicken & a Variety of Veggies)
Calories:  294.1
Protein:  28g
Carbs:  32.4
Fat:  5.6g (2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  5g
Sugars:   3.1g

CRUST – Nutritional Information (Crust Alone = 1/8 Recipe)
Calories:  147.8
Protein:  5.8g
Carbs:  30.7
Fat:  1g (0.2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  4.6g
Sugars:  3.1g

Caprese Orzo Salad

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Tomato, Basil, & Mozarella Orzo Pasta Salad

 

I L.O.V.E. the flavor combination of tomato, basil, and mozzarella.  It tastes so light and fresh, but is always packed with flavor!  Now that I have fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden, this is EVEN better!  One night I was trying to come up with a side dish that we don’t have all of the time.  I just wanted something different so I searched through the pantry and spotted my orzo pasta.  Orzo pasta is a small pasta shape that looks a lot like rice.  (I haven’t found this shape in wheat pasta yet, but when I do . . . I will FOR SURE be buying it.)  That’s how the creation of this pasta salad started.

I added chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, a little mozzarella, and splashed it all with some balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.  It was SO yummy!  I suppose it’s technically NOT a caprese salad, but it sure tasted a lot like caprese!  So, that’s what I decided to call this.  If you’re looking for a simple and flavorful side dish.  Give this a whirl.  (I wrote the recipe to serve 2 since that’s the number I usually cook for, but this can VERY easily be doubled or tripled.)

Caprese Orzo Salad
Mimi Original

2 ounces orzo pasta (just shy of 1/3 cup, dry)
1 tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and transfer to a small bowl.  Add remaining ingredients.  Toss to coat.

Serves 2.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories:  157.5 (100 come from the pasta)
Protein:  6.1g
Carbs:  23.9g
Fat:  4.3g (1.2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  1.8g
Sugars:  1g

 

Orange Beef On a Stick

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These are pretty darn tasty, my friends.  If you’re looking for something that is a little different than your typical grilled steak or chicken, this is a great option!  I have always been a fan of orange beef from Asian restaurants, so I was pretty excited to try this recipe.  It didn’t disappoint in the least!  My biggest concern was that they wouldn’t have enough orange flavor, but they totally did!  The orange flavor was dominant and the other ingredients in the marinade (garlic, ginger, oil, honey, etc.) balanced everything out to give these a hint of Asian flare.  (P.S.  Siracha chili sauce is easily found in most grocery stores on the Asian isle.  It’s worth buying because it’s tasty on lots of stuff and you really should try it in Bangin’ Good Shrimp too!)

I served these on a bed of Baked Brown Rice.  I really had hoped that I had green onions in my fridge to add to the rice once it came out of the oven, but I was out.  I plan on adding green onions and lime juice to my finished rice next time. . . because there will definitely be a next time for this delicious meal!

Orange Beef On a Stick

Adapted from Our Best Bites

1 orange
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon coriander
4 cloves garlic
2-4 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 lb. flank steak
skewers (If using wood/bamboo make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before use.)

Zest your orange and add all of the zest to a small mixing bowl. Then cut the orange in half and add all of the juice as well. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice and anything more than that is just fine.

To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then add Sriracha to your liking. (Once these are marinated and cooked, the spice mellows quite a bit. I add 2 tsp. Sriracha and it’s mild enough that even kids will eat them. It’s not even spicy at all, just flavorful. So if you like heat, add 3-4 teaspoons of Sriracha.) Whisk the marinade so everything is combined.

Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4″ slices. (It helps to pop the steak into the freezer for 20 minutes or so beforehand.) Place steak in a zip-lock bag and pour the marinade in. Swish it all around and place the bag in the fridge. It’s best if it can sit for at least 4 hours.

When you’re ready to get cookin’ preheat your grill. Then take your skewers (pre-soaked if you’re using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you’re stitching. In order for them to cook evenly, stretch the meat out a bit.
  (I got 2 slices of meat per skewer, with a total of 12 skewers.)

Place them on the grill. Cook them approximately 3-4 minutes per side.  (These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don’t over do it.)

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 2 Skewers)
Calories:  201.6
Protein:  23.5g
Carbs:  3.4g
Fat:  9.8g (3.8g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.1g
Sugars:  1.9g

Classic Sloppy Joes

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These Sloppy Joes have a classic taste, they are super easy to make, and very kid friendly.  As true to America’s Test Kitchen recipes, this one does not fall short on flavor or texture.  I think it’s a brilliant idea to use mushrooms to help add bulk to the filling, but also to hide veggies from the kids (or adults who also cringe at veggies).  The mushrooms add a great meaty flavor (without adding very many calories).  Even better, the finely chopped mushrooms are hidden in the thick sauce and look just like bits of ground turkey.  Genius!  I used canned mushrooms because that’s what I had on hand.  However, you can use fresh mushrooms without any problem, but if you do, add them to the skillet with the onion so they can cook down.

The filling can be made ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  It’s easy to reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave on a medium power.  (Thus, it’s not a bad idea to double this recipe so you have a meal for later in the week that doesn’t take you any time.  The filling will freeze well too.)

I served these on my Fit Burger Buns, but the nutritional information reflects serving them on sandwich thins.  The servings are VERY generous!  If you have little people to serve, I’m sure this recipe can stretch to 6 or more servings (depending on how much/little your kiddies will eat).

Classic Sloppy Joes
Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
12 ounces ground turkey (93% lean)
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) can mushrooms, chopped fine
salt and pepper
4 whole-wheat sandwich thins (100 calories each)

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the tomato sauce, water, ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, sugar, and mushrooms.

Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, divide the mixture among the hamburger buns, and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Sloppy Joe)
Calories:  311
Protein:  24.5g
Carbs:  35.6g
Fat:  9.8g (2.3g)
Fiber:  7.6g
Sugars:  10.7g

Greek-Style Chickpea Salad

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This is such a fabulous option for a healthy carbohydrate side dish.  Chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo Beans) soak up the flavors well and they have a great buttery flavor.  This all helps to make the salad taste flavorful and rich.  This salad is punched with boldly flavored ingredients, so it makes it possible to get away with using a small amount of each while still packing in great taste and low fat.  The fresh mint, feta, and olives add plenty of zest to this salad.

I’m sure this salad would be delicious served over a bed of greens with whole-wheat pita chips.  Add in a little grilled chicken and you’ll have yourself a full meal!  Whether you eat this as a side dish or as a main course, I hope it offers some variety that you’ll love.

Greek-Style Chickpea Salad
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/2 English cucumber, halved length-wise and chopped small
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1/4 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Toss the chickpeas, onion, cucumber, mint, feta, and parsley together in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olives, mustard, oil, and garlic together, then pour over the chickpea mixture and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves 9.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/2 Cup)
Calories:  90
Protein:  4g
Carbs:  11g
Fat:  4g (0.5g = Sat.)
Fiber:  3g

Chili Salmon with Mango, Cucumber & Avocado Salsa

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Salsa Includes Blueberries, Lime, and Jalapeño

Oh my!  This is SO my kind of dinner!  This seriously tastes like healthy summer on a plate.  The salmon is simply seasoned with chili powder and the salsa is sweet and fresh.  Of course the chili powder is a fabulous compliment to salsa, so it’s no wonder this all goes together beautifully.

The salsa is seriously SO good!  It’s so good that it’s kind of a little bit hard not to eat more than the appropriate portion size.  (You’ve been warned!)  I was pretty intrigued with the addition of blueberries in this salsa.  I’ve made and seen several variations of mango salsa, but none that included blueberries.  Let me tell you, it’s awesome!  The burst of the blueberry in the mouth along with the sweetness and tartness of the berry is a perfect compliment to the soft and sweet mango.  The cucumber adds a nice balance to the sweetness as well as good bulk to the salsa (without adding many calories).  You can’t have a salsa without some kind of pepper, so there is a jalapeño pepper in here and you can add as much as you want.  The majority of the heat comes from the ribs and seeds of the pepper so for a mild salsa, remove all the ribs and seeds, for a hot salsa, keep them in.  The avocado adds a richness and creaminess to the salsa that helps to made this stuff so addictive.  Last, but certainly not least, is the addition of  lime zest and lime juice.  This gives the perfect amount of acidity and zing to the salsa and makes it taste amazingly fresh.

This meal can be eaten for lunch or dinner.  We had it for dinner with a side salad.  I think I might start making the salsa for snacks and appetizers too.  It’s that good!

Chili Salmon with Mango, Cucumber, & Avocado Salsa
Adapted from The Chew

For the Salmon:
4 Skin-On Salmon Filets (4 oz. each)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 teaspoon Chili Powder

For the Salsa:
1 mango (cubed)
1/4 – 1/2 English cucumber (diced)
1 avocado (cubed)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 – 1 jalapeno (seeded and minced)
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

For the Salsa: Toss all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl until well mixed (I use a rubber spatula so that the avocado doesn’t get mashed).  Set aside.

For the Salmon: Preheat a grill (outdoor or indoor . . . I used a charcoal grill for mine) to medium-high, and season lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon chili powder over each of the salmon filets. Season with salt and pepper, and place, skin-side down. After 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and continue to cook on other side for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 130F.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Filet & Approx. 1/2 Cup Salsa)
Calories:  284.5
Protein:  30.4g
Carbs:  15.1g
Fat:  11.6g (1.7g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.7g
Sugars:  6.1g