Orange Mint Salmon...

This is my ultimate signature recipe!

4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil
orange zest from 1 large orange
1 teaspoon puree or minced fresh ginger
juice from 2 large oranges
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
4 to 8 leaves of fresh mint, chopped

Season salmon filets with salt and pepper. In a saute pan over medium high heat, sear the salmon until just cooked through and hold warm until ready to serve. Pour off excess oil and add the zest and ginger to the pan. Deglaze with the orange juice and reduce by half. Swirl in the butter and add season with the salt, pepper, and mint. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Spoon over warm fish and serve with a side of sauteed kale.

Notes:
- Try to avoid “Chum” or “Kita” salmon if possible. Try to find Atlantic, Scottish, King, or Alaskan if available. Fresh is better but there is nothing wrong with frozen fish particularly if it is out of season or it has to travel long distances to get to your market.
- The butter in the recipe is optional. Reduce the juice a little more.

A Great Experiment, Results...

The month has passed since I started this experiment and here are the results.

On September 20, I weighed 283 pounds.
This morning, October 18, I weighed in at 269 pounds.
That is a 14 pound loss over the month.
Since my start day, I have now lost 181 pounds total.

I was not perfect with my eating over this time but here are the facts. I spent 6 months at just about the same weight, 294 with basically a 4 pound loss. I dropped a few more and went down to 289 for a while. And then down to 283. That is 11 pounds lost over 7 months. Over the past month, I am 14 pounds down.

I have made some changes to my exercise routine and eating habits over the past few weeks and I will share all of that again very soon. Do numbers lie? I do not know but I like the way these numbers look!

20 pounds away to my next goal of 249!

Tuscan Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup

http://www.wsls.com/story/26812997/food-lion-kitchen-sausage-kale-bean-soup

Tuscan Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup 
Serves 4

1 Pound of Sweet or Mild Italian Sausage
½ Cup Diced Onions
2 or 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cups Shredded Kale, remove any large stems.
6 Cups Low Sodium Food Lion Chicken Broth
1 Can Cannellini Beans, Drained and Washed
Food Lion Salt and Pepper to taste
Italian Parsley as needed
2 Ounces Parmesan Cheese, Shaved or Shredded
Food Lion Olive Oil as needed

Remove the sausage from the casing and add to a soup pot. Break the sausage up with a spoon and brown. Add in the onions and garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the kale and continue to sauté until the greens have wilted. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add in the white beans, season the soup with salt and pepper as needed; continue to simmer. Spoon finished soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley, Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with slices of crusty Italian bread.

Notes:
-Feel free to substitute any protein for the sausage. Chicken, ground beef, and/or shrimp will work perfectly.
-Cannellini beans are white kidney beans and you should be able to find in any market. Garbanzo beans will also work nicely.
-Feel free to add cooked diced potatoes or cooked shaped pasta to the soup. 

Fried Rice

This is a pretty good fried rice recipe. Much heartier that what you find in most restaurants.

Jasmine Fried Rice
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup whole grain brown jasmine rice
pinch of salt
2 cups cold water

Overnight Brown Rice: Sauté the rice in a sauce pot with the oil, do not brown. Season with salt and pour the water into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let set over night. In the morning, fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains (check and make sure rice is tender and had cooked completely). Cover the rice and refrigerate until ready to use.

Note:
Whole grains have a tendency to take a very long time to cook. When starting the night before and letting set and cook overnight, it makes the final preparation at meal time much easier. You can cook the brown rice before starting this meal but it can take between 40 and 60 minutes for it to cook completely. You can also soak the brown rice over night and then stove top cook or steam.

Ingredients for the fried rice:
2 tablespoons peanut or sunflower oil
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup mushrooms
¼ cup diced zucchini
1 pound cooked chicken or shrimp
¼ cup green peas
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

Using a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat, add the oil, diced onions, and mushrooms, and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add in the cooked chicken and peas and toss. Stir in the cooked rice and continue to stir and toss. Make a well in the middle of the pan and crack in the two eggs and scramble. After cooked, mix in well with the ingredients in the pan. Add in the soy sauce and butter and sauté and toss until all ingredients have been mixed thoroughly. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes:
- Fried rice cooks much better when using rice which has been cooked and cooled.
- You can set this up as a “fried rice bar” and have your guests select and choose which ingredients would like to make a personalized fried rice dinner.
- Feel free to add or take away any ingredients to the mix.

Avocado Salsa Burgers

You can also call these Taco Burgers!

Serves 4

4 burger patties
1 avocado, sliced
½ cup salsa
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
4 large flour tortilla wraps, your favorite bun, or large lettuce leaves

Season the beef patty and grill or sear until the desired internal temperature has been reached. Hold warm until ready to serve. Place in the center of the wrap. Top with the sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream, and queso fresco. Wrap up and serve with fresh fruit or tortilla chips.

Notes:
- Season the burger with salt, pepper, and garlic but you can also season with a basic taco seasoning.
- Use your favorite grind of beef but if you can find a whole muscle grind, it will perform better.
- Or have your butcher produce a special grind for you if you wish.

Scallop Chowder...

This is a versatile, hearty soup which you can customize with just about any ingredients you wish.

8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and roughly chopped.
1 medium onion, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 head of cauliflower, roasted and cut into medium pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 pound small scallops, dry** if possible
salt and pepper to taste
freshly chopped parsley as needed

Prepare cauliflower by cutting into thick steaks and placing on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a hot oven until tender. Cut into pieces. Cook the bacon in an oven until crisp; drain and chop. Reserve a small amount of the bacon drippings. In a large sauce pan, add the bacon drippings and onions and sauté over medium-high heat until onions are light golden, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth, white wine and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the roasted cauliflower, cream and bacon and continue to simmer. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add half of scallops and sauté until light golden, about 2 minutes. Add scallops to chowder. Repeat with remaining butter and scallops. Season chowder to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chowder into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes:

• Feel free to add any other vegetables you wish like sweet potatoes, corn, butternut squash, etc.
• You sub any seafood broth for the chicken broth.
• "Dry**" refers to a scallop which has not been marinated in a sodium water solution.