Salmon Patties

Salmon Patties

 On very rare occasions, I am left alone to fend for myself for dinner.  Last night my husband and son where out of the house, busy with evening activities, and my daughter was home sick with a belly ache.  Usually I would just have a bowl of soup while my daughter ate cereal, or have some cheese and crackers, or a simple salad.  But last night I was really hungry and wanted something warm and interesting. I had half a dozen ripe avocados in my fridge, and with no party to make guacamole for, and way too much Halloween candy sitting around to entice anyone with (avocado) chocolate pudding, which is absolutely delicious, (simple chocolate pudding, raw vegan chocolate pudding), I knew my meal should include an avocado, so as not to waste good food. I have used avocado as a mayonnaise substitute many times in salmon or tuna salads, but I didn't feel like eating a cold sandwich.  So I thought, why not add a little cheese, an egg to bind it, and some flavorful spices and fry it up into a patty?  I knew as soon as the underside started to brown and the aroma filled the kitchen, that I had a winner.  A simple to make, super nutritious, quick dinner that is perfect for one or two people.  I like to think of it as a cross between a tuna burger and a crab cake, and the recipe can definitely be amended with different spices, finely chopped vegetables, fresh salmon, canned tuna, or even breadcrumbs.  I ate two of them with some cut up tomatoes on the side, but they would be great on a roll like a burger, or with a side salad or a little rice or quinoa. I'm looking forward to the left over one this afternoon when I get back from a walk, and am sure it will taste just as good as it did last night.  So next time you find yourself wondering what to make for dinner, and you have a ripe avocado handy, grab a few pantry items and get cooking!  Quick and easy can also be healthy, and honestly, if I'd taken the time to dress up my plate a bit better and present it differently with some garnishes, I can guarantee it would pass as something you might eat at a fancy seafood restaurant.

Ch Ch Ch Chia

This is not a flash back to the 1980s when chia seeds became popular as the means to grow fur and hair on kitschy ceramic animals and heads. I have never owned one of those, but I do regularly buy large bags of chia seed in the organic section of my local grocery store.  I had been hearing about the health benefits of chia for a couple of years now, but it wasn't until I started working out a year ago and became even more focused on everything I put into my body that I decided to try them.  Chia seeds have been shown to have numerous health benefits in addition to being a great substitute for eggs in recipes because of the gelatin like binding structure of them when soaked overnight.  (1/4 C. soaked chia seeds equals 1 egg). They are the highest vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids, high in fiber, protein, as well as manganese and phosphorus (good for bones).  The reason I started using them was because I was always hungry during my morning workouts even after eating a large breakfast, and chia seeds have the amazing ability to expand up to three times their size and therefore slow the digestion process by keeping the stomach fuller for longer.  They are known to increase energy and endurance and help the body to rebuild muscles after exercise, and even more remarkably they have been shown to lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol, while increasing levels of good cholesterol.  For more information about their health benefits, check out the following websites:


http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/03/chia-seed-benefits-_n_3379831.html

http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/lindsey-duncan-nd-cn/chia-ancient-super-secret


When I first bought chia seeds, I would just sprinkle them on my cereal, wait a few minutes to let the milk soak in a little and then dig in.  But one of the coolest properties of chia seeds is their ability to absorb liquid so another favorite way to eat them is as a chocolate pudding that I often make in large batches and use in recipes all week as well as in my breakfast yogurt mixture.  I have even begun feeding it to the rest of my family in the hopes of reducing my husband's cholesterol naturally and increasing my children's nutritional intake.  My son requested a "strawberry chia pudding" so I mixed about 1/3 cup of the plain mixture soaked in organic soy milk and stirred in about one tablespoon of strawberry preserves.  He loved it, and I am glad I found a healthy alternative to jello to feed him.  Here is the basic guidelines for soaking chia seeds and the chocolate recipe that I use: