Jerk Salmon and Garlic Spinach

O.M.G. So, I had my one experiment with jerk seasoning awhile ago and I haven't revisited the "jerk" realm until now. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG??? Am I really that crazy to put off finding an awesome flavor?? Yes. Yes, I was.

Enter Pinterest - because face it, us recipe whores find everything on Pinterest. Google recipes? Are you insane? Go look on Pinterest like a good girl, now! Pinch of Yum's Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl with Mango Salsa caught my eye. (http://pinchofyum.com/caribbean-jerk-salmon-bowl-with-mango-salsa)

I had every intention of making this as a bowl ... And then in my rush I forgot. For me that's not a big deal because I'm the classic "mix it all together and eat it" girl, anyways. My friends dread going to a Mexican restaurant with me because I'm prone to cutting and mashing my burritos into their equivalent of visual "baby poop." LOL I'm off topic ...

THIS WAS AMAZING. And amazingly, no garlic for once. Yes, you heard me right. It didn't need it. It was fabulous on salmon, but I think any white meat or fish would hold up to the flavor. And next time, I plan on marinating for a few hours because the flavor of the leftovers today was even more insanely awesome from sitting.

Wait there was garlic! The spinach had garlic, DOH. The spinach is super fast side that's still full of flavor and a green for your plate.

As for the mango salsa I added to mine, I will post that recipe at some point. It's super simple!

Please remember that all the measurements are general. If you get more less of something, it won't kill the flavor. Just try to keep everything fairly equal and you'll be fine!

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Jerk Salmon

2-4 Servings of Salmon Filet

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. hot madras curry powder (or regular curry powder)

1 tsp. all spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

Dash of sea salt

Mix the dry spices together, then add the oil. Mix well and pour over the salmon filets. Rub all over to coat them well. Let marinade or cook right away in a hot pan. 3-5 minutes each side. Serve!

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Garlic Spinach

4 handfuls fresh Baby Spinach

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. EVOO

Heat the oil in a pan. Mince in garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add Spinach and cook until wilted. Serve.

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I added Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice for my grain (super fast, not too processed ... But fast was the key term here: http://seedsofchangefoods.com/our_foods/product.aspx?c=rth&p=285) and my homemade mango salsa. DELICIOUS!!

Challenge-Friendly: YES. This was dinner on Day 1 of my Cleanse this time.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Fajita Steak Taco Filling

Last month - in preparation for the arrival of Baby #3 - I went into full nesting mode one week and mass produced enough food to fill my freezer. I ended up with 9 crockpot meals, 5 dinners of turkey veggie pasta sauce, 6 meal sides of mango salsa, 4 bags of sweet potato hash and 4 jars of lemon garlic sauce - all so I wouldn't have to think or prep too much with the inevitable lack of planning that comes with having a new baby in the house.

This Fajita Steak mix is the first I pulled since #1: I knew Dave would dig it for his first cleanse day; and #2: because the extra prep was easy with the "toppings" I had in the fridge.

I truthfully can't find the original recipe I pulled this from as I was in overdrive on Pinterest and writing down recipes as I found them. So, if this is based off of yours, please feel free to take the original credit!

We prepped this tonight as "burrito bowl" style. This included making rice in faux-chipotle style (which I will also list below) with lettuce, guacamole (I would have used plain avocado but I had this on hand), organic salsa and jalapeños for Dave. This also works for lettuce wraps or as taco filling.

I love bowls at Chipotle and if I've ever coached you, we've probably talked about making "healthier" Chipotle choices if you are on the go and have no other choice but to grab something on the run. My normal suggestions for Challengers include: half rice (go brown not white), no beans (unless you are coming from a workout - extra protein), veggies, meat, salsas, lettuce ... Forgo the cheese and sour cream, of course. Guac is overkill for their bowls since all the nutrition you usually need is already there ... Plus the extra sodium from their prep.

Love this! Turned out great! I went no sodium when I prepped it for the freezer and did end up adding a couple of shakes of sea salt after I pulled the steak apart for a flavor kick just FYI.

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Fajita Steak Taco Filling

2 lbs. Flank/Lean Steak

1/2 yellow onion

1/2 red onion

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 fresh jalapeño (optional) chopped

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

To freeze:

Chop and slice all veggies to your preference. Combine all veggies and meat in a gallon size freezer bag. 

Mix spices in a separate bowl. Spread as evenly as possible over contents in the baggie. Shut Baggie and mix ingredients to ensure spices get coated over as much as possible.

Mark on Baggie: "Add 1/2 c. water."

Freeze 4-6 months in a standard freezer.

To make or do fresh: defrost contents for a day in the refrigerator. Place in crockpot with 1/2 cup of water. Cook for 6-8 hours covered. Shred steak and combine with all ingredients in pot for final filling. 

If cooking for 8-10 hours on low, I would add 1/4-1/2 c. extra water to make sure your mix doesn't burn dry while you are at work!

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Cilantro Lime Rice

1 1/2 c. Brown Rice (I used instant)

2 c. Water

1 lime - squeezed

3 tbsp. cilantro

Combine line juice into the water while bringing to boil. Add rice. Cook down. Add cilantro after rice has set.

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Things I would do for next time: MORE VEGGIES and real garlic. :) Probably add another pepper or two.

Challenge-Friendly: YES. Serve it clean with a simple carb and added greens for the best results!

Lime Turkey Burgers and Bruschetta

I had a entire bag full of yellow and red tomatoes my mom gave me from her garden and the yellows were on the VERGE. So what did I do? I made bruschetta ... without bread. I mean, the best part of a bruschetta is the balsamic flavoring anyways, so why waste that goodness on a starchy, bread carb? Ok, I like it on bread, but seeing as this was Day #2 of the cleanse, bread wasn't an option! BUT OMG THIS HIT THE SPOT. I did grill the turkey patties and I now wish I would have pan cooked them because they dried out really easy.

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Bruschetta Mix

5 mid-sized Red Tomatoes
5 mid-sized Yellow Tomatoes
1 mid-sized Green Tomato
1/2 Red Onion

1/4 c. Baslamic Vinegar
1/8 c. EVOO
2-3 cloves Garlic - minced
2 tbsp. Basil or fresh leaves

Slice, dice and throw everything together. Shake up and let set so the flavors combine.

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Lime Turkey Burgers

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Corriander
1 tbsp. Basil
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tbsp. minced garlic
Black Pepper
1/2 Lime - squeeze the juice

Combine all the ingredients until you reach patty-making consistency. Pat out 4-5 patties (I got 5 out of mine). They will be moist but they should retain shape if you worked the meat well.

Grill until done or pan cook until juices run clear.

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Whole Grain Rice 

1 c. whole grain rice (feeds more than 2 people in my house)
2 c. water
1-2 cloves of Garlic
Basil
1 tbsp. chicken stock starter (healthy food store - no msg)
1/2 Lime - squeeze the juice in

Combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. The rice I use cooks at a simmer for 15-20 minutes (quick rice is faster!). Let set for 5 minutes and serve.

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I was surprised the Turkey Patties stayed together because they were pretty wet, but they did! The grill just leached all the moisture out of them unfortunately. The bruschetta was kickass and pretty easy considering you just had to cut the stuff up, combine and let set (I like my "salads" to marinate). The leftover patties went into our lunches. I had no lettuce left so we had just bruschetta, turkey and avocado leftovers for lunch today. Hey: I was perfectly fine with that!

Challenge Friendly: YES! And filling!