Spicy Tuna Seaweed Rolls

Ok, so here is the quick and easy recipe I wanted to originally post last week. You know, before I got distracted by my new blender and the protein shakes I've been hooked on...

You will need:
1/2 can tuna (in water, not oil)
Roasted seaweed snacks
Hot sauce
Jalapeño juice
1/2 jalapeño (optional)
Miracle Whip Lite (about 1 tbsp)

Prep time:
Less than 3 minutes

Directions -

Open and drain tuna (save un-used portion for later use in a salad or sandwich.) Stir in just enough Miracle Whip until tuna sticks together, add generous splash of jalapeño juice and hot sauce to taste. Cut up small pieces of jalapeños (if desired) and mix together. That's it- you're done! I simply make the wraps as I eat them, stuffing about a spoonful of the tuna salad into each seaweed snack. Makes about 6.

Hint:

The roasted seaweed (available at Trader Joe's for just $0.99 a package) is great on it's own too, so it makes a great snack or addition to soups or salads!

Shake it up!

Hey everybody,

So I had another recipe all ready to post today, but I simply have to write about my latest obsession instead. It's a little kitchen appliance I am now ready to recommend that every solo diner invest in. What is it, you ask? It's a personal size blender/smoothie maker! There are several options out there but I purchased mine for around $20 off of Groupon Goods and it came with a one year warranty. The model I have is made by Better Chef and is a one touch 16oz individual serving blender. The blending tumbler even doubles as the drinking cup and also comes with a separate lid for storage. If you have a full size blender by all means just use that, but if not this personal blender is the perfect size for a kitchen of one and clean up is a snap. Now on to the good part... protein shakes!
These would make a great pre or post-work out snack or a mid-morning boost, but I primarily have been using them as a simple breakfast on the go.

The best part about making your own smoothies and shakes is that you control the ingredients. You can avoid processed products with fillers, eliminate cross contamination from allergens, and customize to your specific tastes. Since this blender is a very recent purchase for me I haven't been able to try out that many recipes yet but I can say I have very much enjoyed each combination I have tried.

I've discovered a protein powder that is especially formulated for women. It's a half whey, half soy protein with a light vanilla flavor. It's only 80 calories per serving, low in sugar and has extra calcium added in. This particular powder, which is made by Aria and sold at Trader Joe's, has 14g of protein and blends smoother (less gritty) than some other protein supplements I have tried (namely, hemp protein). You can use whatever protein you like, according to your tastes and dietary needs. But let's be honest, while the supplement is a very important part, it's the extras that you add that make these yummy shakes something to look forward to in the morning.

So far I have tried a tropic vanilla blend made with 8oz. plain soy milk, 2 scoops protein powder, a few chunks of mango and a splash of OJ.
And a choco-staw-banana twist made with 8oz chocolate almond milk, 2 scoops protein powder, banana slices, and strawberries. I have found that it works best to blend the milk and powder first, then add fruit and blend again. Also, by using frozen fruit I have eliminated the need for adding any ice to thicken the mixture. I am looking forward to testing other combos using mixed berries and pineapple. What flavors will you be trying?

Why I choose to eat the way I do

One of the reasons I decided to start this blog was because so many people ask questions about my eating habits. Once people find out my dietary restrictions the most common questions usually go something like this, "what CAN you eat?" "you live off of that?" "you can't eat... (insert common food/drink here)?" These questions are quickly followed by the comment, "I could never do it!" Here's the thing... You never know what you can do until you're in the situation, or until you put your mind to it. In my case my decision to eliminate gluten, and eat a clean, primarily vegetarian diet is based upon how certain foods affect me. It wasn't a choice I made to limit myself, or to lose weight. It was not a temporary restriction I used as a punishment or a trend I wanted to follow. It is not for religious or social reasons. It is not a fad diet that will inevitably fail. It is a lifestyle change that I have made for my health. I was fed up with not knowing what was going on with my body and I decided to do something about it. I started doing my research and decided that maybe the benefits of a healthier diet would outweigh the things I would be "missing out on". It's amazing how the human body adjusts to what we give it! Once I eliminated certain items (such as gluten) from my diet I started noticing changes right away. But more shocking to me was how my cravings changed. While I still occasionally allow myself a treat of some sort I often don't find myself tempted by sweets or processed foods like I did before. When reintroduced into the system after a period of absence foods take on a whole new affect. It really makes me wonder what what other tolerances my body has built up over a lifetime.
So why do I eat the way I do? The answer is simple, it's for me. Because it makes me feel better about myself. Because I am learning that I don't have to live with side affects. It also gives me a whole new perspective on discipline. I can choose to feel better, I can make healthier decisions and see results, and I can feel good that I am taking care of myself.

Soup and scallops

Happy Friday everyone!

Today I'm going to share a simple meal suggestion that I made for my own lunch just the other day.

Start to finish this meal takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.

You will need: 1 single serving of frozen scallops (available for $1/ package at Albertsons) a handful of fresh baby spinach, yellow mustard, Tamari (gluten free soy sauce), black pepper, parsley, and organic tomato soup. I like the roasted red pepper one from Trader Joe's. (yes, it is gluten free!)

Directions: Heat small skillet to med-high temp, spray pan with non-stick cooking spray, toss in frozen scallops (cooking for about 4-5 mins). While the scallops are starting to cook, heat 1 cup of soup in a microwave safe bowl or mug (high power 2 mins.) Drizzle mustard and Tamari directly into the pan with the scallops, stirring occasionally. Season with ground black pepper. Once soup is finished heating, remove from microwave and sprinkle with a dash of dried parsley. Rinse one generous handful of fresh spinach and have it waiting on a plate nearby. When the scallops have finished cooking immediately remove from pan and spoon onto the bed of spinach.

Hope you enjoy this deliciously simple idea as much as I did :)





Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert in nutrition, fitness or any other dietary science. My suggestions should be taken as such and are not meant to replace medical advice. If you have a serious condition or severe allergies please do your own research and/or consult a doctor or other professional.
That said, I am giving you real examples from my personal journey. I am happy to pass along what I am discovering and maybe someone out there, who is going thru a similar process, will benefit from one of my stories or tips. For the sake of this blog I will assume that anyone reading and attempting to prepare meals for themselves has at least a very basic knowledge of cooking and can find their way around a kitchen without every step being spelled out. I feel like this is a reasonable pre-requisite so please don't send me any angry letters if you attempt to burn down your own kitchen while deep frying pancakes or the like (don't laugh - a former roommate nearly accomplished just such a feat... I could not make this stuff up!) :p

Cooking for 1 - the advantage

Alright all you solo diners, let's be honest for a moment. We all know there has to be a better option than take-out, the late night drive-thrus, and tv dinners. Yes, it may seem simple and avoids having to deal with a messy kitchen and a fridge full of leftovers but for most of us this is not college anymore and we feel there must be better, healthier, and even cheaper options out there. For those of us with additional restrictions placed on what we can eat the task seems even more daunting. Maybe you have an allergy or intolerance to a certain food, maybe it's counting calories to lose weight, maybe it's diabetes or iron deficiency, perhaps you are vegetarian or vegan. Whatever other "limitations" are placed on your diet (voluntarily or otherwise) does not mean that you, solo diner, are left without choices. It is simply time to get more creative.

Cooking for yourself is actually perfect for experimenting with what works for you. You don't have to worry about anyone else eating what you're making. You can try things out, play around with combinations, invent new recipes, sample new dishes or make the same favorite six times in a row! Go ahead, make breakfast for dinner and for once don't worry about what foods go together just enjoy the freedoms that cooking for yourself affords you.

Why write a blog?

I've recently been introduced to the concept of documenting the process and not just outcome. You know how they (whoever they is...) say that it's not about the destination, it's about the journey? Well, I agree. The more examples I see of how life turned out better when things didn't go as planned the more I can appreciate how I got to where I am today. A couple months ago, when I was feeling a little down, a good friend suggested that I write a list of all the amazing things I have accomplished that I never expected to. This way when I feel like I should have somehow been further along in life, I can take a step back and appreciate how much I really have done. I took her advice and started jotting down trips I've taken, skills I've learned, and small adventures I've had that had you told the younger me about such events I would have never believed it possible. So these two revelations have brought me to the conclusion that instead of stressing over where I wish I could be at any certain point in my life, I will instead be grateful for the lessons learned and detours taken along the way. This blog is now one way I am tracking my progress and sharing my story. I figure maybe if I keep a record of the process someday I can look back and realize just how interesting and unexpected the journey can be.

While I've never been a super un-healthy eater, the concept of what I eat seriously affecting my body is fairly new to me. I've never had to worry about restrictions being placed on what I can or can't eat. I was never really into working out, and didn't really feel a need to. Up until about a year ago I never considered myself allergic to anything. I ate pretty much whatever I wanted, whenever I was hungry, stopped when I was full, and lived with the mind-set that anything was fine in moderation. This served me fairly well through my teens and most of my 20's. Several friends even told me they found my dietary habits inspirational and used my judgement as an example. More recently I have discovered that what I put into my body has a greater impact than I could have imagined. I will go into greater detail about this later, but for now let's just say this last year I have been making a lot of changes and that is the inspiration for this blog.

Welcome!

Hey everyone, I've been thinking about starting this blog for a little while now and finally just decided to go for it. This will be a collection of recipes, nutrition tips, and pointers for individuals cooking for themselves while tying to maintain a healthful lifestyle. The majority of my posts will be directed specifically towards people with dietary restrictions, food allergies and the like. Just so you get a general idea of where I am coming from, my diet is basically that of a pescatarian (occasionally I eat poultry, but haven't eaten red meat in at least 8 years). I am also working on being strictly gluten-free and low dairy. I will share more details of my personal journey in future posts, but for now I would like to welcome you to Run with the Spoon - sensible solutions for the solo diner.