Smoked Salmon Hash with Dill Vinaigrette

Dinner for our blogger Irish Night was a challenge for me. It was hard to think of something traditional and also suitable for someone with my dietary restrictions. No white at night removes the staple potato from the mash-up. Get it? Mash up! Also, the traditional dishes use a lot of pork and beef.
I was going to make a lovely Colcannon when it hit me. Just because the clock says dinner doesn't mean the tummy can't scream for breakfast!!




Truthfully this wandered a little farther from the traditional Corned Beef and Hash that I was first envisioning. After a fair amount of research I've also learned that Corned Beef Hash actually has roots in Northern England. Oops. So while this doesn't represent St. Patty's Day very well, it was delicious enough to share anyway.
Bree from Three and a Half Stones to Go took the prize for Irish Night. Her version of Shepherds Pie was amazing and my 4 year old is still asking for more of it.

Smoked Salmon Hash with Dill Vinaigrette

Dill Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 stalks green onion
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Place vinegar, lemon juice, green onion, dill, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Transfer the vinaigrette to a bowl or squeeze bottle.

Smoked Salmon Hash
8 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
2 tablespoons horseradish
2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 poached eggs or cooked egg whites

Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick saute pan. Add the red bell pepper and sweet potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Add smoked salmon, horseradish, dill, kale, salt and pepper stir until well mixed. Divide the hash among 4 plates and top each with a poached egg. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Moving on to the nutrition...

• The first thing we need to talk about are eggs. Obviously egg whites have no fat. It's that pesky yolk that brings in 5 grams of mostly saturated fat. On the Swank Diet we are allowed three eggs per week, but no more than one per serving.
• So then we go on to Salmon. Fatty fish contains unsaturated fatty acids and must be counted in your daily oil allowance. You are allowed 50 grams of this unsaturated fatty acid (10 tsp.) per day.
  Salmon, Chinook -- 1 oz. = 1 tsp. oil (5 grams)
  Salmon, Coho -- 2 oz. = 1 tsp. oil (5 grams)
  The majority of people I know are aware of the incredible benefits of salmon, if you are not one of them read this, this, this and especially this.
  Smoked salmon adds a lot of flavor without needing too much. Just watch the sodium because the smoking process adds quite a bit.

So there you have it. It started out brilliantly Irish, and ended as beautiful mix of flavors I didn't think I could have anymore. I absolutely love proving myself wrong!
Have you ever done that with a recipe? Or maybe you proved you actually like something you thought you hated? I'd love to hear your stories!

MS Warlord

I worry a lot more than I used to.
I'm a planner and sometimes MS makes me reluctant to plan.
I HATE that about MS.
How do I plan for an attack that could strike at anytime, with anything?
Maybe my legs will start going again and they've felt weak lately.
I really am I'm worried. Should I start carrying a cane in my car?
After my Reiki massage the lady pointed to problems in my knees.
Maybe that is where it will be.
Maybe it is there now, it feels like something is off.
Maybe it's all in my head.
Then there is this fog. It settles in and basic things like friends and places and life changing events just aren't there anymore. I don't know why it happens or how long will it last and it worries me.
Also, while we're talking about it, why is my nose tingly?
And why does my vision get blurry?
Is it low blood sugar or MS or my thyroid?
Am I'm I just tired and stressed?
Maybe I'm getting a cold.
Do I put too much pressure on being productive and not enough on caring for myself?
Why am I so broken and how can I fix all of this?
Do I need to call the doctor?
I really don't want to call the doctor.
I want to be ok.
No, scratch that! I want to thrive.
I want to be the girl on the cover of magazines proclaimed as the one that beat the shit out of MS and is now helping others do the same. I want to start a war.
A war within myself.
They'll call me the MS warlord.
_______________________________________________________________________

You can support the fight by joining TheyCallMeHypo at the April 14th MS Walk South Sound. If you are near by we'd love to have you join the team, if you are far away please consider being a virtual walker. We've already met our goal this year but are still raising funds. Click here or here to learn more. 

Weeknight Mu Shu Chicken

For some reason I had it in my head that my mother loved Mu Shu Chicken. I had big plans of impressing her with this make-over. BIG PLANS.
All the ingredients were purchased when I told her about my incredibly awesome dinner plans. "What's Mu Shu Chicken?" was her response.
REALLY?!  After all these years you'd think I'd know her favorite Asian meal.
Fail Melissa.

Mega mega fail.

At least the dish didn't fail.

Weeknight Mu Shu Chicken

1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 14 ounce bag coleslaw
3/4 cup chopped scallions
2 cups leftover chicken, shredded
10 small whole grain tortillas
Combine soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and hoisin in a small bowl. Whisk in cornstarch.  Set aside. In a large frying pan or wok stir-fry the ginger and garlic in the sesame oil for about a minute. BEWARE OF GARLIC MISSILES AND GINGER BOMBS. Add coleslaw mix scallions and stir-fry until wilted. Add chicken and soy sauce mixture. Cook until heated through. To serve spread this heated mixture over some small tortillas and drizzle with hoisin.


Nutritional Info Makes 10 Servings
Calories: 176.1, Total Fat: 4.6 g only .5 g Saturated Fat, Cholesterol: 21.1 m, Sodium: 316.3 mg, Total Carbs: 21.2 g, Dietary Fiber: 3.4 g, Protein: 11.5 g

Nothing beats super good, super nutritious and super fast. Nothing.
Oh hey, mom? If you're reading this can you please tell me your favorite dish so that I can redeem myself here? Pleeeeease?

Checkout other great recipes at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Roasted Cajun Broccoli

One question... why do roasted vegetables taste soooo much better than  un-roasted vegetables?!
Ok, fine, two questions...why didn't I learn about this sooner?
With Mardi Gras around the corner I've been on a bit of a Cajun kick. This was inspired by the Cajun Green Beans I made for Mardi Maigre. It's an amazingly quick side dish that can be thrown together during the week.


Roasted Cajun Broccoli
3 cups broccoli, chopped
Olive oil spray
1 tbs garlic
1.5 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1/2 to 1 tbs Cajun Seasoning (depending on your preference)
1/2 cup water
Arrange broccoli in a single layer in a baking dish. Toss with garlic, spray lightly with olive oil. Place under low broiler until broccoli tops are browned. The time varies depending on size of the broccoli cuts, fresh or frozen and your particular oven. Just keep an eye on it. While that is cooking add the turkey bacon to a large saute pan and cook until crisp. Add roasted broccoli to the saute pan along with Cajun seasoning and water. Simmer until all the water has evaporated.

Check out more tasty deliciousness at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.