Best to Keep a Routine for Mealtimes - new research

This one may feel intuitive to many, but it seems that eating around the same time and number of times each day is correlated with good health outcomes.

Avocado kale salad is even popular with children

4 large avocados
7 large bunches of lacinato kale
salt
oil and balsamic and/or red wine vinegar


Rip the kale stems out by hand and tear into bite size pieces.  Massage with salt oil and vinegar for several minutes, until soft.  Add avocado and mix.  Taste and adjust salt and vinegar if needed.

Bison ribeye (Linder Farms)

The trick with bison is not to cook it to death. This is a sliced ribeye served with greens and salad.

Ground lamb from Safeway/Vons

Product of New Zealand, $6.99 per pound for ground.  I thought the meat tasted pretty good, like lamb should, with a strong but not sour taste.  The patties were made with 1 egg, fresh sage and oregano, pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes. 

Yellowfin Tuna Coated with Golden Flaxseed and Fresh Thyme

Flaxseed is best if freshly ground because you get the oils, but you can use flaxseed meal and still get the fiber. I combined this with fresh thyme. Fresh basil might work, and even minced rosemary if you used a swordfish steak. First wash and pat dry your fish, then dip in one lightly beaten small egg, then in your heavily-seasoned flax mixture. Flax can be bland, so I added Hawaiian sea salt, pepper, chili powder, and lots of thyme. Then I fried it up on medium in olive oil.

Believe it or not, the whole thing took less than 15 minutes to make. I'm going to Trader Joe's to buy up their supply of that yellowfin tuna.

Spicy Rockfish with Salad

Frozen fish from Trader Joe's, a very mild, non-fishy fish that looks a lot like snapper. Seasoned rather heavily to give it some oomph and served over greens for my favorite lean dinner - fish and salad.

Bison Fajitas

The trick with bison is not to cook it to death. This is a sliced ribeye served with greens and salad.

Fast Easy Lunch or Dinner

One bag of salad of your choice, avocado, and canned wild Alaska sockeye salmon from Whole Foods brand. The can has two servings. If you make a lemon juice and oil dressing with some herbs and pepper, you can't even tell it is canned fish.

Indonesian Meat Cookies

From the Complete Asian Cookbook (Solomon, 1992), these are called Rempah-Rempah, but we call them meat cookies.

8 oz dried shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
1 lb ground meat (calls for beef but I like a combo of beef and lamb)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I used fresh grated)
2 eggs
oil for frying

Just mix it all together, form balls and cook up. I left out the shrimp paste because of MSG. I have made this with extra cayenne too, and the batch in the picture includes minced white onion. I'm Polish - you can't make meatballs without onion. I recall I also used turmeric since it seemed to go with the other flavors and I love it.

You can fry them or bake them, although baking will make them release some of their juice. My best batch was browned on the stove and finished in the oven.

I warn you, these are addictive. Make these when friends are coming over or you may find yourself popping them into your mouth a little too fast.

Using Summer Produce - Tomatoes and Peppers

Roasted tomatoes, peppers, sauteed Lindner bison in onions garlic cayenne and ancho powders. I know it isn't chili season!