Quick, easy, and yummy food

I got a new magazine called "Eating Well". This week I made 3 recipes from it and all were super delicious, super easy, and took absolutely no time to make. So no excuses, there is no reason no matter how busy you are, why you can't have healthy, quick meals.

My favorite of the week which also happens to have a decent amount of protein and fiber:

Black Bean & Salmon Tostadas

• (8) 6-inch corn tortillas
• cooking spray
• (1) 6 to 7 ounce can boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained (see note below about canned salmon)
• (1) avocado, diced
• (2) tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos, plus 2 tablespoons pickling juice from the jar, divided
• (2) cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
• (2) tablespoons chopped cilantro
• (1) 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
• (3) tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (I like plain non-fat yogurt myself!)
• (2) tablespoons salsa
• (2) scallions, chopped (or any kind of onion you that you like)
• dash of chipolte chili poweder or cayenne pepper (optional)
• Lime wedges (optional - because none of the ingredients are optional!)

And I can't have anything with a tortilla without olives, so of course, I topped my tostada with a few sliced olives.

MAKES: 4 servings, 2 tostadas each

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes, TOTAL TIME, 25 minutes

COST PER SERVING: under $2.50

TIP: Skip store-bought and make your own crispy tostada shells in the oven, pickled jalapenos, cilantro and avocado perk up canned salmon for the topping.

SERVE WITH: Brown rice cooked with diced tonatoes and onions or salsa. Or don't serve with anything at all. 2 of these bad boys were just right for a meal for me.

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees.
2. Coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until light brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
3. Combine salmon, avocado and jalapenos in a bowl.
4. Combine cabbage, cilantro and the pickling juice in another bowl.
3. Process black beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions (I also added some chipolte chili powder because I like a little more bite or if I didn't have chipolte, I would sprinkle some cayanne pepper to spice it up) in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high until hot, about 2 minutes.
5. To assemble tostadas, spread each tortilla with some bean mixture and some salmon mixture and top with the cabbage. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Of course, I also topped with more cilantro, salsa, and olives. The color was beautiful!

PER SERVING: 319 calories; 11g. fat (2g saturated, 6g monosaturated); 16mg cholesterol; 43g carbohydrate; 0g added sugars; 16g protein; 12g fiber, 352mg sodium.

Find more salmon recipes, including Blackened Salmon Sandwich, at http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_salmon_recipes. And if anybody out there actually makes one of the salmon recipes, please let me know if it was yummy!

BUYING CANNED SALMON
Skin and Bones: Unless specified, canned salmon includes the skin and small bones. Although both are edible, buying boneless, skinless salmon (labeled as such) is best and most convenient.

Red, Pink and Wild: Wild-caught salmon from Alaska is the best choice for the environment, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program. Farmed salmon, including Atlantic, should be avoided, as it endangers the wild salmon population. Both wild-caught red salmon, also called sockeye, and pink salmon are available in cans. Red salmon has a richer color and meatier texture, while pink salmon is more pale and tender. Look for "wild Alaskan" on the label.

My Lucky Bamboo isn't so Lucky

I can't say that I am a Feng Shui disciple, but Feng Shui intrigues me and I find myself unconsciously doing things around the house to abide by the principles. For instance, I have Lucky Bamboo.

[Now, a bit more about me - probably more than you want to know]

The time I spend in our master bath is a total treat and I cherish it. The bathroom is awesome and it's my favorite room in the house. For one, it's huge. Also, the tub is awesome. We have a 5-1/2 foot cast iron claw foot tub (circa 1912). The water stays really hot for a very long time and let me tell you, I take advantage of it. I draw a super hot bath, grab a good book, and bring either a cup of tea or a glass of wine to my sanctuary. And if I am really feeling indulgent, I light my lemongrass candle (if you know me, you know I love anything ginger and lemon) and sometimes I faintly play classical music piped in via the surround sound stereo system. A bath for me is usually an hour long and I love every moment of it.

From tub I look over to a vanity where my Lucky Bamboo lives. It's beautiful, I love the lush color of green, and it brings me peace just looking at it.

[Let me take a brief detour to give you the down and dirty quick lowdown on Feng Shui Lucky Bamboo]

Bamboo is a symbol of strength, fortitude, and rapid growth in Chinese culture.

The basic principle of Feng Shui is to bring the natural elements of earth, water, air, fire, and metal in balance with the environment. Lucky Bamboo is said to be a thriving example of the elements of wood and water and when tied with a red ribbon or string, the element of fire is drawn in. Fire is believed to increase the positive flow of energy or chi into a room.

When given as a gift, Lucky Bamboo is said to be at its luckiest. It is especially popular as housewarming gifts and for the opening of a new business. If you purchase Lucky Bamboo for yourself, think of it as a gift to the home.

Chinese tradition imparts meaning to the number of bamboo stalks given as a gift:

• 2 for Love & Marriage  
• 3 for Happiness 
• 5 for Health 
• 8 for Wealth and Abundance 
• 9 for Good Fortune 

The more stalks, the more generous the blessing of luck, for example but the Chinese never give four stalks of Lucky Bamboo, because the word for "death" in Chinese sounds very much like the number four and is considered unlucky.

[Back to my story]

  

I have had the Lucky Bamboo in the master bath for probably 8 years or so and it has always been a happy, healthy, and heart plant that has required virtually no maintenance. But strangely enough it has suffered an acute attack of something and is quickly dying - its lucky days seem to be about over. Now, I'm not really a superstitious person, but coincidently, I have been suffering from a running injury that has landed me in the tub more often than usual. So now I am wondering if my suffering could be at all related to the suffering bamboo? Yes, I am training for Boston and running more than usual which lends support to my increased risk for injury. Could I be causing the bamboo to suffer because I am suffering?

The reason I ponder all of this is years ago Tom's grandma Nellie gave us her Jade plant. We had the thing for years and years and just like the bamboo that plant it was indestructible! The Jade mysteriously started to deteriorate and at that same time Nellie suffered a horrible stroke. It didn’t even register with us at the time that it was a coincidence. Tom's mom moved in with Nellie to care for her and it was a very challenging time. Nellie couldn't speak, couldn't eat, and was bed ridden requiring 24-hour care. Her health and her spirit were on the brink and it was evident that her time on earth was limited. Then, crazy enough, out of nowhere, Nellie had a miraculous improvement in health. She started talking, eating, and her spunkiness made a comeback appearance. And oddly enough, so did the Jade plant. Still, the coincidence didn’t register with us. Sadly, the comeback was short lived and Nellie passed away and I kid you not, the Jade just died too, immediately. It didn't slowly deteriorate after Nellie's death; it literally just died the same time she did. NOW, the coincidence registered and I think that was the start of some strange belief system.

Back to 2010 - now I'm freaking out over this Lucky Bamboo in the bathroom.......

[Lucky Bamboo also makes me think of Drew]

I won't go into it now, but I'll let you read an article about Drew here.

One of my first visits to see Drew when he returned to Seattle after suffering an injury that rendered him paralyzed from the neck down, as a get well gift I brought Drew some Lucky Bamboo. When I presented it to him we had an incredible conversation about it and discussed the meaning behind the number of stalks. I gave Drew 3 stalks for happiness. Drew asked me why I didn't give him 5 for health. My response was because you can be healthy and not happy, and if you are happy then nothing else matters.