Category Archives: Going Healthy

Going Healthy: Baby Bok Choy Crab Sliders (Easy and Low Calorie)

06/02/2014 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Looking for easy entertaining dishes that are unique, healthy, and delicious? Or maybe you just want something a little out of the ordinary for yourself and your family. Either way, I have a recipe for you and you don’t even have to turn on the stove or oven!

Now that we’re getting into the warmer months, avoiding the stove or oven is always preferred, unless you enjoy higher energy bills. If you know me, you know I’m pretty uptight when it comes to food and healthy, and these little “sliders” make the cut in taste and nutrition!

For anyone watching their diet (or at least needs to), these sliders are an easy substitute. Did you know the average beef slider packs anywhere from 150 to 300+ calories each? And obviously you don’t eat just one slider; amiright?

On the other end of the health spectrum, you can enjoy a generous 2 ounce serving of lump crab for only 40 calories giving you 8 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. Since you can’t fit a full 2 ounces on one rib of bok choy, you’d have to make about 8 or 10 of these to get close to the calorie content of just one slider!

If you’re someone guilty of mindlessly snacking, like me, then these are perfect to snack away! The invigorating crunch of fresh baby bok choy packed with slightly sweet and tender lump crab meat provides instant gratification allowing you to give up high calories but not taste!

Bok choy is loaded with phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants which help protect against many cancers and may reduce bad cholesterol levels. In addition, boy choy provides a healthy dose of A, B-complex, and C vitamins plus multiple minerals. Swapping hamburger buns for a nutritionally rich green like bok choy is a smart way to serve your kids and yourself. So do yourself, friends, and family a “flavor” (Yep, I went there) and make something cool, light, and crisp to beat the heat; like these sliders!

Baby Bok Choy Crab Sliders

Ingredients (Serves 2 to 4)

-Jumbo lump crab meat; I bought it fresh at a reputable seafood counter, but you can get it in 6.5oz cans too

-2 stalks baby bok choy, separated, rinsed, and pat dry

-¼ tsp cayenne

-2 tsp cumin, garlic powder, and celery seed

-1 tbsp dried parsley and dill (If you have the fresh stuff, use it!!)

-2 tbsp condiment, sauce, or spread of choice; I used horseradish mustard, but plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or salsa can and will work perfectly

-Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

-In a small mixing bowl, add about 3/4 cup of fresh lump crab meat or one 6.5oz can, herbs, spices, and about 2 tablespoons condiment/spread/sauce of choice.

-Mix everything until well combined.

-Scoop mixture on the groove of your bok choy and repeat until you’re all out. If you want, save some for a healthy dip or to make a wrap for work

-Fold leafy part over and stick with toothpick to hold in place or eat as is.

Avery is not quite to this level of her baby-led weaning adventure, but soon enough, we’ll have these on her highchair tray ready to ~~savor and enjoy~~ throw across the kitchen.

Hopefully she’ll catch on…..

The versatility of this recipe is perfect for the time-strapped parent as you can easily omit or sub other herbs, spices, and condiments as you need or desire. I think using a tangy barbecue sauce in the mix would fit right in at any outdoor gathering.

Please, give these a try and let me know how you and others enjoyed them. And whenever possible, get your kids in the kitchen to help! For this recipe, have them mix the crab and other ingredients together as you prepare the bok choy.

Hope you enjoy your bok choy. See, again with the corniness!! 🙂

Going Healthy

Going Healthy: How to Cook Fish in Your Dishwasher

04/20/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Hi there!

Happy Easter to those of you that celebrate, and Happy Just-another-Sunday to those of you that don’t!

So, guess what I did yesterday? You give up? I cooked a big batch of wild-caught cod.

Who cares, right? Well, I cooked the fish in our dishwasher if that interests you.

Hi, I cook your food and wash what you eat it on!

No, its not taking the “clean eating” fad literally (hmm, or maybe it is….), its simply as it sounds. Take your fish, put in dishwasher, and run a cycle.

This was my first time to cook with the dishwasher and I was unsure of how things would turn out. So, I obviously had my concerns. Will my washer smell like fish forever, will the fish just get shred to pieces, and will it even be fully cooked?

But, the end result was perfectly cooked fish! Tender, moist, and still intact; awesome! The dishwasher did smell a little like fish, but nothing overwhelming and it went away after a while.

The prep was quick and easy, and cleanup was a wash! Ha ha, I love laughing at my own corny puns!

Anyway, even Going Mom tried and approved of the dishwashed (steamed or poached?) fish. Good thing since it will be in her meals I prepare for her work lunches!

Why cook food in the dishwasher? No good reason, just because you can and it’s fun to say you did. Will I do again? Maybe, but not anytime soon.

That said, give it a shot and join the dishwashed food club. You could cook with a washer full of dirty dishes as long as your tightly seal your foil pouches, but I prefer not to.

You see this compartment to fill with dishwashing fluid?

Don’t!

Here’s what you need:

fish of choice (I used cod but heard salmon works well too)
salt and pepper
herbs and spices (this is optional, but I used paprika, cumin, basil, and dill)
I didn’t use any, but you could add a little olive oil and lemon juice inside the foil.
aluminum foil
a dishwasher

Here’s what you do:

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.
Place your fish on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal tight.
Season fish with salt and pepper and any additional seasonings you prefer.
Turn off your oven since you don’t even need to use it and I just wanted to annoy you. Sorry…
Tightly seal the foil around your fish.
Place foil pouches in the top rack of your dishwasher and run on normal cycle with the sanitize option if you have it.
Sealed tight and ready for a wash!
Let your dishwasher do its thing and do not open until the full cycle, including the drying cycle, is complete.
Remove fish from dishwasher and enjoy your “clean eating” fish with a side of quinoa and roasted Brussels sprouts….or whatever sides you like.

Have you ever cooked anything in your dishwasher? If not, would you?

Ever cooked food using another unconventional method?

Going Healthy

Going Healthy: Low Calorie Coconut Protein Granola

04/06/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Are you sensing a theme with coconut here? Last week was coconut salmon cakes, this week it’s coconut granola, and who knows what’ll be next? I just happened to be a little excessive when buying coconut flour in bulk a while back, so now I’m trying to make good use of it.

This granola definitely counts as good use to me, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too. High protein, gluten free, no refined sugar, and full of crunchy flavor, how can you NOT love it?

Make sure you make a second batch because the first one will go quick. I speak from experience….

Low Calorie Coconut Protein Granola

Ingredients

2 cups puffed corn cereal; I used Arrowhead Mills
2 cups puffed millet cereal; again, Arrowhead Mills
1 T Cinnamon; I like it very cinnamon-intense, add only 1/2 a tablespoon if like
2 scoops vanilla protein powder; I use egg white protein sweetened with stevia
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup pumpkin puree; mashed ripe banana is excellent too
2 T milk of choice or water
1 T coconut oil
3 packets of stevia powder or 25 drops of liquid stevia; I don’t like it too sweet, so if you want add more to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl using a wire whisk.
In a separate mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree with 2 T milk or water.
Melt the coconut oil and mix into pumpkin mixture.
Add the wet to the dry and stir until well combined; this takes a while, be patient
On a parchment lined cookie sheet spread the mixture out evenly and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Every 10-15 minutes stir and break up the granola for even baking.
Remove from oven once you see granola turning a deep golden color.
Allow to cool and enjoy however you would. The clusters make excellent portable snacks and smaller pieces can be used for your milk/yogurt “dressing”.

If you don’t care about the gluten free part, feel free to substitute rolled oats in place of the puffed cereal. Or you can use certified gluten-free oats. The oats will actually make for a crunchier granola.