Tag Archives: 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.

I hope you try and love this healthy recipe, and maybe even share with others if can! Have a great Sunday!

Do you like granola or try to keep away?

What’s your favorite treat that you wish could be healthier? I might have a way to make it better if you share.

Going Healthy, Uncategorized

Going Healthy: Easy Coconut Salmon Cakes

03/30/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Do you find yourself stuck in a rut of eating the same thing day in and day out for weeks? If you answered “Yes”, you’re not alone. But I make it a point to change things up when I can. As long as it’s tasty, healthy, and relatively quick to make, it’s fair game! Or should I say fair fish? See what I did there?

Enter these delicious salmon cakes that are both healthy and easy to make. Using canned salmon (tuna or crab would work too) makes these a convenient weeknight main course and are perfect to make extra for the next day.

Serve on a bed of steamed squash and green beans.

So, make a double batch of these to have dinner with the family and to take to work (or just have the next day if you stay at home like me) for a healthy and delicious lunch.

Baked Coconut Salmon Cakes

Ingredients

2 (5oz) cans wild salmon in water, drained (canned tuna or crab works too)

1/2 cup Coconut Flour (If you don’t have this, rolled oats also work well)

1 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 T Dijon mustard

3 egg whites or 3 flax/chia eggs

4 T Of your favorite salsa

1 T each dried basil and dill

Pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to incorporate. You can also mix everything in a food processor if desired. If mixture seems too runny, add oats or coconut flour 1 tablespoon at a time until thick enough to hold together.

Scoop the mix into a lightly oiled 12 cup muffin pan (I filled 9 of the 12 cups) and bake in pre-heated oven for 25 -30 minutes, depending how toasted you want the top. It should have a crispy golden crust on top.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

Top each cake with your favorite mustard, salsa, or even a yogurt sauce like Tzatziki; I like them plain too. Serve with steamed veggies of choice.

Kelley’s parents, Nana and Papa, are coming over to see Avery today while Kelley and I use the time to get chores done. Kelley is going to clean our bathroom while I run to Costco and Sprouts sans baby for our weekly essentials. Yeah, we live exciting lives, don’t be jealous.

This made me realize I don’t have many pictures of Nana and Papa with Avery, so I’ll be sure to fix that today!

Avery had a big week working on her rolling abilities, and now she rolls both ways like a pro! Hopefully she’ll show off her new skills today and maybe even surprise us all and get up to tap dance. Or maybe not….

Plus, she’s been going on long walks in our new Onya Outback and always seems pretty worn out afterward.