Salmon & Quinoa: The Perfect Post-Gym Meal

I'm on a mission to find the perfect post-gym dinner to both help recovery time and maximize my workouts. So, I did a little research and I think the below Salmon & Quinoa recipe might just be it!

Why do you need to concern yourself with what goes into your body after a workout?
Great question. The hour after your workout is referred to as the "Golden Hour". It's the time when your muscles absorb the most nutrients and glycogen. Glycogen is a molecule derived from carbohydrates that is produced and stored mainly in the liver and muscles. It's used up as a form of energy on an as-needed basis (i.e.- when you're kicking butt at the gym!). We need to replenish those glycogen stores after workouts by consuming enough healthy carbs such as quinoa.

But to just eat carbs after a workout doesn't address the whole picture. We also need to eat proteins for muscle repair and growth. When you workout you are essentially making very tiny tears in your muscles. Consuming enough proteins and nutrients aids in the repair and eventual growth in these muscles. Consuming proteins can also increase the absorption of water from the intestines! Pretty cool huh?

Now that we know all this how could you not want to try to cook up something new to help the overall impact of your workouts. And if salmon isn't you're thing, sauté up some chicken to pair with the quinoa salad. You really won't regret it :)


Salmon w/ Quinoa & Grapefruit

* 3/4 cup quinoa

* 4 4 oz Salmon Filets

* Juice from 1/2 a Lemon

* Salt & Pepper for seasoning

* 1 medium grapefruit
* 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
* 2 teaspoons honey

* 1/4 tbsp minced ginger

* 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small serrano or jalapeno chile, minced (with seeds for maximum heat)
* 2 scallions (both white and green parts), minced
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* Freshly ground black pepper

* 4 4 oz Salmon Filets

Cook quinoa according to package directions. When done fluff with a fork and put into a serving bowl.

For the fish, preheat stovetop to med-high heat & coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Season filets with salt and pepper & lemon juice. Place salmon on non-stick pan skin side down and cover. (Pan is hot enough when a drop of water sizzles when it hits the surface). Cook until desired degree of doneness. Approx 12-15 mins.

While salmon cooks, segment the grapefruit over a bowl, reserving the segments and juice separately. Whisk 3 tablespoons of the grapefruit juice with the vinegar, honey, ginger and pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a stream to make a slightly thick dressing. Toss quinoa with the dressing, chiles, scallions, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the grapefruit segment into the salad, divide among 4 plates, and top with the salmon filets. Enjoy!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ00594_D/NSECTIONGROUP
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/aa081403.htm

Pump Up Your 2010 Resolutions w Antioxidants

Again, I do not work for Womens Health Magazine but I just find so many fun articles in here that I can't help but share.
I just came across this article that talks all about how antioxidants actually function when consumed, and seriously they are nutritional rockstars. Up-ing your intake of antioxidant rich foods is like doing house-cleaning for the body. Combine it with some exercise and stretching and that's a New Year's Resolution you can be proud of!

I've got a few yummy recipes in this blog to help with antioxidant intake just try my Pomegranate Salad- Remember Pomegranates are in season :)

Or you can try my Salmon recipe with a Southwest twist!

Want something a little more hearty, then make my this CookingLight Filet Mignon recipe- I know, awesome news lean beef actually contains Coenzyme Q10 which can help fight off migraines and help lower blood pressure. Just remember to eat red meat in moderation :)

Lighten Up in the New Year with Salmon!

New Year's means New Year's Resolutions! Mine: post more awesome healthy recipes! So tune in weekly for some killer dishes to help keep you on track with any health oriented goals you may have set up for yourself for 2010. It's a new decade, might as well start it off right!
I figure we'll start strong with one of my favorite Salmon Recipes that has more health benefits than I can even list here! Here's the health breakdown:


Salmon- It's winter and none of us are getting enough sun, so none of us are getting enough Vitamin D, that vital nutrient for bone health...Enter Salmon. 3.5 oz of Salmon (approx size of a deck of cards) contains nearly 90% of your daily recommended intake. Salmon also gets great attention due to its high content of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. (We talked about these in my post about Flax ) Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats- the good kind- that help fight heart disease, and help keep skin and joints healthy.

Tomato- It's become common knowledge that tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, but I'm sure we're all asking the same question here... why does that even matter? Lycopene, a carotenoid, may act as an antioxidant in the human body. There are studies linking lycopene consumption from tomatoes with decreased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration. Tomatoes also contain high levels of Vitamin C, folate, & potassium.

Jalapeño- Capsaicin is the nutrient that gives all peppers their kick. The hotter the pepper, the higher the content of Capsaicin. This phytochemical has been shown to kill off prostate cancer cells in mice. Capsaicin can also help allieve a stuffy nose by stimulating secretions which help clear mucus from your nasal passage. On top of that, Capsaicin is known as an anti-inflammatory nutrient that can help with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

Seriously, I apologize for the length of this post but this is a great recipe. It's a variation of a recipe I saw in Cooking Light. Let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions for improvement :)


Salmon w Jalapeno, Tomato, & Red Onion Salsa
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1/2 Lemon
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 lime, divided
1/2 Clove Garlic
1 tsp Ginger

Season salmon with salt & pepper to taste and a spritz of lemon juice. Then in a covered non-stick skillet, saute for about 8 mins. Note: Salmon will continue cooking slightly when you take it out of the pan! Also good thing to know, when sauteing Salmon, heat the pan until a drop of water will sizzle on it then reduce heat to med-high and add Salmon, this will prevent the fish from sticking to the pan. When this is done cooking, place it on a dish and cover with tin-foil to keep warm.

While the salmon is sauteing, you can get started on your salsa! Grab another skillet and coat with olive oil. Bring stove top to med-high heat. Add garlic and saute 1 min, add ginger then saute another min. Add onion & jalepeno and saute for approx 6 mins. While this cooks you can check and see how your Salmon is coming along... Then add tomatos and saute for about 2 mins. Place salsa mixture in a small bowl and squeeze the juice of half the lime on top.

Plate the 4 Salmon filets and divide the salsa mixture over top. Serve w/ 1/2 c brown rice and garnish with a lime wedge. This meal is so delicious and the bright colors make it a real pick-me-up in the dark, cold winter!


http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/03/29/capsaicin-7-powerful-health-benefits-of-the-stuff-that-makes-peppers-hot-004.htm
http://salmonfacts.org/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lycopene/NS_patient-lycopene