Honey Mustard Salmon with Roasted Asparagus-From Men's Health

It seems to me that my hubby's Men's Health magazine has better recipes than my Women's Health. His most recent issue has this yummy recipe that I made tonight. I love salmon but am always a little clueless about what to do with seafood-the drawbacks of living in a landlocked state I guess. This one is a keeper!

Honey Mustard Salmon with Roasted Asparagus
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
4 salmon fillets (6 oz each)

Heat the oven to 400 F. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and microwave until the butter and sugar have melted together, about 30 seconds. Stir in the mustard, honey, and soy sauce.

Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the Parmesan, and some salt and pepper. Place the stalks in a baking dish and roast until they’re al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and add them to the pan, flesh side down. Cook them until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip them, brush on half the honey mustard, and place the pan in the oven. Bake until the salmon is firm and flakes easily ( but before white solids begin to form on the surface), about 5 minutes. Remove fillets from the oven and brush them with honey mustard. Serve the salmon with the asparagus. Makes 4 servings.

Per Serving: 360 calories, 17g fat, 38g protein, 550 mg sodium.

Summer is Here (Almost)

I’ve really struggled with eating well the past two weeks. I’ve maintained my weight loss; I’m hovering around my goal of a 16lb drop at about the 15.2 mark. But I’ve not been eating the kind of healthy whole foods that I want to eat.

I’ve realized that if I don’t plan out meals, buy the groceries for said meals and prepare them that I am destined to not fare well. And it’s really hard to do that when you have a lot going on in your life. This past week I went to Zumba class with a friend one evening and took a golf lesson one evening. I’m also trying to do the Couch to 5K plan which means I need to run 3 days a week. I did a 5K on Saturday. With all of these things going on, it was hard to set aside time to grocery shop. And when I did shop, it was a slap dash through the store picking up the basics and not being too creative with meal plans.

I have to do better. Summer is basically here and that means grilling out and lots of fresh veggies. There’s no excuse to eat a crappy lunch when there are much healthier and fresher alternatives.

So, I’m getting back on track with better eating.

Cheers to Summer!

Weighing In: Sizing Up My New Year's Resolution

As promised, today is my big reveal of how I did with my goal to lose 15 pounds by April 15th.

Drum roll please…..

As of this morning, I’ve lost 13 pounds! So, I came up 2 pounds short. I’m a little disappointed but not shocked. When my weight started coming down, my clothes starting fitting better and I started feeling better, I slacked off a little on counting calories.

I’m still determined though to get that last 2 pounds off.
I talked to my mom the other night and told her that I was struggling to lose the last little bit. She told me it would get easier this summer. “Two words for you: summer veggies” she said.

“Two words for you,” I replied. “Ice cream!”

So yeah, spring and summer have definite advantages when you are trying to lose weight but drawbacks too. I’ll give another weight report next month!

Trying to Help Jamie With That Food Revolution...

When I grocery shop after work, I'm generally tired, hungry and not in a great mood. This leads me to the temptation that is some sort of prepared deli item or frozen item. Or even worse, a drive-thru trip. Since 2010 has been my year of healthy eating, I'm trying to break that trend. So instead of giving in to some sort of goody, tonight I came home and made this:



It was nothing fancy. Just chicken breast, a variety of fresh veggies, wheat pasta and just a dash of bottled sweet and sour sauce. It was pretty YUM-O and healthy too!

Down 8.8 and Feeling Great!

Wow, what a cheesey post title. Mmmmm.....cheese...

I mentioned in an earlier post that I recommitted myself to a healthier lifestyle on January 1. As we near the end of February, I’m pleased to report that I have stuck with my commitment and have an 8.8 pound weight loss to show for it!

I’m very happy with my progression. I didn’t really set a timeline for myself but after a week or two I started thinking….hmmmm, how about 15 pounds by April 15? April 15 is really not a very special day-unless you consider sending Uncle Sam a check “special”-but it is a day that doesn’t escape without notice. So, I guess I am now publicly committing to trying to lose 15 pounds or more by April 15.

I know this do not seem like terribly ambitious goals. I’m sure I could stand to lose 25 pounds. But this isn’t my first weight loss effort either so I know that baby steps help you get to the finish line just as much as giant leaps do.
I’ll keep you posted…