Oh, F-word | Bacon-wrapped Salmon Kebabs with Sriracha-Orange Glaze for Dinner

Oh, F word. And by “F word” I mean fat. Seventy two hours into my quest to eat 180 grams of healthy fat a day for 10 days is proving harder than I imagined. I’m doing this as a fat-loading phase of a marathon nutrition plan. I’ve had avocado, almonds and eggs.  I put real cream in my tea. I was thinking whole plain Greek yogurt would be yummy, but am finding it actually hard to find at the grocery store. Everything is marketed as fat-free, low-fat, reduced-fat or I-can’t-believe-its-not-fat! I did find one large carton of yogurt that had nearly half its calories made from creamy goodness, but the expiration date was looming. Conspiracy!

Eggs, avocado and cheese only got me 1/9th of the way to my 180 gram fat goal.

Eggs, avocado and cheese only got me 1/9th of the way to my 180 gram fat goal.

I was planning a fabulous beef dinner crisped up in rendered fat, but keep forgetting to pull the roast out of the freezer. That will happen this weekend, but I still needed dinner inspiration for tonight. With salmon and bacon on hand, it didn’t take long to realize that these two high-fat proteins would pair up like fine wine and Cheetos (really, try it). With salmon rich in heart-healthy polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids and the bacon sputtering with a hefty dose of (one might argue) less-healthy saturated fats, it only took a mere bamboo skewer to bring together these two opposing forces of dietary fat. You can call the fat combo “naughty and nice” or you can call it “yin and yang,” but why not just make this recipe for Bacon-wrapped Salmon Kebabs with Sriracha-Orange Glaze and call it a damn good thang?!  

jennifer fisher thefitfork bacon wrapped salmon kebabs sriracha

Bacon-wrapped Salmon Kebabs with Sriracha-Orange Glaze Recipe

  • 8 ounces wild-caught sockeye salmon, skin off
  • 6 slices of hardwood smoked bacon
  • Zest from one orange
  • Juice from one orange
  • ¼ cup tamari
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
  • ¼ cup orange marmalade (all-fruit, no added sugar)
  • 6 6-inch bamboo skewers

jennifer fisher thefitfork raw kebabs1) Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent burning.Cut salmon into 6 equal-sized strips. Thread onto skewers. Wrap skewered salmon with one slice of bacon.

jennifer fisher thefitfork salmon kebabs grill pan

2) Heat grill pan to medium-high heat. Pan grill kebabs for approximately 4 minutes on each side (including sides), for a total of approximately 16 minutes or until bacon is crisped and salmon cooked through.

3) While kebabs are grilling, prepare glaze by adding juice, tamari, Sriracha and marmalade into a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high for approximately 1 minute, stirring once, or until heated through.

jennifer fisher thefitfork.com bacon salmon kebabs close up

4) Remove kebabs from heat and brush with glaze. Sprinkle with orange zest. Use any remaining glaze on the greens, noodles, rice or whatever you are serving*

Serves 2.

When I made the greens, I just kept the rendered fat from the bacon in the pan because I (ahem) wanted it. But, drain off if you wish.

When I made the greens, I just kept the rendered fat from the bacon in the pan because I (ahem) wanted it. But, drain off if you wish.

I served these Bacon-wrapped Salmon Kebabs with a version of my Kicked-up Orange Cashew Kale. Heck yeah, the cashews add a little extra crunch and healthy fat. Instead of kale, I used a 10-ounce bag of mixed greens (turnip, collard and mustard). By the time it cooks down, that big bag (which isn’t all yet in the pan above) serves just the two of us. Convenient because I still  can’t get my kids to eat cooked greens; pretty sure I wouldn’t as a teenager either.

My Marathon Menu – Why I’m Eating Heaping Helpings of Healthy Fats

jennifer kicking batmans butt

A modified “fat before carbs” diet has me blasting past Batman. But, will my extreme fat-loading work for the marathon?

Pick your jaw up off the ground, you read my headline correctly. I’m about to kick off the “fat-loading” phase of my two-week endurance sport nutrition plan. For the next 10 days, I will be purposefully eating foods rich in high-quality fats in preparation for optimal performance at the Dallas Marathon. I’ve blogged here and at several other sites, including the Tabata Times, about this new “fats before carbs” pre-race fueling practice that is being endorsed by many cutting-edge sports nutritionists. Please check out these posts, because I list some sample menu plans. Now, before you start clucking your tongue and waving your finger, know that I won’t be scarfing down pints of Haagen-Dazs and baskets of chili-cheese fries. I’m not planning on weight gain, moving into my yoga pants 24/7, or getting gunked up with harmful trans-fats. But,  65 percent (that’s not a typo!!!) of my daily caloric intake for the next 10 days will come from high-quality fat sources, including healthy oils, nuts, meats, avocados, whole milk, cheese, eggs, and fatty fish fats — in a greater ratio than I normally eat. I currently consume about 30 – 40 percent fat in my diet, so this will be a noticeable change. Based on my average, 2500 calorie a day diet, I estimate that I will be eating 16,250 calories from fat over the next 10 days (or 180 grams per day – is this even possible?) Not sure, but I’m ready to try!

An example diet that includes good fat-loading choices on left. Good carb-loading choices on right.

An example diet that includes good fat-loading choices on left. Good carb-loading choices on right.

So, why am I feasting on fat in order to run a faster marathon? During this fat-loading phase, I will be training my body to better tap fat stores as a more immediate source of fuel, which will hopefully spare my glycogen reserves to be called upon during the later miles of the race – in other words, it will hopefully prevent me from “bonking” or “hitting the wall” as early as I do (which is typically around 20 miles for me and most other people). With all this fat and comparatively so little carbohydrate, I admittedly might feel a little sluggish for the next week and a half of training. But, since I am in taper phase and my mileage and speed have been reduced, I don’t expect to suffer too greatly in the process.

There may be bacon involved, just sayin'.

There may be bacon involved, just sayin’.

The flip side of this somewhat extreme nutrition plan is that in the last three days prior to the marathon, I will switch from a high-fat diet to a high-carbohydrate diet. The high-carb phase of the plan is pretty similar to the traditional “carbo-loading” that endurance athletes have embraced for years! Seventy percent of my calories will come from high-quality carbohydrates (including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) to ensure that my glycogen tanks are as topped off as possibly on marathon morning. The expected outcome is that I’ll feel perky, peppy and ready to race — and have enough glycogen stored and held onto as a “reserve tank” to see me to the finish line.

guacamole 1Planning my menu for the next couple weeks will be like solving a culinary algebraic equation, but a fun challenge — I am a food nerd, after all! Before it’s all said and done, I’m sure that I’ll have downed a couple dozen eggs, a couple quarts of guacamole, some salmon and at least a couple of prime steaks with all that sought-after (and actually good-for-you) fat marbling. But, do I have to give up my daily salad? While a bunch of lettuce is definitely not high in fat, I’m going to keep on eating my beloved spring lettuce mix because it’s a healthy habit I crave and, in the scheme of things, a plate of lettuce makes virtually no dent in my daily calorie allowance. However, I’ll be dressing it with some extra olive oil to reach that 65% fat goal. So, please come back to TheFitFork.com  in the next few weeks, I’ll  be sharing some new recipes I have been pinning and tearing out of magazines for inspiration – of course, I’ll be tweaking them with my own personal spin.  Right now, these three recipes are on my immediate to-do list for healthy high-fat feasting:

This is my famous breakfast hash -- I'll make it without the sweet potatoes this week.

This is my famous breakfast hash — I’ll make it without the sweet potatoes this week.

From FitSugar.com - Baked Avocado Eggs

From FitSugar.com – Baked Avocado Eggs

From Cook's Illustrated: Vaca Frita, yeah -- that's right - Fried Cow!

From Cook’s Illustrated: Vaca Frita, yeah — that’s right – Fried Cow!

SuperFoodie: Southwestern Sweet Potato Chickpea Soup Recipe

Sweet potatoes. It’s hard to believe that I strongly disliked them until just a few years ago. I thank some overly sweet marshmallow sweet potato casseroles for the aversion and an amazing array of more savory dishes for my newfound love. In fact, I adore sweet potatoes so much today that they are my go-to carb source for pre-marathon race fuel. Plus, my recipe for Spicy Beef and Sweet Potato Samosas almost won me a million dollars in the Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Oh, some other potato appetizer won, but that’s okay — I still stand by the funky orange tuber!

sweet-potatoes (1)

Not native to America, the sweet potato was brought over by Columbus from the West Indies. Thriving in many parts of the country, folks during the Revolutionary War relied on this early “superfood” as a primary source of nourishment. One physician during the era anointed the tuberous root as an “indispensable vegetable” and I couldn’t agree more. The sweet potato is loaded with calcium, potassium and vitamins A and C. The Center for Science in the Public Interest rates sweet potatoes as the number one most nutritious vegetable on the planet because they such are so nutritionally rich. Sweet potatoes rate low on the glycemic index which keeps blood sugar levels from spiking. Sweet potatoes have a glycemic load of just 17 while a regular white potato comes in at 29. Finally, a carbohydrate you can feel great about eating!

Since I was planning soup as our main dish for dinner, I wanted to add something to maximize the protein – chickpeas seemed an innocuous ingredient choice that would pump up the overall protein by 6 grams per serving (for a total of about 18 grams per serving) without altering the taste.  Knowing my family likes slightly spicy, southwestern flavors, I also added just enough Ancho chile powder to take down the sweet a notch without making it “hot.”  Soup’s on — hope you enjoy!

ancho sweet potato chickpea soup

 

spicy sweet potato and chick pea soupUpdate March 2017: This soup was featured in Taste of Home’s Healthy Cooking Annual Recipes cookbook.

 

 

 

 

 

Southwestern Sweet Potato Chickpea Soup Recipe

  •  1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise (about medium)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground Ancho Chile pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable stock (eg: homemade, canned or reconstituted)
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 green onions, bubs and greens sliced

Place potatoes, cut sides down, in an 11 x 7-inch microwave-safe baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool slightly; discard potato skins.
Heat stock pot over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 1 minute or until translucent. Stir in cumin and Ancho powder. Scoop sweet potatoes out of skin and add to pot along with stock and chickpeas.

Place half of sweet potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters); blend until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining mixture. Stir in salt.
If serving as an entrée, divide soup evenly among 4 bowls (6 to 8 bowls for soup course); sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over top. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Oh, and if you’re in a breakfast-for-dinner mood don’t miss my “Top of the Morning” Sirloin Sweet Potato Hash, it’s great way to fuel up for the weekend and the leftovers make fast and filling breakfast tacos come Monday.

leftover-beef-sweetpotato-hash

Caramel Pumpkin Pie Smoothie + More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

caramel pumpkin pie smoothie close up 2 large

With all the pumpkin mania, it was only a matter of time before I dumped some pumpkin puree in my smoothie!  Praise the gourd, holler-lu-yah! This was a fantastically flavorful idea and I’ve been making pumpkin smoothies for breakfast all last week! Check out the post I wrote for Litehouse Food’s Living Litehouse blog featuring my recipe, Caramel Pumpkin Pie Smoothies. Sugar-free caramel and pumpkin are added to almond milk and protein powder based smoothie – so insanely good, you could serve this healthy treat on a decadent Thanksgiving dessert buffet and no one would be the wiser!

living litehouse button

 

Get my recipe for Caramel Pumpkin Pie Smoothies here!

 

 

You may have seen them before, but here they are again – some of my most requested pumpkin recipes:

jennifer fisher thefitfork.com pumpkin collage

 

Pumped Up Pumpkin Muffins
Baked Pumpkin Protein Donuts
Pumpkin Beef Tostadas with Chipotle Crema
Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
Paleo Chocolate Chip Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
I have a few more ideas for canned pumpkin.  For the most part, I am not a big fan of canned vegetables; the taste and texture are weird to me – not to mention the high sodium levels. But, I have a special place in my heart (and pantry shelf) for pumpkin puree. It’s inexpensive, it’s convenient (the hours required to clean, roast and smash a fresh pumpkin have been taken out of the equation) and it’s versatile – as you can tell by the plethora of pumpkin recipes this time of year.  And, importantly, nutritionists say that canned pumpkin is just as nutritionally sound as fresh – it’s a great source of complex carbohydrates and is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, calcium, iron and other important nutrients.

canned-pumpkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like to stock up on canned pumpkin while I can; otherwise, it can be hard to find outside the fall season. Just make sure you are buying sodium-free, sugar-free 100% pumpkin – not pumpkin pie filling!   Here are three other easy ways to incorporate more canned pumpkin into your diet:

quick healthy pumpkin recipes thefitfork.com

Pumpkin Quesadillas:  Mix 1/4 cup pumpkin with a tablespoon of your favorite smoky salsa, spread on a tortilla. Sprinkle mixture with shredded Monterrey Jack and top with another tortilla. Grill in non-stick skillet, flipping once, until cheese is melted and tortillas are turning golden brown.

Pumpkin Hummus: In a food processor, mix together one 15-oz can of drained garbanzo beans, 1/3 cup canned pumpkin, 1/3 cup almond butter, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and  2 tablespoons water. Process until smooth and transfer to serving dish; top with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Spicy Pumpkin Salad Dressing: Whisk together 3 tablespoons each of pumpkin and cider vinegar. Whisk in 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce and then 1/3 cup olive oil until well combined. Stir in 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.

Noodle Power! Three Healthy Pasta Recipes

Holy macaroni, October is National Pasta Month! That makes me want to turn cartwheels for saucy wagon wheels and do extra kettle bells for stuffed shells!  Even though statistics from the National Pasta Association show that, on average, American families eat pasta seven times a month, athletes and folks watching their weight often avoid pasta in all shapes and sizes, shamed by the bad carb rap it sometimes gets. True, pasta made with highly-processed, refined white flour isn’t the best thing for your body. The outer shell of the grain is stripped, removing important fiber minerals and vitamins. In addition, many people can’t tolerate wheat and gluten foods at all. The good news is that you can still celebrate Pasta Month thanks to a cornucopia of healthier pastas and pasta alternatives.

Turning cartwheels for healthy pasta!

Turning cartwheels for healthy pasta!

Since we don’t have any food allergies or intolerances in my family, whole grain pasta is a go-to choice for my recipes – it has lots of fiber and vitamin B. These days it seems like you can get nearly every pasta type from bow tie to ziti in a whole grain option.  Rice noodles and bean-based noodles are good substitutes for folks on a gluten-free diet as are buckwheat noodles (aka Soba noodles) which actually aren’t wheat at all – technically buckwheat is the fruit of a plant called Fagopyrum esculentum. Other ideas for alternative pasta includes spaghetti squash, zucchini ribbons, shredded cabbage and the famous yet strange shirataki pasta noodles made from a soluble fiber called “glucomannan.”  These three recipes use whole-grain pasta, but feel free to use what works best in your diet.

jennifer fisher thefitfork.com taco bake med

Lightened Beef Taco Pasta Bake

  • 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 ¼ oz packet reduced-sodium taco seasoning
  • 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernals
  • 3 cups uncooked whole grain elbow macaroni
  • 2/3 cup reduced-fat Ranch dip
  • ½ cup salsa
  • 1 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • Garnish: grape tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 F degree oven.

Brown beef in skillet over medium heat; drain. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce and corn. Bring mixture to a boil; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to manufacturer’s directions. Drain. In large bowl, mix together cooked pasta, ranch dip, salsa, and ½ cup of cheese.

Spoon macaroni mixture into a 9”x13” baking dish. Top with beef mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Sprinkle on tortilla ships and cilantro.

Bake at 350 F degrees uncovered for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. Garnish with grape tomatoes.

Serves 6.

 

Lemon Citrus Shrimp & Spaghetti Recipe

Lemon Citrus Shrimp & Spaghetti was a huge hit with my husband. Tart but not too sour, this healthy pasta recipe is the perfect way add some light, fresh flavors to your fall menu. If you don’t want to go outside to grill the shrimp, they are easy to roast in the oven. Or, why complicate things? Just buy them pre-cooked at the chef-prepared fresh-food counter at your market.

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - lemon citrus spaghetti shrimp

 

Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Recipe

This Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Recipe is a go-to recipe when I’m in a hurry to make a weeknight dinner. Ground chicken breast cooks up in a snap and for convenience I use packaged matchstick carrots unless I already have a stash prepped earlier in the week for salads. The sauce is simple to make and includes peanut butter and Sriracha. We never have leftovers!

jennifer fisher thefitfork thai chicken peanut pasta