What's Cooking?

Lots of yumminess, that's what. This last week, we've tried a couple of new-to-us recipes that we LOVED. Perhaps if I keep eating like this and keep my hands out of the M&Ms bag or stop buying M&Ms, I can loose some weight.

A little update on Mother: she's stronger every day and last week the PT was blown away at how much stronger Mother is. She is a firm believer in PT so she pushes herself but not too much. Everyone still believes Mother will regain her independence sooner than later. No thanks to the very bad hospital whose staff nearly did her in. Had they not doubled a medicine they should NEVER have doubled, none of this would have happened. Yes, I'm sure. Even I knew they shouldn't have done it and if I, who has no medical background whatsoever knows it, those who do have medical backgrounds certainly should have. Rant over. On to the food!

Cauliflower Fritters. Yum. Mee. So good and so easy.

I pretty much stuck to the recipe I found HERE but I did sub in a couple of things. Here's my version:

Cauliflower Fritters

What you need:

1 head cauliflower
I cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
egg whites to equal 2 large eggs
I cup panko bread crumbs
Nature's Seasons
Avocado oil (I'm sure you could use the oil of your choice here)

What to do:

I placed the whole head of cauliflower into a big pot and steamed it until tender and then put it in the food processor. Mine did not get to that rice texture because I steamed it too long. No worries, the fritters turned out fine. If you want the rice texture, don't steam it so long. Ha! Combine the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and form mixture into patties. Cook in avocado oil until golden brown on both sides. Serve.

YIKES! No picture but Y'all know what fritters look like. Cauliflower ones are just a little bit lighter.

The baked fritters turned out so much better! 

As always, I saved out enough of the fritter mixture to make more but I tried baking them instead of browning in a pan. I'm pretty sure we can save some calories and make it a bit healthier that way.

The result:

Baking is the way to go, Y'all! The cauliflower fritters turned out so much better cooked in the oven and this is based on looks and taste! Maybe I'm just not a fryer but we all liked them better baked.

Here they are:

So much better baked!

It's been decades since I've had salmon patties!

Salmon Patties. Wow! I haven't even thought about salmon patties since my childhood when my grandmother made them. This recipe looked so good, I had to give it a try. Mother and I had a conversation about them because I couldn't figure out how to serve them. Grandmother always ALWAYS served her salmon patties with grits and scrambled eggs and after thinking about it for a while, neither of us could figure out what to do. I ended up serving them with sweet potato fries and some green beans since it was Friday and that's what I had. Ha!

Salmon Patties

What you need:

• 1 lb fresh salmon fillet
• Avocado oiil
• Nature's Seasons
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• Enough egg whites to equal 2 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Unsalted butter

What to do:

Bake the salmon fillet in the oven until flaky, this only takes 10 minutes or so. Flake the baked salmon and set aside. Heat up the avocado oil in a pan and saute the red pepper and onion until onion is golden, remove from heat. Mix salmon, sauteed pepper and onion, bread crumbs, egg whites, mayo, and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl. Form mixture into patties. I made small-ish ones, about 2-3 inches in diameter. I used the same pan I used to saute the onion and pepper and added about a tablespoon of unsalted butter. Once pan is hot and butter melted, add the patties and cook about 3-4 minutes/side, until they are a nice golden brown on each side. 

Guess who didn't remember to take a picture until after we started eating? Yep, me. Again.

Again, I saved out a nice amount of the mixture and tried baking them in the oven. 

The result

Again, SO MUCH BETTER in appearance and taste!

A little cooking spray and even less avocado oil did the trick.

When baking both cauliflower fritters and salmon patties, I merely sprayed the pan with some cooking spray and baked everything in a 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes. I did flip them after the first 25-30 minutes. I did sprinkle a minute amount of avocado oil on the tops of the fritters and the patties. And I mean my-noot. I put a bit in my hand and drizzled. Avocado oil has a nice flavor and is good for those on diabetic and heart smart plans. 

Oh and, the second time around, I served fresh green beans but no fries since we had the patties and the fritters, together.

Salmon patties on the left, cauliflower fritters on the right. 

Smoothies have been on the menu for our afternoon pick-me-up since Mother arrived. Mostly, I use fruit and almond milk or spring water. Sometimes I might add a little dab of honey (raw, organic) or some vanilla yogurt- always organic from grass-fed cows. Other times I will add some fresh spinach to the mix. It really depends on our mood that day. 

Preparing and freezing the fruit is the way to go!

I like to buy the fruit and prepare it, then place it into freezer bags for the week. All I have to do is bring out a bag of frozen fruit and add whatever we want for that day's smoothie. Plus, there's no need to add ice because the fruit is frozen. It makes a super yummy, refreshing smoothie. 

This one had strawberries, pineapple, and clementines with vanilla yogurt and a little spring water. 

Sorry about that red striped straw. I have a box of 500 straws and, weirdly enough, I like to give people their favorite color straw in their smoothie or else I will match the straw color to the smoothie color. I know, I said weirdly. Anyway, the straws have been MIA for over a month now so, this is what you get. 

That's where we are, Y'all. Things are going well and the food has been fun and delicious! 

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Another Recipe Post

Mother is still here with us but her doctors are very pleased with her progress. They are now saying as soon as the physical therapist gives us the OK, Mother can return to her house which motivates her even more because her independence is something of which Mother is quite proud.

I'm still coming up with recipes to try and working out some ideas for easy access snacks to keep in the fridge that fit into Mother's nutrition plan. I am finding that she prefers old standbys (modified, of course) more than anything but she has enjoyed a few of the new-to-us dishes.

Breakfast usually consists of whole wheat toast, Cream of Wheat, egg whites scrambled or as an omelet, and some fruit of avocado.

Yes, she eats small portions but that's ok. I bring her snacks in between meals. Most often, she wants the egg whites and toast OR Cream of Wheat and toast but putting it all together like the picture is too much.

Mother and Baby M both LOVE breakfast no matter what I prepare. Baby M is especially fond of my cheese eggs but they both think sweet potato toast with peanut butter and bananas for breakfast or snack is the greatest thing ever. It works better when I cut the sweet potato into little circles because they're easier to just pick up and pop into your mouth.

I tried a skillet lasagna recipe found HERE and made my own heart smart/diabetic friendly version. It was delicious but then, anytime I make zucchini lasagna it's delicious because- cheese.

I love how the top was a little bit crunchy with all that cheese! Oh. My. Goodness.

I am not a fan of ricotta cheese so I subbed in cottage cheese. I used egg whites instead of the egg, and avocado oil instead of olive oil. The avocado oil is something I'm trying out for the first time and we really like it. I find I do not have to use very much of it and the flavor is nice. I also chose a pasta sauce with only 3 grams of sugar. I was just not in the mood to make my own.

The recipe is not that much different from any other zucchini recipe I've used. It's not even that much different from my usual one. Except I do add a little splash of sherry to mine which tops just about anything off nicely.

BTW, we're are STILL awaiting the arrival of Baby R so if you picked a date earlier than today, you're in the boat with us and missed the mark. Anyone want a new guess? I know what he's going to do, he's going to wait until we exhale and relax a minute and then surprise us. Which means he's coming into the right family. Haha!

Have a delightful Monday, Y'all!

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles

and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! 😁💓

What Happens When the Nest Empties Once Again?

It's been three long years, Y'all but I finally got my house back. Yep, my empty nest has returned to me and it was glorious for about half a second.

I don't know if it's some sort of Karma or God having a sense of humor that is so far above my head I just don't get it but the second Lovely1 moved out, my mother moved in. This is not funny AT ALL.

via GIPHY

Yes, Mother was in the hospital for 6 days with an oxygen problem and it was decided she would come down here with me until she finishes PT and so I can get her on a good heart smart diet that's also suitable for diabetics. I have no idea how long this will last and we're not even considering putting a time limit on it. She likes her independence and I like my alone time. Neither of us is getting what we want right now so we'll make the best of it. When life gives you lemons and all that. Fine. But I've been making that dang lemonade for three years now and I'm sick of lemonade. Ha! But I'm never sick of this:

Baby M is loving having Great Mimi here and Great Mimi loves seeing Baby M during the week. Apparently, Baby M is quite the entertainer when she knows she has an audience and Great Mimi is quite attentive so, win-win. Not to mention what seeing this cutie does for everyone's spirits.

Most of Y'all know I am not a caregiver so this will be interesting. Mother doesn't need a ton of help we just need to make sure she's doing what she's supposed to do and getting through the PT. She does everything herself but she does run out of energy because of low oxygen levels which are fine right now. But she needs to get used to being on oxygen. All I'm really doing is preparing her healthy meals and listening because she likes to talk all the time which is big fun for someone who appreciates and longs for silence. Except when this doodle is around which is great because she's a non-stop talker as well.

Speaking of meals, I've started a Pinterest board for heart healthy recipes. If Y'all know of a site or have some favorites, please share the links or recipes in the comment section for us (except for you, Troll. Yep, I've got a TROLL and we have laughed so hard at the comments.) I'm keeping them simple in case she does get to go home and prepare food for herself. Also, the recipes need to be diabetic friendly. Her's is not the super bad kind and it's very much under control. I just want to keep it that way. Y'all might be reading some heart healthy diet advice from me. Once I become an 'expert', of course. 😂

Hey, this family LOVES to eat! And run through the grass barefoot.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Y'all! The Hodgepodge will return next week!

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and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)