Salmon Patties with Light Dill Sauce

Posted by CK in easy, recipe, salmon, summer, vegetarian

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Wow! It's been a while since we've posted on the blog. Both amanda and I have been quite busy with weddings, showers, family obligations, etc. But we'll try to be a little more consistent this summer!

A and I have set a goal to really eat better. I know, I know. Easier said than done. But this time, we mean it. So I've been looking through old issues of Women's Health Magazine and I found A LOT of really great healthy recipes! I will be sharing try to share a lot of those in the next few weeks.

Here's the first one: Salmon Patties with Light Dill Sauce - As you can see, I really like the salmon and dill combo :)

Salmon Patties:

Ingredients (yields 4 patties):
- 1 salmon filet
- 1/4 of a red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/8 cup of parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 whole egg + 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Method:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Place your salmon on an aluminum dish and bake until cooked through (approx. 20 minutes). Let cool completely, place in a bowl, and flake with a fork.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil (medium-high heat) and cook the red pepper, celery, onion, garlic and parsley until the vegetables are tender (approx. 10 minutes). Let cool completely and add to the salmon.
3. Add the breadcrumbs and eggs to the salmon-veggies mixture and mix well.
4. Form 4 patties with the mixture (it will be wet), place on a dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. In the same skillet you used to cook the veggies, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook the patties, 3 minutes on each side.
6. Serve with Light Dill Sauce

Light Dill Sauce:

Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp light mayonnaise (to thicken, this is optional)
- 2 tsp dry dill
- 1 tsp lemon juice

Method:
Simply mix all the ingredients together! Pour over salmon cakes and voila! :)

Sparkling Summer Salad: Or, How I learned to stop slicing and love the mandolin,

Posted by amanda in apple, budget, celery, cilantro, cucumber, healthy, lemon, quick, recipe, salad, summer, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

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I get a terrible feeling when I come to the end of a recipe I have all the ingredients for (ish) only to read the final instruction: crockpot-ing, immersion blending, dutch oven-ing...or any number of other final touches for which I don't have the right kitchen tool (yet!). So, having recently acquired a very handy mandolin from the previous owners of my new house (when someone leaves something in a cupboard still in the box, that's a housewarming gift right?), I've spent the better part of the afternoon julienning everything slice-able in my fridge (which is more than you'd think! Skinny cheese sticks anyone? Strawberry stick-men? Long long banana slices? No?).

The very tasty outcome of this little experiment is a pretty awesome summer salad: it's crunchy, tart, filling, and refreshing, and above all, easy (especially if you have a mandolin or any other kind of slicing tool).

You're gonna want:
A large bowl
A little bowl
A mandolin (you lucky duck)

In your big bowl toss together:

3 stalks of celery, sliced thick
half a cucumber, julienned
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
2 granny smith (or other tart) apples, julienned [to do this, cut the apple into 4 sides, then attempt to slice - I kept the peels on)
l large handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

In your small bowl mix:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
1 tbsp sugar (also optional - i wanted my dressing a little sweeter than lemony)
large grain salt to taste (I used a citrus chili salt mix and it was perfect)
cracked black pepper to taste

Drizzle the dressing over your salad mix and stir around until well distributed. Cover and keep in the fridge for an hour to let the flavours combine if you have the time, or serve fresh immediately!

Know Your Sunscreen!

Posted by CK in health, summer, sunscreen

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The sun is finally here and shining and I’m sure most of us are planning on spending A LOT of time outside this summer (I know I am!!!). However, I’ve started to feel like the sun has been getting stronger and stronger, meaning more protection is needed. As we now have more and more information about the harmful rays of the sun, it’s important that we practice safe measures in order to avoid dangerous health issues such as burns and, you know, skin cancer.

So sunscreen is key to be able to play in the sun all day without deteriorating into a puny dried grape. However, who TRULY knows the meaning of SPF levels? I’ve heard all kinds of different things about it and I’m here now to shed some light on the whole shebang.

Sunscreens

Before we try and clarify SPF levels, it’s important to note what to avoid and what to have in a good sunscreen lotion. According to a CNN Health article which warns about the potential harmful ingredients of some sunscreens, they warn that your sunscreen:

• Should not contain Retinyl Palminate, a toxic ingredient that may increase the risk of skin cancer when exposed to the sun;
• Should not contain Oxybenzone, a toxic ingredient that can cause hormone disruption, which leads to cell damage and ultimate skin cancer;
• Should not be higher that an SPF 50. (we’ll see why later);
• Should be labelled “broad spectrum”, which means it protects against both UVA and UVB (Ultra Violet rays that cause Aging and Burning); and
• Should be a lotion. Lotions ensure that your skin is evenly protected, as opposed to sprays.

Always apply sunscreen after you’ve been in the water (even if your sunscreen is waterproof) or after extensive sweating.

Top 3 recommended sunscreens

1. La Roche-Posay Antherios Sunscreen (40$). Yes, it is an expensive product, but it’ll work wonders for you!

2. L’Oreal Ombrelle Complete (27$).

3. Coppertone Sensitive Skin (14$). This is for sure the cheapest option. If you can’t find this type exactly, make sure you check the ingredients on the bottle to match the criteria above. Not all Coppertone sunscreens are actually good for your skin.

If you’re not sure about the sunscreen you’re purchasing, you can check their health risks here:

http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/

http://www.goodguide.com/

SPF

The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) can be really confusing, especially when you’re standing in the sunscreen isle and you’re trying to figure out which one is best for you.

First off, it’s important to know that SPF only protects against UVB, which is why it’s important that your sunscreen be labelled broad spectrum.

Second, all SPFs have much of the same protection against UVB:

SPF 15 = 93%

SPF 30 = 97%

SPF 50 = 98%

SPF 100+ = 99%

So you can see that purchasing a product beyond SPF 50 is essentially useless and only costs you more money because the protection is the same. So why purchase different SPF levels? It all depends on your skin tone. If it usually takes you about 20 minutes to start getting a sunburn, then an SPF 15 will cover you 15 times longer, so 300 minutes (5 hours).  However, the sun breaks down the ingredients in the sunscreen that protect your skin and most people don’t put nearly as much, so their skin isn’t actually protected for the full amount of time. In fact, we should be applying about the size of a shot glass of lotion every two hours to ensure continued protection.

You can follow this table to see which SPF you should be using according to your skin tone (source):

1. Always burns, never tans = SPF 25 or higher

2. Burns easily, tans eventually = SPF 15

3. Sometimes burns, tans slowly = SPF 15

4. Occasionally burns, tans well = SPF 8

5. Hardly ever burns, tans well = SPF 6

6. Never burns = SPF 2

Note that it is always recommended to use a minimum of SPF 15, no matter your skin tone.

Important Factors to Remember

1. Don't forget that reflection will intensify UV exposure (source):

Water - 5% to 7%

Grass - 2.5% to 3%

Sand - 20% to 30%

Snow and Ice - 80% to 90% (no, sunscreen is NOT only for summer days)

2. Always check the UV index of the day on your local weather website. Once the risk is high, make sure to bump up your SPF by a level to ensure longer protection since it would take a shorter time for your skin to burn.
3. Here are other steps that Health Canada recommends you take to protect against UV exposure:
1. If possible, avoid being in the sun between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
2. Look for shade, stay under a tree, or use an umbrella.
3. During outdoor activities, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. When the UV index is three or higher, you should also wear protective clothing and a large-brimmed hat.
4. Remember to apply sunscreen to all exposed areas of your skin.

Have fun in the sun and most importantly, be safe!! J