Smoked Salmon, Prosciutto, and Pea Quinoa

This is one of my favorite go-to dishes. Simon got me hooked on this because it is his go-to pasta dish! I just substituted the pasta for quinoa but you could also use gluten-free pasta.

Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa (pre-rinsed)
10 thin slices of Prosciutto
1/4 pound (4 ounces) sliced smoked salmon 
8 oz. frozen peas
1 sweet onion (thinly sliced)
a bit of olive oil


Method:
- Add sliced onions to a lightly oiled skillet, let simmer until they begin to caramelize (turn golden-brown)
- In a separate pot, combine 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, and letter simmer for about 15 minutes
- Meanwhile, heat peas in the microwave (place in bowl, add a bit of water, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes)
- Tear the prosciutto and salmon into small pieces ( I find it easiest to use your fingers) and add to the skillet of onions (add them once after the onions have cooked for about 15 minutes)
- Once the quinoa and onions are finished (all the water has dissolved and the onions are brown), add all of the ingredients together
- Stir all ingredients together and simmer for a few minutes
- All done! 

I forgot to buy an onion at the store so I did not use it this time! It still tasted great but it tastes even better with an onion. There is really no right or wrong way to make this. You don't have to follow the steps exactly. It works however you chose to make it. Enjoy!

The Easiest Rice Paper Rolls

Rice paper rolls are so easy to make- it seems kind of stupid that I would blog about it. However, I think it is important to remind people about them because you can put anything inside of them and they are great when you literally have nothing in your refrigerator except for some random vegetables- like what happened to me last night!

Ingredients: (the random veggies I had)
- mushrooms
- snow peas
- green pepper

- gluten-free teriyaki sauce
- rice paper rolls

Method:
- stir-fry the veggies in olive oil, add teriyaki sauce and simmer! done

Rice paper rolls look and feel like paper when you buy them. To soften them, place them in warm (not hot) water for 7 seconds. They will immediately soften up and you can place the veggies onto them, then just roll up and eat!

Enjoy! Simple and Nutritious. 

Almond Crusted Salmon with Caramelized Onions & Basil

I love cooking and baking with Almond Meal! Almond meal (ground almonds) is a great flour substitute and also a great "breading" substitute for pan-frying and baking. Here, I coated salmon fillets in honey mustard and then rolled in almond meal. The mustard makes the almond meal stick to salmon and gives it lots of flavor. Almond meal tastes kind of nutty and honestly, 100 times better than bread crumbs!

Ingredients:
- 4 skinless salmon fillets (skin removed)
- 4 tablespoons of honey mustard
- 1/2 cup of almond meal
- 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup of basil leaves
- a bit of olive oil
- salt and pepper taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium low heat, add onions, stir occasionally until golden-brown (30 min)
2. Preheat over to 375, season salmon with salt and pepper
3. Evenly coat both sides of the salmon with honey mustard. The more you put on, the richer the flavor!
4. Cover a large plate with the almond meal and roll the salmon around until fully coated
5. Arrange the salmon onto a cooking tray and cook for 15 minutes (or until just cooked through)

Once the salmon has cooked, transfer onto plates, top with caramelized onions, and garnish with the green onions and basil.

I served my salmon with a said of quinoa and baby broccoli! It was very light but still filling. My dad loved it - He said it was nice to have a new salmon dish- he usually just makes grilled salmon with mashed potatoes- how boring!