For Salmon & Avocado Lovers

I am proud to say I am on Day 22 of my new eating lifestyle.

I feel great and have lost 13 pounds so far, a sure sign that things are working. But more importantly, I am replacing old bad habits with good new ones.

I am having fun preparing flavorful meals and have re-discovered so many healthy foods that I love. I have also been trying a few "old diet tricks." Since my portions are smaller, I started using smaller plates so that the food looks abundant. I also pulled some decorative plates out of the cupboard, like the Pottery Barn Tropical Themed Cocktail plate above. Funny, I did not remember there was a recipe for Pina Colada on the back of the plate.

I have also been enjoying reading cookbooks about a Mediterranean lifestyle and even scrounged up some pretty decent "diabetes friendly" cookbooks. On Saturday I found a recipe in one of the cookbooks that included two of my all time healthy favorites: Salmon & Avocado. The picture is not as stellar as it could be as I took this today using the leftovers.

Wild Pacific Salmon with Creamy Avocado Sauce

4 wild Pacific Salmon fillets (5-6 ounces each), about 1" thick

Cooking Spray

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 large avocado, peeled, pitted and quartered

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream (I used non-fat Greek Yogurt)

1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Salt and pepper to taste, then coat with vegetable or olive oil spray.

2. Preheat the broiler. Cook the salmon for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish is opaque.

3. While the fish is cooking, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the avocado, sour cream or yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Process, scraping down the bowl occasionally, until mixture is smooth.

4. With a spatula, lift each salmon fillet away from the skin (although the skin IS good for you, it has a lot of extra fat) and set on dinner plates. Server a dollop of the sauce with each salmon fillet.

Approx. 275 calories per serving.