This is NOT turning into a cooking blog

I am an adequate cook.  My cooking isn't fantastic, but I cook three meals a day, seven days a week.  We don't order "take-aways" we go out to eat maybe once a month.  I don't bother much with pre-prepared food at the grocery store either.  It isn't usually value for money.  So basically, I grind out the planning, shopping and cooking pretty much the way women have done for generations.  It's a bore and often a chore, but what's the alternative?

One half of my family tend to be naturally very thin, but still develop type 2 diabetes.  The other half has some very, very large women in it.  I had gestational diabetes in pregnancy, and I am not very thin.  So, the doctor is on me to watch my weight and eat sensibly.  I find it tiring, and I get fed up with it, but on the other hand the consequences are a lot worse than not looking fashionable in clothes.  I want to live a long time and be there to support and encourage my daughters well into their adulthood.

So, healthy meals that taste good are *gold-dust*.  And here is one that even my four and seven year old like!  It was given to me by a dear friend who turned 43 yesterday, but looks no more than 35.  She spends all her time in her vegetable garden and being a good neighbour.  She is obviously doing something right!

I am not the best explainer so I took a lot of pictures.  Here goes:

You will need: Wide egg noodles, olive oil, an onion, vegetable bullion, salmon, fresh spinach, creme fraiche (I use half fat and we don't taste a difference.)

Start with a little olive oil in your pan.  Start boiling salted water for your noodles.

Sweat some chopped up onions in the olive oil.  My heat was too high and they are betting brown no the edges, ooops. Now is a good time to start boiling your salted water for the noodles.

Skin your salmon and cut it into chunks.  Whenever my local supermarket marks down wild Pacific sockeye salmon, I buy it.  It is amazing.  All other meal plans are out the window.

Add the salmon chunks to the pan on a low to medium heat and push round the pan.  Just let the outside go light pink, don't worry about cooking through.  Nothing worse than overcooked fish.
Now is a good time to throw in your noodles into the boiling water.  Mine took 4 minutes to cook, and that's about how far we are from finished!

Then add as much spinach as you can fit.  It really shrinks down.  If you haven't just washed the spinach you might want to add a table spoon of water.  Put a lid on.  Keep the heat low.

After about 30 to 40 seconds, take the lid off and this is what you have.  A couple of pushes with your wooden spoon and it will be completed wilted.

Add in your creme fraiche (creme fraiche is like sour cream but it doesn't split when heated.)

Add a heaped teaspoon of vegetable bullion, or a bullion cube.  Straight into the pan, no water.

A quick, gentle stir and this is what you have.

A little salt and pepper to taste.

My noodles are ready.  I just move them straight in to the pan.  I don't worry about a little water loosening up the sauce, and I don't want to wash a colander.

Mix, mix, mix.

Ta da!

With two super foods (spinach and salmon) and low fat dairy, I feel entitled to a little sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano!  (You see how I get into trouble:-)

My photography ain't great, but this is truly tasty.  Salmon is pricy, but this dish costs less than ordering a pizza to be delivered and takes less time to cook than it does to order the pizza and pay the driver.  And it must be way better for you.

Do you guys have any tasty, easy, healthy meals?  Do share!  I am always looking for inspiration to that age old question: "Mom, what's for dinner?"

PS. My sewing machine comes home today, woohoo!