Since going ketogenic, I've been feeling less and less hungry during the morning/early afternoon hours. I've never been much of a breakfast person - just give me my coffee - and since I've been blending coconut oil and grass-fed butter intoto my coffee for the last few weeks...
aka Bulletproof Coffee
my hunger levels just haven't been rising until closer to 3 or 4pm. I believe we should eat when we're hungry (as long as we're getting a safe amount of calories daily/weekly), so I've been following my hunger cues and eating my calories mostly during the hours of 4pm-8pm. This is sort of intermittent fasting, but not technically since I'm having the calories from the coffee. Honestly it's just what works for me, and I feel like it's my own version of intermittent fasting... I.F. police, don't arrest me, please.
Anyway, by the time dinner rolled around, I wanted something easy that would also provide plenty of fat and protein. And of course be DELICIOUS. The problem was that the fridge was looking pretty bare in the protein department. I found my answer in the pantry. Canned salmon.
Don't vomit on me, people! I have a very sympathetic gag reflex!
Good quality canned Alaskan salmon is a great (and frugal!) source of omega 3 fatty acids, protein, and calcium (from the bones that are super-soft and mashable/edible from the canning process). And combined with the right flavors, it's downright delicious!
Anyone still here? Bueller? Bueller??
If I haven't scared you off, thanks for sticking around. You won't regret it. (I hope.)
I decided to make carbonara (Italian pasta dish with a rich egg yolk sauce, bacon, and black pepper), but with the salmon added and with squash noodles instead of real pasta. And because I was feeling SUPER lazy, I decided to turn that into a frittata (instead of whisking egg yolks into the pan and praying they don't scramble).
Salmon Frittata alla Carbonara
Ingredients
12 oz yellow squash or zucchini squash (or a combo of both), julienned or spiralized
salt and pepper
4 slices bacon, chopped
6 large eggs
2 egg whites (or use more whole eggs if calories aren't a concern)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
optional spices - garlic powder/onion powder/cayenne/nutmeg
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 small can Alaskan salmon (about 8oz), drained and flaked
Put the squash noodles in a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Sprinkle liberally with salt and toss to combine. Let sit for about 10 minutes (no less).
Preheat the oven to 400 F, set a nonstick, oven-safe pan over med-low to medium heat. Fry the bacon until crisp. While the bacon cooks, combine the eggs, whites, parmesan, cream cheese, dill, and any other spices you'd like (except the red pepper) in a blender and blend well. Reserve.
Once the bacon is crispy, add the crushed red pepper and the flaked salmon. Use a wooden spoon to mix the salmon into the bacon, mashing up the bones as you do so. They will disappear into the final product. Trust.
While the salmon cooks up, put your salted squash into a clean kitchen towel or strong paper towels and wring out their liquid. Don't be a pansy here - wring that shit out. Unless you're a fan of watery frittata, in which case, GROSS.
When the salmon has begun to break down/brown a bit and is well combined with the bacon, crank the heat to high and add the squash noodles. Mix well to combine. Once they're mixed in, turn off the heat and immediately pour in the prepared egg mixture. Top with lots of black pepper, then move the pan to the preheated oven and cook until the mixture is set, about 10-15 minutes. Remember that the handle of the pan will be meltyourhandoff hot when it comes out of the oven, so don't forget the oven mitt, yo. Let rest in the pan for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
I served mine with roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
Serves 4
Approximate nutrition per serving ~ 336 calories, 24 g fat, 2.2 net carbs, 30.6 g protein
I would NOT recommend bragging to your fellow diners about how well the salmon bones mashed into the dish. Some info is best left in the kitchen, and not at the dinner table.
If you DO happen to mention this fact, and your husband momentarily turns green and puts down his fork, make a quick recovery by assuring him that you picked all the bones out of his portion.
What's a little white lie (or a whole can of them) when it comes to your family's calcium intake??
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