Let’s face it. I simply cannot eat Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies that often. If I did, I’d be in BIG trouble! Wanna know how I repent my food sins? I make something ridiculously healthy afterwards and eat that way for a few days. When I was younger, I could have a salad for my next meal and I was free from the tremendous gluttony I subjected myself to. Now, it takes a few days and then I’m in good shape. Some days I eat cereal for dinner because I’m lazy and it’s low in calories. Sucks getting old, huh? I’ve learned that in life, it’s all about balance.

So here’s a nice little recipe I picked up from the recent Body + Soul magazine. It’s totally spa food in the sense that it makes you feel healthy & light after you eat it. You’ll wanna reach for some after a sweaty yoga session or perhaps after you made a lunch out of peanut butter cookies! I was thrown off a little with the addition of  buttermilk in the recipe, but somehow it worked out really well. It’s light, slightly creamy, tangy and super simple! With the addition of chives (from my garden!) and salmon, it’s hearty and zesty!  If you are a fan of the peppery nature of arugula and the spiciness of radishes, you’ll appreciate the watercress in this dish too!  I totally thought Casey wouldn’t be down with this recipe because it isn’t a *meat & potatoes* dish but I’m happy to report he ate more than a few servings!  Now that I finished eating healthy…what kind of food sins can I commit now?

You start by poaching the salmon & cooking your soba noodles.

Then you rinse the noodles in cold water when they are done cooking.

Put the buttermilk, olive oil, lemon zest & chives into a large bowl.

Put your salmon aside to cool down.

Then flake it!

Toss your noodles in the buttermilk mixture. Squeeze the lemon juice on top. Mix!

Now add your watercress & salmon gently to the noodles.

Mix it up a bit & serve!

Look what you’ve done!

An extra squeeze of lemon makes it super refreshing! It’s best served chilly cold!

Soba with Salmon and Watercress

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(recipe from Body + Soul magazine)

• 6 oz. salmon fillet, skin removed
• 8 oz. soba noodles
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups watercress

1. In a straight-sided skillet over medium low heat, bring 2 inches of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Gently place salmon in water. Poach at a low simmer until cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and let cool; flake into large pieces.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add soba and cook until al dente (mine took about 7 mins). Drain and rinse under cold water.

3. In a large bowl, toss soba with buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, chives and salt & pepper to taste. Add watercress and salmon, and gently combine. Serve or refrigerate until ready to eat.

***If you are eating leftovers, it’s nice to squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top to brighten up the dish!***