I am always looking for new and different ways to prepare fish. Fish is a very nutritious, lean protein and when made well, it is quite delicious. I have been in the habit of cooking salmon at least once a week, but I have been getting bored with that lately. Tilapia is a good mild fish that really takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in. I found the recipe below and it was a tasty way to mix it up a bit. You could also make this meal with halibut or any other white fish you prefer.
Roasted Tilapia and Potatoes with Lemons and Olives
- about a pound of small potatoes (I prefer red skin) quartered
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- several springs of fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp and 1 tsp olive oil
- a handful of pitted kalamata olives
- tilapia fillets
- paprika
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, lemon, thyme, 2 tbsp of oil and salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast tossing once, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Next toss the olives into the potato mixture and nestle the fish in the middle of the mixture. Drizzle the fish with the tsp olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper. Continue to roast the mixture until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp and the fish is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes more.
The lemon and thyme really pull this dish together. Potatoes have been given a bad wrap for having carbs, but they are actually full of fiber and vitamin C and are a good source of B6.
Happy Eating!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Roasted Red Onion and Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Fontina
I love pasta. I always have. It can be difficult to find a pasta recipe that not only tastes good, but is good for you. Many of the traditional pastas we grew up eating tend to have empty carbs and very low nutrition. Over the past couple of years, I have come across some delicious out of the box pasta dishes that provide the comforting satisfaction from pasta, but offer much more from a nutritional standpoint. Here is one recipe I tried that turned out delicious!
Roasted Red Onion and Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Fontina
- a large butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 2 red onions, cut into small wedges
- 1 clove garlic minced
- fresh sage (about a tbsp chopped or more if you like)
- tbsp olive oil
- Whole wheat rigatoni pasta (about 1/2 lb.)
- shredded fontina cheese (about 1/4 cup)
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place squash, onions, sage, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper on a lined baking sheet. Toss well. Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until fork tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Set aside a 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Mix in vegetables, cheese and pasta water.
This dish is only about 380 calories a serving. Red onions have antibacterial properties and are good for your bones. Your heart will love you if you eat butternut squash. Whole grain pasta keeps you full and your stomach happy. And the cheese? well...its just delicious ;-)
Roasted Red Onion and Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Fontina
- a large butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 2 red onions, cut into small wedges
- 1 clove garlic minced
- fresh sage (about a tbsp chopped or more if you like)
- tbsp olive oil
- Whole wheat rigatoni pasta (about 1/2 lb.)
- shredded fontina cheese (about 1/4 cup)
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place squash, onions, sage, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper on a lined baking sheet. Toss well. Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until fork tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Set aside a 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Mix in vegetables, cheese and pasta water.
This dish is only about 380 calories a serving. Red onions have antibacterial properties and are good for your bones. Your heart will love you if you eat butternut squash. Whole grain pasta keeps you full and your stomach happy. And the cheese? well...its just delicious ;-)
Happy Eating!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Peanut Coconut Curry
Tonight I decided to play around with some Thai flavors and came up with a delicious peanut coconut curry. It tasted so rich and creamy, but is actually a very healthy meal! I am not very familiar with cooking Thai food so this was definitely an experiment for me. I read a few recipes for similar meals and then (as I always do) I made it my way based on my preferences and what I had available in my kitchen.
Peanut Coconut Curry
- small clove garlic minced
- 1 inch piece ginger, minced
- tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 12 oz can lite coconut milk
- a large red bell pepper, chopped
- white button mushrooms, quartered
- carrots (you could cut them, but I had shredded in my fridge and they worked really well!)
- curry powder
- chili garlic sauce (to taste)
- chopped scallions
- Cooked quinoa (you can use rice too, I used quinoa for the extra protein)
Start by heating the oil, garlic and ginger in a large skillet. Next add the red pepper and carrots and cook just a couple of minutes until they soften. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute or two. Add curry powder to vegetable mixture. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan wisk the coconut milk, peanut butter and chili garlic sauce until heated and well blended. Pour the peanut coconut mixture over the vegetables and allow the mixture to simmer for a minute or two. Serve over quinoa and top with chopped scallions.
When I made this, it could have used a little more heat and next time I might add basil to the mix. Other than that it was easy, healthy and very delicious! The cool thing about this is that you can really adjust the recipe to meet your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand.
Happy Eating!
Peanut Coconut Curry
- small clove garlic minced
- 1 inch piece ginger, minced
- tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 12 oz can lite coconut milk
- a large red bell pepper, chopped
- white button mushrooms, quartered
- carrots (you could cut them, but I had shredded in my fridge and they worked really well!)
- curry powder
- chili garlic sauce (to taste)
- chopped scallions
- Cooked quinoa (you can use rice too, I used quinoa for the extra protein)
Start by heating the oil, garlic and ginger in a large skillet. Next add the red pepper and carrots and cook just a couple of minutes until they soften. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute or two. Add curry powder to vegetable mixture. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan wisk the coconut milk, peanut butter and chili garlic sauce until heated and well blended. Pour the peanut coconut mixture over the vegetables and allow the mixture to simmer for a minute or two. Serve over quinoa and top with chopped scallions.
When I made this, it could have used a little more heat and next time I might add basil to the mix. Other than that it was easy, healthy and very delicious! The cool thing about this is that you can really adjust the recipe to meet your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand.
Happy Eating!
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