The Trimmier Life

I’m trying to incorporate more fish into our diets, both for the health effects and for some variety so I was happy to finally find a tilapia recipe that didn’t gross me out while eating it (the last 2 I tried just didn’t go well and left the fishiness way too unflavored!).  I’ve had good tilapia before so I was determined to find a way to cook it at home.  And, here it is…a fairly simple recipe with light, yet flavorful Asian tones.  The recipe, from Clean Eating magazine, is for the tilapia and green beans and I complimented them with the au-gratin potatoes (NOT ‘clean’ – haha).

Salmon & Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger, divided (I actually used ground ginger b/c I was out of the fresh root)
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp sesame oil, divided
• 4, 6 ounce tilapia fillets, skin and bones removed (bought mine out of the fresh fish case @ HEB)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water (I used the broth)
• 3 cups trimmed fresh green beans (about 12 ounces)
• 1/8 tsp each sea salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425°F
• IN a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy cause, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• Place tilapia in a shallow nonstick or foil-lined baking pan and pur lime juice mixture over top, turning fillets to coat
• Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over top of tilapia
• Bake for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork

• While fish is baking, heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat
• Add remaining 4 tsp ginger and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant
• Add broth, beans, slat and pepper
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until beans are bright green and tender-crisp
• Remove from heat, add remaining 1/2 tsp sesame oil and toss to coat

• To serve, place fish on plate and drizzle with remaining pan juices – serve with green beans

Makes 4 servings.  Calories: 268, Total Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Carbs: 9g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 38g, Sodium: 468mg, Cholesterol: 85mg, Omega-3s: 320mg, Omega-6s: 800mg

**One thing I might do different when I make this again is to double the sauce (lime juice, soy sauce, oil, and ginger) to strengthen the flavor on the fish.

Yummy sesame tilapie w/ ginger green beans & au gratin potatoes

Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

• Peel potatoes and slice as thinly as possible (I used a food processor)
• Grease bottom and sides of 8X8 or slightly smaller baking dish (I use a round corning ware dish)
• Layer ingredients – potatoes, few dabs of butter, few dabs of cream cheese, few grinds of salt & pepper, 1/3 of cheese
• Repeat layers 3 times
• Pour milk over entire dish
• Bake at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes until browned and bubbly (I usually cover mine after 30 to 40 minutes so the top doesn’t get too crispy)

Calories: too many to count, just enjoy!

If it weren’t for the accompanying picture in Clean Eating magazine, I would have NEVER tried this recipe after looking at the ingredients.  As a matter of fact, several times when reading the recipe I thought to myself “this can’t possibly be good”, but that glossy photo of the nicely sliced and stacked wrap kept pulling me back to the page for the Steakhouse Wrap Panini…so I gave in and said I’d give it a try.  Man, am I glad I did because this was one of the tastiest paninis I’ve ever eaten.  I’m betting you’ll think the ingredients (and processing thereof) are a little strange, but trust me, they compliment each other well.  This wrap held up well for leftovers too and I’m already planning to make extra next time I cook them so I’ll have some to take in my lunch.  Bon apetit!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 large green onions, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 8 oz flank steak
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (I had never used smoked paprika – it’s DELICIOUS!)
• 4 large whole-wheat or multi-grain wraps, each about 12 inches in diameter (we used spinach wraps)

Directions:Preheat oven to 425°F.  place a sheet pan in the oven as it warms.

• Quarter sweet potatoes, cutting each in half lengthwise and then in half lengthwise again.  Cut each quarter into 4 think wedges.
• Remove hot pan from oven and brush with oil
• lay potato wedges in an even layer across pan
• Transfer potatoes to oven and bake for 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through until both sides start to brown
• Remove potatoes from oven and set aside

• While potatoes are cooking, in a blender, add spinach, onions, blue cheese and buttermilk
• Blend until completely smooth, pulsing, scraping the sides and stirring as needed
• Refrigerate sauce until ready to use

• Sprinkle both sides of flank steak with pepper and paprika and rub spices all over surface of meat
• Place stead on a broiler pan
• Turn on broiler and place place ban on highers rack in over, beneath broiler, for 5 minutes
• Flip meat over and broil for 5 more minutes, until cooked to medium
• Let steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing it very thinly against the grain

• Place 4-8 potato wedges in center of each wrap.  Top with quarter of stead, then drizzle 3 tbsp spinach blue-cheese cause over top
• Pull bottom third of wrap over filling and then fold ends in.  Continue to roll wrap forward onto itself, like a burrito, until the filling is entirely enveloped in the wrap
• Place wrap on a hot panini press, seam-side-down.
• Press wrap for 2 minutes or according to the directions for your press so that you toast the outside of the wrap
• Cut wrap in half diagonally and serve

Calories: 304, Total Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Carbs: 37g, Fiber: 5g, Protein: 19g, Sodium: 303mg, Cholesterol: 21mg

Clockwise from top left: the electric green spinach blue-cheese sauce, starting to assemple the panini, pressing/grilling the panini, the finished product

My brother-in-law made this recipe for my mother-in-law’s birthday and Dustin and I were lucky enough to get to join in on dinner.  If you’ve ever had the Shrimp Paesano at Paesano’s or the Gamberetti alla Scuzzi’s at Scuzzi’s (in SA), then you know this is a very richly sauced shrimp dish that will satisfy the palate quite well.   Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb jumbo shrimp, deveined (this will allow for 3 to 4 shrimp per person for 4 people)
• 2 pints half & half
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 Cups flour
• 8 ounces pasta (we used gluten free)

Sauce:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 Cup butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp parsley, chopped
• 3 Tbsp chives, chopped
• 1 medium lemon, juiced

Directions:

• Soak shrimp in half and half for at least 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Prepare pasta as directed on package
• After soaking, drain shrimp and dust all sides of shrimp lightly with flour
• Saute shrimp in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Do not turn shrimp, do not over crowd while sauteing
• Remove shrimp and put in baking dish saute side down, place dish in pre-heated oven
• Immediately turn oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes
• Mix yolk, lemon juice and half of butter in sauce pan
• Stir sauce over low heat until butter is melted, take off heat
• Add garlic and remaining butter and return pan to heat.  Stir briskly until butter melts and sauce thickens.
• If needed, add small amount of half & half to thicken sauce
• Add chives and parsley to sauce
• Place 2 ounce pasta on each of 4 plates, pour sauce over pasta and top with shrimp
• Serve immediately

This semi-healthy (it has a lot of fat coming from the coconut…I need to check with my nutritionist to see if this is acceptable), low calorie recipe was taken from Self.com.  It turned out lighter (flavor-wise) than I had expected, but I think that was a good thing.  I served the chicken with a side of broccoli sprinkled with lemon juice and sea salt as well as a spinach and strawberry salad with homemade poppyseed dressing (not so low-calorie, so they balance well )

Ingredients

• 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts, about 4 oz each (I usually by the Tyson all-natural, hormone free chicken breasts and cut them length wise so they aren’t so thick)
• 2/3 cup shredded coconut
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter, coconut oil, or Smart Balance butter spread (I used Smart Balance b/c I didn’t want to pay a pinky & a toe for coconut oil that I would only use 2 tbsp of)

Directions

• Combine the coconut, garlic, and butter in a bowl and microwave just until the butter has softened.
• Stir the mixture thoroughly, and then spread evenly onto the top side of the chicken breasts.
• Place the coconut-topped chicken on a baking sheet coated with olive oil cooking spray
• Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, broiling for the last 10 minutes.

Top: After 1 layer of meat mixture - Middle: The top layer of tortillas dipped in sauce - Bottom: Final product before baking

This recipe is great to feed a large group and always tastes good as leftovers (again, good for a long weekend trip/getaway because it can be microwaved and still tastes great).

• 2 lbs hamburger
• 1 can chopped olives
• 16 ounce jar Thick & Chunky Salsa
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 chopped onion (little less if onions aren’t your favorite, I usually do 1/2  or 1 very small onion)
• 1 can red enchilada sauce
• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 16 ounce shredded Colby/Jack cheese
• at least 18 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown beef with onion, drain.  Add olives, sauces, salsa, and soup.  Simmer over medium heat 45 minutes to thicken.

Lightly grease 13X9 baking dish and line with corn tortillas (don’t be stingy here, make sure the entire bottom is covered with tortillas.  I usually even cut some in 1/2 or in fourths to cover all the cracks and the sides of the dish).  Pour 1/3 meat mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with 1/3 cheese.  Repeat 2 times.

Top with 4 to 6 tortillas dipped in the leftover sauce (sometimes I dip them before I put the 3rd layer of cheese because there usually isn’t enough sauce left in my pan to coat the tortillas).  Sprinkle with additional cheese.

Bake 30-40 minutes until bubbly.  Serve with sour cream.

The title says it all and the pictures back it up!

• 2 pounds asparagus (about 2 bunches), trimmed
• 1 pint tiny cherry or pear tomatoes, red or mixed colors
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place asparagus in a large bowl.  Add tomatoes and oil and toss to coat.  Spread in a heave roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, spooning the tomatoes between and on top of the asparagus.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and add a generous grinding of pepper.  Roast until the asparagus is crisp-tender and teh tomatoes are warmed and slightly crinkled, about 15 minutes.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Whisk lemon juice, orange juice, honey, mustard and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until blended.  Drizzle dressing over asparagus before serving.  Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Before & After cooking

*The dressing for this side dish is very subtle, so if you like a stronger flavor (like I do), then double the dressing recipe.