Courtesy of the wife:

Fat is good.

Add half a pear, and you got a great 4 block meal

Calm down, nothing juicy!

What I didn’t tell you this morning is that I’m totally exhausted. Maggie and I had so much fun catching up last night with eachother AND some friends. We had friends over that didn’t leave until 2 a.m.! Straight up silly for a Sunday night. We played Scrabble, chatted and watched some quality TLC programs.

Anyway, bedtime tonight must come early. Or else.

Dinner was soooo good tonight! It would have been impossible to screw up with these favorites: tilapia, spinach, feta + pomegranate! Oh yeah, quite the line-up huh? Check it out:

Beauty shot!

I started by coating my fish in a honey/balsamic combo. I cooked the fish in olive oil (and the rest of the honey/balsamic combo) on the stove over medium heat; about 3 minutes on each side. On top of spinach with pom and feta was awesome! And some crackers on the side.

I topped my salad with another drizzle of balsamic and also some Raspberry Walden Farms dressing. It was awesome! Besides its awesome flavor, this salad was really amazing because I was able to prepare it in less than 10 minutes! Now that is what I call a Monday night winner!

I ended dinner with a Coconut Date Cookie, or “ball” in my case.

Unfortunately, I need to go run some errands. My eyebrows are unruly and I have to stop at the Verizon store, too. Peace out! See ya tomorrow.

PS- How was Monday for you?

Mediterranean Halibut (Tilapia)

In the life of every (American) foodie, there comes a time when turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and sandwiches comprised of the same, lose their appeal. In fact, they collectively become personna non grata, as we collectively rebel against anything remotely resembling that holiday meal.

After travelling to Michigan for Thanksgiving (where there were too few vegetables and fruits present), we felt like we needed a good detox.  This is the meal I chose to prepare for us last night. I copied it from the May 2009 edition of Greenwich Magazine, and it was printed there courtesy of Ten Twenty Post Restaurant in Darien, Connecticut.

A note about recipes provided by restaurants and their chefs.  I am leery of them. Seriously. As the owner of a food-based business, I am skeptical of any food-related business that is willing to give away trade secrets. What I learned in the making of this recipe is that it does take some interpretation on the part of the cook (in this case, me).  While not my strong suit (I prefer recipes that are tried and true and reliable), it was fun to push myself a bit to think about how best to achieve the final dish that sounded so good on paper.  I have included my notes in the recipe, so that you might benefit from my trial and error. (Also, I halved this recipe, but my notes will apply to the full recipe as well)

Mediterranean Halibut

4 8-ounce halibut filets (We used tilapia. Turned out great, but a heartier fish would have been nice, too.)
3 T chopped fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley) (Used fresh thyme and parsley from garden. No herbs? Not a deal breaker. Saute with just salt and pepper)
1 cup chopped red, yellow and orange peppers (See below that they call for julienned, actually, not chopped)
1/4 c sliced kalamata olives (More of these wouldn’t hurt)
1/4 c capers (More of these wouldn’t hurt, especially if you have a 2-year-old who mooches yours)
3 T olive oil (watch how you use this; more for the fish, less for sauteing the vegetables or they turn soggy)
4 ounces white wine
8 ounces softened butter (I couldn’t bring myself to use the full amount so I halved this)
4 capellini cakes

Press herbs into halibut and pan-sear until lightly browned on both sides; finish baking in a 375-degree oven (as needed). (My fish didn’t brown, but as soon as I saw it was cooked on each surface, I threw it on a plate into the hot oven. This yielded nicely cooked, moist fish.)

Saute julienned peppers, olives, capers, salt and pepper in olive oil. In a separate pan, reduce white wine and slowly mix in butter, season to taste. (Okay, first, use the olive oil sparingly for the sauteing, or you will find yourself with limp, oily veggies. Use a small amount on high heat to stir-fry, more than saute. Second, “reduce white wine” is maddeningly vague. I over-reduced–by more than half–and ended up with a slightly wine-flavored brown butter mixture. It wasn’t as succulent on the dish as I had hoped. Watch the wine.)

Place warmed capellini cake in center of plate, top with halibut and spoon caper-olive-pepper mix over fish. Finish the plate with spoonfuls of butter sauce.

Capellini Cakes

3 c capellini pasta, blanched (How does one measure capellini in a measuring cup? I broke mine into smaller pieces, but I’ll do you the favor of letting you know that I weighed the end result. I would say 8 oz of capellini here should be plenty.)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 c chopped blanched spinach
1/2 t chopped garlic (for the amount of capellini, this seemed light on garlic, so I probably came close to doubling it. Your call, depending upon your love of garlic.)
1 T olive oil (if you end up frying your cakes in batches, reserve half the oil for the second batch)Mix together in a bowl; blanched capellini, beaten eggs, heavy cream, spinach and garlic. (This also begged for the addition of salt, even though I salted the water for the capellini. Maybe just 1/2-1 teaspoon would do.)

Form into cakes (about 1 cup of mixture for each cake) and saute with olive oil in a hot pan four minutes or so each side. (Though this part is very simple, “forming cakes” is a bit of misnomer. I used tongs and grabbed a heap of mixture and formed it into a cake on the hot pan. My husband suggested that if you were looking for symetrical cakes, you could implement the old round cookie cutter/tuna can trick. Put the cutter/can–with both ends cut out–on the hot pan, add the capellini mixture inside. Remove cutter/can when you’re ready to flip and the cake should retain a nearly perfect roundness. I say, who can bother? I’m not catering, I’m feeding the masses here.)

Serves 4

I had leftover tilapia and mussels from making tilapia meuniere the other night.  I thought how can I use up this seafood?  I have made clam chowder and corn and potato chowder and that was what was on my mind.  I basically decided that you can make a chowder with whatever seafood you have lying around.  I am all about adaptability in the kitchen.  Going with the flow if you will.

I never really had clam chowder as a kid that I can remember unless it came out of a can and maybe not even then.  I am sure that had we lived closer to the ocean that we would have had much more seafood.  I used to want to live near the ocean for the water and I still do but an even stronger drive is the fresh seafood you can get when you are close to the shore.

The last time I had a beach vacation, I ate seafood at every meal… except breakfast perhaps.  Some of my favorite seaside restaurants are the Salty Dog Cafe in Hilton Head, Catch 22 in Hilton Head, The Crab Shack in Tybee Island (where the elite dine in their bare feet), and Awful Arthur’s in Kill Devil Hills.  Yum.  I would go back to each in a heart beat.

I am going to have to venture north to get a taste of some real clam chowder whether it be white or red.

I start this as I do most of my soups with aromatics usually carrot, celery, and onion although the carrot is omittable.  A roux is next which thickens the soup.  I use low-fat milk and stock instead of full fat cream or whole milk to make it healthier.  Chowders are always delicious in my book and kitchen for that matter. 

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 2 TBSP poultry seasoning (thyme is the real flavor I am going for here but I have lots to use without going out and buying new spices.)
• salt and pepper
• 1 TBSP butter
• 3 TBSP flour
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cups of low-fat milk (I used 1%)
• 6 potatoes, baked, peeled, and cubed
• 2 fillets cooked tilapia, cubed
• 20 cooked mussels, shelled

1. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add onions, garlic, and celery and cook until soft around 7-8 minutes.
3. Add butter and stir until it melts.
4. Add flour, poultry seasoning and season with salt and pepper.  Continue to stir until the flour is cooked a bit.  It should start to look like a paste; this is your roux.
5. Decrease heat to medium and add chicken stock.  Whisk until the roux is combined. Then add the milk and bring to a simmer.  When using low-fat milk you don’t want to boil it because it can tend to curdle and separate.  You want to just bring it to a simmer.
6. When it comes to a simmer add potatoes, tilapia, and mussels and give a good stir to combine but be gentle as to not break up the fish or potatoes.  I like my potatoes to be nice and chunky in a chowder but if you prefer a smoother consistency you can mash about half of the potatoes before adding them the the chowder.
7. Turn heat off and allow the potatoes and seafood to heat through.  This was good as is but would be awesome with some oyster crackers or sourdough.

Seafood Chowder with Tilapia and Mussels

Kid Approved

We took eating and dieting to a new level today! Using Medifast Eggs, Cream of Tomato Soup, and Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal….Cindi cooked up a wonderful afternoon.

Putting variety into your day-to-day menu can help you stay on program and lose weight. We got lots of great new ideas, and with the holidays here …this was perfect timing.

Cindi prepared and demonstrated a wide variety of delicious meal ideas.  She started by baking cooking and made the house smell wonderful.  Did you know that from 1 package of Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal you get 10 cookies! We decided cookies and coffee makes a great mid morning or evening meal replacement.  This is a must make!

Take Shape For Life Menu Of The Day

by Chief Cindi

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey

Tilapia & Broccoli

Mushroom Omelet

Asparagus Omelet

Zucchini Omelet

Crab Bisque

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Biscotti

If you missed this event… you can watch the videos and get cooking tips.

 done

I’ll be posting clips all this week… 

Be sure to subscribe to an email alert and don’t miss the fun.

We’re getting healthy during the Holidays!

For a complete list of recipes email me at Joyce@Blonskij.com

 To contact Cindi for all your party and catering needs:

Cindi Chilelli

(916) 956-6450

cindiscucina@yahoo.com

So, I wrote the other day that I felt like Julia Child and that was because I was making a simple fish dish.   I had seen the Barefoot Contessa making Sole Meuniere as she talked about her visit to Paris.  She spoke of how simple and delicious the preparation was.  I then read about how Julia Child had Sole Meuniere and that this meal was what made her fall in love with French Cooking.  Here is what she said about that experience in My Life in France.

It arrived whole: a large, flat Dover sole that was perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. The waiter carefully placed the platter in front of us, stepped back, and said: “Bon appètit!

I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection.

I however can not find sole but figured that tilapia was pretty close and probably cheaper too.  This is of course my untrained, American opinion.  A trained French chef might disagree.  I had some fillets so off I went to try a simple preparation.  This dish is French and is a bit heavy in the butter department but is luxurious.  I can honestly picture myself sitting in Paris or Disneyworld (thats the closest I’ve been so far) eating this dish and being happy to pay for it.  Hope you will try this dish.

• 8 pieces of tilapia fillet, patted dry with a paper towel this will make the coating stick better.  (I made extra for a leftover meal)
• 6 TBSP butter, divided
• 1 cup of flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp lime or lemon juice

1. Using large skillet, melt 3 TBSP butter over medium heat.
2. Season flour with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
3. Place each fish fillet in the flour making sure to press the fish to get a good coat on both sides.
4. Place fish fillets in melted butter and cook for 2 minutes on first side then flip. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on second side depending on thickness.  I cooked 2 fillets at a time.
5. Remove fish to plate and add two more fillets and cook to above directions.
6. Remove second set of fillets and add a tsp of lime juice to the pan.  Using your spatula scrape the bits that have stuck to the bottom and pour the brown butter sauce over the fillets.
7. Repeat process with the next 4 fillets.  Enjoy the decadence.  You can also sprinkle some parsley over the fish for a more traditional flavor.

I served mine with cauliflower in cheese sauce and steamed mussels.

I can understand that if I were served this dish in Paris that I might feel the same as Julia.  In complete awe.

Tilapia Meuniere

Kid Approved

3144608    การจัดการฟาร์มปลานิล    Tilapia Farm Management

สายพันธุ์ปลานิลที่เลี้ยงในประเทศไทย การเพาะพันธุ์ วิธีการเลี้ยง อาหารและการให้อาหาร การจัดการคุณภาพน้ำ การควบคุมโรค การจัดการฟาร์ม การแก้ไขปัญหาที่เกิดจากการจัดการฟาร์ม ยาและสารเคมีที่ใช้ในฟาร์ม ผลกระทบด้านสิ่งแวดล้อม มาตรฐานฟาร์ม การควบคุมคุณภาพการผลิต และการตลาด

(Tilapia breed in Thailand, breeding and culture techniques, feed and feeding, water quality management, disease prevention and control, farm management and problem solving, drugs and chemicals for aquatic animals, environmental impact, farm standard, quality control of production, and marketing.)

(3144608 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

O prato de hoje é uma ótima sugestão para os dias quentes. Além de ser bastante refrescante, é também muito saboroso. Foi inspirado no jantar servido na Cantina Piacenza, em Belo Horizonte.

O Ceviche é uma receita de origem peruana, cuja base é a marinada de peixe em um caldo citríco (suco de limão, lima, vinagre etc.). Deve ser usado um peixe de carne branca e firme, como namorado, robalo ou até frutos do mar, como camarão, lagosta e polvo. Eu usei tilápia, assim como a receita que provei. Para temperar, utiliza-se cebola, cheiro verde ou outras ervas e pimenta. Algumas receitas levam abacate. Pode ser servido como entrada ou prato principal, acompanhado de tortilhas mexicanas de milho, pipoca, pão, milho cozido ou batatas cozidas.

Então, sem mais delongas, vamos à receita! 

I read once in one of those new-agey type books that was titled something like:  “The Moon, and It’s Influence on Your Home.” The thesis stated that a woman’s estrogen levels are concurrent with the phases of the moon. I could see the following the connections, e.g., lunar = lunacy = domestic urges.

I’m not sure if the moon is at work during this time of year as much as all of the adds on TV and in print that create that warm, cozy Rockwellian world known as  THE HOLIDAYS.  Normally sane adults turn all nostalgic with Dickensian urges to be expressed through family and friends coming together to share bountiful meals served on linen tableclothed tables festooned with handpicked autumn leaves and hand-painted dried gourds.  Never  mind that you can’t stand your relatives and that Dickens lived in a world of child labor and abject cruelty.  It’s turkey time!

I have these urges big time.  I can’t help it.  My veneer of skepticism and practicality becomes absolutely porous the day after Halloween.   I am that psychotic optimist who hears voices in her head, usually its the voice of Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas leading the loop of constant holiday muzak.   I LOVE the shmaltz of the holiday season. So much so that DH has forbidden me from entering any craft store under threat of having me committed for my own safety and the safety of the cats.  Though, I really fail to see why he absolutely blanched last night when he saw that I had downloaded a pattern for felt pilgrim hats where you can make little slits for the cat’s ears.

I can see it now, the Animal Control officer pointing his taser at me, “Just drop the glue gun and no one will get hurt!” as the cats and probably DH cowered in the corner wearing partially finished Pilgrim costumes. 

DH is an engineer by trade…one of those, you know, linear, down-to-earth types.  I think this is probably why we have such a good marriage.  We are polar opposites.  He’s stoically quiet whereas I see people as potential partners for making one giant conga line.  We keep each other in check.  I don’t get into cars with strangers and he occasionally cracks up laughing.

Yesterday, we went to the grocers to buy THE turkey.  As we got into the elevator to go down the down to the garage.  I gushed, “I love the holidays!! and you know how we always buy too much?”  We do, we’re the only couple in the building who, when they open the trunk to their car, has a forest of grocery bags.  We never throw anything away, but since food is our hobby it seems, we have become fanatics about running and working out to counter our food purchases and expanding girths.  We eat and we run: we have turned into giant gastropods. 

DH had that irritating look on his face that said he was at once worried and irritated.  “Yeah…?” I bounced up and down to emphasize my glee, “Why don’t we post an ad on Craigslist and invite people over who have no where to go for Thanksgiving??!  Isn’t that a cool idea??”  I love the idea of a dinner party of random people.  Imagine the conversations. 

Visions of serial killers and robbers danced through DH’s counter arguments.  What a mean world he inhabits!  Sigh.  I’m constrained to post a note in the elevator to invite
solo neighbors to come and share.  DH doesn’t need to know.  When people arrive, what can he say?  Besides, we have been doing this since we moved in and he has yet to say a word.
   
What uber friendly act are you doing for Thanksgiving??

Last night we had Miso’d Tilapia–super, super easy:

Tilapia in Miso & White Wine

1 package of Trader Joe’s Miso Soup (I love the bits of dried tofu)
1 lb of tilapia filets
1/2 cup of white wine
2 tbl of white sugar

In a ziploc bag combine the ingredients, add the fish.  Seal and ‘massage’ the fish to ensure that everything is combined.  Refrigerate for an hour up to 12 hours.  Pour contents, wine et al, into a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 mins or until the fish is opaque.

I serve this with brown rice and a salad with a good sesame dressing.  Pretty nifty meal.

Enjoy!

I had defrosted some tilapia but ended up at my parents house so I brought it along.  This is a nice alternative to frying but you still get a crunch.  I coat the fish in any type of mustard instead of egg which also reduced the calories and fat.  Then I use panko bread crumbs instead of plain bread crumbs.  Panko is Japanese bread crumbs.  They are much larger than regular bread crumbs and give you that crunch.  This is very simple and would be good with catfish also.  I use paper plates for the dredging usually for extra easy clean up.

• 2 lb of tilapia fillets (This was 8 pieces this time)
• 1/2 cup of yellow mustard
• 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper

Place mustard in one plate and panko in another.  Place fish fillets in mustard to coat lightly.  Just enough to make the panko stick.  Then place the fish in the panko and press the bread crumbs into the fish then place on a baking sheet that has been prepared with cooking spray.  Butter flavored is even better.  Once all the coated fish are on baking sheets season them with salt and pepper and then spray them with the cooking spray for extra browning.  Bake at 450º for 20 minutes.  Everyone will want seconds.  Good dippers are extra mustard or even a ranch sauce.

Baked Crispy Tilapia

No pic but I also roasted about 12 oz. of salmon fillet with skin on with this at 450º for 10 minutes.  Just coated with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Gruta da Pratinha

The part of the country called the Chapada Diamantina rises out of Brazil’s northeaster sertão or “backlands”. Hundreds of thousands of years ago these mountains lay at the bottom of the ocean, but now rise over 1000 meters above sea level.

The Chapada welcomes divers year-round to its crystal clear waters in places such as Gruta da Pratinha and Poço Azul, where the skeletons of prehistoric animals have been found.

Diamond mining in the late nineteenth century hacked huge wounds in the landscape, wich still bears the scars of diamond prospecting. In the twentieth century mining stagnated , and the economy suffered. Howewer, agriculture and livestock breeding then flourished, and tourism took off a few years ago. It is to be hoped that the latter activity has come to saty.

Gruta Azul

This lake possesses fascinating rock formations and exceptionally transparent water. The area of the cavern is approximately one thousand square meters, and its covers the entire lake. To reach it by land there is a steep descent down a staircase carved in the rock. The lake is fed by a spring and is heavily sediment.

Gruta da Pratinha

The cavern lies below the ranch house of the Pratinha farm. The blue is even more intense when seen from the cavern. There is a very beautiful rock formation. Thousands of fish reflect the torchlight, providing a beautiful spectacle. The visit follows the main passageway to the skinhole down to Gruta Azul. From that point onwards, only experienced divers should continue.

Rio Pratinha

The river rises in the Gruta da Pratinha, and forms a lake with crystal clear water – with visibility of 30 meters. On the opposite shore there is a cliff with a small cave, in wich divers can practice snorkeling to observe tilapia, characins and other small freshwater fish.

Os Impossíveis

The cave lies 3 kilometers from the Fazenda Pratinha ranch house, and is reached by a pathway atop a 50 meter drop, with very tight clefts, a tunnel cut from the rock through which visitors must crawl, steep slopes you lower yourself down by clinging on tree trunks, and a river flowing out of the cave and flooding the first chamber, making a type of quicksand. In the cave there are chambers decorated with stalactites, curtains and wonderful speleothems, or cave deposits.

Poço Azul

Several passages make up a kind of maze conecting with the underground lake. Several hollows have been sculpted out of the rock. Right below the wooden platform there is a skinhole down to another chamber. At the bottomthere are skeletons, including that of a giant sloth. On the opposite bank, wich is a larger area, you will find rock formations and small crustaceans.

Poço Encantado

This is a lake inside a cavern, with crystal clear blue water, through wich you can observe submerged boulders and tree trunks over 50 meters deep. From july to august, sunlight enters through a cleft in the cave, and a beam of light falls on the surface of the lake. The cavern is currently closed, but with the new cave diving regulations brought in by IBAMA it may open again.

Photo: ipt.olhares.com

Source: Brazil Diving Guide



Several weeks ago, I posted a recipe for a Halibut dish my girlfriend, Lise, made at one of our Book Groups she hosted.  If you missed it, here’s a link to check it out.

http://alasandy.com/2009/09/30/try-lises-easy-delicious-fish-dish-just-for-the-halibut/

It’s a delicious, Indian inspired, dish, made with garam masala, lemongrass and coconut milk – one of my favorite fish recipes ever!

Lise has a gift for cooking fish. The Book Group she hosted the time before last, she made Tilapia, loaded with fresh cilantro and lemon and ginger – It was also fantastic. I love Tilapia for a couple reasons….it’s a firm whitefish that doesn’t taste fishy at all..AND it’s cheap!  Usually 1/3 the cost of tuna and salmon!

I made Lise’s recipe for Tilapia few weeks ago – I served it with a little quinoa and some tempura veggies.  It has a Latin kick to it and it’s easy, inexpensive and delicious! I hope you like it!  Cheers!

Lise’s Amazing Talapia

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2 Tilapia filets

1 handful of  cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove – minced
3 green onions sliced
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 lemon -  juiced
2 teaspoons lemon rind, zested
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup Canola oil
3 tablespoons Sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt pepper to taste

1/2 cup or so of water

Rinse the Tilapia filets, pat dry and set aside in a baking dish.

Saute LIGHTLY, the cilantro, garlic, ginger, green onion, lemon rind in the Canola and Sesame oils.  Add the Soy sauce, cumin, lemon juice, dash of salt and pepper.  Add water  Pour 1/2 the mixture over the fish, cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

Remove from the oven and plate – pour the remaining sauce over the filets for serving.  Cheers!

I so did not want to get up this morning. But I did Yay, me! Today’s exercise was the easy 30 minute walk. Which was great cos i definitely felt the impact of yesterday’s walk/run sequence this morning. My shins actually feel sore, but in that nice “i’ve exercised my muscle” kinda way. I think the easy walk is going to be my favorite part of this work out.

My food log for yesterday is as follows: like i said, i had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Drank lots of water, had a glass of apple juice mid-afternoon; had a plate of dodo (fried plaintain) and a piece of Tilapia fish tail, slightly fried; and for dinner i had a plate of papaya and watermelon mixed salad.

I know I should stay away from fried foods, yeah, yeah. but i love fried plantains and fish and i’m just gonna have to make sure it’s lightly fried in olive oil and not deep fried. I’ll keep you updated on how that is working for me as i progress. I absolutely loved the papaya and I think I will have some with my breakfast this morning too.

I spent the day yesterday chilling with a really good friend of mine and it was so much fun! I think being active and letting everyone know you are on a diet kinda helps too, cos most people i find, want to help you achieve your goals.

I think I will have either oatmeal or ogi again this morning for breakfast, with a bowl of papaya

I’ve been in a dinner rut for the past 2 weeks.

I think I’ve made every variation of pizza that I found on Food Blog Search (which is a fabulous website for any foodie btw). But don’t get me wrong. My husband’s not complaining. He LOVES pizza. As do I. Even though he wouldn’t mind if I made pizza everyday, tonight I decided to clear out my freezer and pantry and found some tilapia and pecans.

I have to admit that is one perk of moving – you find all sorts of things that you had previously shoved so far back that you forgot you had it. Like they say. Out of sight out of mind.

… And the rest is history in my husband’s satisfied tummy. Yum!

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia
Recipe from Mele Cote

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (pulse in a food processor or hand chop)
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Emeril Essence
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup flour
2 tilapia fillets, each sliced down the center, lengthwise, to create 2 smaller fillets
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil or coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the pecans, bread crumbs, brown sugar, and Emeril Essence in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat egg and water. Place the flour on a plate. Season the fish with additional salt and pepper. To bread the fillets, coat both sides with flour and shake off excess. Dip in the egg and then coat evenly with the nut mixture. Place each fillet on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

(I served with parmesan asparagus and baked potato.)

ENJOY!

Husband rating: A+
He’s usually a good non-picky eater and loves fish but I wasn’t sure he’d be down with the sweetness from the brown sugar for this recipe. Thankfully it only took one bite and he was sold. He even said next time I should double the recipe!

Wifey rating: A+
Ditto hubs. Also this is my first experience with Emeril Essence and I am loving the combination of spices! I already have so many ideas about how to use it for future meals. The amount of cayenne pepper didn’t bother me but my wussy husband said that maybe I could reduce the “hotness” next time. HA!

The Good: Tilapia, snap peas, baby corn. 

The Bad: Split a bottle of Riesling, almond butter/nutella spread on a baguette.  Apple pear and grapes.  But, it was well enjoyed with the wifey.

The Snack: 8oz soy bean milk, 26g soy protien, half cup of grapes in the bullet

Tortilla Crusted Tilapia from MrsNDM

Ingredients
4 fillets tilapia
6 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 beaten egg

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place tortilla pieces, pepper, lime juice, cilantro and spices in blender. Pulse until the mixture is uniform small crumbs. Spread on plate.
3. Beat egg in shallow dish.
4. Dip each fillet in egg, then in crumbs, patting crumbs to adhere. Place on baking sheet.
5. Bake until fish flakes, about 15 minutes depending on thickness of fillets.

Hey! Happy Friday!

Sorry for the no post yesterday, I didn’t really feel like it, lol! (to say the least) Nothing interesting happened yesterday, school 12-3, then work 330-845. There was no fresh sem class, because it was “Mix-it-up” day, a day dedicated to diversity. You sit in these groups, and you discuss about diversity pretty much. It took place in the cafeteria, and it was so packed when I came. It was so packed, that I felt overwhelmed, and I had nowhere to sit. Not to mention I felt really uncomfortable, because I don’t like to sit with people I don’t know and start randomly talking (that’s not how I role) What I basically did was I signed in (we had to) sat in the caf for a while, then left, I hang out mostly in the library the entire time doing work. (hehe, hopefully my professor won’t know I just left!) Bad girl I am!!!!! We finally had our exam in Spanish that our professor kept putting off, I think I probably failed! but we shall see, I might actually do better then I think (you’ll never know!) Work was ok…nothing interesting happened, as usual.

Here is what I ate for Thursday:

BREAKFAST: Bowl of Regular Life Cereal

LUNCH: A Caramel Nut Brownie Luna Bar

SNACK: For break I brought in the last of my Fiber One Oats & Apple bar

DINNER: Chicken Parm, some noodles with meat sauce (very italian!), and milk as well.

DESSERT: The last of the Edy’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Loaded Ice Cream!

LATE SNACKS: A Jello Pudding and a serving of Stauffer’s Animal Crackers

And that’s it for Thursday….onward with Friday.

My day began very early….Not only did I start work at 12:00 today, but I had to see Jan today as well. I really, really did not want to travel to the school…especially when I don’t have classes on Friday, but whatever, it’s for the best. I was surprised to see a lot of cars in the parking lot, usually I here from many people that they don’t have classes on Friday (apparently a lot of people do, and I thought I was going to get a parking spot that easy, kind of but not really!). My sessio with Jan went well, I am really glad I am talking to someone….this isn’t easy, but it sure is making things a lot better already. After that it was work, and today wasn’t really that bad, a 4 1/2 hour shift, so it wasn’t a pain being there. Then once work was over had to pick up a few things for mom, and headed home. Did the usual, had dinner, did some hw, chilled, what more do you want! lol!

Here is my day through food! lol:

BREAKFAST: A Smart One’s Canadian Bacon Style English Sandwhich

LUNCH: A Clif Iced Gingerbread Energy Bar

SNACK: A Clif Kid Organic Z Bar Chocolate Brownie (mmmmmm! brownielicious! lol)

DINNER: Tilapia, leftover rice, and a bare salad, and a glass of milk!

DESSERT: Some Edy’s French Silk Ice Cream I just picked up after work! (so good!)

LATE SNACKS: A Jello Pudding and a big ole’ juicy red delicious apple

And that’s it for Friday! By the way, I just realized now it was the 13th! lol! That explains the sort of bad luck I was having today! LOL! wow! took me that long, and the day ends in like 20 minutes! wow! lol.

Oh well, hope everyone stayed clear of any bad luck today. Until tomorrow (maybe!) goodnight!

]]> http://s2elements.com/2009/11/13/sammys-kitchen-1/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:23:04 +0000 Samreen http://s2elements.com/2009/11/13/sammys-kitchen-1/

Lemon-Garlic Tilapia
Fiery Paprika Shrimp
Maryland Style Crab Crakes (Archer Farms)
Black Pepper Green Beans & Mushrooms

Was I whining about eating Tilapia? Maybe a little. I didn’t mean to. I actually really like Tilapia…especially when it’s covered with nuts and cheese.

Here is yet another way to cook this incredibly frugal fish.

Recipe: Almond and Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Breaded Tilapia with Anchovies, Artichoke Hearts, Black Olives, and Parmesan Cheese

Jamie says:  Sunday night is fish night.  After attending  a Zumba dance class, I was in need of  a quick meal so that I could get to studying for my Proteins and Amino Acids exam.  So I quickly whipped up this fish and added it to Kathryn’s fabulous zucchini, which she kindly left on the stove for me.  It was so quick and easy- and most importantly, so DELICIOUS.  To make this Heavenly fish, I put a piece of tilapia in a pan with Smart Balance Omega Buttery Spread (made with extra virgin olive oil).  I then added Ian’s Panko Breadcrumbs (Italian style).  After flipping the fish, I added 2 anchovies (King Oscar flat anchovies), lots of artichoke hearts (Vigo brand, canned and quartered), and some black olives (Publix small).  Lastly, I sprinkled Publix Parmesan shredded cheese on top.  The golden brown fish was tender, flakey, and moist.  The bread crumbs melded the buttery and salty flavors together.  This fish dish had the perfect medley of flavors.  The meal had me scraping plate for more, and I left the table with a smile…it was that good!

Nutrition Note:  Smart Balance Omega Buttery Spread is a good substitute for butter.  It has omega 3 fatty acids which are protective against cardiovascular disease.  The spread also has added vitamins including vitamin D, which is important for bone health and decreasing the risk of many chronic diseases.  (Just don’t overdo it, because it is still a source of fat.)

Coins of parsley root and carrots glisten, flecked with fresh parsely and rosemary, as they peek out from under a tender filet of tilapia.

Yesterday when I was driving to work, trying as always to evade the traffic as I zipped through the least filled streets in my racy MINI Cooper S (decked out in British Racing green paint and white racing stripes on the bonnet, natch), my mind was definitely not on either the road ahead or the tasks awaiting me at work. Actually, my mind was as far away from that as could be; I was dwelling on the delicious lunch I knew I would enjoy around noontime. This lunch, tucked carefully into a glass leftover container the night before and now safely stowed on the passenger seat next to me, was so good I knew it would be the highlight of my day. Talk about excitement!

That’s sort of an odd reaction to have to a meal, one I’m a little embarrassed to admit. That I can love food so much is a bit silly when you think about it, but then again I guess that’s why we’re all blogging about food and reading others’ food blogs, right? Other people get obsessed about sports – including the testosterone-laced fantasy football rage taking over my office this time of year – or are perhaps workaholics and don’t have the capacity to become obsessed with a hobby, but one of my passions is food. I have a lot of hobbies, that’s for sure, but this one is tipping the scales at number one at the moment.

Parsnip? Nope. Daikon? Don't think so. Salsify? Decidedly not. Albino carrot??! Not possible. It's ... PARSLEY ROOT!

So what, you ask, brought on this particular meal’s reverence? The answer is a simple fall root vegetable, the parsley root. Well, I must correct myself; it’s not really a simple vegetable in that it’s pretty rare in these parts – in all of my (nearly) 26 years and seven years of grocery shopping on my own, I have never seen a single bunch of these in any grocery store or farmer’s market, assuming I’ve kept my eyes wide enough open to notice. Yet out of nowhere in my humble local Shoprite grocery store, there sat a neat a pile of something I didn’t recognize during my lazy scan of the vegetable wall; I could scarcely believe my own eyes when I read the tag.

Parsley has a root?

I realize how dumb that question sounds now – and how dumb it sounded then as well. Moving on….

Impulsively, without even checking the price I grabbed a healthy looking bundle and stuffed them into my basket – without the slightest idea how to cook these, what recipe I’d use, or if the roots were even edible; it could have been decoration for all I knew. I’m always eager to try new ingredients and techniques in the kitchen; I swear, my culinary motto should be carpe cultri (“seize the knife” … I hope that doesn’t sound threatening or morbid!).

Never one to shy away from a challenge, when I got home I promptly started a Google search … and didn’t find any tempting recipes. Additionally, I didn’t find technical information beyond the fact you can roast, sauté, braise, or eat raw a parsley root – and that you should cook it within three days of buying it, not removing the leaves and stems from the root until you’re ready to cook them (unlike when you buy carrots with the leaves attached, which you should pull off right away to prevent the leaves from stealing more nutrients – life! – from the carrot itself). However, I did stumble upon some hilarious folklore about them that’s worth sharing.

From GlobalPsychics.com, a few superstitions and their origins: “1883 – ‘Parsley is an uncanny herb…’ it goes to the devil nine times and very often forgets to come back again.’ Parsley seed is long germinating coz ‘Goes to hell and back ‘fore sprouts.’”  …  ”1983 – It’s surprising parsley still exists, because according to an old-wives’ tale only the wicked can grow it.” (an aside… I was born in 1983 and used to hate the flavor of parsley – and it’s actually not my favorite spice even today … hmm, coincidence??)  …  ”1873 – It is the belief of the peasantry in this part of the country (S.Hants),that it is very unlucky to give parsley.”  … 1954 – A Swansea friend will not give a (parsley) root away as doing so brings bad luck.”

Needless to say, I’m really amazed I not only ended up loving this vegetable but haven’t experienced any minor or major calamity since eating it, either! This coming from the queen of all klutzes….

Anyway, so back to what I did with this mysterious parsley root. I ended up finding a recipe from the new November 2009 issue of Food & Wine. Despite my recent unpleasant encounter with a misguided F&W recipe for sweet potato gnocchi, I couldn’t pass up their Striped Bass with Sweet Carrots and Cider Glaze. I figured I could use just one carrot and substitute the rest with the parsley root, throw in some chopped parsley leaves, and use tilapia instead of striped bass since that was the fish I had on hand. Finally, a plan!

Miraculously, the recipe was easy to follow and turned out spectacularly! I modified the original flavor profile, but to the betterment of it, in my opinion. F&W had called out for half the cider reduction to be composed of cider vinegar, but that seemed much too strong for my palette. Other than than that, it was a relatively straightforward dinner – and it smelled wonderful throughout. I could hardly wait to eat it; honestly, I barely got that header photo taken before my fork and I attacked that plate with such ferocity I haven’t experienced in quite some time – a ferocity, in fact, that I barely kept in check at lunchtime the following day. I had to act ladylike at work, naturally… But I tell you, I was excited to devour round two of this meal from the moment I left my apartment that morning until the leftover dish was radiating microwaved heat atop my laminate work desk, beckoning me and my fork forward once again….

That night, I actually emailed my mom a photo of my dinner because I was so excited at the result – and to share this fascinating new vegetable with her. In fact, this is how I explained the taste of parsley root to her: “It’s almost as if a parsnip swallowed a bunch of parsley but managed not to get any leaves stuck in between its teeth. Pretty rad.”  And that, my friends, just about sums up this vegetable.

Please enjoy this recipe; it’s really worth making, and a quick one, too – perfect for a weeknight meal. I hope the next time you run into a mysterious vegetable in your grocery store, you take it home and end up cooking a meal you can’t get out of your head, too!

Tilapia with cider-glazed parsley root and carrots

Even though you use two pans and a little saucepan to make this, it’s worth it. Feel free to adjust the acidity in the glaze to your particular taste. I recommend a mild-flavored oil to cook the fish; I used safflower with success. I find olive oil tends to make fish taste a tad bitter on its own.

• 1/2 cup plus 6 Tbsp apple cider
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil, preferably Kalamata
• 1 carrot, sliced diagonally to 1/8″ thickness
• 4 parsley roots (or about 1 1/2 cups when sliced), sliced to 1/8″ thickness
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 2 rosemary sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried), leaves removed
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower
• 2 4-oz tilapia fillets

In a small saucepan, combine the cider and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high, otherwise the sauce will bubble over. Cook down until the volume has reduced to about 2 Tbsp, which will take about 15 minutes (you can prep and cook the entire rest of the meal during this time). Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Spread the carrots, then the parsley root evenly over the hot oil, then tuck in the garlic halves. Sprinkle the rosemary on top. Cook the vegetables uncovered for 3-4 minutes without stirring. Reduce the heat to medium, stir and turn the vegetables, and continue to cook until they’re tender and caramelized; this should take about 5-7 minutes longer, depending on how brown you like your vegetables (I let them cook in both stages to the extremes … as Chef Anne Burrell says, “Brown food tastes good!“). Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, add the parsley, and stir in half of the cider glaze.

With about 7 minutes of cooking time left on the vegetables, heat the vegetable oil in a second nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Season the tilapia on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the fillets to the pan and cook on the first side about 3-4 minutes, until the bottom is lightly browned and the thickest part of the fish is cooked about 2/3 of the way through. Flip the fillets and cook another 2 minutes, or until they are just white throughout.

Pile some of the carrot and parsley root mixture onto a plate and lay one tilapia fillet atop. Drizzle additional cider glaze over the fish and vegetables. Ready, set, devour!

~ Mary ~

How do you make something ugly look as good as it tastes?  Put it on a pretty plate, get a bright background and cross your fingers hard.  Clean Eating had a difficult time with it too – so much so that they colored the banana puree – let’s face it – this sucker’s UGLY!  Usually something this ugly would get dropped before it even saw the lens of the camera.  But the flavor, oh the FLAVOR!

A dinner like this would also get a few posts – the side, the accoutrement and the fish – but I couldn’t pull off three uglies in a row - so here it is all in one shebang and if you choose to make it you WILL NOT be disappointed.  I don’t even like bananas – in fact – it was almost a deal breaker, but I pressed on and am glad I did!

All three were adapted from the September/October Issue of Clean Eating

Curried Quinoa

In saucepan over med-high heat bring to a boil:

     1 1/2 Cups Chicken or Veg Broth

     1 Tbsp Curry Powder

     Salt & Pepper to taste

Once boiling add;

     1 Cup thoroughly rinsed Quinoa

rinsing loosens up the outer coating of saponin, which can give quinoa a bitter taste if not removed

Bring back up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and fluff just before serving.

Banana Puree

While Quinoa is simmering make the puree. In a saucepan over med-high heat with a little oil saute:

     1/2 Small diced Onion

     1 Tbsp Fresh Minced Ginger

Once translucent add:

     3 Mashed Over-ripe Bananas

     1/4 Cup Water

     1 Tbsp Honey

     2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar – I used 1 Tbsp Cider and 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

     1/2 tsp Allspice

Bring just to a boil then lower temp and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree with hand-held submersion blender or regular blender or serve as is.

Add:

      Salt & Pepper to taste

Ginger Poached Tilapia

In a large frying pan add:

     3 Tbsp Lime Juice

     1 Tbsp Fresh minced Ginger

     2 Tbsp Honey

     1/4 Cup Water

Mix well then add

     3- 4 Tilapia Fillets

Bring to a simmer over medium high heat cover and poach until fish is flaky.