Everything's Nice with Rice

(Originally posted on Thursday, October 21, 2010)

Rice is one of my favorite foods. We didn't have much money growing up and I remember times when my mom would make Minute rice and serve it with sugar, butter and milk. I loved it. I still eat it sometimes for breakfast.

Well, my taste buds have progressed a little since then. Here are three recipes that go nice with rice!

Hoisin-Honey-Glazed Pork with Grilled Pineapple



1/4 c. hoisin sauce
1 T. honey
1 T. grated fresh peeled ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 whole pork tenderloin
pineapple spears
2 T. brown sugar

Prepare outdoor grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat. In small bowl combine hoisin, honey, ginger, and oil.

Place pork on hot grill rack. Cover grill and cook 18 - 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Rub pineapple spears with brown sugar.

Grill pineapple 10 minutes or until browned on all sides, turning over. While pineapple is grilling, brush pork with hoisin-honey glaze and turn frequently until temperature on thermometer reaches 155 degrees F. Transfer pork to cutting board; let stand 10 minutes.

Thinly slice pork and serve with pineapple wedges; and, of course, a side of rice!





"Chinese Takeout" Lemon Chicken
This one uses a surprise ingredient to make a yummy sauce!


Frozen chicken nuggets Or
1T. oil, 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders

1 pkg (6oz) snow peas or snap peas (about 2 cups)
1 small red pepper cut into strips
2 pkg. (4 serving size) Jell-O brand Lemon gelatin
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. chicken broth
4 T. Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
4 cloves garlic, minced

If using fresh chicken tenders, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. If using chicken tenders at this point add snow peas and peppers; cook and stir 2 minutes. Continue to *

If using chicken nuggets, cook in oven as directed. Heat oil in skillet on medium high heat. Add snow peas and peppers; cook and stir 2 minutes. Continue to *

*Mix dry gelatin mix and cornstarch in small bowl. Add broth, dressing and garlic; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add to skillet. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently. If using chicken nuggets, add them at this time.

Serve over hot cooked rice.


Halibut with Coconut-Red Curry Sauce
Surprisingly quick and easy!


2 t. canola oil, divided
4 (6 oz.) halibut fillets
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1 T. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 c. light coconut milk
1 T. sugar
3/4 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 T. fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from pan; keep warm.

2. Add remaining 1 t. oil to pan. Add onion, green onions, and ginger; saute 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and the next 4 ingredients (through coriander). Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and juice. Serve over rice.

This recipe is from Cooking Light, March 2009. I served it with the bok choy rice that was printed with the recipe, but I didn't like it because it overpowered the subtle curry flavor.

Hey a Pregnant Mormon Can Have a Mojito Too!

(Originally posted on Thursday, October 7, 2010)

Okay....So its not a Mojito that you drink...and it doesn't have any alcohol in it...but it combines the citrusy/mint flavors that a Mojito has (or so I've been told!) I found this recipe in Food and Wine Magazine back in February. The recipe originally calls for chicken, which we made previously and it was delicious, and this time I thought I'd try it with some Tilapia, and it was equally tasty! I love the combination of grapefruit/lime/mint/cilantro. It is very refreshing, flavorful and satisfying. Not to mention this is a very healthy meal. Maybe you can eat this the day after you cook the Chalupa's!

Here is the Original Recipe for the Chicken Mojito's. All I did was substitute fish, and I broiled it, because Tilapia is kind of a pain to grill. You could grill up a nice Halibut and it would be even more delicious! But like I said, I have made this with chicken and it was yum yum too.

Citrusy Mojito Fish or Chicken

1. 1 red grapefruit
2. 1 lime
3. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
5. 2 tablespoons chopped mint
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (Or white fish such as tilapia, halibut, orange roughy...)
8. 2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit and lime, removing all of the bitter pith. Cut in between the membranes and release the sections onto a work surface. Squeeze the membranes over a medium bowl to extract the juices. Stir in half each of the olive oil, cilantro and mint and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. *If you opt to broil fish, simply heat broil, and cook for about 5 min until fish is fork tender. Do not overcook.
2. Grill the chicken thighs over moderately high heat, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly charred outside and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the grapefruit and lime sections and transfer to a bowl. Add the red onion and the remaining olive oil, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken thighs with the citrus salsa.

I Like Big Mussels

(Originally posted on Sunday, June 6, 2010)

I decided to be adventurous this weekend. I decided to cook something I have never made, or really even ever eaten. In keeping with our weekly seafood goal, I decided to try mussels. And they were pretty good, and super easy. They probably wont become part of our regular repertoire, but they were definitely a nice switch up, and for sure worth trying. One of the main selling points: I got about a pound of mussels, enough for me and hubby and hubby's seconds for under two dollars. So go ahead! Be adventurous!

Curried Mussel Pan Roast
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
3 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 c light coconut milk
1 t curry powder
4 medium ears corn ( I only used 2)
1 pound mussels, scrubbed
1 cup chopped green onion
3 T chopped mint
lime wedges

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Combine potatoes, salt, pepper and oil in roasting pan. Toss to coat. Cook 20 minutes, stirring after ten minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes, corn, coconut milk and curry. Nestle Mussels into veggie mixture. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and mussels open.
4. Stir in green onion and mint, spoon into bowls, serve with lime wedges.

This recipe is from June 2010 Cooking Light

I have proof!

(Originally posted on Monday, April 26, 2010)

Thanks Sister! Hubby and I loved the Sweet Orange Salmon recipe posted below. I thought I'd post a picture for proof. We just spent the week dining at nice restaurants in Toronto and we both agree, this is the best meal we've had all week!

Salmon--You're Going To Rush Upstream For These Recipes!

(Originally posted on Friday, April 23, 2010)

"As the evening sky faded from a salmon color to a sort of flint gray, I thought back to the salmon I caught that morning, and how gray he was, and how I named him Flint."

--Jack Handy

Ahh, don't you miss Jack Handy quotes on Saturday Night Live?

You probably won't want to name your salmon, because then you won't want to eat it--and these recipes are scrumptious!

I was hesitant to post because my sister's picture of her shrimp dish was so beautiful! She does a lovely job of photographing her food. I, on the other hand, don't photograph food very well (plus, I always forget to do it...maybe if I got more practice, my pictures would be better!). So, instead, I stole the picture that she took when she made this salmon recipe after she got it from me!

I tried out the first recipe just this week. It was so easy and so yummy. The second recipe is an old favorite of mine. It is a little more time consuming, but well worth the effort. The final recipe is a pasta recipe that my mom and I found that closely resembles a dish that was served at a favorite French recipe that is no longer open.

I hope you like them!



Sweet Orange Salmon

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
Cooking spray
Orange wedges, optional

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture over both sides of fish. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with orange wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)

Nutrition Information: 303 calories, 13.3 g fat, 36.2 g protein, 7.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 87 mg cholesterol, 1 mg iron, 235 mg sodium, 33 mg calcium.

Notes: I highly suggest serving the orange wedges along with this meal. It is so refreshing and so complimentary to the flavors of this salmon. I doubled mine (I got one of those massive full fillets of salmon and let everyone cut their own portions when they served up their plates).

Source: Cooking Light Weeknight cookbook, published 2007.

Potato-Wrapped Salmon

Ingredients:

2 large baking potatoes, peeled, and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (1 pound) salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
Butter flavored nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a colander; toss with the lemon juice and salt. Let stand until the potatoes are soft and pliable, about 10 minutes. Pat the potatoes dry with a paper towel.

Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Tear off four 12" squares of wax paper and spray with butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray. Shingle all but four of the potato slices horizontally to form a 5x9" rectangle on each square; spray the potatoes with the butter-flavored spray. Place the salmon lengthwise over the potatoes; spread the salmon with the mustard. Lift the right side of the wax paper and fold it over the salmon, covering it with the potatoes; lightly press the paper to help the potatoes adhere to the fish and peel back the wax paper. Repeat with the left side of the wax paper. Lay the remaining potato slices over the seam where the shingled potatoes meet; brush with the butter. With a spatula, carefully transfer to the baking sheet; turning the bundles over so the side with the additional potato slice is down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate so the potatoes set, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler; spray the potatoes with the butter-flavored spray. Broil 6" from the heat until the potatoes are golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.

Notes: This sounds way more complicated than it actually is. In reality, it's really fun to shingle and layer those potato slices together so that you can create a wrapping for the salmon made out of potatoes. Plus, it's so yummy!

Source: My mom and I made this recipe for the first time about 15 years ago. I have no idea where she got it from. I'll have to ask!

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

3 1/2 oz smoked salmon
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup cream
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice
12 oz fettuccine2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
Cut the smoked salmon into bite-sized pieces and the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and stir over low heat for 30 seconds. Add the cream, chives, mustard powder, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add the salmon and lemon juice to the pan and stir to combine. Heat gently.

While the sauce is cooking, cook the fettuccine in a large pan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well and return to the pan. Toss the sauce through the hot pasta. Serve immediately topped with the sun-dried tomato, Parmesan, and chives.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information:

640 calories, 90 mg cholesterol, 5 g dietary fiber, 70 g carbohydrate, 30 g fat, 20 g protein.

Notes: Sorry, this is by no stretch of the imagination a low calorie meal!

Source: The Essential Pasta Cookbook, published 1998.

Who you calling "Shrimp?"

(Originally posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2010)

So as I previously stated, My husband and I made a goal to eat fish at least once a week. (Mostly I made the goal after reading some nutrition websites one particularly boring day at work) We both LOVE seafood, and it has so many wonderful health benefits. The only thing that has been holding me back is that it is so cheap to cook chicken dinners! Pretty much the cheapest thing out there. Compare 1.99 per pound to 7.99 and up per pound, you can see why! But I decided the benefits are better then the costs, and I will just budget some cheaper meals to offset the cost.

Anyway, this week I bought frozen shrimp. (7.99 per pound for the shells on, veins and all, makes for more work, but worth the cost to us poor kids)

Here are two rather tasty shrimp recipes we had. The first a lovely Everyday Foods recipe. We have had it twice now and it is a lovely little meal. See photo above

Shrimp with Scallions and Crispy Potatoes

* 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 baking potatoes (about 1 pound total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
* 1 pound large peeled and deveined frozen shrimp, thawed
* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Add scallion whites, and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate (reserve skillet).
2. Add remaining teaspoon oil, shrimp, and curry powder to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Return potatoes and scallion whites to skillet, and toss with shrimp; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with scallion greens. Serves 4

Coconut Shrimp Tostadas

This is a little recipe I kinda made up, using a fish topping from a Cooling Light recipe. It is very tasty and coconut and shrimp just go together like peanut butter and jelly. Plus, we love Tostasdas it is one of our favorite meals.

1 lb shrimp
tortillas
1/4 cup toasted coconut
diced tomatoes (tomatoes are never optional!)
diced avocado (optional)
pepper jack cheese (optional)

dressing: this was inspired by this cooking light recipe which I also highly recommend

1 cup cilantro sprigs
juice from 2 limes
3 T olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 garlic cloves, peeled
jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded

put dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Combine well

heat oven to broil. place 2-4 tortillas on cookie sheet, grate a little pepper jack cheese if desired. Broil until crispy and puffed about 4-6 minutes. Watch carefully! They can burn very fast.

Heat a little oil in pan, cook shrimp until pink about 3 minutes.

Add shrimp, lettuce, tomato, avocado and dressing. Serve over top of tortillas and sprinkle coconut on top. Yum! Serves 4

Simple, Easy, ,and Light Salads (No Cooking Required!)

(Originally posted on Saturday, April 17, 2010)

With the weather getting warmer, sometimes you just don't want to cook. I mean, on a really hot day, who wants to heat up the kitchen (and possibly the whole house) by preheating the oven?

Also, sometimes you just need something that isn't going to sit heavy on your stomach (aka lower calorie).

So, these two salads are cool, refreshing, and very light. They are South Beach recipes. They are actually so light, in fact, that you might need a little something else paired along with it...otherwise, you might be snacking quite a bit before bedtime. I would pair it with some crusty bread, a light sandwich, or soup (and if you wanted to keep with the cool theme--you could serve it with gazpacho).

Also, when it comes to serving salads for dinner, I prefer to put the toppings in separate containers and allow everyone to serve the toppings of their choice. That way, picky eaters can skip certain toppings. It also makes storing leftovers a lot easier too. You simply cover the individual containers and put them in the refrigerator. That way you avoid soggy salad leftovers that have to be thrown out the next day anyway.

I'm also including a seafood pasta salad that I came up with myself in my college days.

Oh, and if you don't like seafood--skip these salads!


Crab Cobb Salad (pictured at the top with dressing and above without dressing)

Ingredients:

6 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 cans crabmeat (6 ounces), drained
2 cup diced ripe tomatoes or cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 tablespoons cholesterol-free bacon bits
Prepared low-sugar dressing or olive oil vinaigrette (see notes below)

Directions:

Arrange the lettuce on a large serving platter. Arrange the crabmeat, tomatoes, blue cheese, and bacon bits in rows over the lettuce.

Right before serving, drizzle some dressing evenly over the salad and toss well. Transfer to the 2 chilled plates.

Serves 4

Nutrition information: 267 calories, 27 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 4 g saturated fats, 1012 mg sodium, 95 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber.

Source: South Beach cookbook.

Notes: The first time I had this, I used a fat-free Italian dressing, and it was okay, but I didn't love it. I got a little more and used fat-free Thousand Island Dressing instead and LOVED it. It also works quite well (obviously) with Blue Cheese Dressing too (though I have yet to find a really tasty fat-free blue cheese dressing). My suggestion would be to use your favorite kind of salad dressing because the toppings are complementary to a lot of different dressings.


Tuna, Cucumber, and Red Pepper Salad with Lemony Dill Dressing

Ingredients:

Lemony Dill Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Salad:

2 medium cucumbers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cans (6.5 ounces each) solid white tuna, drained and flaked (see notes below)
Romaine lettuce
1 small lemon, peeled, seeded, and sliced (see notes below)

Directions:

To make the lemony dill dressing: Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl.

To make the salad: Combine the cucumbers, bell pepper, and tuna in a large bowl. Set aside. Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates. Spoon the tuna mixture into the center of each plate. Arrange the lemon around the plates. Drizzle with the dressing.

Serves 4.

Nutrition information: 282 calories, 24 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 640 mg sodium, 39 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber.

Source: South Beach cookbook.

Notes: Rather than peeling the lemon, I quartered it and used the wedges to squeeze the juice over the salad. I also bought the pouches of albacore tuna (equaling about 13 ounces for the recipe) so that it wouldn't taste quite as "fishy." It was delicious! Honestly, it is a little more expensive, but this one change makes all the difference. I forgot to buy the pouches once and used canned and it wasn't quite as good.

Seafood Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (about l lb) large shell pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 pkg. imitation crabmeat
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In large bowl, combine shell pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, imitation crabmeat, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. (Add whatever amount of tomatoes, mozzarella and crabmeat you desire to your taste)

Mix and chill well.

Serve chilled.

Source: Sarah's brain. Basically, this is a combination of some of my favorites: seafood, pasta, and caprese salad (I'll have to give you that recipe later on this summer--it is heavenly with home-grown tomatoes). I came up with this as an easy and light dinner for myself. It keeps quite well for about 1 week. As a college student, I would eat it for dinner every night the week after I made a batch. It would also make a wonderful side dish. If you don't like seafood, simply omit the imitation crabmeat.