Almond Crusted Tilapia

Here’s a fast and healthy meal, and a great use for tilapia, an inexpensive fish you can find in the freezer section at the grocery store.  I think nuts and fish are a great combo (like our favorite pecan crusted salmon).

Almond Crusted Tilapia (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  whole natural almonds
• 2  tablespoons  dry breadcrumbs
• 1  teaspoon  salt-free garlic and herb seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash)
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard
• 2  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process 45 seconds or until finely ground. Transfer crumb mixture to a shallow dish.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush mustard over both sides of fillets; dredge in crumb mixture. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Approximately 8 WW pts per serving

Mashed Potatoes with Chives

This was a simple enough mashed potato recipe that turned out great!  I hate peeling potatoes but it was worth it for this side dish!  I can’t wait to grow chives in our garden this summer.

Mashed Potatoes with Chives (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 2  pounds  Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1/2  cup  whole milk
• 3  tablespoons  butter
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain.

Combine whole milk and butter in a small saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat until butter melts. Remove milk mixture from heat.

Return potatoes to pan; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Add milk mixture, salt, and pepper, stirring until well combined. Stir in chopped fresh chives.

Approximately 4 WW points per serving.

Mushroom Herb Chicken

Cooking Light delivers once again!  We typically do not make chicken in the pan, due to past experiences where it got dry or unevenly cooked, however Tyler pounded the chicken thoroughly and followed the recipe and it turned out great!  Very juicy and flavorful, and really it’s impossible for me to dislike a recipe with mushrooms in it!  This was a fast dish to make, under 30 minutes from prep to plate.

Mushroom-Herb Chicken (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 3  large shallots, peeled
• 1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 1/3  cup  dry sherry
• 1  teaspoon  dried marjoram, crushed
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/3-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; coat with cooking spray. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until browned.

2. While chicken cooks, cut shallots vertically into thin slices. Remove chicken from pan. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; coat vegetables with cooking spray. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sherry and marjoram. Return chicken to pan; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and chicken is done. Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour mushroom mixture over chicken; sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Approximately 5 WW points in one half chicken breast + 1/3rd cup of sauce.

Pork Stir Fry

This was a FABULOUS meal.  Granted pork loin isn’t the cheapest, but if you find it on sale this would be a great alternative way to cook it.  I loved the sauce and how tender the pork was.  This was great over jasmine rice.  We will absolutely be making this again.  We might add more veggies next time too, I’m thinking red pepper and mushrooms would be an excellent addition.

Black Bean Pork and Zucchini Stir Fry (from Cooking Light, seen in their new Way to Cook cookbook)

Ingredients

• PORK:
• 3/4  pound  pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1  tablespoon  Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine), dry sherry, or sake
• 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  cornstarch
• SAUCE:
• 1/2  cup  water
• 2  tablespoons  Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine), dry sherry, or sake
• 1  tablespoon  black bean and garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
• 2  teaspoons  cornstarch
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
• 1  pound  zucchini
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
• 1  tablespoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 3  cups  hot cooked short-grain rice

Preparation

1. To prepare the pork, cut pork crosswise into 3-inch pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices; cut slices into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Combine pork, 1 tablespoon wine, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. To prepare sauce, combine 1/2 cup water and next 4 ingredients (through salt); set aside.

3. Cut zucchini crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices; cut slices into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

4. Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add zucchini and ginger to wok; stir-fry 1 minute or just until crisp-tender. Spoon into a bowl.

5. Add 2 teaspoons oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add half of pork mixture to wok; stir-fry 2 minutes or until browned. Add cooked pork mixture to zucchini mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining pork mixture. Return zucchini mixture to wok. Stir sauce; add sauce to wok. Stir-fry 1 minute or until thickened. Spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with onions. Serve over rice.

Approximately 8 WW pts per serving.

Menu Planning: 1-24-2010

Inspiration for this week’s menu comes from the 5 Ingredient Recipes feature on CL’s website as well as our new CL cookbook: Cooking Light’s Way to Cook (bought for only $16 at Costco!)

Sunday: Black bean pork and zucchini stir fry with jasmine rice (8 WW points per serving)

Monday: Mushroom-herb chicken with mashed potatoes with chives (5 WW pts for chicken, 4 pts for potatoes)

Tuesday: leftovers, I will be in class

Wednesday:  Almond crusted tilapia with pine nut couscous and roasted asparagus (8 pts for tilapia)

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Spaghetti with Italian turkey sausage and marinara sauce

check out more meal plans here

Roast Chicken and Peppers

Tyler cooked this up for us tonight and  it was a quick and easy meal to prepare, with great results!  Very flavorful, unlike the reviews, I did not think the fennel overpowered the taste of the dish.  The chicken was very juicy, not at all dry like some roast chicken can be.  We’ll be making this again!  We added mushrooms because we love them!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided

3/4  teaspoon  fennel seeds, crushed

1/2  teaspoon  black pepper, divided

1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder

1/4  teaspoon  dried oregano

4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided

Cooking spray

2  cups  thinly sliced red bell pepper

1  cup  thinly sliced yellow bell pepper (we could only find orange)

1/2  cup  thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)

1 1/2  teaspoons  chopped fresh rosemary (store was out, we used dried)

1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done.

3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

6 WW pts per serving

Chipotle Bean Burritos

These burritos were delicious, and much healthier than a 1200 calorie burrito from Chipotle.  These are meatless as the name suggests, but incredibly filling and packed with flavor.  Serve with a side of guac if you are a fan of the green stuff like me!  Sorry for the mediocre picture.  I didn’t want to get off the couch to seek out better lighting because 1) I was freezing and getting up involves removing the blanket from my lap and 2) I could not wait to devour this meal!  In my defense, burritos are kinda hard to photograph  These will be going into our regular meal rotation, I especially love that they are meatless (in other words, CHEAP EATS!)

Chipotle Bean Burritos (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1  tablespoon  canola oil

1  garlic clove, minced

1/2  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder

1/4  teaspoon  salt

1/3  cup  water

1  (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained

1  (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained

3  tablespoons  refrigerated fresh salsa

6  (10-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas (such as Mission)

1  cup  (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese

1 1/2  cups  chopped plum tomato (about 3)

1 1/2  cups  shredded romaine lettuce

6  tablespoons  thinly sliced green onions

6  tablespoons  light sour cream

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

2. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

7 WW pts per burrito

Meal Plan Monday: Jan. 11, 2010

It has been forever since I participated in MPM, but it’s a good habit to get into!  This week I am trying 2 new recipes from the new issue of Cooking Light.  I will blog about the recipes myself after we’ve made them!  Have a great week!

Monday- pot roast w/potatoes and carrots (6 WW points per serving + points for potatoes)

Tuesday- hosting my women’s group, so Papa Johns pizza

Wednesday- roast chicken with balsamic bell peppers with couscous and broccoli.  (6 WW pts per serving + pts for sides)

Thursday- chipotle bean burritos with guacamole and chips (7 WW pts per serving + pts for guac & chips)

Friday- leftovers

baking: mint oreo truffles for our wine & dessert cooking club on Friday night.

See what’s on the menus of other food bloggers by going to the weekly roundup post here.

Birthday Crab Cakes

Happy 26th birthday Tyler!  To celebrate I made Tyler a tasty dinner of crab cakes, pecan crusted salmon, asparagus, and couscous.  No dessert however, we are both completely burned out on sweets and still have lots of Christmas candy floating around if we need a fix!  I’ve been wanting to make crabcakes forever, but finding quality lump crab meat in Kansas that isn’t ridiculously expensive is quite a challenge.  So I bought a package of these babies at Costco for about $16.

and I whipped up a nice sauce to go with them!

Lemon Aioli Sauce (adapted from The Neelys at Food Network)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped chives (I used parsley)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

I also added about a tablespoon of dijon mustard and a pinch of sugar

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together.

Apple-Stuffed Tenderloin

Tyler has been exploring pork tenderloin recipes in recent months and this was last night’s dinner.  It was less labor intensive than I imagined it would be and so delicious!  It may not look very attractive, but believe me, it was good!

Apple-Stuffed Tenderloin with Praline Mustard Sauce (from Southern Living)

Ingredients

1/4  cup  raisins (we used craisins as we had them on hand)

1/3  cup  bourbon or apple juice

2  (3/4- to 1-pound) pork tenderloins

1  medium-size cooking apple, thinly sliced (we used granny smith)

1  medium onion, thinly sliced

2  to 3 garlic cloves, halved

1  tablespoon  chopped fresh rosemary

1/4  cup  maple syrup

2  tablespoons  dark brown sugar

2  tablespoons  prepared mustard

Preparation

Combine raisins and bourbon in a bowl; let stand 1 hour.

Cut tenderloins lengthwise down center, cutting to but not through bottom. Alternate apple and onion slices down center of each tenderloin. Top slices evenly with raisins, garlic, and rosemary.

Close tenderloins over filling, and tie at 1-inch intervals. Place on sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Stir together syrup, sugar, and mustard; brush half of mixture over tenderloins. Close foil, and fold to seal. Place in a 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes. Open foil, and brush with remaining syrup mixture. Close foil, and bake 20 to 25 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion reaches 160°.