Thursday, February 12, 2009

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salad

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Don't let the list of ingredients fool you. This is super easy, and gets rave reviews whenever I serve it. The salsa can be made the day ahead to save time. Strawberries can be substituted for the mango if you prefer - both are excellent! Combine leftover salsa with some drained black beans the next day for lunch.


INGREDIENTS:

* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
*
* 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
* 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
* 2 tablespoons minced red onion
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.
4. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the tilapia topped with mango salsa.


TIP: George Foreman grill would work just great too!

Salmon Potato Patties

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INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, drained (remove bones)
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/4 cup garlic and herb seasoned dry bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup dry potato flakes or frozen hash browns thawed
* 1 small red onion or a couple of green onions chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
* 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tablespoons olive oil



DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix salmon, eggs, garlic and herb seasoned dry bread crumbs, dry potato flakes, onion, garlic, dill weed, celery salt, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 2 inch balls, and flatten into patties about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. In batches, cook patties about 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

TIPS: Goes great dipped in a cucumber sauce. Or you can make them into burgers and place them on a onion bun. Some people like to eat them on top of a salad. These hold up well on the grill too! : )

Friday, February 6, 2009

Bean and cheese burros

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INGREDIENTS:

Whole wheat tortillas
Refried beans (If you need a homemade recipe, check out my pinto beans and mash them, otherwise canned will do just fine)
Cheese of your choice
Chopped onions
Olive oil
Taco sauce


DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in pan, add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Add beans and cheese and cook until heated. Warm tortillas up in microwave. Lay your mixture in the tortilla, add your favorite taco sauce and roll it up and enjoy! Easy peasy : )

Optional: Add chopped tomatoes or some sour cream.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Taco Salad

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INGREDIENTS:

Taco salad shells
Brown rice
Beans of your choice (Refried, black beans, kidneys)
Taco seasonings
Sazon (from Adobo)
1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Chopped green peppers (finely)
Chopped yellow onions (finely)
Chopped tomatoes
Low fat sour cream
Avocado
Olives
Cilantro
Lime juice
Olive oil
Crushed garlic


DIRECTIONS:

Cook taco salad shells according to it's directions. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil and saute the finely chopped onions, green peppers and garlic. Then add your water along with the Sazon and bouillon cube. When the water boils add your rice, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for the time recommended. Heat beans up and add your taco seasoning to it. Chop all your veggies. Add lime juice and cilantro to your chopped avocado. Assemble taco salad to your liking. Enjoy!

TIPS: You can use veggie crumbles instead of rice, just add your taco seasoning to that instead. When cooking rice do not stir it to prevent it from sticking!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Easy Low-fat Pumpkin muffins

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INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix (or any flavor will do)
* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.


NOTE: Some people like to add water to make it into more of a batter consistency, but either way is fine. You don't have to add the spices, but it adds a nice touch. : )