Baked Oatmeal-Crusted Tilapia with Lemon Mayonnaise

It is with a heavy heart and an empty stomach that I bring you this recipe. Dieting sucks.

But this was actually pretty good for a healthier meal. And my kids LOVED it surprisingly.

I served this with parmesan couscous and yellow squash and zucchini sauteed in a little olive oil and butter with garlic.


Baked Oatmeal-Crusted Tilapia with Lemon Mayonnaise

• 4 whole Tilapia Fillets (fresh Or Frozen)
• 2 cups Quick Oats
• ⅓ cups Bread Crumbs
• ⅓ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chives, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Parsley
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 4 Tablespoons Low-fat Mayonnaise (you May Need A Little Extra If Your Fillets Are Bigger)
• ½ teaspoons Grated Lemon Rind
• ½ teaspoons Lemon Juice

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Defrost/rinse fish and pat dry. Place fish fillets on the baking sheet.

3. In a bowl, mix together oats, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, measure out the mayonnaise before adding lemon rind and juice. Stir.

4. Brush tops of fish with mayonnaise, then top with the dry coating. You may feel the desire to scrimp on the mayo or feel anxious about how the texture will bake. Don’t and don’t be! The mayo melds with the coating of dry materials and thickens, creating a creamy texture. It barely tastes of mayo. Don’t go overboard with the mayo, but don’t underestimate its role in the success of this dish. If you’re not a fan of mayonnaise, I’ve read that sour cream and/or plain-flavored yogurt are excellent substitutions.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes when forked. Serve over the pasta of your choice or with vegetables.

Grilled Chicken with Blueberry-Basil Salsa

This was no disappointment. I had about 90% of the ingredients required for this recipe, and I thought, what the hey? Typically when I see a recipe like this I skip it, thinking where's the cream sauce? Where's the butter? This is too healthy to taste good. I'm glad I gave this one a second look. And I didn't even have cilantro! (I also didn't have fresh jalapenos (only jarred) or scallions.) I think the cilantro would have been lovely.

Grilled Chicken with Blueberry-Basil Salsa
martha stewart

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
2 jalapeno chiles
24 scallions
3 cups blueberries (about 1 pound), picked over and rinsed
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, very thinly sliced, plus whole leaves for garnish
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
2 pounds chicken breasts
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high; lightly oil it. Grill jalapenos until slightly charred and blistered, turning frequently, about 15 minutes. Using a paper towel, pull off stems and remove skins from chiles. Roughly chop flesh and seeds; set aside. Meanwhile, grill scallions, turning often, until soft and charred in spots, 3 to 4 minutes; set aside.
2. Place 2 cups blueberries in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped, about five times. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add onion, jalapenos, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Add basil, cilantro, remaining cup blueberries, and oil; stir to combine.
3. Sprinkle chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the cayenne. Grill chicken until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place 4 grilled scallions on each plate, and top with chicken. Serve immediately, topped with a generous spoonful of blueberry salsa. Garnish with basil and cilantro leaves.

Mmmm... Gazpacho

Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Sunday Dinner - Healthy recipes can still be delicious!

In my search for delicious and low-fat recipes this weekend, I believe I've found some keepers! I'm so glad I followed Sara's advice and bought Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast. That cookbook has lots of easy and healthy recipes to choose from. The lemon spaghetti comes from Eugena by way of Melody and I am a long-time fan. I was going to serve steamed broccoli, but I got tired as dinner time approached. So we had green grapes instead, which I am LOVING by the way.


Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and zest. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Divide parsley mixture into four mounds. Carefully loosen chicken skin with fingers; tuck parsley mixture under skin. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan.
3. Bake until skin is crispy, chicken is cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.

Lemon Spaghetti
I didn't have any fresh basil, so I substituted parsley and it tasted delish! (Although I'm sure I would have liked the basil better.)

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Lemon Custard Cakes
I loved these little cakes. Sophie, on the other hand, was not as much of a fan.

Ingredients

Serves 6.

• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for custard cups
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest, (1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.
3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquid).
4. Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

A juxtaposition

I have really sad news. I'm just devastated. After 8 or more weeks of rigorous exercise- I've lost count- I'm not quite seeing the results I'd like, so I'm resorting to (gasp!) dieting for the next seven weeks until I leave for my cruise. So the following recipe is one last hoorah for a while as I'm giving up decadent desserts and focusing more on (ew, gross) healthy recipes. I feel like a traitor. I'm going to miss my butter, cream, and chocolate so much.

Profiteroles with White Chocolate Ice Cream and Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Choux Pastry Puffs Recipe adapted from Tartelette's Choux a la Creme with modifications from Baking with Julia

85g all-purpose flour
75ml water
75ml whole milk
65g unsalted butter
2 eggs + 1 egg white
1T sugar
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 425F. Set up a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Sift the flour and set aside. Heat the water, milk, butter, and salt to a full rolling boil. Stir the flour into the liquid with a heavy wooden spoon, adding it as fast as it can be absorbed, but not all at once or it will form clumps. Cook the paste, stirring constantly and breaking up lumps if necessary, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the dough to the mixer bowl and stir at low speed to cool the paste slightly, so that the eggs will not cook when added. On medium-low, mix in the eggs one at a time, then the egg white. The dough should have the consistency of thick mayonnaise.
While the dough is still warm, place it in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe quarter-sized puffs about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, then use a moistened spoon (or finger) to smooth out the tails at the top.
Bake at for 15 minutes at 425F without opening the oven door, then reduce heat to 350F and continue to bake until done, about 7 to 12 minutes.
To check for doneness, remove one puff from the sheet and tap the underside with your fingers; it should feel firm and hollow. (If you undercook the puffs, they may deflate as they cool, so err on the side of golden brown rather than pale). When baked through, remove the puffs from the oven and let cool.

White Chocolate Ice Cream

I'm so thrilled to finally find a white chocolate ice cream recipe that I just love. This was adapted from David Lebovitz's website.
About 1 quart (1 liter)

2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
1 cup plus 1 cup heavy cream (500 ml, total)
8 ounces (230 g) white chocolate, finely chopped
5 large egg yolks

1. Warm the sugar, the milk and 1 cup of heavy cream in a saucepan.

2. Put the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the cream mixture, whisking constantly as you pour in the warm cream. Pour the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the white chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and chill thoroughly. You can set the bowl over an ice bath to speed it up.

5. Chill mixture thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Easiest Chocolate Sauce Recipe

Confession time: I cheated and used a jar of Scharffen-Berger chocolate sauce I already had on hand. (It's delicious and locally made, so it's hard to feel too guilty.) But making your own chocolate sauce is dead simple with this recipe, which I've used in the past with great results.

6oz best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3T water
1/4 cup heavy cream

Set a a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt all ingredients in the bowl, stirring until the mixture is smooth.

To assemble the profiteroles:
Cut each puff in half through the equator; it's easiest if you use a serrated knife. Place three bottom layers on each plate; top each with a small scoop of chartreuse ice cream. Place the tops on the puffs, and drizzle with chocolate sauce.


So out with the old and in with the new. Okay so maybe healthy recipes don't deserve that "ew, gross" I labeled them with before. I tried this one tonight for dinner and it was pretty good. A little on the spicy side. Since I'm serving this to little children, maybe next time I'll cut down the cayenne pepper a little more. But the point is, I think there definitely will be a next time.

Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers

Serves 4.

• 1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Vegetable oil, for grates
• 4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
• 1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• Cumin yogurt sauce (see recipe below)

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.
2. Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
3. Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
4. For the Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.
5. Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce.

Pita Bread and Hummus

I'm finally posting something healthy. YEAH!

This hummus is so good. When I'm eating it, I can hardly believe that it's basically just garbanzo beans, lemon juice, and sesame paste. If I'm not careful, I can down this whole recipe all by myself.

I used to buy pita bread, but then I started making my own flat bread. It's just so easy and saves me a trip to the grocery store in town that carries the decent pita bread.
Tuscan Flat Bread
adapted from Epicurious.com

1 cup lukewarm water (90°F to 100°F)
2 1/4-ounce package dry yeast or two 0.6-ounce packages fresh yeast, crumbled
2 1/2 cups (about) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon coarse sea salt (you may want to adjust this a bit. The original recipe says tells you to sprinkle 1 Tbs salt on top and not mix it in with the dough. I reduced that to 1/2 Tbs and mixed it in but it's still a bit salty.)
(I also add a tsp or more of dried rosemary)

Pour 1 cup lukewarm water into small bowl; sprinkle with yeast and add 1 tsp sugar. Let stand until yeast mixture becomes spongy.

Add yeast mixture to 2 cups flour, salt and 2 Tbs oil in the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix. Add more flour as needed. Remove dough from mixer and knead by hand for a bit. Coat bowl with oil. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Brush baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured work surface and shape into 11-inch round. Transfer dough to prepared tart pan or baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic. Let rise until dough is almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Press fingertips into dough, creating indentations. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden, about 28 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Press fingertips into dough, creating indentations. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt (if desired). Bake until golden, about 28 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool completely.

Hummus

barefoot contessa cookbook

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)- for my local peeps, you can find this at Hyvee. A little pricey, but you'll get 5 or so batches of hummus out of it
  
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• 2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
• 8 dashes hot sauce

Directions

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.