Open-Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches

My 4 year old daughter was sitting on my lap when I was editing this picture and she said "Oh, that dinner was scrumptious! Do you know what scrumptious means?" That just about made my day. And the other thing that made my day, in fact made my week, is that School's Out!!

Our Summer Break has officially started! I'm so excited I can barely stand it. The kids can stay up late and sleep in and we can do whatever we want to! (After we do our daily chores and reading/writing journal practice, of course!) We will be spending a lot of time in the pool and there are a few other activities that we are really looking forward to.

Now, back to the food.
I found this recipe in the latest issue of Cooking Light and I already had a bag of tri-color coleslaw mix in the fridge. Not because I use it to make coleslaw, but because it is a good filler for lots of different sorts of dishes. Soups and stir-fries, or those nights when I just make a hodge-podge mixture of veggies. My family loves fish and I love blackened fish, so I grabbed the few ingredients that we needed, including some fresh catfish. Can I just say that fresh catfish that has never been frozen is soo good. This was the best catfish I have ever had.

I didn't put the full amount of the blackening seasoning on the kids fish because I thought it might make it a tad too hot. My husband and I got the full seasoning and it was good.
I don't usually have sourdough bread on hand, so I bought a fresh loaf of that too, and discovered another thing that my children like. I don't really like traditional coleslaw because it either contains mayo (yucky) or too much vinegar for me to handle. I like that this coleslaw-type topping used plain yogurt with a little lime juice, honey, and cilantro to give it some flavor.
It was perfect.



Here is the recipe for Open Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches from Cooking Light

Seared Cod with Grapefruit Slaw

I was really happy when I saw some cod on sale at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. I had seen this quick dinner in Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine and wanted to give it a try. In actuality, I always make a trip past the seafood area in my grocery store to see which types of fish are on sale- fresh or frozen. Then I can stock up or plan a fresh dinner with fish or some other type of seafood.

Slaw is something that pairs really well with fish and this particular slaw has fresh grapefruit in it, which is perfect this time of year since citrus is ripe and yummy right now.

I should let you know that usually I am not a fan of mayo-based slaws. That is why I really liked this one, because it was simply dressed with a little oil and lemon juice.

This was a quick and easy dinner that we really loved. The best part was how the cod cooked up golden brown and crisp on the outside. It was so delicious!

Recipe for Seared Cod with Grapefruit Slaw
* I used less oil than called for in the slaw and omitted the red onion
* I used packaged angel hair coleslaw

Swordfish Kebabs with Orange Basil Sauce

When I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light, it caught my eye for a couple of reasons. The first being that it was a 5 ingredient recipe. That meant it would be easy to prepare and I could probably throw it together with things I had on hand.

The second reason it appealed to me was because it called for 2 cups of basil leaves and I had at least that amount of basil growing like mad outside my front door. I wanted to get the most out of my herbs that I planted, so I decided to make this for dinner.

I found some swordfish for a great price and even checked Seafood Watch to make sure that is was an okay choice since I know there are concerns about certain fish, the way the are caught, the supply, etc.
For my area, swordfish is an "good alternative". If swordfish is not a good choice for your area or you can't find it- you can sub any other firm white fish.

I really liked this sauce. I liked the fact that it didn't contain much oil, so it was lighter than pesto and the orange gave it a nice kick of flavor.
I grilled these on my indoor grill and my kids really love eating them.

Recipe for Swordfish Kebabs with Orange Basil Sauce

Mahi-Mahi with Macadamia Nut Crust & Braised Kale with Cherry Tomatoes

A couple of weeks ago when we were grocery shopping, my daughter wanted to try the "rainbow" fish. She said that because the package that contained the mahi-mahi had a pretty, colorful picture on it. It was on sale, so I decided we could try it.
I love nut-crusted fish andI had already marked this recipe to try in my Mayo Clinic Cookbook. I decided to pair it with the kale because that is what the cookbook suggested.

The fish was delicious and really easy to prepare. My whole family really loved it.
The cooking method for the kale was nothing new to me since I cook dark greens this way all the time. I removed some of the kale from the pan before I added the tomatoes though, since my husband doesn't like tomatoes at all.

Another great healthy dinner. I love the Mayo Clinic cookbook and the great thing is that you can find most of the recipes online at mayoclinic.com.


Recipe for Mahi-mahi with Macadamia Nut Crust


Recipe for Braised Kale with Cherry Tomatoes

Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

This was a dinner that I saw on myrecipes a couple of weeks ago and when I saw the source, Cooking Light- Fresh Food Fast, I realized it was a cookbook that I had on the shelf.
I don't remember this recipe sticking out to me when I was flipping through the book, but that day when I saw the recipe on the computer screen, it looked really good.

My family loves asparagus and salmon and my husband also recently confessed that he really likes orzo, so I knew this was going to be a successful dinner experience for all of us.

Everyone loved it, especially my husband- he asked for seconds and even had the leftovers in his lunch, so it will be put on the "make again" list.

I left out the red onion, since I don't love raw red onion in these types of dishes and added a 6 oz bag of baby spinach that I wilted.

This was exactly what the cookbook claimed- fresh and fast, not to mention very delicious.

Recipe for Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette
* I added 6 oz of wilted baby spinach

Recipe for Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

CEiMB- Thai-Style Halibut with Coconut-Curry Broth and Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

This week's host for CEiMB is The Not So Skinny Kitchen. The recipe selected for our enjoyment was Thai-Style Halibut with Coconut-Curry Broth. I have to say that I was very, very, very, excited about this recipe because I have been using red curry paste alot lately and it has become one of my favorite things. Plus, we all love fish in this house and the whole thing together just sounded superb.
Amazing!!! This recipe got the best reviews of anything I have made in weeks. I had people scraping out the pan to get every last inch of the sauce to put on the halibut. The coconut milk and chicken stock tone down the red curry paste so that even my little ones loved it. The lime juice, cilantro, and scallions that are stirred into the sauce at the end, give the sauce an extra little zing.
We loved it. Serving it with brown rice and spinach is just perfect. I will definitely make this again. I splurged and bought halibut to go with this meal and I am glad I did, but I am sure that it would taste great with any other firm white fish. Great pick.

Since I can't seem to ever get enough veggies in at one meal and we all love salad, I decided to serve the Thai Salad I saw in a recent issue of Cooking Light alongside the halibut. The peanut dressing was really thin, but the flavors were good.

This was a great, healthy meal that pleased everyone at the table.

Go see what the other Ellies' thought of this recipe by visiting the Craving Ellie Blogroll!

Thai-Style Halibut with Coconut-Curry Broth 2006, Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 shallots, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste*, or 2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used chicken stock)

1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon, plus more for seasoning
4 (6-ounce) pieces halibut fillet, skin removed
Steamed spinach**
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice, for serving
Directions
*Available in the Asian section of most supermarkets
**Steam or microwave 5 cups of washed baby spinach for 2 minutes

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes.
Season the halibut with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the fish in the pan and gently shake the pan so the fish is coated with the sauce. Cover and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 7 minutes.
Arrange a pile of steamed spinach in the bottom of 4 soup plates. Top with the fish fillets. Stir the cilantro, scallions, and lime juice into the sauce and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the sauce over the fish and serve with rice.

Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing from Cooking Light this only makes 2 servings, so I doubled the recipe

"These ingredients reflect the types of food my family enjoys year-round—fresh herbs and vegetables from our garden and local farmers. Sometimes we add chopped cooked chicken or my husband's fresh fish catch of the day for a main dish." —Maureen Nibecker, Honokaa, Hawaii

Dressing:

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 tablespoon reduced-fat peanut butter

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons dry-roasted peanuts

Salad:

2 cups mixed baby salad greens

1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts

2 tablespoons vertically sliced red onion (I omitted this)

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

6 baby carrots, peeled (I used matchstick carrots)

4 cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used plum tomatoes)

1. To prepare dressing, combine the first 8 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add peanuts; process 10 seconds.

2. To prepare salad, divide greens and remaining ingredients evenly between 2 serving plates. Drizzle each salad with 1/4 cup dressing.


Up Next- Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream

Walnut-Crusted Tilapia and Barley Pilaf

My family loves fish, especially tilapia. I saw this healthy recipe in Family Circle magazine and wanted to try it. I love recipes where the fish is coated in nuts and this one topped it off by adding one of my favorite foods-dark greens. The recipe called for Swiss Chard, but it was too expensive, so I substituted Kale. Funny side note- My hubby guessed what greens we were having! I couldn't believe that he correctly identified kale!
This fish was amazing. I was surprise at how much flavor the quick brushing of dijon mustard/fat-free mayo gave this fish, along with the dried basil and walnuts. It was really delicious. We used Tilapia loin filets from Costco, which are thicker then the typical fish filet. I think that added to the tastiness of the fish. I am so glad my kids love fish.
The barley pilaf is a recipe I remember my mom making when I was growing up. I reduced the amount of butter and it brought back some fun memories of being a kid. You can also add cooked chicken to the barley pilaf and turn it into a main dish.
You have got to try this fish- it was really, really good!

Walnut-Crusted Tilapia adapted from Family Circle Magazine
4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 15 minutes Cook: 11 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 tilapia filets (about 6 ounces each) (I used Tilapia Loin, from Costco)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 bunches kale, stems removed and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Stir together mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the mustard. Finely chop walnuts. Brush tilapia with mustard mixture, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon basil and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Press 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts onto one side of each fillet.
3. Place tilapia, walnut-side up, on baking sheet; bake at 425°F for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes. Stir kale and season with salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes and then cover and cook, until tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Barley Pilaf
1 1/3 cup regular barley
1 cup shredded carrot
4 oz. sliced mushroom
1 onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tbls unsalted butter

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add barley, mushrooms, and shredded carrots, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and Cover. Cook for 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Coming Tomorrow- Cheesecake Bars, 2 ways

Cooking Light Night-Cornflake Crusted Halibut, Toasted Millet-Confetti Vegetable Salad and Orange Mini Bundt Cakes

It's Cooking Light Night again! This time I decided to do a main dish, a side, and a dessert. Since my family loves fish, I decided to try the Cornflake Crusted Halibut that got rave reviews from the staffers at Cooking Light. I picked a spicy serrano to add to the aioli and it was perfect with this fish. The halibut was a little pricey, but I figure it is ok to splurge once in awhile. I had some millet that wanted to be used, so I found a fun salad that had a yummy dressing to use that up.

Then there were the Mini Orange Bundt cakes that I remember from the cover 2 years ago. I have been wanting to make them and finally got the chance. I must have a mini- mini bundt pan, because I got 24 mini bundts and 12 mini muffins from the recipe. These are chock full of yummy stuff, like toasted pecans, coconut, chopped orange slice candy, and chopped dates, and I had a ton of them, so I took them to a little get-together and everyone loved them. They would be a good holiday food gift!

Cornflake-Crusted Halibut with Chile-Cilantro Aioli

The test kitchen loved this halibut dish with herbed garlic aioli so much that they gave it their highest rating. You'll love that it takes only 25 minutes to make.

Aioli:

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Fish:

1 cup fat-free milk

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 cups cornflakes, finely crushed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets

4 lemon wedges

To prepare aioli, combine cilantro, mayonnaise, serrano, and minced garlic, stirring well.To prepare fish, combine milk and egg white in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Combine cornflakes, flour, salt, and black pepper in another shallow dish.Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip fish in milk mixture, and dredge in cornflake mixture. Add fish to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve fish with aioli and lemon wedges.

Toasted Millet and Confetti Vegetable Salad with Sesame and Soy Dressing

Dressing:

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon cold water

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Salad:

1 cup uncooked millet

2 cups water

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (I omitted these and used sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on the finished salad)

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper

To prepare dressing, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl.To prepare salad, heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add millet to pan; cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring often. Add 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Cool completely.Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add nuts; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.Cook carrot in boiling water 3 minutes or until tender. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine millet, carrot, cilantro, bell peppers, onions, and jalapeño in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over the millet mixture; toss well. Top with walnuts.

Orange Mini Bundt Cakes Baked in mini Bundt pans (about $30 at most kitchen specialty stores and home emporiums), these cakes make delicious holiday gifts. The decorative Garland Bundtlette pan used to bake our cover cakes is available at Williams-Sonoma (www.williams-sonoma.com). You can bake the cake in a standard 12-cup Bundt pan for one hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cake:

Cooking spray

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

10 tablespoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup egg substitute

2 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped orange slice candy (about 10 pieces)

1 cup pitted dates, diced

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 cup fat-free buttermilk

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Additional ingredient:1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, heavily coat mini Bundt pans with cooking spray; turn pan upside down to drain excess. Place granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a heavy-duty mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute and eggs to sugar mixture; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well. Sprinkle candy, dates, coconut, and nuts over flour; stir well to disperse and coat candies. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
To prepare glaze, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and juice in a bowl, stirring until smooth.
Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each mini Bundt cup. Bake at 350° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of 1 cake comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; brush the top of each warm cake with about 2 teaspoons glaze. Cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish cakes with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, if desired.

Tuesday Morning- Tuesday's with Dorie- Arborio Rice Pudding- what flavor will it be? come back tomorrow and see!

Chef Jeena's Fishing Trip Event-Blackened Tilapia

This is for Chef Jeena's Fishing Trip Event and because we like to eat fish. I have been using this seasoning on fish for years and we love it. The recipe originally called for catfish, but I always have tilapia in the freezer and so that is what I usually use. I always cook a few fillets with less spice rub for the kids, because it is a little spicy for them. When my hubby was eating this he actually said that we should have fish more often. Yes, that is how tasty this is. Something even a McDonalds lover can appreciate. And, don't you just love those colorful home grown peppers underneath?
Blackened Tilapia adapted from Cooking Light

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

2 teaspoons olive oil

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of fish with the paprika mixture.Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add fish; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork

Rachael Ray's Fish Tacos

I love fish tacos. I try them whenever I have the chance at restaurants and have made them once before at home. I have been wanting to make this version ever since I saw RR make them on her show. They were so delicious! The seasoning on the fish was wonderful and everyone raved. I will definitely make these again!

Fish Tacos with Quick Slaw, Avocado Sauce and Green Rice adapted from Rachael Ray's Daytime Show
Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups chicken stock, divided
4 firm white fish filets, I used Cod
Zest and juice of 3 limes, divided
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander (I couldn't find any)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used a couple dashes)
1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
3/4 pound baby spinach
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup sour cream (I used plain greek yogurt)
1 clove garlic, grated
12 6 to 8-inch flour tortillas
Yields: 4 servings
Preparation
Preheat broiler, grill or large, nonstick skillet – whichever you prefer.

Place a medium-size pot over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Toss the jalapeños into the pan and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add in the rice and cook about a minute (you’re toasting it, so it's ready when it starts to smell nutty). Add in 2 1/2 cups stock and bring up to a bubble. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the rice until tender, about 20 minutes.

While the rice is working, season the fish filets on both sides with the lime zest, grill seasoning, cumin and coriander. Lightly drizzle some EVOO over the filets and cook: If you're broiling, the fish should take about 6 minutes to cook (3 minutes per side); if you're grilling, the filets should take about 8 minutes to cook (4 minutes per side); if you're cooking them on the stovetop, they should take about 8 minutes to cook (4 minutes per side). Once the fish is cooked, transfer the filets to a plate and cover them with aluminum foil until you're ready – just don't let them sit too long here!

Once you've got the fish cooking, prepare the quick slaw by mixing together the juice of 2 limes, honey, hot sauce, some salt and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of EVOO. Add the cabbage and red onion, toss to combine and set aside.

Make the "green" part of the rice by pureeing together the baby spinach, cilantro and remaining vegetable stock (about 1/2 cup) in a food processor. Dump the mixture into a dish and reserve it until the rice is finished cooking. Rinse out the food processor bowl and make the avocado sauce by pureeing together the avocado, sour cream, garlic and the juice of the remaining lime. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and set aside.

When the rice has finished cooking, stir in the green sauce and transfer the rice to a serving bowl or platter.
Assemble the fish tacos by shredding the fish filets (each one should give you enough meat for 3 tacos) and place some meat into each tortilla. Top them off with a little of the quick slaw and some avocado sauce. Serve each person 3 tacos and some green rice, and enjoy!

Baked Salmon

We had a great Mother's Day dinner. My dad fixed us dinner! He got all the recipes off of Allrecipes.com and they were quire delicious. This salmon was especially tasty and easy to prepare! Thanks Dad!

INGREDIENTS
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon
DIRECTIONS
In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Sizzling Salmon and Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette

I like fish, but honestly, salmon is one of my least favorites. I still try to serve it every once in awhile because of the nutritional benefits. This recipe, however, was delicious! I loved it. Maybe it was because there were so many other flavors in this salad that really complimented the salmon or made it less noticeable. Whatever it was, I don't care- We loved it!

Sizzling Salmon-and-Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette (Cooking Light)

Dressing:

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salad:

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided

4 cups thinly sliced shiitake or button mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)

1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)

8 cups baby spinach

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1 cup red bell pepper strips

Preheat broiler.
To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, and stir well with a whisk.
To prepare salad, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 cup onions; sauté 8 minutes. Stir in corn; remove from heat.
Place the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet; brush evenly with 1 teaspoon oil. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Place 2 cups spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1/4 cup red bell pepper, 1/2 cup mushroom mixture, and 1 fillet. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons dressing over each salad.

Crispy Tilapia Sandwiches

My fish preparing stations

Nice and Golden Brown

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light and knew I had to try it. My kids and my husband love tilapia and we are trying to eat more fish.

I changed this recipe quite a bit because I don't like mayo and the original sauce called for mayo. Also, I added ground pecans to the coating because nut crusted fish is the best! I also removed the red onions from the toppings because they can be a little too spicy for the kids.

This turned out a little mild, but it was perfect for the kids. No complaints. I even made a couple extra fish fillets and just warmed them in the broiler, so they would get crispy, for dinner another night.

When I make this again, I think I will make a separate sauce for the adults with a little more kick and add more spices to the adult portions of fish. It was good and very easy.

Crispy Tilapia Sandwiches

4 Tbls plain yogurt

4 Tbls honey mustard

25 saltine crackers

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

6 (5-ounce) tilapia fillets

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup egg substitute

4 tablespoons canola oil

6 whole wheat hoagie rolls, toasted

8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

6 romaine leaves

1. Combine plain yogurt and honey mustard in a small bowl.
2. Place crackers in a food processor; process until looks like fine crumbs. Place crumbs in a shallow dish. Place pecans in food processor; process until looks like fine crumbs and add the saltines. Combine with fingers.

3. Place flour in another shallow dish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 fillet in flour. Dip in egg substitute; dredge in crumbs. Repeat procedure with remaining 5 fish fillets, flour, egg substitute, and crumbs.
3. Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 fish fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Repeat with remaining fish.
4. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream mixture on each half of 4 rolls; place 1 fish fillet on bottom half of each roll. Top each serving with 2 tomato slices, 1 romaine leaf, and top half of roll.

Our Simple Easter Dinner

This year I thought it would be nice to have a simple Easter dinner. I decided that we were going to eat something that Jesus might have actually eaten during the time he was on the earth. We had broiled fish, bulgur, and honeycomb (I added some veggies for nutritional reasons!)
I bought this Taboule mix because I knew that is contained bulgur and just made it my own way.
Bulgur Pilaf
Brown 1 cup bulgur in 2 Tbls olive oil in a saucepan. Set aside. Saute 1 cup chopped red onion in 1 Tbls olive oil until tender. Add bulgur, seasoning packet (that comes in the box), 2 cups low sodium chicken broth, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 Tbls fresh parsley, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until bulgur is tender and liquid is absorbed.

The package of honeycomb produced alot of curiosity! What an ordeal I had to go through to get it. My sister, my mom and I were out at a Wilds Oats store trying to find some honeycomb. That store was in the process of being taken over by Whole Foods, so their inventory was changing. They called another store location that had 1 container of honeycomb left and they held it for us. Too bad when we got in the car to drive to the other location, there happened to be a blizzard. We made it eventually and then the price of that tiny container, almost made me change my mind. I don't think it was that hard to come by 2000 years ago.
Our honeycomb-very sweet, as you can imagine. A tiny bite of this was really all you needed.

I steamed fresh green beans, wax beans, and thin slices of carrot in the microwave and then seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Broiled Fish
Mix in a bowl -1 Tbls chopped green onions, 1 Tbls chopped fresh parsley, 1 Tbls chopped fresh dill, the juice of 1 lemon, and a few Tbls olive oil. set aside

Preheat the broiler and move rack to the highest postion possible.
Rub both sides of tilipia fillets with a little olive oil. Place on broiler rack and broil for 3 minutes.
Remove from oven; turn fillets over and cover with herb mixture. Place under broiler until fish flakes with a fork, about 4-5 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.


My kids love eating fish. Tilipia is their favorite. My 6 year old commented about this meal, "If Jesus really got to eat this, he was lucky!"

Fon-Tuna Melts and Papaya

Here is one of the ingredients in our Tuna Melts- Anchovy Paste. It may sound a little gross, but just a little dab of this stuff adds great flavor to so many things.
A simple, yet beautiful fruit salad- strawberry, kiwi and papaya
The inside of the giant papaya
The interesting papaya that I couldn't pass up at the grocery store. It actually had a great flavor and we froze some for smoothies in the future.

Fon-Tuna Melts from Rachael Ray's magazine. These were really good. Rachael Ray doesn't like mayo, so these had a lemon juice-olive oil dressing on the tuna that we all really liked. We also used provolone cheese instead of fontina. Yum-O! (as she would say)

Root Beer Cookies and Fish Tacos

I realize that is sounds wierd- Root Beer Cookies. But, actually these were quite tasty and very different. We preferred them without the icing and I recommend these to anyone who wants to try a new treat. They are just like an oatmeal cookie with a twist. (recipe located below- in earlier post)

I know what you must be thinking, Fish and Tacos, good separately, but they just don't mix. Well, they do. Ever since I had fish tacos a couple of years ago at The Cheesecake Factory in Jacksonville, Florida, I have been a big fan of these and wanted to make them at home. This recipe was really great. My kids love fish, so they really like these. I used tilapia instead of red snapper and the spices on the fish are mild enough for kids. What really makes this dish is the Lime- Cilantro crema. It is delicious. So give it a try, if you dare!

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

Crema:

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets

Cooking spray

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cabbage

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.