Rosy fish piccata

Here's an easy, quick and healthy potential Valentine's dish for all you lotharios out there!

I came home from work and had some fish defrosted but was lacking inspiration in what to do with it. Now, I love chicken piccata and I've posted an easy recipe for that before but tonight I decided to make a fish version, minus the butter and heavy cream but with all the flavour and more nutritional punch. Also, Valentine's day is really not the day to overindulge in rich, heavy foods!

Here's my usual non-recipe, recipe!

Rosy fish piccata

Firm white fish fillets (I used tilapia...easy, cheap and quick to cook)

Cornstarch

Veggie or chicken stock

Rose (dry-ish) wine or grape juice or pomegranate juice

Capers

Lemon juice

Lemon slices

Pat the fish dry, season with salt and pepper then pat with cornstarch (will help thicken the sauce later)

Spray a non stick frying pan with PAM spray and heat over medium heat

Add the fish and cook until golden on each side, remove from the pan

Add stock and wine or juice to the pan and bubble until reduced by half

Put the fish back in the pan and cook until the fish is cooked (opaque) then add the capers to your taste, lemon juice and lemon slices for garnish....

Serve with broccoli and a nice glass of pink wine....

The Power of Chocolate!

Since the most commercial of holidays is about to be upon us I thought I would look at the most aphrodisical (and nutritional) aspect of Valentine's day...chocolate. Actually, that's not entirely true..I'm sure raw oysters are far more nutritional and aphrodisical (all that zinc) but they are nowhere near as fun or full of antioxidants.....

Chocolate, along with fruits and veggies, tea and red wine contain powerful antioxidants called flavonoids. These compounds are thought to prevent against cell oxidation and dark chocolate contains the most of these polyphenolic compounds.

So, moderate dark chocolate consumption may help prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), help lower LDL (the bad cholesterol) and lift your mood since it tastes so good!

So, here's a simple choccie sauce recipe...serve with fresh fruit and enjoy the double benefits of antioxidants!

Chocolate sauce

Break up a bar of the darkest chocolate you can find....85% cocoa

Melt in the microwave on low or over a pot of simmering water.

When melted, stir in a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream (shock, horror!) until combined.

Keep warm and use as a dip for strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, apple slices etc.

Fish and sweet potato curry

 

I know it's January...the typical live at the gym for 2 weeks and eat lettuce then say "this sucks" and wolf down 25 Big Macs at one sitting. But we know this type of deprivation doesnt work, so in the spirit of health and moderation here is a fish curry recipe that uses turmeric (anti infective properties), fish (lean, low fat protein), sweet potato (nutritional powerhouse for vitamin A and fiber), and has lots of onions and garlic (allium family....vitamin C, blood thinning properties). I used light coconut milk since it is heavy in fat and calories but just watch your portion size..

Fish and Sweet Potato Curry (quick)

1 lb firm white fish, cubed (I used cod but tilapia or halibut if you're feeling rich will work)
2 tsps turmeric
2 large onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 green chillis deseeded and minced
1 tsp green curry paste
1 cup hot water
1 can light coconut milk
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced and cooked until tender (I use the microwave)
fish sauce to taste (or salt if you dont have fish sauce)
lime juice to taste

Add about 1 tbsp canola oil to a wok or large frying pan and heat until smoking.
Add onion and cook until golden and tender.
Add turmeric and cook for a minute or so then add the garlic (you dont want it to burn)
Add the minced chillis, curry paste and cook for a second or two then add the hot water. Let bubble for a bit then add the cubed fish. You might need to add a bit more hot water at this point, depending on the size of your pan, to ensure the fish is covered.
Let the sauce simmer until the fish is opaque then add the coconut milk and the cooked sweet potato. Simmer, but dont let it boil, for about 5 mins.
Add salt or fish sauce and lime juice to taste.

Nice served with a little steamed rice and a nice crunchy salad.....

Easy Seared Beef Salad

 

Wow! It's been a long time since my last blog! I guess I've been way too busy perparing and not posting!

Again, here's another non recipe for a great seared beef salad. I used some left over top sirloin and just seared it on a griddle pan for a few seconds each side to get some color on the meat. Alternatively, you could thinly slice some raw beef and do the same thing.

I used spinach and flat leaf parsley for this salad and some carrots and tomatoes but feel free to use whatever you have available.
This salad is great served with some glass noodles, crushed peanuts, some fresh red chilli, and lime wedges. Make a vietnamese inspired dressing with canola oil, lime juice, fish sauce, and splenda for a little sweetness (or brown sugar if you're feeling less than virtuous!).

Easy Peasy Panini

This was the easiest (and best looking) sandwich to make and can help use up those bits of cheese etc that lurk around the back of the fridge.

Take 2 slices of bread per person....squidgy white, sourdough or healthy whole wheat...
Spread the inside of the sandwich with your moisture of choice...mayo, miracle whip, mustard, ketchup, hummus, mashed avocado etc.
Then layer on your cheese and sliced meat (if applicable).
Sprinkle with pepper (I'm not a salt fanatic....for obvious reasons)
Slap on the second piece of bread.
Spray the outsides with cooking spray then place on your preheated skillet, raised grill pan or posh panini maker. If you are using a grill pan or skillet it's a good idea to place a wooden cutting board and some fairly large canned items on top to get the sandwich to sit flat and brown nicely.

Serve with some chips (not so healthy) or a nice salad (see photo)......

Quick, easy and tasty and can be kind of healthy........

Back to healthy eating!

 

It's been a long time since my last blog....spent time in England for my brother's wedding and ate a fair amount of unhealthy (but yummy) food...so now I'm trying to get back to easy, healthy foods.

This meal doesn't even warrant a recipe. Just take a nice piece of salmon (pref. wild) and douse it with Mrs Dash Spicy Chipotle mix then place on a hot grill for a while until opaque.

Meanwhile zap a bag of broccoli and a bag of brussel sprouts. Toss the broc with some lemon juice and add the sprouts to a pan with some PAM spray, more Mrs Dash and a squeeze of lemon! Cook the brussels until they are a little bit cremated.....

Roasted Red Peppers...no recipe involved

It would be a great stretch of the imagination to call this a recipe but these red peppers make a great appetizer alone or they can be whizzed up in a food processor with some sour cream or light cream cheese for a great dip or even blended up with some plain hummus.....

They are also a great addition to any pasta dish!

Roasted red peppers

As many red peppers as you can fit on your barbie or under the broiler
Thinly sliced garlic cloves (optional)
Canola or olive oil to taste (optional)


Heat your barbie to high or the broiler
Place the whole (washed and dried) red peppers on the grill at high heat and turn until the flesh is blackened all over.
Place in a plastic zip lock bag for about 30 minutes to let the peppers cool and steam.
When cool enough to handle peel off the skin (should slip off easily) scrape out the seeds and cut or tear into small strips. Don't wash the seeds out, you'll remove some of the flavor.

Add to a glass jar or dish with the sliced garlic, a little salt, and some oil if required.

Keeps for about a week in the fridge but they are soooo good, so that would be a miracle!