Tandoori Fish

Ever have a feel for some ethnic food but you just can't make it to the restaurant soon enough?

Here's my temporary fix Shop in the ethnic aisles of your local grocers. Pick up jarred sauces such as Caribbean jerk or teriyaki marinade, thai curry or tikka marsala paste, or pesto sauce. Follow the directions on the jar, and I promise, the end result will hold you over until you can make the drive. Plus, you'll know exactly what is going into your food and you can adjust according to your taste, for example... reducing oil or salt.

Today's recipe takes us to India (Tandoori fish). Traditional tandoori meats are cooked in a cylindrical clay oven known as a Tandoor. Don't have one? No worries... a regular oven is an adequate substitute.

Ingredients
1 whole Tilapia (any fish would do)
2 tbsps Tandoori paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Canola cooking spray

What to do
Step one - clean fish and cut three or four slits on each side.


Step two - sprinkle salt and pepper on each side and spread a tablespoon of the tandoori paste on each side. Make sure to get paste into the slits and sides of the fish.


Step three - cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


Step four - preheat over at 150 degrees fht for 10 mins. Place fish in the oven for 5 minutes. Turn oven off and grill/broiler on. Spray cooking spray on top side and place under grill. Turn fish as often as necessary to cook on each side and prevent from burning. Make sure to spray top side everytime you turn over before placing under the broiler. It should take 10-12 minutes to cook.


Step five - Serve with your favorite sides. I enjoyed mine with homemade fried rice and coleslaw. Deelish, and a craving satisfier!

p.s - don't like fish, substitute with any other meat.
p.p.s - 1/3 fish = 4 Weight watchers points.

Chicken Breast and Veggie Medley Pizza

Oftentimes, we think of Pizza as a 'no-no' when trying to lose weight, or when opting for a healthier lifestyle. Not exactly true! It all depends on what's on the pizza.

Here is one that is pretty healthy (even better than the recipe I posted earlier). It is another great alternative to pizza from your favorite pizza joint, loaded with toppings and a little twist to your traditional pizza.

Ingredients
4 slices of deli style, oven roasted chicken breast - diced
I small tomato - diced (Here is the twist. Use diced fresh tomato instead of tomato/marinara sauce)
1/8 of a small red onion - minced
1/4 of a medium green pepper - diced
8 biscuits (store bought biscuit dough)
2/3 of a cup of shredded reduced fat four cheese blend cheese
salt and pepper

Step 1: Prepare all your ingredients and flatten each biscuit to your desired thickness.



Step 2: Assemble the pizzas in the following order on a baking sheet - Tomatoes, onions, green peppers, chicken, cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; and a quick spray (of cooking spray).



Step 3: Place in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10- 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

* If you are on Weight Watcher's like I am, each one is only 2 points.
** An excellent dish to prepare with the kids. I know my niece or nephew would love building this one with me.

Something New : Jicama

I recently made some changes to my diet, and one of them was to eat a lot more vegetables. I usually get bored of eating the same thing, so I decided to try a new vegetable. My vegetable of choice was the Jicama. Why the Jicama you may ask? Well, as an avid 'food network' watcher who likes to try recipes and ingredients the chefs talk about - when they kept mentioning this vegetable, I knew I had to try it.

Here is what it looks like raw. Most people describe it as looking sort of like a turnip.



I decided to chop it up (sort of like french fries) and then sautee in a sprayed pan with salt, black pepper and a little cayenne to give it a kick. I cooked it for about 5 minutes, turning over a few times to prevent from burning.



Then, I served it with some homemade kidney beans and boiled plantains.



What does it taste like? It's sweet and crispy, and sort of reminds me of a water chestnut and a pear at the same time. It is arguably an acquired taste, but a forkful of the plantain, Jicama and kidney beans, was absolutely delightful.

Don't be afraid to try something new... you just might love it!

7 1/2 minute Tuna Burger

I sort of have a love/hate relationship with canned tuna. A few years ago, I couldn't get enough of it, but then suddenly things changed and a can of tuna would sit in my pantry/cupboard for months. It wasn't like I would forget about it, it just didn't pique my interest or taste buds any longer.

Traditionally, canned tuna is mixed with mayo (and corn if you are British) to make tuna salad, or topped with cheese to make a tuna melt sandwich. However, I am not really a fan of either of these popular choices.

The solution for me was simple. Stay away from canned tuna when grocery shopping! A great solution indeed, since it has been years since I picked some up. Nonetheless, I ended up with a can of tuna in my cupboard a few weeks ago. A friend of mine (bless her) was going back to France after a 10 month stint as an exchange student in the US, and rather than be wasteful, she gladly dumped the contents of her pantry on me. Never one to refuse to lend a helping hand, I accepted these items with open hands. As a result, I ended up with a can of tuna.

The can sat there for a few weeks and then, I became determined to do something with it. I pondered for a long minute and then... it came to me. Maybe I can make a tuna burger? I looked up a few recipes online and didn't really like what I was finding. Most recipes had way too many ingredients. As you may know, I like to keep it simple.

So... after a tweak or two, here is what I came up with.

Ingredients
1 5oz can of tuna (chicken of the sea is excellent)
1 medium egg (whisk separately first)
1 tbsp of flour
1 1/2 tbsps of mined red onions (yellow or white will do just fine)
1 1/2 tbsps of minced green peppers (or red)
A dash of hot sauce or chilli sauce (Nandos garlic peri-peri sauce works great. That is, if you can lay your hands on a bottle)
1/4 tbsp of thyme (or your favorite herb)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation
Drain all the liquid from the tuna. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Divide into two and mold into burger patties (the mixture would be a bit wet , but not to worry).
Heat a skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
Cook patties on each side for about 2 minutes.

Serve on your favorite bun with whatever condiments you love. I spread some fat-free cream cheese (an excellent and healthy substitute to mayo) on a whole wheat bun and placed my patty in the middle.

The aroma of the burgers alone, as they cook, will have you salivating long before you take your first bite. In the words of Rachel Ray, 'Yum-o'!

* Mix up a quick coleslaw with store bought coleslaw mix, salt, black pepper and white vinegar and serve along side.
** Each burger patty is 2 Weight Watcher's points.

Quick 'n Easy Pasta Salad

We are well into the summertime, and for most people that equals barbeque season.

Heading out to a friend's barbie (as the aussies would say)??? It is customary, or at least polite to bring something. Of course, you can pick something up from the store, but if you want to make it more personal, here is a quick and tasty pasta salad to help out.

What you need
1 box of your favorite pasta (I used Farfalle or bow tie pasta in the pic)
1/3 a cup of mayo (1/2 a cup if you like it really creamy)
2 celery sticks (diced very finely)
1/4 of a medium sized red bell pepper (diced very finely)
1/4 of a medium sized red onion (diced very finely)
2 tbsps white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

What to do
Boil pasta until al dente (don't add salt to the water)
Drain and rinse with cold water a few times to cool it down
Add mayo, celery, red pepper, red onion, vinegar, salt and pepper
Mix thoroughly to make sure all the ingredients are properly incorporated
Refrigerate for at least an hour

Then... all you have to do is get ready, and head out to the BBQ.

Don't be surprised as everyone devours your dish and goes for seconds and thirds. Don't worry, it's okay to be a hit for your looks and personality, as well as everyone's favorite side dish.

Salads, salads and even more salads

Over the years, I have had some really great salads. Some of my favourites have been the 'Jerk Chicken Salad' from fresh bytes (I think that was what it was called) in the basement of Tuttleman, on Temple University's main campus, and the 'Cobb Salad' from Quiznos. However, salads can run you deep in the pockets costing about $7.00 on average. You can create your own in about the time it takes the person at the shop to make yours. All you have to do is 'prep'... just like they do at your favourite deli or fast food place.

Step 1: Buy pre-cut salad bags from the store. Go for the 'Garden Salads' with the iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and carrots, for example.
Step 2: Buy additional vegetables that you like but that are not in the bag, such as green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.
Step 3: Decide on what meat toppings you like and prepare them however you like (might be an excellent way to use up left over grilled chicken or pork chops from last night's dinner).
Step 4: Assemble however you want, drizzle your favourite salad dressing and bon apetite!

Here are a few examples....



Spicy Shrimp Salad: Spread about a third of a bag of 'Garden Salad' on your plate. Slice up about half a small green pepper and dice half a small firm tomato. Scatter over the salad already on the plate. Toss thawed raw shrimp in a mixture of salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Cook in a hot pan for about 2-3 minutes on each side (until it turns pink). Allow to cool for about two minutes (store bought thawed cooked shrimp would also be just fine) and add to your plate. Add two tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette dressing (or whichever you like) and enjoy.



Steak Salad: Just like above, pour about a third of a bag of 'Garden Salad' on your plate. Slice up about half a small green pepper and half a small firm tomato. Scatter over the salad already on the plate. Boil an egg and cook some sirlon steak strips in your favourite way (I simply chopped and heated up left over pan cooked seasoned sirlon from last night's dinner). Dice up the hard boiled egg. Arrange the tomatoes, peppers, eggs and steak on the plate as above and sprinkle with homemade or store bought bacon bits. Drizzle some dressing and enjoy this tasty and refreshing dish.



BBQ Chicken Salad: Sprinkle a third of a bag of salad on your plate. Slice a small, firm tomato and add to the salad. Sprinkle sliced barbequed chicken over the salad in the plate (use store bought or use up leftover's from the night before like I did), sprinkle sweet corn from a can and drizzle over two tablespoons of dressing. Simple, quick and delicious.

Enjoy any one of these salads on a Saturday for lunch or take it to work for a nice and healthy, but filling lunch.

Whole Wheat Rotini Carbonara

Making better dietary choices does not mean compromising on taste. I recently discovered the world of whole wheat pasta and wondered why I had not switched over earlier. I made the change from white rice to brown rice about a year ago, and have not looked back. The truth is, whole wheat foods have come a long way. Even a short 5 years ago, when I tried whole wheat pasta for the first time, it still tasted like sawdust or sandpaper (if either of us could imagine what these taste like). Not yet sold? Read on and then try this recipe out for yourself.

I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with left over part skim ricotta cheese (which I was still unable to finish), I surfed the internet for simple recipes which I could accomplish without having to buy many more ingredients. I stumbled upon a couple of discussion board posts about a 'Zuni Cafe Carbonara Recipe' ( Zuni Cafe Pasta alla Carbonara, from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers) and how delicious it was. To my surprise, the dish required only a few ingredients - most of which I already had, and some of which I could easily substitute with other ingredients. Plus, this was the perfect opportunity to find out whether whole wheat pasta was truly a good substitute for the real thing. After a few tweaks to the recipe, I came up with a delicious 'Whole Wheat Rotini Carbonara'.

What do you need?
5 slices of turkey bacon (thinly sliced)
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/2 cup of part skim ricotta cheese
4 medium eggs
1 pound or 4 cups of uncooked whole wheat rotini (Barilla makes an excellent one)
1 cup of peas (frozen is excellent)
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Black pepper and salt to taste

What do you need to do?
Heat a sizable pan (medium heat), then add bacon
Cook bacon until it starts to crisp, then remove from heat
Beat eggs and ricotta cheese together in a bowl
Cook pasta in salt water until almost al dente
Microwave peas for a minute and then add to pasta
Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then drain
Put the pan with the bacon back on medium heat and add the pasta and peas
Add the ricotta and egg mixture, Parmesan cheese, canola oil, salt and pepper to the pan
Cook quickly, stirring consistently until the egg is cooked.

Serve alone or with your favorite meat and/or vegetables.

p.s- I served mine with pan grilled thinly sliced sirloin steak