Tag: fish
Wild Cod with Smoked Paprika
Here is another recipe with my favorite ingredient- smoked paprika. I can’t get enough of this delicious spice. I love the smoky, savory and a bit of spicy flavors it imparts to all everything. I keep waiting to get over the flavor and move on to something else.. but so far it hasn’t happened. I guess I will go with it as long as I can come up with different recipes using it.
This is a very easy recipe and best of all- it is very healthy. I simply coated some cod fillets with a mixture of smoked paprika, salt and roasted cumin. I stored them in the fridge for a bit and cooked them under the broiler (make sure you take the fish out at least 20 minutes before cooking). I had broccolini in the fridge. I made some brown rice and added broccolini to it- an easy side dish.
The meal was delicious…
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Chilean Sea Bass with Sweet Pepper and Spinach Risotto
It is nice to start the New Year off in a healthy way. You can’t get any better than Chilean sea bass- can you? It is one of my husband’s favorite fish. My daughter and I like it too. I don’t end up making it too often- I think because I tend to forget it is there and also because it is kind of pricey- but it is still a lot cheaper than eating it in a restaurant.
I simply sauteed the fish with salt and pepper and a squirt of lemon juice. I wanted for the fish flavor to come through loud and clear. For the accompaniment- I decided on a risotto. I used a red pepper pesto I had in my fridge. I also added baby spinach at the end to make it a complete meal.
It was fabulous- healthy and delicious. If I could eat like this everyday, I would be really thin and really healthy…
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Ten Healthy Eating Tips..
I am hoping to start a weekly tradition of top ten lists. This week I begin with things to change or do to stay healthy. I am definitely not a doctor nor a dietician but I do have common sense and I know what works for me and my family. Especially as a woman in my late thirties (I can’t say that for too long- so I will milk it for what it is), I find it harder to stay on course in terms of losing weight or keeping it off. I find I have to eat far less than I used to and exercise a lot more than before.
I guess things change as you get older and have kids. I feel very responsible for teaching my daughter healthy eating and living habits. Things that will stay with her for a life time. I want her to know how to live a balanced and happy life- well that maybe a completely different post…
So- I ask all of my readers to go through the list and comment ‘on the blog’ what things are on your list that are missing from mine. I would love to get a conversation going and learn from all of you out there. If you all are interested, we can do this on a weekly basis.
Here is my top ten list- I feel like David Letterman…
- Eat a good breakfast- consisting of fiber, protein and fruit- Whole-wheat toast with one egg and some strawberries on the side.
- Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism high.
- Snack on non-fat Greek yogurt, fruit with raw honey and walnuts.
- Take all white flour and white bread out of the house. Eat whole wheat bread and substitute the regular flour for white whole-wheat flour.
- For lunch- make a one-slice open sandwich with whole wheat bread, smoked salmon, fresh tomatoes, sprouts and cucumbers. Spread some hummus and sprinkle a dash of garlic powder on top.
- Substitute evaporated cane juice for white sugar.
- Cook with extra light olive oil and use extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings and topping pasta dishes.
- Drink eight (8 ounces) glasses of water.
- Have an ounce or two of dark chocolate.
- Have a dinner consisting of fish, shrimp with lots of vegetables.
Broccoli Rabe and Spinach Pesto with Pan Seared Flounder
Our favorite local restaurant is Arturos. We go there at least once a week if not more. My daughter loves their mushroom and olive pizza; mushroom ravioli and the boar ragu. The food is delicious and best of all it’s a byo- and we sure do bring our own wine! Arturos has a tasting menu every Saturday which is very good but a little pricey. Usually on Fridays Dan, the owner has some of the components ready for the next day- and if you are lucky- you get to taste some of them.
We got lucky one Friday when it was not too crowded (which is a rare occurrence now) and Dan was there. We asked him if he had anything special for us to eat in addition to the menu items. He brought us a few delicious things, one of which was a pasta covered with broccoli rabe pesto. When I heard the description, I was immediately excited since broccoli rabe is one of my favorite vegetables- I love the bitter taste and the earthiness of it. Once I tasted the pasta, I was in heaven- it was out of this world. It had a delicate taste of the broccoli rabe with a dash of cheese and salt (I asked for the ingredients).
I knew I had to make this soon at home- and I did. I bought a fresh bunch of broccoli rabe and I also had some baby spinach at home. I decided to use both and experiment with a pesto similar to what I had at Arturos. I was going to serve with a whole-wheat pasta and some pan seared flounder.
I processed the broccoli rabe and spinach leaves with olive oil and salt. I cooked it gently with some pine nuts and finished it off with a dusting of pecorino romano- okay it was more than a dusting- and it was unbelievably delicious. I simply pan seared the fish and the dinner was done. My husband and daughter loved it but couldn’t understand why I was so excited about it. I am not sure either- I guess great food made simple makes me really really happy!
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Three-Mushroom Pasta with a Fillet of Cod
I love all sorts of mushrooms! I try to eat them in every possible way I can but, my favorite is in pasta. I was thinking about the New Year and eating well and healthy. My plan was to make pounded chicken cutlets with the pasta to add some healthy protein. I went shopping for my ingredients and made my way into the fish section and noticed that cod was on sale! So I decided to make cod fillets with the pasta. Luckily my daughter enjoys both mushrooms and most fishes. I also bought fresh whole-wheat pasta- again it’s the whole staying healthy theme. I have to say fresh whole-wheat pasta is a completely different specie than the dry! It has great texture and tastes yum!
I decided to step out in my back yard and gather some fresh rosemary and thyme (they are still doing quite well despite the weather) before I came back inside to unload my groceries.
I remembered to use my favorite Christmas gift this year, my 14 inches all clad frying pan! It is awesome! I love cooking in it. It is so big and pretty, it makes me happy every time I look at it. Decided to open a bottle of left over Beaujolais-Villages from Thanksgiving and started cooking! I know I am supposed to drink white wine with fish but somehow mushrooms always remind me of red so I think the Beaujolais is a good compromise.
- 5 ounces sliced shitake mushrooms
- 2 large sliced portabella mushrooms
- 10 ounces sliced white button mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup pecorino romano grated
- 3/4 pound cooked whole-wheat papperdelle pasta
- 3-4 fillets of Cod
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of chopped thyme and rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Extra salt for the fillets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
In a wide frying pan heat the extra virgin olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté till golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add shallots, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Then sprinkle the mushroom mixture with the flour. Cook the flour for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and whisk until a smooth gravy is formed. In the meantime cook the pasta till al dente. Once the pasta is done, add it to the mushroom mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with the pecorino romano.
Sprinkle salt on the fillets and set aside. Mix the thyme, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper with the flour. Dredge the fillets with the flour mixture. Heat a non-stick skillet with the olive oil and cook the fillets for about 5 minutes on each side or till done.
Serve on top of the mushroom pasta!
Lime Chili Halibut
- 2 Halibut fillets
- 1 Serrano chili-chopped (take out the seeds if too spicy)
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 lime juiced
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Marinate the fish fillets in mixture of chopped Serrano chili, ancho chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper for an hour. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large non stick skillet.
Cook the fish 4 to 5 minutes on each side.