Spicy Shrimp Salad

I recently started a 21-Day Fix Challenge Group.  Let me tell you... it has been amazing!!!  I have been working out for 30 minutes a day, doing the DVD workouts that come with the 21-Day Fix Program.  I love them because they are done in 1-minute intervals, there are modifications for all different fitness levels, and EVERYONE who sticks with it WILL see results.  No matter if you have 100+ pounds to lose, or don't want to lose any weight, but just want to tone up your body. 

There is an eating plan with the 21-Day Fix Program, as well.  It comes with these color-coded containers, with each color being associated with a different food group (green = veggies, purple = fruit, etc.).  Depending on your weight, you get a certain number of each container per day.  Follow it, and you'll see results!  I am on Day 18 now, of my 21 days, so I'll post after my first round is over with my results!  

Anyway, so I've been trying new, healthy recipes since being on the 21-Day Fix.  This is one of them.  Spicy shrimp salad.  This was my lunch one day.  It was so delicious!!  I made a big batch of shrimp to use for shrimp tacos the following day, and got another salad out of it, as well.  I didn't measure anything, just did everything to taste when I baked the shrimp.  

Spicy Shrimp Salad

Raw shrimp

Chili powder

Black pepper

Cumin

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Lettuce

Vegetable salad toppings (onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.)

Corn

Salad dressing of choice (vinegar & 1 tsp oil is delicious)

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with as much chili powder, black pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper as you would like.  I probably used about a Tablespoon each of chili powder, black pepper and cumin, and then just a pinch of cayenne.  I also used a full bag of thawed raw shrimp with the tails removed.  Arrange the seasoned shrimp on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, flipping at the 10-minute mark.  

Meanwhile, make your salad.  I was only making one individual salad, so I used 1 cup of lettuce (1 Green container) and 1/2 cup of assorted vegetables (1/2 Green container)... I just used what I had on hand at the time (onions, cucumbers, celery).  I then added 1/2 cup corn (1 Yellow container).  

Once the shrimp was done, I filled a Red container (3/4 cup) with shrimp... it ended up being 6 shrimp for me.  I tossed that on top of the salad.  It is so flavorful, it honestly doesn't even need dressing.  You can use a dressing of choice, or just a teaspoon of olive oil with vinegar to taste.  

Its a super simple, delicious and healthy lunch!  I also had a cup of fruit on the side and a big glass of water with mine.  

Fix:  1 1/2 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Spoon

If you're interested in hearing more about the 21 Day Fix, leave me a comment below!  

Pecan Crusted Chicken

I've made this quite a few times now, but I just haven't gotten around to posting it yet. I've made chicken and fish this way and want to try it with pork chops sometime, too. I've also made it with other crispy nuts - almonds and walnuts.  All are great, but pecans are my favorite! It's delicious, fast, and so easy! Perfect for a weeknight meal. I originally got the idea from a recipe I saw in my Everyday Paleo cookbook - you can also view the recipe on the Everyday Paleo website. I've made it exactly as written in Sarah's book/site, but it tastes just as great the way I've written it below. Plus its even easier.

Pecan Crusted Chicken (or Fish or Pork Chops)

4 pastured chicken breasts
1/2 cup organic/natural dijon mustard
1 cup crispy pecans
sea salt, to taste
coconut oil or butter, for greasing the pan

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a glass baking dish with some coconut oil or butter. Set aside.

Place the pecans in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Pour the chopped pecans into a pie plate or shallow/wide bowl.

Squeeze the dijon mustard into another pie plate or shallow/wide bowl.

Take each chicken breast individually and dip into the dijon mustard. Make sure to coat on both sides. Next, dip the chicken in the chopped pecans. Again, make sure to coat both sides.

Place coated chicken into the greased glass baking dish. Sprinkle each chicken breast with just a little sea salt.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

This post is shared at:
Grain-Free Tuesday at Hella Delicious
Traditional Tuesday at Delicious Obsessions
Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Paleo Salmon Florentine

I saw a recipe on Cross Fit Santa Cruz Central's blog that looked delicious - for paleo salmon florentine.  And was it ever!  We all loved it!  This will definitely be going into our recipe rotation.  It doesn't take long to prepare, which is great for us on work nights and it's very healthy.  This would be a great dish to serve for company, as it presents very well.  I didn't really measure anything, just threw in however much looked good.  I had one large salmon filet that my uncle caught in one of the rivers up north in the fall.  His salmon is seriously the best!  Yum!  I used more mushrooms and more spinach than the recipe below calls for, too.  Just use what sounds or looks good to you. 

Paleo Salmon Florentine

2 salmon filets
1 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
9 oz. mushrooms, sliced
9 oz. baby spinach, fresh
1/4 C coconut milk
3 T white wine
spices: about 1/4 tsp. each!
sea salt (optional)
pepper (fresh ground)
cayenne pepper
paprika
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a saute pan, heat olive oil, and saute onion... add garlic, and cook until translucent. Add sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. Add a splash (about 3 T white wine), cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are soft and tender. Now add spinach and cook until wilted. Pour coconut milk over everything and mix well. Pour all ingredients onto a baking dish. Place salmon filets over top of spinach mixture and sprinkle with spices. Bake for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade
Fresh Bites Friday at Real Food Whole Health
Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS
Pennywise Platter Thursday at the Nourishing Gourmet
Grain Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious
Primal Cave Friday at Primal Toad

Bacon Wrapped Salmon Cakes

This was another idea that I got from Life as a Plate.  AndreAnna made these amazing looking and sounding appetizers by wrapping salmon cakes and asparagus spears in bacon.  I'd like to make the appetizers the same way she made them for a party one of these days.  But I decided to just make the salmon cakes and wrap them in bacon as a main course for one of our dinners this week.  I used canned salmon instead of the salmon fillet that AndreAnna used, too.  Just because I have some in my pantry to useup.  I also changed up some of the ingredients for what I had on hand.  Use the link at the beginning of this post to see the original recipe.  I've written it below as I made them. 

Wow, these were delicious!  We all enjoyed them a lot.  I prepped the salmon cakes and wrapped them in bacon, then put them in a glass Pyrex storage dish on Sunday afternoon.  Then I just had to remove the lid from the container and pop them in the oven to bake for dinner on Monday night.  This made making dinner a cinch on Monday! 

Bacon Wrapped Salmon Cakes

1 can salmon
pat of butter
1-2 Tablespoons finely diced onion
1 garlic clove, finely diced
2/3 cup pine nuts
1 Tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1 egg
bacon

In a saute pan, melt the butter and saute the garlic and onions until translucent.  Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, blend the pine nuts for a few minutes.  You want to take them past the chopped, crumbly stage, but not quite all the way to a butter stage.  These will help bind the salmon cakes together while giving them a nutty taste. 

Put the drained salmon into a medium mixing bowl.  Add the blended pine nuts, garlic and onions, mayo, dijon, cheese, seasoning, and egg.  Mix well.  You can put this mixture into the fridge for a half hour or so to firm it up, or you can just assemble the salmon cakes now.  Chilling the mixture makes it easier to work with, but I just kept going. 

Form salmon cakes with your hands.  Wrap bacon around the cakes and place the ends of the bacon underneath the bottom of the cake.  I used two pieces of bacon.  Place in a glass baking dish. 

You can either refrigerate the assembled cakes until you are ready to cook them, or bake them immediately. 
Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, checking often. The length of time you need to cook them will depend on how thick your cakes are, as well as the thickness of the bacon.


This post is linked to:
Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS
Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade
Gluten Free Recipe Parade at Heavenly Homemakers
Fresh Bites Friday at Real Food Whole Health

Tuna (or Egg) Salad in Avocado Boats

I've put tuna and egg salad in avocado boats many times over the years.  I got the idea from one of my friends back in college.  I haven't done this often these last couple of years, mostly because I kind of forgot about it, but also because my husband isn't a fan of avocado.  Now that we're trying to go mostly primal in our house, we won't be having bread for tuna or egg salad sandwiches anymore.  So Carson and I will be eating ours in avocado boats from now on.  Kevin just eats his straight with a fork or wrapped in lettuce. 

I mix avocado into our tuna and egg salad sometimes, too.. and Kevin eats that with few complaints usually.  It's delicious mixed into the salad, as well. 

Sorry for the poor quality of this picture.  I'll update once I get some decent pictures.  This was a boring tuna salad with just tuna, mayo, and mustard since I didn't have any of my other typical additions and I was serving it in the avocado boats, so didn't add the mashed avocado.  I'll post the way I usually make our tuna salad below.  I'll try to take a picture of our egg salad this week and post how we like ours later this week. 

Tuna Salad in Avocado Boats

1 or 2 avocado, sliced in half, peeled, and pitted
1 can white tuna
3-4 Tablespoons mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
1-2 Tablespoons mustard
2-3 Tablespoons dill pickle relish or diced cucumbers
2-3 Tablespoons diced celery and/or carrots
1/2 avocado, mashed (optional... if I serve in avocado boats, I leave this out)

Mix tuna with mayonnaise, mustard, relish or cucumbers, celery and carrots, and mashed avocado (if using) ina small bowl.  Fill avocado halves with the tuna salad and enjoy!


This post is linked to:
Grain-Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious

Roasted Whitefish on Peas

I made this for dinner one night this past week.  I got the idea from Stacey Snacks, but I modified it a little to make it grain-free and simplified it a bit in terms of ingredients.  This was seriously one of the fastest dinners I've ever made.  And it was tasty, healthy, and versatile.  Stacey used cod in her recipe, but I used some Lake Huron whitefish that my aunt's boyfriend caught, filleted, froze, and gave to us.  You could use any kind of fish, really.  And any kind of frozen veggie would work, as well.  Use your favorite seasonings and some olive oil, roast, and voila!  A deliciously fast and simple dinner! 

Roasted Whitefish on Peas

whitefish fillets
frozen peas
garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil

Pour out some frozen peas onto a baking sheet or casserole dish.  Sprinkle some olive oil and seasonings on the peas and mix up.  Lay the fish fillets over top of the peas.  Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. 

Roast in a 475F oven for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.


This post is linked to:
Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist
Grain-Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious
Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS

Smoked Salmon Spread

I had decided I wanted to make a salmon dip or spread for one of our Christmas parties this year.  So I went searching for a good recipe.  I settled on a Smoked Salmon Spread with Pecans on Heartland Renaissance.  I pretty much followed the recipe as written.  I did use my homemade soft cheese in place of the cream cheese and I used crispy (soaked and dried) pecans.  This was very simple to make.  I served it with some organic whole wheat crackers.  I thought it was very tasty!  I'll make it again sometime, for sure.  Kevin liked it, too.  People who like salmon would like this, too.  Its really not too fishy tasting, nor too smoky, but it has a really good flavor.   

Smoked Salmon Spread

One 1-lb. can of wild, Alaskan salmon
One 8-oz. package of cream cheese, softened (I used soft cheese)
2 teaspoons grated white or yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used crispy pecans)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped (or 1 Tablespoon dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Drain salmon, removing bones and skin. Flake salmon into a bowl. Combine cream cheese, lemon juice, onion, horseradish, salt and liquid smoke with salmon, mixing well. Chill several hours or overnight.

About an hour before serving, combine pecans, parsley and paprika. Shape salmon mixture into a log or ball and roll in pecan mixture. Chill. Serve with crackers, sliced baguette and sliced fresh vegetables.

What Seafood to Eat and Avoid

Do you ever get confused by all the different kinds of seafood that is available (wild-caught, farmed, imported, etc.) and what and how much of it we should be eating? I came across this great reference guide for what types of fish you should/shouldn't buy in a book I'm currently reading. I found it helpful for some of the types of seafood I might buy less often. So I thought I'd share the link!

Seafood Watch Pocket Guide

Cajun Style Blackened Snapper

I picked up some good red snapper at Trader Joes this week and wanted to try out this recipe from AllRecipes. Kevin and I both love blackened fish, so I figured I couldn't go wrong - and was hoping Carson would like it, too. We all thought it was delicious!! Definitely a great recipe - super fast to prep and make, super easy, and super tasty! This is just a typical blackened seasoning, so you could definitely use it with whatever type of firmer fish you have on hand. I think I will try it with Mahi Mahi some night soon.

I totally forgot to take a picture... sorry!

Cajun Style Blackened Snapper

2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I just did 1 teaspoon since I wanted Carson to eat it)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons onion powde
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 (6 ounce) fillets red snapper
1 1/2 cups butter, melted

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat for 10 minutes, or until extremely hot.

Dip fish into melted butter, and sprinkle each fillet generously with the seasoning mixture. Place the fish fillets in the hot skillet. Pour 1 tablespoon of butter over each fillet. Cook until the coating on the underside of the fillet turns black, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the fish over. Pour another tablespoon of butter over the fish, and cook for 2 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Crockpot Fish Chowder

I made crockpot fish chowder from A Year of Slow Cooking earlier in the week... I don't have a picture and I'm not going to post the recipe... we didn't care for it at all. I was super disappointed since we love seafood chowder normally... but this just did not do it for us at all. It got great reviews on the A Year of Slow Cooking blog, but it just wasn't for us.

Tuna Macaroni Salad

I'll be playing catch up again. I have so many posts that I'm behind on... I doubt I'll get to them all before we leave for vacation, but we'll see. Here's the first and actually the most recent since I just made this early this morning. I decided to take this salad to the going away party for my cousins this afternoon since I had all the ingredients on hand already. I got this recipe years ago from my BFF Jaime's mom, Bev. This is soooo yummy! I love the eggs in it - I'd never had eggs in a tuna salad before this. I add peas and green peppers for some more veggies and some green color since I skip the olives. Definitely a great cold salad to take to potlucks.

Tuna Macaroni Salad

1 lb. elbow macaroni (I used organic whole wheat rotini)
1 can tuna in water
3 boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 small onion, diced very small (I used about 1/2 of a small organic Walla Walla)
sliced green olives (left these out b/c we don't like them)
just less than 1/4 cup milk (organic)
1 teaspoon mustard (organic)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (organic, free-trade certified, raw)
salt to flavor
3/4 cup Miracle Whip Light

Boil pasta, drain. Make sauce without salt. Add noodles, olives, and onion. Cut up eggs, add. Stir to incorporate.

(I added half of a green bell pepper, diced small, and about 1/2 cup frozen peas).

Salmon in Foil Packets

I changed up the meal plans this week after my visit to the Grand Blanc farmers' market yesterday. The Bayport Fish Co. was there from the thumb area with fresh Great Lakes fish, so I had to buy some salmon. I decided to try a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe for salmon in foil packets. This was a super simple, quick, and tasty recipe! We all really liked it. This was Carson's first taste of real salmon (he'd had the canned stuff in those salmon cakes a few months back, but that's it) and he really liked it once he tried it. He's in this phase right now where he doesn't want to try anything until you prove to him (by eating it) that its good. Anyway, this is a great keeper recipe! I just made two servings tonight, so I'll be trying another salmon recipe tomorrow night to use up the rest of the side of salmon. Its so nice to have good, quality seafood for a decent price!

Salmon Baked in Foil

4 (5 ounces each) salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 chopped shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.

Spicy Shrimp and Pac Choi Noodle Soup

I tried another recipe that I had seen on Two Peas and Their Pod quite awhile ago for Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy (Pac Choi) Soup. It's a Rachael Ray recipe. Its a little hot to be eating soup, I know, but since the pac choi in my garden is growing strong right now, I figured this was the perfect time to try it. This was delicious! Kevin really loved it - it actually got a "this is really very, very good... I really like this a lot." He hasn't said that about a new dish in awhile, so that was nice to hear.

Spicy Shrimp and Pac Choi Noodle Bowl

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan (I used canola)
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (I only did about 1 t so that it wasn't too spicy for Carson)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (organic)
2 inches ginger root, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks or grated
1/2 pound shiitake mushroom caps, sliced, a couple of cups (I left these out and added green beans instead - I know they're completely different, but its what I had in the freezer)
1 medium bok choy, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces, then cut sticks lengthwise (from the garden)
Salt and pepper
1 quart chicken broth (I used organic BTB chicken base and water)
1 cup seafood stock, available on soup aisle or, 1 cup clam juice (I used BTB, the clam base, plus water)
1 1/2 pounds medium peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 pound vermicelli (thin spaghetti) (organic)
4 scallions, cut into 3 inch pieces, then shredded lengthwise into thin sticks (organic)

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and bok choy, then season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and seafood stock or clam juice. Put a lid on the pot and bring soup to a boil.

Add shrimp and noodles and cook 3 minutes. Add in scallions and cook 2 minutes, then turn off soup and let it sit 2 to 3 minutes more. Adjust salt and serve.

Shrimp & Mushroom Linguine

Tonight we tried a recipe from AllRecipes for Shrimp & Mushroom Linguine with Creamy Cheese Herb Sauce. I have a bunch of cream cheese (neuchatel, actually... the 1/3 less fat stuff) to use up (bought it on sale for something and can't remember what now). So I'd done a search on AllRecipes and this sounded pretty good. It was, indeed. We all loved it. This was Carson's first taste of shrimp and he loved it! I only gave him one shrimp total, just in case. We don't have any history of shellfish allergies, but you never know. But he handled it totally fine, no reactions. So now we can have shrimp more often - yay! This is a very quick and easy recipe to throw together - perfect for a work night for us!

Shrimp and Mushroom Linguine with Creamy Cheese Herb Sauce

1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta (I used a spinach-chive linguine from Trader Joe's)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup butter (I only used 1/4 cup and even that seemed like a LOT)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese (I used the entire 8-oz package by recommendation of those that had rated it on allrecipes)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
2/3 cup boiling water
1/2 pound cooked shrimp
(I also added about a cup of frozen peas)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, melt 1/2 cup butter with the minced garlic. Stir in the cream cheese, breaking it up with a spoon as it melts. Stir in the parsley and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in boiling water until sauce is smooth. Stir in cooked shrimp and mushrooms, and heat through.

Toss linguine with shrimp sauce, and serve.

Fish Tacos

On Tuesday, we tried an Ellie Krieger recipe for fish tacos. Finally, an Ellie Krieger recipe that we thought was half-way decent. These were very good. The chipotle sauce was super spicy, so I'd definitely cut back on the chipotle unless you like simmering sinuses. :) These were very quick to make, too. I chose the recipe because I didn't want to batter and fry the fish - I liked that Ellie grilled hers. I was hesitant to try it because we haven't been crazy about her recipes, but I'm glad I gave her another try.

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

Fish:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white flaky fish fillet, like tilapia or halibut (I used cod)

Chipotle cream:
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I used flour tortillas b/c Kevin doesn't like corn tortillas unless they're baked or cooked)
1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage or lettuce
1/2 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the fish fillets and let marinate for 20 minutes. Put the yogurt into a strainer lined with a paper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes. (I just used greek yogurt and skipped this step)

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill on a preheated grill or nonstick grill pan over a medium-high heat until cooked thorough, about 3 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the thickened yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle pepper.

Heat the tortillas on the grill or grill pan for 30 seconds on each side.

Flake the fish with a fork. Top each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the chipotle cream. Top with fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Tilapia with Roasted Corn

Last week, we tried out a Rachael Ray recipe for tilapia with roasted corn. Sounds like a very strange combination when you do a read-through of the recipe, but trust me, it works. This was super easy and was very tasty! Even using frozen (thawed) tilapia fillets, it was very good! I'll definitely try this out again - with some fresh fish next time, though, since I've sworn off frozen fish. (When I bought this tilapia, it was the first time I'd bought frozen fish (along with some frozen salmon) and it just isn't the same. Neither Kevin or I really like the frozen stuff, we'd much rather have it fresh.)

Tilapia with Roasted Corn

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chili powder
Salt
4 tilapia fillets (1 pound total)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Place the tilapia fillets in the baking dish and coat with the remaining mayonnaise mixture. Top with the corn.

Broil until the corn is lightly browned and the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve with the lime wedges.

Tuna Casserole

We actually had this for dinner last night since I forgot to put the insert in the crockpot before I left for work yesterday. So I had to switch up the tuna casserole and chili. But anyway, I originally saw this recipe on our cousin Melissa's blog, then my SIL Mary made it, so I figured it was time I tried it, too. I've never had tuna casserole - tuna salads, but no tuna casserole. It was pretty good. Kevin and I both really liked it. Carson didn't have any (he was already sleeping by the time we ate). It was a great opportunity to use up some pasta, some random frozen veggies, my last can of creamed soup, and canned tuna. I'll make it again sometime since it was so easy to throw together and did taste quite good, too.

Tuna Casserole

3 cups cooked macaroni (I only used 2 cups, and used organic whole wheat fusilli batali)
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained (I used 2 cans)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free cream of celery)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I used up what I had randomly in the fridge - co-jack, mild cheddar, and mozzarella... about 1/2-3/4 cup probably)
1 1/2 cups French fried onions (I did not use these - I don't like them)
(I also added about 1 1/2 cups frozen peas/carrot medley and 3/4 cup frozen broccoli)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a 9x13-inch baking dish (I used a 7x11 dish), combine the pasta, tuna, and soup (and veggies). Mix well, and then top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle with fried onions, and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Salmon Cakes

Tonight we had salmon cakes for dinner. I found the recipe a while back on RecipeZaar and have just finally gotten around to making them. They were soooo good! All three of us loved them! Carson ate almost an entire cake himself!! I only did a half recipe and there was enough for our dinner (5 cakes), but I'm looking forward to making these again sometime to use up my other can of salmon. I used dried herbs, so I didn't have the flecks of green like they have in the picture on RecipeZaar. I bet they'd be awesome with the fresh herbs!

Very Healthy Salmon Cakes

2 (240 g) cans red salmon
1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (left this out)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (I used dried, 1/2 Tablespoon)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) (I used dried, 1/2 Tablespoon)
(I also added about a Tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning)
kosher salt
pepper

Mix all ingredients together. If the mixture is too soft, add more oats. If the mixture is too dry add another egg white. Shape into cakes.

Spray non-stick frying pan and cook until golden on each side.

These are delicious hot or cold.

Baked Costa Rican Tilapia

Last night I tried one of Ingrid Hoffmann's recipes for baked costa rican tilapia with rice, black beans, and pineapple. It was pretty good. I'll probably make it again sometime, but with a few small changes. Kevin thought it was good and "edible" as he put it, but didn't care for so much lime. So next time, I'll use less lime. I think I'd sprinkle the tilapia with some paprika and freshly ground pepper before baking it next time, too. I used long-grain brown rice... and I'm still trying to figure out how to properly cook the longer cooking rice (I'm used to the instant/minute rice), so the rice had a little crunch to it. :) Other than too much lime, the flavors were great together. It was a fairly easy recipe to throw together, too. If I was to make this on a week night, I'd prep the rice/beans/salsa/pineapple mixture the night before to save a little time and a few steps.

Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans, and Rice

1 cup long-grain white rice (I used long-grain brown rice)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I just used OJ from the carton)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish (I substituted flat-leaf parsley)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry (I used six smaller fillets)
2 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa (used store-bought this time since I'm still trying to use up stuff I'd stock-piled in my pantry before I started canning)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (Eden Organic, the only canned beans with no BPA in the cans... plus they're local (Ann Arbor))
2 cups diced fresh pineapple (I used canned)
2 limes, thinly sliced

Combine the rice and chicken broth in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 20 minutes. (brown rice takes MUCH longer to cook)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. (Don't let it marinate too much longer than 20 minutes, else you'll end up with ceviche)

Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a 2 or 3-quart baking dish. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved marinade over the fish. Shingle the lime slices over the fish. (next time I'll leave the lime slices off) Bake until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.