Cashew Crusted Basil Tilapia with Spinach

Cashew Crusted Basil Tilapia with Spinach
(6 servings)

~1.3 lb boneless, skinless tilapia
2 handfuls raw cashews
~3 oz spinach
~10 large leaves fresh basil, divided, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nonfat sour cream (or, for a vegan variety, use Tofutti's Better Than Sour Cream non-hydrogenated)
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 cloves garlic, divided, minced
3 tsp olive oil

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Take your tilapia and cut into single serving portions (about 1/2 a filet) laying them out into an 11x15 in baking pan.

Take 2 handfuls raw cashews and "chop" them in the food processor in small chunks. Remove to a side bowl. If there is cashew "dust", leave that in the processor.

Into the dusty processor, add sour cream, lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, and 5 leaves of fresh basil. Process until smooth.

Heat 3 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Mince the 2 remaining cloves of garlic and brown. Add ~3 oz spinach (unchopped) and about 5 large leaves of basil (roughly chopped). Cook until wilted (2-4 min), stirring gently. Remove from heat.

Spread sour cream blend over the fish evenly.

Lay the spinach over the spread fish evenly.

Sprinkly chopped cashews over top all.

Bake for 28 minutes.

This is simply delicious! The fish came out so flakey and smooth, the whole dish was rich and a real treasure for the tongue. So easy to make and so, so good. Go on! Have a peace!

Goulash Nosh

 Every week, my friend Janet and I get together and I teach her how to make a new recipe. Tonight, I decided to show her a nice, easy en-masse meal. My friend Alex gave me her Greek grandmother's goulash recipe about a year ago and I've been playing with it ever since. This is delicious, easy to make in big batches, filling, high in protein, and surprisingly healthy.

Goulash Nosh
(~8 servings)

1.5 cups creamy tomato soup (Red pepper and tomato soup would probably be really good too!)
2/3 cup garden patch juice (alternatives: tomato juice or V8)
8 ounces vegetable rotini pasta
1/2 red onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped into bite-size bits
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
2 tsp agave nectar
salt and pepper, to taste
1.5 lb ground turkey meat
1 handful light, shredded 3-cheese, plus more if you want
1 tbsp grapeseed oil

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.

In a large stock pot, brown onions and turkey meat with 1 tbsp grapeseed oil over medium high heat. When the meat is fully cooked, drain the grease.

Add noodles to the stock pot. Add soup and juice. Stir. Add carrots; simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add agave nectar. Stir. Add garbanzo beans. Stir. Simmer for 2-4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add handful of cheese and mix it well with the rest. Tap down, sprinkle a teensy bit of cheese over the top. Put a lid on the pot, lower heat to medium-low. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Enjoy. :)

Chunky Chicken Chili

So, in the vein of delicious, easy meals in a bowl, I thought I'd offer up one of the easiest chilis I have ever made and thoroughly enjoyed. This is a high protein, low fat, energy boosting, quick-fix meal. Enjoy!

Chunky Chicken Chili
(makes ~6 servings)

2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1-2 lbs of chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes (I use the Muir Glen brand, with green chiles for a little kick)
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
lime juice, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
milled sea salt, to taste

Heat the oil in the bottom of a stock pot and cook the onion and garlic until the onions are soft and the garlic is browned (about 3 minutes).

Add the chicken broth and the fire-roasted tomatoes; stir. Add the chicken and cook on medium high for 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Next, add the beans and corn. Add lime juice (I used about 1 tbsp, but I'd recommend adding 1 tsp at a time until you're happy with the taste). Simmer for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for another five minutes and serve hot.

You'll want to use a slotted spoon to serve, so you can avoid the excess broth. I eat this plain in a bowl, but if you're looking for a more filling bowl, you can serve this over brown rice. Maybe with a little mexican cheese or sour cream. Nom nom nom. :)

To store, pour the chili through a colander to drain it and then put it in a sealed tupperware container. It will keep for about a week. Deliciously!

Sea Bass Surprise Soup

Okay. So it's not really a "surprise", per se, when the ingredients and directions are all listed out for you, but you get the drift. :) Once more, I faced my freezer-full of fish with courage and defrosted another big hunk of sea bass. The following is a yummy recipe I made up on the fly just moments ago. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Sea Bass Surprise Soup
(about 5+ servings)

skinless sea bass, about 2 lbs, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 cups water
four handfuls baby spinach, chopped roughly
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
~3 tbsp thai fish sauce, more to taste
~1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Take your stock pot, add the olive oil to the bottom and heat to medium low. Add your garlic and cook until just slightly browned (~1-2 minutes). Add the ginger and stir together; set stove to low and cook for ~4 minutes with the lid on. When you lift the lid, the combined scents should assault your senses and start to make you hungry. Now set stove back to medium, add 5 cups water and the spinach and stir. Add your soy sauce. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the spinach is nice and soft [I like my spinach a little mushy]. Now add your fish and stir down into the broth. Then set your spoon to the side and let it cook in the broth for about 8-10 minutes. When the fish is fully cooked, add the thai fish sauce and taste test until you're satisfied with the taste of the broth. Let cook for another couple minutes and serve hot.

This soup is quick, easy, and delicious. Very filling, a little salty, and (surprisingly) not fishy at all. [Note: "fishiness" will depend upon the quality of your seafood.] You could add some lime juice for a little extra kick, or if you like spicy food (I don't) maybe a little chili paste.

Enjoy!

[PS. Does anyone know how to take a good picture of soup?]

Cinnamon-Chicken Bake, or "Looks Like Dessert, Tastes Like Dinner"

I've long been wanting to do a simple, healthy chicken dish. One of my favorite meals growing up was going to Luby's - a buffet restaurant in North Carolina - and getting fried chicken and applesauce. Well, I don't fry chicken, but that warm, wholesome taste of chicken and applesauce together.

Cinnamon-Chicken Bake
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp liquid egg whites
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
sprinkle of rolled oats, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a skillet over medium-low heat.

Slice raw chicken into small strips (about 4x1.5 inches). When the oil is hot, add the chicken slices to the skillet. Heat, turning, until the outside is totally cooked - about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the cooked chicken to a small mixing bowl. Add 1 tbsp egg whites to the bowl, along with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir all together, making sure to coat the chicken well. Pour the chicken into a small baking dish (I used my little La Creuset). Put the baking dish into the oven for about 11 minutes.

Take the baking dish out and add in 1/2 cup of the applesauce; mix well. Sprinkle with cinnamon and oats. Return to the oven for another 6 minutes.

Serve quickly. Makes a quick, easy comfort meal for two. Or one, with a lunch leftover. :)

Enjoy!