Almond Crusted Cod

Farro is the new Quinoa.

Mark my words on that.

But this post is about FISH!  I love finding new ways to cook fish (I'm getting pretty good at it, if I say so myself) and tonight was the first time I made this particular recipe.  I can tell I'll be making it pretty frequently though, it was amazingly delicious and easy.

Truthfully, I had a hangover today.  I just wasn't in the mood for heavy duty dinner but I wanted something yummy and fried and greeeeeezy.  I served this Almond Crusted deliciousness with this Lemony Farro. (I used less olive oil and didn't use the arugula). But you could easily serve this with plain quinoa, brown rice, whatever tickles your pickle.

 I discussed farro in my Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe.  You need to get yourself familiar with this grain.  It's so yummy, and every single person I've prepared it for became addicted immediately and always called me for the recipe so they could make it at home!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!

Almond Crusted Cod
serves 2

1/2 cup unsalted raw almonds
1/8 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
Two 6 oz pieces of cod
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Coconut oil cooking spray (or whatever you have)

Preheat your oven to 400.  Pour almonds into a food processor and pulse until they resemble bread crumbs.  Pour onto a plate and mix with actual bread crumbs.

 Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.  Spray with coconut oil.  Brush fish with Dijon (or use your hands and get dirty) then coat with almond/bread crumb mixture. Place on cookie sheet, sprinkle some of the remaining almond mixture over the top.

Spray lightly with coconut spray and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tip- This trick would work with chicken, and would also work with any other kind of nut.  Pecans would be delicious.

(21 Day Fixers- For one piece of fish I counted 1 red, 1 blue)

Find me on Facebook!!

Crock the Pot.

This recipe is just about the easiest, and yummiest, crock pot chicken recipe.  To be honest, I just dumped a whole bunch of things I had on hand in the crock pot and it came out amazing. (That's usually how these things go.)

I bought the cutest crock pot from Amazon before I moved to FL, and I'm so glad I did.  It was inexpensive, and it's the best option for warm, cozy dinners that you don't have to spend too much time on.  And, it's totes adorbs.

(I'm also going to give you this magical Pulled Pork recipe.  I made it for my husbands birthday, and huge batches for my sons 1st birthday and it went over really well.  OR do I just like imbedding links? Hmm.. )

Anyway, here it is!

Balsamic Crock Pot Chicken

2-3 Chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 onion sliced
A few garlic cloves crushed
1 cup chicken stock or water
4 plum tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
Sea salt and pepper

Throw all ingredients except tomatoes in the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours, on low for 8. Add tomatoes the last hour.

I served this particular dish with steamed broccoli and parmesan, and quinoa pilaf.  

Tip- I made it again recently, and you have to try it with these Brussels Sprouts

(21 Day Fixers- It's our lucky day, all that flavor with all free ingredients!  Count the onions as a green, and chicken as a red.  Enjoy! ) 

Find me on Facebook!!

Casserole is just French for Love.

That's not actually true, but it should be.  I love casseroles, even though I hardly ever make them!  They're warm, and rich, and creamy and gooey and crunchy, and salty and ALL of those words mean love.

I'm not even sure where this recipe originated in my brain, I had never had Tuna Noodle Casserole before I made this up!  I had an extra large can of tuna, my husband was away on a business trip and I just wanted something comforting and easy.  So this is what I came up with!

It does take a few minutes longer then traditional Tuna Noodle Casserole, but I think it should!  I think if you want something comforting and yummy that it should be a labor of love!  If something comes to easy, it's probably not good for you!

Tuna Noodle Casserole:


½ box of whole grain penne (or whatever you like) 
2 tsp organic butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
½ stalk celery, minced
4 cups Chopped vegetables (I used zucchini and carrot)
1 ½ cups chicken stock
½ cup nonfat milk
1 tsp fresh thyme (optional- I like to add to homey dishes)
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ cup cold water
1 large can of chunk white no-sodium tuna fish
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Whole wheat bread crumbs
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta until almost cooked through. Drain and set to the side.

Melt butter and oil in a pan. Add onion and celery. Mix until soft, add chopped vegetables and stir. Let soften for a few minutes, then add chicken stock, milk and thyme. Bring to a low simmer.

Mix corn starch and water in a small bowl, and stir into vegetable mixture. Bring back to simmer and let it go for 5-10 minutes, whisking every now and then.

Once it reaches the desired thickness, add drained tuna and cheddar cheese. Stir in pasta.
Pour into a baking dish, and sprinkle some bread crumbs on top. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes and serve. 

Enjoy! 


Tip:  You can omit the corn starch and water and add some whole wheat flour to the chopped vegetables, oil and butter and create a roux.  Then whisk in chicken stock, milk and thyme!

(21 Day Fixers: I measured by the green container- my serving was 2 green containers full.  The breakdown for that would be 2 green, 2 yellow, 1/4 blue, 1 teaspoon, 1 red.  Not an exact science, but should be pretty close)

Like me on Facebook !!

Put your hand up on my nip.  ParsNIP, that is.

I've been repeating that tag line in my head for the last hour and it keeps cracking me up.

Anyway, parsnips.  You need to get all up in that.  I never had a parsnip in my life until I started dating an Englishman who loved them.  I've heard them called carrots with attitude and that's actually pretty accurate.  They have a semi-sweet flavor, and are amazing roasted in the oven with a little bit of olive oil.   But when they're mashed or pureed, they have a starchy quality a lot like a potato.

As such, they make a great replacement for mashed potatoes.  They have almost half the calories and carbohydrates as potatoes and twice the fiber and nutrients.  For real, try them.  You won't be sorry you did!

Parsnip Mash with Goat Cheese and Thyme

4 large parsnips
4 oz goat cheese
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth and water to a boil.  Add peeled and chopped parsnips. Boil for about 30 minutes or until fork tenders.

Drain parsnips and reserve some of the cooking liquid.  Place parsnips in the blender with goat cheese, thyme, butter, and salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.  (You want a thicker consistency, add a little of the cooking liquid until you get a consistency you like).

Tip:  Eat this with Roasted Balsamic Dijon Chicken and some steamed greens like spinach or swiss chard.

(21 Day Fixers- there is much debate over whether a parsnip is a green or a yellow.  It's a yellow, the carbs and fiber content is too high to be considered a vegetable.  I'm eating my words on this because I called parsnips a green for so long.  I'm very sorry! 1 green container serving of parsnips would be considered 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 tsp)

Find me on Facebook!!

Soulmates.

I don't actually believe in soul mates, as far as relationships go.  I think I married the right person and everything, I just don't believe in mating souls.  Sounds gross.

I do believe in soul mates in terms of everything else.  I believe in finding your soul mate workout, junk food, alcoholic beverage, etc.  I'm bringing all of this up because this recipe is my soul mate marinade.  I have used this marinade on chicken, fish, pork, turkey, everything.  I have yet to find something that this marinade doesn't compliment.

It's tangy, sweet, acidic, salty, creamy....IT. IS. EVERYTHING.

Love it. Hope you do too.

Balsamic Dijon Roasted Chicken

2 chicken breasts
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tsp dry italian herbs (or fresh thyme)
1 tiny squeeze honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, herbs and honey in a bowl with a lid or tupperware container.  Whisk together and drizzle in the olive oil.  Place chicken in the marinade and mix up to coat.  Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for as long as you can.

Place chicken in a baking dish and pour marinade on top.  Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375.

Enjoy!

Tip: Enjoy this chicken with Parsnip Mash and some sauteed greens.  You don't even know.

(21 Day Fixers-  1 piece of chicken counts as 2 red, 2 tsp)

Find me on Facebook !!

Can I say something crazy?

Cauliflower makes the best cheese sauce.  I know, it's bizarre.  Cauliflower is becoming one of the new trendy vegetables; it does anything we want it to!  It can become a pizza crust, rice and now a creamy, delicious cheese sauce.

I was given a challenge in my Just A Mommy With MS group on Facebook to come up with a healthy alternative to macaroni and cheese.  (I do Healthy Recipe Friday in that group) I had seen a recipe with steamed cauliflower to make Alfredo sauce, so I thought I could try to turn that over into a cheese sauce.  And I'm so glad I did, it really makes a creamy and rich sauce.  You'd never believe it's mostly veggies! (Great way to sneak it to your kids!)

I hope you like it as much as I do!


Cauliflower Mac N Cheese-

1 cup cauliflower steamed in a bit of chicken broth
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
Milk
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Once the cauliflower is nice and tender, transfer to a blender with some of the cooking liquid.  Add the cheddar, cottage cheese, salt and pepper and a splash of the milk.  Blend until smooth (if it's too thick for you add a little more milk).  Pour over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Tip- Omit the cheddar and add some parmesan and a little garlic if you'd like.  Alfredo!

(21 Day Fixers-  This is enough for two servings of pasta so it counts as 1 green, 1 red, 1 blue, 2 yellow)

Find me on Facebook !!

Dying for Chinese Food...

This recipe was born from my desire for Chinese food one night.  I just wanted a big bowl of greasy chicken and broccoli and fried rice and a crunchy egg roll!  I couldn't do that obviously, and I had two pieces of fish so I sort of threw this together on the fly. That happens pretty often that when you just throw things together they become the best meals you've ever had.  This was one of those times!

Enjoy! 

Orange Garlic Glazed Fish 

Ingredients:

Two 6 oz pieces of mahi mahi 
Juice of half an orange 
2 tbsp low sodium soy
2 tbsp water
2 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp honey
2 tsp fresh garlic
2 tsp olive oil 

Marinate the fish for an hour (I made it up as I went along so I marinated it for 5 minutes, it was still excellent) 
Heat a nonstick skillet to med-high heat with two teaspoons olive oil
Place the fish in the pan and let brown for a few minutes Flip the fish in the pan and add the marinade. Lower the heat and let it bubble and reduce down for 5 minutes while cooking the fish, spooning the glaze over the fish from time to time. 

I served this over quinoa with a side of broccoli sauteed with garlic!  It was SO good and really satisfied my craving.  

Tip: This would also work for chicken, cut into cubes and cook the same way- Orange Chicken! 

(21 Day Fixers- The dish in total was 1.5 red, 2 yellow, 1 green, 2 teaspoons)