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)

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This is gonna sound crazy...

But cauliflower makes the best cheese sauce.  Really, it's true.  Cauliflower is the latest trend vegetable, it does ANYTHING.  It turns into pizza crust, rice, and now...cheese sauce.

I was given a challenge in my Just A Mommy With MS group to post healthy macaroni and cheese. (I do a Healthy Recipe Friday there) and it took me a week or two to figure this one out.  I had seen an alfredo recipe using steamed cauliflower so I decided to try it out with macaroni and cheese!  I'm so happy to say I was successful, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Cauliflower Mac N Cheese

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

Once the cauliflower is steamed, add it to the blender with a bit of the cooking liquid.  Add cottage cheese, cheddar and a splash of milk with some pepper and a pinch of salt.  Blend until smooth and pour over your favorite pasta (I used whole grain penne).

Tip: You can omit the shredded cheddar, add some Parmesan and a bit of garlic if you'd like.  Alfredo!!

(21 Day Fixers- This serves 2 yellow containers of pasta.  Total-1 green, 2 yellow, 1 red)

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)

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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)

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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)

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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) 

My Favorite Fall Soup

I love Fall (well, I used to before I moved) and this is my favorite soup to make.  My father always made Leek and Potato Soup (he was always good with any kind of soups).  One night he was supposed to make it and kept putting it off until he finally looked at me and said "Hey Lindsey, you gonna make that soup?".  I was so irritated that I had to make the soup I decided to do it my way!  It got mixed reviews from my family but I've been making it every since!  It's loosely based of off an Ina Garten recipe! (She's where I got this idea to roast the leeks and potatoes!)

Roasted Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablepoons olive oil
1 lb. potatoes (any will do, I like red skinned or gold)
6 large leeks, or 8 small
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 tsp organic butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (low or no sodium)
2 cups water
2 tsp fresh thyme
½ cup lowfat milk or unsweetened original almond milk
Salt and pepper to taste



Start by slicing the tops and bottoms off the leeks. Cut in half lengthwise, and slice. Place sliced leeks into a large bowl of cold water and let soak (dirt and grit likes to hide in there, it’ll all fall to the bottom and you can scoop the leeks out)


Cut potatoes into cubes (you can peel or leave the skins on. I like the skins on) and place on a baking sheet. Scoop the leeks out of the cold water and dry on a paper towel. Mix leeks and potatoes together with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400 for about 30-45 minutes or until everything is cooked through and a little browned.


While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large soup pot on the stove to medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil, then the garlic, onions, carrots and celery. When they’re soft and fragrant, add the flour. Mix constantly until everything is cooked through (a roux). Add the potatoes and leeks, then the broth and water to the pot along with the thyme. A little bit of salt and pepper, and stir while mashing the potatoes a little bit with your spoon or a potato masher. (if you have an immersion blender, that works too. This is to break up the starchiness in the potatoes and thicken the broth).


Let simmer for 1 hour uncovered, stirring frequently. Add the milk to the soup towards the end.

(21 Day Fixers, measure one green container full and it counts as 1 yellow, 1 green and 1 tsp)

Tip: Slice a baguette into thin slices (whole grain if you can find it) and put under the broiler for a minute.  Let them sit on top of the soup before eating.