Cajun Spiced Tilapia with Tomatoes

Cajun Spiced TilapiaI had a pile of fresh tomatoes sitting on the counter from our little mini-garden.  So I went on a hunt for a creative use for them. I found this recipe (again from one of my favorite recipe resources) and it fit my requirement list: Must be easy, quick,  flexible and of course be delicious. If you like something spicy this is the dinner for you. I used fresh frozen Tilapia steaks for this despite the recipe calling for Flounder and it still turned out fantastic.  It get’s my stamp of approval.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-4 (6 oz) pieces Tilapia fillets (original recipe uses Flounder which works too)
  • 3/4 Cup white onion, diced
  • 2 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 Cup diced green and/or yellow bell pepper
  • 2 1/2 Cups tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Cajun spice seasoning

If you don’t have Cajun Spice (like me) you can very easily make some.  In a small dish combine:

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Paprika
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Black Pepper

Directions:

In a skillet, sweat onion and garlic in olive oil on medium heat  until soft and onions start to turn transparent. Add in tomatoes, peppers and spices, then stir until tomatoes are soft, for about 3 minutes. Nestle fish in the sauce, cover and simmer on medium-low heat until fish flakes easily. Should take about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your fish. Thicker fish might take a little longer.  Gently remove fish from skillet onto plates and spoon tomatoes and sauce over top.  Serve right away.

Nutrition Info for 1 6oz filet: Calories: 205.8 • Fat: 3.8 g • Protein: 33.2 g • Carb: 10.2 g • Fiber: 2.0 g • Sugar:0.6 g
Sodium: 341 mg  (Recipe I tested is from SkinnyTaste.com)

Mini Bun-less Turkey Burgers

mini turkey burgersBurger night! As with anything I post, this is easy and not high maintenance, as well as a bit versatile.  You can do these bun-less or not, and play around with the toppings. Something fun and different for lunch or dinner for the family and friends.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 lb ground lean turkey
  • 1/2 cup low fat ricotta
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Olive oil spray for grill
  • 6-8 Lettuce leaves
  • 1 tomato sliced
  • 1/4 avocado sliced
  • 2 Tbsp Sabre Cucumber & Dill Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip (optional but this stuff is awesome on turkey!)

Directions

Pre-heat grill or grill pan on medium-medium high heat.  In a small bowl combine  ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard until incorporated.  Gently combine ground turkey and mixture, being careful NOT to overwork it.  Too much handling can make a sticky mess resulting in tough burgers. Divide meat into 6 portions about the size of your palm.  Flatten and set aside.

Coat your grill grates with oil spray. Place burgers on grill and don’t move until bottoms are brown (about 2-3 minutes), then flip. Grill other side for 2-3 minutes. (Or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees). Serve on top of lettuce, pinning tomato and avocado slices on top.  I love to add a bit of the Sabre Cucumber & Dill Greek Yogurt sauce to each but a little dijon mustard works too.  I served these to the kids on slider buns.

Greek Style Baked Chicken

greek chicken

GTS Client Favorite!

Weirdly enough I found this recipe on Instagram and thought it looked easy (and delicious).  It WAS easy and delicious.  I am not typically a leftover person but I’ve been eating these leftovers for 3 days since I made it.  I am always looking for ways to make chicken less boring.  This worked!

Ingredients:

  • 6 chicken breasts (or 3 large ones)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lemons
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 Tsp Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts

Directions:

Place chicken in a zip-lock bag or seal-able glass dish and marinate for 1-2 hours in mixture of: olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Arrange chicken breasts in a glass baking dish and dump the remaining marinade over chicken.  Top with diced onion, artichokes and slices of lemon.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until juices run clear and center of chicken is no longer pink.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info:  Calories 246, Fat: 16g (due to the olive oil – does reduce with cooking), Protein 24g, Carbs 3g, Sodium 431g

greek chicken

Healthy Turkey Stuffed Peppers

stuffed peppers

stuffed peppers

GTS Client Favorite!

I always like stuffed peppers but they seemed like a bit more work than I typically like to do when prepping dinner.  However, I know this is a traditional dish so I was compelled to lighten it up and pump up the protein to make it a lean meal for us all. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey meat
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 onion, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/2  tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • salt to taste
  • 3 large sweet orange bell peppers
  • 1 cup fat free low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1/2 cup kidney beans
  • Olive oil spray
  • 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese

Directions: 
Heat oven to 400°. Spray a little olive oil spray in a medium size saute pan and heat on a medium flame. Add onion, garlic and parsley to the pan and saute about 2 minutes, and add ground turkey. Season with salt, garlic powder, and cumin and brown mixture for several minutes until meat is almost cooked through.  Add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce, tomato paste, kidney beans and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, mix and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise, and remove seeds being careful not to pull stem too low and create a divot (stuffing will spill out). Place in a glass baking dish and spoon the meat mixture into each pepper until full. Pour the remainder of the chicken broth on the bottom of the dish. Cover with  foil and bake for about 35 minutes.  Once removed, top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info: Calories: 166 • Fat: 6g • Protein: 20 g • Carb: 12 g •Sodium 225g

Kathy’s Family Salmon Cake Recipe

I grew up eating these salmon cakes for dinner quite often.  A family recipe I have slightly modified and am now sharing with you!  A delicious favorite! Substituting almond flour for breadcrumbs keeps the carbs low and still keeps these light and packed together.  Almond flour is a very balanced alternative to flour or breadcrumbs.  This recipe warms my mom’s heart with memories.  Hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients:Kathy's Salmon Cakes

  • 2 cans Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon ( I like Wild Planet)
  • 1/4 Cup Almond Meal/Flour (Bob’s Red Mill is what I used)
  • 1/2 Medium white onion diced
  • 1 Whole Egg
  • 1 Egg white
  • Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Pinch of salt, black pepper
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1-2 Tbsps Coconut oil or olive oil for pan searing

Directions:

In a bowl combine salmon, eggs, almond flour, onions, parsley, salt and pepper and mash together.  Heat a medium skillet with oil.  Mold mixture into 4 equal sized patties (should make about 4 a little larger than the palm of your hand). Flatten slightly and place in hot pan.  Carefully turn over after 3-4 minutes. Serve with lemon. You can also make a creamier sauce with a few tablespoons of plain greek yogurt, dijon mustard and pepper if you prefer.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info for 1 salmon cake:  167 Calories, 3g Carbs, 23g Protein, 8g Fat (healthy fat from salmon and almonds!), Sodium 402g

 

Protein Packed Guacamole

Protein Packed GuacamoleI found a method for upping the protein, fiber and nutrient content of guacamole and had to try it.  Avocados are high in healthy fats and vitamin B-6, but cut with high fiber, high protein peas, this recipe is delicious and a little more balanced. I find it to be a great substitute for mayo on turkey or chicken.  Still a party pleaser, no one will even know how healthy it is.

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 of a medium ripe avocado
  • 1 cup thawed frozen peas, pureed
  • 1 small plum tomato, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lime for juice
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped
  • salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

Run thawed peas through a food processor until smooth (it’s ok if it’s still a little rough). Cube avocado and mash with a fork in a glass bowl.  Add peas and mix well.  Add diced tomato, minced garlic, lime juice,  cilantro, salt and pepper and stir.  This recipe brings the carb count down to 25g and the protein up to about 8g.  Shared with friends it’s a healthy snack!