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21
Mar
2013
 Szechuan Peppercorn Salmon



I have been MIA in the blogging world the past week because I have been in full-swing wedding planning mode. Yep, I’m getting hitched. Perfect time to talk about being healthy and fit. Haha.

I won’t bore you with details, but wedding planning does take up a good chunk of time… so I was happy to come home one day to this super tasty salmon. It is my new favorite recipe! It’s a little spicy, but has a unique flavor from the peppercorns (you can buy the peppercorns at a larger grocery store like Whole Paycheck–I got mine from a large farmer’s market).

They are the ones that look a little pink/dark red in color. You can even order them online if you don’t want to pick them up from the store!

Szechuan Peppercorn Salmon

spicy thai salmon

Ingredients:

  • 1 filet of salmon (or about the amount pictured above)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp szechuan peppercorns, ground
  • 1-1.5 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
  • 3.5-4 Tbsp. roasted red chili paste
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
  2. Meanwhile, mix your marinade.
  3. Place your salmon on a baking sheet or baking dish and coat with marinade. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked medium-well.

Yum!

baked salmon with peppers

We had some salad and edamame to go with it.

17
Mar
2013
 Fish in Foil



Happy St. Patty’s Day!! Today, I have a recipe for you with a little bit of green ;-)

I rarely cook fish in a foil packet or parchment paper because it doesn’t get crispy. But, what I discovered is that it becomes super moist and packed with flavor.

fish in foil packet

I followed this tilapia recipe from Key Ingredient, except I used green beans instead of asparagus for the vegetable. It turned out like a gourmet meal! And it was nice and light.

Here is how to lay out the foil with fish and ingredients on top:

cook foil packets

how to make foil packets

Wrap them up tightly and place on a baking sheet. It makes for easy clean-up!!

You can use parchment paper as well for a more natural choice.

Then, Mr. Cyclist made some homemade french onion soup to go with it!

homemade french onion soup

It felt like a gourmet dinner! But, the fish recipe was so easy.

6
Nov
2012
 Superfood Dinner: Romano Crusted Salmon & Sliced Brussels Sprouts



I was tired of salmon stinking up my house, so I decided to bake it! Fish smell-free!

This recipe turned out delicious! And, the cheese “crust” is really not bad for you. I used olive oil mayo (a little better than regular mayo because it has less fat and more olive oil), gluten free almond crackers for the breading, and romano cheese! Romano cheese is pretty strong, so you don’t need a lot.

Romano Crusted Salmon

Makes extra breading. I put what I don’t need inside a zip-top baggy, and save for chicken another night!

Ingredients:

  • 1 box blue diamond nut-thins (any variety is fine–I chose almond for a nutty flavor)
  • Approx. 3.5-4 oz. Romano cheese (can use Parmesan if that is what you have), sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • Pepper
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil mayo *Use just enough to combine the cracker crumbs/cheese together
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 lb. wild salmon or steelhead fish

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until you have what looks like bread crumbs.
  3. Pour half the “bread crumbs” into a bowl and combine with the mayo. Reserve the other half of the “bread crumbs” for another night.
  4. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Place the fish skin-side-down, and squeeze half a lemon over the fish.
  5. Press down your cheese/cracker topping on top of the fish with a spoon, and you can use your hands (just make sure to wash well after).
  6. Bake about 15 minutes.

For the brussels sprouts, slice them up length-wise. Saute them lightly (with about 1 Tbsp. olive oil) in a large saute pan. Add salt, pepper, and dried minced onion. Cook on medium for about 8-10 minutes. If you like, you could grate some leftover romano over top of the sprouts!

The reason I call this a superfood dinner is from all of the healthy omega-3′s in the fish, and the potent antioxidants in the brussels sprouts! An added bonus is that brussels sprouts are coming into season now.

30
Jul
2012
 Sunday Dinner: Red Snapper



I hung out with Psycho Holiday Baker on Sunday, helping her get supplies at Whole Paycheck to make Birthday dinner for my Dad.

I picked up an organic $10 t-shirt at Whole Foods. They are super soft–I highly recommend if you just need a plain old t-shirt.

I also picked up a nice snack/part of my lunch:
Strawberry kombucha (my fav!!) and a Greens Whey Protein bar. I had my Mom taste the kombucha and she thought it was the nastiest thing on earth. I told her not to smell it, but she did anyway. We had this whole discussion at the Whole Foods checkout counter about kombucha, it was hilarious. You can read more about kombucha here on diet-blog.

Psycho baker had me pick up some unhealthy ingredients at Publix on the way home… I cringed at this purchase.
She was making some kind of special parfait pie for my Dad (his Mom used to make it for him). At least she was mostly using whole ingredients from scratch (more natural that way), except for the Jell-o. And the graham crackers she got were on the healthier side.

Dinner was amazing!
Appetizer (for me):
Carrots dipped in olive tapenade

Arugula salad with pears, gorgonzola, pecans, lemon, and olive oil:
Homemade chipotle potato salad:
Recipe here.

Red snapper with parsley/cilantro puree, and a roasted corn and tomato salsa:
This was amazing. The red snapper reminded me of being at the beach. It had such a clean salt water flavor. Delicious!
Then, the parfait pie Psycho Holiday Baker made:
Just has a little sliver, but much more ice cream ;)

Now, it is the start of a new week. Let’s make it a healthy one!

5
Jun
2012
 Flax Crackers & Crab Cake Dinner



Met up with my friend, Valerie, to get a healthy dinner in Atlanta at R. Thomas’ Grill. It is a funky place catering to vegetarians and the more health conscious. We ordered some flax crackers and guacamole for an appetizer.  Sorry for all the camera pictures in advance…

These “crackers” were completely made from flax seeds. No flour or anything. They had good flavor–some kind of chipotle/garlic/spice flavor. Then, ordered some fish tacos:
Packed with veggies, and some salmon. This place even had stevia on the table! First time I have seen this. Our favorite part was talking to the birds that live at this restaurant. No joke–there are birds just hanging out outside that you can say “hello” and “goodbye” to.

Went to my parent’s house the next day to have some fresh crab and grouper that Psycho Holiday Baker brought back from her trip to the beach.
OK, this is not health food, but these were some of the best crab cakes I have had. Probably due to the quality of the crab meat. It was a very simple recipe (breadcrumbs, spices, 1 egg, a little mayo, lemon). And they were cooked in olive oil. So, not too bad (for you), but tasty!
I was in charge of making a salad:
My Mom has this cute turtle bowl. So funny, and appropriate for the summer months!

30
Jan
2012
 Fish Mayonnaise



That is the name of what Mr. Cyclist calls this dish. My Mom always made us this baked fish with cracker crumbs and some kind of tartar sauce topping as kids. I just happened to think about it the other day and decided to make my own version–a little healthier!

I used this recipe from the Washington Post for inspiration.

Fish with Cracker Crumb Topping
Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. mild white fish filets such as tilapia, flounder, or cod
  • Earth Balance sticks or butter for pan greasing
  • 1 sleeve of crackers similar to Ritz (any buttery/flaky cracker will work); check to make sure they are trans fat free and contain no hydrogenated oils
  • 3 Tbsp. light/olive oil mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (or about 1 Tbsp.)
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh parlsey, chopped (if you don’t have fresh, use a combination of dried parsley, basil, and dill)
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with Earth Balance sticks or butter.
  2. In a zip top bag, crush the crackers with your hands. Do not crush too finely–keep a few larger cracker pieces un-crushed.
  3. To prepare the mayonnaise mixture: combine the mayo, spices/herbs, garlic, lemon zest, juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper. Reserve the juice of the other half lemon to squeeze on top of the fish just before cooking.
  4. Lay the fish out in the pan. Spread the mayo mixture across the tops of the fish generously.
  5. Press the cracker crumbs on top of the fish.
  6. Bake 10-15 minutes until cracker are more golden.

I just love fish that is baked like this. It is so moist. This is not the healthiest recipe for fish, but it is definitely a healthy compromise that seems like you are having a rich dish.

Then later that night I decided to make a wreath like I often see posted to Pinterest.
All you need to DIY is yarn, hot glue gun, Styrofoam wreath, and some flowers and decorative pieces to glue on to your wreath. I also made a few felt flowers to glue on. It does take a while because you have to wrap all the yarn around and around the Styrofoam. But, I just watched some Mad Men season 4 while I did the project :)

17
Sep
2011
 Tilapia with Ricotta Pea Puree



I came across a recipe on Food Network for halibut with a ricotta pea puree, and since I absolutely love ricotta (and happened to have plenty of peas in the freezer), I made my own version of this recipe. I was not about to be buying halibut, but I stopped by Trader Joe’s and picked up some tilapia and fat free ricotta.

I have never been able to saute white fish very well. I have come to the conclusion that I just need to use more olive oil in cooking the fish since it is a less fatty fish and needs the oil so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Anyway, I used lemon pepper seasoning, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley for flavor on the fish.

This dish turned out pretty well. The flavors of the more salty and savory fish went well with the sweeter and slightly starchy ricotta pea puree. I would have even eaten the puree by itself, but Mr. Cyclist insisted that the puree and fish tasted best only when eaten together.

I served it with a side of steamed broccoli. Perfect light meal!

27
Jun
2011
 Quick Tip: Spice Up Your Marinade



I made some tilapia and a few shrimp with a Thai sesame lime marinade. The marinade turned out amazing on the shrimp, but not as well as I had liked on the fish.

The key to adding more flavor to your marinade is by adding extra herbs and spices. Read the label on your marinade to see what herbs and spices are already used, and then add more of your own. This brings out the flavors and adds more depth.

For this one I added dried cilantro, garlic, and sesame seeds to spice it up. I just needed to marinate the fish a little longer. Or, you can always make your own marinade instead of the jar stuff which has more sodium. I buy bottles of marinade for convenience sometimes, but always check the sodium content, and preservatives.

7
Mar
2011
 Salmon Croquettes



We have tried to make salmon croquettes a few times, and this time I think they came out the best–probably because I was in charge of the recipe. Muahaha. This recipe is a cheap way to eat salmon, and get the same nutrition and omega 3s as a fresh or frozen salmon fillet.

Sorry this picture is not the prettiest. Mr Triathlete was getting all professional photographer on me, and trying to help my poor little camera by adding extra light to the picture.

Salmon Croquettes
Makes 2 Servings (you can easily double this recipe)

Ingredients:

  • 1, large 14 oz. can of salmon fillet.
  • 1 Egg
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 Cup scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 Cup panko bread crumbs, or any other plain bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. canola oil for sauteing
  • Ketchup and/or Chow Chow for dipping
    • Chow Chow is made of green tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, vinegar, sugar, mustard seed. It is a type of relish.

Directions:

1. Drain the can of salmon, and empty the entire contents into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Mash the salmon with a fork. It’s OK to keep the skin and any bones you see since they are so soft that they just blend right in.
3. Add the next 6 ingredients to the salmon, and mix together.
4. Warm the canola oil in a medium saute pan.
5. Form palm size patties, and place in saute pan to cook for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

I have found that the more simple ingredients are better because then you can taste the flavor of the salmon.

7
Feb
2011
 Food in Aruba: Part 1



Me and my dushi (means “sweet” or “sweetie”) went to Aruba with his Mom and her friend. When you think of going to a warm weather place you think of fresh produce, and seafood. There was plenty of fresh fish (we ate a lot of grouper), but Aruba is a desert-like island and does not grow much of its own produce. Most everything is imported except Balashi beer, fish, goat, and a few local fruits.

Balashi Beer and Amstel Bright (not Amstel Light in Aruba). Mr Triathlete says the Amstel Bright tastes like a cheap watered down American beer, and the Balashi tastes better and like it has less water added. I don’t like many beers so, I left that to him. Tortilla chips (we ate a lot of these with homemade pico de gallo) and bagels in the background.

Blackened Grouper

Blackened Mahi Mahi (another local fish)

Delicious salad at Fishes and More

Vanilla ice cream with bits of coconut at Fishes and More. Who knew a tiny bit of coconut can make ice cream so delicious!

More blackened grouper! This was at Wacky Wahoo’s which is rated #1 in Aruba by Tripadvisor, so of course we had to go and see what it was all about.

The creamy seafood soup was the best thing we had by far–we all agreed. It has fennel, saffron, cream, and all kinds of seafood in it. I guess for $8 it better be delicious. But, the fish we had was cooked very well and just melted in your mouth. There was also this mysterious green cheese on one of the grouper dishes. I have no idea how it is green. It was supposed to be gouda cheese.

We made a few dinners at the house we rented. The grocery stores did not have much of a selection, so the cooking was a little limited. One night we made a seafood pasta with scallops. We had some brie cheese and carrot sticks as an appetizer–a little silly. Another night we cooked grouper. I told you… a lot of grouper.

And then there were the snacks…

We discovered these yummy corn coated peanuts (garden flavor aka salt).

Almond thin cookies!

Nutella knock-off hazelnut spread (I think the label said it only had 3% hazelnuts) with Holland-something cookies.

Then there was the awful ice cream. We picked it out thinking it was chocolate chip, right? No way–it was licorice ice cream. The most disgusting thing ever. We also picked out cinnamon ice cream which actually tasted more like red hots. Finally, we chose a good ice cream–maple syrup waffle flavor.

We packed our lunch a few times at the beach…


Traditional Aruban food to be continued…

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