Tilapia with Cucumber Relish

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Cookbook

Ingredients:

2/3 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1/2 cup chopped radishes
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
4 (4 ounce) tilapia fillets
1/8 teaspoon paprika powder
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:

Combine chopped cucumber with chopped radishes in a small bowl. In another bowl or shallow dish, whisk together tarragon vinegar, olive oil, salt, black pepper and sugar. Pour the vinegar mixture over cucumber and radishes and toss to coat evenly.

Mix paprika powder with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the fish fillets. Melt the butter in a skillet. Place the tilapia fillets in the skillet and cook until the fish can be easily flaked with a fork. This will normally take around 3-4 minutes per side. Place the tilapia fillets on serving plates and add the cucumber relish.

Notes & Tips:
The relish for this was great. Nice and tangy. I didn't have tarragon vinegar, so I just mixed Apple Cider Vinegar with some dried tarragon. I forgot the paprika, oops... so I just sprinkled a little on the fish as it was cooking.

Nutrition Facts:
One serving (1 fish fillet with 3 tablespoons relish) equals 181 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 90 mg cholesterol, 388 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 32 protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 1 fat.

Lemon Couscous with Broccoli

Recipe Taken From:
Healthy Cooking, Taste of Home
Feb/March 2011

Ingredients:

* 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1-1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
* 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation:

* In a large skillet, saute broccoli in oil until crisp-tender. Add couscous and garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer.
* Stir in the broth, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with almonds. Yield: 6 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I really enjoyed this as a side dish. I served this with homemade oven fried chicken tenders. The only thing I didn't like about this dish was the almonds. They tasted stale to me.

Nutrition Facts:
2/3 cup equals 115 calories, 3 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 328 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat.

Thai Shrimp Soup

Recipe Taken From:
Healthy Cooking Magazine:
Feb/March 2011

Ingredients:

* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1 cup water
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
* 1 tablespoon fish or soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon red curry paste
* 1 lemon grass stalk
* 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1-1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
* 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
* 1 can (8-3/4 ounces) whole baby corn, drained and cut in half
* 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
* 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
* 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
* 1 teaspoon curry powder

Preparation:

* In a Dutch oven, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the broth, water, brown sugar, ginger, fish sauce, curry paste and lemon grass. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; carefully stir in shrimp and edamame. Cook, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.
* Add the coconut milk, corn, bamboo shoots, basil, cilantro, lime juice, lime peel and curry powder; heat through. Discard lemon grass. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Notes & Tips:
This came out pretty good. I really like the broth part of this. I think I might use smaller pieces of baby corn. Also, I used ground ginger and dried basil. I also used pre-cooked shrimp and I added them too early. If you decide to use pre-cooked shrimp please add them at the end so you don't overcook them like I did. Also, I don't know where to find lemon grass, so I used lemon zest instead and it was fine.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 8
1 cup equals 163 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 69 mg cholesterol, 505 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 14 g protein.

Vegetable Strudel

Recipe Adapted From:
Better Homes & Gardens Nov. 2

Ingredients:
* 5 cups fresh spinach leaves
* 2 medium red sweet peppers, cut into 1-inch strips
* 2 carrots, shredded
* 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
* 4 green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
* 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
* Dash red pepper flakes
* Butter-flavor nonstick spray coating
* 6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
* 2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs

Preparation:
1. For filling, place the spinach in large colander; set aside. In a large saucepan cook sweet peppers, summer squash, carrots, mushrooms, and green onions in 4 cups boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over spinach to drain; rinse immediately with cold water. Drain well, pressing out excess moisture. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Stir in the dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, the oregano, salt, black pepper, and ground red pepper. Set filling aside.
2. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick coating. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a dry kitchen towel. (Keep remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.) Spray with nonstick coating. Place another sheet on top; spray with nonstick coating. Sprinkle with half of the bread crumbs. Place 2 more sheets of phyllo on top, spraying each with nonstick coating. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Add remaining 2 sheets of phyllo, spraying each with nonstick coating.
3. Spoon filling along 1 long side of phyllo stack about 1-1/2 inches from edges. Fold in the short sides over the filling. Starting from the long side with filling, roll up jelly-roll style.
4. Place strudel, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Spray top with nonstick coating. Using a sharp knife, score into 8 slices, cutting through the top layer only. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the strudel is golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut along scored lines into slices. Makes 4 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I didn't have any bread crumbs on hand so I crushed a bunch of really yummy crackers. They were really flavorful. I really think that instead of cooking spray, I would have liked to use spray butter. I sprayed butter on the top of the strudel during the last few mins of cooking, and that made all the difference. It still wasn't my favorite thing I had ever eaten.

Nutrition Facts:
Servings Per Recipe 4 servings * Calories182, * Total Fat (g)5, * Saturated Fat (g)1, * Cholesterol (mg)4, * Sodium (mg)466, * Carbohydrate (g)29, * Fiber (g)4, * Protein (g)8, * Vitamin A (DV%)156, * Vitamin C (DV%)158, * Calcium (DV%)14, * Iron (DV%)24, * Starch (d.e.)1, * Vegetables (d.e.)3, * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Savory Mushrooms

Ingredients:

* 1 pound fresh sliced mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons dry sherry
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Preparation:
In a skillet combine sliced mushrooms, sherry, butter, paprika, seasoned salt, and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Serve savory mushrooms as a side dish with roasted or grilled meat. Savory mushroom recipe serves 4 to 6.

Notes & Tips:
Oh man these taste just like restaurant sauteed mushrooms! I love it. When they first started cooking I wasn't quite sure but total YUM!

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 135
Calories from fat: 85
Total fat: 9.6g
Cholesterol: 15mg
Sodium: 485mg
Total carbs: 8g
Dietary fiber: 1.2g
Protein: 4.2g
WW points: 3

Healing Cabbage Soup

Recipe Taken From:
www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 quarts water
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained and diced

Directions:
1.In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.
2.Stir in water, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in cabbage. Simmer until cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes.
3.Stir in tomatoes. Return to a boil, then simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring often.

Notes & Tips:
I threw in some prosciutto since I had some leftover. This soup is so yummy. I love a good warm soup on a fall night.

Nutritional Information:
Serves 8, 1 cup servings
Amount Per Serving Calories: 82 Total Fat: 5.2g Cholesterol: <>

Zucchini Tomato Frittata

Recipe Adapted From:
Healthy Cooking Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1.5 cups of eggs, whisked
• 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup sliced zucchini
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cottage cheese, onions, basil, pepper flakes and tomatoes, set aside. In a 10 in. ovenproof skillet (cast iron) saute zucchini, broccoli and red pepper in oil until tender. Reduce heat; top with egg mixture. Cover and cook for 4-6 mins. or until nearly set.

Uncover and skillet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Broil for 3-4 inches from the heat for 3 minutes or until eggs are completely set. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Notes & Tips:

You can very easily use egg substitute in this recipe for a lighter meal. Serve with biscuits for a complete meal.

Nutrition Facts:

Serves 4: 1 wedge is: 145 calories, 4 g fat, 11g carbs., 15g protein.

Thai Beef & Noodle Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Women's Day Magazine

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 package (3 3/4 oz) cellophane noodles
• 4 cups boiling water
• 3/4 cup halved snow peas
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 8 oz thickly sliced deli roast beef, cut in strips
• 1 1/2 cups sliced seedless cucumber
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mint
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

PREPARATION:
1. Put noodles and snow peas in a large bowl. Pour in boiling water and let sit 10 minutes until noodles are tender. Drain; rinse under cold running water and drain again. Shake colander to remove excess water, then return to bowl.

2. Combine vinegar, sugar, ginger and salt in a jar; shake to dissolve sugar.

3. Pour dressing over noodles and snow peas; add remaining ingredients (except peanuts) and toss to coat. Sprinkle each serving with peanuts if desired.

Notes & Tips:
I had to add a little soy sauce to this recipe, because I found it a little bland. I also decided against the mint, and used a little of the leftover pesto. I also still can't find good snow peas in Kansas so I used fresh green beans.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS:
Calories 200Total Fat 2 g Saturated Fat 1 g Cholesterol 25 mg Sodium 536 mg Total Carbohydrate 34 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Protein 12 g

Basil Pesto

Recipe Taken From:
Eating Well Magazine, August/September 2005

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, (2-3 bunches)
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted (see Tip)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 large clove garlic, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
Place basil, walnuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor; pulse a few times, Drizzle olive oil and a tiny bit of water while pulsing until fairly smooth, or to the desired consistency, scraping down the sides occasionally.

Tips & Notes:
Tip: To toast walnuts: Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes.

I did a double batch of this and it only came out to about 1.5 cups of pesto, so go heavy on the basil.

Nutrition Facts:
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 83 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 176 mg sodium; 104 mg potassium.

Raw Tomato Sauce with Angel Hair Pasta

Recipe Taken From:
Eating Well Magazine, August/September 2006

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup diced fresh part-skim mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons olives
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, vinegar, oil and garlic. Add basil, marjoram, salt and pepper. Let stand to allow tomatoes to release their juices, about 10 minutes. Serve over angel hair pasta.

Notes & Tips

A friend from work brought in some incredible homegrown tomatoes today and I just had to have them for supper. The "marinade" used in this is excellent, and the fresh tomatoes made it out of this world good! I didn't use the marjoram though, b/c I didn't have any so I just used green onions. I served this alongside of pan seared Tilapia.

Nutrition Facts:
Per serving: 141 calories; 10 g fat (1 g sat, 7 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 386 mg sodium; 412 mg potassium.

Quick Artichoke Pasta Salad

Recipe taken from:
www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salad macaroni, or other medium-size pasta
• 1 (6.5 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup pitted black olives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1.Bring a large pot of salted water to boil; add pasta and boil until al dente. Drain well and rinse with cold water.
2.In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper; toss well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Before serving, season the pasta dish with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes & Tips:
Very yummy and easy to make! You could add chicken to make it a full meal.

Nutrition Facts:
Amount Per Serving Calories: 155 Total Fat: 5.5g Cholesterol: 0mg

Videlia Onion Pork Loin

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Videlia Onion Dressing
• 2lb Pork Tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons honey

Preparation:
Mix dressing with honey. Marinade Pork tenderloin in videlia onion dressing mix overnight. Remove pork from marinade and grill 15 mins. each side. Serve with grilled veggies of your choice.

Notes & Tips:
A very simple and tasty summer grilling recipe. I first tried this with chicken months ago, but while I was eating the chicken I kept thinking it would be great. The marinade tastes great with the pork. It may need a little extra salt depending on your taste.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories 143, Total Fat 3g, Total Carbohydrate 0g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Protein 13g

Honeydew Orange Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced ripe honeydew melon

• 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
• Ice to thicken

Preparation:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, add ice as desired to thicken. Enjoy immediately.

Notes & Tips:
A refreshing smoothie for a hot day. You can sub any other flavor frozen juice concentrate to change the flavor of this smoothie.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 2
181 calories, 2g fat, 35g carbs, 7g protein

Broccoli Corn Bread

Recipe shared by:
Anne Blackmore

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen, chopped broccoli (thawed and drained) OR 1 small head of broccoli, chopped, cooked, drained.
• 4 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 pkg. (8 1/2 oz) Jiffy corn muffin mix

Preparation:
In mixing bowl, combine melted butter, salt, cottage cheese, broccoli and beaten eggs, blend with onion. Stir in quick corn muffin mix. Pour into greased 13 x 9" baking pan. Bake @ 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned on top.

Notes & Tips:
Very easy and very very yummy. The broccoli is unexpected yet delicious. I used frozen broccoli florets, I didn't have time to cook fresh broccoli, but Anne's notes on the recipe said she used that and it turned out great. Also, per Anne's notes I added about half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I served this with bacon, jalapeno black eyed peas.

Nutrition Facts:
Makes 12 servings
172 Calories, 11g Fat, 12g Carbs, 4g Protein

Chilly Dilly Shrimp & Couscous

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs of shrimp, frozen or fresh, uncooked
• Lemon Pepper
• Garlic Salt
• Lemon Dill sauce from yesterday's recipe, leftover or made again
• Couscous

Preparation:
Devain, peel and clean shrimp. Put shrimp in steamer basket or food steamer machine. Season liberally with lemon pepper and garlic salt. Steam for 15 mins. Either get out your leftover Lemon Dill sauce, or quickly whip up another batch from yesterday's recipe. Put cooked shrimp and sauce in a medium bowl, refrigerate for an hour. Serve on top of couscous

Notes & Tips:
Totally quick and easy. If you liked the sauce from last nights recipe, very dilly and very lemony, you'll like this!

Nutrition Facts:
Nutrtition Facts for shrimp only, couscous nutrition facts will depend on how much you decide to serve it with.
150 Calories, 8.6g Fat, .5g Carbs, 20g Protein

Creamy Tilapia

Recipe taken from:
aquaticcommunity.com

Ingredients:
• Cooking spray for greasing and coating
• 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• 4 teaspoons of butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill leaves
• 1 tablespoons of lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 tablespoons of cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill leaves

Preparation:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray (or butter).
3.Place the tilapia fillets on the greased sheet and coat them lightly with cooking spray.
4.Melt the butter/margarine and spoon it over the tilapia fillets.
5.Drizzle lemon juice over the fillets.
6.Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed and the lemon-pepper seasoning.
7.Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake until the fillets can be easily flaked with a fork. This will normally take around 15 minutes.
8.While the fish is in the oven, you can prepare the cream cheese sauce. Combine cream cheese with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill weed in a small bowl. Microwave for roughly 1 minute and stir until you have a well blended sauce.
9.Remove the fish fillets from the oven and place them on serving plates. Spoon cream cheese sauce around them before serving

Notes & Tips:
This is def. a dill lovers delight. I really liked the sauce, I think it would taste great on chicken too. A small warning that this dish is VERY dilly and very lemony, which I like, but if you are sensitive to either of those flavors, you may want to cut back on the lemon and dill in the sauce. I served this with a salad, but it would taste good with couscous or rice.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 4
172 Calories, 8.6g Fat, .3g Carbs, 23.6g Protein

Ham-Filled Puffy Omelet

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• Dash salt and black pepper
• 3 beaten egg yokes
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced cooked ham
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Italian blend (or herb of your choice)

Preparation:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites, salt and pepper with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand up straight). Fold in yokes until all dark yellow is incoporated.

Coat a large oven-proof skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Spread egg mixture in skillet. Cook about 3 minutes or just until bottom is golden. Bake in a 350 degree oven 3 minutes or until dry on top and edges are light brown.

Loosen the omelet from the sides of the skillet with a metal spatula. Make a shallow cut slightly off center across the omelet. Sprinkles cheese over larger sid. Top with ham and seasoning. Fold smaller side of omelet over larger side. Cut omelet in half.

Notes & Tips:
There are TONS of variations for this recipe, just swap out the meat or cheese for something else. Also, this a super light meal, if you're looking for something a little heartier serve this with hashbrowns or pancakes. Tonight I served this with toast and jelly.

12/19/13 - UPDATE: I made this tonight with shredded chicken, Parmesan Cheese and bacon filling. Very yummy. I served this tonight with pancakes and sausage.


Nutrition Facts:2 servings
183 calories, 11g fat, 504mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber