Dinner Tonight!

I love this section of Cooking Light. They are always really quick and easy without a ton of ingredients. This month featured Tilapia. All three menu's looked amazing, but this one looked exceptionally good. The fish is pan-seared and a warm citrus vinaigrette is made to drizzle on top of the fish. For quick sides I made coucous and Lemony Asparagus.

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Citrus Vinaigrette (Cooking Light)

Cooking spray
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 2 fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets.

Add white wine to pan; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates. Combine shallots and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add shallot mixture to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Place 1 fillet on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons sauce.

4 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 215(31% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 1.6g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 34.5g; CHOLESTEROL 85mg; CALCIUM 24mg; SODIUM 357mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.9g

These shrimp cups are my mom's new favorite thing to make. She brought then for the cookie swap and has made them several times since. Don't let the Chipolte scare you, they really are not spicy and it only adds to the flavor. The mixture can be made the night before and added the wonton wrappers in a muffin tin right before baking. I would not suggest prepareing the cups until right before baking as the wontons may get soggy.

Chipolte Shrimp Cups (Cooking Light)

36 wonton wrappers
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped cooked shrimp
1 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
1 cup bottled chipotle salsa
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350º.

Fit 1 wonton wrapper into each of 36 mini muffin cups coated with cooking spray, pressing the wrappers into sides of cups. Bake at 350º for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep wontons in muffin cups.

Combine cheese and remaining ingredients, and spoon about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each wonton cup. Bake at 350º for 6 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from muffin cups. Serve immediately.

A Real Taste of the South...

I've been craving shrimp and grits forever now...something must have jogged my taste buds for the ones at Noisy Oyster in Charleston. While this isn't traditional shrimp and grits and doesn't include sausage, it is a casserole that's pretty easy to make. The recipe calls for yellow stone ground grits, which aren't instant or quick cooking grits and quite difficult to find. However, they take 30 minutes to cook and taste very similar to the quick cooking kind. Next time I'll use those. This dish would also be great served as an appetizer at a cocktail party.

Shrimp and Grits Casserole (Cooking Light)

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup uncooked yellow stone-ground grits

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, each cut into 3 pieces

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

3 large egg whites

Cooking spray

Bring chicken broth and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; add grits, stirring with a whisk. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Sprinkle shrimp with black pepper, and add to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in rind, juice, Worcestershire, and hot pepper sauce; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Place grits and shrimp mixture in a large bowl; stir gently. Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into shrimp mixture. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

A feast...

I haven't cooked like this in forever and boy do I miss it. Lately it seems we just have casseroles all the time. But tonight I was craving fish...salmon. I've made an adaption of this recipe for years now, but didn't have all the ingredients and improvised. Ben said I couldn't make it the old way anymore now since this was even better. I should make fish more often, it's not only quick and easy, but so good for you too. I served the salmon with roasted potatoes, lemon and asparagus, salad and whole wheat rolls...what a feast for a Monday night!

Apricot Sesame Glazed Salmon

2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp maple syrup
3 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspon chili pepper
1 lb salmon
salt
pepper

Combine first seven ingredients to make a marinade. Salt and pepper salmon and place on broiler. Top fish with marinade. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Top fish with remaining marinade and broil for 4 minutes.

An Anniversary Dinner at home

Ben and I celebrated our first anniversary in Disney World enjoying dinner at the French restaurant, Bistro De Paris, overlooking the Lagoon at Epcot. We continued our anniversay on a cruise eating tons of yummy food. When we got back I actually missed cooking dinner for us. My mom had picked up our fresh anniversary cake, so I set out to make a nice dinner. The new Cooking Light is celebrating 20 years and included 20 of its best recipes...one of each category. I decided on the best Fish & Seafood recipe and it was delicious. The aioli sauce adds a ton of flavor. If I was short on time, I'd make the aioli and serve it with fish sticks. I'm determined it could make them taste gourmet.

Cornflake Crusted Halibut with Chile-Cilantro Aioli (Cooking Light)

Aioli:

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Fish:

1 cup fat-free milk

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 cups cornflakes, finely crushed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets

Lemon wedges

To prepare aioli, combine first 4 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare fish, combine milk and egg white in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Combine cornflakes, flour, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip fish in milk mixture; dredge in cornflake mixture. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with mayonnaise mixture and lemon wedges.

I decorated the table with a centerpeice from our wedding, our aniversary cake, cake topper and our cake cutting set.

Hands Down the BEST Pizza Ever!

As many of you know we have instituted Friday Pizza Nights in our household. We've been trying several combinations of ingredients for our pizzas, but this is the absolute best version Ben has made so far. He used fresh cooked shrimp, fresh portabella mushrooms and spinach. It tasted very gourmet and I'd happily pay $30 for the entire pizza. It was perfectly crunchy. By brushing the pizza crust with olive oil and pre-baking it for about 5 minutes, then adding all the toppings and baking for another 15 minutes, ensured a perfect balance of crispy and chewy crust.

Shrimp, Spinach & Mushroom Pizza

1/2 lb. cooked peeled, deveined shrimp
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
White pizza sauce (recipe below)
1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 unbaked pizza crusts
1 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread pizza crusts out onto baking sheets or pizza pans.

Place the shrimp, spinach and white sauce in a saucepan, and warm over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Spread 1tablespoon of olive oil onto each pizza crust. Spoon the shrimp and spinach mixture onto crust. Top pizza with the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mushrooms on top.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottom is nicely browned.

White Pizza Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup shredded reduced sodium Swiss cheese (2 ounces)
2 tbsp Chablis or other dry white wine
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or use fresh to taste!)
1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Combine cornstarch and milk in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in Swiss cheese, dry white wine, garlic powder (or minced or pressed fresh!) and ground white pepper. Spread sauce evenly over Pizza Crust.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

This is a recipe from Cooking Light that I've made at least 6 times since it was included in the Jan./Feb. issue. Using only 1 tablespoon of butter, no cream...only 1% milk, it tastes just as rich as anything you'd find in a restaurant. I added shrimp to my recipe, but chicken or any other veggies, such as broccoli or asparagus would be delish in this creamy dish.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

1 tablespoon butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cracked black pepper

1 lb. shrimp, cooked

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta and shrimp. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

The most popular dish...

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan is the most popular recipe on allrecipes.com and sure tastes that way too. Even non fish lovers will like this. What's not to like with parmesan cheese, butter, mayo, lemon juice and spices. Also, tilapia is an affordable fish that most grocery stores put on sale every few weeks. Usually I can find them for $2.99/lb...for 4 pieces it comes out around $5. Not bad! This fish cooks up really quick under the broiler, so make sure to keep your eye on it. I usually serve with my roasted potatoes and salad. Potato wedges drizzled in olive oil and salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, rosemary spinkled on top and baked for about 20 minutes.

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia (allrecipes.com)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Hot Summer Days...

Now that I'm not working, I've actually had a few days to make some gourmet meals at home. Nothing says summer that shrimp, cilantro and limes. Enjoy this dish with a cold corona or an ice cold margarita to wash down to the spiciness of the shrimp. There is no need to premarinate the shrimp and they cook up cook, which makes this meal perfect for a weeknight.

Tequlia Shrimp with Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic

1/4 cup tequila

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Lime wedges (optional)

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
While rice cooks, combine 1/4 teaspoon salt and next 4 ingredients (1/4 teaspoon salt through black pepper) in a large zip-top plastic bag; add shrimp. Seal and shake to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes, turning once. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add tequila and 1 tablespoon cilantro; cook 1 minute.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and lime juice; pour over rice, tossing to coat. Serve shrimp over rice mixture. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Sake Marinated Salmon with Shrimp Fried Rice and a Pineapple Reduction

While I can't say I made this myself...it's one of my husband's first culinary creations he made for our engagement anniversary. I was quite impressed with his cooking skills as it isn't too often I give him full reign of the kitchen. It was a very tasty dish, although next time he'll add less red pepper to the pineapple reduction. However, the sweetness of the pineapple really balanced out the spicy red pepper.

(10-ounce) salmon fillet
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Medium to dry sake
1 whole ripe pineapple
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoons crushed red pepper, plus 1 tablespoon

Shrimp fried rice, recipe follows

To marinate the salmon, place the salmon in a deep bowl and add the ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, and pepper. Cover with sake and let stand for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Split pineapple in 1/2 lengthwise. Cut out the woody central core from one half, then cut out and dice the sweet flesh. Set aside.

To prepare the pineapple reduction: Melt butter in small saute pan until bubbling. Add 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, pineapple dice, and 2 tablespoons of the sake marinade. Cook down until all liquid has evaporated. Turn on grill to medium, when hot, place the salmon on the grill and cook about 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp Fried Rice:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
12 medium size shrimp
1 large egg, scrambled
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
1 cup cooked, cold, dry white rice
Lite soy sauce

Put sesame oil in a hot wok or non-stick pan, add ginger, garlic, and shrimp. Be sure to keep moving the ingredients until the shrimp turn color, then add the egg, scallions, rice and soy sauce, to taste. Keep stirring everything until the oil is all absorbed. When finished put the rice in the pineapple and top it with the salmon and a small side of the pineapple reduction.