Almond Fish Tacos A Great Dinner Under 600 calories!

These fish tacos are amazing! They are a perfect example of making a delicious, healthy meal that is guilt free!

What you will need per single serving:
1 Fillet of White Fish (like tilapia)
1/3 Cup Almond Meal (I bought mine at Trader Joes)*
1 Teaspoon of Parsley*
1/2 Teaspoon of Pepper*
1/2 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt*
*these items can be used for up to 3 servings
2 cups of Shredded Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Red and Green Cabbage (you can buy this blend also at Trader Joes)
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 White Corn Tortillas (low cal or regular)
1/3 cup Sunflower Oil (you will not need more of this if you multiply the serving up to 8 times)
1/4 of an Sliced Avocado
Salsa and Sour Cream if desired.

Method

Step 1

Preheat the Oven to 400F

1. In a mixing bowl combined the almond meal, parsley, salt and pepper & stir.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and use a non stick spray. 
3. Bread the fillet in the almond meal mixture and lay out on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking. (I like mine in a little longer so the outside gets crispier)
4. While the fish is baking, dice up the garlic and add with 2 Tablespoons of the Sunflower Oil. Let the garlic simmer until golden then add in the veggie blend. Let the veggies reduce slightly, only for a couple minutes so they stay crunchy. Transfer them out of the pan onto a paper towel to remove excess oil. 
5. Add in the rest of the oil to the skillet and when the oil is hot, make taco shells with the two tortillas. When done, transfer those on paper towels also and soak up excess oil. 
6. By now your fish should be done. Remove it from the oven and slice up.




In each shell put the veggie mix and lay fish and avocado slices on top. 

Enjoy!

Polenta with Crumbled Sausage & Parmesan

     Polenta is perfect for cold rainy days inside. Today was not particularly cold or rainy but I was in the mood for it anyway. I encourage anyone who hasn't tried polenta to give it a go. When freshly cooked, it has a consistency I would describe as a softer grits or cream of wheat. When you cool it, it becomes a solid that you can slice and pan fry with a bit of olive oil. Polenta became popular in Italy in the 1700's. Back then polenta was considered peasant food due to the fact it was plentiful and cheap. Because food was more scarce during the winter months, polenta became a winter food staple and still is. You can find polenta at a few local chain grocery stores, I found mine at Pavilions for $2.99 a bag. However, it is more popular at grocery stores geared towards more organic and health food interests like Sprouts and Whole Foods. Since polenta is a gluten free food, it is a must try to anyone who is interested in reducing wheat intake, looking for new options! In addition to polenta being a gluten free food, polenta is said to be a great natural source of carotenoids, which are known for their role in cancer prevention and protection against heart disease. Polenta is low carb, rich in Vitamin A and C.

     My recommendation is to enjoy polenta with a hearty veggie. I chose Kale Blossoms roasted with garlic. You can do a lot to dress up your polenta, in this recipe I crumble sausage and parmesan cheese over mine. Here is how it's done:

For this recipe, I made enough for 4 people at having 1/4 cup dry polenta servings each. This would be approx.  400-450 calories a bowl with the parmesan cheese and sausage as pictured. 

You will need these ingredients: 

• Chicken Broth (better to go low sodium but I didn't have it on hand)
• A large can or jar of marinara sauce, I usually make my own but if I have to use pre made I use Trader Joes Low Fat Tuscan Marinara Sauce. It's awesome for pre-made, canned easy sauce. 
• Polenta
• 3 Mild or Hot (depending on your preference) Italian sausages
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter
• Kosher Salt

Method

1. Empty the sauce into a saucepan and add 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup broth. Add in the sausages, cover and stir often on medium-low heat so that the sauce and sausages do not burn. 
2. Continue to cook the sausages until they are so soft you could cut them with a spoon. You may have to add another 1/4 cup of broth if you start losing liquid. 
3. In the mean time boil 4 cups of water. Salt the water with 1/2 a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil and add in 1 cup of polenta. Cover until the mixture is boiling. Once the mixture is boiling reduce the heat and stir. Cover for a couple minutes then take the lid of and stir again for a couple minutes, repeating these steps until you have a soft, thick polenta that is about the consistency of grits. Make sure to keep the heat on medium-low, you do not want to burn the polenta. Add 2 Tablespoons of butter into the polenta and mix in well until melted. 
4. On a cutting board, remove the sausages from the sauce and crumble them up with a fork and knife. They should be soft enough to make this easy. Add back to the sauce. 
5. Divide the polenta evenly into 4 bowls. Top with the sauce and sausage mixture and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. 

A great fact about this meal is you could feed four people for less than $10.00!!!

Cheap, Healthy, Easy & Delicious!!!

Buon Appetito! 

Orecchiette Carbonara with Pancetta, Brussels Sprouts and Kale Sprouts.

“Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.” 
― Craig Claiborne

     I saw a similar pasta recipe and since I love brussels sprouts I had to give it a try. Of course I had to make it my own with a few twists. Unless my boyfriend and dog are lying to me, it came out amazing! Carbonara is a guilty pleasure; this is a great dish to make for a Sunday lunch (like I did) that way you have the entire rest of the day to digest the heaviness of the carbonara. The veggies, which are charred but still crisp will help with this. This meal is great for introducing stubborn family members or kids to new veggies and cheeses! Pecorino which is used in this dish, is not typical of many Italian-American dishes that most American have been exposed to, as Mozzarella and Parmesan are. Carbonara sauce, made with egg yolks (if done right) is rich and creamy. This is a win for the foodie in your life! Try this out and share your results with me!

What you will need to make this dish:

1. Some good cooking music: I used Pandora's French Cafe station
2. A pot and colander for pasta
3. A large skillet
4. Wooden cooking spoon
5. cheese grater 

& these ingredients:

• 3 oz. kale sprouts (choosing the most purple sprouts gives the dish great color)
• 7oz. shaved brussels sprouts (Trader Joes makes a bag of shaved brussels sprouts)
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) orecchiette 
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic (add more if you want a stronger taste of garlic)
• Kosher salt
• 4 oz. pancetta, chopped. (You can find this in a package at Trader Joes) 
• ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• ½ stick unsalted butter, diced
• ⅓ cup grated pecorino and more to sprinkle (you can buy a block or pre-grated at TJ's also, keep in mind that fresh is always best!)
• 3 large egg yolks, beaten 
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1. Fill your pot with the appropriate amount of water, add a few pinches of Kosher salt and some olive oil if you like, I add about 2 tablespoons. This salt and EVOO should be separate from the amount you have delegated towards the recipe. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and stir occasionally so that the pasta does not stick to the bottom. 

if you did plan on grating your cheese fresh, make sure to do so before starting to cook!

2. In your skillet add 2 Tbsp. of EVOO and your veggies. I would chop the kale sprouts down if necessary for biting size. Dice your garlic and add to the skillet. Cook the veggies until they have a nice charr on them. Remove them from the skillet and set aside. 

3. Drain your pasta when 'al dente' and set aside. Save 2 cups of the pasta water.

4. In the same now empty skillet (no need to clean or wipe down as long as empty) add your pancetta and black pepper. After about 45 seconds or when fragrant, add 3/4 cup of water from the pasta and mix. When this mixture starts to boil, add in the butter. Mix well until all butter is melted. 

5. Add the pasta to the skillet and mix. Then remove from the heat.

6. Once removed from the heat, add the veggies into the skillet and incorporate into the pasta. Add in the pecorino cheese and then the 3 beaten egg yolks, mixing quickly so that the egg does not cook and covers the entire pasta. 

7. If you think your pasta looks a bit dry and does not have a creamy texture, add more water. Keep in mind that if you did not move your skillet away from the heat the pasta will continue to cook, sucking up more of the moisture of your sauce, hence making your pasta dry. You can also add a bit more butter or one more egg yolk if you have done this, but AVOID at all costs as this can ruin the dish, as well as add calories.

8. Serve onto plates, and sprinkle more cheese over if desired. 

Buon appetito!  

Pairs great with white wines (try a pinot grigio) 

Serves 5 people at just under 700 calories a plate.