Veracruz-Style Tilapia

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets or other white fish
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes with juice
1 Anaheim chile, stemmed, seeded and cut into this strips (these are very mild)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup pitted & halved green olives
1/4 cup capers, drained

In a medium saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish fillets on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the fillets until they are opaque and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plate and cover with foil to keep warm or put into a warm oven.

In same saute pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, Anaheim chile, and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and let simmer until the chiles soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, add the olives and capers, and cook until the flavors combine, about 4 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve fish with sauce over the top. I served with brown rice and wilted lettuce.

Enjoy!

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

3/4 lb dried lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
4 cups whole milk (I used 2 % and it tasted great)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 lbs portobello mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Cook lasagna noodles for 10 minutes in boiling water with a dash of salt. Drain and set aside.

For white sauce, bring milk to simmer in saucepan. Set aside. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan, add flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour hot milk into butter/flour mixture. Add 1 tbsp salt, the pepper and nutmeg, stirring until thick (about 3-5 minutes). Set aside.

Remove stems from mushrooms and slice caps 1/4 in thick. (I used baby bellas and chopped them up into smaller pieces.) Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in large saute pan. Saute mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt until tender (about 5 minutes). If they become too dry, add a bit more oil. Toss to cook evenly.

To assemble lasagna, spread some sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 greased baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce. Then 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan. Repeat layers 2 more times,and finally top with a layer of noodles, sauce, then parmesan cheese.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, until top is browned and sauce is bubbly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then serve.

I got this recipe from Sierra Schlegel (soon to be Longobardo). It is super delicious, hope you enjoy!

Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup

1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp minced shallot or onion
4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 (14 1/2oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup 1% or fat-free milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and ginger and cook until softened. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the pan. Simmer for about 4 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the broth and milk and just bring to a boil.

Carefully transfer the soup to a food processor or blender. (I used a hand blender and blended it in the saucepan.) Blend until smooth. Return to the pan and serve immediately. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a little hot sauce at the end because we like it a little spicy.

60 calories/2 grams fat in 3/4 cup.

Mexican Turkey Burgers

1 (20 oz) pkg extra lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp Mexican seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle)
1 tsp minced garlic
Whole grain buns

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, cilantro, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, seasoning and garlic. Mix well. Divide into 4 or 6 burgers.

Grill for 3 minutes on each side, or until the inside is no longer pink. (I cooked them in a skillet on the stove with a little bit of olive oil in the bottom.) Serve on buns, top with salsa, avacodo, etc. These are less than 200 calories per burger/3 grams of fat. And realllly good.
I actually made an avacodo aioli and served that with them. Recipe is below.


Avacado Aioli
1 med. ripe avacado
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup ground black pepper

Combine avacado, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. You could also serve this on sandwiches or as a dip. Only 35 calories/4 grams of fat in 2 Tbsp.

Tortellini Salad

Lg. (20 oz) container fresh cheese tortellini (Buitoni), cooked according to directions on pkg.
Lg. jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1 cup Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian salad dressing
Broccoli flowerettes
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Green onions
Olives
Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini, drain and let cool a little. Add remaining ingredients, refrigerate a couple of hours to let all the flavors mix. You can add or subtract any of the veggies, whatever you like. You may have to add more Italian dressing after it has sat a while.

Enjoy :)

Chicken Tacos in the Crock Pot

Ingredients

2-3 frozen chicken breasts (in the bag)

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (drained)

1 can Rotel (drain half the liquid off), or 1 small jar of salsa

1 packet of taco seasoning

Directions

~In the morning, place all ingredients in the crock pot (yes, even the frozen chicken) on low

~Cook on low 8-10 hrs (6-7 may do if you have a good crock pot)

~In the late afternoon, shred the chicken using 2 forks

~Add chicken back to crock pot and mix with other ingredients and let cook until ready to serve

Serves at least 4 adults. Serve on whole wheat tortillas topped with your favorite toppings (sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion, avacado, etc...). I usually serve with Rice-a-Roni Spanish rice.

Enjoy :)

Chicken Crescents

Chicken breasts, boiled, about 1 1/2 cups cut up or shredded (could probably use rotissere chicken if desired)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
2 packages crescent rolls
Parlsey & green onion, optional

Mix cream cheese and soup with an electric mixer until smooth. Add parsley & onion if desired. Add chicken and mix by hand. Roll out 2 crescent rolls together to form a square. Add about 3 Tblsp of the chicken mixture. Fold up the corners and squeeze together. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

I ususally just serve with a salad. Enjoy.