Paprika Rubbed Cod

Paprika Rubbed Cod
Serves 2
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved

With all the holiday events we have the next few weeks, I know I’ll be enjoying good food and drinks more often than normal. I try to balance out the indulgence by having light meals at home that are also very fast to prepare- this cod recipe meets that criteria. The seasonings are very flavorful, and you don’t need any oil. Cod is so low in calories (around 190 for an 8-ounce fillet according to www.calorieking.com) that you can easily have a half-pound serving. And, since it’s also protein rich, this entree will keep you satistfied and full.

Ingredients:

2, 8 ounce cod fillets
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
juice of 1/2 a large lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients together except for the cod to make a paste, and rub all over the fillets.

Place fish on foil lined sheet or any oven-proof dish and bake for 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn off oven, and turn on broiler on high. Broil until fish is cooked and lightly brown- maybe another 2 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with a big salad and some crispy whole-grain crackers or crusty whole-wheat roll.

Thai Style Halibut and Green Bean Curry

Thai Style Halibut and Green Bean Curry
Serves 2
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved

Green curry is a staple for us when we go out for Thai food. We usually order a vegetarian or chicken version, but I’ve rarely seen it served with fish fillets. I wanted to find a way to make it at home with halibut which is one of my favorite fish. I’m not professing to be an authentic Thai cook, but the recipe I created is delicious and beats takeout Thai food any day. It’s also considerably lighter than what you would find at a restaurant and comes together very easily.     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

2, 6-ounce halibut fillets
1, 15-ounce can light coconut milk
4 tablespoons green curry paste
1/2 pound trimmed green beans
1/2 tomato, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place fish on a foil lined tray, season with salt and pepper, and bake until done, about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish.

Cover fish to keep warm while curry cooks.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat.

Add onion, and saute 2 minutes.

Add garlic, and saute 1 minute.

Add tomato, and saute mixture for 2 minutes.

Add in green curry paste and coconut milk and blend well.

Bring to a gentle boil, add green beans and cook until beans are soft but not mushy- around 5 to 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add fish to curry.

Serving Suggestions:

You get your veggies and protein in with this dish so all you need is some brown or jasmine rice, and you’re ready to eat!

Bharati’s Gujarati Cabbage

Bharati’s Gujarati Cabbage
Serves 3 to 4 as a side dish
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved| Makes Great Leftovers

One of the best things about being married to Mahir is the wonderful introduction I’ve gotten to Gujarati food. Gujarat is the region of India where his family comes from (they now live in Bombay), and the cuisine there is completely different than the Punjabi food I grew up with. My mother-in-law, whose name is Bharati, is one of the best cooks I know, and I love going to Bombay every December and getting spoiled by her cooking. Traditional Gujarati food can be heavy and is even laced with sugar, but Mahir’s dad is a diabetic so she’s a very health conscious cook. I had a craving for her cabbage a few weeks ago and called her to ask for the recipe. I had always imagined it to be some complex combination of spices but was surprised by how simple it is. Since no recipe is a substitute for her touch, I’ll still have her make it for me when I visit, but this is a pretty darn good fill in!     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

1 head of green cabbage, finely shredded
1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of coriander power
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/4 cup of water

Instructions:

Toss cabbage with the salt and half the lemon juice.

Marinate for 30 minutes.

Warm a large nonstick on medium heat, and add oil.

Add mustard seeds, and cook until they pop, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add spices in the oil, and mix well.

Add in water, mix with spices and let the mixture come to a gentle boil.

Add in cabbage, and mix well.

Cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Turn off heat, and toss with the rest of the lemon juice.

Serving Suggestions:

Try with the tofu recipe from last week and some roti or whole wheat tortilla or serve alongside the tandoori tilapia from a few weeks ago and some brown rice.

Indian Stir-Fried Tofu

Indian Stir-Fried Tofu
Serves 2 to 3
Can Be Doubled| Can Be Halved| Makes Great Leftovers

Tofu is an incredibly bland source of protein on its own, but the great thing about this low-fat food is that it picks up the flavor of anything you add to it. For me, that usually means Indian spices. This stir-fry version is very satisfying even for a non-vegetarian like me and is an ideal meatless addition to any Indian meal. The funny thing is that I couldn’t come up with on my own – I left Tess in charge, and she creatively came up this recipe- she’s become more Indian than us!     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

1, 15-ounce packet firm tofu
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons of olive or canola oil
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
2 teaspoons of coriander powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder
a large handful of cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a medium nonstick pan.

Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes or until onion softens.

Add tomatoes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add spices except for cilantro and stir together with tomato and onion mixture.

Add 1/4 cup water, and let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add in tofu and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in cilantro.

Serving Suggestions:

Roll this tofu up in a whole-wheat tortilla as a wrap and have some crudite as a side. Or, serve over rice and have with any Indian vegetable.

Simple Salmon

Simple Salmon
Serves 2
Can Be Doubled| Can Be Halved

This recipe is laughably simple, but it’s just delicious and came to fruition after much trail and error with different salmon recipes. Salmon is such a buttery, flavorful fish with plenty of good fat, but so many restaurants muck up its taste by adding gobs of butter or other extraneous seasonings. Mahir and I love the basic salmon served at French bistros in Paris and New York City, and I think we’ve come up with a version that stands up to the best boites. The trick is to use the best quality salmon you can find and broil the fish for the last few minutes of cooking to give it a beautiful, brown glaze.     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

2, 6-ounce salmon fillets
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
fresh lemon juice, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Season fish with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Depending on thickness of fish, bake for 5 to 7 minutes.

Turn off oven, turn on broiler on high (make sure salmon is on the top rack directly underneath the flame), and broil until fish is cooked- probably another 3 to 5 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve over brown rice or alongside a baked white or sweet potato. Lightly sauteed spinach or broccoli work well as vegetables with this meal.

Tandoori Tilapia

Serves 2
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved

Tilapia is an easy standby fish because it has such a mild taste and picks up just about any flavor you use with it. I’ve cooked it in dozens of different ways, and this Indian style version is my latest rendition. Yogurt, ginger and garlic are typical ingredients Indian restaurants use in a tandoori marination before cooking the meat, fish or vegetable at hand in a round clay oven known as a tandoor. I’ve used the same tastes in this recipe and lightened it up to make it more Tablespoon friendly. Of course, I don’t have a tandoor at home, but I have to say my stovetop version is pretty darn good!     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

1 pound of tilapia
1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder
chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Mix together all of the ingredients except fish and cilantro.

Add fish and marinate for 30 minutes.

Warm a nonstick grill pan or nonstick regular pan over high heat and coat with cooking spray.

Lower heat and add fish. Cook for 4 minutes per side- times might vary depending on thickness of fillets.

If desired, squeeze with a little lemon juice, and top with cilantro.

Serving Suggestions:

Try with a warmed whole-wheat pita or a Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla. The zucchini I posted a few weeks ago is an ideal veggie side.

Swiss Chard and Shrimp Whole-Wheat Rotini

Serves 2 to 3
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved| Vegetarian Substitutes

I’m a big believer in having some sort of whole-grain starch at every meal in reasonable portions- they give me the energy I need to fuel my busy days and put me in a good mood. Though I aim for lots of variety like quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, brown rice and dense, dark breads, I seldom eat pasta. I thought the best way to change that would be to come up with an appealing recipe where I could incorporate this Italian staple. Swiss chard is an extremely nutrition packed green that comes into the season in the Fall so I decided to use that as my inspiration. Mahir raved about how good the dish was and though he refuses to eat leftover seafood, he asked me to pack him the extras for his lunch next day. That was my sure sign that my experiment was a success!     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

1 pound of medium, large or extra large shrimp
1 to 1.5 cups of dry whole wheat rotini (or your favorite pasta)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large bunch of swiss chard, washed and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In the meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium nonstick pan and saute garlic. Add swiss chard, season with salt and pepper and stir-fry for 3 to 6 minutes or until wilted.

Remove from pan.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper.

Heat another teaspoon of oil in the same pan, add shrimp and cook until done- about 2 to 3 minutes a side depending on size of shrimp.

Turn off heat.

Add swiss chard, pasta and all the other seasonings to the pan, and mix together.

Serving Suggestions:

This is a self-encompassing meal, but feel free to add a simple lettuce, tomato and onion salad as a side dish.

Vegetarian Substitutes:

You can use canned or fresh chickpeas or cannellini beans in place of the shrimp. Skip the sauteeing shrimp step, and leave the swiss chard in the pan. Add all the other ingredients including one can of beans and the extra teaspoon of olive oil that you didn’t use to saute the shrimp.

Stir-Fried Kale

Stir-Fried Kale
Serves 2 to 4 as a side dish
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved| Makes Great Leftovers

I’m sad that all the bountiful produce that comes with summer has come to an end, but I look do look forward to some of the wonderful vegetables that come into season in fall and winter like kale. This leafy dark green vegetable is a true nutrition powerhouse- besides being low in calories and high in fiber like most vegetables, it has calcium, iron and Vitamins A,C and K. It also has nearly seven time the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. I love putting it in soups and making kale chips, but one of my favorite standbys is a simple stir-fry. The scallions in this recipe add an a nice onion flavor that’s not too overpowering- the earthy taste of the kale itself is meant to shine.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of kale, washed and chopped into medium sized pieces
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Warm oil over medium heat in a large nonstick pan.

Add garlic, and fry in the oil for one minute.

Add in scallions, and fry together with garlic for an additional minute.

Add in kale, season with salt and pepper, and keep stir-frying with the scallions and garlic until the leaves wilt into the pan- about three to five minutes.

Serving Suggestions:

Try with simple grilled chicken breasts and a crusty whole-wheat roll or alongside any grilled fish like salmon, halibut or tilapia.

Paprika Shrimp and Veggies

Paprika Shrimp and Veggies
Serves 2 to 3
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved

Like so many dishes we cook at home, I owe this one to our nanny Tess. It came together without much forethought: I had fresh shrimp but didn’t have a specific dish in mind. I only knew that I wanted to use up some leftover veggies that we had, and I asked her to come up with something. A half-hour later, this is the amazing creation she turned out. It can be enjoyed like a stir-fry over rice or on its own with a roll. The combination of vegetables is great with the shrimp, and the paprika adds a delightful but not overpowering flavor. I’ve used this spice in curries before but not in a style like this where it plays a starring role. Besides the seasonings, you’ll love how fast it comes together.     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

1 pound large or extra-large shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/2 bunch of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
1 large handful of green beans, trimmed
1 small carrot, sliced thinly at a diagonal
1 small red, orange or yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

Heat half of the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick pan, and saute garlic and onion for three minutes or until the onions are soft.

Add in all the vegetables except the broccoli and pepper, and saute for five minutes. Add broccoli and peppers, and saute another five minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the shrimp with the paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and lemon. Warm the remaining oil in a separate nonstick pan or grill pan on medium heat, add shrimp and cook until done- about two to three minutes a side depending on size.

Mix with the cooked vegetables. The vegetables will absorb the seasonings from the shrimp.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve this dish over a bed of brown rice stir-fry style or alongside a crusty whole-wheat roll.

Zucchini Indian Style

Zucchini Indian Style
Serves 3 to 4
Can be Doubled| Can be Halved| Makes Great Leftovers

Zucchini is a favorite vegetable of mine, but you’ll usually never see it on Indian restaurant menus or find Indians cooking it with the Asian touch. I was in Bombay last December staying with my in-laws, and while visiting a grocery store in the Breach Candy area that carries foodstuff not commonly found in India, I saw a basket of verdant green zucchini begging to be bought. My mother-in-law is an exceptional cook, but her cuisine is limited to that of her upbringing so I picked up two zucchini and asked her to make it for me with her touch. She was hesitant as she had never cooked this vegetable before, but, not surprisingly, the recipe came out delicious. And, my mother-in-law tells me that she liked it so much that she’s added it to her repertoire as well even though I’m not there.     ~Shivani

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, cut into coins and halved
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium tomato, diced into small chunks
1/2 onion, cut into thin slivers
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of coriander
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup water
cilantro, finely chopped for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Warm oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat.

Saute garlic and onion for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft.

Add in tomatoes, and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in spices into onion tomato mixture, and fry for two minutes.

Add in zucchini and water cook until soft but not overly mushy (about 5 to 7 minutes).

Turn off heat, and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Serving Suggestions:

Try this with Aparna’s Turkey Tikkis and some warmed whole wheat rotis (whole wheat tortillas make a fine substitute).