Almond Crusted Tilapia

I've said it before and I will say it again....I just don't eat fish as often as I should.  I blame it, in part, on the fact that I have lived out my life thus far in the somewhat land locked middle of the country...far from either ocean.  Sure, Lake Erie is right to the North of me...but fresh water fish, let alone Lake Erie fresh water fish, doesn't excite me much.  There is no great fish monger within any good distance from my home, or at least one I am aware of,  and fresh fish in the grocery store? Um...no thanks.  ( with the exception of Whole Foods, if there was one closer to me )  So I am forced to choose from the slim varieties of frozen fish available to me...mostly tilapia, salmon, cod or sometimes, haddock.  Cod, tilapia and haddock basically all taste very similar.  Then there is the skin and bone issue....no thanks on either.  Oh , and please, don't taste too fishy...lol... So I guess when it comes to fish, I am kind of picky. 

Don't get me wrong...I try to experiment with different kinds of fish when I go out to a restaurant or travel to the coast. ( Yet I always worry about the skin and bone issue I have!)   But I seem stifled when wanting to prepare fish at home.  One fish I like to buy and prepare, is the tilapia loin.  It can be elusive, no doubt.  Fortunately, Costco carries it.  I like the loin because it has virtually none of the dark flesh which can tend to taste very fishy. ( Remember, not too fishy?)   It is thick and meaty...and I have yet to discover a rouge bone in one.  ( I hoped I haven't jinxed myself with that last statement!)  The tilapia loin is very mild tasting and not priced too outrageously, but I seem to get stuck in a rut preparing it the same way over and over again. 

So I browsed the internet looking for inspiration.  I don't even remember where I saw the idea of mixing panko bread crumbs and nut meal together to make a crust, so I am sorry, I can't give credit...but the creation I ended up making, really was out of my head and what I had available to me in my pantry and freezer.  I could not have been more pleased with the result.  So simple, yet so delicious.  So easy you can hardly call it a recipe.  I used almond meal I had in my freezer, I had picked up from Trader Joe's, but you could easily make your own by grinding up the almonds in a food processor.  A word of warning though, the almond meal and panko brown VERY QUICKLY...so use med heat only.  Brown the outside on the stovetop, then finish cooking fish in the oven on a wire rack over a sheet pan.

Almond Crusted Tilapia 

Printable Recipe

Servings - 4   Serving Size - 1 - 4oz. pc of fish   Points Plus per Serving - 6 points+

Calories - 243.2,   Total Fat - 11.8g,   Carb. - 10.2g,   Protein - 25g,   Fiber - 0.7g

4 - 4 oz. each tilapia loins or filets, defrosted if previously frozen

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup eggbeaters ( you won't use all of them ) or two beaten eggs

3/4 cup unseasoned panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup almond meal ( finely ground almonds) 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp lemon zest ( optional ) 

2 TBS olive oil, for browning

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Position wire rack ontop of sheet pan.  Spray with cooking spray.  

2.  In a large pie plate or shallow dish, combine the panko, almond meal, salt, pepper and lemon zest if using.  In another pie plate or shallow dish, pour in the eggbeaters.

3.  Heat a large nonstick skillet with 1 TBS olive oil.   When oil is hot enough ( beginning to see wisps form in the oil)  dredge a piece of fish in the eggbeaters and then coat in the panko mixture.  Place in skillet.  Repeat with another piece of fish.  Don't overcrowd the pan.  ( I did mine in two batches )  Brown fish on each side.  Be careful.  This won't take long at all.  Transfer browned and partially cooked fish to wire rack.  Place in oven and repeat with browning remaining fish, using the other TBS of oil  and transferring them to wire rack in oven. 

4.  Allow to finish cooking in oven.  Amount of time needed may depend on how long they stay on stove top.  Fish is ready when it is firm and flaky.  Mine took about 10 minutes or so, but I was using thick loins.  Garnish with lemon. 

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It was hard to believe how much wonderful flavor and crunch these had for such simple ingredients.  This is really a super easy weeknight meal!  I served this with some steamed broccoli and rice pilaf.  So I am happy to say I have one more "fish" recipe to add to my book!  and yes, even fish hater son enjoyed these.  Not fishy at all!  I imagine you could use other nut meals to replace the almond meal in this recipe too!  How about macadamia nuts?  Doesn't that sound good??  How about you...do you make a lot of fish dishes at home, or are you like me, and leave the fish preparations to the experts in restaurants?  I have to say, after watching an entire season of Hell's Kitchen, fish preparation was ALWAYS their nemesis!  lol

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

When I saw the recipe for this quick bread on one of my favorite food blogs,  PreventionRD, yesterday, I just knew I had to make it. Pumpkin + gingerbread?  A hit for sure!  Nicole's bread looked fabulous but it looked  like it focused more on the flavor of the pumpkin, and I wanted to make a true gingerbread loaf with just a hint of pumpkin...and that is what I got after I made a few changes to the recipe.

Pumpkin is not the star in my version of this recipe...rather since it was written as a vegan recipe ( no butter, no milk, no eggs) it's roll is moisture...and it does a perfect job of it!  Nicole is always saying how she loves vegan muffins and quick bread recipes because they are so moist!  And she is 100% correct!  The addition of candied ginger in the batter takes the ginger flavor over the top!  But no worries, if you don't have candied or crystallized ginger, you can use golden raisins instead. 

I am a huge fan of gingerbread.  I have a hard time resisting it when it shows up at Starbuck's around Thanksgiving.  This recipe does not disappoint in the gingerbread taste department while still being fairly low in the fat and calorie department...and I am sure a huge difference from Starbuck's version!  I divided up the loaf into 16 servings.  I find it easiest to slice the loaf into 8 pieces and then cut each of those pieces in half for a serving size. 

With a warm cup of coffee in the afternoon, this moist and dense quick bread is the perfect treat! 

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

adapted from PreventionRD

Printable Recipe

Yield - 1 ( 9 x 5") loaf,   Servings - 16,   Serving Size - 1/16th of loaf,   Points Plus per Serving - 4 points+

Calories - 134.6,   Total Fat - 3.6g,   Carb. - 24.4g,   Protein - 1.7g,   Fiber - 1.1g

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour ( or all purpose flour )

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 TBS granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 heaping tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

zest of one orange

1/2 cup unsulphered molasses

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

1 oz. crystallized or candied ginger, chopped

sprinkling of turbinado ( raw) sugar for top ( optional )

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.   Spray 9 x 5" loaf pan with cooking spray ( I use Baker's Joy ). 

2.  In large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, spices and orange zest.  Set aside.  

3.  In med bowl or 4-cup glass measure, combine the molasses, canola oil, orange juice and pumpkin puree.

4.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.    Stir in the chopped candied or crystallized ginger.  Pour batter into prepared pan, sprinkle on turbinado sugar, if using,  and bake in oven for 50 - 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack and slice once cooled.  ( if you slice it while it is still very warm, since the bread is so moist and tender, the slices will easily fall apart!  Waiting is hard, but worth it!  I know, because I didn't wait!  lol ) 

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I really loved this version of this quick bread!  Moist, dense, tender and spicy! 

Hard to believe that Halloween is just around the bend!  I bought my candy to give out, and it is patiently waiting.  The cost of candy has gone up so much, I didn't buy as much as I have in the past.  I figure when I am out, I am out.  It is a good thing not to have too much though, as there won't be tempting leftovers!   How easy is it to pop one of those fun sized candy bars into your mouth without even thinking about it??  

What is your strategy to keep your hands out of the candy this Halloween?  I am not sure if my kids are going trick or treating this year ( they are getting to that age, ya know) and my daughter is away at college...so I don't suspect I will have stray candy to tempt me this year.  But in the past years, I have always made the kids keep their candy out of my sight and up in their rooms.  It worked most of the time! 

Split Pea and Smoked Ham Soup

You know what?

This was the first time I have ever tasted, let alone made Split Pea Soup...crazy...I know.  Was it the color, the texture, the look of it that turned me off all these years?....or maybe it was the fact that I was a Labor and Delivery nurse for all those years...( if you are familiar with L&D nursing, you will know what I mean) ...IDK.  I like peas just fine, and dried split peas are a great source of protein and fiber.  For years now, my husband has been telling me Split Pea Soup is one if his favorite soups, next to Chicken Noodle that is...and I have just thought that Classic Ham and Bean Soup was close enough to satisfy him.  But for some reason, I have had split pea soup on my mind lately, and I keep coming across recipes for it.

Crockpot Garden Chicken Cacciatore over Polenta

What a delicious and easy crockpot meal this is!  Tender boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a vegetable laced tomato sauce over creamy polenta slices.  Perfect for a cool autumn day!  Super easy to prepare and plate, thanks to pre-made polenta that only requires heating up to serve.   Pre-made, store bought, polenta is such a deal point+ speaking too.   For two 1/2" slices, it adds only 2p+ to this dish.  I sliced the polenta into 1/2" discs, and then sauteed them for a few minutes in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray until warm.    Of course, you could serve this over pasta or rice if you prefer, and it would still be delicious! 

As for the chicken cacciatore, it is basically "a layer and let cook all day" sort of recipe!  Only a little extra work at the end, to thicken the sauce and add the spinach, before it is ready to be served.

 

And the best part is, you can thin the leftovers out with some chicken stock for a great soup for lunches during the week!  

Crockpot Garden Chicken Cacciatore over Polenta

adapted from Healthy Cooking

Printable Recipe

Servings - 8   Serving Size - approx 1 cup or 1/8th recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 4 points+

Calories - 157.3,   Total Fat - 3.4g,   Carb. - 13.1g,   Protein - 18.5g,   Fiber - 3.3g

9 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 large rib of celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 - 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, undrained

1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste

1/2 cup fat free, reduced sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup dry red wine ( I used merlot ) 

2 TBS. balsamic vinegar

2 TBS cornstarch dissolved in a little water

2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach ( optional....I wanted to use up some spinach I had )

additional salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Season chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Spray liner of a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray.  Place chicken thighs inside the bottom.  Add in the green pepper, onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and bay leaf.  Open can of diced tomatoes and top the vegetables in the crock pot.  

2. In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, chicken stock, wine and balsamic vinegar.  Mix well.  Pour on top of chicken.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 - 10 hours or until the chicken is tender.  Remove bay leaf and discard. 

3.  Add in the chopped spinach ( if using) and the cornstarch dissolved in water.  Stir and allow to cook for another 20 minutes on HIGH or until the sauce has thickened.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over polenta slices, pasta or rice.  ( Polenta, pasta or rice NOT included in nutritional information)

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This dish was a hit with my family.  We really enjoyed it over the polenta slices.  Look for the pre-made polenta in the pasta aisle of your grocery store.  ( of course, you could also make the polenta from scratch if you wish!)  The flavors of this cacciatore are deep and delicious and like I mentioned above, I took the leftovers and added more broth to them to make it into a soup for lunches!  You gotta love when you can recreate a dish for another meal!  

On the home front, I have been super busy lately....and feel bad that I haven't had much of a chance to read and comment on some of my favorite blogs!   So forgive me, I am looking to try to find some time to sit down and catch up with everyone!  :)

Lightened Up Sweet Potato Pie

While flying home this week, I was paging through the latest issue of Healthy Cooking, when the recipe for this delectable pie caught my eye...and although the nutritional stats were decent as it was written in the magazine, I knew I could swap out a few ingredients to make it even more diet friendly.   Lucky for me, I had some leftover sweet potato mash from a dinner I made last week already in the fridge and a Keebler, Ready Crust, Reduced Fat Graham Pie Crust in the pantry! If you cannot find the reduced fat pie crust, you can buy a regular one, but this will increase the point+ value by one per each slice. 

This pie will not disappoint.  It is a lovely twist on a traditional pumpkin pie and would be a great addition to your holiday table.  It is just spicy enough and not too sweet. It comes in at 6 points+ for a generous slice...which is 1/8th of a 9" crust.  Top it with a dollop of fat free cool whip if you like!

Lightened Up Sweet Potato Pie

adapted from Healthy Cooking

Printable Recipe

Servings - 8   Serving Size - 1/8th of pie   Points Plus per Serving - 6 points+

Calories - 218,   Total Fat - 3.6g,   Carb - 46.9g,   Protein - 4.1g,   Fiber - 0.8g

1 - 9" Keebler Ready Crust, Reduced Fat Graham Pie Crust

1 TBS eggbeaters

1 cup cooled and mashed sweet potato

1 cup skim milk

1/2 cup eggbeaters

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground clove

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Brush inside of crust with 1 TBS eggbeaters.  Bake in oven for 6 - 8 min.  Allow to cool.  

2.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  In large bowl, whisk together sweet potato, milk, 1/2 cup eggbeaters, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until smooth.  Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake in oven for 60 - 70 minutes, or until center is set.  Cool on wire rack.  Serve warm or cold. ( I liked it cold better)  Store uneaten pie in refrigerator. 

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I mentioned yesterday, that I was going to do a giveaway to celebrate MKA being on the blog scene for one year.  I racked my brains trying to think of the perfect thing to giveaway....and finally settled on a $25 gift card to Bed, Bath, and Beyond!  There are so many gadgets I love that make my life in the kitchen fun and easy, and where else can you find a huge assortment of fun kitchen gadgets?

If you would like to have a chance to win this prize...all you need to do is leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite kitchen gadget is OR what kitchen gadget you would like to get! 

For additional entries:  ( for each one, please leave a separate comment ) 

1.  Follow MKA on blogger or on Facebook, if you don't already do so, and leave me a separate comment letting me know you added MKA. 

2.  Post about this giveaway on your blog, facebook status, or tweet about it on twitter and provide appropriate links to this post. Leave me a comment letting me know you did so.

* I MUST be able to contact you to let you know you have won and so that your prize pack can be delivered.  If you do not have a blog that shows a contact email I can contact you on, please include an email in your comment and a name( you can write out the (at) and the (dot) to help avoid getting spam) or send me your email address through my email ( mykitchenadventures (at) yahoo (dot) com) and let me know who you are and which comment is yours. Anonymous comments will not be included in the contest, unless somewhere in the comment you have left me a name and contact information. Contest is open to all US and Canadian residents!  ( yup, Canada peeps...you can play too!!)

This giveaway will end on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:00 pm EST.  Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced either that night or the following day. Winners must claim their prize within 24 hours of notification, or a new winner will be chosen. 

Good Luck!!

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

With all the rainy and dreary weather we had last week, I got an itch to make a yeast bread...so off to the King Arthur Flour website I went to browse.  The recipe for this Pumpkin Yeast Bread jumped out at me...I had never before seen a yeast bread made with pumpkin...but I was very interested in finding out what this bread was all about.   

I have to apologize for the lack of pictures...I just wasn't sure if I would love this bread or not...and for some reason, had an aversion to snapping pics as I prepared it.  Even once it was done, I was still on the fence.  Since this recipe made two large loaves, I shared the extra loaf with my mom and my neighbor.  Both of them gave it thumbs up...so I decided I would go ahead and post.  The inside color is a lovely orange, thanks to the pumpkin, and the pumpkin flavor is slight...not overwhelming, and not as much as a pumpkin quick bread would have.  I did enjoy 1/2 of a smoked turkey sandwich ( again, no pic...sorry) on it.  The smoked turkey paired well with the pumpkin flavor of the bread. 

You can top the bread with pepitas, like I did if you like, but they are not included in the nutrition information.  I think if I made this bread again, I might just incorporate the pepitas into the dough, instead of sprinkling them on top.  I did have an issue with the seeds adhering to the loaves. 

I made this bread in my stand mixer with the dough hook attached, and then did the final kneading by hand.  The flour amounts are loose, as you might need a bit more or a little less to achieve the right consistency, but you can use it as a guide.  I started with 6 cups of flour, and then worked in the rest to achieve a nice elastic and soft, but not sticky, dough.   If you divide the each loaf up into 12 servings, each slice comes in at 4p+.  If you divide each loaf up into 16 servings, each slice comes in at 3p+.  I found the 12 servings to be very generously sized.

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

from King Arthur Flour

Printable Recipe

Yield - 2 large loaves   Servings - 12 or 16 per loaf    Points Plus per Serving - 12 slices per loaf = 4 points+,  16 slices per loaf = 3 points+

For 12 slices per loaf:  Calories - 164.2,   Total Fat - 2g,   Carb. - 33.5g,   Protein - 4.4g,   Fiber - 1.4g

For 16 slices per loaf:  Calories - 123.2,   Total Fat - 1.5g,   Carb. - 25.1g,   Protein - 3.3g,   Fiber - 1g

1/2 cup warm water ( 100 - 110 degrees F)

2 packages ( 2 TBS ) active dry yeast

2/3 cup warm skim milk ( I warmed it in the microwave ) 

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin

2 TBSP canola oil

6 1/2 cups ( approximately) King Arthur Bread Flour or all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1.  In med bowl or 4 cup glass measure, combine yeast and warm water.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes to soften the yeast.  Add in milk, eggs, pumpkin, oil and brown sugar.  Whisk to combine.  

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, with dough hook on, combine 6 cups of flour with the salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  With the mixer running on low, slowly add in the yeast mixture.  Let the mixer run until the dough comes together, adding more flour if needed.  

3.  Remove the dough from the mixer, and by hand, knead on lightly floured surface, adding more flour if needed, until dough is soft, smooth and elastic.  ( Honestly...THIS is the fun part of making yeast breads!  wonder how many activity points you get for it??) 

4.  Put dough into a bowl coated in cooking spray and cover.  Allow to rise in warm place until doubled...about an hour. 

5.  Punch dough down well...divide dough in half.  ( I weigh it and then divide, so it's more equal ) Shape into loaves and place into 9 x 5" loaf pans which have been sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover and allow to rise again, until almost doubled...about 45 minutes.  

6.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake loaves for about 30 minutes in preheated oven until tops are golden brown and bread sounds hollow.  ( or internal temp of 190 degrees F ) 

7.  Remove bread from pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack before slicing.  ( I am never too good at waiting until they are cool...but trust me, you will get nicer looking slices if you wait! ) 

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As I mentioned above, if I added pepitas next time, I think I would incorporate them into the dough.  They just would not adhere to the tops very well, which is why I omitted adding them at all in the directions.  It was a pretty bread though, with or without the pepitas, and would be a nice addition to your Thanksgiving feast, I think! 

Well...it has finally stopped raining, the sun is out, and the temps are supposed to climb into the 70's for the rest of the week!  I have a TON of outside work to get done as fall begins to really settle in.  I have also slated this week as time to clean out the garage!  The leaves have barely begun to change color around here...which is kind of late for us...they are saying it's because of all the rain.  But hopefully, the colors will really begin to pop this week!  I am not a huge fan of fall...but I do like the fall colors!  I DO NOT like picking up all the leaves once they are done for the season!!  lol

Skillet Apple Walnut Galette