No Meat March: Crispy Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Today is the last entry for the series No Meat March. Hope you have enjoyed the recipes I shared. I was persuaded to do this as my first serious after learning about a global campaign, known as Meatless Monday. How often do you eat meat in a week? This campaign encourages people to give up meat one day a week and there is evidence that shows Monday would be the best day.  Is this something you think you would like to consider?  You can read in detail all of the reasons why they feel you should make this change, but overall this campaign states that “by going meatless once a week you may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.” They do however, admit by “going meatless that is not enough”, so they also offers great health resources on their website. In addition to the health benefits, I also feel having a vegetarian meal once a week will help with variety in your meal planning.

Over the course of this month, I have shared a few vegetarian dishes and today I will share a second seafood dish. I will be honest, I don’t love fish. I like love shellfish such as shrimp and scallops, but never do I find a fillet of salmon as a meal I crave - I know there are a lot of people that do, I am just not one of them. Problem is my husband is one of those people and loves fish. I do try to cook fish occasionally to accommodate his tastes and because it really is good for you. Tilapia is a fish I don’t mind too much - it is a really light and flaky fish with not too strong of a fish smell and taste. I turn to fish tacos quite a bit, but also try to think of ways to make as a fillet, because at the end of the day that is the way Zach likes it best.

I personally am desiring a vacation, but probably won’t be getting a tropical one any time in the near future, so I decided to take us back to the Caribbean with my Crispy Tilapia and Mango Salsa. 

 
I used the ataulfo (pronounced aht-ah-uhl-foe) variety of mangoes for my mango salsa. This variety of mangoes is one of the sweetest varieties and are great this time of year.  They are in peak season from March to June and were on sale at the store this week, so this was a no brainer for me. When you are picking out the best one to buy, gently press and see if you get an indention in the mango. Also, you will know they are ripe by their golden yellow color.

Working with an Mango:

Find the 'head' of the mango (the pointy top). Move your knife over a centimeter or so and slice off the 'cheek'. Repeat on the other side, leaving the pit in the core of the mango to discard.

Use your knife to cut the flesh on a diagonal. Next, make slits the opposite way, making a crisscross design.

 
Turn the skin inside out and use your knife to cut the flesh of the mango out of the skin.

 
Crispy Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
Tilapia fillets (I like the individual flash frozen servings - great for always having fish on hand)
Cornmeal, ½ c
Seafood seasoning, 1 tsp
Oil

 
Coat each fillet in the cornmeal mixture. 

 Saute in a oiled pan over medium heat for 3 minutes per side

Serve with Mango Salsa (recipe below)

 
Better Bonus Tip: This fish is great on some toasted bread served with mayo or tarter sauce - sandwich style. Also, my favorite way to eat this fish, as I mentioned above, is to cut into small pieces, and serve inside a tortilla with some slaw and the Mango Salsa.
 

Mango Salsa

Servings: 4 

Ingredients:

Mangoes, 2 (produced just under 1 c chopped)
Chopped red onion, ¼ c
Cilantro, 2 T
Lime juice, fresh from one lime

 
Chop all ingredients and mix together. 

Serve with the crispy tilapia fish or with your favorite chips.

Better Bonus Tip: Would be great with pineapple also - either in place of mango or in addition to.

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One last thing, not sure if you noticed some updates to my site last week. I changed some colors around, as I have noticed depending on the computer I am on, some of the colors were difficult to see. I apologize for this, but hope you will find the changes beneficial. Please let me know if you find them still difficult to read. I am trying to find a way to continue to keep my color scheme, but of course make it the best for you, my followers!

Also, I have added a few pages to the tool bar - Recipe Index, Self Education and Tips & Techniques. This is a user friendly way to find the blogs I have posted to date - just click on the links within the pages and it will take you back to the original post. Hope you will find these changes helpful!

Happy Cooking!

~Ashley  

 

No Meat March: Roasted Veggie Soup

Ironically, with this month being No Meat March, beef is back in the headlines. If you read my rather lengthy, but hopefully informative blog a few months back, A Better Beef, you may remember one of the topics - pink slime. Well it is back in the news. Pink Slime, also known as lean finely textured beef, is the meat filler that is treated with ammonia. Unfortunately, it is pretty common to find this filler in the beef you and your family may be eating.

Because people continue to demand better quality food, a couple of promising changes have occurred since the last time I wrote about this topic. Many news sources, ABC and CBC to name a couple, report that Taco bell, McDonald's and Burger King all are no longer using this filler in their meat. Also, last week, the USDA reported they will now give school cafeterias across the nation, the option to purchase two different types of beef - one with a low fat percentage, however with the use of filler OR a higher fat percentage beef. These are both great improvements!

Unfortunately, there is still more work to be done. It is still thought that up to 70% of grocery stores are still using this filler in the beef product they sell. The unfortunate part of this is there are still no laws about containing this information on the label, so you may not know.   What can you do?

Better Bonus Tips:

• Talk to your butcher, they might be able to tell you if the product they sell contains the filler
• Have your butcher grind up the meat fresh
• Shop at stores that have guaranteed no use - Whole Foods and Costco are a couple. As each day passes, more stores and saying they will start to provide meat that does not contain this filler
• Buy your beef from a local farmer that you can talk to about their process. Check out these websites to find local farmers' markets and farms near you: Local Harvest and Eat Wild
• Buy beef labeled organic

If you would like more information, below is one link from ABC news, but you can find many articles and videos out there. Do your own research. Decide what is important for you and your family.

ABC News

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Onto today’s blog...
What I love about cooking is, if you can devote time to learning instead of just following recipes (and what I'm hear to help with), you will notice cooking is really using the same techniques and changing ingredients. Soup is a perfect example of that.

I think soup is great, because you can really put anything into it and be creative.You can blend it up or keep it chunky. You can make it a broth based or cream based.  

My favorite way to make soup is with roasted vegetables. The flavor you get from roasting the veggies is amazing!

Here are some ideas for what to put into the soup:

• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Mushroom
• Asparagus
• Squash
• Beets
• Potato - sweet, russet, new, yukon, fingerling
• Greens - spinach, kale, arugula, cabbage
• Beans - garbanzo, cannellini, great northern, navy, kidney
• Onion - red, white, yellow, shallot, green scallions, leek

The foundation of my soup always consists of onion and garlic, wine, broth and a touch of cream. Then I use whatever veggies I have around the house from other meals or whatever is on sale that week.

This week, I made a roasted mushroom, asparagus and cauliflower soup. Give it a try or be creative with your own choices.

Roasted Veggie Soup
Servings: 4  

Ingredients:
Small head of cauliflower
One bunch of asparagus
Mushrooms, ½ lb
Onion, ½ large
Garlic, 3 cloves
Dry white wine, ¼ c
Broth - vegetable or chicken, 4 c
Cream, ¼ c
Oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Chop the cauliflower, asparagus and mushrooms and toss with oil and salt and pepper. Feel free to add any additional dried herbs from your spice cabinet if you would like.

Better Bonus Tips: If you plan on making a blended soup, don’t worry about spending a lot of time trying to chop your veggies in a consistent presentable shape. Keep them medium size - they will shrink when they roast and be easier to blend. If you are going to make a chunky, not blended soup, keep in mind the pieces will need to be small enough to eat with a spoon.

Roasted the veggies at 425 degrees for 25 - 35 minutes.  If you have a pan with sides, use that. 

Better Bonus Tips: If you plan to add greens, don’t roast them for the full time. They will take less than 10, so just add them later - you don’t want them to burn. If you plan to add beans - don’t put them in the oven at all, just add those to the pot of soup later. 

When the veggies are almost done roasting, add the chopped onion to a stock pot heated to medium heat. Cook the onion with a little oil, until translucent, 3-4 minutes. When the onion is almost done, add the garlic for the last 30 seconds to a minute. Make sure to not burn the garlic.

Better Bonus Tips:  I have found over the years of cooking, a lot of recipes direct you to add the onion and garlic to the pan at the same time. I disagree with this. I think the onion needs to cook longer and have found if I add at the same time, the garlic will burn before the onion is done.

Once the veggies are done cooking, remove from the oven.  Add the wine (or you can use broth) to the pan to help scrape up the crispy bits that have stuck to the pan.This is where using a pan with sides is helpful.

Better Bonus Tips:  Make roasted veggies as a side dish, by following the steps above prior to the point of adding the wine. 

Next, add the veggies and wine to the stockpot that is on the stove with the onion and garlic. Last, add the broth and cream.  

If you would like to blend the soup, I like to use an immersion blender.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender or food processor, but I recommend letting the soup cool some first. The heat of the soup and the heat of the blender working, can cause pressure and the lid to burst off the top, causing the soup to explode. 

Bring the pot of soup back to a boil and then reduce and let simmer for as long as you would like.

To serve, top the soup bowls with a piece of the veggie that is in the soup, crispy bacon, fried onion pieces, croutons, fresh herbs like chives or parsley, a swirl of cream, or any combination.

 










What combination did you try?

~Ashley

No Meat March: Tuna Salad Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

I love tuna salad! It is definitely one of our pantry meals. It is great just scooped onto crackers or on some toasted bread with veggies like red onion, tomato and lettuce. So simple, but can have so much flavor.
 

Zach also really loves seafood cakes - crab cakes are the most popular, but we have also done shrimp and salmon cakes. This recipe was born when I decided I would combine the two - why not right? They are so moist, more so than a typical seafood cake I think - yummmm!

I feel like anything in a cake or patty form looks really elegant, so try as an appetizer next time you have friends over. Also, great as a meal served on a bed of salad. Keep in mind, these cakes are definitely crumbly, so are not the type of cake to pick up and eat with your fingers.

Tuna Salad Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Servings: 4 cakes

 

Ingredients: 
Canned tuna, 2 - drained
Hard boiled eggs, 2
Green onions, 3 small - finely chopped
Mayo, ¼ c 
Dijon mustard, 2 T
Dried dill, 1 tsp
Garlic powder, 1 tsp
Lemon zest, from 1 lemon
Panko bread crumbs (or regular),  ½ - ¾ c

Sauce:
Greek plain yogurt,  ½ c
Roasted red pepper, 1 (you can roast your own or get them jarred at the grocery store)
Lemon, ½ - juiced
 

Combine all cake ingredients, except the breadcrumbs, into a bowl. For the hard boiled egg, I like to use a microplane (also what I use for my lemon zest). If you don't have a microplane, you can use a regular grater or just chop the egg very small. The recipe calls for two hard boiled eggs, because if you are using the microplane or grater, the eggs will start to fall apart - you aren't really using the entire two eggs. With that said, if you are just going to chop the egg really small, just do one egg. 


Better Bonus Tip: If you use the grater or microplane and have left over egg, keep and sprinkle on a salad later in the week.

Better Bonus Tip: I have found the easiest way to peel a hard boiled egg is to crack the ends and run under water as you peel the shell into the sink.

 

Once all ingredients are mixed well, form into patties and add to a bowl of breadcrumbs to coat both sides. Fry in oil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until brown and crispy.

While the cakes are browning, mix the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Since these cakes are so crumbly and moist, I like to serve on a bed of greens with a drizzle of the sauce - it ends up as a salad. Enjoy!

~Ashley

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No Meat March: Veggie Sandwich Assembly Line

Today is the second post in the mini series, No Meat March - we are making personalized veggie sandwiches. When Zach and I did this last weekend, it was fun because we could make two completely different sandwiches in the same amount of time, using what we had around the house. I love this type of eating. Whenever we go out to eat, I always try to get him to share. Why wouldn't you want to share - you get to try more things that way? 

There isn't really a recipe to follow today, rather three steps in the sandwich assembly line. 


Step #1: Pick your bread

Some ideas: pita bread, tortilla, rolls, sliced bread

If you decide to use a tortilla, you can fold it like a taco or wrap - you decide.

Step #2: Pick your veggies 

Some ideas: eggplant, bell pepper, portabella mushroom, red onion, spinach, lettuce, arugula, sprouts, tomato, avocado, corn, edamame, cucumber, squash, zucchini

 

Depending on the veggies you decide to use, you may want/need to cook them. To cook, you can use many methods depending on the veggie - outside grill, inside grill pan, oven, saute pan.  If you choose to do the outside grill for veggies like the eggplant, pepper, mushroom, keep the veggie whole or only cut in half. If you cut into small strips, they will likely fall through the grill.  For added flavor, add oil, salt and pepper and then cook until soft enough for your liking.


Step #3: Pick your topping

Some ideas: goat cheese, feta cheese, avocado cream, cilantro lime cream, balsamic vinegar, your favorite dressing - ranch or honey mustard, hummus

To make the two cream toppings (avocado cream and cilantro lime cream), I used sour cream. With the avocado cream, I wanted the avocado to be the star, so used just a tiny bit of sour cream. With the cilantro lime cream, there is more sour cream with some fresh lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro. Just experiment with these and add what you think sounds good. Maybe try lemon juice and parsley instead.  

Better Bonus Tips:

When working with portabella mushrooms, I like to remove the gills. To do this, use a spoon to scrap them out. 

With any mushrooms, it is important to wash them, however do not run under water, as this will cause the mushroom to become tough and chewy - rubbery like. Instead, use a damp paper towel.

 
With bell peppers, there are many ways to cut them. I thought I would share the technique I use. Stand the pepper upright and cut all four sides off. I then lay down all of the pieces, with the flesh side up. Remove the white rib flesh, as it tastes bitter, and then slice into strips. I find it is easier (and safer) to cut with the skin side down, because they stay more stable.

With the eggplant, while you can eat the skin, I like to remove it. You can use a veggie peeler for this. The entire eggplant is edible, so you have options for cutting. First, remove the top and bottom and then choose what size you want. You can cut into circles or thin julienne strips. I choose to do the julienne strips to keep the same size as the rest of the veggies. 

 

So at the end of our assembly line, Zach and I ended up with a two pretty different sandwiches, both delicious.

A Mexican inspired 'sandwich', which consisted of a tortilla filled with corn, edamame, tomato, red onion, spinach, red pepper, avocado cream and a drizzle of the cilantro lime cream.

A Greek inspired sandwich, which consisted of a pita filled with eggplant, mushroom, pepper, red onion, sprouts, balsamic vinegar and  feta cheese.  As I am typing this I am thinking some plain Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice might be good in this sandwich - maybe next time.

What combination sounds good to you?

Better Bonus Tip: This would be great to do for a large group. Just lay out tons of options and let people add what they want. Also, fun for kids because they can be a part of making their food. 

~Ashley

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