This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

Grilled Tuna with Smoky Tomato Salsa

This grilled tuna dish hands down was the big favorite because of the smoky tomato salsa. If you prefer a milder relish, remove seeds from the jalapeño before grilling. I didn’t and it was spicy, but no overwhelmingly so.

Unfortunately, I overcooked and blackened the tomatoes too much (it’s the fish in the upper left) even though I followed the directions perfectly. My grill must have been too hot.

(The Tuna with the Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette in is the upper right. The Greek Mahi Mahi with Kalamata Olives is on the bottom.)

Grilled Salmon with Smoky Tomato Salsa
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and about 1/2 cup salsa)

I substituted tuna steaks for the salmon, but you could use any type of mild fish or even chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
• 4 large plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 jalapeño pepper, halved
• 1 lime, divided

Directions:

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle fillets with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
2. Place tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill tomatoes, cut side down, 6 minutes. Turn; grill for 1 minute. Grill onion and jalapeño for 6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
3. Remove from grill, and cool slightly. Coarsely chop tomatoes and onion; finely chop jalapeño. Combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and juice from 1/2 lime. Serve salsa over fish. Garnish with lime wedges.

CALORIES 336 ; FAT 18.6g (sat 3.7g,mono 6.6g,poly 6.8g); CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.2g; SODIUM 399mg; PROTEIN 34.7g; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 0.9mg

Weight Watchers POINTS per serving = 8 (To reduce POINTS, choose a less fatty fish like mahi mahi or tilapia or use a grilled chicken breast instead.)

From the September 2009 issue of Cooking Light

Greek Mahi Mahi with Kalamata Olives

What interested me in this dish was the use of kalamata olives. I found them at the Mediterranean style salad bar by my grocery store’s deli. It was the first time I used the self-serve bar and found it full of different types of olives, roasted garlic and other gourmet goodies. The nice thing about olive bars is that you only have to buy enough for your recipe and not a whole (expensive) jar’s worth.

Olives are full of monounsaturated fats that have been found to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. They’re also a good source of vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that neutralizes damaging free radicals, and polyphenols and flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. (See SixWise.com for more about olives’ health benefits and recipes for olive soup and olive tapenade.)

Along with the mahi mahi (called dorado in Mexico) and the last of our summer tomatoes, this dish packed a nutritional punch. Double the salad portion of the recipe to enjoy the next day for lunch.

Weekly fish challenge restart: Tuna Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette and Couscous

As I posted a few weeks ago, my husband came back from Mexico with a cooler full of freshly caught fish. That’s a picture of him and one of the blue fin tuna. Paul’s the one in the PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals) shirt. Well, what can I say? At least he wasn’t wearing one of his X-rated, man's weekend fishing trip shirts.

We’ve been eating grilled fish one to two times a week, but cooking wise it’s been kind of boring – grill the fish and serve with some veggies or brown rice on the side. Delicious and healthy, but not something to write home or blog about.

Last weekend we had friends over for dinner, so I decided to get my culinary butt in gear and cook up three different types of fish dishes, all of which I’ll be featuring this week at This Mama Cooks!

The start of the weekly fish dish project: Muir Glen Fiery Fruit Salsa

You give a man a fishing pole – and a ticket to La Paz, Mexico – and he and three friends bring back over 200 pounds of tuna, wahoo and mahi mahi. Thanks to my husband’s recent fishing expedition, I’ll be cooking up a fish dish every week and featuring the recipes here at This Mama Cooks! It's a bit daunting, but I think I'm up to the challenge.

Luckily for us, wild caught fish is low in fat and calories and full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Also, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish two times per week.

However, my children are not the most enthusiastic fish eaters. The trick will be to disguise the fish enough to get them to eat it. One way will be to use fruit salsas on top of grilled fish. Here’s a recipe from Muir Glen Organic that should do the trick.

Fiery Fruit Salsa
Makes 6 servings (1/3 cup each)

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 ripe medium mango, peeled, diced (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions (4 medium)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt

Directions:

1. In food processor, place drained tomatoes. Cover; process until coarsely chopped. Place in medium bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Serve with meat or fish, or with tortilla chips as desired.

Nutritional Information:

1 Serving: Calories 30 (Calories from Fat 0); Total Fat 0g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 180mg; Total Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 4g); Protein 0g

Weight Watchers POINTS = 0

Tips:

• Make the salsa up to 24 hours ahead of time, and store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
• Salsa can be used on chicken, pork or turkey or served on the side with tortilla chips.

Tomato and Roasted Sweet Pepper Soup

“Beautiful soup, so rich and green
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!
Beautiful soup! Who cares for fish
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth of beautiful soup?”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Our first serious snowfall makes me want to rush to the kitchen in search of a hot bowl of soup. While I have a great many varieties of canned soup in the cupboard – everything from Progresso to Campbell’s to Amy’s – there are some days when nothing but homemade soup will do.

This is especially true since we still have a refrigerator full of tomatoes, the last remnants of our summer garden. If you aren’t as lucky, canned tomatoes from Muir Glen Organic, will do.

Best thing about this soup? Only 2 Weight Watchers POINTS per serving!

Flat Belly Diet Recipes: Peanut Butter-Stuffed French Toast

At 9 Weight Watchers POINTS per serving, I was a little put off by this Flat Belly Diet recipe. Blame the peanut butter adding 21 grams to it. (Nut butters are great MUFA sources.) Then again it has a whopping 17 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. One serving should keeping you feeling full for awhile.

Peanut Butter-Stuffed French Toast

40 minutes   4 servings     418 calories MUFA : Peanut Butter

• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• ½ cup creamy natural unsalted peanut butter
• 8 slices light whole wheat bread
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons 1% milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the over to 350°F. Coat in baking sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray.
2. Place the syrup in a medium glass bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds or until simmering. Add the strawberries and set aside.
3. Spread 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter on each of 4 bread slices and cover with the remaining 4 slices, making sandwiches.
4. Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a 13” X 9” baking dish. Soak the sandwiches in the egg mixture, turning once. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned, turning once. Top with the reserved strawberry mixture.

Nutrition per Serving : 418 calories, 17 g protein, 21 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 159 mg cholesterol, 299 mg sodium, 11 g fiber

Weight Watchers POINTS = 9

Flat Belly Diet recipes: Huevos Rancheros

I’m off to San Diego this week to visit with the folks at Kashi. I grew up in the area and one thing I miss about not living there is good Mexican food. Still, we manage to make decent versions of fish tacos, fatijas, carne asada, and ceviche at home.

Of course, there’s nothing like starting off the morning with huevos rancheros. A recent study found that eating eggs for breakfast at least give days a week can help you lose more weight, especially around your middle. (I’m guess it’s because the fat and protein in the eggs made them them feel fuller.)

If you avoid adding cheese, use corn tortillas and add the MUFA from avocadoes, you have a pretty healthy dish.

Huevos Rancheros

30 minutes     4 servings 331 calories     MUFA : Avocado

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 can (15 ounces) no-salt added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sliced avocado
• 4 tablespoons fat-free Greek-style yogurt
• 4 tablespoons salsa
• 8 (6") corn tortillas, toasted
• Dash of hot-pepper sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a 10" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the beans, scallions, bell pepper, broth, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the mixture simmers. Cook for 8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and most of the broth is evaporated. With the back of a large silicone or wooden spoon, smash the beans until they are lumpy.
2. Use the back of the spoon to make 4 indentations in the beans. Working one at a time, break each egg into a custard cup and pour in each indentation. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to the desired doneness.
3. Scoop each portion of egg-topped bean mixture onto a plate. Scatter the avocado slices over and around the beans. Top each serving with 1Tbsp of the yogurt and 1Tbsp of the salsa. Serve with the tortillas and hot-pepper sauce, if desired.

Nutrition Info Per Serving: 331 cal, 16 g pro, 42 g carb, 12 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 1 mg chol, 245 mg sodium, 10 g fiber

Weight Watchers POINTS = 6

Tips:

• To lower POINTS, fat and calories, use 3 egg whites for 1 egg.

How to poach an egg: Flat Belly Diet Eggs Florentine

First, how to poach an egg. If you’ve seen the movie Julie and Julia, you know how hard it is to poach an egg in boiling water. Here’s a video from Oakland Tribune Food Editor Jenny Slafkosky showing you how:

My mom always used stove top egg poachers. But since I don’t have one, I like to make them in custard cups in the microwave ever since I saw Katie Couric cooking them this way on the Today Show.

I usually coat the inside of the custard cup in PAM, which makes removing the egg much easier. Be forewarned that if you cook them too long or your microwave is powerful, the egg could explode. Been there, done that – what a mess!

 

Flat Belly Diet lemon cupcakes

Who says all sweets are unhealthy? The MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) for this Flat Belly Diet dessert recipe is safflower oil.

Lemon Cupcakes with Citrus Icing

55 minutes     12 servings       316 calories     MUFA : Safflower Oil

Cupcakes
Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup safflower oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. To prepare the cupcakes: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine the oil, eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until lightly golden and the cupcakes are springy when gently touched. Place pan on a rack and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan, transfer to the rack, and let cool completely.

4. To prepare the icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in a bowl and stir until smooth. Spread some of the glaze over each cupcake with a small spatula and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition per Serving : 316 calories, 3 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 183 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber

Weight Watchers POINTS = 7

Eeek, that’s a lotta POINTS! Split a cupcake with a friend, make some mini cupcakes and have one or two, or save up your POINTS for a delicious treat.

Recipes from the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook: banana pancakes

Flat Belly Diet by Liz Vaccariello is a New York Times bestselling book and eating plan based incorporating monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) into every meal to target belly fat. First she has you follow a four-day plan of prescribed foods and drinks to banish belly bloat. Then for four weeks you eat meals packed with monounsaturated fat. You can learn more about it here on Prevention’s website.

I was sent a copy of the the Flat Belly Diet! Pocket Guide, a pocket version of the original book, to review. I find the diet intriguing, but not something I could fit into my life at the moment with all the travel I’m doing. Still, Liz has some interesting ideas and writes in an entertaining way. As the senior vice president and editor-in-chief of Prevention magazine, she’s knowledgeable about her subject and explains everything clearly. This would be a perfect diet to jump start your New Year’s resolutions to eat better and lose weight.

I did like the eating plan. It contained healthy, easy to cook meals, and contained nothing you couldn’t find at Super WalMart or Super Target. You just have to make sure you have certain things on hand, basically the MUFA foods like nuts, seeds, healthy oils, olives, avocado, and (yay!) dark chocolate.

The best part of the diet is its companion cookbook, the Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook. It’s filled with more than 200 easy, great-tasting new recipes (many ready in 30 minutes or less) that are perfect for anyone trying to lose weight, watch portion size, or eat more healthy. Each recipe comes with nutritional information, so you can figure out Weight Watchers POINTS. And they’re yummy enough that everyone in the family should enjoy them. (Liz is currently writing the Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook, which will be released on April 13, 2010. Can’t wait!)