Italian Bean and Tuna Salad

After one of our long walks, my new walking buddy, Marilyn, invited me to her house to try out a new dish. A friend of hers had emailed it to her and it looked so good she tried it right away and I was invited to be a co-guinea pig! I was kind of wondering how it would taste...after all, here in the South we smother tuna with mayonnaise and this tuna salad not only didn't have mayo, but it had beans in it! But I went and shared a lovely meal with Marilyn and the tuna salad was d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s! Perfect for a light lunch or dinner!

Italian Bean and Tuna Salad

1-15 ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounce can or packet water packed tuna, drained and flaked
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup fresh or frozen cut (1 inch) green beans, cooked, rinsed with cold water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
mixed greens or spinach

In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients except the lettuce/spinach and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors blend. Line plates with the lettuce or spinach, spoon salad onto lettuce and enjoy.

Note: You can also add some black olives, grape tomatoes, or green onions to this salad to jazz it up any way you want to!

TIP: If you're like me and don't keep fresh herbs around but have the dried herbs that's fine, just use one-third the amount called for in the recipe.

Chicken Packets

Here's a great idea I read about a long time ago on a wls forum and forgot about until last week. I made some up Saturday and cooked one today. Oh yummy! I did some packets with fish too!

Chicken Packets

Chicken tenderloins or breast pieces (no need to defrost if frozen)
Vegetables (onions, peppers, squash, carrots, etc.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Other seasonings to taste
Heavy duty aluminum foil

Lay a sheet of aluminum foil on the counter. Place a chicken tenderloin and your vegetables in the middle. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and/or whatever other seasoning you want to use. I used Montreal Chicken on some, dry Italian dressing mix on some, and Southwest Sweet and Smoky Chicken on others. Fold aluminum foil over on all four sides and label. Put your packets in the freezer. To cook, just throw on the grill until done. I put mine on indirect heat until almost done then moved it over to direct heat for a couple of minutes. I also used one of those baskets that you put hamburger patties in, close the basket and then flip the basket instead of the burgers. That worked really well. I was able to remove it from the grill to check for doneness. Hey! You could also make a packet of just vegetables (hmmm...marinated veggies!) ready to throw on the grill! This is not necessarily fast, but it sure is easy...like when you get home from the gym and don't feel like cooking!

15 minutes from frozen packet to cooked and ready to eat! I cooked the fish on direct heat and high.

Broiled Swordfish by Chef Rick Moonen

As soon as I got Chef Moonen's cookbook, Fish Without a Doubt, I had to try something. Right away! As in that night! I found this recipe on page 127 and thought it sounded really good. Swordfish is a little expensive here, so I substituted some cod loins since they would be nice and thick like swordfish steaks. As soon as we all took our first bites there were three sets of eyes rolling back in our heads in pure ecstasy. Such a simple recipe but so incredibly delicious. Chef Moonen gives credit to his mother for the recipe; he grew up eating this. If this was my recipe, I'd be taking full credit! My thanks to Chef Moonen for giving me permission to share this recipe with you.

Broiled Swordfish (Cod)
Used with Permission

4 (6 to 7 ounce) pieces swordfish steak (cod loins)
Course salt
Paprika (hot, sweet, smoked - it's up to you)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Set a (oiled) cast-iron griddle (flat, no ridges) on the top oven rack and heat the broiler.

Meanwhile, season the swordfish on both sides with salt and sprinkle one side with an even coating of paprika. Dot the fish with the butter.

When the griddle is searingly hot (about 15 minutes), set the swordfish on it, paprika side up, and broil until just cooked through, about 5 1/2 minutes. Serve hot.

Steamed Fish

I've really loved fish ever since my gastric bypass surgery. I crave fish. I eat fish so often, frankly I'm surprised I haven't grown fins! Tonight at support group we were talking about fish and I talked about my little microwave steamer. I bought it at World Market and it was only $5.00! I've actually got two and the second one was on sale for $3.00. Bob even told me tonight that I should really go back and get a couple more just to make sure I always have one clean and ready since I use it so often! LOL! But I think he might be right...LOL! I love fish just about any way I can get it, but I especially love it steamed. No oil or anything else to interfere with the good fish taste.

Steamed Fish

1 filet (I use frozen tilapia or cod...if you use fresh you'll need to adjust your cooking times)

frozen vegetables (I like mixed green beans or garden mixes)

frozen sweet peppers, sliced

seasoning of choice (I like all different seasoning mixes...Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime, Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning, Italian Salad Dressing dry mix are a few of my favorites)

salt

With a little water in the bottom of the steamer, place the basket on top. Place the fish and veggies then sprinkle everything with seasoning to taste. Cooking time really depends on your microwave and thickness of your fish. My frozen tilapia normally takes about 6 minutes and frozen cod normally takes about 7 minutes. Let the food rest in the steamer for about a minute before serving. Serve with a small side salad and you've got a great meal!

Pan Fried Shrimp

I know a lot of people can't eat shrimp after gastric bypass. Thankfully, I'm not one of them! But if you are, and I'm really sorry about that, feel free to skip reading this recipe. I like shrimp any way I can get it...boiled, broiled, sauteed, pan fried...hmmm I'm starting to sound like Bubba. LOL! Oh well! Today for lunch I wanted a nice salad. Then I decided to put some roasted veggies in it. Mmmm, starting to sound really good! Then I thought of the shrimp silently waiting for me in the freezer. That was it! That's just exactly what my salad needed. So I put some shrimp (I use cleaned, raw, tail-on shrimp) to defrost in a cup of water while I got my veggies ready and into the oven. On to my lovely shrimp!

Pan Fried Shrimp

fresh or defrosted shrimp (leave the tail on for now)
1-1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Pat the shrimp dry and place on a paper towel to season. (Why dirty a cutting board for 5 or 6 shrimp huh?) Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Live a little and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese too! Heat the oil (medium heat) in a skillet until it is hot enough to add the shrimp. Add the shrimp and pan fry for about two minutes. Turn the shrimp and cook another two minutes. Remove from heat and place on a sheet of aluminum foil, folded in half (another dish saver!) and let the shrimp rest for 2-3 minutes.

At this point, if you're going to eat them as is, keep the tails on and you have a nice little handle. If you're adding it to a salad like I did today, pull the tails off, cut the shrimp if you like and place in the salad.

Now there's just one more thing to do...EAT!

Pan Fried Tilapia

Lunch at my house is usually either fish (tilapia or tuna) or chicken tenderloins. And they're usually pan fried. Pan fried doesn't mean you have to cook with a lot of oil, even in a stainless steel skillet. Best tip of the week: Watch the free pan frying video lesson on Rouxbe Cooking School online. (I've been pan frying for years and learned a lot.) When you're done watching the video...pan fry some fish!

Pan Fried Tilapia

1 tilapia fillet (or another similar fish)
cooking oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Italian salad dressing dry mix (available at most supermarkets)

If your fish is frozen, defrost. Pat dry and sprinkle salt, pepper, and salad dressing mix. Pat seasonings into fish. Do this on both sides.

As explained in the video, heat your pan until hot enough to add oil. Heat oil until hot enough to add fish. Pan fry for a few minutes on each side until fish is cooked through and flaky. Since I'm cooking in oil, I like to place the fish on a paper towel to blot off the oil before serving.

New England Fish Chowder

I had a medical procedure today and wanted soup when I got home this afternoon. I had been fasting for 1 1/2 days before the procedure so I was really hungry. I've mentioned before how much I love love love my pressure cooker. I recently bought Cooking Under Pressure by Lorna Sass. She's got a blog and a website with recipes too. I highly recommend this cookbook if you have a pressure cooker. And if you don't have a pressure cooker, get one. It took me about 10 minutes to chop the veggies, it cooked under pressure for 4 minutes, then simmered for about 5 minutes. Voila! New England Fish Chowder! In a total of about 20 minutes! So delicious and satisfying too.

New England Fish Chowder by Lorna Sass
(used with permission)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil (I used butter)
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (I used new potatoes)
1 pound thick firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as cod, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (I used tilapia and flounder)
2 cups fish broth or clam juice
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream (I used 1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I used about 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
Garnish: additional unsalted butter, cut into pats (optional) (I didn't use this)

Heat the butter in the cooker. Saute the onions until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the celery, carrot, and potatoes, and saute an additional minute. Add the fish chunks, broth (watch for sputtering oil), water, bay leaf, and thyme.

Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the pressure with a quick-release method. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Stir in the milk, corn, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the corn is cooked. Top individual servings with additional butter, if desired.

Saturday, September 18th
I had an idea last night as I was drifting off to sleep. I thought I'd better get it posted before I totally forget about it. Yeah...I'm old enough for that! I think next time I make this, I'm going to use cooked great northern beans instead of potatoes. I think it will actually be thicker, which is what I think of when you say chowder, and it will add a very different texture and taste to the original recipe. I guess it wouldn't actually be "chowder" then, but I think we'd like it better.