Low Carb Meal – Orange Roughy in Scallion-Ginger Sauce with sauteed mustard greens

I’ve been trying to get back to my low-carb regiment so I can hit that 50 pound mark. So I cooked a lovely dinner that was low-calorie and low carb. Orange Roughy is a white fish and great for those who may not prefer fish that much. This recipe was wonderful, easy and quick to cook.

And the mustard greens weren’t cooked my traditional Southern way with bacon drippings. I just chopped some fresh garlic, sautéed it in olive oil and then added the greens by the fist full, until wilted. Then added about a cup of homemade chicken broth to soften the greens.

Here’s the recipe for the fish:

Orange Roughy in Scallion-Ginger Sauce
242 Calories – 3g carbs
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/4 cup of dry sherry or vermouth
3T low-sodium soy sauce
2t sesame oil
1/4 cup diagonal sliced green onion
1t freshly grated ginger
1t fresh finely chopped garlic
2 orange roughy fillets
zest of orange

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the sherry or vermouth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, ginger, orange zest and garlic in small bowl

Place the fish in ovenproof casserole dish. Drizzle the marinate over the fish and bake about 12 minutes or until flakes.
Cod, sole or flounder may be substituted.

Orange Roughy in Scallion-Ginger Sauce with sautéed mustard greens

Cedar Planked Steelhead Trout with grilled squash and pepper along with a chilled cucumber dill soup

I cooked a marvelous fish dinner tonight that was absolutely delicious as well as healthy. On the menu were steelhead trout cooked on a cedar plank on the grill, squash and pepper grilled, and a chilled bowl of cucumber-dill soup.

For the fish, I had a filet that was about 1/2 pound with the skin. Soak the cedar plank for 30 minutes in water. (You can find these in the grilling section of any store.) Season the fish with cracked pepper and garlic mixture, put chopped dill on it and cover with lemon slices. The burner that your plank is sitting on should be on low. Allow to cook for about 12-15 minutes. You can also season the squash with salt and pepper and a little olive oil to grill it. Peppers are good just roasted!

For the cucumber dill soup, peel two cucumbers and remove the seeds. (Seeds give off a bitter taste sometimes.) Cut in small pieces and put in a blender. Add about a cup to cup and half of Greek non-fat yogurt, dill, lots of it, and puree. Add a little salt and pepper and put it in the freezer to get a good chill. It’s also good when you have the bowl in the freezer too. This is a really refreshing summer cold soup. Lord knows we need something cool in Houston!

Cedar planked trout, grilled pepper and squash with a chilled cucumber-dill soup

Tempura Fried Squash Blossoms stuffed with herbed goat cheese with Tomato Sauce

The first time I had squash blossoms was in Greece. This recipe resembles the dish I was crazy for at Avli, a wonderful restaurant on the island of Crete. I really loved eating at that restaurant. Since then, I have had this in restaurants in the U.S. as well.

I wanted to give this recipe a try, and I will definitely will serve this as a course in one of the meals I cook. Plus, it was really fun to cook! And delicious!

Tempura Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Goat cheese with Tomato Sauce
Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck

Prep Time:45 minInactive Prep Time:1 hr 30 min
Cook Time:30 min
Level:Intermediate
Serves:8 servings

Ingredients

Tempura Batter:

1/4 cup rice flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
3 cups soda water

Goat Cheese Filling:

1 (8-ounce) log mild goat cheese, softened
5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped chervil
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 squash blossoms
Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
Fried Basil Leaves, recipe follows

Directions

Tempura Batter:

Sift together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk in the soda water, a little at a time, until the right consistency is achieved. The batter should coat the back of a spoon, but some excess batter should run off the spoon. Allow to rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before use.

Goat Cheese Filling:

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Shape the mixture into 1 tablespoon balls. Make sure the squash blossoms are well cleaned. Open the flowers and insert 1 goat cheese ball in each flower. Gently press the filling into the base of the flower. Cover with the petals and pinch the top to seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with peanut oil to 375 degrees F.

Hold the squash blossoms by the stem. Dip each into the tempura batter, making sure to coat completely. Let any excess batter drip off. Place the blossom in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Place some of the Tomato Sauce on the bottom of a plate. Top with 2 squash blossoms and garnish with Fried Basil leaves.

Tomato Sauce:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Pinch chili flakes

2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

4 thyme sprigs, leaves removed and chopped

4 basil leaves, chiffonade

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Lower the heat and cook until the tomatoes start to disintegrate and mixture is of sauce consistency, about 15 minutes. Add the thyme, basil, and remaining olive oil and mix well.

Fried Basil Leaves:

Vegetable oil or peanut oil

8 basil leaves

Heat about 1/2-inch of the oil in a steep-sided saute pan to 350 degrees F. Or heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees F.

Pat the basil leaves dry to remove any surface water. Carefully drop the basil leaves in the hot oil. The oil will spit and splatter as the moisture in the leaves fries. Fry for 10 seconds or just until the leaves start to become translucent. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.

Squash Blossoms off the vine

Gulf Snapper Wrapped in Cabbage Leaves

I am always looking for great recipes that feature fish because I try to eat healthier these days for weight loss, and to be heart smart. For me, fish is sometimes a culinary challenge. I tend to overcook it. But this recipe is tasty, yet elegant enough to impress dinner guests. Because it is wrapped in cabbage leaves, the fish stays nice and moist. The fennel gives added flavor to the vegetables.

Give this recipe a try. I gave it to my boss to cook and she successfully cooked it for dinner guests in her home. She said I needed to give her a recipe every two weeks for her try and now realizes why I enjoyed cooking.

GULF SNAPPER WRAPPED IN CABBAGE LEAVES

4 big leaves of cabbage (Buy a big enough head of cabbage that has bigger leaves to do the wrap.)
4 small fillets of Gulf snapper, or other white fish
½ cup of finely chopped cabbage
½ cup of finely chopped fennel
½ cup of finely chopped shallots
½ cup of finely chopped carrots
2 tablespoons of finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
½ stick of butter (You can use a little less if you like to make more heart healthy)
2 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Beurre Monte:
2 tablespoons of water
1 stick of butter

Grape Tomatoes:
1 ½ cups grape tomatoes
¼ cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes. Cool down fast in ice water. Strain the water from the cabbage. Sauté all the chopped vegetables and herbs with olive oil and butter in a pan 5-7 minutes, until they soften a bit. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare the Beurre Monte by bringing the water to a boil. Start whisking in the butter in a little at a time. This becomes an emulsion.

Cut grape tomatoes in half; combine them with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Let them simmer in a saucepan over low heat for 10 minutes.

Start the cabbage roll by placing a tablespoon of vegetables on top of each cabbage leaf. Then salt and pepper the fish, setting it atop the vegetables. Glaze the fish fillet with beurre monte. Wrap it into a roll. You can also tie this with butcher’s twine. Place in a pan and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 350F. Serve with grape tomatoes spooned on top and sides. Serves 4.

Lemon Angel Hair Pasta – My Godsons Love It!

Lemon Angel Hair Pasta – My Godsons Love It!

Last night I cooked dinner for my Godsons and their parents while visiting them in Denver. I wanted to cook something really good, but I had a specific request….it had to be vegetarian.

Both of my Godsons have made the decision to be vegetarian because of their animal rights concerns and food production process concerns. Yes, they are 14 and 11 years old, and made this decision on their own. Although their parents do enjoy meat and fish, they honor their sons’ decision, which is really cool.

So I made this dish and they went absolutely wild over it. George had three helpings, and John had four. I served this with a salad of butter lettuce with macadamia nuts drizzled with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. John, the younger one, who doesn’t really like salads, loved it. It was a great meal and they marveled at my culinary skills. They asked when I was moving in with them!

Here is the recipe:

Lemon Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, coat the pan
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped, more if you really like garlic
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 lemons, zested and juiced
¼ cup of Capers, more if you love capers
½ to ¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup (10 or 12 leaves) fresh basil, very thinly sliced

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the pasta into the pot. (Don’t put oil in the water because it makes the pasta slick and the sauce won’t adhere to it.)

Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.
When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.

Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add the capers, lemon zest, basil, and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.

Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese, and parsley.