Tuna stuffed avocado

I was skeptical about this one, especially after looking at the ingredients, but, after a few alterations, I decided to give it a try. It required a little more prep work and made a little more mess than I usually like to do for a lunchtime meal, but it will be worth it every once in a while, which is all the more you should eat tuna anyhow. Calvin and I both definitely enjoyed it.

Tuna stuffed avocado

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Original recipe: Muscle&Fitness

Ingredients:
• 1 medium avocado
• 3 ounces tuna, drained
• 1/4 cup cauliflower (or vegetable of your choice), diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup fresh orange sections, diced

Directions:
1. Slice Avocado in half, lengthwise and remove the pit.
2. Scoop out the center of the avocado, leaving about ¼ inch of the fruit. Set the halves aside.
3. Dice scooped out fruit and put into a bowl. Add tuna, cauliflower, onion, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, salt and sweetener to the bowl with the scooped out avocado. Mix well.
4. Add orange sections and mix gently.
5. Scoop half of the mix into each of the Avocado halves.

The original recipe called for green pepper instead of cauliflower, but we're not fond of green peppers so I replaced it. I think next time I might try the traditional celery instead of cauliflower. In fact, there are lots of vegetable combinations I can think of to try out, but the dressing and the oranges are definitely keepers.

Pecan and cranberry crusted rockfish

I was after sole at the store today, but the rockfish fillets were on sale so I decided to give that a try instead. When I make sole I wrap it around bacon and asparagus and poach it in white wine, but rockfish is really different. So I worked with what I had, and this is what we got. We liked it. Rockfish apparentely doesn't have much flavor and I think this might work better with whitefish, but we did enjoy it quite a bit.

Pecan and cranberry crusted rockfish

Origin: me
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3-4

Ingredients
• 1 lb rockfish fillets
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp milk
• salt and pepper
• flour
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup pecans
• olive oil
• butter

Directions
1. Combine egg and oil in a shallow bowl. Beat lightly.
2. Combine pecans and cranberries in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Mix flour, salt, and pepper to a third shallow bowl.
4. Dredge fish in flour, then egg, then cranberry and nut mixture until well coated.
5. Heat oil and butter in a pan over medium high heat. Fry fish 4 minutes to a side until browned on the outside and opaque on the inside.

I served it with lightly steamed asparagus over wild rice, a lemon wedge, and pomegranate seeds. It makes a pretty Christmas meal.

Mtuzi wa Samaki

While traveling through Africa, one must eat, mustn't one? Calvin and I searched the internet today for recipe ideas. He wanted to experience foods from two different African countries, Kenya and Egypt. We started with Kenya, because as far as our travels go we haven't made it to Egypt yet.

Calvin made our Kenyan selection, Mtuzi wa Samaki, a curried fish dish that originated in Zanzibar before becoming popular throughout the east African coast countries. It turned out to be somewhat bland, but enjoyable. 

Mtuzi wa Samaki
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
  ● Oil -- 1 tablespoon
  ● Fish filets, cut into serving portions -- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
  ● Salt and pepper -- to taste
  ● Onion, chopped or sliced -- 1
  ● Red or green bell peppers, chopped or sliced -- 2
  ● Garlic, minced -- 6-8 cloves
  ● Tomatoes, seeded and chopped -- 1 cup
  ● Coconut milk -- 1 1/2 cups
  ● Garam masala or curry powder -- 2-3 teaspoons
  ● Tamarind paste or lemon juice -- 1-2 tablespoons
  ● Salt and pepper -- to taste
  ● Rice, ugali, potatoes, or chapatti

Directions:
1. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet or pot. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Sear the fish fillets on both sides and remove to a plate. Do not cook through.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and peppers. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.

3. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, garam masala or curry powder, tamarind paste or lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 6-8 minutes.

4. Add the fish fillets, cover and continue to simmer until the fish is cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Serve with rice, ugali, boiled potatoes, boiled cassava or chapatti.

Shrimp and fingerlings

Shrimp is one of Calvin's favorites, and it's a fun shake up to our usual evening meals. This one was warming and filling on a cool winter evening. Jon says it's not at the top of his recipe list (he prefers shrimp as just shrimp) but the other thirds of us enjoyed it whole heartedly. The recipe was originally from Bon Apetit, but has since been altered.

Shrimp and fingerlings in tomato broth

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

  ● 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  ● 1-2 tbsp flour
  ● 2 cups finely chopped onions
  ● 1-2 tbsp. flour
  ● 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  ● 1 tbsp. paprika
  ● 1 14.5 ounce jar diced fire-roasted tomatoes in juice
  ● 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
  ● 1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
  ● 1 cup dry white wine
  ● 1 8- ounce bottle clam juice
  ● 3 cups water
  ● 8 oz. fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  ● 1 lb. peeled deveined uncooked medium American shrimp

Directions:
1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until very tender and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 18 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring continuously on low heat, until browning.

2. Add garlic and paprika; stir 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and cook until very thick, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. Stir in rosemary and crushed red pepper. Add wine and clam juice, then 3 cups water. Bring broth to a boil. Add potatoes; simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp; simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh, warm bread.

Crusted salmon with wild rice and kale

Something about using the word "crusted" in any recipe title bothers me. It turns me off to the food immediately. It makes me think of unpleasant things. Crusty things. And I don't mean yummy bread with a really great crust on it. But for lack of a better title, that's what we get. This started as a healthy cooking reicpe that changed drastically in my hands. The original called for Corn Flakes and wanted to be baked and served over spinach. I had panko and kale and a strong desire to play with wild rice, so this is what I made. We all really enjoyed it.

Crusted salmon over wild rice and kale

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients for salmon:
  ● 1 lb salmon
  ● 2 tbsp. honey
  ● 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  ● 1/4 cup panko
  ● 2 tbsp. sliced almonds
  ● 2 tbsp. chopped pecans
  ● 1 tbsp. mayonnaise

Ingredients for wild rice and kale:
  ● 1 cup wild rice, uncooked
  ● 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (divided)
  ● 1 tbsp. olive oil
  ● 1 small onion, diced
  ● 2 cloves garlic, minced
  ● 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  ● 1 pinch raw sugar
  ● 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
  ● 1 bunch stemmed, torn and rinsed kale
  ● 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  ● salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Begin with wild rice. Bring 2 cups broth and the rice to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 50 minutes.

2. For salmon, combine honey and mustard. Remove 2 tablespoons mixture and brush over salmon. Run the cornflakes, almonds and pecans in a food processor until roughly ground. Press onto salmon. Stir mayonnaise into remaining honey mixture and refrigerate until serving. Bake, uncovered, at 450° for 18-22 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

3. For Kale, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, 1 cup broth, and cranberries and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries are soft. Add the kale and wild rice and cook, stirring to coat, for 5 minutes or until wilted. Top with salmon and drizzle with reserved honey mustard sauce.