Cajun Tilapia with Steamed Vegetables
Ingredients:
• 4 Tilapia Filets (boneless)
• 1 to 2 TB Smart Balance butter
• 1 TB Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp parsley
• 1 Lemon
• Bag of fresh mixed vegetables from produce section (comes in a steam able plastic bag)
Salt, pepper and garlic to taste
-Mix Old Bay, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley
-Sprinkle over both sides of tilapia
-Cut lemon into wedges
-Melt 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet (cast iron if you have one)
-Cook Filets on medium for about 4 minutes on both sides- Fish should be flakey when done
-Sprinkle with lemon juice if desired
-Serve over brown rice if desired
-I prefer to steam my vegetables over the stove because I have a steaming pot; I put water in the bottom pot and then put the vegetables with seasonings in the pot with little holes in the bottom and place this pot on top of the pot with water. I cook on medium for about 15 minutes (I like my veggies still crunchy!) But most grocery stores have a bag that allows you to steam your vegetables in the microwave.
-I also love to serve this with steamed asparagus. I cook the asparagus the same way as the bag of mixed vegetables
Pecan Crusted Chicken with Cranberry Salad
Ingredients:
• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 3 egg whites
• 1 ½ cups to 2 cups crushed pecans (I put my pecans in a plastic bag and crush them using my rolling pin)
• 1 TB parsley
• 1 TB basil
• 2 or 3 tsp. seasoning salt ( I use Lawry’s)
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. garlic
• Bag of Fresh green salad mix (whatever type of lettuce you prefer, I like a spring mix for this type of salad)
• ½ Cup dried cranberries
• 8 oz. drained can of mandarin oranges (already segmented)
• ½ cup Blue Cheese crumbles
• ½ cup of roasted and glazed pecans (most grocery stores carry a bag of these or you can use regular pecans…or roast and glaze the pecans yourself!)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
-Turn oven onto 400 degrees
-Have a baking pan or dish ready to place chicken on (I use a pan covered in aluminum foil and spray or drizzle surface with oil)
-Mix crushed pecans, parsley, basil, salt, pepper and garlic and set aside in a bowl big enough to dip chicken.
-Beat egg whites in a bowl (big enough to dip chicken)
-Dip chicken in the egg whites, and then dip chicken in pecan mixture. Repeat the dipping of the chicken, and then place each chicken breast on baking pan.
-Place into 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until chicken is done (juices should be clear)
-Put lettuce mix in salad bowl
-Add cranberries, blue cheese, pecans and oranges (do not put oranges on until ready to serve or it will make lettuce soggy)
-Serve with balsamic vinaigrette or dressing of choice
-Serve chicken and salad separately or cut chicken into strips and serve over salad
(Note- Fresh sliced strawberries are a delicious addition to the salad if you have them!)
Southwestern Salad with Blackened Chicken
Ingredients:
• 10-12 boneless chicken strips
• 1 TB oil
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
(Note: you can also find pre-packaged blackened seasoning mixes at the grocery store on the isle with salt and pepper and other seasonings- it taste just as good most of the time- I usually end up adding a little salt and garlic if I use the store bought)
• Bag of Romaine Lettuce (You can use iceberg, but I prefer the Romaine)
• 1 Red bell pepper (cut up into strips)
• 1 green bell pepper (cut up into strips)
• 1-2 Tomatoes (cut into slices)
• Small can of sliced black olives
• Small jar of sliced jalapeños (only add as many as want..makes salad hot!)
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• ½ cup spicy tortilla strips (find on grocery isle with dressing)
• Spicy Ranch dressing
(Note: you can also add a corn to the salad- but I prefer not to right now because of the added calories)
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-Put 1 TB oil in black iron skillet
-Mix all the seasonings in bowl
-Spray or lightly coat chicken in olive oil
-Evenly coat chicken with seasoning mixture
-Place skillet on stove top on high
-Put chicken in skillet as soon as it gets hot
-Cook strips on each side for about 1 minute, or until strips are not pink
-Place skillet in oven for additional 5-10 minutes, until chicken is done and juices are clear
-Mix salad lettuce in big salad bowl
-Sprinkle with cheese
-Add bell peppers, olives, jalapenos tomatoes and tortilla strips
-When chicken is done, place strips over salad
-Serve with Spicy Ranch Dressing- you can buy it in the store or… (I only had light ranch dressing, so I added about 2 tsp. chili powder to 1 cup of ranch dressing, I also had a can of diced tomatoes and jalapenos and I added a little of that to the dressing as well)
Hope you enjoy these recipes! I am no dietician, so do not expect extreme results on these low carb recipe- RESULTS ARE NOT TYPICAL!) I just happened to lose a few pounds and hope I can lose a few more.
Good Day!
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