Coriander-Crusted Tuna with Black Bean Salsa

So this was good. D said it was "f-ing easy" to make.
We served with the avocado and the flour tortillas.

Coriander-Crusted Tuna with Black Bean Salsa

This Southwestern tuna has a spicy crust made with coriander, cumin, and black pepper. Serve with warm flour tortillas, and garnish with sliced avocado. .

1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced plum tomato (about 3 tomatoes) --- used grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper-- used green pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions -- didn't use, because I forgot to buy them.
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

1. Combine coriander, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat.

3. Combine tomato and next 5 ingredients (through beans) in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss well. Serve salsa with fish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 tuna steak and about 3/4 cup salsa)

CALORIES 356 (31% from fat); FAT 12.3g (sat 2.6g,mono 5.2g,poly 2.9g); IRON 3.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 64mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.4g; SODIUM 501mg; PROTEIN 43.9g; FIBER 4.9g

Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach

D made this. He said it was simple, easy. We had it on the menu because I was going to make it. But I went swimming instead. Anyway, it was light tasting, but good. We used pancetta to use it up from earlier in the week.

We had with mixed greens.

Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach

Add watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon wedges as a side dish to complete the menu.

1 (9-ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini (such as DiGiorno)
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (D used 12)
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
D used white wine.

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Add nuts to bowl.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Add spinach mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl; toss well.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 292 (28% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.3g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 32mg; CALCIUM 103mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.8g; SODIUM 618mg; PROTEIN 14.6g; FIBER 3.8g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

Chipotle Sloppy Joes

I made these and I made them too spicy. So seed the chipotle. They were really easy to make.
Leftovers were less spicy...I could make them again.

We had with the raw spring salad, and chipotle scones.

Chipotle Sloppy Joes

Photo by ALB

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 1/2 cups presliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 pound ground sirloin (96/4)
1/2 cup prechopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
5 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted

Instructions
1. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; cover and cook 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.
2. Remove 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 1 chipotle chile from can; chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in chopped chipotle chile, adobo sauce, tomato paste, and next 3 ingredients (through tomato sauce); cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon 1/2 cup beef mixture over bottom half of each bun, and top evenly with onions and top half of bun.
Plate with pickle chips and a simple slaw. Combine 1/3 cup canola-based mayonnaise, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add 3 cups packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw, tossing well to combine.


CALORIES 273 ; FAT 6.1g (sat 2.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.3g); CHOLESTEROL 48mg; CALCIUM 84mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.1g; SODIUM 724mg; PROTEIN 23.3g; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 3.7mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

6 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 5 servings)

Raw Spring Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

D wouldn't eat this. I ate it but didn't like it very much. We have decided we just don't like goat cheese. That said, D also doesn't like carrots or radishes, so I was quite shocked when he picked this out to have this week.

Very easy to make, and it used up the rest of the goat cheese that we had from earlier in the week.

Raw Spring Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

Here a simple dressing coats crisp shavings of raw carrots and radishes.

2 medium carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced spring onion
1 (8-ounce) bunch radishes with tops
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese, cut into 8 slices

1. Shave carrots into ribbons with a vegetable peeler to measure 2 cups. Combine carrots and onion in a large bowl.

2. Wash radishes and radish greens thoroughly; drain and pat dry. Cut radishes into thin slices to equal 1 3/4 cups; thinly slice radish greens to equal 1 cup. Add radishes, radish greens, basil, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) to carrot mixture; toss gently to coat.

3. Arrange goat cheese on a serving platter; top with salad. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cheese slices and about 1 cup salad)

CALORIES 132 ; FAT 9.5g (sat 4.6g,mono 3.8g,poly 0.6g); CHOLESTEROL 13mg; CALCIUM 73mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.4g; SODIUM 309mg; PROTEIN 6.2g; FIBER 2g; IRON 1.1mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze

This is an eh recipe. It was really bland. It needed more marinating time.
I thought it tasted like salmon, which I love. D thought it tasted like salmon (he doesn't like it).
So hmmm...
But it was really easy to make.

We had with Ranch Mashed Potatoes and some sauteed zucchini.

Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze

Fresh: Finish the fish under the broiler to caramelize the glaze into a tasty browned crust. Serve with roasted potato wedges and peas.

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal. Refrigerate 10 minutes, turning bag once.

3. Remove fish from bag, reserving marinade. Place marinade in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute.

4. Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over. Brush marinade evenly over fish. Broil 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)

CALORIES 287 ; FAT 14g (sat 2.7g,mono 6.7g,poly 3.6g); CHOLESTEROL 80mg; CALCIUM 23mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.5g; SODIUM 363mg; PROTEIN 31g; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.7mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

We halved this recipe. Very easy to make.
Very tasty. We added salt and garlic powder (no measurement). Also used FF Sour Cream.

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

This tasty side captures the flavor of ranch dressing without additional calories, fat, and sodium. Make these potatoes up to one day ahead, and refrigerate until just before serving. When you reheat them, you may need to add some additional buttermilk and sour cream to achieve a rich consistency.

13 cups cubed red potato (about 4 pounds)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Place potato in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Place potato in a large bowl. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

CALORIES 197 (21% from fat); FAT 4.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.9g; SODIUM 206mg; PROTEIN 4.3g; FIBER 3.2g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Hoisin Flank Steak with Asian Cucumber Salad

So I made this one. Very easy to make.
Except I made the steak to well done...but D said steak in a broiler is a difficult thing. At least I didn't follow the cooking time, or we would have had rubber!

I made the cucumber salad in the food processor so it took about 2 minutes.

Results: Bland. Both of us thought that. Nothing terribly exciting. But it took me less than 20 minutes to make dinner. D thinks we should have had rice with it.

Hoisin Flank Steak with Asian Cucumber Salad

Spiced wonton chips that bake while the steak rests are an easy accompaniment to this fragrant Asian dinner.

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/4 cup matchstick-cut carrot
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Brush steak with half of hoisin mixture. Place steak on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 6 minutes. Turn steak over; brush with remaining hoisin mixture. Broil 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.

3. Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in a bowl; toss to combine. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve with cucumber salad.

Spiced wonton chips: Thaw 8 wonton wrappers, if frozen. Cut wrappers in half diagonally; brush tops of wrappers evenly with 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil. Combine 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle wrappers evenly with five-spice powder mixture. Bake at 450° for 3 minutes or just until crisp.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1/2 cup salad)

CALORIES 213 ; FAT 7.7g (sat 2.9g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.3g); CHOLESTEROL 38mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.5g; SODIUM 501mg; PROTEIN 24.6g; FIBER 0.7g; IRON 1.7mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009