Tilapia

Growing up, I was never one to order fish but more recently (maybe since I discovered the health benefits) I have begun to enjoy fish every now and then. Last night was one of those times. I made pan fried blackened Tilapia with a lime mayonnaise dressing and it was delicious.

Fish is a low fat  high protein food that provides us Omega-3 and Omega- 6 fatty acids, both of which our body cannot produce on its own, as well as a multitude of vitamins and minerals. Tilapia is a mild fish, lacking the fishy flavor that turns many off from enjoying fish.

We were in a hurry to eat yesterday and this dinner took 15 minutes to make, perfect for weeknight cooking. I started off rubbing blackening seasoning on Tilapia filets and then pan frying them in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, about 3-4 minutes per side on medium high heat.

Meanwhile, I mixed up a simple light sauce for the fish. Mayonnaise (at our house we use Veganaise, a vegan's substitute for mayonnaise that actually tastes quite good) lime juice, and fresh cilantro.

I also steamed some fresh green beans to serve with the fish. A small dollop of the mayonnaise sauce evened out the spicy Cajun flavor of the blackened seasoning and provided a well balanced healthy meal, fast!

Try making fish at your house some night this upcoming week!

Green Tea

It has been well researched that drinking green tea is beneficial for burning body fat, but you can get even better fat burning results from taking green-tea extract supplements. Green-tea extract (in the form of supplements) is easier to measure and regulate than drinking the tea itself. But if you are craving a hot beverage, opt for green tea instead of chai tea or coffee to reap the benefits of green tea.

Green tea is made using the leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves are either steamed or dry cooked shortly after picking to minimize oxidation, which gives the tea the benefits it is credited with.

The active ingredient in green tea is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant, with anti-inflammatory, cholesterol reducing benefits that is responsible for boosting your metabolic rate!


Take 200 to 500 milligrams of green-tea extract (50% EGCG) three times per day or enjoy a cup of steaming green tea multiple times a day!

Check this out!

I follow a multitude of blogs covering a variety of my interests. One of them, This is Why You're Thin!, is a great resource for delicious recipes! The author of this blog commits to eating healthier and moving more. She has posted some great recipes from her own cookbook collections and contributions from favorite readers. I cannot wait to try out this summer meal!

Check it out for yourself!

Hash browns for Dinner?

Who doesn't love breakfast food, especially hash browns? Last night I made something that closely resembled hash browns, but for dinner! It was called Vegetable Rosti with Tomato-Corn Relish and was delicious! Check out the recipe here from Vegetarian Times. This was simple (and exciting) to make. It was loaded with vegetables including zucchini and organic carrots making this the perfect wholesome meal!

I served watermelon with this dish and between the bright pink of the melon and the yellow and red of the relish, a bright summer meal was created!

Next time I am going to try making these with sweet potatoes for some added flavor and a different texture or top with sauteed mushrooms instead of the relish! Make sure you use fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of the vegetables and feel free to try out different combinations of vegetables! Happy healthy cooking!

The First Lady

Michelle Obama was featured in this month's issue of Time Magazine as one of their Time 100 World's Most Influential People. With all political views and opinions set aside, I think her areas of focus are beneficial and inspiring specifically to the youth in America. She got right to work on the defining issues of her children's generation: 'obesity and improving the health of America's kids'. She created a 'Let's Move' campaign to combat the growing problem of child obesity, encouraging people to get up and do something. Americans under the age of 25 are the first generation expected to live shorter lives than their parents because of diet related issues. This is amazing to me and ever enforces the issue of living a healthy lifestyle, no matter the age.

Obama has been the initiator of many projects around the country from improving school lunches to convincing mayors around the country to embrace obesity prevention programs. I discussed the corrupt food industry, as shown in the film Food, Inc., last week. Obama has conducted meetings with some of the largest food corporations in America and convinced them to change some of their practices for the sake of the children.

She stands by her conviction that if we can all eat better, and move more we can fight childhood obesity. I salute the first lady for her inspirational work! So today I encourage all of you to get up and do something, whether it be a walk around your neighborhood, pilates in your basement, or a leisurely bike ride through a park. Every bit helps and encourage others to improve their own health.

A Lighter Lasagne

Recently my family has begun eating a majority of our meals vegetarian. Cooking vegetarian has always seemed intimidating to me, maybe because I am not accustomed to using only vegetables. Regardless, the other night, we made vegetarian lasagna that was both delicious but filling as well. This lasagna was so rich with vegetables, and herbs that you don't even miss the extra cheese and meat that normally resides in standard recipes.

Serves 6-8, preparation time 40 minutes, baking time 60-70 minutes.

2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup cubed bell peppers
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound uncooked lasagna noodles (uncooked)

1 recipe Tomato Wine sauce (see below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, and wine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender and juicy. Stir in the basil and set aside.

Cover and cook the spinach on high heat in just the water clinging to the leaves for 3 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain and chop coarsely. Combine with the cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan and set aside.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 3-inch deep nonreactive 8 x 12-inch baking dish. Layer with 5 or 6 noodles, 1 generous cup of undrained veggies, and 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture. Cover with a second layer of noodles, 1 cup of sauce, 1 heaping cup of veggies, 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture, and a third layer of noodles. Finally, add the rest of the veggies, the remaining spinach-cheese mixture, a fourth layer of noodles, and the rest of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, about 60 minutes. Let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Tomato wine sauce

2 teasoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 medium garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 teason salt
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup red wine
3 cups undrained canned tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with the salt, cover, and saute on very low heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften. Add the fennel, oregano, and basil and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Whirl the tomatoes in a blender until just pureed and add to the pan. Cover the sauce and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I know the recipe looks intimidating but is in fact quite simple. Take the time to try it out and you won't regret it. We served the lasagna simply with warm whole wheat bread.

I would prefer to use whole wheat noodles, as whole wheat is always better than enriched but finding whole wheat is sometimes are to come by. When making the tomato wine sauce I found the secret to understanding why this recipe is as delectable as a meat based recipe. Fennel is the surprise ingredient. Something about its unexpected flavor often fools people into thinking that this is a meat-based sauce. Whether you are vegetarian, vegetarian want-to-be, or simply looking for healthy alternatives in your diet, try out this lasagna and let me know what you think!

Grainy Morning

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. It is so important to eat a good breakfast because what you eat first thing in the morning dictates your appetite for the rest of the day. If you start off healthy, you will be more likely to end healthy. I love eggs and whole wheat toast for breakfast with some plain greek yogurt and fruit on the side. What is your favorite breakfast meal?

My brother absolutely loves pancakes for breakfast and has come up with his own recipes that are variations on the basic pancake (cottage cheese pancakes anyone?). More recently I have bugged him to make pancakes using whole wheat flour instead of enriched flour. He came up with the following recipe. These pancakes are hearty and healthy while remaining delicious. Add a touch of maple syrup for natural sweetness or top with fresh berries and honey!

Combine all the ingredients (don't over mix) and cook on a hot griddle!

1c Whole Wheat Flour
1/4c Instant Oats
1t. Baking Powder
1/2t. Baking Soda
2T Flaxseed Meal
2T Wheat Germ
2T Honey
2T melted Butter
1 egg
1-1.5c Buttermilk or Milk

Rarely does he measure and as such these measurements are ball park figures, but try it out and play with the consistency.

Variation: I wasn't kidding about the cottage cheese pancakes! Cottage cheese adds a delicious touch to pancakes. Even if you don't like cottage cheese, these taste amazing (I haven't met someone yet who isn't surprised by how yummy they are). Add about a cup of cottage cheese to this recipe and cut out some of the flour. Exchange skim or 2% milk for the buttermilk and determine the amount of milk based on the consistency of your batter. Cottage cheese adds more protein to your pancakes while replacing some of the carbs. These are by far my favorite pancakes!