Food Minia

Eating clean and healthy does not mean boring. This recipe really kicks it up a notch , both in flavor and with your metabolism. Cayenne, ginger, and mustard are ingredients that help you burn  fat. Plus you get the health benefits of tilapia . Another nice thing is that it only takes 5 minutes  to prep. Easy, easy!  I combine the ingredients in a shallow pie dish.  Dip the filets into the seasoning, coating both sides.  These were rather large filets so I only  used 3. The seasoning mix is enough for 4 filets  or 5-6 smaller ones. Spoon any remaining seasoning over the fish on the sheet.  Put them on a baking sheet and into a 400º  oven for 10-12 minutes until the fish flakes easily.  I love fish with a spray of lemon juice.  Leftovers make great fish tacos the next day.  Clean and Healthy Tilapia 4-6 tilapia filets, about 1 ½ lbs  ¼ C olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 t paprika 1 t ginger 1 t black pepper 1 t must...

Oven baked tilapia with a garlic-herb coating. It couldn't get any easier. You can  make any serving amount you want and don't really  need to follow the recipe exactly. This quick and delicious recipe works with any fish.    This uses just basic everyday ingredients for the coating. Use as much garlic as you want. Strip the oregano leaves off the stems  and mince.  Used dried if that's all you have.  Combine all the topping ingredients. I rub the fish with olive oil, then  with salt and pepper. Next sprinkle on the topping, patting it on. I mist the top with lemon juice. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake 350º for 10-15 minutes until fish flakes easily. No messy frying. You can cut up potatoes, season, and toss with olive oil then put those in the oven 15-20 minutes ahead of time while you are prepping the fish. Another easy time-saving step. Crunchy flavorful garlic herbed topping. Moist and tender fish. Healthy and delicious. Serve w...

Here's another great way to make salmon. These little salmon bundles are a nice presentation  for dinner. They make the most tender moist  salmon and then there's the garlic butter. That's should be enough to try them.  You can make just one for yourself, or make  two or twenty. Plus you can even prep them  ahead of time so they're all ready to pop  in the oven whenever you plan to eat.  Cut the salmon into individual pieces.  You want one salmon filet per packet.  Melt the butter in a bowl and add the garlic, parmesan, lemon, and herbs.   Slice the length of the zucchini, then into half moons. Place in the center of a square of parchment paper. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper  Lay the salmon filets on top, season again to taste and spread with the garlic butter mixture.  Fold over the sides of the parchment and the ends tightly.  Bake in a sheet @375º for 15 minut...

I had the pleasure of joining my cousin in Italy again, this time on a 9 day trip to Sicily.  We started in Palermo and made our way in a counter-clockwise tour of the island.  One of my favorite stops was the geological formation known as Scala dei Turchi just to the west of Agrigento. It looks like a milky-white set of steps rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, and it's completely free to explore.  While I'm really glad I was able to climb it, I do hope that one day soon the government will decide to protect the area since it will likely become quite damaged from all the human activity.  For more pictures of the trip, check out my Instagram feed . One of my other favorite stops was the UNESCO world heritage Baroque town of Ragusa.  Not only is it absolutely lovely, it has some of the best restaurants on the island including the 2 Michelin-starred Ristorante Duomo.  We were able to have a 7 course lunch there for only 45 euros (that's like $50 with the rec...

A springtime treat, with the asparagus and chives. And it is done in 10 minutes. Using the Silpat saves a lot of cleanup. Serves 4 4 four to six ounce fish filets, such as trout, ocean perch, tilapia 1 pound asparagus--thinner is better--lower stems cut off Cajun seasoning Herbs de Provence sea salt pepper herbs for garnish, such as scallion tops chopped, chives, chive flowers, capers, thyme Preheat broiler. On a baking pan (half sheet) place one pound thin asparagus, lower stems cut off, and the fish filets, skin side down. Drizzle all with olive oil, toss the asparagus in the oil, and dust the asparagus and the fish with sea salt.  Season the filets with Cajun seasoning and herbs de Provence. Broil the fish for three minutes on top or until they are lightly browned. Turn and broil for one or two minutes more, tossing the asparagus as you turn the fish. [OPTIONAL:] Nap the fish with Hollandaise or herb butter Garnish with scallion tops, capers, chopped chives, and/or chive flowers...

Easter brunch 2013 continues, with salmon tartare. This is a sort of French ceviche, where lemon juice "cooks" raw fish. It's really really good. It made a nice little starter for us, before the quiche. This is another lightning dish if the fishmonger (butcher here in Iowa) dices or minces the fish, as the friendly folks at Fareway did for me. Don't dare use a food processor, as it mangles the fishie's tissues. I suppose verrines are really supposed to have layers. That's easy to do, such as Thomas Keller's with a layer of red onion crème fraiche , or one I did yesterday with capers. A red layer of marinated roasted pepper, drained from the jar and chopped would be nice too. These "verrine" glasses are actually votive candle holders from Walmart, 88¢ each. Serves 4 8 ounces of salmon filet (belly if possible) cut into 1/8 in dice or minced 10 chive spears or 2 green onion tops 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, preferably Maille 1/3 cup extra virgin o...