Tomato Braised Tilapia

One of the best gifts I got from my hubbie has been my Dutch Oven. I used it for just about everything, and I came across this blog a month ago, Healthy Bites . I love it that it is all about healthy recipes, as this is what Comida Boa is all about too.

I made the Tomato Braised Tilapia, and can attest that this recipe is simple, easy and delicious. Braising is also a healthier technique to cooking fish, as opposed to frying it. It ensures the meat is fully-cooked, without being"rubbery".

I will not re-post this recipe, as I encourage you to visit this great blog. Below is a picture of the finished dish, though, so you know I tried this recipe on my own ;)

Enjoy!

Beijos,
Thais

Caribbean Baked Chicken with Mango

Happy Sunday! I want to share this great recipe because it is from a cookbook that I bought a few years ago, when I was doing the South Beach Diet. Now, I get it that the diet itself was not the most effective or smart one, but a lot of the healthy dishes that were associated with it are pretty good for you, with balanced nutritional ingredients and great flavors. This is one of them.

I followed the recipe pretty good- except when it came to the time of cutting up the jalapenos- I didn't listen to the part that says I should wear gloves. Let me tell you- I found out the wrong way when I had to remove my contact lenses that evening :) Also, when you use the baking pan, please line it with aluminum foil for easier cleaning of the dishes.

I love this recipe because it is a fun twist on your typical chicken breast recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Jalapeno chile peppers, halved and seeded ( wear plastic gloves when handling- I mean it!)

1/2 onion, halved

1 slice peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp jerk seasoning

1 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 mango, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450. Line a 13" x 9" baking pan and coat it with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine the peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, oil, vinegar, jerk seasoning, allspice and salt. Process until very finely chopped.

Rub the jalapeno mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts, skinned side up, in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 170F and juices run clear.

Place the chicken on plates and scatter the mango on the side. Serve with steamed vegetables.

This makes 4 servings, each with 186 calories, 5 g of fat.

Love those jalapenos :)
Beijos
Thais

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Pears

Good Tuesday! I love cooking- and eating- Pork Tenderloin, because it is one of those cuts of meat that is tasty and good for you at the same time. There are a variety of ways of cooking it, and this is one of my favorite new recipes. Sometimes I think I need more than 30 days in a month to fit all the amazing recipes I find in these magazines.

This one is from Real Simple, which can be a real life saver a lot of the times. It is an easy recipe, and it is a one-pot recipe, in the sense that all of the ingredients are cooked on a rimmed baking-sheet.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into wedges

2 firm Bartlett pears, cut into wedges ( these need to be almost "green", in the sense that they need to be firm to withstand the heat)

2 tbsp olive oil

8 sprigs fresh thyme

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 piece pork tenderloin ( 1 1/4 pounds)

1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto

1 tbsp agave ( the original recipe calls for honey, but I used Agave instead)


Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes, pears, oil, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap the pork in the prosciutto, slightly overlapping the slices to cover the pork completely. I used toothpicks to secure the prosciutto in place, it worked great.

Push the vegetables to the edges of the baking sheet, place the pork in the center and drizzle the pork with the agave. Roast until the pork is cooked through and the sweet potatoes and pears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing it. Serve with the sweet potatoes and pears.

This recipe serves 4 people. Each serving is 435 calories, 15 g of fat, 6 g of fiber.

I will post a few more recipes this week in preparation for Memorial Day weekend :)

Beijos,
Thais

Sausage and Spinach Risotto

Happy Monday! It has been- again!!- a while since I have posted, and life has been crazy busy, but fear not- I have been cooking, just not keeping up with cooking and posting at the same time. I made this recipe over a month ago, and just now I am posting- put it is a keeper! Simple, light, delicious and easy to make.

Now, for those of you who are FAN-atic about Top Chef, as I am, know that most of the contestants go home for not properly cooking Risotto. In the show episodes, it is either overcooked or undercooked. I now know the reason- it requires CONSTANT stirring to make it perfect. Mine was just that- perfect, but it took a lot of elbow grease, if you would. I got this amazing recipe from Cooking Light magazine.

Ingredients

3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1 8 oz package pre-sliced cremini mushroom ( Trade Joe's has the best price for these)
5 oz sweet Italian sausage, casings removed ( about 2 links)- again, Trader Joe's was perfect
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice ( Trader Joe's)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 6 oz package baby spinach
1/4 cup shaved Romano cheese

Directions

Bring broth and 1 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Keep warm over low heat. Heat a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Add salt and mushrooms to pan; cook for 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and set mushrooms aside. Add sausage to the pan, and cook for 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add shallots and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Now comes the tricky part- add rice, cook for 1 minute, stirring- not kidding- constantly. Stir in wine and cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, scrapping pan to loosen browned bits.
Stir in 1 cup of broth mixture( the one you had set aside in the beginning) and cook for 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Again, this is the dance you will be in for the next 20 minutes, so get your arms ready. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until each portion of the broth is absorbed, before adding the next 1/2 cup. Once this is done, remove pan from the heat, add mushrooms and spinach; stir until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Top evenly with cheese and serve immediately.

This serves 4 portions, each with 331 calories, 9 g of fat, 4 g of fiber.

No leftovers from this dish- Bryan really loved the risotto :) Now, bring it on Top Chef ;)

Happy Tuesday!! So happy to be posting this recipe- and to be blogging again! Life has been too busy, and I have had time to cook, but not cook and blog :) I had this recipe included in the April menu, and cooked a few weeks ago, but with traveling for work, I just now got around to posting it.

This recipe features a new-found love: Eggplant. I never cooked much with it, but let me tell you, this is one cool veggie that is so meaty, you need nothing else. This is a d-e-l-i-c-i-o-s-a recipe( yes, female gender for the word recipe in Portuguese, i.e. receita), and I will be making sure to include this in our summer menu. I plan on planting some Eggplant this summer ( kind of a tongue-twister, right? ;)

Enjoy! I got this one from Real Simple.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggplants ( about 3 lbs total) , sliced lengthwise- 16 slices total
1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce
2 large eggs
1 8oz container of reduced-fat ricotta
2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Divide the oil between two rimmed baking sheets. Dividing evenly, arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheets ( as pictured above) and turn to coat in the oil; season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Bake the eggplant, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until soft and beginning to brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool, and reduce the heat to 400 degrees. I had a few bites when it was in this stage- they are amazing this way :)

Meanwhile, in the bottom of a 9 x 13  baking casserole, spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. I make my own- but any store-bought kind will do.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, oregano, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.

Place about 3 tbsp of the ricotta mixture on one end of a slice of eggplant, and roll it up, transferring the "rollatinis" to the baking dish.

Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining cup of marinara sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This was enough for dinner and a few lunches ;) each serving is 355 calories, 24g of fat, 18 g of card, and 6g of fiber.

Have a great week,
Beijos,
Thais

Feta Shrimp with Roasted Tomatoes

It has been very busy at work, at home and with everything else! I am posting this one, which has gotten to be one of my favorite recipes from this Glorious One Pot Meals cookbook.

I got a Dutch oven from hubbie for Christmas, and it has been an amazing gift. This is one easy recipe for a weeknight dinner, as long as you have 45 minutes to let this one cook in the oven. It also has one of my new favorite ingredients, whole wheat couscous from Trader Joe's.

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
One 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
1/2 to 3/4 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup feta cheese
1/2 medium zuchini

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the inside and lid of the cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil. Drain the tomatoes into a measuring cup. Add water if necessary to get 1/2 cup of liquid. Reserve the tomatoes. Pour the couscous into the pot and add the tomato liquid. Stir to coat each grain and make an even layer. Pack the spinach into the pot. In a medium bowl, stir the tomatoes, shrimp, parsley, lemon juice and feta, and add to the pot. Arrange the zucchini slices on top ( like in the picture above). Cover and bake for about 45 minutes.

The amazing thing about this recipe too is that it is only 349 calories per serving, with 6g of fiber.
Enjoy!

Three more recipes to come this week,
Beijos
Thais

Rice and Beans with Chicken and Chorizo

Happy Monday! I had family in town and was way to busy to post this recipe here, but this is one of my new all-time favorites. I love chorizo, and it is a sausage that can overpower certain recipes. This recipe offers a beautiful balance between the chorizo and the beans. It also calls for yellow rice, which is a rice with saffron, a Spanish tradition. I had no leftover on this one. I got it from- wait for it- Cooking Light magazine :) Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 15 oz package lower-sodium yellow rice ( Vigo is a good brand, sold at Winco)
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped seeded plum tomato
4 oz of Spanish chorizo sausage, diced and casings removed
1 15 oz can of lower-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions
I use a rice cook to cook this rice to perfection :) while that is happening, heat a large skilled over medium-high heat, coat with "spray" olive oil from TJs. Add chicken, saute 7 minutes or until browned. Stir in tomato, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and chorizo, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in beans, cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated and reduced a little bit. Spoon 1/2 cup rice onto each of the 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 cup chicken mixture.

Each serving has 307 calories, 5.1 g of fat, 4.2 g of fiber. Yummy and healthy recipe, this is a keeper!
Beijos
Thais