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Posts Tagged ‘Cooking Light’

Cooking with Baby: Five Spice Tilapia with Citrus Ponzu Sauce

May 19 2010 |  Leave a Comment

by Weeknight Gourmet Guest Blogger Happy Farrow

As foodie who doesn’t go out to dinner nearly as much as I did before becoming a parent (sorry Jess and Tim!), I’m always looking for recipes that are simple and delicious.  This five spice tilapia recipe is one of my favorites.

The fish seasoning is flavorful, but not overpowering, and the citrus ponzu sauce makes boring white rice and steamed broccoli taste incredible.  I usually feel the need to make a few adjustments to Cooking Light recipes (e.g., adding twice the amount of cheese), but this one is perfect as is.

Five Spice Tilapia with Citrus Ponzu Sauce
Cooking Light, May 2006

  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
  • 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil

Combine green onions, juices, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and ginger in a small bowl.

Combine five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle both sides of fish evenly with spice mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from skillet, and serve with sauce.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1 tablespoon sauce)
CALORIES 217 (27% from fat); FAT 6.6g (sat 1.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 37g; CHOLESTEROL 125mg; CALCIUM 8mg; SODIUM 332mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.1g

Happy is freelance designer (http://www.happyfarrow.com/index.html) and lives in Boston with her husband James and daughter Cecily.

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Categories : Fish
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Our First BBQ in NYC: Grilled Flank Steak with Avocado Relish

May 7 2009 |  Leave a Comment

Tim and I have outdoor space in our new apartment! For those that don’t live in NYC, this is a rarity!   We’ve already tried to make our little patch of patio a bit more attractive with some plants and flowers.  Our bright orange patio chairs arrived and a table is on its way.  Of course, no outdoor space would be complete without a grill.  Gas grills are illegal in Manhattan so we ordered an old school Webber Kettle Grill.

The grill arrived Tuesday night and the rain abated yesterday afternoon so last night we christened the grill!  I had bought a flank steak the other day so we decided to give this Cooking Light recipe a whirl.

Just a couple of notes on the recipe, I used olive oil because I didn’t have avocado oil on hand.  I used two cloves of garlic in the marinade.  Next time I might use a touch more salt and some red pepper flakes as well.  For the avocado relish, I doubled the recipe because that was our only side dish.  I sprinkled some green Tabasco on my cooked steak which was a nice touch!

Even though we are not experience charcoal grillers and our technique has some room for improvement, there was something so fun and delicious about grilling in the middle of the West Village.  And, the avocado relish was a delicious companion to our first steak off the grill.

Tim at the grill with his sous chef Angus
Tim at the grill with his sous chef Angus


Grilled Flank Steak with Avocado Relish
Cooking Light, May 2009

  • 2 teaspoons grated lime rind, divided
  • 4 teaspoons avocado oil or fruity extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 cup diced peeled avocado
  • 1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (about 1 small)
  • 4 lime wedges

Combine 1 teaspoon rind, 2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and garlic in a small bowl.

Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak. Rub both sides of steak with oil mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Place steak on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Combine remaining 1 teaspoon rind, remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, diced avocado, tomato, red onion, lime juice, and jalapeño pepper in a small bowl. Serve sliced steak with the relish and lime wedges.

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Categories : Barbecue, Beef, Salads
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Feta-tastic: Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

March 30 2009 |  Leave a Comment

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Taste: ****
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Quick

After a very busy weekend, I’m longing for a Mediterranean vacation but Mediterranean-flavored
turkey burgers will have to do!

This burger recipe in the new Cooking Light issue looked like it would packed with flavor from the pesto, garlic, red onion, and feta and it did not disappoint.

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Categories : Burgers, Poultry
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Goat Cheese & Roasted Corn Quesadillas

March 10 2009 |  Leave a Comment

Taste: ****
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Quick

Tim and I had a super tasty and incredibly easy dinner last night.  I had flagged this goat cheese quesadilla recipe in the most recent Cooking Light and decided that after a long Monday this was the perfect recipe to try, especially because I already had all of the ingredients in the kitchen.

A few minor changes…Since corn is not in season, I used frozen corn.  I just rinsed the kernels under warm water in a colander and then tossed them in a saute pan for about 5 minutes (longer than the recipes indicates).  One green onion didn’t seem like enough, so I chopped 3.  And, I had recently picked up a jar of Trade Joe’s Salsa Verde which was perfect for the recipe.

I was lucky enough to have a container of the delicious fresh goat cheese we buy in the Berkshires called Monterey Chevre.  The cheese is made locally at the Rawson Brook Farm in Monterey, MA, and distributed at many of the gourmet grocery stores and wine shops in the area.

I wanted to finish the tortillas in our fridge so I made two larger quesadillas with burrito-sized flour tortillas and one smaller quesadilla using two 6″ tortillas (as directed).  For the larger quesadillas, I put the filling on one half of the tortilla and folded the other half over.  Next time I will go with the burrito-sized tortillas, as it made a prettier quesadilla.

To cook the quesadillas, I used my double-length grill pan so I could cooked everything at once.

Lastly I served the quesadillas with some diced avocado, extra salsa verde, hot sauce, and a side of refried black beans (courtesy of Trader Joe’s).  Another satisfying vegetarian dinner!

Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas
Cooking Light

  • 1  cup  fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear)
  • 2/3  cup  (5 ounces) goat cheese, softened
  • 8  (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 1/4  cup  chopped green onions (about 1 green onion)
  • 10  tablespoon  bottled salsa verde, divided
  • Cooking spray

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Place corn in a small bowl. Add goat cheese to corn; stir until well blended. Divide corn mixture evenly among 4 tortillas; spread to within 1/4 inch of sides. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1 tablespoon green onions. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons salsa; top with remaining 4 tortillas.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels; recoat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with remaining 8 tablespoons salsa.

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Categories : Vegetarian entree
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Mediterranean Fish Stew

February 3 2009 |  Leave a Comment

This super simple fish stew comes together quickly but tastes as if the broth has been simmering for hours.

A few notes on the recipe…

The second time I made it I used combination of halibut and salmon which gave the stew a much richer flavor than when made with halibut alone.  If you aren’t adept at skinning fish fillets (like me), they’ll do it for you at the fish counter which is a nice little time saver.

Use a very dainty pasta.  I couldn’t find small shells one of the times I made this recipe and used orecchiette.  The orecchiette was a bit too much and made this recipe more of a pasta dish than a stew.

The parmesan cheese adds a great finish to the stew.  And, it never hurts to have some good crusty bread on hand for dunking.

Mediterranean Fish Stew
Cooking Light

  • 1  tablespoon  olive oil
  • 1/2  cup  finely chopped onion
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 2  cups  (1-inch) cut green beans (about 1/2 pound)
  • 1/3  cup  thinly sliced carrot
  • 2  (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1  (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1  (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1  cup  uncooked medium seashell pasta
  • 2  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1  tablespoon  finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4  pound  skinless halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add green beans and next 4 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Add pasta. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until pasta is tender.

2. Stir in basil, oregano, tomato paste, and freshly ground black pepper. Gently stir in fish; cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

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Categories : Fish, One-pot meal, Soups, Stews, Chilis
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