This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

Grilled Wahoo and Orange Butter

I thought we had eaten our way through the fish my husband brought back from Mexico. Then I found a nice big package of wahoo in the corner of the freezer. I decided that grilling was the best way to prepare it, but how to make a delicious fish even more special?

I didn’t want to make a sauce and we didn’t have any veggies to make a salsa. How about a flavored butter using the Challenge Dairy European Style Butter I was trying out?

I got out my trusty Joy of Cooking cookbook and decided to make an orange butter with a few twists.

Chipotle Orange Butter
For fish and vegetables

In a small bowl, cream with a fork or wooden spoon 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened. Gradually add in the flavorings:

• finely grated zest from 2 Cuties® California Clementines (or one large orange if you don’t have any Cuties around)
• 1 tablespoon of the juice from the Clementine or orange.
• to taste or 2 large pinches of Spice Islands Ground Chipotle Chile spice (You can substitute ground red pepper or chile powder.)
• the leaves off of 5 sprigs of fresh thyme (or one large pinch of dried thyme)
• salt and ground white pepper to taste

Refrigerate in a small bowl or ramekin until you’re ready to use it.

To prepare fish (you can use this on wahoo, tilapia, mahi mahi or any other white fish), gently smear 1 tablespoon of orange butter on the cooked fish, let it melt and serve. To hasten the process, put the fish in a warm oven and remove once butter is melted.

Nutritional Facts for a serving size of 1 Tbsp (14g):
Calories per serving: 110, Calories from Fat: 110, Total Fat 12g, Saturated Fat 8g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 0mg, Total Carbohydrate: 0g, Protein: 0g, Vitamin A: 8%.

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3 POINTS for butter

If you had a 6 ounce piece of wahoo (or another white fish like tilapia or mahi mahi) that would be 4 POINTS. You may decide to go with half a tablespoon of the Chipotle Orange butter instead. This should be enough to add flavor to your grilled fish.

Grilled Tuna with Smoky Tomato Salsa

This grilled tuna dish hands down was the big favorite because of the smoky tomato salsa. If you prefer a milder relish, remove seeds from the jalapeño before grilling. I didn’t and it was spicy, but no overwhelmingly so.

Unfortunately, I overcooked and blackened the tomatoes too much (it’s the fish in the upper left) even though I followed the directions perfectly. My grill must have been too hot.

(The Tuna with the Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette in is the upper right. The Greek Mahi Mahi with Kalamata Olives is on the bottom.)

Grilled Salmon with Smoky Tomato Salsa
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and about 1/2 cup salsa)

I substituted tuna steaks for the salmon, but you could use any type of mild fish or even chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
• 4 large plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 jalapeño pepper, halved
• 1 lime, divided

Directions:

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle fillets with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
2. Place tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill tomatoes, cut side down, 6 minutes. Turn; grill for 1 minute. Grill onion and jalapeño for 6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
3. Remove from grill, and cool slightly. Coarsely chop tomatoes and onion; finely chop jalapeño. Combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and juice from 1/2 lime. Serve salsa over fish. Garnish with lime wedges.

CALORIES 336 ; FAT 18.6g (sat 3.7g,mono 6.6g,poly 6.8g); CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.2g; SODIUM 399mg; PROTEIN 34.7g; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 0.9mg

Weight Watchers POINTS per serving = 8 (To reduce POINTS, choose a less fatty fish like mahi mahi or tilapia or use a grilled chicken breast instead.)

From the September 2009 issue of Cooking Light

Greek Mahi Mahi with Kalamata Olives

What interested me in this dish was the use of kalamata olives. I found them at the Mediterranean style salad bar by my grocery store’s deli. It was the first time I used the self-serve bar and found it full of different types of olives, roasted garlic and other gourmet goodies. The nice thing about olive bars is that you only have to buy enough for your recipe and not a whole (expensive) jar’s worth.

Olives are full of monounsaturated fats that have been found to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. They’re also a good source of vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that neutralizes damaging free radicals, and polyphenols and flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. (See SixWise.com for more about olives’ health benefits and recipes for olive soup and olive tapenade.)

Along with the mahi mahi (called dorado in Mexico) and the last of our summer tomatoes, this dish packed a nutritional punch. Double the salad portion of the recipe to enjoy the next day for lunch.

Weekly fish challenge restart: Tuna Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette and Couscous

As I posted a few weeks ago, my husband came back from Mexico with a cooler full of freshly caught fish. That’s a picture of him and one of the blue fin tuna. Paul’s the one in the PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals) shirt. Well, what can I say? At least he wasn’t wearing one of his X-rated, man's weekend fishing trip shirts.

We’ve been eating grilled fish one to two times a week, but cooking wise it’s been kind of boring – grill the fish and serve with some veggies or brown rice on the side. Delicious and healthy, but not something to write home or blog about.

Last weekend we had friends over for dinner, so I decided to get my culinary butt in gear and cook up three different types of fish dishes, all of which I’ll be featuring this week at This Mama Cooks!

The start of the weekly fish dish project: Muir Glen Fiery Fruit Salsa

You give a man a fishing pole – and a ticket to La Paz, Mexico – and he and three friends bring back over 200 pounds of tuna, wahoo and mahi mahi. Thanks to my husband’s recent fishing expedition, I’ll be cooking up a fish dish every week and featuring the recipes here at This Mama Cooks! It's a bit daunting, but I think I'm up to the challenge.

Luckily for us, wild caught fish is low in fat and calories and full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Also, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish two times per week.

However, my children are not the most enthusiastic fish eaters. The trick will be to disguise the fish enough to get them to eat it. One way will be to use fruit salsas on top of grilled fish. Here’s a recipe from Muir Glen Organic that should do the trick.

Fiery Fruit Salsa
Makes 6 servings (1/3 cup each)

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 ripe medium mango, peeled, diced (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions (4 medium)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt

Directions:

1. In food processor, place drained tomatoes. Cover; process until coarsely chopped. Place in medium bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Serve with meat or fish, or with tortilla chips as desired.

Nutritional Information:

1 Serving: Calories 30 (Calories from Fat 0); Total Fat 0g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 180mg; Total Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 4g); Protein 0g

Weight Watchers POINTS = 0

Tips:

• Make the salsa up to 24 hours ahead of time, and store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
• Salsa can be used on chicken, pork or turkey or served on the side with tortilla chips.

Partying with the Mad Men: retro shrimp appetizers

Shrimp is a wonderful party food since 2 ounces is equal to 1 Weight Watchers POINT. And if you’ve ever weighed out shrimp, that’s a lot of shrimp.

Since shrimp cocktail always reminds me of gambling in Vegas and listening to the Rat Pack, it’s the perfect retro food for a Mad Men viewing party. And eating a bunch won’t make you pop out of your girdle and bullet bra either.

Shrimp in Pepper Rings

Ingredients:

• bell peppers
• fresh shrimp, deveined
• pimentos
• lettuce
• parsley
• lemon wedge
• cocktail dressing

Directions:

1. Cut 1 inch rings from bell peppers.
2. Devein shrimp and replace the vein with a pimento strip.
3. Place pepper ring on lettuce and fill with shrimp.
4. Garnish with parsley. Serve with a lemon wedge and cocktail dressing.
5. Flaked salmon and diced cucumber, or flaked tuna and diced celery can also be used to fill the pepper rings.

Cocktail Sauce

POINTS wise, cocktail sauce is a winner since 1/4 cup is equal to 1 POINT.

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbs. chili sauce
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbs. horseradish (or to taste)
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. grated onion
• 2 drops Tabasco sauce
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients and chill thoroughly.
2. Serve with seafood cocktails or other seafood appetizers. Makes 1/2 cup.

Summer salads: Holly Clegg's Marinated Shrimp Edamame Salad

Summer has finally arrived in Colorado, meaning it’s hot and the AC and fans are most of the day. In this heat, the last thing I want to do is cook. Actually, I want to lie down next to one of the vents and read books all day. (I’m not good in the heat.) So finding easy to make, healthy salads – and sharing them with you - is my mission this week. 

My first choice comes from Holly Clegg. I’m a big fan of her freezer meal bible, Holly Clegg's Trim & Terrific Freezer Friendly Meals. She personally sent me a few of her cookbooks, including her latest KIDS COOKING for Mommies, which encourages parents and children to cook together. Love it, but I wish it had pictures and an index, too.

However, the book that really intrigued me was Holly Clegg's Trim & Terrific Gulf Coast Favorites. I lust after Cajun and southern cooking – but don’t like it’s high fat content. (Justin Wilson anyone? Love him! Only he could make pork stuffed pork.) Instead, Holly uses her usual culinary magic to create every day dishes that are healthy and delicious. Each recipe comes with full nutritional info including diabetic exchanges. Trim & Terrific Gulf Coast Favorites also features vegetarian and freezer friendly make-ahead recipes and menus.

Shrimp and edamame are always in my freezer and wasabi paste is always in the fridge, so this salad is first on my list after I get more cherry tomatoes from Costco. The ones I bought last week have magically disappeared. (Burp.)

Food on a stick week: Grilled Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs

Last week I was tweeting with my friend Michelle Lamar, also known as White Trash Mom, that food on a stick like the kind you get at carnivals and country fairs is the ultimate in white trash cuisine.

Well, food on a stick doesn’t have to be fried and unhealthy. It can be fun, low in Weight Watchers POINTS, and nutritious. So this week, I’ll be sharing some delicious “food on a stick” ideas with you.

Our first food on a stick recipe with shrimp, scallops and vegetables, comes from eatbetteramerica.com, a handy online source for healthy recipes (complete with nutritional info) from the folks at General Mills in partnership with Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition and Rodale.

Mother's Day dishes: Sautéed Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos with Mango and Pineapple Salsa and Spicy Black Beans

Our first dish for Mother’s Day comes from the new Lifetime Television show, Cook Yourself Thin, that premiered today. (Read my review of the premier episode of Cook Yourself Thin.)

Cook Yourself Thin teaches viewers how to take their favorite indulgent meals and turn them into something healthy by cutting the calories and doubling the flavor. The companion cookbook, Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift for any mom trying to eat healthier let alone those trying to drop some weight. The cookbook includes all of the recipes featured on the show as well as a calorie guide, a list of calorie offenders, skinny alternatives to your favorite meals, a food personality quiz and more.

My only complaint with the cookbook is that it only lists calories, not fat, fiber, sodium, etc. If you’re doing the Weight Watchers Momentum plan, you’d need to calculate each ingredient’s POINTS, then add them all up and divide by the number of servings to get your POINTS per serving info.

Recipes for dieters from The Mayo Clinic: The Essential Diabetes Book

I don’t have to tell you that the rise in obesity means that more people are becoming diabetic earlier in life. But did you know that diabetic books, cookbooks and websites are a great source of healthy recipes for anyone trying to lose weight? Diabetic recipes always contain nutritional information and are usually low in calories and fat, and high in nutrition.

Just released this week, Mayo Clinic Essential Diabetes Book from the world's first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group medical practice offers clear direction on managing diabetes. It also contains diabetes-friendly recipes that don’t compromise taste or quality. Here’s a few that are also very low in Weight Watchers POINTS.

Grilled Salmon with Sliced Cucumber and Radish
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. salmon fillet
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• Black pepper (optional)
• 2 c. cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
• ¾ c. thinly sliced radishes
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• ¼ tsp. dill weed

Directions:

1. Rub salmon with lemon juice, then oil. Sprinkle with black pepper. Cut into 8 pieces.
2. Place salmon, skin side down, onto aluminum foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. 
3. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate.
4. Grill or broil at medium to high heat until salmon is flaky but still moist.(For best results use a food thermometer – the internal temperature should reach 145 degrees F.) 
5. Top each serving of fish with the cucumber and radish mixture.

Nutritional info per serving: Calories 168, Protein 23 g, Carbohydrate 1 g, Total fat 8 g, Monounsaturated fat 3 g, Cholesterol 62 mg, Sodium 54 mg, Fiber trace

Exchange list servings:

• Free food 1
• Meat and meat substitutes 3

Weight Watchers POINTS: 4