What's cookin'?

I love to cook. I have always loved being in the kitchen, first as a child where it was the center of the family; later, I enjoyed creating my own recipes and recreating meals I had enjoyed in restaurants. Growing up in the '60s and '70s in an Italian family, macaroni was dinner at least twice a week. We also learned to love Jiffy-Pop, Cheez-Whiz and other assorted "healthy" fare. Vegetables were never center stage, and salad was often just iceberg, cukes and tomatoes. Weight was never a problem for me either, but as the years go by,I find that the old metabolism isn't what it used to be. In my twenties, I could skip a few Twinkies and lose 5 pounds to get into that cute outfit for a weekend date. Now, in my very, very, VERY late 20's, losing 5 pounds takes nothing short of a miracle! I used my love of cooking and interest in healthy eating to cultivate a repertoire of healthy and delicious new recipes, as well as healthier dishes inspired by old favorites. My project last summer was to research and develop ways to increase my collection of vegetable recipes. Not vegetarian, but vegetable-centered, I have tried to use spices, herbs, and various cultural styles to keep dinner interesting, exciting and worth going back for seconds. I am not a nutritionist, but I have done a good amount of reading, and think I have a handle on what's good for me and what should be avoided. Welcome to my first blog. Feel free to try any recipes that interest you, and share your own! Together we can answer the question....What's healthy for dinner?!!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Stuffed Tilapia

Someone recently asked me for ideas for fish fillets.  Tonight I defrosted some tilapia for a quick, light dinner.   I always keep either tilapia or swai in the freezer, but I think any white fish fillet will work.  For the stuffing, I defrosted about 4 shrimp, which I cleaned and chopped into large pieces.  I defrosted about a half cup of frozen spinach, squeezing out the liquid, then mixed it with a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise, two chopped scallions, a few tablespoons of whole wheat breadcrumb, salt and pepper. I stirred in the chopped shrimp, then spread the mixture on the fillets, rolled them up and secured them with a couple of toothpicks.  These roll-ups baked for about 30 minutes at 350 and were really delicious.  In the past I have used canned crabmeat in the stuffing, or any other vegetables I had, such as chopped roasted red peppers, or even chopped olives.  I have to say I like it best with the shrimp, keeping the chunks rather large for a nice texture.  If you are feeling ambitious, you can finish it off with a sauce made with chopped fresh tomatoes, onions and a little white wine, poured on top when serving.


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