The only downer to trying to eat more fish is the fact that you have to buy your fish the day you’re going to prepare it.  And for many of us, that’s hard.  The best work-around I’ve come up with is to buy flash-frozen fillets from either Trader Joe’s or from Whole Foods.  These are fresh-tasting and can be kept around and defrosted when you’re hankering for fish, but I think the freezing changes the texture a bit in a way I don’t love.  I think that baking garners the best results from flash-frozen fish, so if you have some hanging around your freezer, you might want to give this recipe a whirl with those.

This chili-lime cod recipe is adapted from one in Real Simple that I found on-line.  It’s a departure from how I usually prepare cod – either steamed Asian-style or else baked with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  The spice combo here is simple, yet adds zingy flavor to the fish without overpowering it. 

Here, I give you the roadmap for a complete meal:  Fish, sweet potato and steamed broccoli on the side.  My adaptation calls for doubling the sauce recipe so that you can drizzle it over the broccoli too . . . . deeee-licious and super-speedy.  This entire meal can be ready in 20-30 minutes!

Chili-Lime Cod With Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli (adapted from Real Simple)

Heat the oven to 450.  Coat a oven-safe baking dish with cooking spray.  Arrange the fillets in the pan and sprinkle with chili powder, oregano and salt.  Bake 5-7 minutes or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Meanwhile, scrub the sweet potatoes and prick each several times with a fork.  Arrange them on a paper towel in the microwave and microwave them in 2-minute intervals until they’re tender to the touch.

Place the broccoli in a microwave-safe covered dish and microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until broccoli is bright green and tender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet.  Cook, stirring constantly, until butter begins to brown.  Add the cumin and the lime juice and continue to cook (keep stirring!) about one minute more.

Remove the fish from the oven, drizzle ½ the butter mixture over the top of the fish and ½ over the steamed broccoli.  Serve the sweet potatoes with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a little salt sprinkled over the top.   

Serves 4.

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Have you ever had kofta? They’re essentially Middle Eastern meatballs, prepared with ground meat (usually beef and/or lamb) and sometimes with the addition of bulgur. I used to love a kofta plate from the Sultan’s Kitchen when I worked downtown. These are a loose interpretation – not authentic, but very very tasty. I made this last week and both D. and I loved it. Don’t be afraid of the ingredient list – these, the rice and the accompanying carrot slaw will all come together in 45 minutes tops.

Moroccan Kofta and Carrot Slaw (adapted from Cooking Light)

For the kofta:

For the sauce:

To accompany:

For the slaw:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To prepare the kofta, combine all the ingredients except the cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape into 4 equally-sized patties. Heat a large skillet (cast iron will give you a nice crispy char here) over medium-high heat and spray the pan with cooking spray. Add the kofta to the pan and cook until the center is only slightly pink, about 5 minutes each side.

To prepare the sauce, combine the ingredients in a medium bowl.

To prepare the slaw, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

To serve: Spoon a mound of rice onto each of 4 plates, top with kofta, drizzle sauce over the lot and serve the slaw on the side.

Serves 4.

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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We are in that strange nether-place called March here in the Boston area.  It’s still quite chilly, but not thatcold.  It snows, but it doesn’t really stick.  And yet if you head into a store, it’s all about SPRING!  Bright colors, light fabrics, flowers, strappy shoes . . . really, it just serves to irritate me.  I want nothing more to be there, but, sigh.  I have to wait.  Just like every other year.

When it comes to food, I also feel in-between this time of year.  I’m all set with heavy comfort food.  I’ve got my sights set on fresh, light, leafy veggies and grilled meats.  Huge salads and big cold drinks.  Hell, I’d even settle for asparagus.  But even that’s a little premature.  So right now I’m doing in-between food.  Lightened up, but not all the way. 

This chicken, pilaf and salad combo will help tide you over ’til the really good stuff comes.  Like NO snow whatsoever.  Like birds chirping in the morning and dewy grass and patio parties.  Hang on with me, we’ll get there!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the chicken breasts on a large plate and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and spread on both sides of the chicken (some will come off on the plate, that’s OK).  Let sit for 15 minute to marinate.  Transfer the breasts to a large oven-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Smear any leftover honey-mustard sauce over the top of the breasts.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the breasts are no longer pink.

Serves 4.

Barley Pilaf (adapted from the Food Network)

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the barley, 1 t. oil, and salt. Bring back to a boil, adjust the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in the oil.

Drain any excess liquid from the barley and transfer to a large bowl.  Toss with the remaining salad ingredients and the dressing.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Fruity Spinach Salad

Divide the spinach amongst 4 salad plates or bowls.  Divide the oranges among the plates. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.  Dress the salads immediately before serving.

Serves 4.

*Fig vinegar is my new love.  I found mine at Whole Foods, and it is fruity, tangy, and delicious on salads.  Tomorrow I’ll share with you the salad I’ve been eating over and over again since I found this stuff!

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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This is an adaptation of a recipe from Clean Eating Magazine – it’s got an eclectic set of ingredients, but they work together well.  This is a fast, flavorful meal that will add flare to your weeknight repertoire.

Sesame Garlic Chicken, Spinach With Tahini Sauce and Roasted Peanut Quinoa

Tahini Sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet.  With a sharp knife, make 3 slits in each chicken breast, taking care not to cut all the way through the breast.  Stuff the slits with garlic, dividing it evenly amongst the breasts.  Sprinkle each breast with salt, pepper and the sesame seeds.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa thoroughly with water and drain.  Combine the quinoa with the stock in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Add the peanuts to the quinoa and set aside.

Prepare the Tahini Sauce:  In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, vinegar, soy sauce, agave nectar and 1 t. of water until smooth and combined.

Steam the spinach, either in the microwave or in a metal steamer insert for a saucepan.

To serve, mound a portion of quinoa in the center of each plate.  Arrange the steamed spinach around and on top of the quinoa and drizzle some Tahini Sauce over the quinoa and the spinach.  Place a chicken breast on top and serve.

Serves 4.

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Happy Tuesday, friends!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  Today’s recipe highlights the flavors of North Africa – and because it involves a marinade, it’s got great depth of flavor.  But best ever, once you’re ready to cook, it’s 30 minutes from counter to table.  Hooray!

Ginger Spiced Chicken And Rice

Put the chicken in a gallon sized zip-top bag.  For the marinade, combine green onions, orange juice, brown sugar, ginger, oil, garlic, corriander, paprika, salt, cinnamon and pepper in a small bowl.  Pour over the chicken, seal the bag, and mix the contents all around so the marinade covers the chicken.  Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours, turning the bag occasionally. 

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade.  Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.  Arrange the chicken in the dish and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.

Bake, uncovered, in a 375 oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.  Spoon the rice onto 4 dinner plates, and place the chicken atop the rice.  Spoon the remaining pan juices over the chicken and rice.  Serves 4.

Add some steamed green beans on the side, or try these:

Ginger and Honey-Glazed Carrots

Line a baking sheet with paper towels.  In a large skillet, combine water and salt.  Bring to a boil and add carrots.  Return to boiling and then reduce heat, cover and simmer about 12 minutes or until carrots are just tender.  Drain carrots.  Turn the carrots out on to the baking sheet and pat them dry.

To make the glaze – in the same skillet combine butter, honey and ginger.  Stir constantly over medium heat until the butter is melted. 

Add the carrots to the glaze and toss gently until the carrots are throrughly coated with the glaze and are heated through.  To serve, divide carrots among the dinner plates and drizzle with the remaining glaze from the pan.  Serves 4-6.

Both recipes adapted from the Better Homes & Gardens New Dieter’s Cookbook.

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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We all have those nights – they happen more now that school’s in, I think.  The day gets away from you and you’re sitting at your desk (or in your car, mid-schlep) at 4:30 and you’re suddenly caught up short.  “What are we going to have for dinner?”  The easy choice is takeout or fast food, but the angel on your right shoulder says “You should be feeding your family something healthier.”  And face it, are you really going to be able to get to the market before you have to sling hash?  Probably not.

Enter Healthy Habits Kitchen of Wellesley.  I discovered Healthy Habits Kitchen last spring – I was Googling meal assembly places (a la Dream Dinners) nearby, and the HHK site showed up.  I put them on my to-try list and never got around to it.  Then the Foodie Mommy favorably reviewed HHK in early September.  Her review incentivized me to finally check it out. 

HHK offers “meal assembly” services - you step into their kitchen and HHK’s staff has everything you need to prepare multiple meals for multiple mouths: ready-to-assemble, homemade food that can be popped into the oven or heated on the stovetop when you need it.  You schedule an assembly session, pick meals from the rotating menu, stop in and the HHK kitchen becomes your kitchen. HHK does the shopping, chopping and measuring . . . . and even better, they do the clean-up. Another option is to raid HHK’s refrigerator and freezer – for $1 more per meal, you can pick and choose from meals that are already prepared.

So what makes HHK different from all the other meal assembly places?  Susan Schochet, the owner of HHK, is committed to quality, whole, healthful ingredients.  HHK recipes include only natural seasonings, juices, extracts and herbs, and HHK strives to offer fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible. And here’s what got me:  All HHK meals are 400 calories or less, 30% fat or less, and 800mg of sodium or less.  For most of us, this is as close as we’ll ever get to having a health-conscious personal chef in our kitchen.

I visited HHK in September and bought a half portion (serves 2-3) of the Chicken Marbella for $19.99 and popped in my freezer.  I whipped it up for dinner last Tuesday night – D. was pretty much gone for the month of September, and I wanted him to try this out, too. 

We were wowed. 

First off, the preparation couldn’t have been easier.  All the meal components come packaged in a small box that fits easily into your freezer (or fridge, if you’re going to cook the meal within a day).  I took it out the night before, and put it in the fridge to defrost.  The next night, I took it out, followed the easy-to-follow instructions to the letter, and 40 minutes later I put a meal on the table that I’d even serve to company.  All I added on my own were steamed green beans.  The chicken breast pieces were tasty and moist, and a glaze of brown sugar made them pretty to boot.  The sauce had a wonderful sweet-savory thing going on with big dried plums, giant capers, green olives, lots of garlic and oregano – even white wine (included in the kit in a cute little plastic container) to bring it all together.  You serve this over some ziti that’s also included with the half portion, and you have yourself a super-tasty AND healthful meal in practically no time.

The HHK menu changes monthly – you can check out the current options on their site.  Nutritional and ingredient information is listed with each entree.  HHK also offers an assortment of side dishes and desserts, if you’re interested.

You can also arrange private parties at HHK – get a group of friends together to catch up and assemble meals . . . HHK will provide the munchies.  Or, do what I did and for only $1 more per meal, take the lazy-woman’s route (hey, it’s supposed to be convenience food, right?) and go pick and choose out of Sue’s refrigerator and freezer.

Bon appetit!

P.S. Please note well that I am no one’s paid rep here – I visited HHK of my own accord, and while I chatted up Sue a bit (ask L. about my “chatting habit”), I paid for my meal and am under no obligation to give a favorable review.

© 2009 – 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Some of you who know me know that I’m currently sporting this crazy brace – I have terrible tendinitis in my left leg/ankle and this thing is supposed to give my leg a rest and help decrease the inflammation.  The jury’s still out on whether it’s making any difference in the tendon, but the verdict otherwise is that it’s a huge pain in the a** to wear around.  It weighs over 5 lbs. on its own, and comes up to just below my knee.

For some, takeout would be the way to go, but now, more than ever, I want a healthy meal at dinnertime.  I can hardly exercise at all, and, well, I’m “of a certain age” such that exercising is pretty much a necessity – unless I want to show off everything I eat on my lower-half.  So I’m trying to find more convenient dinners that minimize prep but which also emphasize healthy components.  And where do I go for inspiration?  Trader Joe’s, of course. 

Here’s what I do – I go into the store and hit the protein section first.  I check out the meat/sausage/tofu selection and see what strikes my fancy.  Note:  this is exactly the opposite of the way I usually shop: I usually have a detailed list made up, based on my menu plan for the week.  I am naturally incredibly anal. 

Anyway, I choose however many proteins I need, then double-back to cheese and pick up whatever might go with a particular protein – goat cheese is one I often buy . . . goes well with chicken, also on salads or in a quiche.  Then on to produce (for those of you who’re wondering, this is the Memorial Drive, Cambridge TJ’s).  Prepared green beans make life easy, as do broccoli florets.  Bagged and pre-prepared mustard/kale/spinach are super handy (although they never have this as an organic option – I buy it anyway).  And bagged mixed baby greens are a good thing to have on hand at all times.  TJ’s often has bags of sweet potatoes that contain fairly small potatoes – I love these because it keeps portion sizes sane.  Also in the produce section are the packages of pre-prepped lentils and baby beets – these make great sides. 

Frozen food – there are a plethora of options here, but many have high calorie and/or sodium counts, so I steer clear of many of these things.  The one thing I get fairly regularly is frozen chicken quesadillas – they come two to a package, and one paired with a big salad makes a decent dinner.  I don’t really care for their flash-frozen fish or their individually wrapped frozen chicken breasts – for me, the texture is off in both of these.  I have enjoyed some of the Asian frozen stuff in the past, but I don’t buy those items regularly, either. 

Not a frozen item, but located above the frozen cases, are lots of yummy cookies and crackers, along with the genius 100 calorie chocolate bars . . . seriously, these are super.  They come in milk and dark varieties, and they might save you from devouring something huge – like a jar of that dark chocolate peanut butter madness I told you about last month.

There’s nothing particularly exciting for me in the dairy section – but decent prices on yogurts, eggs, milk, etc.  I often stock up on Fage here.

TJ’s has great prices on nuts.  If you stock up, store what you’re not using immediately in the fridge – they won’t go rancid as quickly.  And also in grocery are my favorite (yet admittedly hardcore) bran muffins – depending on flavor, either 80 or 100 calories per muffin and 12 grams of fiber.  Little fiber bombs, really.  I keep these in the freezer at all times and stick one in the micro for 1 minute to thaw.  Pair this with a bowl of Fage in the a.m. – you’ll be rockin’ ’til lunchtime.

So . . . what did I make the last few days?  I told you last Friday about how much I was loving the pumpkin butter – still haven’t had that on anything but 0% Fage w/the toasted pecans, but it’s still lighting my fire.

Wednesdays are soccer practice days for us, and we don’t get home until 6:20.  That’s super late when your kid needs to hit the rack by 7:30 in order to be a pleasant human the next day, so I nuked two of those chicken quesadillas for me and D and whipped out a bag of mixed baby greens, divided it between two big salad bowls, topped it with halved cherry tomatoes, sliced yellow bell pepper, some cukes on mine (D is a cuke-phobe) and topped it with a tablespoon of light ranch dressing that’d been mixed with 2 tablespoons of hot salsa.  Ole!  (L ate leftover pasta and some cubed baked tofu).  Dinner on the table in 15 minutes flat.

Thursday I topped another ginormous salad with TJ’s pre-cooked balsamic chicken breasts – cold and sliced.  More halved cherry tomatoes, more cukes for me and bell pepper andcrumbled bleu cheese for D.  Used Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette on this – not sold at TJ’s but a staple in our fridge.

Friday I salt & peppered organic chicken breasts from TJ’s  and then basted them with a mixture of the juice of 1/2 lemon, a couple dollops of Dijon mustard, and approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of EVOO.  I threw these in a lightly oiled baking dish and baked them in a 425 oven for about 25 minutes.  Prior to that, I washed and pricked a few of those sweet potatoes and threw them into the oven for about 40 minutes (your time will vary depending on the size of the potato).  I topped those with a little light butter (TJ’s sells Balade brand, pretty good), a few shakes of pumpkin pie spice and a drizzle of agave nectar.  I teamed all this up with some steamed pre-prepped green beans topped with a drizzle of garlic EVOO (Annie’s brand, from Whole Foods (formerly Conzorio)), a squeeze of lemon juice and salt & pepper.

Other side dish ideas – I’ve done these in the past but not this week – pair the lentils with some steamed greens and a little drizzle of melted butter and Dijon mustard and you’ve got a tasty little side.  Or use the beets:  quarter each one and heat them slightly in the microwave.  Then salt & pepper them and crumble a little goat cheese over the top – just delicious and so so easy.

I’ll let you know what else I come up with in the coming weeks!

© 2009 – 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I know some of you are afraid to cook fish at home.  I’m not really sure where this comes from, because aside from the fact that you need to buy it day-of cooking (in most cases), I find fish to be a quick and easy answer to the “what’s for dinner?” question.

In our house, we eat a lot of cod.  I know, I know, cod has historically been  over fished, but it’s the only fish that we all consistently agree on.  My daughter won’t eat any of the greens associated with a fish recipe, but she’ll often eat some of the cod itself, along with her ever-present noodles.

Here’s a staple recipe from our house, along with ideas for sides.  It’s a very fast menu to pull together – about 30 minutes from counter to table.

Steamed Cod With Ginger & Scallions

In a large skillet, combine 3 T. rice vinegar, 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce and 2 T. bottled minced ginger.  Season both sides of 4 skinless cod fillets (6-8 oz. each) with Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper.  Place the fillets in the skillet with the vinegar mixture, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until fish is almost opaque, approximately 6 minutes.  Meanwhile, cut the green parts of 4-6 scallions into 3-inch lengths, then thinly slice them length-wise.  Scatter over the fish, and cook, covered, until the fish flakes easily and the scallions are just wilted, approximately 3 minutes more. 

Serves 4.

Asian Slaw

Combine 4 t. rice vinegar, 1 t. bottled minced ginger, 2 T. toasted sesame oil, 2 T. vegetable oil and 2 t. low-sodium soy sauce and toss it with pre-bagged coleslaw mix.  Use as much slaw as you think you’ll need to make generous side-servings (we love this stuff, and so I use about 3/4 lb.!).  Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Simple Noodles

These are my daughter’s #1 favorite comfort food.  Prepare a package of wide Chinese wheat-flour noodles (the ones made without egg) according to package directions and toss them with a bit of toasted sesame oil and some low-sodium soy sauce.

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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It’s not over ’til it’s over, right guys?  There is still more time to grill, enjoy eating alfresco and to savor some summery weather.  This menu has been top-of-mind lately because I made it for a family celebration of my daughter’s August birthday last year.  My husband, in particular, found it mind-blowing – in fact, the salad here is what turned him into a fresh fig lover.  Serve it up to people you love, and treat them to a last, fresh taste of summer.

For a main course, this Rosemary Chicken Skewers With Berry Sauce recipe from Simply Recipes is simple to prepare, but looks and tastes like it took much more effort.  The sauce is very delicious.

For starch, this Couscous Salad with Dates and Almonds, from Bon Appetit has a nice sweet/savory thing going on.   I use whole wheat couscous to amp up the nutrition and protein and I also make double the dressing – I find I need more than the amount called for in the recipe (but not the entire doubled amount) to dress the salad.

For greens, this Late Summer Salad is an adaptation of a recipe from the Fields Of Greens Cookbook by Annie Somerville.  It is a beautiful composed salad that makes a striking presentation for your guests.

Late Summer Salad 

Wash the spinach and dry it in a salad spinner.  Arrange it on a serving platter.  Make the vinaigrette. 

Cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeeds, then thinly slice and peel, following the contour of the rind.  Rinse the figs and pat dry.  Cut them into halves or quarters.

Arrange the melon and figs atop the spinach.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the fruit and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Serves 4 – this can easily be doubled – just use a medium cantaloupe.

Orange Vinaigrette

Combine everything but the oil in a small bowl, then whisk in the oil.  Makes 1/3 cup, but again, can be easily doubled.

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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This is a menu I’ve made many times, always to raves from the crowd.  It’s virutally all do-ahead, so you can take some time with your guests instead of running around crazy before dinner.

Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe from Gourmet Magazine – FYI, I use ~3 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it works out well.  Also note that you must marinate this chicken overnight, so plan accordingly!

Pair this with the Orzo With Tomatoes, Feta & Green Onions recipe from Bon Appetit.  FYI, if you can get fresh, multicolored cherry tomatoes, they’ll look really pretty in this.  And a note:  I am usually a hater of pasta salads, but this one has so much flavor, it’s worth the chopping.  Trust me – I’ve never had a party where this was served and people didn’t request the recipe.  Never!

Serve this Fig Salad With Greens & Walnuts on the side – be sure to scale up the recipe to however many servings you need – as written, it only serves 3 people.

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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