Category: Fish

Figuring It Out Myself…Bok Choy and Squid Soup

This weekend I totally hibernated. I had some events projects to work on.In my perusal of blogs I noticed one of my favorites Jen had a link to recipe calculator. I always wondered how people calculated the nutritional information especially if they made up the recipe themselves, like I always do.Most of us has seen thinner days and watch what we eat. However in shunning packaged processed foods, I have only a vague idea of what I’m really getting.So I decided to play around. On Sundays I like to a make a big pot of something to eat off all day. But I wasn’t really hungry. I had some leftover frozen squid defrosting in the fridge . I immediately though of a light soup to go with some Bok Choy I purchases. My veggie box is postponed until tomorrow due to my travelling. Squid was cheap and low fat, so why not? Plus Certain Someone doesn’t return until tomorrow.Here is a link to this great site called Sparks Recipes. You can share or keep your recipes private. But the Nutritional tool is invaluable.
Ingredients
2 cups shredded Bok Choy

Squid( cleaned and sliced) and its tentacles

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup chicken broth( homemade preferably but if not a low sodium one)

2 tbsp white vinegar

Chili Pepper Flakes

3 cloves minced garlic

1 can whole Tomatoes

1 tsp salt

3 cups of water

Wilt Bok Choy in a pot with olive oil. Add garlic.Add tomatoes with juice and chicken broth.Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Add squid which has been sliced into rings,spices( chili pepper flakes, cayenne pepper,) salt.Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.Number of Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts
Bok Choy and Squid Soup
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories
85.7
Total Fat
3.0 g

Saturated Fat
0.5 g

Polyunsaturated Fat
0.5 g

Monounsaturated Fat
1.7 g
Cholesterol
110.1 mg
Sodium
623.9 mg
Potassium
336.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate
6.2 g

Dietary Fiber
0.8 g

Sugars
2.5 g
Protein
9.3 g
Vitamin A
22.5 %
Vitamin B-12
10.2 %
Vitamin B-6
5.9 %
Vitamin C
27.2 %
Vitamin D
0.0 %
Vitamin E
5.5 %
Calcium
4.6 %
Copper
48.2 %
Folate
2.2 %
Iron
6.5 %
Magnesium
6.8 %
Manganese
5.8 %
Niacin
8.1 %
Pantothenic Acid
3.8 %
Phosphorus
12.2 %
Riboflavin
13.8 %
Selenium
30.7 %
Thiamin
3.2 %
Zinc
5.7 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

I’m Back..Tomato Stuffed with Tilapia with Roasted Cauliflower

I had a very busy and productive time in Ft.Lauderdale. The trade show I attended was devoted to ‘The Americas’ and had a strong Latin feel. Everyone looked so sleek and polished and spoke Spanish, French, Italian , and English.I was fortunate to get upgraded to a suite ( my absent bosses influence).Check out what was parked outside my balcony.
Our Distributor for the Caribbean took a group of us to a great restaurant called Michaels in the Design District of Miami. Outstanding! I took bad picks that I wont even post. But the menu was divided by small, medium, large, and extra large plates to share. I had a yellowtail tartar to start, a slow cooked pork shoulder with cheese grits,and tangerine pot de creme served with baklava on the side.This was a very popular place worthy of the fine reviews. My only beef was the slow service. But my dinner companions were animated and fun ,so it was no biggie. I love great conversation with people from other countries.We then wrapped up the evening at the club set up for the show attendees. Many a deal is done with a drink on the dance floor.I finally got away and made it to bed well past midnight to begin round two of meetings.
So arriving to a chilly wet Chicago made me long for warmer climes. Certain Someone wont move to the islands, so I can only dream. I see he had ate the ‘smokey’ butterscotch puddings he protested about. I decided to make fish for dinner as he was at work. At Michael’s I had a side of roasted cauliflower in this wonderful sauce of oil and basil I think. The market was out of basil so I purchased mint and parsley. I had a head of cauliflower and tomatoes from the box last week begging to be used. I just pureed a bunch of parsley with some cloves of garlic,lemon juice,olive oil, sea salt,oregano, black pepper,and a few leaves of mint. It wasn’t the one at Michael’s but it was pretty good and packed with flavor. I seasoned and rolled my Tilapia fillets in hollowed out tomatoes. Oiled the pan . Then I added the cauliflowers florets and baked on a high temp of 450 degrees until finished. I also took the tomato pulp and lightly cooked it down with a squirt or two of tomato paste. The parsley sauce was artfully squirted through a bottle.
This was great light dinner loaded with flavor.

A Craving For Fish

When Certain Someone is away, as he is now,I tend to eat things that I don’t when he’s home.For a man who spent some major time in Sweden , he doesn’t care for fish. He does like shellfish however.Anyway I haven’t been eating as much fish as I would like while shacking up with him.That could explain the enormous weight gain. Today I craved fish. The weather was spectacular,and as I drove home,with the roof open, from a meeting in the suburb,I decided to get some fish from store I like. This supermarket caters to Mexican, Asian, and Arab communities . I love their meats, produce, and seafood.If I wasn’t concerned about time and traffic on the highway, I would have stayed a long time. I picked a whole Red Snapper. I love Red Snapper and remembered the many ways I had it in Costa Rica a few summers back.
My Aussie friend Gabi had given me some Donna Hay cookbooks, and I decided to use them to find a way to cook up fish. Donna uses a lot of Asian influences in the The Instant Cook. I had purchased some Key Limes, Habeneros, and cilantro as well. So with that in mind I chose her Crispy Fried Fish with Soy and Ginger. She calls dredging the snapper in rice flour(which I had on hand) and frying it up. Then topped off with a soy and ginger sauce. I decided to forgo the fried route , took her ingredients, added leeks for scallions, a diced Habenero, and roasted the snapper.

Sorry for the bad picture, but Certain Someone took his camera which I use for the blog. He needs to photograph some future real estate he’s trying to acquire in Sweden. I don’t complain because I can’t wait to spend my summer vacations there.So I make due with my old HP digital demom camera.
The sauce caramelized and leeks were crispy. It was good balanced with rice.However next time I will cook the sauce on the side and then add to roasted fish and leeks. But the flavor came through the fish well.
Coco’s Red Snapper (influenced by Donna Hays Crispy Fried Fish with Soy and Ginger)
1/2 oz grated ginger
2/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 whole Red Snapper( gutted and scaled)
vegetable oil
1 whole leek cleaned and sliced
1 Habenero pepper diced
fresh cilantro sprigs
Put cleaned fish in a slightly oiled baking dish . Place sliced leeks over or inside the fish. Mix all the remaining ingredients together and pour over the fish. Bake on higher temp ( around 400 degrees ) for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the fish. Serve with rice and fresh cilantro sprigs.