Grapefruit Jalapeno Fish

  This recipe was inspired by an article I read in the September 2011 issue of Vogue magazine. The author had traveled to Mexico and wrote about a chef that used grapefruit with chili peppers. A lot of spicy Mexican dishes use lime to balance the heat from the peppers, so grapefruit seemed like a nice change up on the usual citrus fruit. I kept this idea floating around in my mind for a few months trying to figure out the best base for the sauce. Then a Foodista fish recipe caught my attention. It was a more typical lime and pepper recipe, but it had mayonnaise as the base. Mayonnaise is used more frequently in actual Mexican cooking, as opposed to the Tex-Mex that most Americans are used to. The taste of this dish is phenomenal, even if I did make it!

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup lite mayo

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1/2 red grapefruit

1/4 cup sliced, pickled Jalapeno peppers with the juice

12 ounces of Pollock fillets

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425F. 

Combine the first 4 ingredients to make the sauce. Be sure to remove the juicy grapefruit segments from the tough membranes. Also, there's no need to chop the peppers, the slices from the jar are perfect! 

Stir together the ingredients for the sauce, mashing grapefruit with the spoon.  

Place fillets in a glass baking dish. 

Cover with sauce. 

Bake 9 to 11 minutes.

  Here is a picture of the feast I served with the fish. Fresh corn on the cob with tub margarine, a scoop of fat-free vegetarian refried beans with shredded mozzarella cheese, a cucumber, tomato, and buttery red leaf lettuce salad, and some chips and salsa for good measure.

Baked Beans

  This is a fun recipe for baked beans that mixes a few different types of beans. The result is more flavor and a more interesting presentation. Just be aware that this recipe makes a big pot of beans, so either prepare it for a large crowd or decrease the recipe as needed. 

  Beans are a great source of healthy fiber, and this recipe really has a moderate amount of sugar. Feel free to substitute your favorite beans, such as Great Northerns or limas, or add any variety of peppers for extra spice. Stick to 1/2 cup for a serving size.

Ingredients:

4 cans pork and beans

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed well

2 cans butter beans, drained

1 onion, chopped

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 bottle barbecue sauce

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in an oven safe pot. 

Bake at 325F for 1 hour.

How to Make Healthy Nachos

As a dietitian, I'm always looking for ways to make foods healthier and to add extra vegetables to meals. Nachos are actually one of my favorite foods, but the typical nachos with salty cheese sauce would definitely be considered junk food. Preparing foods at home, rather than eating out, is a great way to reduce calories and improve the nutritional content of meals.

Start with tortilla chips, which are lower in saturated fat and sodium than most chips, just be aware of the serving size. Then add an assortment of your favorite vegetables, such as black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Top them off with part-skim mozzarella cheese, which is the lowest fat natural cheese. Add salsa for another serving of vegetables. You can microwave each plate of nachos, or heat the ingredients in pots on the stove top when serving a group. Garnish with fresh lime and cilantro for extra flavor. I like to add a side salad with fresh greens and ranch dressing, as well.

Burritos

It's the weekend, so I decided to prepare some bean burritos to freeze for convenience during the work week. I used whole wheat tortillas, a can of refried beans, a chopped onion, taco sauce, and mozzarella cheese. The whole wheat tortillas and beans are good sources of fiber, and part-skim mozzarella cheese is the lowest fat natural cheese. 
Just put a scoop of beans on a tortilla, add some onions, a few spoonfuls of taco sauce, and top with a sprinkling of cheese. Then roll up the burritos, and place them in a container to freeze. 

For a quick dinner or something to pack for lunch during the week, just grab a burrito from the freezer. Microwave it, and you've got a meal. Add some fresh lettuce, tomato, and cilantro, or have chips and salsa. Just remember to check the serving size on the tortilla chips.