Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Tonight was another gym night, so I got this salsa chicken recipe going in the crockpot. It is based on a recipe from Sparkrecipes, which is a great free site that helps to calculate nutrition info. and share healthy recipes with others. The first time we tried this recipe, we didn't really like the taco seasoning flavor, so I decided to make my own. I also prefer cream of celery over cream of mushroom, and I love beans in crockpot dishes, so I came up with my own version below. Served over white rice, this hit the spot tonight, especially for my poor husband, who was so busy he didn't eat much lunch today and then went to the gym with me.


Crockpot Salsa Chicken
2 Chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 Jar of salsa
1 can reduced fat cream of celery soup
1 can black beans
Mix of Paprika, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper
2 cups hot cooked rice

Coat chicken in your spice mixture to your tastes. Place into crockpot with salsa, cream of celery soup and black beans. Stir gently, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with hot rice. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Info for entire meal: Calories: 339.2, Fat: 2.6g (.9 Sat, .8 Poly, .6 Mono), Carbs: 60.6g, Fiber: 7.7g

Book Review - "Bitter is the New Black" - Jennifer Lancaster

Book #2 for 2009 is "Bitter is the New Black" by Jennifer Lancaster, a memoir written by a high level executive who loses her job after the dot-com bust in 2001. This book reminded me of the "Shopaholic" series because the main "character" is pretty self-centered and name brand oriented at the beginning of her journey, but her grasp on real life and how to be a good person changes through her downward spiral into poverty. I enjoyed the voice that Jen uses throughout this book, she is very honest with herself and her flaws while still being willing to complain about people that upset her during the process. I also found it incredibly interesting since she was in the world of media/advertising sales during the time of her firing (my current career) in the middle of a rough economy. She speaks a lot of the cruddy treatment she got at many of her interviews, and it kind of opened my eyes about companies not being the most ethical during a "buyers" market for companies. All in all, a good read.

Breakfast for Dinner - Oatmeal Pancakes

My husband loves breakfast. He could eat really big breakfasts at any time of the day. Unfortunately for him, my appetite and sleep patterns don't often allow for me to make him big breakfasts in the morning. Fortunately for him, I enjoy breakfast for dinner! It reminds me of when my Daddy was in charge of making dinner and would make us breakfast for dinner and would plate it so that our eggs, bacon and toast looked like a clown. These pancakes are especially good for breakfast for dinner because they are very filling, but quite good for you. I got to take advantage of the fresh fruit that I found at the farm stand (It costs a lot of money to live in Santa Barbara, but darn it, we have great fruit stands!). Yes, these are fresh berries in January:

The recipe is an award winning heart-healthy recipe from my sister-in-law. She got an article in her local paper written about her for coming up with this recipe, and we really love it! I haven't tried these with banana, but the rest of the mix-ins are great. I would recommend using the strawberries as a topping rather than a mix in, however, as my strawberries usually start to burn before the pancake is done cooking.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 Cup Quick Oats

1 Cup Lowfat Buttermilk

1 Egg or 3 Egg Whites

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix Oats & Buttermilk in a small bowl, cover & refrigerate overnight.Mix egg & vanilla in a bowl, add oats mixture. Add Remaining ingredients. Add more buttermilk if too thick. Prepare as normal pancakes on a hot griddle.

Optional mix ins or toppers:Fresh Blueberries (1/2 cup)Sliced Strawberries (1/2 cup)Sliced Banana (1 banana)Semi-Sweet chocolate mini chips (1/2 cup)

Nutrition info for 3 pancakes with no toppings or mix-ins: Calories: 142, Fat: 2.7 (.7 Sat, .8 Poly, .8 Mono), Carbs: 22.6, Fiber: 3.2

Weeknight Beef & Broccoli

Let’s face it – sometimes it isn’t about cooking a gourmet meal, it's more about just getting dinner on the table. I got the beef for this recipe marinating before we left for gym night, so all I had to do when we got home was heat up the stir fry pan and cook everything up – less than 10 minutes. We don’t eat beef very often, but this stir fry is easy and tasty. I steer away from the precut strips in the store. They aren’t as tender, so I just look for a sirloin piece that is the right size. The trick to really tender stir fried meat is to cut the beef into really thin slices, and the trick to that is to use partially frozen beef (either freeze for 20 minutes or so when you get home if you are cooking that night, or time your defrost in the fridge to be a little less time than normal). This recipe was originally from the back of a Campbell’s can from so long ago that it isn’t even on Campbell’s Kitchen website. As long as you are fans of Tomato Soup and don’t mind the extra sweet sauce, this is a great, quick weeknight option for just getting dinner done.

Beef and Broccoli
12 oz Lean Top Sirloin, sliced into very thin strips, fat removed
2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
4 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 Clove Garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp olive oil
1 10.5 oz can Campbell's Tomato Soup
2 cups steamed rice (white or brown)

Marinade beef in soy and garlic for at least 10 minutes. Stir Fry with oil on medium high until cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove. Mix Tomato Soup into the remaining juices in the pan, cook until bubbly. Add beef & lightly steamed broccoli to the pan. Mix well. Serve over hot steamed rice. Makes 3 servings.

Nutrition Info for entire meal: Calories: 503, Fat: 13.1g (4.3 Sat, 1.2 Poly, 6.5 Mono), Carbs: 54.1g, Fiber: 3.1g

Laughing Cow Chicken

I learned of this recipe from a What's Cooking nestie blog, Macaroni and Cheesecake (original recipe from Elizabeth's Cooking Experiments, here). I've always loved Laughing Cow cheese and have wanted to try recipes with it, but my husband is like a kid when it comes to trying new things. He tasted some of the cheese at a New Year's get together and liked it, so I knew when we came back I would have the okay to start seeking out recipes that use this yummy product! This turned out really good. We already like breaded & baked chicken, and this was a nice twist. I made it with baked potatoes & steamed green beans to keep the dishes simple for Lost night!



Laughing Cow Chicken
2 5 oz chicken breasts pounded thin
2 laughing cow garlic herb flavor cheese wedges
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 egg
Cooking Spray

Roll one cheese wedge into pounded out chicken and secure tightly with toothpicks. Roll through beaten egg and mixture of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees on a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spray top of chicken with cooking spray and cook for 5-10 minutes more or until tops are golden and crisp.

Nutrition Info: Calories: 360.9, Fat: 9.3g (3.2 Sat, .8 Poly, 1.8 Mono), Carbs: 21.5g, Fiber: 1g

Family Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

When my dad married my stepmom, there was the usual blending of two families, which is not always easy. In addition to all the normal struggles, my parents like to joke of how they had to combine Spaghetti Sauce recipes. One of the top two most requested favorite meals from my childhood was the recipe they created. Once I became an adult, I found out that I really didn't often have the time to let my spaghetti sauce simmer on low for 4-6 hours, so I pretty much became a Ragu girl and never looked back. Today is different. Today, I chart new waters by further adjusting my parents recipe to better fit my current family (my husband and me). This was really fun, I loved tweaking things for my personal grown up tastes and coming up with the perfect match. I will still Ragu it up sometimes, but this is good when I have the time.

Family Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 lb Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, casings removed (original used ground beef)
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes (original used 3 cans of tomato sauce, no crushed)
1 10 oz can tomato paste
2 6 oz jars pimentos, drained
1 tsp each dried italian seasoning, oregano, basil (or 1 Tbs fresh if you have it)
1 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (my addition)
Optional: Up to 3/4 cup of water to thin out sauce if you like yours thinner, I like it thick!

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and clear in very large skillet or dutch oven (at least 3 quarts). Remove onion mixture and add turkey sausage to pan. Brown until no longer pink. Drain excess fat. Add onion/garlic mixture, all tomato products and pimentos to pan. Mix well. Add all seasonings and mix well (you may want to taste test seasonings here, adjust as needed). Simmer on low for at least 4 hours. Serve over hot cooked pasta, top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Makes 8-10 servings.

Nutrition Information for Sauce: Calories: 149.6, Fat: 3.9g (.7 Sat, .5 Poly, 2.1 Mono), Carbs: 17.8g, Fiber: 4.2g

First 2009 Book - Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

I bet some of you were wondering when the first "tale" portion of Tastes, Tales and Tours was going to appear. I had several books in the works when I decided to drop all of them in favor of finishing "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama by Tuesday's inauguration. It is pretty crystal clear that I am a democrat, so my views of this book are obviously skewed by my party lines, but I was also raised in a very conservative family (who are quite disappointed in my current political viewpoints). While I agree with Barack and therefore this book, politically, most of the time, there were certainly times when he was just a little too far left, even for me. The best part of this book, however, were the many times when his words inspired me. I'm hopeful for the future 4 years (at least) in this country where we have the potential for our well spoken, well educated president's words to inspire us to do better things. Democrat or Republican, I would encourage anyone to read this book to futher understand where Obama will be steering this country. But then, I've been sipping a lot of his Kool-Aid and love this guy!

Saucy Creole Pork Chops

Well, I should have known this recipe from Campbell's Kitchen would be nothing but trouble when, after I finished chopping all my veggies & herbs and went to move the flex-cutting board to the stove, this happened:

Yes, that is my kitchen floor, and no, the linoleum is not normally speckled green. The edge of the cutting board hit the countertop and suddenly, parsley became a confetti celebration. Ugh. I then proceeded (after cleaning this mess up and chopping more parsley) to add over double the amount of water to the sauce than was prescribed. So while the flavor of this recipe was pretty good, all the textures were wrong. I still ate 2 pork chops, since I was starving after a huge hike we did today, but we will definitely experiment with this one some more, perhaps with chicken. We did love the cajun seasoning, so I'll try that in some other concoction soon.

Saucy Creole Pork Chops

(From Campbell's Kitchen)

4 Boneless Pork Chops, 3/4 inch thick

1 1/2 tsp Creole or Cajun Seasoning

2 Tbs Olive Oil (separated)

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 can condensed lowfat cream of celery soup

1/3 a cup of water (or, if you are feeling silly, 3/4 of a cup)

1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced)

Sprinkle Chops with seasoning. Heat 1 Tbs oil in medium skillet over med. high heat. Add Chops and cook 10 minutes or until browned. Remove chops. Add remaining oil and heat over medium heat. Cook garlic & onions until onions are tender. Add soup, water, parsley and tomatoes. Heat to a boil. Return pork to skillet. Cover & cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Serve with hot rice.

Nutrition info for 1 pork chop & sauce: Calories: 351.5, Fat: 20.9g (6.1 Sat, 2.4 Poly, 10.9 Mono), Carbs: 15.2g, Fiber: 1g

Sauteed Grouper + Roasted Broccoli

I was in the neighborhood of my favorite fresh fish market here in Santa Barbara (yet another reason why I love it here), and decided to stop in and pickup some of the yummiest fish ever, the local halibut. Well, they were out, so I asked for my next favorite, Petrale Sole. They were out of that as well (the fish dude said it was late in the day and they are always swamped when the weather is nice, which it was, 79 degrees for the high!). I asked for the next best available whitefish and was given Mexican Grouper. Note to self: Always chat with fish dude more when cooking a new type of fish. The fish was of supreme quality and was very good, but my normal recipe for sauteed whitefish (like halibut, sole, tilapia) just didn't seem like the best preparation for this type of fish. I think next time I will try this marinated and grilled instead. The broccoli is based on this recipe from allrecipes for cauliflower, but I'd heard it works well for broccoli as well, and it is now one of our favorite ways of enjoying broccoli.

Sauteed Grouper (my recipe)

2 5 oz Grouper Filets (or lighter whitefish like halibut, sole or tilapia)

2 Tbs Butter

2 Cloves Garlic

Seafood Seasoning

Fresh Chopped Parsley (optional)

Coat fish filets in seafood seasoning. Melt butter over low heat and add minced garlic. Cook over low heat. Butter shouldn't bubble much, the idea is to get the butter infused with garlic, see picture. Increase heat to medium high and add fish. Saute until cooked through (no longer opaque or pink). Top with butter from pan and (if available), fresh chopped parsley

Roasted Broccoli
8 oz Fresh Broccoli florets (try to have medium sized pieces, too big or too small doesn't turn out as well)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix Oil and Garlic in a gallon zipper storage bag. Add broccoli and mix very well (all the florets should have a little glisten to them from the oil). Pour into a shallow roasting pan and spread out evenly. Roast at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until broccoli reaches desired consistency and is just starting to brown.

Nutrition Info. for Fish: Calories: 304.6, Fat: 15.7g (7.8g Sat, 1.8g Poly, 4.7g Mono), Carbs: 1, Fiber: .1

Nutrition Info for Broccoli: Calories: 155.6, Fat: 13.9g (1.9g Sat, 1.3g Poly, 10g Mono), Carbs: 6.9g, Fiber: 3.5g

Chicken Jambalaya

This is another one of our staples, and I love it because once you chop the veggies and add everything into one pot, it sits there and cooks itself while you do other things. It is nice to have 20 minutes away from the stove while cooking dinner. It is also another one dish stovetop wonder, which also garners big points from me. Finally, it is pretty darn healthy, and tastes great as leftovers. Yay!





Chicken Jambalaya (from Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, 11th Edition)
1 Small Onion, Diced
1 Medium Green Bell Pepper, Diced
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth or stock (I always use stock)
1 cup long grain white rice
1 tsp dried basil or thyme (I use fresh basil)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Tabasco Sauce
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I just use the 6 oz precooked packages in the deli case)

Cook Onion, Pepper and Garlic in Oil over medium high heat until soft. Add rice and stir for about 30 seconds. Add Stock, Tomatoes, basil, pepper and Tabasco. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce temp to low and cover. Cook without peeking for 20 minutes. Add cubed chicken and stir into rice mix until well incorporated. Cook until heated through, another 3-5 minutes. Makes about 4 servings.



Nutrition Info per serving: Calories: 174, Fat: 5.1g (1.2 Sat, .5 Poly, 2.8 Mono), Carbs: 19.2g, Fiber: 1.4g

Mexican Stuffed Shells

I found this recipe on another blog while browsing thenest.com What's Cooking discussion boards. The Nest is a website for newly married people that I frequent often even though I've been married a while, and the What's Cooking board is actually where I found out that cooking blogs even existed, so they kinda inspired this whole thing. This recipe from Le Petit Pierogi looked really good, and we tried it right away back before I started blogging. We both liked it, but decided it could use some tweaking for our tastes, so we swapped out the beef for turkey (we hardly ever use ground beef and almost always swap it out for turkey) and added some black beans, along with a few other small changes. The result was a lighter tasting filling, and we both really loved the recipe this way. So thanks to The Nest for the recipe and introducing me to the world of blogging.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

12 Jumbo Pasta Shells

1/2 lb Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast

1/2 packet taco seasoning

2 oz light cream cheese

1/4 cup nonfat refried black beans

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup red taco sauce

1/2 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese blend

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and cool. Brown turkey in nonstick pan until no longer pink. Add 1/2 packet of taco seasoning and amount of water recommended for 1/2 a packet. Simmer according to packet directions. Add cream cheese and simmer & stir on low until cheese is well blended. Cool completely. Pour salsa into a 7x11x2" baking dish. Add about a teaspoon of black beans to each shell and spread as evenly as possible. Top with a tablespoon of turkey mixture and place in baking dish. Continue until all shells are filled. Top shells with taco sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes more or until cheese is bubbly.

Makes 3 servings of 4 shells each.

Nutrition Info: Calories: 321, Fat: 11.3g (6.5g Sat, .4 Poly, 1 Mono), Carbs: 26.3g, Fiber: 1.7g

Billy Beans

This is a historic recipe in my family, which came to us via my step-brother-in-law's college roommate, Billy (that is probably the longest source for a recipe ever). My family has made it vegetarian, but it tastes great with browned ground beef or turkey added in as well, for those of you meatatarians out there. A traditional "Guest Dinner" in my childhood was Billy Beans, rice and grilled tri-tip (a specialty out here in Central CA), but just the beans and rice are a very filling meal. It is ridiculously simple and cheap to prepare.

Billy Beans

2 16 oz jars of your favorite salsa (we use Ortega, one mild, one medium)

2 15 oz cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

(this ratio makes about 6 servings, but can be adjusted as needed)

Put the above ingredients into a crockpot and mix well. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with hot rice and top with cheddar cheese, if desired. Also good served over a baked potato.

Nutrition Info for Billy Beans: Calories: 195, Fat: .4g (.1 Sat, .3 Poly, 0 Mono), Carbs: 36.1 g, Fiber: 10.1 g

Chicken Dijon

My husband says he gets to take some credit for this blog entry because he decided he wanted this for dinner. This is about as "fancy" as it gets around here, and it is still listed as "easy" in the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook I got it from. I enjoy cooking, but I guess I like to keep it simple. The lemon and dijon flavors go well together. Even though the recipe for 4 doesn't 1/2 in perfect increments, I always make it for two by just eyeballing. One important note is that since this is a pan-sauteed chicken recipe, it helps to pound out the chicken to an even thickness prior to seasoning, and if you have really thick chicken pieces, you might want to slice them in half to cook through evenly before the outside burns.


Chicken Dijon (From Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook, 11th Edition)
4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 Tbs Butter
2/3 cup non fat milk
1/4 cup Non-Fat Milk
2 tsp all purpose flour
1 Tbs Dijon Mustard

Season chicken with lemon pepper & onion powder. Saute in butter over medium heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning once. Transfer to serving platter, keep warm. Reduce heat to low. For sauce, add 2/3 cup of milk to pan drippings and scrape pan well to deglaze all the yummy bits. In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, mix flour and 1/4 cup of milk until well blended. Add to juice/milk mixture in the pan and increase to medium heat. Mix until smooth, then add Dijon. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Cook & stir for one minute after bubbles start to form. Serve chicken over a prepared herb flavored rice mix (like Rice-A-Roni), top with dijon sauce. Makes 4 servings
Nutrition Info for Chicken and Sauce: Calories: 157.5, Fat: 6.8g (Sat 3.6, Poly .2, Mono 1.7), Carbs: 1.7, Fiber 0

Turkey Chili Pasta

This is an interesting blend between a chili and pasta. It isn't like Chili-Mac, since the pasta is pretty saucy and there are no beans, but you definitely get the chili flavors shining through. I think I'm finally zeroing in on the exact ratio of flavors. Trust me on the weird chili powder/sugar/vinegar combo, it really works. This is a very quick meal if you use prechopped peppers and/or onions from the grocery.

Turkey Chili Pasta (adapted from allrecipes here)

1/2 lb extra lean turkey breast

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups uncooked short whole wheat pasta (like rotini or bowties)

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

1 Tbs white vinegar

3/4 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder

Saute peppers, onions and garlic in oil until soft in a non-stick pan. Remove from pan and saute turkey until no longer pink. Return veggies to pan and add tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and chili powder. Simmer, covered, until sauce becomes one consistency (turkey should blend in with the rest of the sauce and won't stand out as much, see picture). Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to cooking pot. Add sauce to pasta and mix well. Makes 4 large one dish servings

Nutrition Info per serving: Calories: 292.8, Fat: 4.3g (.6 Sat, .3 Poly, 1.7 Mono), Carbs: 49.5g, Fiber: 7.4g

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin can be really good for you (it is the other white meat, right?), but I find it hard to find tasty unusual recipes for it. All I ever see are loins coated in barbeque sauce or smothered in dijon. I searched the internet high and low and combined the best of about 5 recipes I found to come up with this baked Teriyaki Tenderloin. My husband is not a huge fan of pork, but loves this recipe.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

3/4 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and silver skin

5 Tbs Lite soy sauce

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh grated ginger (I use the jarred stuff)

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 Tbs honey

Combine all ingredients except pork in a gallon size storage bag and combine well to create marinade. I stuff the bag into a tall cup so that I can use both hands for pouring/measuring (see picture). Add tenderloin to the bag and marinade at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425. Line 11x7x2" pan (or closest available) with aluminium foil (don't forget this step or whoever is on dish duty will hate you). Place tenderloin in pan, reserving marinade. Bake, uncovered, for 25-35 minutes or until internal temp. reaches 160-170, remove from oven, then allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring marinade to a rapid boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced to a syrup consistency. Slice tenderloin and serve topped with marinade sauce.

One tenderloin serves 2-3 people, but the marinade can easily be used for 2 tenderloins (just a little less sauce to go around).

Nutrition Info for 1 serving of pork and marinade sauce: Calories: 330 g, Total Fat: 15.9 g (3.7 Sat, 1.4 Poly, 9.4 Mono), Carbs: 11.6 g, Fiber: .3 g

Peanut Chicken

This is a family recipe from my side of the family that has turned into one of our favorite recipes. Everyone who I've shared this with seems to love it. The combination may sound weird, but it is so tasty. I especially like that it is a no oven required meal, which makes it appropriate for summer when I don't want to heat up the house.





Peanut Chicken


2 chicken breasts (about 3/4 lbs)
4 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp shredded ginger (I get mine in a jar)
1 large red bell pepper diced into 3/4 inch pieces
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup picante sauce (we use medium heat)
2 Tbs creamy peanut butter

Marinate chicken in soy, garlic and ginger for 10 minutes. Heat oil in stir fry pan over medium high heat. Add bell pepper and saute until fragrant. Remove pepper and add chicken. Saute until no longer pink. Meanwhile, mix picante sauce with peanut butter until mostly smooth. Add sauce to pan and heat until bubbly. Add to chicken with bell pepper and heat through. Serve with rice. Makes 2-3 servings.

Nutritional Info for Chicken (rice not included): Calories: 300, Fat: 10.6 g (2 Sat, .9 Poly, 3.8 Mono), Carbs: 10 g, Fiber 1.2

Broiled Halibut (adapted from WW recipe)

This is a good standby for any type of light textured whitefish (tilapia, halibut, sole) that you would like to cook in a way that doesn't include a ton of butter (my favorite fish preparation is guilty of pretty much boiling fish in butter, not so healthy). So, for my first blog of the year and my first home cooked meal of the year, I tried this with halibut from Costco. Unfortunately, it has been a while since I cooked this recipe and forgot it needed lemon juice. I added white wine instead and the pyro in me was highly entertained by watching the alcohol go up in flames in the toaster/broiler. I served this with wheat pilaf from a box (like couscous but I have a tendency of eating an entire box of couscous when I'm not thinking straight, and this stuff is way too filling for that) and some steamed broccoli. Good healthy start to the year, though I do recommend the lemon juice over the wine.

Broiled Halibut

2 Halibut filets, about 5 oz each

1 spray cooking spray (I prefer butter flavored)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbs lemon juice (I used wine, but lemon juice is better. Don't use OJ, the sugar will burn)

2 tsp garlic herb seasoning (or lemon pepper, or your preference)

Preheat broiler. Coat shallow baking dish or broiler pan with cooking spray. Season both sides of fish with salt & pepper. Transfer to broiler pan. Drizzle with lemon juice and top with seasoning. Broil until fish is fork tender (about 5 minutes for thin fish pieces, the size shown here took about 10 minutes).

Nutrition info per serving of fish: 199 calories, 4.2 g fat (.6 Sat, 1.3 Poly, 1.4 Mono), 37.8 g protein, .5 g Carbs, 0 g fiber.

Why am I doing this?

I just got a new camera from my fabulous husband and I thought I would share. I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, and this new camera allows me to take great food pictures. In addition, my 2009 resolution is to read 26 books, so I'd like a place to review and track this resolution. Finally, I enjoy travelling and I have found that writing down the best parts helps to hold onto the memories longer.

So welcome to my blog! I'm going to try really hard to update this regularly, but don't fault me if I fall behind!