Crispy Baked Bluefish

I discovered a new fish – wild Bluefish. I decided to try it because it was wild, locally caught (from Long Island) and very inexpensive - $5.99 a pound. I’ve cooked with it several times now - it's an oily, hearty fish that has a lot of flavor. Supposedly it is also high in Omega-3s. This is my favorite way of preparing it so far. It’s crispy and tasty, but not fried.

I still wonder why this fish is so much cheaper than other local fish…. Perhaps the sickly blue color turns people off at market?

Ingredients (per serving):
• 8oz. Bluefish (or any thick whitefish)
• Quarter cup panko breadcrumbs
• Quarter teaspoon each dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano
• Three teaspoons olive oil
• Quarter teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°
In a small bowl mix breadcrumbs, herbs, and a quarter teaspoon salt.
Add two teaspoons olive oil and mix together.
Coat top of fish with one teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Top fish with breadcrumb mixture.
Spray baking dish with cooking spray and place fish skin-side down in dish.
Bake through, about 13 minutes.
Turn oven to broil and cook until topping is brown, about two minutes.

Happy Accidents: Turkey Mushroom Burger

This week I defrosted ground beef, only to discover it was actually ground white meat turkey! So, rather than grilling a burger, I had to develop a new recipe for the acid-reflux diet. Unlike ground beef, you can’t just put turkey on a grill and expect a juicy burger. White meat turkey has a low fat content, so burgers could come out very dry if just cooked plain. Also, they need to be cooked all the way through. I came up with a way of seasoning and steaming the burger, making it moist and tasty. This burger is very healthy, and it doesn’t need a bun or condiments.

Ingredients for one turkey burger:
• Quarter pound ground white meat turkey
• Three tablespoons chopped onion
• One teaspoon plus one tablespoon chopped parsley
• Three quarters cup sliced cremini mushrooms
• One clove chopped garlic
• Two tablespoons chicken broth
• Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

To prepare the burger:
Season turkey with one tablespoon chopped onion, one teaspoon parsley, and salt. Form burger.

Heat skillet until very hot and spray with cooking spray.
Sear turkey burger on each side but do not cook through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Clean skillet, and return to burner. Heat olive oil on medium heat.
Add two tablespoons onion, one tablespoon parsley, and one clove garlic to pan.
Once the onions and garlic are sweating, add mushrooms to skillet and toss to coat.
Cover skillet and let the water emerge from the mushrooms – about five minutes.
Add chicken broth.
Return turkey to skillet and cover the pan to steam the burger, six to eight minutes.
Remove the burger and top with mushrooms and broth.

"Oat and Honey" Cereal Bars

Here’s a delicious snack for the acid-reflux diet. It’s rich in fiber, and heart healthy too! I have to give credit to Mark Bittman, since these are adapted from his granola bar recipe. I swapped out the granola and nuts for basic Cheerios, and dropped the acidic apricots and used raisins instead.

Ingredients:
• One cup Cheerios
• One cup crisped brown rice cereal
• One third cup almond butter
• One quarter cup honey
• One quarter cup raisins

Grease a brownie pan with oil and line with plastic wrap.
Combine cereals and raisins in a large mixing bowl.
Combine almond butter and honey in a saucepan.
Heat saucepan until mixture is smooth.
Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula.
Pour all ingredients into brownie pan, pressing down with spatula to even it out.
Cover with additional plastic wrap and fold over to seal.
Cool in refrigerator for at least three hours.
Remove plastic wrap and cut into bar shapes.

Doctor's Orders - Vegetarian Quinoa

Earlier this week I went to an acupuncturist for my GERD and ulcers. When the treatment was over, the doctor told me that I had to eat vegetarian for three days. Plus, he added extra stipulations - nothing greasy, sweet, or raw. To say the least, this was an interesting challenge to add on to my already strict diet!

As you can tell from the recipes on this blog, I do sometimes eat vegetarian, but it’s usually just for one meal. I rarely go a day without eating meat, so I’m generally not concerned about having balance in my vegetarian meals. Now that I was going to be a three-day veggie, I had to pay more attention to nutrition.

I altered my quinoa recipe to make a one pot, nutrient-balanced, satisfying, vegetarian meal. I’ll be honest – it’s not the prettiest dish, but it was really tasty. I hope all of the vegetarians out there enjoy this dish.

And please, no notes about “keeping it up” – I’m too excited about the “Beef on Weck” I will be eating in Buffalo this Saturday!

Veggie Quinoa

Ingredients:
• One cup quinoa
• One and a half cups vegetable broth
• Quarter cup chopped onions
• Quarter cup chopped green bell pepper
• Half cup chopped spinach (note: I used frozen)
• Three quarters of a can of cannellini beans
• Teaspoon dried parsley (note: I usually use fresh, but I did not have it on hand)
• Teaspoon dried oregano
• One bay leaf
• One tablespoon canola oil
• Kosher salt

Heat oil in a pot and add onion, pepper, parsley, oregano, and a dash of salt.
When onion is sweating, add vegetable broth.
Stir in spinach and bay leaf, and bring to a boil.
Add quinoa.
Bring heat down to a simmer.
After ten minutes, add cannellini beans and stir.
Quinoa should be done in another ten minutes.

Greenmarket Grilling

Here’s a great summer idea for the acid reflux diet – grilling vegetables for a delicious, fresh salad. I used what enticed me at the Union Square Greenmarket. With local vegetables you know they will be fresh and flavorful, so they don’t need extra spices and acids. Today I used Japanese eggplant (the very small, skinny ones), Kirby cucumber, and sweet corn.

I grilled the corn in the husk, and cut the kernels off the cob when it was done. I split the Japanese eggplant lengthwise, and brushed it with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and dried herbs. The eggplant was done grilling in just a few minutes, at which point I cut it into bite size pieces. I didn’t grill the cucumber – I just peeled it and cut it into pieces the same size as the eggplant. I tossed everything together, adding a drizzle of olive oil and a few shakes of salt. It was crunchy, tasty, and refreshing.

Acid-Free Salad Dressings

Now that I am on the acid-reflux diet, I have a love/hate relationship with salad. As a healthy eater, salad is a big part of my regular routine. I eat at least one salad a day. I’ve always loved salad, even as a kid. When the doctor put me on the acid reflux diet, I was told to stop eating vinegar and citrus – basically, all salad dressing.

So, I have a confession to make. Salad is my cheat. I know, it sounds crazy – if I’m going to cheat, shouldn’t it be on something indulgent? Well, salad makes me feel good – just in a different way. It’s refreshing, tasty, and I feel great afterwards. I go light on the pour, and pick dressings made with berries, as they tend to have less vinegar. Still, I know I’m not doing what’s right for my belly.

I needed to find “better belly” salad dressings. I did some experimentation and created two salad dressings that not only lack acid, but are extremely healthy.

Creamy Dill dressing
This creamy dressing also makes a great dip for crudités. It’s also vegan.

• Three quarters of a cup silken tofu
• Half a large cucumber
• Half a teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• Quarter teaspoon salt

Peel cucumber and remove seeds.
Grate cucumber onto dishcloth, squeeze contents to remove excess water.
Combine all ingredients with a blender until mix is smooth.

Caesar Dressing
• Half cup silken tofu
• Quarter cup extra virgin olive oil
• Quarter teaspoon anchovy paste (or more, to taste)
• Quarter teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients with a blender until smooth.

Chicken with Quinoa Pilaf

I know, quinoa sounds all “health-foody.” It’s like the scene in Annie Hall when Alvy sits down at an L.A. restaurant and orders “alfalfa sprouts and mashed yeast.” But don’t let the strangely-spelled word fool you. If made correctly, quinoa is incredibly tasty – as yummy as a well-made rice or pasta dish. The fact that it is much healthier than rice or pasta is just a nice bonus.

This recipe is a full meal in one pot, and it only takes ten minutes to prepare and twenty minutes to cook. It serves two people and you will still have leftover quinoa to use as a side dish. The onions and garlic are optional, if you can’t handle them. The fresh herbs and bay leaves give this dish a fabulous flavor that is friendly to the belly.

Ingredients:
One chicken breast (You can use boned chicken, or a larger and thicker boneless/ skinless one. Do not use tenders or thin cutlets.)
Quarter cup chopped onions (optional)
Quarter cup chopped celery
One clove garlic, minced (optional)
Half cup sliced crimini mushrooms
Two tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Two bay leaves
Two cups chicken broth
One cup quinoa
One tablespoon canola oil

Use a medium to large size pot - a pasta pot or rice pot work nicely.
Over medium heat, sauté mushrooms, celery, onions, and garlic in canola oil.
When vegetables are slightly softened, push them to the side of the pot.
Add chicken to pot and brown on both sides (add more canola oil if necessary).
Add two cups of broth, fresh parsley and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil.
Add one cup of quinoa. Cover and simmer.
When quinoa has soaked in all of the broth, dish is done – about twenty minutes.

Crispy Chicken Wings

When I was a teenager, Buffalo wings were one of my favorite foods. I still believe that they are one of the most delicious things on the planet. What’s not to love? They’re fried chicken tossed in a combination of butter and hot sauce. Well, it’s been a while since I’ve eaten wings on a regular basis. Even before “the GERD,” I gave them up for my waistline, and only indulged on special occasions.

These wings are not all that different – they’re still messy, fun, and flavorful. Yet very little fat is added, and no spice or butter. Indulge all you want! (They’re super easy to make, too)

This recipe requires an oven-safe skillet.

Ingredients:
Twelve chicken “party” wings (flats and drumettes)
Two tablespoons soy sauce
Half teaspoon sesame oil
One teaspoon ginger, chopped
Two cloves garlic, chopped
One tablespoon water
Cooking spray

Pre-heat oven to 425°
Marinate chicken for at least one hour in soy, sesame, ginger, garlic, and water.
Remove chicken and pat dry. Remove chunks of garlic and ginger from chicken.
On medium heat on the stovetop, spray skillet with cooking spray.
Brown chicken on both sides, about three minutes per side. (This makes the chicken crispy)
Place skillet in the oven for thirty to thirty five minutes, turn chicken halfway through.