Pistachio-Crusted Fish and White Wine-Scented Couscous

I needed a "healthy food" break from all of the holiday food madness. Seriously, the baked goods insanity needs to stop. I think I have eaten my weight in Christmas cookies alone. Then, there's the alcohol. What exactly is it about Christmastime that makes me want to drink like a fish??? Ugh. All of the celebratory events with the decadent food and free-flowin' booze are really nice, but it is easy to get burnt out(*) quickly.

(*Okay, not so much "burnt out", but more like "I stepped on the scale this morning"...yikes!)

Anyway, here is another Martha Stewart gem, that is both simple and freakin' yummy. I think this recipe is my new favorite way to prepare fish. Totally easy and totally delicious; a combo that I l-o-v-e. I served our fish with some whole wheat couscous and steamed green beans, and the entire meal was so satisfying. This dinner was a perfect solution to the holiday food coma situation I have going on. Martha, you sly devil...you did it again!

Pistachio-Crusted Fish
From: marthastewart.com, Everyday Food, December 2008

Ingredients:
4 (6 oz.) cod fillets OR other firm white fish (I used tilapia)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place fish on sheet; season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

2.In a food processor, pulse pistachios, parsley, and garlic until coarsely chopped, 15 seconds. With machine running, add oil in a steady stream; blend until mixture is finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

3.Top fish with pistachio mixture. Roast until fish is opaque throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Jen's White Wine-Scented Couscous

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 small yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of whole wheat couscous
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt butter over medium heat, in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, until garlic is fragrant. Add couscous to pan. Stir occasionally and cook until the couscous slightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat up to medium-high, and stir in white wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed/evaporated. Add cup of water and bring to a boil. Place lid on saucepan, turn off heat, and let couscous steep for 5-10 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.



The Result:
Our tilapia was cooked perfectly and sooooo tasty! Also, I am quite pleased with the way the couscous turned out. Historically, I am usually in a "take it, or leave it" mindset when it comes to couscous. Frankly, it is a little bland. However, this couscous recipe that I concocted was quite flavorful and delicious! (It did not escape my notice that I had to use wine to jazz it up...I guess I couldn't go 'cold-turkey' on the no booze thing after all.) Both of these recipes are keepers.

Tomato-Citrus Salmon and Herbed Couscous Pilaf

Oh, Cooking Light magazine how I love thee! This is the second and third recipe(s) that I have tried from the latest issue, that we have loved. Best of all, the October issue is still jam-packed with tons of goodies that will inevitably grace my table. These were keepers on both accounts!

Tomato-Citrus Salmon
From: Cooking Light magazine, Marge Perry, October 2010 issue

Ingredients:
3 large navel oranges, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 1/2 cups diced plum tomato
1/4 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

Directions:
Grate 1/2 teaspoon orange rind; squeeze 1/4 cup juice from 1 orange into a sieve over a bowl. Section remaining 2 oranges to equal 1 cup sections. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper over fish. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish, top side down, to pan; cook 5 minutes. Remove fish from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Add tomato, olives, orange juice, and orange rind to pan; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Arrange fish, browned side up, over tomato mixture in pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add orange sections; cook 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness.

Nutritional Info:
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1/3 cup tomato mixture)
Calories:380
Fat:19.8g (sat 3.8g,mono 7.1g,poly 7.3g)
Protein:35.5g
Carbohydrate:13.7g
Fiber:2.7g
Cholesterol:100mg
Iron:1mg
Sodium:663mg
Calcium:57mg

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Herbed Couscous Pilaf
From: Cooking Light magazine, October 2010 issue

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup uncooked couscous (I used whole wheat couscous)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Directions:
Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add shallots; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in couscous; sauté 1 minute. Add broth and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in parsley and thyme.

Nutritional Info:
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
Calories:205
Fat:3.7g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:6.5g
Carbohydrate:35.6g
Fiber:2.6g
Cholesterol:0.0mg
Iron:0.8mg
Sodium:263mg
Calcium:20mg



The Result:
As I said, both recipes were really yummy. I wasn't sure how the flavors were going to combine with the salmon, but it turned out really well. The tomatoes, onions, olives, and citrus basically turn into a pan sauce that was not sweet at all. The flavor contrast is savory, bright, and well-balanced. Really good! Also, the herbed couscous pilaf was a perfect canvas to showcase the salmon and the sauce. It was very subtle and tasty on it's own, but not overpowering. This was a great dinner choice!

Side Note: The only issue I tend to have with Cooking Light recipes is the amount of salt that the recipes indicate. They always seem under-seasoned to me, and these recipes were no exception. I basically just double the amount of salt the dish calls for, since I use either kosher or sea salt. (Both kosher and sea salt seem to be less "salty" flavored than table salt, in my opinion. Maybe if I was using table salt I would stick to the recipe amounts indicated). I usually always just season to taste, and ignore the recipe amounts.

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Cous Cous (CEiMB)

Tonight, I am delving into my second Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe. This weeks selection was chosen by Culinary Delights, and it looks to be both easy and delicious. I love the pairing of balsamic vinegar and chicken, and I think the creation of a balsamic/tomato-type sauce is pretty original. Hopefully, Ellie will not disappoint! I plan on following the recipe to the letter; so no major changes or substitutions to report. I will let you know how it all turns out!

Chicken with Baby Spinach and Cous Cous (CEiMB)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
8 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice
2 cups whole wheat couscous, cooked

Directions:
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside. To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.





The Result:
This was just okay for us. Mainly, it was bland. I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, so I really did not use any extra spices or ingredients. I did use homemade chicken stock, but this dish just didn't do it for me. Sad to say, I was actually bored while eating it. Very "eh"...which was surprising, because Ellie's recipes rarely miss! Oh well, I guess you can't win 'em all. Needless to say, I don't think I will be making this one again. Better luck next time!

One-Pan Whiskey Flavored Pork Chops and Couscous Pilaf

So, I have been having some computer issues for the past couple of days. Yesterday, I could not get on the Internet, and today I lost some of my photos, including the photos of last nights dinner. I copies the photos from last night's meal off my camera, but they would not paste correctly onto my hard drive. I got an error message and then "poof" they were gone. Ugh. Oh well, I think I only lost some food photos, and nothing truly important. Frustrating, to say the least. Since I am late with my posts for dinner last night, I will just update both recipes and tell you how it turned out. I am hoping to get back to my normal format, providing I don't have any other computer problems.

Last night, I made two really yummy recipes from Cooking Light. The pork chop dish was brand new, and the couscous side dish was something that we have had in the past and really liked a lot. Again, the couscous did not disappoint. It was fantastic. This is truly my favorite couscous recipe. If you are unfamiliar with couscous, this is a great dish to try.
Now on to the pork chops... Let me tell you, the pork chops were amazing. They were pretty easy to make (all in one pan), and the sauce was drinkable (which is a good thing in my book). This pork chop sauce was so yummy, the husband and I were eating it out of the pan. It was that awesome. I love that the whiskey in this dish lends a great depth of flavor, without being too strong or off-putting. The trick is to let it reduce until all the whiskey is almost all evaporated. There was just enough flavor leftover to infuse the sauce, without being overpowering with the taste whiskey. Since pretty much almost all of the alcohol cooked off, I was fairly comfortable feeding this to my son (we skipped giving him any extra sauce, and he just ate the meat part). Everyone at the table really liked it, so I will definitely be making this dish again.

I served my meal with a side of broccoli. I would show you how beautiful and eye-appealing everything was, but alas, my photos are gone and I am really cranky about it. Ugh. Both of these recipes are total keepers, and I love that they are considered "light". Good and good for you!!!!

One-Pan Whiskey Flavored Pork Chops

Ingredients:
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup whiskey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove pork from pan. Add onion and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Carefully add whiskey to pan; cook for 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir sour cream mixture into pan. Return pork to pan; spoon sauce over pork.
Wrap handle of skillet with foil (or use oven safe pan). Cover and bake at 300° for minimum 1/2 hour to maximum 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and about 1/3 cup sauce)
CALORIES 310 (28% from fat); FAT 9.6g (sat 3g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 71mg; CALCIUM 16mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.3g; SODIUM 546mg; PROTEIN 29.5g; FIBER 1.3g
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2001

Jen's Notes:
I only cooked my pork chops for 1/2 hour. Seriously, 1 hour for pork chops is way to long of a cook time.


Couscous Pilaf

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of chicken stock
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/3 cup dried cherries
¼ cup of toasted slivered almonds
3 Tablespoons chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon lemon zest(or you can substitute a few splashes of lemon juice)
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, over medium high heat. Add couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let couscous stand for approximately 5 minutes (until stock is absorbed). Fluff with a fork. Stir in cherries, almonds, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Serve and enjoy!