Citrus Salad

Unusual can be good, right? Right? Yeah, whatever. It's good. This salad recipe is definitely unusual in that it combines an unlikely cast of characters to create a side dish that's refreshing, texturally exciting, and is just something out of the ordinary. Orange and grapefruit supremes are combined with the bitter, black licorice-flavored fennel. Sound strange? It sure is! To cut through the bitterness of the fennel, which definitely can be off-putting, the reserved juice from the citrus is blended with fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil for a sweet, flavorful dressing. Toasted chopped walnuts add an extra layer of flavor and a wonderful crunch. Not only is this salad low in fat, but it's naturally gluten- and refined sugar-free. Happy munching!

Citrus Salad (Recipe Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis)

1 large orange (any kind), peeled and sliced into supremes

1 large grapefruit (white or ruby red), peeled and sliced into supremes

1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/8 - ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp. reserved citrus juice

Start by toasting the walnuts in a dry pan over low heat for around 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Remember, if you can smell them, they are done - walnut oil burns very easily, so don't let these go too long.

When you slice the fruit into supremes, put a strainer over a bowl to catch the slices as they fall, plus any juice. Squeeze the remaining membrane to release as much juice as possible. You should end up with a little more than 3 tbsp. of juice, depending on how juicy your fruits are.

Slice off the fennel fronds and stalks. Core the fennel bulb and slice the remaining fennel thinly. Add the fruit supremes and fennel to a salad bowl.

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender jar, combine the olive oil, basil and citrus juice until you have a uniformly smooth dressing. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix to combine. Add the walnuts, mix briefly to coat, and then serve at room temperature or chill and serve cold.

Serves 2 - 4

Black Beans and Rice

My theme of "easy" recipes seems to be continuing here with my addition of a simple black beans and rice recipe. Normally, this is a pretty straightforward vegetarian meal, but since I cook for omnivores, I bolstered the nutrition of this dish by adding shredded chicken (no skin). The great thing about this recipe is that it's almost like a blank canvas. You can easily add or subtract ingredients, change the seasonings to suit your palate, and add everything from shredded chicken all the way to shrimp, if desired. As a note, you may wish to rinse your rice beforehand, because it comes out kind of sticky and clumpy after cooking if you don't (blame the starch!). Serve as a main dish or side dish - you could even put some of this inside a soft tortilla shell and make burritos, if desired. The possibilities are endless!

Black Beans and Rice

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup uncooked white rice

*1½ cups reduced sodium, fat free chicken broth

1 tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

3½ cups reduced sodium or no salt added black beans, drained and rinsed

*Kosher salt

Heat up the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for around 4 minutes. Add the garlic and briefly sauté until fragrant, around 30 seconds. 

Add the rice and sauté for another 2 minutes. Stir constantly, or else the rice will stick to the bottom of the pot and begin to burn.

Add the broth, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the spices and black beans. If you are adding pre-cooked meat, add it along with the spices and beans; bring everything back up to temperature. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary. Serve immediately.

Serves 10 (½ cup servings) as a side, or 4 - 6 as a main

NOTE:  I used no salt added chicken broth, so to compensate for the lack of salt, I added 1 tsp. to the broth to start, then added a little more salt when I added the beans and chicken. If you choose to use the NSA broth, you can make this meal gluten-free.

Quick Parmesan Couscous

Couscous is a very tiny cut of pasta. It doesn't require boiling and is as simple as pouring very hot water into a bowl, covering it, and letting the heat cook it. It's receptive to a multitude of ingredients, such as shallot, lemon, currants, Parmesan cheese, etc. This recipe uses few ingredients, but the flavor profile is big. Couscous usually is too plain to serve on its own as a main dish, but its functionality as a side dish makes it easy and popular. It is particularly good served with fish or chicken dishes, although you can easily serve it with beef or pork, too. This particular recipe can be made gluten-free (see note).

Quick Parmesan Couscous

*2 cups fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

*1 (10 oz.) package plain, uncooked couscous

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more, to taste

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or more, to taste

*¼ tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more, to taste

Bring the chicken broth and 1 tbsp. of the olive oil to a boil. Stir in the couscous; cover and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes, or according to the time listed on the box.

Stir in the cheese, lemon juice, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and the pepper. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6

NOTE:  To make this gluten-free, use a box of plain, toasted brown rice couscous (Lundberg Farms makes an organic version of one). Use no salt added chicken broth (Progresso now makes a version that is fat/salt/gluten free) and increase the liquid to 3 cups. Add 1 tsp. kosher salt to the broth and cook according to the package directions. Add the flavorings as this recipe dictates.

Grilled Tilapia

I like ridiculously easy recipes. I admit it. What could be easier than slathering fish fillets with olive oil, sprinkling on seasoning, and then pan-frying them until they're done? I defy anyone to come up with a simpler main course recipe. That being said, this easy, healthy recipe is ridiculously fast. It's done in about 10 minutes, so if you're serving sides, make them first and prepare the fish as your last step. Mild, flaky tilapia fillets are brushed with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned (see note), then quickly pan-fried to produce a highly flavored and delicious meal. Traditional sides for fish include fries and coleslaw, but if you're going for lighter fare, try steamed vegetables or couscous. Peas make a surprisingly good accompaniment. This recipe is gluten-free and low glycemic index/diabetic friendly.

Grilled Tilapia

2 lb. tilapia fillets

Extra virgin olive oil

*Cajun seasoning, to taste

*Old Bay seasoning, to taste

Preheat a nonstick skillet pan or grill to medium-high heat.

Pat dry the fillets, then brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil. Season both sides with the Cajun seasoning and Old Bay.

Cook the fillets for 4 - 5 minutes on each side, then serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6, depending on the size of the fillets

NOTE:  If you don't want to use, or don't like, Cajun/Old Bay seasonings, a good (and very tasty) alternative is the SALT-FREE Caribbean Citrus seasoning from Mrs. Dash. It's mildly spicy with good citrus undertones.