Mango & Banana Salsa with Tilapia

It is my goal to eat more fish this year for it’s health benefits and just for the variety as well.  I have always enjoyed fish, but I am not very experienced with it, so it will be fun to try new ways to prepare it.  Tonight’s recipe instantly grabbed my attention by all the gorgeous colors in the dish.  After all, they way your food looks plays a large role in your enjoyment of it.  I was a bit disappointed to see that the recipe called for mango because I just can’t stand the stuff, but I also knew that I could probably substitute some pineapple with good results since I have had a similar salsa before.  The addition of banana was very new to me however, and intriguing for sure.  I will post it with the original recipe, but my own review is for the pineapple version.

The dish comes together very quickly, and easily.  I suggest making the salsa earlier in the day if you have time and letting it sit in the fridge to really let the flavors marry, but I only had about a half hour for mine and it was still great.  The dish has such a freshness to it, and a great balance of heat, sweet, and sour with the colorful salsa.  With the eye-catching presentation it’s the perfect thing to serve to guests if you want to impress.  It’s also very low calorie/fat which everyone appreciates.  The recipes makes a lot of the salsa, almost more than you need, but it worked out to sort of eat it like a salad with the cut up fish rather than as a topping for it.  I was a bit confused about the part where it called for half of a long red pepper, and then listed jalapeno or thai, so I just got a red jalapeno and put the whole thing in there since they aren’t very big.  I would suggest tasting whatever type of pepper you use first to determine how much you want in there.

 

Serves : 4                         Time to make : 25 minutes (+ time for salsa to sit)

Ingredients :

• 1 large ripe mango, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (a heaping cup) * I subbed the same amount of fresh pineapple
• 1 medium banana, firm ripe, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 long red pepper, ripe jalapeno or Thai
• 1 sweet red bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2/3 cups cilantro leaves, 1/3 cup minced & 1/3 cup roughly chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 T. fresh lime juice (I added a little more and some zest)
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt or to taste
• 4 tilapia fillets
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• flour (about a 1/4 cup or so
• 2 T. olive oil

Directions :

1. Combine mango, banana, pepper, red pepper, cilantro, onion, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours if time allows, otherwise you can move right on to the fish.
2. Pat dry fish fillets, season with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in flour; shaking off excess.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add fish and cook until medium golden brown and fish easily lifts from bottom of pan.  Turn over and cook until done all the way through.
4. Move to either one serving tray or individual plates before topping with the salsa (about a cup per fillet if individual).  Serve with additional lime wedges if desired.

Double Chocolate Banana Walnut Bread

The best of both worlds!  Banana bread and chocolate, what more could you ask for?  This is a gorgeous bread both in flavor and appearance and is pretty easy to make.  I stumbled upon this on food gawker, and I was amazed at how dark the chocolate must have been to get the bread as dark as they did.  I didn’t quite get it, but I only used ghiradelli cocoa in mine and I am sure there are plenty of other rich dark cocoas available.  If I recall I may have had to bake this longer than stated, but as long as you make sure the knife comes out fairly clean you are ok.

Anyway, my family really enjoyed this, and especially with a bit of marscapone spread on top!  I am glad I found this in my archive of photos so I can make it again now.  There goes that diet I haven’t even started yet!

 

makes : 1 loaf

Ingredients :

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 stick (8 T.) unsalted butter, at room temp.
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions :

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9×5 inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets one on top of the other.  This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
3. Working with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute  until soft.  Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas.  Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter.  Still on low, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is just incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.  Scrape batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 3o minutes.  Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40-45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 and 75 minutes), or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding it.  Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

Day 147 : Islander Smoothie

I often make a parfait using similar ingredients, and in fact I believe I have shared it here, but today I just felt like having a drink for breakfast.  Normally I have fresh ingredients on hand, but today I was down to some I had frozen from before and I didn’t want to deal with thawing and then cutting them so into the blender they all went.  Add a bit of milk and you are left with a nice thick, creamy, and island inspired smoothie!  Even better yet… it’s healthy!

Sorry for the boring shot… as I said I didn’t have any fresh ingredients for garnish and the frozen one broke in half when I tried to slice one side.  It may look boring but it tastes great I promise!

Islander Smoothie

Serves : 1                      Time to make : 3 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1/2 large banana sliced and frozen
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 container (I think about 6 oz) vanilla greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup low fat milk
• 2 T. shredded coconut (sweetened)

Directions :

1. Combine banana, pineapple, yogurt and milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth.
2. Add the coconut and blend until combined.

Day 130 : Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

In keeping with the eating healthier I am also trying to get more protein into my diet.  I decided to get some soy protein powder the other day to have on occasion for breakfast or a snack.  I got some Gensoy Chocolate powder and it’s pretty good just mixed with the milk, but I tried this recipe suggested on the can today and it was quite tasty!

I can’t wait to come up with other ways to make it better, or even other ways to use the powder.  I am thinking about using some raspberries in it next time to start.

Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

Serves : 1                      Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup ice
• 1/2 ripe banana
• 3 rounded T. chocolate soy protein powder (such as gensoy)
• 1 cup milk

Directions :

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until frothy/smooth. 

Day 101 : Banana Pancakes

It seems as if I am on a banana roll lately!  I guess it could be because that’s one of the things my littlest eats the most as far as table food and I like to find new ways to incorporate that for him.  I decided tonight I would try a banana recipe I came across because I figured it would work for everyone since my very picky eater recently decided he liked pancakes…. but it wasn’t a hit for him lol.

When making the batter I tasted a bit and felt it was bland so I added a bit more sugar… maybe a tsp or so.  I also realized midway through making them that I did not have any cardamom on hand so I subbed in some cinnamon instead.  I worried that such a small amount of pancake would go unnoticed completely, but the flavor was there, just in a subtle way.  I topped them with the left over marscapone “frosting” from the other day and some banana slices so that really helped to boost the banana in them.

 

Banana Pancakes

Serves : 4            Time to make : 30 minutes

Ingredients :

• 2 Cups all purpose flour
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 Cups buttermilk
• 2 T. canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 small firm banana, finely chopped

Directions :

1. In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
2. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, and vanilla.
3. Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just moist.
4. Fold in the finely chopped bananas.
5. Cook on a hot griddle or in a skillet with cooking spray, flipping once you see the air bubbles and bottom is golden.  Cook until the other side is golden and cooked all the way through.

Day 95 : Healthy Banana Drop Cookies

I had a bunch of ripe bananas on the counter, and figured rather than freeze them or let them go to waste I would just make some cookies.  We’ve had these before and we LOVE them.  They remind me a lot of a muffin in many ways, but they are chewy, and bursting with flavor.  The added benefits of the healthy wheat germ and oats is just icing on the cake because when eating these you don’t feel like you are eating “healthy food”.

They are very simple to make.  I like to process my oats in the food processor, and then once I have added all the dry ingredients in the bowl and mixed them I put it all back in the processor to incorporate the butter.  Then I just pulse it a few times until I get the right consistency.  I usually have Sunny D on hand so that’s what I use for these, but just use any type of orange juice you have.  They may not be the prettiest cookies, but I assure you they are one of the best!

Healthy Banana Drop Cookies

Serves : 24 cookies                  Time to make : 40 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 5 T. butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup banana, mashed
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions :

1. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray and lightly dust with flour.
2. In a blender or food processor grind the oats until fine.
3. In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
4. Using a pastry blender or knives (or in the processor as I mentioned above) incorporate the softened butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form.
5. In a separate bowl mash bananas and orange juice together, then add to your dry ingredients and stir to combine.
6. Cover and chill dough for 20 minutes in the freezer.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
8. Drop dough by teaspoon fulls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets and bake about 10 minutes until light golden brown.  I find it takes a few more minutes if I do both sheets at once.
9. Allow to cool for a couple minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

 

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons margarine, softened

1 cup mashed banana (about 1 1/2 large bananas)

1/4 cup orange juice

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-banana-drop-cookies-290183#ixzz1InZqcnYg

Day 56 : Banana Stuffed French Toast

I apologize in advance for the very short post, but I am not sure how much longer I have before I am laid up in bed for the rest of the night.  I am afraid I am falling prey to whatever has plagued my house for the week finally.  I did however find the strength to make dinner tonight before the worst of it so here it is.

This is a great tasting dish and one that impresses!  Super simple to make, but full of flavor and freshness.  The best thing about it is that it runs between 7-10 weight watchers points (on the old system anyway) depending on the exact ingredients you use.  I recommend making this for someone special in your life very soon!

 

Banana Stuffed French Toast

Serves : 2                 Time to make : 15 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 medium banana, sliced fairly thin
• 4 slices of cinnamon raisin bread
• 2 T. fat free cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup low fat milk
• 1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp. butter
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 6 fresh strawberries

Directions :

1. Spread cream cheese over 2 of the 4 slices.
2. Layer banana slices on top of cream cheese and top with the other two pieces of bread.
3. With a fork, whisk the egg, milk, and vanilla in a shallow dish.
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Dip assembled sandwiches in the egg mixture on both sides before placing in the heated skillet.
6. Cook for 3 minutes or so per side until golden… keep an eye on it.
7. Once plated pour 1 T. syrup over each sandwich and use 3 strawberries for each one.

Day 17 : Pineapple Strawberry Banana Smoothie

I have to admit, I went into tonight’s recipe already assuming that it might not be for me since I generally detest the flavors of strawberry and banana together.  Let’s just say I got a little burnt out on it one night long ago……  Anyway, I want to use this project to not only make things I know and love, or even to make things I know I WILL love, but also to try new things and give others a second chance.

Like I said, I don’t like strawberries and banana together, but I do like them separately, and I discovered a love for pineapple on our honeymoon in Tahiti.  Of course you haven’t HAD pineapple, until you’ve tried it there.  Unfortunately, it is something they don’t export.  This recipe calls for canned pineapple which is what I used tonight, but I think it could only be made better with the use of fresh pineapple.  The three fruits blended together result in a very refreshing and tropical smoothie!  I wouldn’t say any particular fruit comes across as overpowering, yet each can be detected.  It has a very light and airy texture to it, and although my preference runs more to the thicker, creamier, icier drinks, I wasn’t bothered by it in this one.  I wonder if a bit of coco lopez would be good in this for a truly tropical blend……

It’s not a very interesting beverage to photograph, and I didn’t have any leftover ingredients for props… but if you want to make it more presentable you could maybe garnish with a mini kabob with a chunk of each fruit, or maybe a sprig of mint for contrast.

 

Pineapple Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Serves : 2-3                                     Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 20oz can of pineapple chunks in their own juice (reserve juice)
• 1 C. pineapple juice
• 1 banana
• 1 C. fat free vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 C. strawberries

Directions :

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

 

Day 4 : Orange, Coconut, Banana Smoothie

I had a different recipe in mind for today, but after it snowed all day our driveway was in need of a bit of snow blowing.  That of course went to my husband to take care of, but since it is nearly impossible to cook with a 10 month old hanging on you I decided to put it off for another day and make something a bit simpler for today instead.  The inspiration for this one came from Food.com, but I ended up changing it enough to suit me that I didn’t think it was necessary to post the original recipe.

I really liked this smoothie and I have to admit that I am hard to please when it comes to drink recipes.  I tend to tire of them long before I can drink mine, and textures are a big issue with me.  This one is so perfectly creamy and has a great blend of flavors.  I think using bananas in smoothies is tricky…. you have to use JUST the right amount or it’s overpowering.  For me at least this was very refreshing in a more subtle way.  I could definitely see myself doing this one again for a light breakfast on occasion.

I wasn’t feeling super creative as it was already late in the evening when I made these, so my picture could use some work lol, but I promise it tastes MUCH better than it looks!

 

Orange, Coconut, Banana Smoothie

Serves : 2                                                 Time to make : 5 minutes

 

Ingredients :

• 1/2 ripe banana
• 1/2 C. vanilla frozen yogurt
• 1/2 C. half and half cream
• 3/4 C. orange juice
• 1/2 C. coconut milk

 

Directions :

1. Place in blender and process on high until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

 

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow!