Broiled Salmon

Mondays.  Who needs ’em?  I don’t know about you, but Mondays are super-crazy-busy for us.  I get up, get ready for work, get the kids up and ready for school, take the kids to school, go to work, pick up daughter from school, go back later to pick up son from tutoring, and a couple of hours later, I take daughter to gymnastics, then we come home and get ready for bed.  Yep.  That’s what our Monday’s look like.  Usually, there is only about an hour and a half between the time we get home from tutoring and have to leave for gymnastics.  And on nights like those, I need quick dinners.  And that usually means fish.  It thaws quickly.  It cooks quickly.  So I can take it from the freezer, throw it in a bowl of water to thaw, cook it and be ready to eat in about 45 minutes.  Exactly what I need on a Monday.  Broiled Salmon is one of my go-to dishes for Mondays. 

Broiled Salmon

• salmon fillets (1 per person)
• olive oil
• fresh lemon
• salt
• pepper
• herbs of your choice

Preheat broiler.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place salmon fillets on foil.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Cut lemon in half and slice one very thin slice for each fillet.  Squeeze juice of remaining lemon peices over fillets.  Season with salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice (although, just  olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper is delish!).  Place one lemon slice on each fillet.  Broil until fish is cooked through and flakes easily – about 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness.

Skinny Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Even picky eaters will enjoy this cheesy, parmesan crusted tilapia!  And it only takes about 10 minutes to bake, so it’s a great week night dish for busy families.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

• 6 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz. each)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh basil (OR 1/4 tsp dried basil)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Combine all ingredients but bread crumbs and spread over fish fillets.  Place in baking pan coating with cooking spray.  Divide bread crumbs evenly over tops of fillets.  Broil 3-4 inches from the heat  for 10-12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

 

Serves: 6

Weight Watchers Point + Per Serving: 5

 

Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My husband and I absolutely love shrimp.  But, we usually only get to eat it when we go to a seafood restaurant (which isn’t very often) because we think our son minght be allergic to shrimp.  So, when dear son was invited to spend the night with a friend this weekend, my eyes lit up and I said “Oooooh, I can try that shrimp scampi recipe!”  And I did.  And it was amazing.  I could eat it every day.  And it is so easy.

We ate it on it’s own because we’d both eaten a pretty large lunch, but you could serve this over pasta for a more rounded meal.

First, thaw out about 1/2 pound of frozen, precooked shrimp (peeled and deveined) by running cool water over them for a few minutes.  I chose to go ahead and take the tails off at this point as well (after I snapped this photo).  But, if you like the look of the tails on, by all means…leave them on.

If you are going to serve pasta with the Shrimp Scampi, get that water boiling and start your pasta.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil.  When butter is melted, add 1/4 onion, finely chopped.

Saute until the onions are almost tender, then add 2 cloves garlic, minced.

Cook another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the thawed shrimp along with 1/4 salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat.

Add 5 tbsp chicken broth and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Finely slice about 4-5 pieces of sun dried tomatoes.

 

Add to pan.

Cook just until heated through – you don’t want to overcook the shrimp!  Stir in the juice of half a lemon.

Stir in about 1 tsp dried parsley (OR 1 tbsp of chopped fresh parsely).

That’s it, my friends.  You just make a low-point Shrimp Scampi!  If you are serving with pasta, drain pasta and place in serving dish.  Top with Shrimp Scampi.  Grate a little fresh parmesan cheese over the top.  I topped our dishes with a lemon slice for pizzazz, but that’s totally optional, of course.

Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Serves: 2    Points Plus Per Serving: 8 points alone (if serving over pasta, be sure to add those points!)

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound frozen precooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

5 tbsp chicken broth

1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes (about 4-5 peices)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Half lemon, juiced – reserve other half for garnish

1 tsp dried parsley OR 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

Place shrimp in strainer and run cool water over until thawed, about 4-5 minutes.  Place butter and olive oil in skillet and heat until butter is melted.  Add onion and cook until onion is almost tender.  Add garlic and cook untril fragrant.  Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper.   Stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken broth and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook just until heated through.  Stir in the juice of half the lemon and the parsley.  Divide between two serving dishes and top with fresh parmesan cheese.

Skinny Tilapia Oreganato

We love Tilapia in our house, so I’m always on the lookout for new ideas.  I found this one on another blog and thought it looks quick, easy, and yummy!  And it was all three! 

All you need for this is  Italian Dressing, dried or fresh oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, bread crumbs (preferably panko) and Tilapia.  You probably have everything you need already!

Start by placing four tilapia fillets in a ziplock bag or airtight container.  Add 1/4 cup Italian Dressing.

Place in the refigerator and let the fish marinate for 15 minutes.

Now, measure out the following ingredients.  1 tbsp fresh oregano OR 1 tsp dried

1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tablespoons Panko bread crumbs.  (You can use regular, but the Panko crumbs will give you a crispier topping)

 

Mince one garlic clove.

When the fish is done marinating, place it in a baking dish lined with foil – no dishes to clean!!!

Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Top with the Panko crumbs.

Broil until topping is browned and fish is cooked through.

Skinny Tilapia Oreganato

WW Points Plus:  5

• 4 Tilapia fillets
• 1/4 cup Fat Free Italian Dressing
• 1 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped OR 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 11 garlic clove, minced
•  Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs

 

Line baking pan with foil.  Place fish and dressing in a ziplock bag (or airtight container).  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Remove fish from marinade and place in prepared pan.  Discard marinade.  Sprinkle with oregano, salt, pepper and garlic clove.  Drizzle with olive oil and top with Panko crumbs.

Broil until topping is browned and fish is cooked through.

Sofrito Tilapia

Last week I was at the gym, running on the treadmill and watching the Today show.  They were making a dish that looked very easy, yummy, and healthy…Sofrito Fish.  I knew I had to make this recipe.  Soon.  So, as soon as I got home I got on their website and printed off the recipe.  I made a few little changes, and here’s what I came up with.

This recipe is actually a ‘two-part’ recipe, because you make the Sofrito butter mixture, and then use part of the mixture on the fish, part of it for a sauce to go over the fish, and the rest you can add to rice to go with your fish. 

To make the Sofrito butter, place 2 tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 small bell pepper, diced (I used a mixture of red, yellow, and green bell peppers), 1 clove of garlic, minced, and 1/2 small onion, diced.  Cook until veggies are tender.

Place this mixture in the food processor or blender along with 4 tbsp softened butter.  Blend until smooth.

That’s your Sofrito Butter.

Now, on to the fish.  The folks on the Today show used Red Snapper, but I chose to use Tilapia because that’s what I had.  I think any firm white fish would work well with this.  Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Brush about half of the Sofrito Butter over the fish fillets.

Pour just enough water into the baking dish to cover the bottom.  This will help steam the fish while it cooks.

Bake the fish at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until a metal skewer can be easily inserted into the fish and, when left in for 5 seconds, feels warm when touched to the lip.

While the fish is baking, we’ll make the Sofrito Sauce.  In the skillet you sauted the veggies in, bring 1/2 cup chicken stock to a boil.  Whisk in about half the reamining sofrito butter.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup lime juice.

To serve the fish, place some of the sauce on the plate…

Top with the fish.  (Sofrito Rice is also pictured…keep reading for recipe)

BONUS RECIPE:  Sofrito Rice

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat.  Stir in 1 3/4 cups rice, coating the rice with the oil.  Add3 1/2 cups water and 2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat slightly and cover.  Do not stir the rice!!  Let cook, without stirring until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Just before serving, stir in the reamining Sofrito Butter.