Recipe Doctor: Elaine Magee MPH, RD

Stove Top Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Tacos were on the list of the top 10 most searched recipes and as much as I love beef or chicken tacos, I wanted to help Americans eat more fish. I developed a super convenient recipe for fish tacos that you can make over the stove top using previously frozen fish. You don’t need an indoor or outdoor grill and you don’t need to make a trip to the fish counter. All you need to do is take your package of frozen fish out of the freezer and into the refrigerator the night before; it will be thawed and ready to cook by dinner. And here’s the best part, the marinade becomes the sauce for the fish!

There’s lots of spice and flavor and you won’t even miss the salt. Each serving contributes 8 grams of fiber, lots of smarts fat from the fish, olive oil and avocado and only 2 grams of saturated fat.

Here’s the recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Stove Top Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa
This recipe works well with frozen fish. Just thaw fish in the refrigerator overnight.

Ingredients:
Marinade
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, stemmed and finely chopped (optional)

1 pound flaky white fish (cod, tilapia, etc.) cut in about 4 pieces

Mango Avocado Salsa
2 tablespoons lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 avocado, pitted and finely diced
1/2 mango, finely diced

2 cups finely shredded red, green or Napa cabbage

8 higher fiber corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Combine marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Place fish pieces in bowl and cover them well with marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes.
2. While fish is marinating, combine Mango Avocado Salsa ingredients in small serving bowl; set aside. Shred cabbage if you haven’t already and place in medium serving bowl.
3. To heat and soften corn tortillas using your microwave: place four tortillas at a time on a plate between two lightly damp paper towels and microwave on HIGH for about 30 seconds.
4. To heat and soften corn tortillas using the stove: begin heating a large, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of tortilla lightly with canola or olive oil cooking spray and lightly brown in pan, flipping tortilla to soften and lightly brown both sides. Repeat for remaining tortillas.
5. To cook fish, Heat the large, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until good and hot. Add the fish pieces along with all of the marinade; season the fish lightly with freshly ground salt if desired. Cover the frying pan and reduce heat to low and cook fish for 4 minutes undisturbed. Turn fish over, cover frying pan, and cook 4 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes in pan. Flake the fish in the pan with a fork and stir to blend with the juices left in the pan.
6. Everyone can make their own tacos, adding the cabbage to the tortillas, then the fish and then the salsa!

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 335 calories, 21 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 43 mg cholesterol, 8.2 g fiber, 86 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 38 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .4 grams, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1.6 grams.

Lighter Cranberry Bliss Bar
If you look forward to the Cranberry Bliss Bar each holiday season at Starbucks, you will love this lighter, more whole grain, rendition that you can make anytime of year. The Starbucks’s version has 280 calories, 14 grams of fat and 8 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup no trans fat margarine with 8 grams of fat per tablespoon
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, high omega-3 if available
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 to 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup vanilla or cream cheese frosting (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a 9-inch nonstick square cake pan with canola cooking spray.
2. Add whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour, baking powder and baking soda to a 2- or 4-cup measure and whisk together well; set aside.
3. Melt the margarine in a small, nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and continue to cook for exactly one minute. Remove from heat; pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for five minutes or so.
4. Add egg and vanilla into mixing bowl with brown sugar mixture and beat on medium-low speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, just until blended. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until brownies are done to your liking (don’t over bake if you like them on the chewy side). Let cool about 10 minutes.
6. Spread 1/3 cup of store-bought or homemade vanilla or cream cheese frosting over the top, if desired, then cut into 16 squares or triangles. ENJOY!

Per serving: 134 calories, 2 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 3.9 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, 1.6 g polyunsaturated fat, 14 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 64 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 26 percent.

BACON & GRUYERE SCONES
I was inspired to create a savory scone that could be served at holiday brunches with family and friends and as a bread for holiday dinners. We are using half whole wheat flour and more than half the fat has been taken out by using whipped butter and lowfat buttermilk instead of stick butter. Lean turkey bacon is being used as our bacon bits.

Makes 12 scones

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat free sour cream (light can be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Table Blend seasoning (or other salt-free seasoning blend can be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons whipped butter (margarine with 8 grams fat per tablespoon can be substituted)
6 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk (one to two more tablespoons if needed)
2 tablespoons egg substitute or beaten egg
5 strips Turkey Bacon, pan-fried until crisp, broken into bits
4 ounces Gruyere, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon truffle oil + 1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with canola cooking spray or a sheet of parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, blend sour cream and baking soda and set aside.
3. Combine flours, baking powder, salt-free seasoning, salt, in a food processor bowl and pulse to blend well. Add the whipped butter and pulse to cut in. (If you don’t have a food processor, cut in the butter and cream cheese with a pastry blender.) Combine the flour mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer, along with the sour cream mixture, buttermilk, and egg. Blend on low speed just until the dough forms. If it needs a little bit more moisture, add a tablespoon or two more buttermilk.
4. Fold in the bacon bits and tiny cheese cubes.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured flat surface and pat the dough into a 3/4-inch round (about 8-inch across). Cut into 12 wedges and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
6. If desired, blend the truffle oil with olive oil and brush over the top of the scones with a silicon brush.
7. Bake scones for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Enjoy!

Per serving: 237 calories, 10 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 2.7 g monounsaturated fat, 1.3 g polyunsaturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 430 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 30 percent.
Omega-3 fatty acids = .15 grams, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1.1 grams.

The last thing you want for yourself or your guests at Thanksgiving is to get sick that night or the next day. Granted I’m a bit of a food poisoning phobic, but truly with all the traveling with food dishes, lengthy feasting and food sitting out, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

One of my pet peeves is seeing leftovers get wrapped up in individual containers so guests can take it home with them, but then it sits at room temperature on the kitchen counter or table until guests are ready to leave. By the time guests have coffee and pie and then make their way out the door and drive themselves home, the leftovers can be sitting out for 4 hours at least! Why is four hours horrifying? You’ll find out below…

Here are answers to your Thanksgiving leftover questions, which will hopefully keep your Thanksgiving feast leftovers as safe as they are delicious!

How long can you leave your Thanksgiving dinner on the table before running the risk of it spoiling? The danger zone, where harmful bacteria multiply the fastest, is between 40-degrees and 140-degrees Fahrenheit. If you are keeping some dishes hot while you wait for the turkey to be done or guests to arrive, the oven temperature has to be high enough to keep the internal temperature at 140-degrees or higher. Once you set food out on the table you want to wrap any leftovers up and get it refrigerated within a maximum of two hours (1 hour in temperatures above 90-degrees F).

Should you let food come to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator? The sooner you refrigerate leftovers the better. And more important than letting food come to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator is dividing the leftovers into small portions (either wrapped in foil or stored in a covered, shallow container.

What’s the best way to store leftovers? Divide leftovers (that haven’t been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours or 1 hour in temperatures above 90-degrees F) into smaller wrapped portions or in covered shallow containers. This allows the leftovers to reach cooler, safer temperatures more quickly.

How long can leftovers keep in the refrigerator? Turkey and stuffing should be consumed within 3 days and gravy within 2 days. This means if you made a casserole the day after thanksgiving with the leftover gravy, you still need to consume that dish within two days from Thanksgiving Day when the gravy was made.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving celebration!

Fast Fall Appetizer–for your next impromptu party

You know how sometimes parties happen with only a moments notice? Here’s my “go to” fast and fun appetizer, because I usually have the ingredients in my refrigerator or pantry. Arrange fresh fruit around the bread or crackers for added color, flavor and nutrition!

Red & Green Pesto Spread

Ingredients:
8 ounces less fat or Neufchatel cream cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons green basil pesto (thawed if frozen)
1 1/2 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto (available in jars in the produce section of most supermarkets)
Sliced baguette or whole wheat crackers as desired

Directions:
1. Start with an 8-ounce tub or block of less fat or Neufchatel cream cheese. Spread half of it in a serving dish or small plate in the shape of a circle, about 1/2-inch thick.
2. Spread green pesto over the top of cream cheese circle. Top with the remaining cream cheese then top that with the sun dried tomato pesto.
3. Set dish or plate with the spread in the center of a serving platter and surround it with sliced baguette or crackers.
4. Makes about 8 appetizer servings

Per serving of spread: 95 calories, 3.5 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 134 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 75 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .8 gram.

Best Blonde Brownies

You won’t miss the chocolate.

I know that for many people, the chocolate is what makes brownies yummy. But what if you — dare I say it — took out the chocolate?

These Best Blonde Brownies are a hit wherever I serve them, and they go over really big with people who for whatever reason (acid reflux, allergy, headaches, or personal preference ) avoid chocolate.

It takes about 10 minutes to whip up a batch. You can play with this recipe, and make different variations, too. One of my favorites is pictured here, made with dried cranberries, walnuts and white chocolate chips.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup no trans fat margarine with Omega-3s and 8 grams fat per tablespoon
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, high omega-3 if available
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
1/2 cup white (or any other type) chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup dried fruit or nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a 9-inch nonstick round or square cake pan with canola cooking spray.
Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a 4-cup measure and whisk together well; set aside.
Melt the margarine in a small, nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and continue to cook for about a minute. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Add brown sugar mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, just until blended. Stir in the white chocolate chips if desired and pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies are done to your liking (don’t overbake if you like them on the chewy side). Let cool about 10 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.

Serve with a sensible portion of lowfat vanilla frozen yogurt if desired, and ENJOY!

Yield: 12 brownies

Nutrition per serving (without optional ingredients): 140 calories, 2 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 3.8 g fat, .9 g saturated fat, 1.4 g monounsaturated fat, 1.4 g polyunsaturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 174 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 24 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .3 grams, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1.1 grams.

A Summer Casserole You Will Make Again and Again!

When the zucchini crop hits your kitchen or your farmer’s market, here’s an easy and elegant casserole you can make when you are tired of zucchini bread, zucchini sticks with ranch dip or steamed zucchini with Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:
5 cups sliced uncooked zucchini
1 large onion, diced
1 cup Panko crumbs, divided use
2 large eggs, higher omega-3 if available, beaten
2 large egg whites (1/4 cup egg substitute can be used instead), beaten
1 cup fat free half and half (lowfat milk can be substituted)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch or two cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar (or similar)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a 7? x 11? baking dish (or similar) with canola cooking spray.
2. Microwave zucchini and onion until just tender. Add vegetables to a large mixing bowl and combine with 2/3 cup of the Panko crumbs, beaten eggs and egg whites, fat free half and half, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
3. Pour mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Spread remaining cheese (1/2 cup) and remaining Panko crumbs (1/3 cup) over the top of casserole. Coat the top of Panko crumbs with canola cooking spray.
4. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Uncover baking dish and bake 10 minutes more. Enjoy as a main entrée or a side dish.

Yield: 8 servings

Per serving: 181 calories, 11 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 6.5 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 300 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 32 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .8 gram.

Whole Wheat Pita Bruschetta

It starts with graduation parties and then kicks into high gear around the 4th of July. I’m talking about summer barbeques and parties. For a recent party, I threw together a whole wheat pita bruschetta and it was a big hit so I thought I would pass this recipe along.

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat pita pockets, Cut into 4 wedges each and Split each one half to make 8 wedges
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons sundried tomato pesto (available in jars in most supermarkets)
2 green onions, finely chopped, white and part of green
8 teaspoons pesto sauce
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Lay pita wedges on nonstick jellyroll pans, with the smooth side facing up. Using a silicon brush, lightly brush the top of each pita wedge with olive oil. Place jellyroll pans in oven for 10 minutes or until just crispy.
2. Meanwhile, place grape tomatoes and sundried tomato pesto in food processor and pulse briefly (about 4 seconds) until tomatoes are finely chopped but not pureed. Stir in green onions.
3. Turn oven to broil. Spread the top of each wedge with 1/4 teaspoon pesto then top with a slightly heaping teaspoon of tomato mixture. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the mozzarella over the top of each. Place pita wedges until the broiler, while watching carefully, until cheese is starting to melt (about 1 minute). Serve!

Yield: About 8 servings (4 wedges each)

Per serving: 98 calories, 4 g protein, 6.5 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 1.9 g saturated fat, 3.5 g monounsaturated fat, .6 g polyunsaturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 121 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 54 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .1 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .5 gram.

No-Cook Summer Supper: Sesame Chicken & Rice Salad

Summer brings warm weather and warm weather brings the need for easy-to-make dinners. The last thing you want to do when it’s hot outside is spend time inside cooking over a hot stove.

There is a lot that you can do with your microwave and some common foods and products sold at your typical supermarket. Here is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:
10 ounces frozen brown rice (i.e. Birds Eye Steamfresh), or 2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups micro-cooked Asian-style frozen vegetables
2 green onions, white and part green, chopped
2 cups shredded or diced skinless chicken breast (leftover grilled chicken or bought cooked from rotisserie or packaged cooked chicken)
1/3 cup lowfat Sesame Ginger salad dressing (i.e. Newman’s Own Lighten Up!)

Optional garnish: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds or 1/8 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds

Directions:
1. Microwave brown rice following directions on the package (such as microwave in package on HIGH for 3 minutes). Let rice cool while you lightly cook Asian vegetables following directions on package (such as add vegetables to covered microwave-safe dish and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.
2. Add rice and vegetables to a medium serving bowl and toss with green onions, chicken and sesame ginger dressing.
3. Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds or sliced almonds over the top if desired. Enjoy!

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 308 calories, 27 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fat, .9 g saturated fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 59 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 440 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 16 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .3 grams, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1.7 grams.

Quick Assembly Gourmet Dinner Entrée–Lemon Cream & Spinach Gnocchi

I love it when I can take a product I’ve purchased in a supermarket, add some simple ingredients to it that I tend to have around my kitchen, and transform it into a flavorful and somewhat fancy (fancy for my kitchen anyway) entrée.
That’s what I’ve done with this package of fresh gnocchi. I added sautéed spinach and garlic and tossed everything together in a light lemon cream sauce. Dinner is ready in 15 minutes and it isn’t grilled cheese or hot dogs!

Lemon Cream & Spinach Gnocchi

Ingredients:
13 ounces fresh gnocchi (available at many supermarket chains)
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups packed baby spinach (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup fat free half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Start cooking gnocchi in a pasta pot of boiling water and continue cooking until al dente. When just tender, drain gnocchi.
2. While gnocchi is cooking, coat a nonstick large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, spinach, fat free half and half and flour and cook, uncovered, stirring until spinach is wilted. Remove mixture from heat and whisk in lemon zest and lemon juice.
3. Add gnocchi to the lemon sauce with spinach mixture and sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the top. Add red pepper flakes if desired and serve!

Yield: About 3 servings

Per serving: 356 calories, 13 g protein, 60 g carbohydrate, 6.8 g fat, 2.9 g saturated fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g fiber, 680 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 17 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = .8 gram.