Parisan Tuna Sandwiches

I love tuna, but I hate mayonnaise and Miracle Whip.  Most tuna recipes call for one or the other.  I love this recipe because the base is red wine vinegar instead.  This recipe is from the Food Network.  I adapted it some.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
*2 eggs
*3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
*1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
*dash table salt
*black pepper
*1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
*4 fresh multi-grain rolls, each split in two (I buy these from the bakery at the grocery store)
*2 cups fresh spinach and arugula mix
*1 Roma tomato
*1/4 of a small red onion
*1 cup jarred marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
*12 oz. canned tuna packed in water, drained*
*1 radish, sliced

Directions:
Boil the eggs--Place the eggs in a saucepan covered with water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 8 - 10 minutes.  Drain.  Fill sauce pan with cool water, covering the eggs.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Put the rolls cut-side up on a work surface and drizzle with a quarter of the dressing. Place the arugula/spinach on the roll bottoms. Top with the sliced tomato, red onion and artichoke hearts. Season with table salt and drizzle with another quarter of the dressing.

Drain the tuna well. Toss the tuna in the remaining dressing, and then divide among the sandwiches. Peel and thinly slice the hard-boiled eggs and layer the slices over the tuna. Top with radishes. Cover with the roll tops, pressing gently but firmly. Wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and place a skillet on top to weigh them down for at least 15 minutes so the bread absorbs the flavors.

*The Food Network recipe calls for tuna packed in oil, but the sandwiches were way too oily.  I prefer the tuna packed in water--less oily, less messy, and healthier.  The original recipe also calls for anchovies and kalamata olives.

Kristen's Noodles Ona Loa

This is my cousin, Kristen's, recipe.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
*vegetable oil
*1/2 lb. medium egg noodles
*3 Tablespoons soy sauce
*2 cups chicken broth
*1 garlic clove, minced
*2 teaspoons sugar
*1 teaspoon salt
*dash of black pepper
*2 green onions, chopped

Directions:
Heat enough oil in a skillet to cover 1 inch of the bottom.  Heat on medium heat.  Toss in a raw noodle.  If it sizzles and bubbles immediately, the oil is ready.

Toss the noodles in one handful at a time.  Keep in the oil for just a few seconds until golden brown and use a spatula/strainer to remove from oil.  Place on a paper towel lined plate.  Repeat until all noodles are fried.  Drain oil thoroughly from skillet.  The noodles will be crispy.

Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet, except for the green onions, stirring well.  Stir in the noodles.  Cover and simmer on medium-low heat until noodles are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed.  Sprinkle with green onions.

Kristen's Asian-Marinated Grilled Fish

This is my cousin, Kristen's, recipe.  My two year old son kept asking for more when we made this.

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup honey
*3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
*2 teaspoons finely minced orange zest
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 1/2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
*1 teaspoon dried basil
*2 Tablespoons soy sauce
*1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
*4 frozen fish fillets, thawed (tilapia, salmon, etc.)
*canola oil
*salt to taste
*black pepper to taste

Directions:
Whisk together honey, orange juice, zest, garlic, mustard, basil, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Place the fish in the marinade, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Remove the marinated fish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to allow to come to room temperature.  Shake off excess marinade, and discard marinade.  Blot the fillets dry with paper towels.  Coat with canola oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill pan to medium-high.  Spray with cooking spray.  Place fillets on grill pan and cook for about 3 minutes.  Flip fillets over and cook for 3 more minutes until fish is flaky.

Salmon Patty Sandwiches

This is from Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.  I was sceptical about this dish before I made it, but my husband and I both absolutely loved it.  It was very light, refreshing, and healthy, but without being boring, bland, and uninteresting like some healthier food is.  We both wanted more because it tasted so good!  The original recipe called for just 1 egg instead of 2 and 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs instead of 2/3 cup for a binder, but the patties fell apart when I flipped them.  So, I doubled the amounts of egg and bread crumbs to bind the patties better for this recipe.  The below amounts are the revised amounts.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
*I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
*1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
*1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
*2 eggs, slightly beaten
*2/3 cup fine bread crumbs
*1 Tablespoon lemon juice
*1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
*1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
*1/4 teaspoon dried basil
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*1 can (14 3/4 oz.) salmon, drained, bones and skin removed
*cooking spray
*4 English muffins, split in two and toasted
*4 lettuce leaves
*1 Roma tomato, sliced

Directions:
In a small saute pan, saute onion and bell pepper with a few sprays of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter over medium heat until tender.  Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl combine egg, bread crumbs, lemon juice, teriyaki sauce, parsley, basil, and pepper.  Mix well.  Add cooled down onions and peppers.  (Make sure they are not hot because they will start cooking the egg if they are.)  Add the salmon.  Mix well.  Combine into four patties.

In a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook patties over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  Serve on the toasted English muffins topped with a lettuce leaf and a few slices of tomatoes.

Grilled Cajun Catfish

This takes less than 10 minutes to make.

Recently I went to the store to buy frozen catfish fillets so that I could make Cajun catfish, and I could not find them.  The person at the fish counter told me that there are not a lot of catfish this year, so fresh and frozen catfish cost the same for them to buy.  Therefore, this grocery store chose to only carry fresh.  It was very affordable.  I bought pre-marinated Cajun catfish that they had packaged that morning from HEB.  The fillets were huge, and each fillet really made 2 servings.  There were 2 fillets in the package, so it could feed four. 

I grew up in a small town in southeast Texas, which is about 45 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico as well as from the Louisiana border, so I am picky about my Cajun catfish.  The HEB marinated Cajun catfish passed the test.

Ingredients:
*HEB marinated fresh Cajun catfish fillets from the fish counter
*cooking spray

Directions:
Heat a grill pan over medium heat.  Once hot, spray the pan with cooking spray.  Place the fish on the grill.  Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Fish Tacos

We love these.  They are incredibly light and healthy but full of bold flavors.

Makes 8 tacos

Ingredients:
*3 cloves garlic, pressed
*2 teaspoons lime juice
*2 teaspoons ground cumin
*1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
*1 teaspoon black pepper
*1/4 cup tequila
*1 lb. tilapia fillets (I use frozen but thawed completely)
*cooking spray (Olive Oil flavored)
*8 corn tortillas
*shredded cabbage (I buy this in a bag in the produce section)
*shredded Monterrey jack cheese
*2 avocados, sliced and drizzled with a splash of lime juice
*1 jar HEB brand Green Chile Tomatillo Salsa

Directions:
Combine garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper, and tequila in a small bowl to make the marinade.  Whisk.  Place tilapia fillets in a large zip lock bag.  Add marinade.  Seal bag and make sure all fish is coated.  Let sit on the counter in room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat (level 4).  Once hot, spray with cooking spray.  Cook fish for 2 minutes.  Flip.  Cook fish for 2 more minutes or until flaky and white.  Remove from pan immediately and place on a plate so that it stops cooking.

Wrap tortillas in paper towel and seal on all sides.  Heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

To assemble taco, sprinkle corn tortilla with cheese.  Top with fish, avocados, cabbage, and tomatillo salsa on top.

Baked Salmon

This is a recipe from Recipezaar.com, which is now food.com.  The original recipe is for two fillets.  I played with some of the measurements here and there to perfect the recipe for four salmon fillets.  Every time I made more than two fillets, the marinade was never strong enough.  I doubled everything but the salt.  When I doubled the salt, it was too salty.  If you would like the recipe for just 2 fillets, go to http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-salmon-28199

Ingredients
*4 salmon fillets, skin removed (about 6 oz. each)
*4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
*12 Tablespoons olive oil (equal to 3/4 cup)
*2 teaspoons dried basil
*1 teaspoon salt
*2 teaspoons black pepper
*2 Tablespoons lemon juice
*1 Tablespoon dried or fresh parsley (chopped)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F.  In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing all ingredients except the salmon.  Place the salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with marinade.  Refrigerate for 1 hour, turning occasionally. 

Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal.  Place sealed salmon in a glass baking dish.  Bake 35-45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.