Curried Tilapia Soup

In honor of the Olympics, we are trying some more international flavors around here. You would think that all I am feeding us is seafood, but that is not true. We had hamburgers yesterday, chili tonight. It is just that these are the new recipes, and you have probably seen all my old standards. After a year of steady blogging, it is getting tough not to have repeats!

So I bought this frozen Tilapia. Never been a big fan of fish, even though I know it is good for us. I don't really count those breaded frozen fish sticks as sea food, do you? Have to admit I did feed those to my younger guys for years. I tried a couple of recipes with the Tilapia, and while they were edible, they just weren't blogworthy. I have read enough raving reviews of Tilapia Tacos to know someone must really like them. Just not me.

Never one to waste food, I am working my way through the bag. Today, tired of reading recipes, I ventured out on my own. I made a soup that--gasp-- I would actually make again. It is light on calories, but nice and spicy. It uses cilantro again. Oddly, I think that must be the draw for me. After all, I am still thinking about that Cilantro Shrimp.

Here's what I came up with today:

Curried Tilapia Soup

2 Tilapia fillets
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 packet Truvia
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/3 cup diced fresh cilantro

Spray a non-stick pot with cooking spray. Cook the fish for about two minutes on each side. Add tomatoes and half the water. When fish flakes easily, use a fork to break it into bite sized chunks. Add the seasonings and simmer about ten minutes. Serves 2.

I am cutting calories right now, but I saw several similar recipes with coconut milk added. That sounds delish.

Shrimp Bento

I haven't been showing as many Bento lunches lately, being off school with the holidays and all. This is a photo of one I took today. I told you that I really liked that Cilantro Shrimp so much I would make it again! It was almost as good cold. In fact, this whole meal was cold, seeing that I had to use frozen strawberries. I absolutely refused to buy fresh ones at the price Walmart was charging this week!

The cucumbers are placed on a skewer. That made them fun to eat, although some of the centers did get a bit wiggly. I made a delightful fat free, sugar free marinade for these. It definitely made a bigger cucumber fan out of me. I have often added them to salads, but seldom made them the main ingredient. This way, the are light and slightly sweet.

Lisa's Marinated Cukes

1 cucumber
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 packets Truvia or equivalent sweetener
a sprinkle of garlic powder
a sprinkle of onion powder

Slice the cucumber into disks. You may peel the edges into strips for a pretty effect. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over cucumbers. Marinate over night or for several hours. To serve, drain off remaining marinade.

A full cup of cucumber slices has only about 4 carbs and 16 calories. That's a pretty good nutritional bargain. They are also said to aid digestion and help lower cholesterol.

For dinner tonight, we had Teriyaki Chicken as a Freezer Favorite. It is so good just to add some already prepped meat to a skillet. Just a quick veggie on the side and dinner is on the table. On super busy Fridays, this is always a blessing to have a no brain meal. Sorry no photo this time. We did have some leftovers with no bigger guys around, so maybe I will feature them in a salad. Be sure to check back in.

Sloppy Toms

These (if made into sammies) or this (if served solo) are/is a man pleaser, for sure. Just an old fashioned sloppy joe recipe made with ground turkey. Super quick if you make use precooked meat, such as the Minute Beef. But sometimes we prefer turkey, with its milder taste and softer texture. I don't usually make that ahead of time. Even from the frozen package, this doesn't take long to cook up. Tonight's recipe is paired with some Nana's Coleslaw with a Kick. The carby boy had bread with his, but who really needs it? The recipes are in the e-book.

Cilantro Shrimp

I don't make seafood too often, after all, we are landlocked here. I did, however, find some precooked, frozen shrimp on sale at the grocery store. It fits in with my efforts to cut some calories. Since I don't have the college boys here to feed, I splurged and bought some. I have been playing around with different recipes that aren't drowning in butter.

Now I am all about easy. You will not find me in the kitchen de-veining shrimp. I can manage to pull off the tails for myself, as this "medium" size calls for. This recipe is a breeze, as long as you give yourself some marinating time. I put the recipe together this morning, and heated the shrimp up for my noon meal. I could not believe how good this was. I made it spicy with red pepper flakes, but they aren't necessary. If you like cilantro, you will love this dish. If you think it tastes like soap, you might as well call this recipe sudsy shrimp! The cilantro flavor really comes through with the mild shrimp.

Cilantro Shrimp for One

4 ounces of frozen cooked shrimp
2 T lime or lemon juice
1 T vinegar
a touch of stevia or other sweetener. (I used the tiny spoon in my powdered stevia bottle, but I think one packet of Truvia would be fine, or less than one packet of Splenda)
garlic powder
onion powder
red pepper flakes
3-4 Tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro

Drizzle the juice and vinegar over the shrimp. Stir to coat. Then sprinkle the spices and sweetener over the surface of each shrimp. Throw the cilantro on top and stir lightly. Marinate several hours as the shrimp thaws, stirring from time to time. To cook, simply warm everything in a non stick skillet.

Today, I paired the shrimp with a salad of Romaine lettuce and "honey" mustard dressing. I think these would be good cold too. I am already planning to pack them in my lunch on Friday with some marinated cucumbers.

California Chicken

We are big fans of Lost, so I had to get dinner done in time tonight. Barely made it! California Chicken was on the menu. Nothing too gourmet, it tastes like my guys' favorite pizza--Chicken Club. Chunks of chicken with peppers and onions, mushrooms and bacon...all topped with Alfredo sauce. Divine.

This recipe is in the e-book in the Multiply Meals. So good you'll be glad to have another in the freezer!

The Speedy Cajun

Sometimes the crock pot is a great choice. Other times, not. I have a Crockpot Jambalaya that we really like, but this dish is fast. Hence the name of Speedy. It shares all those wonderful Cajun flavors, but goes together in just a few minutes. Too easy.

We really love the taste of polish sausages around here, but even when we buy the good ones, the carbs are higher. This dish gives the flavor of the sausage, but lets me also add in some pre-cooked chicken cubes from the freezer. That cuts the carb count down, and ups the protein. Smart move, and the hubby loves it. He told me three times tonight how he loves it. This was for our small family, but it doubles easily for bigger crowds.

Speedy Cajun Pot Dinner

1/2 head raw cauliflower
1 cup diced cabbage
1/2 green bell pepper
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced tomatoes
8 ounces of chicken cubes
1/2 pound smoked sausage
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
shredded cheese for garnish

Add about 1/2 cup water in a 3 quart pot. Place it on the stove to heat. Meanwhile, chop the caulifower and add to the pot. Next dice the cabbage and add it. Let those cook about 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients. When vegetables are tender, break up the cauliflower a bit, and add salt and pepper to taste. Louisiana hot sauce is optional, but yummy. Add shredded cheese to taste and let it melt in before serving. Serves 3

This dish is so easy to prepare because the meats are pre-cooked. Chicken cubes in the freezer are a staple for E.Z. Fix meals like this one.

My Thrifty Kitchen: Cilantro and Baby Food

The hubby did some grocery shopping for me today since we are still fairly snowbound and he didn't want to shovel the porch for me to leave the house. He doesn't mind climbing over the mountain of snow and ice that is my front walkway. I do. Cilantro was on my list. Much as I adore my Knorr Cilantro cubes, there are times when only fresh will do. I scheduled in a couple of meals this week which call for fresh cilantro. Even with two meals coming up, I would never manage to use the whole bunch. Since the closest grocery store is not known for its produce department, the cilantro is already a bit aged. I decided to preserve it for better days.

A few month's ago, Big Lots, one of my favorite spots as a bargain hunter, had a drug store sell out. I watched this system of containers for home made baby food. Once they went on sale for 75% off, I pounced. Normally I use ice cube trays to freeze small quantities of foods, then pop them out and store them in a ziplock bag. But these little beauties come with their own lid. How cool is that? Now I can prep the cilantro and store it in the freezer like that.

Of course, I could still pop them out and place them in a bag. I will do that when I have only a few cubes left. But I have been known to forget and leave broth or green chilies uncovered a few days. Now if that happens, the freezer burn will not set in. When my boys were little, I did make a lot of my own baby foods. These would have been wonderful.

So to prep the cilantro, I just chopped it up coarsely.

Then I packed the wells in the tray. I topped each off with some water. Added the lid, then into the freezer they went. So simple, and it saved me that amazing 50 cents worth of cilantro that would have gone bad. Hey don't tease me. Every penny counts!


These cilantro ice cubes will be fine added to soups or steamed vegetables. To use them in a casserole or sauce, I will just thaw them in a slotted spoon or paper towel.


I haven't gotten too much of my prep day cooking accomplished because I have been finishing up the newsletter for February. This one is featuring international recipes. I like to add in unusual meals every now and then so we don't get bored or feel deprived. It is also a fun way to celebrate the Olympic games coming up. We always love to follow those. Here's to the fun!