24/7 Low Carb Diner: May 2017

Most of the people in my family are not big fish eaters. My hubby will tolerate a meal of fish, as long as it is mild, and I serve another favorite recipe at another meal of the day. This one, however, is not your average fish recipe. It is utterly delicious, even for a less than enthusiastic fish eater.

The Diner News for June will feature Mediterranean food. This is definitely in that category. So many provocative flavors, yet so good for your health. In addition to the intense tomato flavor, we get the tartness of lemon and capers, the salty and earthy olives, and the crunch of almonds. Such a winning combination!

Sun Dried Tomato Crusted Fish

1 cup whole olives: a blend of black, green and Kalamata, any ratio you prefer

½ cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp slivered almonds

1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp capers, drained

4 frozen fish filets (4 to 5 oz each)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the olives, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, almonds, lemon juice, garlic, and Italian seasoning in the bowl of a food processor. Process until ground but not completely smooth. Place the fish filets in a baking dish sprayed or brushed with olive oil and season them with a small amount of salt and pepper. Spoon the olive and sun dried tomato spread on top of each piece of fish, spreading it out over the surface. Divide the capers among fillets. Bake until fish is cooked through, about 30 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the filet. (Reduce baking time by half if using fresh or thawed fish.)

Serves 4: 330 calories 5 net g carb (7 total carb)

All those classic Mediterranean flavors. Yum. If you need to sub some ingredients, go ahead. But stick with the sun dried tomatoes! Capers would be optional.

You can use any fish, I think. I used a white fish for mildness. But you can get more Omega 3 fatty acids if you choose salmon or tuna. I am personally not a huge fan of some of the other healthier fish--mackerel, herring, trout and sardines...so you be the judge.

Speaking of judging. Everytime I post a fish recipe I seem to get a battle going between farm raised and wild caught. Please just eat what your conscience tells you, and be happy. Frankly, there are so many opposing views on so many health issues, it is no wonder the average Joe just eats burgers and fries day in and day out. Not that I don't love a good burger.

School is out, but I am still doing grading and clean up. Next week I travel to a teacher conference for Oklahoma History. I do love my history classes the most. I will be dining in my old college dorm cafeteria. I am sure they will not have the good eating I get today with this fish! It will be fun anyway.

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Never too busy to cook, right? I have been a little overly busy lately. I was a bit behind schedule getting the Diner News out. Saturday was my kitchen day. Then it rained and was so gloomy all day. No photo ops at all. Since I had three grocery stores to visit on Friday, just a little bit of cooking got done then.

So it all fell on Sunday. Let me say, goodbye to my regular prep routine. It was all sausages, all day. Sausages, you say? Why sausages? Well, that happens to be the Diner News theme this month. I really am a fan of sausages. There are so many more healthy options that we had a few years ago. Many are just 1 or 2 carbs these days. And the flavors available now...Wow. I love all the fresh sausage at Sprouts. Good value and 2 carbs per really generous link. Trader Joe's have some fabulous options too. (I do think their sausages tend to shrink more in the cooking though.) I also love the Italian Turkey sausages at Aldi. Warehouse stores have some interesting finds too.

Many sausages are pre-cooked. What time savers those are. Often, I just cut one up into a salad and lunch is prepped and ready to go. The are great for dinners when you just don't want to think about anything else too. Or hot weather, when you don't want to heat up the oven.

If you want the low down on all my finds, you just have to have this month's Diner News. Remember, it is just $6 for 12 months and almost every recipe is new. That is why I am so busy and tired. I cook and experiment a lot for each edition. With no new cookbooks out, this is one of my main income streams. I promise these newsletters are worth the price. (I hear they are worth more)

Here is an interesting dish I created yesterday from an unusual sausage I found at Trader Joe's. Spicy Chicken Sausage: A Korean Inspired Kalbi BBQ Recipe. These are fully cooked, so they are super speedy for a quick stir fry. Especially when you take advantage of TJ's frozen peppers and onions. I also adore snow peas, and those are especially good here! And gorgeous to boot. I used Shirataki Rice for my filler. That did get some conversation at the school lunch table today. I am not so sure anyone else is a fan. I happen to like the rice much more than the noodles. Considering the calorie count, it is a win for me. Try this recipe. It is really yummy.

Korean Kalbi Style BBQ Skillet

2 Trader Joe’s spicy Chicken Korean Kalbi BBQ Sausages

1 tbsp refined coconut oil

1 cup snow peas

1 cup frozen peppers and onion blend

1 tsp minced garlic

7 oz bag shirataki rice*

Slice sausages and set aside. Heat oil in a skillet. Sauté snow peas, peppers and onions. When vegetables are soft, add sliced sausages and garlic. When hot, stir in Sambal Oelek to taste. Divide among plates and serve with tamari. 283 CAL 7 NET G CARB

· Substitute caulirice for an extra 2 net g carbs per serving

If you prefer to use riced cauliflower, Trader Joe's is a great place to buy it. Fresh or frozen. Couldn't be easier.