Tilapia Verde

I'm literally eating this as I type. I don't routinely upload recipes this quickly after sharing them (read: don't go getting spoiled) but I figured since it's a quiet day and I have the time, why not?

This dish started with me having a random assortment of vegetable-type stuff to use up. A few days ago I sacrificed two zucchinis and an eggplant to my co-worker's compost pile. While I'm glad they will still get good use, that hurt my heart!

Now I feel especially passionate about using up my veggies since I read this statistic in Women's Health Magazine. 

I also needed something quick to prepare. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to a 5:45 a.m. weight lifting class which lasts an hour. In order to get the divas to school on time I must leave by 7:20 a.m. So, this morning (having not prepped anything for today) I had to get back from the gym from a class that ends at 6:45, get un-grossified, dressed, make sure they are un-grossified and dressed, and get us all out the door in 35 minutes. Oh...and make lunch. 

So this is to say if I could pull off that feat with a great lunch, I have confidence in the rest of you!

Nik's Tilapia Verde

(Makes numerous servings. For me, two, for you, who knows?)

• 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 a small onion, cut into slivers
• 2 c. spinach
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced (luckily I don't kiss anyone during my workday!)
• 1/2 a yellow squash, cut into rounds, then halved
• 2 - 4 oz. tilapia filets
• 1 c. salsa verde (mine was homemade...I'd imagine pesto would work well too in this situation to keep the whole "verde" theme although pesto something of a caloric bomb with all the oil...tasty but very caloric!)
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Set a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add water. On top of it add all the veggies and garlic. Top with fish and sauce. Cover.

Go get un-grossified and dressed. Return to kitchen and check on it. At this point it should be REALLY watery. Remove the cover and go back upstairs. Do your hair, make-up, yell at your pre-teenager to hurry up, relent to fixing the hair of your teenager ("Because it never comes out right unless you do it, Mom!). Get dog and cat situated then return to the kitchen. (Yes, this is ALL a part of the recipe! Men, you do this too!)

Remove from heat while you get your purse/briefcase/smart technology together. Empty contents of skillet into a plastic container, snap the lid on and get to gittin'! 

SIDE NOTE:

Did I mention La Grande Diva turned 15 on Tuesday? I baked her the cutest cake. I hope you don't find me mean cruel or some other horrible adjective for sharing it with you. It's called an Ombre Coconut Cake (Ombre being a style of dyeing things where you use one color and go from darkest to lightest hues). I got the recipe/method from Food Network Magazine. I posted the pic on their Facebook Page and it's getting lotsa love. It's a HUGE cake. I could only eat a few bites. I'm not a big sweets person. I've not touched it since then. 

So...in summary...I had time to make that fabulously healthy lunch up above AND this beautimous cake (which I made from scratch, by the way). I am Nik, hear me ROAR!

From the BF Barbecue: Ronnie's Crustless Spinach Quiche

It's very rare that I am at a loss for words. You guys see me. I wrote whole BOOKS before I get to my recipe.

For this dish I only have a few words: it is DAMN good!

Wait, no I have a few more. A funny story. This is La Grande Diva:

She HATES eggs. At the barbecue we're sitting around talking and her sister had a slice of this quiche on her plate. She picked it up, examined it and went, "what's this?" My Foodie friend Julia was about to say that it was quiche when I hushed her.

Now you should know that La Grande Diva is a "food inspector." When she doesn't know what something is (and doesn't know if she'll like it) she peers at it, turns it from side to side, sniffs it, she may even dissect it. In this instance she suspected eggs but could not definitively prove it. Because it LOOKED like a fluffy pile of cheese and spinach, both of which she likes.

A hush fell around the table as we watched her theorize. "Is there cottage cheese in it?" Ronnie smiled and said yes. While cottage cheese on its own is unacceptable to La Grande Diva, its use as an ingredient is not (at least not automatically). So she sniffs again and takes a teeny bite, bracing herself to dislike it but...wait...this is good, her face seemed to say. This is REALLY good. So she took a bigger bite, and a bigger bite until the entire slice was gone.

VICTORY!

For those wondering, no, I did not tell her she'd eaten eggs. Where's the fun in that?

Anyway, here's Ronnie's recipe. I've made a few swap suggestions as well.

Ronnie's Crustless Spinach Quiche

Ingredients

• Cooking spray of choice
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach 
• 4 eggs (You could also use 1/2 cup Egg Beaters if that's what you like)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (if you want to up the protein, you can also use 1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt. The point here is that the fat makes it a bit decadent.)
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (In whatever fat % you usually use)
• 1 cup small curd cottage cheese 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (If you go with whole wheat flour, get whole wheat cake flour and if you do Atkins Mix/Carbquick, run it through a flour sifter first!)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 cup shredded or grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded or grated Monterey Jack cheese
• Optional: if you use Atkins Mix/Carbquick, I'd also put about 1/4 tsp. baking powder in with the mix!

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking dish or 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray. 

Unwrap the spinach and put it on a plate.  Microwave on high power for 4 minutes.  Allow it to cool.  Squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach and put it into a large bowl. 

Combine the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, flour, and pepper, in a medium bowl.  Stir together until the mixture is smooth (about 1 minute).  Pour the mixture into the bowl with the spinach.  Add the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and blend with a spoon until well mixed.  Pour the spinach mixture into the baking dish. or pie pan, and smooth out the top with the spoon. 

Bake until set, about 45 minutes, and remove the baking dish from the oven.  It will fall as it cools.  Allow it to cool, then cut it into squares and serve. 

Welp, I guess I've outed what happened. Although I'm not sure if my daughters check the blog. But someday she'll see this post and I can see the look on her face now. It's totally worth waiting for. Until then, keep playing with your food!

This recipe brought to you by:

Ronnie, proud member of the Foodie Nation since 2012. 

Foodie-sentials: Iron - Why Eating Your Spinach Isn't Enough

(Check out last month's article: The Sunshine Vitamin.)

By Kelly Morris

Despite non-op opinions to the contrary, luck doesn't get you very far after weight loss surgery. If you want to be healthy and have energy, you need your vitamins and minerals, including iron. 

We need adequate iron in order for our blood to carry oxygen to all our vital organs, for our muscles to store and use oxygen, and for our bodies to make various enzymes that we need in order to digest our food. Spinach is a good source of iron, as is red meat, oysters, pumpkin seeds, and white beans, but food alone won’t provide enough iron after weight loss surgery.

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recommends that all weight loss surgery patients take iron, including men and post-menopausal women. The recommended amounts vary depending on the type of surgery you had. They recommend 36 mg elemental iron daily for all lap band and sleeve patients, 36 mg daily for male and post-menopausal female gastric bypass and duodenal switch patients, and 54 to 63 mg daily for female gastric bypass and duodenal switch patients that menstruate.

Iron Deficiency

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, iron deficiency, also called anemia, is the most common nutritional deficiency in the U.S. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, feeling cold all the time, an inflamed tongue (called glossitis), bruising easily, and restless leg syndrome (those annoying, involuntary jerky movements of your legs, usually when you’re falling asleep). Iron deficiency also prevents your immune system from working properly.

Different Types of Iron

There are many different types of iron supplements and different types contain different amounts of elemental iron. For instance, ferrous sulfate contains only 20% elemental iron, so 325 mg ferrous sulfate only gives you 65 mg elemental iron. Keep in mind that the ASMBS makes recommendations for iron supplementation in terms of elemental iron, so if you take a supplement that is not all elemental iron, you’ll need to do some math to figure out how much elemental iron you’re getting.

• Carbonyl iron is 100% elemental iron. Therefore 100 mg carbonyl iron = 100 mg elemental iron.
• Ferrous fumerate is 33% elemental iron. Therefore 100 mg ferrous fumerate = 33 mg elemental iron. 
• Ferrous gluconate is 12% elemental iron. Therefore 100 mg ferrous gluconate = 12 mg elemental iron.
• Ferrous sulfate is 20% elemental iron. Therefore 100 mg ferrous sulfate = 20 mg elemental iron.

Side Effects of Iron Supplements

The most common side effects of iron supplements, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, are constipation, nausea, heartburn, and an upset stomach. Iron can also make your stool darker in color. There are many different types of iron supplements, however, and some are more likely to cause unpleasant side effects than others. Carbonyl iron is all elemental iron and therefore is less likely to cause constipation than some other kinds of iron.

Iron and Calcium

Calcium blocks the absorption of iron, so take your calcium and iron supplements at least two hours apart. Don’t take your iron with foods high in calcium, either, like milk, yogurt, or cheese.

Iron and Vitamin C

Taking vitamin C with your iron will aid in the absorption of iron. According to Andrea Ulberg, author of the Lab Tracker Workbook, you need 200 mg vitamin C for every 30 mg elemental iron in order to enhance absorption. While many iron supplements contain some vitamin C, most don’t have enough to actually help with absorption, so read the label to see if you need to take additional vitamin C with your iron.

Kelly had gastric bypass in November 2008 when she weighed about 270 pounds. Just over four years later Kelly is now about 135. She says, "My knees don't hurt anymore, my blood pressure is on the low side, my blood sugar is good, and I feel pretty well. The journey hasn't always been easy and I've had some complications. It's all been worth it though! I really feel like this surgery gave me my life back."(Check out last month's article: Calcium: It Does A Body Good)

Weight-loss Surgery Friendly Indian-Style Creamed Spinach

For those of you who are excited about this recipe, you have my girl Hillery to thank (yes, Hillery, your Foodie Fitness Correspondent). One day she graciously agreed to help me mow through style La Petite Diva's hair and she was cooking this. And me being the person I am, I have stalked her for the recipe ever since.

Here is the recipe she used. But before you go there, please heed the following suggested modifications!

• Instead of using 2 tbsp of olive oil I used one and sprayed down my pan generously with nonstick (the olive oil contributes to the flavor, which is why I used some but not all)
• Do NOT use the amount of cayenne called for in this recipe. It will kill you! My family likes spicy food and it damn near killed us. If you want a slight kick, go with 1/4 tsp. If you want full-on spicy, go with 1/2 tsp. Trust me on this one!
• Instead of the sugar it calls for with the spinach add two packets of Splenda. Trust me this will be enough.
• I suggest using unflavored Greek yogurt (nonfat) instead of evaporated milk. With the evaporated milk it was just too watery and the liquid just would not reduce! Since you add it at the very end, it will retain a smooth consistency.
• Lastly, instead of naan, I used a pop rice to dip mine. Never heard of pop rice? Well allow me to introduce you to it!

It has 16 calories per "cake", 4g of carbs, virtually no protein but...it's 16 calories! Mine was onion flavored. They sell these at many grocery stores (I get mine from Ye Olde Amish) under various brand names including Amy's Magic Pop or Cocopop.

Lastly, here's some lovely food porn of the process of making this:

This is the onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes simmering.

Pureed cooked spinach, fresh from my fake Magic Bullet (aka $19.99 version from Wal-Mart that works just as well!)

Mixing the spinach with the onion/tomato mixture...

Me scooping it out of the pan with a piece of pop rice!

If you wanted to make an exotic night of it for the fam, might I suggest my Thai Chicken Skewers (which work perfectly fine on a grill pan if you don't feel like firing up the old grill), WLS-friendly samosas (which work well with either Carbquik OR Atkins Baking Mix) and a side of Thai Iced Tea for the fam?

Oh...one more note. This dish goes beautifully atop my cauliflower rice (Throw some peas and a few tablespoons of coconut milk in the rice if you want the full effect!)

YUMMY!

Play with your food!