Steamed Mussels and Clam Chowder

As you can see, we've been on a real seafood kick this past week. I can say that I was inspired by all the yummy seafood we had in Connecticut at this adorable family owned restaurant in Mystic Seaport. We didn't get their infamous lobster roll, but enjoyed their lump crabcakes, clam chowder and steamed mussels. I really enjoyed the taste of the mussels and wanted to try making them myself. They are soooo easy to make! Literally, 4 minutes to cook. (And about an hour to eat!).

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I found the mussel "bath" recipe on the food network recipe. It's really easy:

1 can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken broth
bunch of fresh cilantro
Splash of cooking wine

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Then add your mussels and steam them for 4 minutes, or until all of them have opened. Serve with melted butter ( I added minced garlic and red pepper flakes to mine - delicious!).

The clam chowder was awesome too! I made a low-fat version using 1% milk and flour to help thicken the soup. We purchased the fresh clams and mussels from our local famrer's market. When it comes to seafood, gotta buy fresh! It's worth the extra bucks.

Tropical Mahi Mahi Dinner

The other day I was checking out all of the different kinds of fish in the Whole Foods freezer isle. I was tempted to stick with the flounder but I wanted to try something different this time around. Man, was I glad I did! Mahi Mahi is a wonderful fish. It has a delicate flavor, but a denser texture, almost like chicken. I actually fooled Ervis into thinking he was eating chicken the first minute or so...lol.

I prepared the fish filets by marinating them in pineapple juice, sherry, garlic and soysauce. Then they were stuck under the broiler for about 5 minutes on each side. I made a fresh pineapple and mango salsa with red onion, cilantro and lime juice. Mmm! A side of rice and tangy black beans complimented the dish nicely. Not to mention my hawaiian slaw that I threw together using the extra pineapple, cabbage, toasted sesame seeds, lime and mayo. It was definitely a night in taste bud paradise : )

Oh and forgot to mention that we had coconut pineapple smoothies for dessert!

My First Dessert Post: Summer Berry Mousse Tart

This is definitely one of those "Semi-Homemade" type of desserts that just tastes like you slaved away in the kitchen all day to prepare. I purchased some individual vanilla cake shells. Sliced them in half and filled them with Jell-O dark chocolate mousse. Then topped them with vanilla custard, blackberries, strawberries and chocolate sauce. Can't forget the whipped cream! So creamy and unbelievably low-fat! If I calculate this, it's roughly 250 calories per dessert! Not too shabby if I say so myself!

Supplies: Makes 2 individual desserts

2 Vanilla cake shells ( 100 calories each!)
1 Jell-O fat-free chocolate Mousse Cup
1 fat-free Jell-O Vanilla Pudding Cup
Light Whipped Cream ( or cool whip )
Fat-Free Chocolate Syrup
Fresh strawberries & Blackberries
Cinnamon

Grilled Herbed Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad

Took advantage of the grill again! These French style chicken thighs were the way to go! Went to Whole Foods yesterday and splurged on some organic chicken. Boy did it pay off! The meat was so tender and fresh. It went well with the orzo salad with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes from our new garden terrace : )


Herb Marinade

Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tsp dried Rosemary
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Coat chicken thighs in olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with seasonings on both sides. I removed the chicken skin first and this still turned out nice and crispy.

Orzo Salad

Cold orzo pasta ( about 2 cups cooked )
2 TB Olive Oil
2 TB vinegar
S&P
Fresh Basil to taste
Dried Oregano to taste
1/3 grated Parm/Romano Cheese
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Toss all of the ingredients and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Penne with Bay Scallops

I think I'm in love with scallops. I can't get enough of those sweet and tender little gems of goodness. They go with almost anything and they're so easy to prepare. This was a quick meal that required very little effort. I had a bag of frozen mixed veggies from Trader Joe's ( peppers, sweet onions and artichokes) that I sautéed in some garlic and olive oil. Then I tossed in my scallops, fresh lemon juice, s&p and a dash of pepper flakes. Served it all over penne pasta with a garden salad. Easy and delish!

Bean and Sausage Slow Cooker Soup

Last week the hubby and I were craving a good bean soup. Too hot for soup, I know. But that didn't stop us! What made it even better was that I made it in the slow cooker and forgot about it for 8 hours of the day. Didn't even make the house hot! Boy were we happy with the way it turned out. The beans were nice and tender and the broth was flavorful from the sausage and garlic. Mmm..mmm..good!

Made a little corn bread in the toaster oven too!