Baja Fish Taco
Fish tacos are one of my favorite meals. Check out this recipe made with ingredients that are delicious and nutritious! It uses cilantro that adds a great flavor. The avocado gives it a creamy texture and makes it a little heart healthier. And the cabbage adds a bit of a crunch as well as fiber and Vitamin C.
Baja Fish Taco
Ingredients
• Light Cooking spray
• 3/4 pound firm white fish fillets such as Tilapia
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium fajita seasoning
• 2 cups pre-sliced green cabbage (about 6 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream, divided (optional)
• 1/2 avocado, pitted and diced
• 1 jar of low-sodium salsa
• Lime wedges
Preparation
1. Lightly spray grill rack (or a fry pan) with nonstick light cooking spray, and preheat grill or heat pan on medium high heat.
2. Sprinkle both sides of fish with low-sodium fajita seasoning, gently pressing into flesh. Grill or fry fish 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Flake into pieces with a fork; keep warm.
3. In a small bowl, mix together cabbage, lime juice, salt, and cilantro.
4. Wrap the tortillas in paper towels, and microwave 1 minute on HIGH or until they’re warm.
5. Place taco ingredients on the table for assembly. Spread each tortilla with 1 teaspoon of light sour cream, if desired, and top with fish, cabbage mixture, and avocado. Serve with salsa and lime wedges on the side.
-Susan
Screen Free Week
Screen Free Week is May 4 – 10, 2015. Are you willing to unplug and spend your free time hiking, walking, crafting, or finding a quiet place to sit and enjoy the outdoors?
In just the last 10 years or so, technology has made it possible for nearly every member of the family to own a digital device. Unfortunately, for some kids (and grown ups), screen time has replaced playtime or physical activity. This is concerning because excessive screen time has been linked to obesity for both children and adults.
Children born in the last 10 years will never know what it was like before smartphones and tablets. I’m grateful for my memories of playing outside from morning until dark, using my imagination to be an explorer, a treasure hunter, a soccer player, and a bug collector. I remember waking up extra early for Saturday morning cartoons. Afterwards, the rest of my Saturday was spent outdoors. I remember when TV networks played the national anthem indicating it was signing off. Now we have kids’ networks running 24 hours a day.
In celebration of Screen Free Week, I encourage you and your family to spend your free time interacting with each other rather than a digital device. For ideas, click here.
What do you remember doing as a child that didn’t involve a screen?
-Lisa
Broccoli Salad
Serving Size: 1/2 cup- 1 bunch broccoli or 1/2 bunch of broccoli and 1/2 head of cauliflower, washed and cut into pieces
- 2 pieces of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise (or plain non-fat yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
- Make dressing of mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar.
- Combine broccoli, bacon, onion, and raisins.
- Stir in dressing.
- Cover and refrigerate.
Nutrition Information Per Serving
110 Calories, Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 1g, Protein 3g, Total Carbohydrate 18g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sodium 210mg. Excellent source of vitamin C. Good source of vitamin A.
Introducing your baby to solid foods
How do you know your baby is ready for solid foods? He or she will give you cues. In our newest video, let’s take a look for cues that your baby is ready for solid foods.
Pack lunches safely
I enjoy creating and preparing meals for my husband and I. In most cases we have leftovers, which are primarily used for lunch the following day. This not only saves us money, but is usually a healthier option than purchasing food from a restaurant (and many of us can agree that most leftovers taste better the second time around).
However, leftovers that are not packaged safely can be dangerous.
Whether you’re packing lunch for a child, spouse or even yourself, you want to make sure that your leftovers are packed safely. Germs that grow on food can make lots more germs in a little over two hours. Without smart packing, some of the foods and snacks may end up making you sick. Follow these safety tips to avoid foodborne illnesses when transporting food for lunch.
- Keep foods clean – Keep everything clean when packing the lunch.That includes food, food preparation surfaces, hands and utensils. Use hot, soapy water.
- Keep foods out of danger – Bacteria grow and multiply rapidly in the danger zone between 40 ºF and 140ºF. Keep lunches out of direct sunlight and away from radiators or other heat sources. Some foods that don’t require refrigeration and are great to include in a bag lunch are fruits, vegetables, hard cheese, unopened canned meat or fish, chips, bread, crackers, peanut butter,jelly, mustard and pickles.
- Keep cold foods cold – The best way to keep food cold is with an insulated box. When packing lunches, include either freezer gel packs or cold food items such as small frozen juice packs. Nestle perishable meat, poultry or egg sandwiches between these cold items. Sandwiches can also be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated or frozen before placing in the lunch bag. Freezer gel packs will hold cold food until lunchtime, but generally will not work for all-day storage. Any perishable leftovers after lunch should be discarded and not brought home. Of course, if there’s a refrigerator at work, store perishable items there upon arrival. Leftover perishables that have been kept refrigerated should be safe to take home. Brown paper bags or plastic lunch bags can also be used to store foods if you are not carrying perishable foods, but they do not work as well for cold foods. The bag tends to become soggy or leak as cold foods thaw, and the bags do not retain the cold as well as an insulated lunch box. If a freezer gel pack is being used in the paper bag, it will cause additional moisture as it melts. Wrap the freezer pack in plastic or foil and use an extra paper bag to create a double layer to help solve the problem.
- Keep hot foods hot – Foods like soup, chili and stew need to stay hot. Use an insulated bottle stored in an insulated lunch box. Fill the bottle with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty and then put in the piping hot food. Keep the insulated bottle closed until lunch to keep the foods hot.
For more information and tips on how you can safely package your lunch, click the following link: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/food/pdf/hgic3600.pdf
Stephanie