Dinner: Stuffed Flounder

I have been in a cooking funk lately and that just isn't me. 

I LOVE cooking...like really love it and its basically in my blood {not to brag but...I come from a long line of seriously good cooks}.

Culinary lineage aside, I haven't been a star in the kitchen and I don't know if its pregnancy or what but the funk needed to go.

How does one get out of a cooking funk?

By being prepared!

* I searched the interwebs and found some new recipes then did a little grocery shopping {emphasis on "little"...I scoured the pantry and freezer first and only had to pick up a few things}. 

* I put our menu up in the kitchen. I also have a board on Pinterest : Dinner This Week {lots of great recipes there but I love that can pin from other sites too}

* I did prep work during the day {I'm a stay at home almost mom, 3rd trimester pregnant, so this is easy for me but when I worked I did the prep at night or early in the morning}. Having some or all of the work done makes it that much easier to cook and not give into the "I'm tired let's eat out" feeling.

* Stick to the plan! If it's on the menu...cook it!

This has totally been working for me this week and on the menu last night was this Stuffed Flounder recipe.  The original recipe seemed a little bland for us so I read the reviews and found lots of helpful ideas.

 I added more of everything to the stuffing mixture because it didn't seem like enough. I also added fresh garlic, red pepper and salt.

The recipe didn't call for any seasoning in the fish but I marinated it in lemon juice and Tony's {creole seasoning that is great on all meats and veggies- spicy so go easy if you don't like things to be to spicy}.

I was a little worried about the stuffing part but it was really easy. Also, some of the reviewers said that they used red snapper or tilapia instead of flounder. So...if you don't like flounder use something you like. Anyway, just be gentle when handling the fish cause it can fall apart on you. When you are done stuffing just set in in the pan. I lined my pan with foil {I always do this for easy clean up...always}.

We had grilled asparagus as a side...

Super simple, just olive oil, Tony's and lemon juice. I started cooking it when I put the fish in the oven and the timing was perfect. I used my grill pan over med/hi heat just till it had grill marks and started to get a little tender. 

The final product was great and really easy!

Will requested that this be added to the "List" {I have built a repetoire of recipes that we know that we both love and I cook 2 or 3 of those recipes each week...I can make most of them without a following a recipe. Basically it has to be good to get added to the "List"}!

Here is my version of the Stuffed Flounder:

Ingredients

2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed

• 1 pkg sliced baby portobella mushrooms {I chopped them up smaller}
• 3 handfulls fresh spinach {I removed the stems}, rinsed and chopped
• 3 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
• 4 (4 to 6 ounce) fillets flounder- marinated in lemon juice and Tony's

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Swirl some olive oil in a medium skillet and garlic and cook on low for 2 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes or until the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the spinach to the skillet. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and drain excess moisture{this is important, you don't want the mix to be watery}. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the vegetables with salt and red pepper, then stir it in.
5. To assemble the fish rolls, place one-quarter of the spinach mixture onto the wide end of each filet. Carefully roll the filet around the spinach mixture. Use wooden toothpicks to hold the end of each roll in place.
6. Line an 8x8 glass dish with foil. Place the fish rolls, seam side down, in the baking dish.
7. Bake in a preheated oven for *15 minutes or so until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and is opaque all the way through.

 *my flounder cooked in 15 minutes, very thin fish will cook quickly


Tonight I am trying a new twist on Chicken Parm! I will report back!


Happy cooking...until next time!

Veggie Tales!

Well, as some of you know I am testing the waters of a vegetarian lifestyle. Feelings thus far:

Yummy

Happy

GAG

Excited

Gross

Mostly, I'm loving this. I have had so really great food and I have had things that will NEVER set foot in this apartment again.

What have I been loving:

Fresh EVERYTHING (Berries Mostly)

Greek Yogurt

HONEY

Strawberries on my Salads

Edamame Hummus

Carrot juice

Naan bread

Mushrooms...I knew this but I have a new appreciation for them now

Leeks...more than just an onion

Butternut Squash

Not so much:

Soy Milk...No thank you. I can only drink whole milk. End of discussion.

fresh Tomatoes...I am getting better with them if they are cooked but raw tomatoes make me wanna throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Tofu on its own...like cooking it in a skillet as if it were chicken. I can do it in something like stir fry or soup.

Eggplant. Not sure what to say. I didn't hate it...But I didn't love it.

hmmm...that's it.

Living this way has caused me to branch out and try SO many new things. Using veggies as the focal point instead of typical meats is challenging. Making it satisfying and enjoyable is REALLY challenging. I think for the most part I have been doing pretty darn good. Here is a little breakdown:

Breakfasts:

Greek yogurt w/ Grape Nuts, Honey & Banana

Fresh Berries & banana

Toast w/Nutella

Oatmeal

Cereal & a banana(I get crazy bad leg cramps...like crazy cause my foot will actually draw inward...gross I know. So I have to get lots of potassium everyday)

I always have a Boost right when I first get up. Its a good source of protein and helps me get going!

Snacks:

Kashi Bar

Berries w/ Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt & Honey

Veggies & Ranch

Edamame Hummus & Pita chips

Naan bread w/melted mozzarella

Lunchs:

Veggie Sandwiches

Salads...loaded with lots of goodies

Frozen dinners

Leftovers from previous dinners

Dinners:

Portobello & Leek Soup...SO GOOD!

Portobello Burgers...Tasty

Eggplant Parm...Good

Butternut Stew...Yummy

Stir fry w/ Tofu...Great way to use tofu as a protein

Cheese Ravioli....Who doesn't love ravioli

Spinach Ravioli in a Butternut sauce...YUM

With most of my dinners I had a salad or a veggie side and some fruit for dessert. I usually had some type of bread to.

So that's what I have been eating for a little over a week now. I did cave and have some sweet. Only to save my sanity, of course, and I didn't go over board or anything. I didn't exercise like I wanted to either...whats new about that. But all and all I think I did OK. My main goal was to not eat meat and I haven't! The End.

PS. I want a BIG JUICY STEAK!!! Maybe for my birthday...which is in 10 days!