Tomato 101

I painted this tomato in preparation for the Polka-dot challenge.  What I like about it is looseness that I can achieve when not trying.  6x6 oil on linen paper.

Fish Fillet with Spinach & Tomato in Parchment - "Cooking for One"

Tonight's "cooking for one" recipe came to me on the checkout line in the supermarket.  While waiting on line, I picked up a copy of Bon Appetit and in it was an article on cooking in parchment.  Since I had just purchased  a fresh 6 oz. piece of Flute (a firm white fish), I went over in my head what fresh vegetables I had at home, picked a few fresh herbs from the garden on my way into the house, poured myself a glass of wine and I was cooking. Talk about low fat, moist, flavorful, and easy clean up, this recipe was perfect for dinner for one.  Calories calculated on MyFitnessPal app - 300 Calories per serving.  Some fresh fruit for dessert and I was totally satisfied.  Yes, I'm worth the effort.

Fish Fillet with Spinach & Tomato in Parchment - Serves One

6 oz fillet of Flute (or founder, cod, halibut)
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
1/2 chopped fresh tomato
3 kalamata olives chopped
1 tsp olive oil
3 lemon slices - thin
Fresh Chives chopped
1 tsp of white wine
12 X 14 sheet of parchment paper - folded and cut into a heart shape

Fold and cut your parchment into a heart shape.  Place your spinach, chopped tomato, olives, a squeeze of lemon, 1/2 tsp oil, salt and pepper on to half the parchment.  Place your cleaned and dried fillet on top.  Salt & pepper, drizzle with 1/2 tsp oil, 1 tsp of white wine, slices of lemon and snipped fresh chives on top.  Fold your parchment over top and seal by crimping the paper to form a seal.  Place on a sheet pan in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Be careful opening up parchment, steam is very hot.

Chicken over Spinach with Avocado, Tomato and Goat Cheese

Tonight's healthy dinner creation was delicious. The creaminess of the goat cheese and avocado melted in your mouth, while the sauteed spinach gave it that perfect bite.   I have been trying to eat my carbs during the day and leaving dinner for a protein and vegetables, and it has made a definite difference on my waistline.

The whole process of cooking dinner is very relaxing and enjoyable for me. Maybe the glass of wine helps too.  Even if I'm alone for dinner, I cook something worthy of myself. This whole meal took under 10 minutes to cook in one pan.











































The avocado in this recipe was used for a purpose. A Pinterest post claimed that avocados can be frozen and I wanted to experiment.   Since a whole avocado has 276 calories and the recommended serving size is 1/4, it makes sense to freeze the remaining three portions in a zip lock bag (air removed) adding a little lemon juice to keep the color alive.   Next week when I'm looking something to put on a tartine for lunch, I'll check out my avocado experiment.

Chicken over Spinach with Avocado, Tomato and Goat Cheese

Serves One - 382 calories per serving*

1 chicken cutlet thinly pounded - 4 oz.
2 heaping handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 of tomato thinly sliced
1 oz of goat cheese
1 garlic finely chopped
1/4 avocado sliced
1 tsp of olive oil
S&P, fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in a non-stick pan.  Add garlic and warm.  Remove garlic and cook chicken for two minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from pan and add spinach and garlic.  Saute spinach until wilted.  Remove and drain spinach and arrange on plate.  Spread goat cheese on the top of the chicken cutlet and layer over spinach.  Place a few thinly slices tomatoes on top of chicken, add avocado, S&P and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and enjoy.

*calories calculated using MyFitnessPal App