Mother Rimmy's Cooking Light and Healthy Recipes

Don’t Forget the Side Dish! Nutty Wild Rice

Nutty Wild Rice with Asian Grilled Salmon

As far as I’m concerned a meal isn’t complete without an outstanding side dish. This recipe for nutty wild rice paired perfectly with my Asian glazed grilled salmon.

Nutty Wild Rice

I’ll take a nutty brown rice any day of the week over white rice. As far as I’m concerned it has the best texture and flavor. I’ll cook up a batch in my rice cooker and freeze it in portions for later use. How easy is that? Then all I have to do is add a few seasonings and some vegetables and I have the perfect side dish.

Don’t forget to save the leftovers. Those bits of meat chopped into your rice makes a perfect mid-day meal. Happy cooking!

Nutty Wild Rice

Nutty Wild Rice

Serves 4

1 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
2 ¼ cups water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup carrot , shredded
1 cup frozen peas
2 large green onion, sliced

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT frozen peas in a rice cooker, or medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 25 – 30 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Add peas and green onion a few minutes before the rice is done.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 134, Weight Watchers PointsPlus 3
Total Fat: 0.25g
Cholesterol: –
Sodium: 731mg
Total Carbs: 29.15g
Dietary Fiber: 3.20g
Sugars: 5.89g
Protein: 4.13g

Please see disclaimer for further details. Nutrition information is compiled with MacGourmet. If you find discrepancies, please let me know. It’s important to me that I provide you with accurate information.

Keep It Light – Tilapia Stir Fry with Orange and Ginger Sauce

Hola! We’re back from Cabo and not quite ready to jump back into the real world yet.

Tilapia Stir Fry with Orange Ginger Sauce

It was a shock stepping off the plane yesterday at SeaTac airport in Seattle, Washington. The current temperature was 39 degrees. Not quite the balmy warmth of Cabo, but life must go on and so must dinner.

Cabo boasts wonderful Mexican feasts. We weren’t about to deny ourselves the pleasure of tasting whatever our hearts desired (including a few too many happy hour drinks), but now it’s time for lighter fare.

A tilapia stir fry inspired by my favorite orange sauce sold at Trader Joe’s fits the bill perfectly. Chunks of meaty tilapia tossed with red onions, carrots, spinach and a sweet orange sauce of fresh orange juice, a bit of salty soy sauce and some spicy ginger.

Doesn’t that sound like a colorful mix of seafood and vegetables? Served over nutty, brown rice it was just as satisfying as this tilapia recipe sounded in my head (I’m always conjuring up recipes).

I guess coming back home isn’t so bad after all. Happy cooking!

Tilapia Stir Fry with Colorful Vegetables and a Sweet Orange Sauce

Tilapia Stir Fry with Orange and Ginger Sauce

Serves 2

1 cup orange juice
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
small pinch red pepper
½ tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups carrot , shredded
2 cups spinach, chopped
½ tablespoon coconut oil
½ pound tilapia, cut into large chunks as it will break up when added to the stir fry
½ cup cooked rice, brown preferred

1. Combine orange juice, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan and simmer on medium for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until sauce reduces and thickens.

2. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat with 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add shredded carrot and cook another 3 – 5 minutes to soften vegetables. Add spinach and cook another 3 minutes to wilt then remove to a bowl.

3. Add remaining coconut oil to the pan and add tilapia. Cook tilapia gently so that it doesn’t break up, turning to cook through.

4. When tilapia is just cooked, add vegetables back to the pan with sauce.

5. Serve over rice.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 403, Weight Watchers PointsPlus 11

Total Fat: 8.67g
Cholesterol: 56mg
Sodium: 2150mg
Total Carbs: 55.91g
Dietary Fiber: 5.39g
Sugars: 40.66g
Protein: 29.08g

Which Cooking Oils Are Good For Me?

Olive Oil

Do you ever wonder which cooking oil you should pick from the abundance of oils on the grocery store shelves?

I was so confused by the choices available that I decided to do some research. The experience was quite enlightening. If improving your health through nutrition is tops on your list, you’ll want to be informed when it comes to cooking oils.

To see if you’re on the right track, check out my article at Fit & Fab Living. Next time you hit the grocery store you’ll be armed with the knowledge you need to make a healthy choice.

Happy cooking!

Mushroom, Kale and Goat Cheese Quiche

I love, love, love brainstorming with other cooks!

Mushroom, Kale and Goat Cheese Quiche with Breadcrumb Crust

Fortunately for me, my friends are often willing to offer up an opinion when it comes to recipe creation. Either that, or they just want to shut me up, and figure if they help me out they can go on about their business.

Thus was the case with this meat free quiche. I was tired of crustless quiche recipes, and didn’t want the calories and fat abundant in a traditional pie crust. A little brainstorming and we decided I could make a crust with whole wheat bread crumbs.

Mushroom, Kale and Goat Cheese Quiche

When you put two heads together, it’s amazing what can be accomplished! Next time I’ll try this same recipe with a cornbread crust and some spicy sausage. Hmmm, I feel a new recipe coming on.

Happy cooking!

Mushroom, Kale and Goat Cheese Quiche

Serves 6

3 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons parsley
½ tablespoon butter
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups mushroom, sliced
2 cups kale, chopped
⅓ cup goat cheese, crumbled
6 large eggs
6 large egg white
½ cup low fat milk
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine bread crumbs, with 4 tablespoons butter and parsley. Press into a pie plate sprayed with cooking spray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. In a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat add remaining butter and onion. Cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes until tender. Add kale and cook another 2 – 3 minutes to wilt.
4. Whip eggs with milk.
5. Spread mushroom mixture into the bottom of the pie plate and top with goat cheese. Pour egg mixture over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 25 minutes until egg is set in the center. It should just barely wobble when you shake it. Don’t overcook, or your eggs will be rubbery.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 443, Weight Watchers PointsPlus 11
Total Fat: 17.64g
Cholesterol: 215mg
Sodium: 862mg
Total Carbs: 45.03g
Dietary Fiber: 3.46g
Sugars: 5.00g
Protein: 21.83g

Chicken Sweet Potato Stir Fry Turned Vegetarian

I love recipes that serve double duty, and this recipe from Prevention.com fits the bill.

Sweet Potato Stir Fry

The more I cook for people, the more I find that I need versatile recipes. Recipes that can turn vegetarian in the blink of an eye. Add a little chicken, beef, seafood or pork and you’ll please the meat eaters. Leave out the meat and your vegetarian family and friends will love that you thought of them when you planned the menu.

Sweet Potato Stir Fry

The original recipe for this sweet and spicy combination of vegetables and beans included chunks of cooked chicken. Debbie, a frequent contributor to this blog, decided to cook her version with chicken. I went the way of the vegetarian and swapped chicken for black beans. I have to say I didn’t miss the chicken, and she enjoyed her version just as much with it, as you can see below.

Debbie's Sweet Potato and Chicken Stir Fry

With meals like this, I could totally eat meat free. Well, maybe once or twice a week anyway. After all, I have a ton of chicken in the freezer awaiting inspiration for the next meal.

Happy cooking!

Chicken Sweet Potato Stir Fry Turned Vegetarian

Serves 6

1 cup water
½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 tsp olive oil
½ cup vegetable broth
2 cups black beans, or one can rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small jalepeno pepper, finely chopped
1 medium red bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
⅛ tsp black pepper, ground

1. Combine water and quinoa in a small pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Add additional water if more cooking time is needed.
2. Place sweet potatoes in a vegetable steamer in a large pan with 4″ of water over medium high heat and steam for 15 – 20 minutes until just tender.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add onion, peppers, garlic and cumin. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add vegetable broth as needed to keep mixture moist. Add beans, quinoa, peas and potatoes. Toss with cilantro and serve.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 203, Weight Watchers PointsPlus 5
Total Fat: 2.67g
Cholesterol: –
Sodium: 207mg
Total Carbs: 36.58g
Dietary Fiber: 8.32g
Sugars: 3.77g
Protein: 8.84g