While this isnt a recipe from the MyPlate challenge, doesnt it look like it should be? Lean protein, whole grains, veggies with fat-free dairy.

After grilling the tilapia, I topped it with a pre-made corn, tomato and onion salsa. Then, I microwaved a wild brown rice pouch and sauteed green beans, zucchini and summer squash in a little olive oil and ground black pepper. Because a sprinkling of fat-free Feta cheese lends a salty taste, I didnt need to add salt to the sauteed veggies. Tasty, nutritious and quick… three of my favorite characteristics of a weekday meal!

TELL US: Please share your favorite MyPlate-inspired fish dishes with us. Wed love to hear from you!

Posted by Rima Kleiner, MS, RD

Snacking gets a bad rap. But, the snacking habit isnt going anywhere. According to Snack Foods Market Report 2013, the snack foods market in the UK is expected to increase by 30.5% between 2013 and 2017.

• Creamy tuna or salmon dip with raw veggies or whole grain crackers. Mix canned tuna or salmon with light mayonnaise, nonfat plain Green yogurt and herbs. Or, grab half of a tuna sandwich for an omega-3 and protein-rich snack on the run!
• Shrimp or fish spring roll with veggies and avocado. Wrap leftover shrimp or fish, avocado and thinly sliced veggies (like cucumber, carrot or yellow bell pepper) in rice paper wrappers.
• Tuna-olive tapenade with whole wheat pita bread. Mix canned tuna with chopped black and green olives, capers, sundried tomatoes and olive oil.
• Tuna and white bean bruschetta. Combine canned tuna with white Cannellini beans, parsley, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve on top of toasted whole grain bread.
• Shrimp cocktail with fruit-based sauces. Freshen up the shrimp cocktail with a fresh tomato- or fruit-based (think mango) sauces.
• Tuna or salmon avocado mash on whole wheat tortilla. Combine canned tuna or salmon with avocado and dash of salt and wrap in small whole wheat tortilla.

It’s hard to beat canned seafood as a healthy convenience food, perfect for a quick lunch.

While the whole wheat elbow macaroni was cooking, I mixed a can of salmon with a can of white beans for a protein-packed mid-day meal. Then,I put kale in the bottom of the colander before draining the pasta; the hot pasta water immediately wilted the dark leafy greens. All that was left to do was combine the salmon and beans with the pasta and kale, and then lightly coat with ready-made pesto. Add a side of fruit, and lunch was ready.

Pretty quick and easy to clean up… two requirements for a quick lunch. And, it was tasty and nutritious. The canned salmon is an easy way to add heart-healthy omega-3s to your diet, while the pasta and kale added dietary fiber and phytonutrients.

TELLUS: Do you have a favorite quick lunch or dinner that features canned seafood?If so, please tell us. We’d love to hear from you!

Posted by Rima Kleiner, MS, RD

Its only been a bit over a year since we moved from Hawaii, and the pangs of nostalgia are still pretty acute at times. It was absolutely worth returning to the mainland to be close to family again…

…but Hawaii is a magical place that well always miss. Julys edition of Bon Appetit featured a beautiful spread about Oahu that had us reminiscing about our old life by the ocean. While we cant recreate the balmy air and mountainous background of Oahu here in Texas, we can enjoy our favorite Hawaiian flavors. The great thing about this swordfish with seaweed salsa verde recipe is that it tastes like Hawaii, but you can get the ingredients anywhere. For the seaweed component, I used roasted seaweed snacks, which are available in the Asian food section of most grocery stores. I rehydrated them, per the preparation instructions, and they blended beautifully with the rest of the salsa verde ingredients. One of my favorite Hawaiian sides is Okinawan sweet potatoes, and while we couldnt get those here in central Texas, a regular sweet potato was close enough. Tough to say if this meal made my longing for Hawaii better or worse, but either way, it was bright, simple, and delicious.

My colleague, Rima, recently did a radio interview all about shrimp that sparked a serious craving. Even though the meal I planned for dinner didnt originally include shrimp or any protein I sauted some up in olive oil and they fit right in. Seafood is often thought of as a center of the plate protein, but its actually a great add-on too. You know how you can tack on six shrimp to your meal at certain restaurants? You can do that at home just the same. My pesto pasta and grilled eggplant went from delicious to delicious and completely satisfying as Rima mentions on the radio show, a serving of shrimp have 20 grams of protein for just 85 calories and protein helps us feel like weve had plenty to eat.

Cooking recipes from the MyPlate Challenge is fun… and tasty. But, I have to admit that Iwas missing my cookbooks, especially on a recent Saturday evening.

In our pre-kiddo days, my husband and Ispent many Saturday evenings making a gourmet dinner (well, gourmet compared to weekday fare). I was missing those beautiful, elaborate meals.So, my husband took on kid-duty, and Igrabbed my cookbook. I was looking for a tasty fish dish–and found one in Ellie Krieger’s So Easy cookbook. (If you don’t own a copy, it’s a fun cookbook with gorgeous photos and tasty recipes.)

Her recipe for Salmon Florentine and Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts looked delicious! It was hot outside, so Igrilled the salmon (instead of baking it like the recipe calls for) and topped it with the spinach-ricotta mixture afterwards. Then,Iserved it with Elli’s Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts (yum!) and mixed greens with strawberries, slivered almonds and balsamic vinaigrette. It was delicious and “so easy”! In about 30 minutes, we had our “elaborate” Saturday meal.

TELLUS: What is your favorite “homemade gourmet” seafood meal? Please share with us.We’d love to hear from you!

Posted by RImaKleiner, MS, RD