Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Tilapia Couscous Salad



Holy cow, what in the heck happened? I blink my eyes and practically a month goes by without a post. I blame the holidays. I also blame an awkward month of not quite knowing how to eat. Overall I think I did pretty well making it through the majority of the month without going crazy. I even hit my lowest weight so far (122 lbs!).

But then Christmas came...as well as cheese, and sugar and things wrapped in puff pastries. Needless to say, I definitely enjoyed myself, and I have a slightly expanded waistline to testify of this fact. No fretting though. Christmas only comes once a year and I have an entire year to make up for it, which I am more than looking forward to.



So to kick off our healthy eating for the New Year, I have a delicious and clean recipe for you. I wasn't sure if I was going to post this one because I'm not a fan of the bland, colorless picture. However, sometimes you have to forgive ugly food and have faith that it's still going to be a winner. This is as easy to make as it is delicious. It's also so bright and fresh, you'll feel healthier for having eaten it.



Tilapia and Couscous Salad

From The Best of Clean Eating

Ingredients

1 cup dry whole-grain coucous
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 lb tilapia fillets (4 small or 2 large, I used a bit more for protein) skin and bones removed
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
zest and juice of 1 lime
zest and juice of half lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon dried parsley
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cook couscous according to package directions.

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for one minute. Spritz with cooking spray and reduce heat to medium-high. Place tilapia in skillet and cook for two minutes per side. Remove tilapia and let cool for five minutes before flaking with fork.

In a large bowl, combine couscous, tilapia, carrots, celery, onion and bell pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lime zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, oil, garlic and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour dressing over tilapia-couscous mixture and stir until well combined. Garnish with additional parsley, if desired. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator, covered, for up to one day.

Serves 6: 1 serving is 1 cup

Per Serving: 154cal, 3.5g fat, 21g carb, 4g fiber, 3g sugar, 11g protein

How was everyone's holidays? Any plans for the New Year?

22 comments:

Erica said...

I agree! Taste is way more important than how it looks!im so ready for light dishes. Christmas was wonderful! No new years plans

chow and chatter said...

looks good to be happy and healthy new year sweet Teresa

Taste and Tell said...

First of all, I think it looks delicious. And second, sometimes the tastiest food isn't the prettiest, anyway! Yum!

Val said...

What a delicious meal....Happy New Year, to you!

Dining Alone said...

It may not look all that exciting, but I would love to try it!

Velva said...

This is healthy...Way healthy. I am recovering from my post holiday food coma. Ugh. I am so ready to get back to normal eating.

122lbs! You rock! That's awesome.

Velva

Reeni said...

This looks absolutely delicious! Sometimes the best things don't look so good. Happy New Year!

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

I love this clean recipe! I will need plenty of them next week after indulging too much. Happy new year!

Heather S-G said...

I feel healthier just looking at that. Plus, it sounds really, really tasty! Delish. Happy New Year, Teresa :D

Cathy said...

I'm so ready to lighten up my diet after this weekend. This is just the kind of recipe I'm looking for. I hope you and your family have a very Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

I wish I liked tilapia - it has a weird aftertaste to me for some reason - maybe I'll sub in some shrimp!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TERESA!

Joanne said...

I love this attitude. This morning I was feeling so awful and guilty about the weight I gained back over the holidays...but you're right. It's once a year, it's not the end of the world, it's not undoable, and I've got a whole year to work on it. Thanks, I needed that this morning!

And this delicious recipe! Love how healthy it is!

The Blonde Duck said...

Looks awesome to me!

SnoWhite said...

This looks really delightful - nice and light and perfect for a dinner.

Sophia Lee said...

That...is actually exactly what I need right now!!! I need a bit of a detox after all the fatty and sugary meals I've had lately.

Allison said...

I am looking for ways to eat more fish and this looks so tasty!

The Blonde Duck said...

Happy Tuesday!

Kim said...

Teresa- I really am so happy for you. I know it was probably really hard to stay on target and lose the weight.

I love couscous any and every way I can get my hands on it. This looks wonderful to me.

Mary Bergfeld said...

This really looks delicious and it is the kind of recipe I look for after the holidays. I hope 2012 brings only good things your way. Have a great evening. Blessings...Mary

MaryMoh said...

Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous new year! Your dish looks healthy and delicious...love it :D Hope you have great day! MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com

Judy said...

Great recipe. We all need to eat healthier.

Sook said...

Wow, Teresa! Congratulations on your weight loss! 122 lbs?! Awesome! That's about my goal! :) The holidays were NOT good for me. I gained like 7 lbs! Yikes... I lost it all but I still have more to lose. Thanks for the inspiration. :) This couscous dish looks really good. I think I will try it.