Orange-Coriander Tilapia with Sugar-Snap Peas and Quinoa
This recipe was born last week when we decided we hadn’t had sugar-snap peas in a while.
We needed something cheap to go with them: frozen tilapia. And that was that.
Then we got 5 oranges from the husband’s grandmother. It was decided that oranges would be involved in this meal.
Then on Sunday, I went to Harris Teeter and discovered we had qualified for a big wok (some customer appreciation thing). Well, we already have a wok, but this one was advertised as a steaming wok, and since we don’t have any kind of steaming equipment, I decided to bring it home and take it to Good Will if necessary. It was determined that the sugar-snap/tilapia/orange meal would be a good candidate to test the wok.
Last night we discussed marinating the fish, since steaming leaves little room for seasoning. We decided on a mixture of orange juice, maple syrup, ginger, red pepper flakes and coriander seed.
This afternoon I was thinking about dinner and realized the calories only totaled 158 per serving! Perhaps a grain was in store. Pasta? Rice? I needed something different. Quinoa – now that’s a grain we haven’t had in a while!
During the last minute of cooking, I thought we needed something crunchy. Or, inspired by my Dr. Weil book, some olive oil. It was declared that we would drizzle the EVOO on top for maximum flavor (1/2 a tsp) and toast some sliced almonds for a healthy crunch.
And the recipe was complete.
Methodology
First we got the water simmering on the bottom layer. Then we laid the sugar-snaps across the bottom. Next we layered on some of the oranges. Down went the fish, with its marinade to incorporate with the steaming liquid. Topped with more orange zest and red pepper flakes.
On went more oranges.
Lid on. Steam for 10-15 minutes, or until fish is flaky.
Layer quinoa, fish, peas and oranges in a bowl. Drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
With the quinoa, EVOO and almonds, dinner calories = 400.
Snack
Unlike yesterday, my lunch didn’t hold me over very well 🙁 I wanted something warm, yet crunchy around 3:30. I had this packet of dried apple chips in my cabinet for the longest time, so I combined that with half a Kashi Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Flax bar with 1/4 a cup of prepared oatmeal. It left me craving more food, but after a good 30 minutes of food torture, fullness finally settled in. Oatmeal in the afternoon does that to me occasionally – just makes me want to keep chewing. So strange, as it’s not every time. Must be something on the palate.
Confession
I compulsively ate a bite of fudge and half a chocolate-covered wafer in the kitchen. I didn’t have my camera with me, so I just ate them. But I did log them – ~60 kcal.
Nerd
Check out my cute husband with his new license plate – it’s sponsored by our college, Davidson, which has quite a studious reputation 🙂 P.S. If you’re going to steal his identity with this, I recommend that you don’t or you will be electronically banned from the blog!
Recap
Total Wednesday calories: 1773
– 576 from workout and walk
= net of 1198.
I’d really like dessert but I think I’d be better off reading in bed. This meal left me feeling healthy and fresh and I’d like to keep the feeling for as long as I can!
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Edited to Add: Snack
I was hungry at 8:30 and had a small bowl of Fiber One, Great Grains and soy milk. I don’t think the quinoa was very filling despite being 170 kcal. So I needed some more grains! This was one of those times when hunger overrides calories and I ate for more fuel.
Add ~140 kcal to my day!
Night!
Danielle says
That looks so unbelievably yummy! Thanks so much for showing all the steps, I can't wait to make it for myself!
Christina says
I'm sure you have already answered this, but I just want to make sure that I fully understand it. So I just achieved my goal weight a few days ago!! yay! finally 🙂 Now I need to maintain my weight, which means packing on more calories. Today I added 100 calories to what I used to have when I was dieting, and I'm going to slowly keep adding calories til that I get to that point where I can maintain without losing/gaining. So here's my question… I like having lots of variation in my meals just like you do, I don't want to add a bunch of calories to something just because I need to make my goal. I will get to my goal calories no matter what, but I like snacking on a bunch of different things. Like for dinner I had 2oz of pasta, cream cheese and jelly sandwich, and homemade potato chips. then I cut up a cucumber and added some spices to that and cream cheese, and then I had a little pudding pack. I eat like this through out the day because I don't want to be bored with just one thing. This is ok right?? As long as I'm staying within my calories it's ok? It feels like I'm eating A LOT of food, but I'm actually not. Just like you said about calorie dense foods are just not for me. I love to eat a bunch of healthy stuff instead!
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel like I'm overeating. I need reassurance that I'm maintaining my weight the right way.
One more question…. Since I'm upping my calories, do you think I should up them like 100 calories every week. Like I had 1300 today, should I up it to 1400 next week, or should I already do it tomorrow.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Great job by the way!! Your dinner looks delicious! I wish I could cook like you do.
Elizabeth says
Hi Kath,
I just started reading your blog last week and I love it! You do a great job of sharing the reality of healthy eating and the challenges that go along with it. You also provide some great meal ideas (I love how you share the recipes) and have a fun, upbeat writing style. I'm sure you'll find great success as an R.D.
Great job & thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth says
PS. I live in France, hence the 3 a.m. time on the post! It's really 9 a.m. here!
Leah says
I love how honest you are in this blog! It really helps to see a woman eating and having REAL cravings! You could have easily omitted the fudge from your blog but you wrote about it instead. Thanks for being so honest and showing that cravings DO happen, especially around this time of year!!! You also didn't let it get you off track for the rest of the day… you continued on with your healthy eating… so motivational!!!! I just found your blog yesterday and I love it already.
Cathy says
I LOVE the photos of your breakdown of cooking! It looks great and will probably encourage a lot more people to steam fish (Like me–I have never tried it before but I will now)! Thanks!!!
Kath says
Christina,
1) Congrats on reaching goal!!!!!!!!!!!
2) Yes, it's fine to snack instead of eat real meals as long as you're getting the right nutrients and meeting your calorie goals. Just be sure you're feeling satisfied!
3) Go to the FAQ page of the blog to the question on maintenance for my opinions. In a nutshell, I keep my calories down so that I can allow myself to indulge every now and then without gaining. If I were eating up to the top of maintenance every day, I would gain at these occasions. SO rather than a straight line, I keep my weight doing ups and downs – with a straight line in the middle being my weight. Does that make sense?
4) Lastly, if you do decide to up to maintenance all the time, I would add 100 kcal a week until you think you've reached a nice plateau. Maintenance is all about experimentation with what works for you!
Kath says
Danielle, Elizabeth, Leah, and Cathy,
Thanks for the nice compliments!
kath
Christina says
Thanks so much Kath! Yes that makes a lot of sense. I know you have already answer this, but how did you get the NET 1226? Is that your resting BMR? I looked in the FAQ page and I can't find it. How can I figure out what my NET is?
Rummie says
lol Kanz is such a nerd! 🙂
Kath says
Christina,
Your net should be your BMR for weight loss, but you can up it a little for maintenance – so you're just (technically) losing a little bit each day.
Most calculators give me 1350 as a BMR. I took a Bod Pod test back in February and it said my BMR was 1150. So I met in the middle with 1226 (and 26 is my lucky number 🙂 ). I upped my net a few weeks ago to 1300ish but then Christmas vacation started and I need more of a contrast between loss/gain to balance out all the parties! So I dropped it back down.
Of course this is all really specific and my CalorieKing.com diary does all the math and counting for me. If you're just keeping track by hand or a general food journal, your numbers will probably be much rounder. I rarely eat EXACTLY 1226 NET (some days over some days under) – but it's just a general guidance and I try to be within 50 kcal or so of it at day's end.
Lastly, when I'm doing my normal workouts I'm burning around 400 calories plus 100 or so from a 30 minute walk most days, so I'm eating around 1700 calories per day, which is a good amount of food for me. Sometimes it's closer to 1800-1850 and on light exercise days closer to 1650, but these numbers just feel comfortable for me. Anything over 2,000 kcal feels like too much food and I end up eating when I'm not hungry.
Hope that helps!!
Rummie,
Yes he is. But weren't we all!?
Betty says
Hi Kath, I found your blog today while searching for recipe ideas for my new HT steam-a-wok! I also noticed your discussion about omega-3's. I've recently been making some dietary adjustments (and started taking omega-3 supplements). SmartBalance also makes a new spread that has a better ratio than their original. If you liked Weil's book, you may also enjoy Ray Kurzweil's Fantastic Voyage. Happy Holidays! I look forward to reading more of your blog.