Walleye Penne

My boyfriend recently caught some amazing walleye in Canada. We wanted a creative, low-fat, healthy way to eat it, and came up with this! Pasta and walleye may seem like an odd combination, but this dish is delicious!

Walleye Penne

4 walleye fillets, about 4-6 ounces each
salt and black pepper
1 large bunch basil, chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup white button mushrooms, chopped
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 oz. whole-grain penne pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 cup unseasoned natural breadcrumbs
1 bay leaf

Season both sides of the walleye fillets with salt and black pepper. Then, saute in olive oil over low heat until golden brown. This may be done in batches if you don't have a pan that is large enough for all 4 fillets. Walleye cooks quickly, so be sure to be careful not to burn the fish.

Then, saute garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and mushrooms in olive oil until the mushrooms are almost cooked. Then, add white wine, salt, black pepper, and saute until the liquid disappears. Next, add bread crumbs, and cook for another minute. Finally, toss this mixture with basil, parsley, pasta, and add salt and black pepper to taste if necessary. Remove bay leaf. Serve individual portions with 1 walleye fillet topped with pecorino cheese.

Serves approximately 4.

Mung and Green Bean Penne

Mung beans are a nutritious and high-protein bean often used in Indian cuisine. They have a nutty and fresh flavor and taste great with salads and even pastas, such as with this dish.

Mung and Green Bean Penne

1 cup mung beans, sprouted overnight and cooked
1 pound whole wheat penne
2 cups green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 dried bay leaf
salt
1 small bunch parsley, chopped

Cook pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, saute garlic and green beans in olive oil for 2 minutes over medium heat. Then, add white wine, thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, paprika, salt, and 1/2 of the parsley. Cook until all the liquid simmers away. Remove the bay leaf. Next, toss this with the pasta and remaining parsley and mung beans. Serve individual portions with grated cheese and drizzled olive oil.

Serves approximately 5.

Black Bean Burritos with a Cilantro-Peanut Chutney and Tomato Salsa

Black Bean Burritos with a Cilantro-Peanut Chutney and Tomato Salsa

For the salsa:
8 roma tomatoes, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper
salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed (or if you like it extra-hot, habanero, seeds removed)
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped with tender stems included

For the chutney:
1 large bunch cilantro, tender stems included, chopped
1/2 cup Spanish peanuts
salt
1 jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups black beans, cooked
1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese
12 whole wheat soft tortilla shells

For the salsa, put ingredients into food processor and blend until chopped properly.

For the chutney, combine ingredients into blender, add a small amount of water, and blend until smooth.

Place beans onto tortilla. Fold into a burrito shape. Do this for the rest of the tortillas. Put the tortillas in a casserole dish, and top with cheese. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese melts. Then, top with salsa and chutney. Enjoy!