Buttered Tilapia, vegetables and mashed potatoes

Hello everybody! If you've been following this blog for a bit, then  you know that I gave up sugar (mostly, I'll rarely allow myself to have something with it) a while ago... And I went from going "baker extraordinaire" and the leader of a "cake baking group" (I really tried to hold on to that last one for as long as I could) to being a no sugar, no wheat (unless it's sprouted) gal! ... Well... When you hear "no sugar" "no wheat" the word "IMPOSSIBLE" usually comes to mind!  I know it did for me... but the Trim Healthy Mama Plan has so many more "YESES" than it has "NOS" that it's made it easier to fully embraced it and I am not looking back! And interestingly enough you can still HAVE A LOT OF SWEETS AND DESSERTS!  (Click here for some of those recipes) but just without the guilt that those things are usually accompanied with... These are treats made in such a way that they can actually help you lose weight!

Disclaimer: If you're still on sugar... You might still want to wait before trying these desserts... otherwise they'll taste like bitter sin in your mouth! Truvia/Stevia tastes bitter when you're still intoxicated by sugar... and it's not Stevia's fault... it's the sugar's fault that has flooded your system and even changed your taste buds (making you want more!). Trust me... I used to think all THMS were crazy for "liking such disgusting things" but... now I am in heaven when I eat them! I would've never thought I could ever, ever enjoy them.

Now... to the fun part and the purpose of today's post... share a recipe with you! A recipe that you wouldn't think of enjoying with the ultimate goal of slimming your figure! But ... in the THM plan this is what we eat! (Another disclaimer... I still have lots of weight to lose but it's not the plan's fault... I have thyroid issues that make it near to impossible for me to lose weight... with THM at least I am getting healthier and ... being able to eat like this without gaining weight is a victory in and of itself for me)

Here goes:

Buttered Tilapia with Vegetables and Mashed "Potatoes" - THM -S-

Some day I'll have money for a better camera that can make mashed things look good, for now, this will do!

This recipe is low carb, grain free, gluten free

Yield: 2 abundant servings or 4 smaller portions.

Ingredients: 

For the Fish:

• 4 good size tilapia fillets
• 2 tsp. coconut oil - I use this one
• 1/2 cup onions - finely chopped
• 6 oz. chopped white fresh mushrooms
• 1 lb. asparagus (chopped into smaller pieces, hard ends removed)
• 2 cloves of garlic Grated
• 2-3 tbsp. of butter in small pieces (I use Kerrygold, grassfed)
• 1/2 tbsp. of chicken stock (or water)
• salt and garlic powder to taste (Freshly Ground Pepper optional. I left it out)

For the mashed "potatoes" (this is actually a delicious cauliflower mash)

• 1 cauliflower head
• 4 tbsp. of butter (I use Kerrygold, grassfed) - softened -
• 2 oz. Neufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese) - I use Philadelphia -
• 1/4 cup Grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Salt to taste (be generous)

Directions: 

For the fish: (Before you start with the fish you want to start preparing your cauliflower mash at the same time, see recipe below)

• Lightly rinse and pat dry your tilapia fillets, season them with some salt and garlic powder on both sides, set aside.
• On a large skillet warm up the coconut oil on medium/high. When the oil is hot add the chopped onions, mushrooms, asparagus, salt your veggies and stir frequently. When the onions are translucent turn the hear to med/low, add the garlic, stir for an extra minute, add 1 - 2 tbsp. of chicken stock (or water), stir again and place tilapia filets on top of your vegetables, cover with a lid and let it steam until fish is cooked through (It should be slightly flaky and opaque in color inside. about 10-15 minutes).
• Remove lid, place butter pieces on top of the fillets, cover and let it sit for 1 extra minute, until the butter is melted. Remove lid, serve immediately. (Place a tilapia fillet on the plate and veggies on top)

For the cauliflower:

• Steam the cauliflower until it's fork tender, drain any leftover liquid from the cauliflower, while it is still very hot (just be cautious) transfer to a Food Processor or Blender, add rest of the ingredients, blend until smooth, check seasonings and adjust to your taste if needed. Serve immediately. (You can always store leftovers in the fridge, add a tiny amount of liquid and/or butter and reheat later)

YUM!!!

Now... let me tell you something... If you are a THM you will need to invest a bit of money to get a good quality blender (food processor is optional but... it is VERY HELPFUL) ... Now... I know that big names like Vitamix are amazing... But I really cannot afford it... if you can, go for it!!! For me... I am very happy with my Ninja , it is reliable, they have great customer service (in my personal experience) and it does A GREAT JOB! crushes ice, frozen fruit... like... big chunks of frozen fruit! the food processor has a big capacity, my cuisinart broke as soon as I started making my daily smoothies... Ninja crushes those smoothies like it's nothing! Pretty noisy but the Vitamix is too... You can't "warm soups up" but I have pans/pots and a stove for that. So if you can't spend over 300 in a blender... Ninja is the way to go! (The megakitchen system comes with a food processor, 2 nutricups with their "lids to go") I don't get paid by ninja in any way to promote their product... but I am that in love with it!!!

Now... this is an affiliate link, which means if you buy the ninja through clicking on my link I will receive a small (oh so small) percentage of the price BUT it doesn't mean it adds any extra cost to you. I could be trying to convince you to get something "more expensive" but I don't want you to break the piggy bank! This will get you through it all! You will also make the smoothest purees in there!

© Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.