Dinner with Michael LaDuke & New Foodie Friends

With Executive Chef Michael LaDuke.

Meeting the chef. Knowing where your food comes from. A restaurant that listens to its costumers. That focuses on healthy eating. On fresh ingredients. These are not conventions commonly associated with a chain restaurant. But conventions change all the time. And this time it is being done by Red Lobster.

I was thrilled to have been invited to meet executive chef and Red Lobster's Senior Director of Culinary Development (and a regular judge on the Food Network) Michael LaDuke yesterday. Red Lobster has dramatically changed their menu to incorporate dishes that use simple, wholesome ingredients but most importantly taste good. An emphasis is being placed on healthy eating. Chef LaDuke and his team recognize that "food" and "healthy" should just go together. Plain and simple.

New items on the menu include Mango Jalapeno Shrimp Skewers, Maple Glazed Chicken - with a sauce that could make cardboard palatable - and a wide selection of fresh fish choices that are, in some places, characteristic of the region. For example, walleye and halibut feature predominantly on Minnesota menus. Furthermore, locals head chefs have full control over these selections. And being someone who appreciates the simplicity of flavors, I was quite impressed.

Yes, this a restaurant chain that is receptive to the wants of its customers. While you can still get traditional fare such as coconut shrimp, crab legs, and oh-so-good-but-with-a-billion-calories cheddar biscuits, this is a vibrant, modern family restaurant that's worth every morsel of fish and crumb of rich, dark chocolate cake.

Clockwise from top left to right: Maple-Glazed Chicken, Chocolate Wave, Tilapia in Spicy Soy Broth, New York Style Cheesecake with Strawberries, Maui Luau Shrimp and Salmon, Lobster Pizza, Mango-Jalapeno Shrimp Skewers, and Warm Chocolate Chip Lava Cookie.

This was also a great opportunity to meet three other Minneapolis bloggers. From left to right in the photo below:

Jennifer @ Self-confessed Foodie

Melissa @ The Marketing Mama

Jennifer @ Prior Fat Girl

Four Minnesota Bloggers.

One final group shot with the chef.

Lemon Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Fillets

A common joke in Minnesota is that we have only two seasons: winter and construction. I would say the more precise categorization would be winter and exercise seasons. A recent magazine article listed Minneapolis as one of the best places to be active in the country. It seems that from the first day that the mercury rises above fifty, the masses are out jogging , walking, kayaking or swimming around Minneapolis lakes. I among them. I especially like the days when there is clear, just azure blue, and the wind is just gusty enough to create gentle undulations on the surface of the lakes but not strong enough to blow my exercise cap off! Perfect weather for hours of outdoor activity.

But all that exercise does work up an appetite. There's plenty of choices around the lakes, and around Minneapolis in general, for standard summer food. Hotdog stands, and fish fry, burger, and pizza joints. But such foods will eventually defeat the purpose of exercise if eaten on a regular basis. So I often make my own post work out meals. Since fish is an excellent source of protein but light in fat calories, I think it works well for this purpose. Filling and flavorful, my parmesan fish recipe uses freshly grated cheese, tons of fragrant lemon zest, a little bread crumbs and herbs. It's great on a salad, in a sandwich, with rice or on it's own. An almost, guilt-free dish. Enjoy!

Lemon-Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Fillets

Makes 4 servings

4 tilapia fillets

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup bread crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned)

zest of two lemons

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt

pepper

juice of one lemon

1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Using paper towels, pat the fillets dry. Set aside.

3. Combine the cheese, bread crumbs, lemon zest, cilantro, salt and pepper (I used 1/2 tsp of each but add to your preference.) Coat each fillet with cheese-herb mixture, gently pressing the mixture unto each side of the fish so that it creates a thick coating.

4. Space fillets evenly on baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes until the entire fillet is opaque throughout. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top before serving.

And we have a winner....

The winner of the CSN gift certificate is Rachel Engstrand of New York! Thanks to all that entered and stay tuned for more giveaways.

New Giveaway

It's time for a new giveaway. I'm partnering with CSN stores again; this time the prize is a $40 gift certificate to be used at any of their online affiliates. To see a list of their stores and products, click on the following link: Vanity.

Qualifying is easy. All you have to do is comment of any one of this month's posts (excluding this one) or become a follower on this page, Facebook, or Twitter. A winner will be randomly chosen on Monday 20th at 5 pm. (Only US and Canadian addresses please.)

Low Fat Vanilla Pudding with Fresh Blueberries

If I had to chose, I would say that blueberries are my favorite of the berries. They are the perfect fruit for snaking: small enough to eat by the handfuls, sweet and nutritious. Perfect for watching a movie. Instead of popcorn, I would sometimes have a large bowl of blueberries. And at eighty calories and four grams of fiber per cup, it's not a bad idea.

Beside their anti-oxidant properties and sweet-subtle flavor, blueberries are quite easy to cook with. Especially when used in desserts. Because they are so flavorful and visually pleasing, they take center stage in pies, pastries, muffins. Here, I glazed them with liquid jam and ate them by the spoonfuls on vanilla pudding.

Low Fat Vanilla Pudding with Fresh Blueberries

Serves 3 to 4

1 cup low fat milk

1 packet unflavored gelatin

2 - 3 tbsp honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz fat free or low fat cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup fresh blueberries

jam or honey

1. Scald milk in microwave on high for two minutes, just as tiny bubbles form . Remove and transfer to larger bowl, if necessary, and whisk slowly while adding the gelatin. Transfer to blender, add honey, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Puree until smooth. Pour into serving dish ( or individual servings glasses) and chill until firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt jam or honey to a syrup-like consistency. Remove from heat, add berries and toss to coat, being careful not to mash the berries. Spoon glazed berries over chilled pudding and serve.