Fish Tacos.

I had some time to myself tonight-no plans and a quiet house. I cleaned up a bit before taking a walk to City Market to pick up the ingredients for fish tacos. I've never prepared them for myself before so, I documented the process and got a little practice with my macro lens. Here is the recipe:

-1/4 lb tilapia with hot red pepper flakes

-chopped up fresh veggies with lime juice, salt, pepper and a splash of extra virgin olive oil

-cilantro and green olive salsa (YUM!)

-shredded pepper jack cheese

-a couple of corn tortillas

I cooked the fish at 350 until it was flaky. Then, I put the veggie mixture and fish into the tortillas and added a thin layer of pepper jack cheese. I broiled them for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Voila! Dinner was light but, it hit the spot!

Kugel: Recipe courtesy of Mike Gratz

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. fine egg noodles (skinny)

1/4 cup butter softened (not melted)

1 cup sugar

16 oz container cottage cheese

5 eggs

1 package cream cheese (the kind that comes in a box)

16 oz sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven 450 degrees and grease pan.

Cook noodles and drain. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together.

Mix cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla together.

Beat the 5 eggs in a bowl, then add to mixture.

Add butter/sugar to mixture and mix again.

Add noodles and stir.

Add milk and stir.

Pour into pan.

Bake @ 450 for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 1 hour.

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake.

OK, so. I know I've already updated today but, I have the time today and I want to be sure to keep this cheesecake pie recipe handy. This blog has become a recipe archive for me. I went back to an old post to get the creamed spinach recipe I used today. The first time I made this pie, I did it on my lunch break. It's so fast and easy AND yummy.

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 skor bars (I know, terrible but, SO GOOD at the same time).

The Pie Filling:

1-8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

1-14 oz can of condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

With mixer, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, and vanilla. Pour into crust. Chill for at least 3 hours.

Zucchini Fritters

I tried this recipe a few days ago. It was just okay. I think I needed to cook the fritters just a bit longer so they would be nice and crispy. The forecast is calling for a wintery mix for the next few hours. Today's weather has been dark and stormy. I've got comfort food on the mind for dinner. Hmm...what will I cook?

Ingredients
1 large zucchini, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 cup 2% milk
2 cups flour
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste
dried parsley (optional)
1/4 cup butter

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, onion, eggs, Romano cheese, milk, and flour. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of the batter into the skillet, and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Turn fritters over when the center appears dry. Cook on the other side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm. Add more butter to skillet as needed, and continue with remaining batter.

Artichoke Ravioli

It rained all day yesterday and the skies looked threatening for most of the day today. That always makes it easier to stay inside and catch up on whatever...I woke up late today, (10:15 or so) because I didn't get to sleep until very late last night. My friend Penelope turned 30 so, a bunch of us went over to she and her hubby's place to toast Penelope and watch her blow out her candles. There was lots of great conversation, yummy prosecco cocktails with elderflower and of course late night dancing to the birthday girl's favorite Lady Gaga song. Hannah whipped up some creative concoctions for us to try. Hmm...one of the shots featured cilantro and was actually quite tasty! Needless to say, I woke up with a slight headache. So, I took a shower, headed out for a walk in search of ice coffee and then returned home to cook a large breakfast with Steve. It was the perfect cure. Later in the day I decided I was going to try a new recipe for dinner. Artichoke Ravioli. It tasted pretty good despite it being my first attempt. Ahh...rainy Sundays. Thanks for a good time.

Ingredients:

1 small leek (thinly sliced)

8 small Italian artichokes

3 tablespoons butter (melted)

salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 whole eggs

3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese (finely grated)

3 slices cooked bacon

3 tablespoons butter

pinch of thyme leaves garlic powder

For Filling:

Wash and trim the artichokes.

Cut each artichoke into 4 wedges.

In a skillet, combine the artichokes, sliced leeks, 1 ½ tablespoons of the butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook slowly for about 15 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a food processor or a blender, either one.

Stir in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 whole eggs and ¾ cup Parmesan cheese.

For Ravioli:

I used won ton wrappers.

Use eggs whites to seal the wrappers and press down gently around each mound of filling.

Cook them in plenty of boiling salted water until they rise to the surface.

Drain in a colander.

Serve dressed with melted butter flavored with the thyme.

Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste.

Being thankful...

This Thanksgiving, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have such a full life. The key is to be thankful today and everyday for family, friends, health, good food, laughter, warmth and a roof over your head! Life is busy and sometimes we get caught up in it's challenges. Is easy to forget what we DO have and how fortunate we really are.

Today, I was at Steven's house for Thanksgiving! A group of 8 of us, including Steven's mom and sister, gathered around his table to gobble up turkey w/gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, creamed spinach, squash, rolls, cranberry sauce, green beens and more. It was a feast! We ate what we could and shared the leftovers with each other at the end of the night.

My contribution to dinner was creamed spinach c/o my sister's recipe. It was my first time making a roux, which I learned is the simplest thing in the world to make! It requires a little butter, flour and milk and then you're on your way.

To make the creamed spinach, I softened up one sweet onion. Then, I added the cooked spinach and a bit of salt & pepper to the pot. I mixed the whole thing together with the roux and parmesan cheese...and finally a tablespoon of sour cream. It was pretty good!

Here is the beautiful bird, right out of the oven!

Mary and I were ready to roll up our sleeves and get right down to the serious business of eating turkey...the dark meat!

I think we had one dessert for each person present! There was raspberry pie, apple pie, cupcakes, muffins, pumpkin cake, s'mores brownies...oh, and we forgot about the ice cream. We were too preoccupied with the goodness that was directly in front of us.

Mmmhmmm....

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all had a delightful day.

Loveyou.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato, Peppers and Basil

It's cool and rainy here today and that means comfort food. I decided to try a new twist on an old favorite-The Grilled Cheese. I'm not huge on super spicy things but, the serrano peppers were pretty tasty in this sandwich and added the perfect amount of zing!

8 (1 ounce) slices bread

4 slices Cheddar cheese

1 large tomato, sliced

2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Put it all together and grill on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. This recipe makes 4 sandwiches.

The Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Sandwich is delish!

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. So, why do I only partake in it on the weekends? I cherish my sleep. On most weekdays, my alarm goes off and I disregard it for a good 15 minutes or so before I actually start the day. That 15 minutes is all I really need to prepare a little something to eat before work. When I choose the few extra minutes of sleep, my breakfast is coffee. There's no compromising on that but, coffee loves a good companion, right?

Today, I decided to make a different kind of breakfast sandwich and I honestly think my day has been better because of it. No grumbling tummy or wishing the morning away in anticipation of lunch. Let's see if I can keep it up. 

Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Sandwich

wheat toast

1/2 banana

peanut butter

brown sugar

Beet & Goat Cheese Napoleons

Last Friday, The Curley's invited a few of us over to help eat up some leftover veggies they had from their farm share. Maegen introduced us all to Beet & Goat Cheese Napoleons, a recipe she found on a blog titled, "Eggs on Sunday." They looked just splendid with their cute little beet hats and tasted even better. They were a great start to our summer meal. Thanks Maegen!

Ingredients

4 medium beets, greens trimmed off and reserved (leave about 1 inch of stem on the beet)

a 4-ounce log of goat cheese (you may not use it all)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 bunch (a handful) of chives

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the beets on a large rectangle of aluminum foil and fold the sides of the foil up around the beets to form a package. Before you seal the package, put a little bit of water in the bottom of the foil with the beets. Seal the package, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the chive oil: first, set aside a few chives to chop for garnish. In a blender or food processor, puree the rest of the chives together with the olive oil. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a container, pressing on the solids. You won’t use all the chive oil in this recipe, so you can save the remainder in the fridge.

When the beets are done, remove them from the foil and let them cool completely. You can then slip the skins off of the beets: do this carefully, so that you preserve the thin, long tails of the beets. Slice each beet across its diameter into 4 total slices (see pictures above), and set aside.

Using a sharp knife, cut 12 thin slices of goat cheese from the log, and set aside. Wash and spin dry the beet greens, then stack them (whole) on top of one another. Cut the greens crosswise into slivers, then use your fingers to gently mix the slivers together.

Make the balsamic reduction by placing the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan, bringing to a boil, turning down the heat just a bit and simmering until it’s reduced to a thicker, syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it – it goes fast! Set aside in a small dish while you plate the napoleon and greens.

Plate the beets and greens: Divide the slivers of greens among 4 plates, piling them in the corner of each plate. Construct a napoleon on each plate by layering the slices of beets and goat cheese. Begin with a beet slice, top with a goat cheese slice, and continue alternating the remaining 3 beet slices and 2 goat cheese slices, ending the layers with the piece of beet that has the tail attached. Basically, you’re reconstructing the beet, just layering goat cheese in between the slices.

Season the beet napoleon and the greens with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the chive oil and balsamic reduction artfully over the greens and napoleon, sprinkle a few of the chopped remaining chives over the top, and serve.

Comfort food in July?

I tried a couple of new recipes this evening. I was pleasantly surprised! The salad was a bit too heavy on the cilantro for my taste but, I still enjoyed it. I am not the best at coupling dishes together. I just pick out what looks good to me in the moment. I think I made a summer salad and a winter entree tonight. I've done this before...oh well. I learn. The tilapia was really rich and just what I was in the mood for on this cold and rainy July night. Where, oh where is the summer weather? Here are the recipes...

Cilantro, Avocado, Tomato and Feta Salad

Ingredients:

8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

3 bunches green onion, sliced

4 ounces crumbled garlic and herb feta cheese

4 avocados, peeled pitted and diced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 bunches cilantro, chopped

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except avocado and lemon. After mixing, add avocado and drizzle the lemon juice over avocado to keep it from turning brown. Mix again and serve.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons mayo 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your broiler. Mix Parm, butter, mayo and lemon juice. Season with dried basil pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix and set aside. Broil fillets without mixture for 2 minutes. Flip and broil for 2 more minutes. Remove fillets from oven and cover them with Parm mixture on top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until topping is brown and fish flakes easily with a fork. 

Yummy!

Stawberry Jam

On Sunday morning I ventured down to The Charlotte Berry Farm to pick some strawberries. Once I arrived and checked in, I drove to the fields towards the back of the property. The farm opened at 10:00 and I was there at 10:03 so, the field I was in was fairly empty and very peaceful. It was breezy and really, really warm. I had a slow start only finding smaller, dark red berries to pick. It’s early in the season to be picking so, I was concerned that it might take me all day in the hot sun to find 50 berries that were ready. Then, one of the other pickers directed me to a good spot. She was right! There, nestled underneath the canopy of larger green leaves, I discovered some plump, ripe strawberries. Since they were larger and heavier they were harder to spot. They dipped down below the leaves. I adjusted my picking strategy accordingly. Soon, my box was full and I headed back to the farm to pay. I weighed my box (just over 10lbs!) and was on my way. 

 

I got home and changed into some cooler clothes before getting started on my first batch of jam. I was working with a very simple recipe. The ingredients included a whole pile of strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Simple. Many of the recipes I found prior called for pectin, which is used as a gelling agent in jam. I used lemon juice instead. Lemon juice adds pectin as well as acidity, and will help the jam gel later in the process. So, I cut up 8 million strawberries and started the stove. The entire process took just under two hours. It was my first time “canning up” anything so, it was fun to create a water bath and finally to hear the jars popping when they were sealing themselves. 

 

I did learn that the jars themselves are supposed to BOILED to eliminate any possible chance of bacteria growing. The recipe I used called for a hot water bath. EEK! I went through about 15 minutes of total panic thinking the entire batch was a bust but, I’ve learned that if the jars stay refrigerated once they're opened it should be just fine. But, this step is crucial to know for next time. 

 

The ten pounds of strawberries created 12 small jars of jam, 2 strawberry shortcake desserts and 3 fruit plates for breakfast. Mmm…delicious.