Simple Sauteed Tilapia Tacos with grilled Peppers and Onions

It had come to my attention earlier last week that Lucas has never had a fish taco before (and I am a huge fan of fish tacos). Needless to say when I picked up the August issue of Cooking Light magazine and saw a fish taco recipe, I was eager to try it. I was even MORE excited to try it when I found out that it was under the "5-ingredient cooking" section (with the exception of cooking spray, salt and pepper...they consider those "freebies"). I added a little Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning (Salt-Free) to my fish before cooking them too, just to add a little bit of spicy flavor. 

Sauteed Tilapia Tacos (Serves 4...2 tacos per serving)

What you will need:

• 2 (1/2 inch) slices of white onion
• 1 (8 or so ounce) package of mini-sweet bell peppers
• Cooking Spray
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt (divided) **I just sprinkled as I went (I don't use a lot of salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 4 (5-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
• Lime wedges (optional...but really add flavor)
• I also used extra spicy seasoning on my fish before cooking.

What to do:

1. Preheat Grill to high heat (I used the george foreman, which worked great)
2. Arrange onion slices and bell peppers on grill (or grill rack) that has been coated with cooking spray. Grill onions for 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Grill bell peppers (turning occasionally if on a regular grill...not needed if on the foreman grill.)
3. Remove onions and peppers from grill and let stand to cool. Slice the onion rings in half and thinly slice the bell peppers (removing stems and seeds). Combine onion and pepper in small bowl and season with salt and pepper. (approx 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper).
4. Sprinkle fish evenly with the remaining teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray.
5. Add fish to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side (or until the fish flakes really easily with tested with a fork.)
6. Warm tortillas in microwave (I use two damp paper towels and heat the tortillas in between them for 25-30 seconds). Divide fish, onion mixture, and thinly sliced jalapeno slices evenly among the tortillas. 

Serve with lemon wedges if desired. I also made a side of whole-grain rice with corn on the side. 

I also paired this with a Chardonnay from Hartwood Winery (Fredericksburg, VA). It is a dry wine (oaked 8 months in American and French barrels) with a light fruitiness. The pear notes are prevalent and is also reminiscent of ripe apples. We had the a vintage year (2006) which paired very nicely with this receipe.

Enjoy!

Nutrition: Calories: 292| Fat: 4.4g| Protein: 32.6g| Carb: 32g 

Pizzadillas

I am one of those people who has a guilty pleasure of buying cooking magazines. A lot of times I will buy the magazine and not try out the recipes, but this week I saw a Pizzadilla recipe that was so interesting that I had to try it. It's the perfect match between pizza and a quesadilla.

The thing I like most about this recipe is that it's easy to make and the ingredients are really low cost (approx. $2.00 a serving). It's also SO delicious and healthy if you use the right ingredients. This took a total of about 20 minutes, so I was really happy with the outcome.

What you will Need:

• approx. 1 tablespoon canola oil (for cooking)
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I usually don't measure this out. I just use what I want)
• 1 ounce Turkey Pepperoni (it tastes the same as normal pepperoni and it's 70% less fat!)
• 1 cup Pizza Sauce or Marinara of choice
• ** I added additional pizza ingredients even though the recipe didn't call for them. I'm sure you can add whatever you want. We wanted to add some green pepper for flavor.

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brush the canola oil over a jelly-roll pan and top it with the tortillas (I used two pans)
3. Sprinkle cheese over each tortilla (about 3 tablespoons per tortilla) and divide pepperoni among tortillas. (Here's also where I added the green pepper). Top with more cheese (another 3 tablespoons or so).
4. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully fold each tortilla in half. Put this back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes (5 minutes per side. Flip it half way through). (they should be really crispy and toasted brown by this point).
5. Heat sauce in a microwave safe bowl and serve along side for dipping.

Enjoy! (this can be served alone or with steamed broccoli or a small salad on the side).

Turkey Lasagna to-die-for

During my Senior year in college, I bought a healthy cooking cookbook with the idea that I would attempt to make at least 3-4 meals a week to avoid going out so much and spending so much money. I am embarrassed to say while I did cook in college, I never used that cookbook. Instead, I was a big fan of "calling mom for recipes" and using google.

A few weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to make lasagna. I wanted it to be delicious and everything that I knew Lasagna could be, but also wanted to make sure it was a healthy meal. I googled (as usual) a few recipes, but ended up resorting to pulling out that Healthy Cooking cookbook that I had never used 3-4 years back. I ended up finding a recipe for a Turkey Lasagna that was delicious and did not have too many steps/ingredients. The left-overs were just as good as when I first made it (maybe even better!)

Turkey Lasagna (serves 9)

What you will need:

• 9 lasagna noodles (I used the Barilla Lasagne noodles - uncooked. you can also use pre-cooked noodles with this recipe.)
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 cups tomato sauce (or a 15 ounce can) 
• One 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 pound low-fat ricotta (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat (or part skim) mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese 

** I love a lot of sauce and wanted more than this recipe called for so after I used what the recipe called for above, I added some more tomato sauce, basil and oregano. You do not need to do this - I just didn't want it to be too dry.

What to do:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles until pliable but not soft. Drain and lay out on clean kitchen towels (the thought of "fuzzy noodles" made me sick, so I used paper towels...they didn't really stick, but still be careful as they may fall apart a little).
2. Meanwhile, cook the turkey in a large non-stick skillet until white throughout. As it cooks, break it apart. Pour off any fat or liquid (this is important). Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juice, oregano and basil. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Measure out 1 cup of the sauce and set aside.
3. Preheat your oven to 350. Coat a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
4. Place 3 noodles on the bottom of the pan (be careful, as they may break). Spread half of the turkey sauce over the noodles, then dot with half the ricotta (don't try to spread it smooth - it will do this as it cooks). Layer another 3 noodles. Repeat with the rest of the sauce and ricotta. Place the last 3 noodles on the top. Spread the reserved cup of sauce on the noodles (I added more than a cup of sauce here...as I mentioned, I like sauce). Finish by distributing the mozzerella and parmesean accross the top.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes (it will fall apart if you try to serve it too quickly). 

Enjoy!!! 

I also made a side of spaghetti with a traditional marinara sauce, and a Mixed Salad with an olive oil dressing on the side. 

Nutrition Facts:

Per Serving: Calories 236 | Protein: 23g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 23g | Sodium: 533mg

Easy and Delicious Chicken

Living in the DC area, after working a full day and fighting traffic home, there is nothing I want to do more than just relax. I am always looking for a good recipe that is also a quick recipe. Eating out is not always the best option if you are on a budget or trying to eat healthy. This is one of those recipes that I found that is absolutely delicious, and doesn't hurt the belt OR the bank.  I modified it a bit to my own liking, as the original recipe did not create enough sauce. 

What you will need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive oil
• 1 - 1 1/2 onion, chopped 
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (I use low-sodium soy sauce, but either one works)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• Ground black pepper (recipe calls for 1 tsp, but I just ground the pepper over the sauce)

What to do:

1. Saute onions in olive oil until they become translucent
2. Add the chicken and brown lightly
3. Combine the ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice and pepper and mix together really well. Pour this over your chicken and bring the sauce to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow chicken to simmer for 25-30 minutes (make sure chicken is done, but not over done).
4. Slice chicken - serve over rice (I used brown rice and would have added cooked broccoli but I didn't have any in the house). Pour remainder of the sauce over the chicken/rice for a juicy flavor.

Enjoy :)

For those of you wondering: Amount Per Serving  Calories: 255 | Total Fat: 8.3g | Cholesterol: 68mg

Perfect Summer-time Recipes

Hello! It's been a while since I've updated. I have figured out that between work, traffic, and life...blogging doesn't always fit into my schedule! I do want to make it a point to update more, but we will see how that goes.

I made a recipe last week that was too good to NOT share. Actually - there are two recipes that I paired together.

The first is from the Eat Clean Diet. I don't follow the diet, but I do have to admit that a lot of the recipes are delicious (and a lot of the time require interesting ingredients that will really surprise you!) So I will jump right into the Turkey Guacamole Burger. This is perfect for summer and for anyone who doesn't like to spend hours in the kitchen. I made this recipe in under an hour and it was delicious (my husband thought so too and even brought left overs to work the next day!)

What you will need:

For the Guacamole:

• 2 avocados
• 1 tsp / 5 ml garlic powder
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml freshly ground black pepper
• 2 jalapenos, chopped finely
• ½ white onion, chopped finely
• 1 cup / 240 ml cilantro, chopped finely
• Juice of one lime

For the Burger:

• 2 lb / 900 g lean ground turkey
• 2 tsp / 20 ml ground cinnamon (trust me, it's good! The original recipe calls for 4 tsp...but some of the reviews say that there is too much cinnamon so I cut it in half)
• 1 tsp / 5 ml garlic powder
• 1 tsp / 5 ml freshly ground black pepper
• whole-grain buns

**I also added swiss cheese to this burger because Lucas loves cheese burgers. The recipe didn't call for it

What to do:

Guacamole

1.  Remove the pits from your avocados by cutting the avocados in half and scoop the flesh into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add the garlic powder, black pepper, jalapenos, white onions, cilantro and lime juice to the bowl.
   
3. Mix all ingredients until just combined. Try not to overmix it, it's better if not overmixed.
   
4. Allow it to chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving.
   

 
Burgers

1. Preheat your barbeque (I used my foreman grill) to medium-high heat.
   
2. Add turkey, cinnamon, garlic powder and black pepper to a large bowl.
   
3. Mix the turkey and spices with clean bare hands!
   
4. Divide the mixture into parts and shape into flat patties. (makes 4-6 patties depending on how large you make them)
   
5. Lightly coat the hot grill with oil and add the patties.
   
6. Grill patties for 7 - 9 minutes (per side if not using a foreman grill) or until cooked through.
7. (If using cheese, put cheese on burger immediately after taking it off the grill)
   
8. Serve burgers on a lightly toasted bun with 1 Tbsp of Guacamole Spread and enjoy!
   

I served a Cold Corn Salad with the turkey burger on the side. I found this on Food52.com (check it out if you haven't - it's a really cool site) This salad is perfect for summer, as none of the veggies are cooked. I also brought this to our 4th of July cook-out, and everyone loved it! I

What you will need:

• 8 ears of white corn
• 2 quarts cherry tomatoes 
• 3 tablespoons of high-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 quart of sugar snapped peas (this is optional in the original recipe, but I highly recommend using them!)
• Handful of roughly chopped basil or parsely (I used basil, but again this is optional)
• 1 medium red onion
• course salt (I did not add salt because the vinegar is salty enough for my taste)
• ground black pepper

What to do:

• Strip raw corn from ears. You can use a orn stripper or just run your chef's knife down the side of each ear about 8 times.
• Slice all cherry tomatoes in half or quarters depending on your preference. 
• Chop the red onion into a large dice. 
• If using the sugar-snap peas, cut in half or thirds to make more bite-sized. If you're not using them, and you want a little green for visual appeal, some rough chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley will do the trick. 
• Toss all vegetables in a bowl, along with the vinegar, salt and pepper

 

Broccoli Slaw with diced apples.

Go ahead and google "Broccoli Slaw"...there are exactly one million recipes floating around out there on how exactly to make the perfect Broccoli slaw. There are creamy dressings made from mayo, there are oil based dressings, some people add dries cherries, some add dried cranberries or raisins, some people even add onions (my personal preference is that onions do NOT go well with this...again, personal preference). I took two ideas and blended them. I took a vinaigrette dressing and mixed it with some ingredients I found here and there.


What you will need:

Slaw

• 1 package of Broccoli Slaw (I use the Trader Joe's slaw)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (I use unsalted) (some people use walnuts here instead)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup diced apples
• (I've also seen sunflower seeds added to this recipe)

Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup brown sugar (I substituted 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of Splenda brown sugar instead but I've done it both ways and it tastes the same)
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper 
• (I just add salt and pepper to taste on top of it all once mixed together)

What to do:

(This is kind of self-explanatory). Mix all of the slaw ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk together all of the vinaigrette in as well. Pour vinaigrette over slaw and mix well. 

Holiday Treats!

It has become a small tradition in my family that I bring some sort of festive dessert/treat to celebrate the holidays. This is not an amazing dessert that we are talking about here, rather something fun and cute to keep things a little festive. As I've shared these "treats" with some of my friends and co-workers, I have been told that I will be a "good mom" because I love to do these little projects. Being far from ready for all of that, Lucas and I are having so much fun doing these together!



THANKSGIVING


On Thanksgiving I brought "turkeys. This was probably the easiest out of all of them. We started with a package of Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies, a package of rolos, a package of caramels (we used the chewy werthers, but any caramel candies will work), and the orange reese's pieces (you are actually recommended to use candy corn, but since I waited until November and Halloween was long gone, I went with the next best thing!) Take the caramels and heat them in the microwave until a little warm and flexible. Stick the warmed caramel over the rolo and stick the cookie to the back of it. Stick the reese's piece or the candy corn in the front to act as a beak. See, easy, huh?


CHRISTMAS


For Christmas, I decided that Christmas Mice would be fun to make. (You know, like "not a creature was stirring, not even a MOUSE").  What you will need: 24 maraschino cherries (stems still on), drained, about 3/4 of a cup of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, but you can use semi-sweet), 24 unwrapped milk chocolate hershey's kisses, and 48 almond slices. You will also need black, white and pink icing for the eyes and nose (if you want). 

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-20 second intervals (being careful not to burn the chocolate chips). Mix the chocolate chips until they are smooth. Holding the cherry by the stems, cover the cherries with chocolate and place them in rows on a waxed-paper covered cookie sheet. While they are still warm, press a hershey kiss into the front of the cherry, and place two almond slices about the hershey kiss (for the ears). Place the "mice" in the refrigerator to stick together. Make two white dots on the hershey kiss for the eyes - place back in the refrigerator to set (about 10 minutes) and then repeat with smaller black icing dots for the pupils. You can do a pink dot for the nose, however, we didn't think it was necessary.


EASTER

Last but not least, last weekend...EASTER! Now I had seen more "bunny rabbit" cupcakes and cakes to try, but I wanted to do something not only for easter, but to celebrate spring and the beautiful weather that we've been having. I decided that birds nests would be a lot of fun (and they tasted amazing as well!) What you will need: one bag of butterscotch chips (12 oz), one cup of peanut butter, 2 cups of mini-marshmallows, one bag of chow mein noodles (6 oz) and some kind of oval shaped candy. I used the chocolate candy-coated eggs. I  had bought a bag of the easter colored peanut m&m's, but they didn't look as big and "egg-like".

Like always, line a cookie sheet with waxed paper (we had to line 2). In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chips until completely melted (30 second intervals being careful not to burn them). Mix in the cup of peanut butter (should be really creamy). Add chow mein noodles and marshmellows and stir until everything is evenly coated. Take tablespoons and drop onto the waxed paper (make a little indent in the middle of them to place the "eggs"). Gently place three eggs per nest and let sit until hardened (it was hot this weekend, and even with the air conditioning on, we had to refrigerate them). ENJOY!