Fish Tacos

Happy New Year!! 

Like everyone else, I'm trying to eat healthier this year. My husband and I are following the Daniel Plan developed by Pastor Rick Warren. We are currently in the detox phase and have cut out sugar, gluten, and dairy. Honestly, I don't really miss any of these foods and have lost 5 pounds! Here is one of the recipes originally from their book that I have modified.

I found all the ingredients at Aldi's which helps make eating healthy on a budget easier for my family. I did not buy the coleslaw mix at Aldi's. I could have bought a head of cabbage but for the same price I took the easier option.

If you never made your own fresh corn tortillas, you need to today! They are so simple and delicious!

My husband made this awesome tortilla press but you don't have to have one. The trick is having the dough between wax paper to prevent sticking.

I season my tilapia.

Pineapple salsa...trust me, this makes the recipe!

Stack of tortillas.

The final product. Doesn't look super fancy but it's delicious!

Fish Tacos

Corn Tortillas

1 cup masa

2/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients until consistency of playdoh, add water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary. Place golf ball size amount of dough into tortilla press. Cook in skillet for 2-3 minutes each side until heated (when you smell the corn that's usually when you know it's ready). Makes about 6 tortillas.

Pineapple Salsa

1 can chunky pineapple, drained

1/2 red onion

hand full of fresh cilantro

juice from 1 lime

1 jalapeno (optional)

Pulse ingredients in a food processor until you reach the consistency of salsa that you prefer.

To make fish tacos:

In cast iron skillet, add 1 teaspoon EVOO. Cook 2-4 tilapia fillets, fresh or thawed in skillet. I prefer to season my fish with garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin.

Place shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix on individual tortillas, add fish, top with salsa. Enjoy!

Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

One of my favorite spring vegetables is asparagus. We were having brinner one night so  I thought this would be a great recipe to try. It was a success! My kids wouldn't try it but my husband and I liked it. For the original recipe, click here. 

Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie-crust (see recipe below)
• 6 oz asparagus, ends trimmed off
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3 slices bacon
• 3 eggs
• 5 oz freshly grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Once boiling, drop in the asparagus and quickly blanch for 30 seconds until bright green. Quickly drain water and run cold water over asparagus. Set aside to cool.
3. Fry bacon crisp in a cast-iron skillet over low/medium heat. Once crisp, remove from heat and set the bacon to drain on paper towels but do not toss the bacon grease! Crumble or chop bacon once cool.
4. Reheat your bacon-greased skillet over medium high heat then sauté the onions for about four minutes, until soft and translucent. Add garlic for a minute. Remove from heat.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, crumbled bacon and sautéed onions and garlic. Prick crust all over with a fork, then sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Pour the milk and eggs mixture over the cheese.  *** I greased the pie plate with cooled bacon grease to increase the flavor
6. Slice the blanched asparagus into 1 1/2" pieces on an angle and scatter over the cheese in the unbaked pie crust.
7. Carefully place filled quiche on a sheet tray and into the oven for 1 hour.
8. After 1 hour, the quiche should be puffy and golden. Let cool completely (it’s best to make this at least an hour before) before slicing.

I thought a whole wheat crust would be best with this quiche and this recipe was a perfect pairing.

Whole Wheat Crust

YIELD: 2 (10 inch) pie crusts

 

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Cut the butter and shortening into a small dice, then place them in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Place the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour,corn starch, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, then pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter and shortening pieces over the top. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of chickpeas. Some of the pieces will be small and others will be larger (about the size of a thumbnail).
2. With the machine running, add 4 tablespoons ice water to feed tube. Add the remaining water one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough is moist enough to hold together with a small portion is pinched between your fingers. Pulse the machine until the dough forms a shaggy ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured board and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Once chilled, divide the dough in two. Use both immediately or wrap and refrigerate for up to two days or freeze for up to two months.

Runza Casserole

I can't believe I have never blogged a recipe for bierocks. This are a pocket of bread stuffed with ground meat, cabbage, and usually cheese. I learned about these when I was in college. I'll have to blog the recipe next time we make them.

What I like about bierocks and now this runza casserole, is that they are excellent recipes for using the cabbage my husband insists on growing each year. I always shred it and freeze it to easily add in to recipes such as these or Chinese food like General's Tso or lo mein. I'll have to blog those recipes soon too. 

Last year my husband grew 4 heads of cabbage so I'll probably need to use these recipes a couple of times.The original recipe for Runza casserole came from here.

Runza Casserole

Crust:                                                             

1 1/4 teaspoon yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

Filling:

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 small head shredded cabbage (I use frozen cabbage)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

cheese (velveta, pepper jack, cheddar, etc)

egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon water) optional

1. Combine yeast, water and sugar and let sit until foams, approx 10 minutes. Add flour and butter. Knead for 5 minutes with additional flour if necessary. Place dough in a warm area and allow to double, at least 1 hour.

2. Cook beef and onion on medium-high in a large skillet. Drain and discard grease. Add cabbage, cook until wilted, approx 10 minutes. Add seasonings.

3. Preheat oven to 350.

4. Split dough into 2 pieces. Roll out into circles. Press on into greased  8x8 casserole dish. Add hamburger mixture. Place sliced cheese on top, as much as you prefer. Add second circle of dough. Pinch crusts together like a pie to seal. Brush on egg wash. Cut vent slits.

5. Bake until golden brown, approx 20 minutes. Cover with foil and cook additional 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.  

**I froze mine before baking then unthawed 24hours before baking. I cooked about 45minutes to brown the crust.

Stuffed Pretzels

It's been awhile since my last post because 2015 was a very busy year! My husband got a new job, we sold our house (after I was a single mom during the weekdays for 3 months), moved to a new town 3 hours away, moved out of that apartment into the house we bought 2 weeks before having our 3rd child.  So, I've been busy. I've still been cooking and baking but every new recipe I tried didn't seem blog worthy.

Until....

Stuffed Pretzels!

I've spent many late nights looking at Pinterest while nursing the baby. When I found this recipe for ham, swiss, and jalapeno stuffed pretzels, I had to give them a try.

We didn't have Swiss cheese so I used shredded cheddar instead. I just used leftover ham from a previous meal and cut it into small pieces. I omitted the jalapenos since my kids don't like spicy food.

A first I was intimidated by this recipe with all the steps but I'm glad I didn't let it stop me because it was surprisingly easy and quick even with a 3 year old helping.

We loved these pretzels so much I immediately made another batch since I still had the water and egg wash. We didn't have enough all purpose flour so I had to use some whole wheat flour instead. The dough wasn't as elastic (as I would expect). I didn't try these yet, I wanted to see how they would do freezing them so I will probably find out this weekend.

• Stuffed Pretzels
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• Dough:
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110-115 degrees F)
• 1 package instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 
  
• Cooking Liquid:
• 8 cups water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 
  
• Fillings:
• Ham, diced
• Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
• 
  
• Egg wash:
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 
  
• Directions:
• For the dough: 
• Combine water, yeast and sugar in a stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment. Let stand for at least 10 minutes or until mixture foams.
• Add butter, flour and salt; kneed for 12 minutes on medium speed.
• Cover with damp towel and allow dough to rise in a warm spot until doubled. (I like to let me dough rise for as long as possible since it gives it a richer, yeastier flavor.)
• 
  
• Assembly and Cooking:
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• Add water and baking soda to a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Divide dough into 8 equal rounds.
• Roll each round out into a 16" rope.
• Roll each rope out so it's 4 inches wide.
• In a small bowl combine ham and cheese. Add 3 tablespoons of filling evenly along the rope.
• Tightly roll the dough back into rope, jelly roll style, pinching the edges together. 
• Make a U shape with each rope of dough, holding the ends.
• Cross the ends over each other, pinching ends onto the bottom of the dough.
• Place pretzels - one at a time - into the boiling cooking liquid. Cook for 30 seconds each.
• Transfer cooked pretzels to prepared baking sheet.
• Once all of the pretzels have been cooked, brush the tops of each with egg wash, then sprinkle with garlic salt.
• Place pan in the oven and bake for 16 minutes.
• Eat warm, or transfer to a rack to cool
• 
  

My helpers:

Eggplant Parmigiana

My father-in-law recently delivered a variety of vegetables from his garden. One vegetable in particular was eggplant. I wanted to try something new (especially since I've been reminded that I haven't posted in awhile).

I found the original recipe here at Food Network and chose it since I already had all the ingredients. It was fairly quick and easy to make. If you enjoy chicken parmigiana, then I would recommend trying this vegetarian alternative.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggplant, about 2 pounds
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows I used my homemade canned pizza sauce
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted under broiler

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Using some extra-virgin olive oil, oil a baking sheet.

Slice each eggplant into 6 pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Lightly season each disk with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. I brushed my eggplant with oil and then seasoned them to help them brown a little more. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F until the slices begin turning deep brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven. Remove the slices from the baking sheet and place them on a plate to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In an 8 by 12-inch brownie pan, place the 4 largest eggplant slice evenly spaced apart. Over each slice, spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and sprinkle with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano. Place the smaller slices of eggplant over each of the disks and repeat with tomato sauce, basil, and the 2 cheeses. Repeat the layering again until all the ingredients are used.

Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the top of the eggplant dish, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melts and the tops turn light brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Basic tomato sauce:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
• 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
• Salt

Tomato Sauce:

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Yield: 4 cups

I had to share this picture of my son Benjamin who just turned 2 years old. We were making pizza and this recipe at the same time. Ben insisted on helping roll out the pizza dough. He's a very big helper which will be nice since we are expecting his little brother to arrive any day now.

Enchilada Casserole

This recipe comes from my Clovia cookbook and a very dear friend, Sara (Schwinn) Sedgwick. When I was living in Kansas, my friends and I made this recipe every other week.

Enchilada Cassereole

1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

10 tortillas

1 can mild enchilada sauce

1.5 lbs cooked and drained hamburger

1 can tomato soup

Wrap shredded cheese in tortillas and put in a 9x13in pan. Mix sauce and soup with hamburger and pour over tortillas. Warm through in oven for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pasta Carbonara

Sorry I don't have any pictures of this recipe, we ate it before I thought to take any. This recipe comes from Pillsbury. To see the original recipe, click here.

Pasta Carbonara

INGREDIENTS:


6oz uncooked fettuccine or spaghetti

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (1/4 lb)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 egg

3/4cup milk

3/4cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4cups fresh baby spinach leaves - I used frozen spinach

3/4cup chopped plum (Roma) tomato (1 medium) - I used a can of diced tomatoes with onion

1/2cup thinly sliced green onions (8 medium)

1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Greek Fat Free plain yogurt

I added in some frozen peas.

DIRECTIONS:

Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon and garlic until crisp. Drain; remove from skillet, and set aside.

In small bowl, slightly beat egg. Beat in milk, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Place cooked fettuccine in skillet. Add milk mixture, spinach, tomato and green onions. Cover; cook about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender. Add peas if desired.

Stir in yogurt; cook over low heat just until heated through

Tamale Round-About

This is another Pampered Chef recipe that I got from a friend, I'm not sure which cookbook it is featured in. This recipe is very versatile, I've used leftover sloppy joe meat before and you could easily use leftover chili.

Tamale Round-About

Filling

2 1/2 cups cooked ground beef

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 jar (16 ounces) thick and chunky medium salsa

1/4 cup red or green bell pepper or combination of both, chopped

Corn Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use 1 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4-1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray fluted or bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. For filling, place ground beef in skillet. Sprinkle with seasonings. Stir in salsa. Cover over medium-low heat 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, chop bell pepper and sprinkle in bottom of pan.

3. For corn bread, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Add milk, eggs, and oil; stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in cheese.

4. Spread 1 1/2 cups batter evenly over peppers in pan. Top with filling and remaining batter, spreading evenly.

5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Loosen corn bread from edge and center of pan with knife. Invert onto serving plate. Slice into 16 wedges. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Cast Iron Stuffed Pizza

My husband Dave is the creative cook in our family. This is his most recent creation.

Cast Iron Stuffed Pizza

Dave used the pizza dough I made and rolled it out to fit in the cast iron skillet. He baked it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. (I'll brush some olive oil all over the dough at this point but that's optional) Then, added pizza sauce and sausage (or your favorite pizza topping). He had some left over dough so he rolled that out and placed it on top of the sauce and sausage. Bake that for another 10 minutes to keep the dough from getting soggy. Next, add more sauce and toppings. Cover with cheese and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Parmesean cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

BBQ Meatballs

This is another recipe that was a favorite at Clovia that I have modified slightly. For the sauce, I usually just use whatever bottled sauce I have on hand.

1 can (13 ounce) evaporated milk (can use regular milk)
3 pound hamburger
2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients and shape into balls (the size of a walnut). Place in a flat pan, only one layer to each pan. (I line my pan with aluminum foil for easier clean up.)Pour barbeque meatball sauce over meatballs and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Bistro Chicken Twist

This recipe comes from The Pampered Chef All the Best cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook since it has a nice variety of recipes & shows creative ways to "shape" your food. If you're familiar with Pampered Chef recipes, then you're probably already aware that they have recipes that shape your main dish into a ring, wreath, or braid. This cookbook shows all 3 shapes & a variety of ways to use them.

Bistro Chicken Twist

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (as always, I threw some frozen chicken breast in the crock pot the night before)

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I had frozen leftover from the garden & used that rather than buying fresh in the middle of winter)

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used low fat & it worked fine)

1 garlic clove, pressed (I use minced garlic in a jar, either works)

2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough (I made 2 braids, the other I used dough made in my bread machine, it worked pretty well)

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375. Combine chicken, bell pepper, basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and garlic; mix well. I let mine sit covered over night in the refrigerator so that it wouldn't take as much time to make the next day, it worked very well doing this.

Place bread dough, seam sides up, on cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle flour evenly over dough. Roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down the center of each loaf.

Spoon half of the mixture of the chicken down the center of each loaf. (see picture below) Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an "X" pattern on baking sheet. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure "8," keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of baking sheet and leaving two 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist.

Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over loaf.

Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Variation: Pepperoni Pizza Twist

For filling, combine 1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced

1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained & chopped

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pressed garlic clove

Continue as recipe above directs starting with cutting the French bread. Sprinkle the loaf with 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese before baking.